The demolition sets the scene for future festivals at the rural N.J. venue.

The old stage is gone, setting the scene for new shows to come.

The Fields at Waterloo concert stage -- in its heyday a destination for big acts including the first Lollapalooza tour in 1991 -- was torn down Thursday. An excavator tugged at a cable attached to the old stage's steel frame, sending the scaffolding toppling to the grassy field.

But the shows must go on. Point Mountain Entertainment, based in Hunterdon County, will be holding the Bourbon Street Blues Festival there later this month. And a new stage will be built.

"We want the community to be a part of this. This is not about selling tickets," Point Mountain co-founder John Kennedy said ahead of the demolition, which used the opportunity to promote the blues festival.

In its 10th year, Bourbon Street Blues will celebrate music and reopen the classic -- if out-of-the-way -- concert venue. Organizers expect more than 15,000 people to attend the two-day event that starts May 20.

Kennedy said more events are in the works for the concert field this year and next.

The Fields at Waterloo are just inside Warren County, while nearby historic Waterloo Village just down the road is in Sussex. Both are within Allamuchy Mountain State Park.

A crowd fills the Waterloo Village concert field in 1995 for the HORDE festival. (NJ Advance Media file photo)

The stage saw its biggest shows in the '80s and '90s. Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys, the Allman Brothers, and many, many more big names had performances there.

Lollapalooza made it a stop for at least a few years, as did the HORDE Festival also made stops there in the '90s.

See who's played the Waterloo stage

More recently, the concerts have trailed off and the stage fell into disuse outside of occasional events.

In a statement last month, Bob Martin, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said the blues festival "marks a revival for this great venue."

IF YOU GO

What: Bourbon Street Blues Festival

When: May 20-21

Where: The Fields at Waterloo Village, Waterloo Road and Kinney Road, Stanhope, N.J.

Who's playing: Headlined by the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and the Robert Cray Band. Other performances by Bernard Allison, Mike Zito, Bonerama, the Bob Lanza Blues Band, the Above Ground Blues Band, Billy Hector, the Fins, Lee Delray, Robert Ross and Mike Esposito.

Tickets: General admission is $45 for a single day; $80 for both days. VIP tickets also available.

More information: www.bourbonstreetbluesfest.com

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.