Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center — Attraction in Midland

FANTASTIC PERFORMING ARTS THEATRE!!! It’s a trip as it’s, IDK how U say it but it’s like in the middle of nowhere… just north of the Midland international airport on a freeway that connects the 2 cities; the “191!” Growing up in Los Angeles, Austin, and Dallas, I really dig this theatre b/c, unlike the aforementioned locations, the traffic is, like nonexistent! Even the freeway that goes past it is so freaking easy to get to it makes U wish every other venue was designed like this/as EASY 2 get 2 sans having 2 sit in freaking traffic!

Seriously, U can fly (“DIRECT Flights,” I might add, 2 Midland International Air and Space port (“MAF” if U 👀 up ✈️✈️✈️…note: I think it was the 1st International Airport in the nation to be certified by the FAA 4 commercial space flights btw…there was some California Co. that was going 2 be the 1st 2 offer them BUT IDK if that’s still being offered…on a side note, I DO KNOW Amazon-Jeff Bezos’ Blue Horizon (West TX) launches flights just West of this ✈️ & Elon Musk’s Space X is South of this ✈️), when U leave the airport & can be at this theater via the main rd out of the ✈️ (the “1788”) & be @ the venue in like 10-15mins; I’m NOT even exaggerating a LITTLE…it’s crazy! And it seats, I think, around 3000 people or possibly a few more but the way it’s laid out as it has three different stories, of sorts (w/ the Mezzanines); I’ve been 2…like 6-8 concerts from Front Row to the back & 3rd Story Mezzanine & there’s not a bad seat in the house!

Btw, I believe this venue is, maybe 10 years old giver take a couple years @ the most so, VERY NEW, as far as venues like this goes. I think what says a lot about it is I’ve read various performers comment on their Insta or FB pages about how nice both the theater and their green room is. That’s some thing you don’t see a lot of performers take the time to comment on so if you’re ever in the area or can’t get good seats at the venue in your hometown, and I’ve done this before I moved here for a few years is grab a cheap plane ticket on Southwest, American, United, etc. (again, “Direct Flights” from Las Vegas & Austin (SW), Phoenix (AA), & Denver (United), respectively per the aforementioned Airlines & Direct Flights on EVERY Airline from DFW & Houston) whoever as they always have specials especially on Southwest from places like Las Vegas, Denver, or Phoenix and fly out here and get a cheap ticket and still be able to see the show. Having lived in ONLY large areas (mentioned above), in most large cities, especially if you get really good seats at a large venue, the cost of the ticket is such that I’ve seen tickets from Las Vegas for $99 on Southwest and tickets for concerts for like $50 so right there that’s technically less than $150 so, it’s a thought if you really want to see somebody. I have to admit, of the hundreds of concerts I’ve seen in my life, you can tell this venue is, or looks absolutely brand new and it’s laid out formally (Orchestra, Mexxanine, Parterre, etc.), well check this link out below and you’ll see what I mean. When you check out the Interior Pics, you’ll see what I mean; it’s truly an incredibly NICE THEATRE; for a “metro area - Midland/ODESSA & surrounding cities in the 3 county area - you can really tell a LOT of money went into the building/design of this Centre ESP considering the aforementioned metro area has a population of only about half a MILLION…good size BUT still small compared to areas I grew up: LA (Orange County), DFW, Austin!!). Anyway, it’s a great venue and I highly recommend it! See pics I’ve attached; mainly from shots I took of the “Floyd Concert”🎵 end of last week B4 they’d played Los Angeles & San Diego” this past weekend; Saturday & Sunday night, respectively. Lastly, the pics w/o the show don’t really do it justice because you can’t see all the rest of the seats on the floor as the second and third story balconies cut them off, if that makes sense. 0W, the venue is bigger than it looks from these pictures, obviously, if it seats 3000-ish people!...

Having been born in Los Angeles, California area and subsequently living in both Austin and Dallas Texas, I must admit I was quite surprised to find a Performing Arts center in an area with only half a million people!!! Very nice Centre! Moreover, the marketing team has done a find job in booking big name artists as opposed to what was once a sickening one/two genre in the area: country and Mexican music. Mind you, I don't dislike the former (country) - though the "Mexican" music artist that come here are NOT the kind I listen to (music from Spain like Laura Pausini); it's all Tejano and the terrible related sub genres of it - it's just that previous to this Centre being built, there was literally NO diversity in this area I've been working and living in for the past 9 years! Almost humorously, you could get on what's probably the best ticket outlet today, "Stubhub," and find that these artist - like Chris Tucker - would go from New York, to Dallas to Midland then next @ Los Angeles. I find that quite interesting as an area this small is "in that mix!" Even other acts I've seen like 3rd Day and Christopher Cross have written (particularly on the latter) on their Facebook posts how nice the venue is and how spectacular their "green room" was! Citing this Centre amongst the hundreds many of these artists play across the world is impressive so "kudos" to building this rather large venue in a comparably small (1/2 million) area! Oh, I'd ben remiss if I didn't point out, even the "nose bleed" section - particularly towards the front - are GREAT seats! There's hardly a "bad seat" in the way the venue was constructed! Moreover, it's not only located in between the two main cities (Odessa and Midland), it's an area where it's not only [literally!] only a couple miles or so from the Midland International Airport - with virtually no businesses in between (none that would cause "traffic") - there is no "traffic" to speak of so an artist's plane can land at the airport and literally be at the venue in about 5 minutes once they get into their ride (car, limo, whatever) to the venue so I'm sure that's a nice change! At any rate, visit their website and check out some of the surprising artist that perform from time to time (note: there are periods where they have "dry spells" and lesser-known artists but then they'll have several in-a-row; even contemporary like 5th Harmony, etc.). Again, it's great to FINALLY have some diversity in this area other than [JUST!] country...

2025 UTPB Undergrad Commencement Ceremony. UTPB held there College graduations here on August 15th. Very nice looking facility but TOO SMALL, especially a college graduation. Not sure how they fare during a concert, but the Commencement Ceremony was, UNFORTUNATELY, severely INADEQUATE for the amount of people there. First, there was water once you got there, to buy, but halfway, or even before the commencement ended, they closed all concessions and there was no water to be given or sold. We are still in the Summer in West Texas and there isn't water for the public? Second, the AC Units were NOT blowing enough cold air inside the venue. Third, there was not enough seating to accommodate the amount of people showing up. Consequently, there weren't enough chairs or seating and the ushers were polite but did not allow people to stand next to the balcony without having a chair (dumb but I get it). And of course, NOT ENOUGH CHAIRS. I would NEVER come to a concert there, unless it was free or small/unpopular band. I did let one of the deans know what I saw and gave him the 3 bullet points. He was in the Environment... Department and gave me a "politician response" because the damage was done... "We'll do better next time." She will be graduating with her Masters next year but doesn't want to walk across that stage because of the terrible inadequacies that the venue had for the 2025 Summer graduations. And this is not only a reflection of the Wagner Noel space but, more so of the University of Texas...