While it admittedly feels a bit odd to write about and design anything that isn’t directly related to Laurel, Maryland, I have to say—it’s kind of a dream come true getting to work on a book about the legendary Capital Centre. And while it was a few miles away from Laurel, anyone from the DC/MD/VA area in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s should certainly have fond memories of the arena.
I’ve designed the book to be a visual scrapbook (relying more on images than lengthy narrative text) focusing on four aspects:
- the venue itself
- the concert experience
- sporting events (Washington Bullets, Washington Capitals, pro wrestling, boxing, etc.)
- and other attractions (circuses, equestrian events, monster trucks, etc.)
The book will also include a very special appendix—an illustrated chronological list of events that took place at the Capital Centre/USAir Arena throughout its entire history!
I’ve been hard at work on this project for the past year-plus, and I’m excited to share that it’s officially launched on Kickstarter and is well on its way toward being funded!
If you’re not familiar with Kickstarter, it’s a crowdfunding platform in which supporters can make a pledge to reserve a copy of the book—and there are several different pledge levels, each with unique rewards, such as having your name appear in the acknowledgments section of the book, original ticket stubs from classic Capital Centre concerts, vintage Capital Centre ephemera, and more. By making these monetary pledges, you’re not only reserving your copy of the book—you’re literally helping us fund the printing of the book in the first place.
We’ve set a minimum goal of $14,000 to print a limited quantity of 280-page softcover books. It’s an all-or-nothing campaign, meaning that if we don’t meet that goal by the time the campaign ends, we don’t receive anything. However, if we exceed the goal, we may have the opportunity to upgrade to hardcover editions and/or print a larger quantity.
Since launching at midnight on August 29th, the campaign has raised over $5,600—that’s more than 40% of the minimum goal. Also, Kickstarter labeled it a #ProjectWeLove after just two days, which is a wonderful testament to what we’re producing. The campaign runs until 12:00 AM EDT (midnight) Monday, September 18, 2023.
Please check out the campaign at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/richardfriend/capital-centre-a-retrospective and be sure to share the link. I would greatly appreciate it if you’d make a pledge to reserve a copy now, and help ensure that this wonderful book has the funding it needs to be printed. We’re adding new reward levels throughout the course of the campaign, too, so check back frequently!
Lost Laurel 