After $4.3M renovation, Capricorn has been reborn and is rocking again

In the 1970s, Capricorn Records helped Macon earn the moniker “The Birthplace of Southern Rock,” thanks to the company’s work with artists like the Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Daniels.

A Mercer University-led renovation, now rebranded as Mercer Music at Capricorn, hopes to capture some of that magic once again.

Rob Evans, the chief sound engineer and director at Capricorn, believes the renovations have paved the way for a musical revival.

“We have lots of events going on here, and there’s definitely a resurgence in Macon’s music; we’re very excited to be a part of that,” he said.

The original studio serves as inspiration to up-and-coming artists who visit the new music incubator and recording studios. The 20,000-square foot facility features 12 rehearsal rooms, two recording studios, eight office spaces, three conference rooms and offices for nonprofit arts organizations or music-related businesses.

A museum with murals, artifacts and interactive kiosks is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $7 and studio tours cost $5.

A grand opening was held in December, and the studios opened on Jan. 2.

“Our goal is to help our community musically, as well as bringing up new talent here in Macon and increasing our music tourism,” Evans said.

Before Mercer’s renovations, the studio was in disrepair and on the brink of collapse. In 2010, Capricorn was placed on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of “places in peril.” However, thanks to grants from the Peyton Anderson Foundation and the Knight Foundation, tax credits and local donors, Mercer partnered with NewTown Macon, Sierra Development and Southern Pine Plantations to preserve Macon’s music heritage and provide a path for the city’s sonic future.

Larry Brumley, who serves as Mercer University’s chief of staff and senior vice president for marketing communications, said the university spent $4.3 million renovating the facility.

“We had to do some major structural work in other parts of the complex because of the deterioration,” he said.

According to Evans, the renovations will attract music fans from across the U.S. and the world, create local jobs and infuse tax dollars into the community.

“It increases the the folks that are eating in restaurants, it brings more people to hotels and increases the music tourism of our town, which has a general economic impact across the whole city,” Evans said.

Mercer Music at Capricorn is located at 540 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Macon.

This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 12:00 AM.