UWMike
02-23-2004, 11:30 PM
As I try to learn more about the new venues I might go to this year, I thought I’d help out others by ranking and giving my opinions on the places I’ve been. Feel free to comment on my list or add your own. Hopefully this will help fans with questions about different venues.
The number in parenthesis is the # of times I've seen a DMB/D&T/D&F show at that venue.
Amphitheatres:
1) Alpine Valley Music Theatre (East Troy, WI) (8) There truly is something special about 40,000 people in an amphitheatre setting. The best tailgating and parking lot atmosphere, lawn seats that seem to go up to the sky, and a unique roof which gives great sound to the shows. The band always seems to have a little extra bounce to their step when they play here. I’ll leave the Dave’s favorite venue argument for another time.
2) Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek (Raleigh, NC) (2) Very nice, clean venue. All of the pavilion seats are very close to the stage and the lawn seems more intimate than some other 15,000-20,000 seat venues. I especially liked how the parking lots were set off in a forest-like setting. Unfortunately this venue is now a 1 night venue. I don’t think I’d fly to Raleigh for 1 show, but I definitely would again if they got another 2 night stand.
3) Verizon Wireless Music Center (Deer Creek) (Noblesville, IN) (4) The venue itself is pretty basic. The lawn is big and is known to get pretty rowdy. Reserved seats are limited so consider yourself lucky when you score these seats. Large bathrooms guarantee that you won't miss much of the show. Crowds at Deer Creek shows are always fired up because of all of the fans that hang out at the many campgrounds around the venue. If you like to camp, then Deer Creek is the Midwest stop for you.
4) Blossom Music Center (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) (1) A tough venue to grade because the good here is very good while the bad is very bad. The amphitheatre is awesome and the sound is great thanks to a roof similar to Alpine’s. The woods behind the lawn make for a nice setting. The trip through the state park is very nice while driving to the venue. The fun ends once you park your car as there is hardly any tailgating scene. There weren’t very many cops around to enforce the “no tailgating” rule, but the locals must know the drill because they didn’t even try. Traffic getting out of the venue was worse than any I’ve ever seen.
5) Marcus Amphitheatre (Milwaukee, WI) (2) There are plenty of great seats at this Milwaukee venue. There are 2 levels of reserved seats before you get into the bleacher seats and behind the bleachers is a small lawn section that gives a nice view of Lake Michigan and downtown Milwaukee. If you catch a show at this venue during Summerfest, be sure to catch some of the other acts on the smaller stages. Don't expect a 3 hour show, however, as the band seemed to be on a pretty tight curfew the 2 times I saw them here.
6) Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge (Bristow, VA) (1) I was pleasantly surprised by this place. Pretty active parking lot party, fired up fans, lots of restrooms and concessions to choose from. The only negative here was a parking lot that rivals Blossom in degree of difficulty for leaving the lot.
7) Tweeter Center on the Waterfront (Camden, NJ) (3) I did like the view of downtown Philly from the lawn, and everyone in the lots seemed to be having a good time. However, I really did not like the enclosed feel once I got to my pavilion seats. I understand that this is a "convertible" venue where they play shows in the winter, but I like the outdoor feel when I'm at an amphitheatre. The walls on the sides of the stage seem to trap the music and create an echo effect. I’ve encountered more obnoxious fans here than any other venue. Hopefully I won’t have to hear the “E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!” chant anymore this year. Of course, I’m sure there still is a lot of pride after losing in the NFC Championship 3 years running.
8) Meadows Music Theatre (Hartford, CT) (1) I’m sure fans who hold this place close to their hear will disagree, but I thought it was a decent place that really didn’t do much for me. Seats were ok, crowd got into it at times, didn’t pay attention at other times. The parking lot party seemed to be pretty strong. I was glad that I didn’t have to endure any riots or fires. Proximity to downtown makes for a short trip from your hotel to the venue. Lots of good bars and restaurants to choose from for pre and post show activities.
Arenas:
1) Assembly Hall (Champaign, IL) (1) I was very impressed with this venue. The circular layout of the seats made it seem like everyone was on top of the stage. I really liked where they put the stage (not on the end where a hoop or goal would be at a sporting event, but turned like it would be across from the benches at a bball game.) There was a great crowd, which you'd expect from a college town. No beer sales, which I was mad about at first, but it actually was a good thing since there seemed to be very few beer runs/trips to the bathroom by the crowd.
2) Allstate Arena (Rosemont, IL) (2) A very loud, old arena with lots of great seats. You get the Chicago big-city vibe without having to drive too far into Chicago to get to the arena.
3) Kohl Center (Madison, WI) (1) A bigger arena, but the sections do overhang each other to create a more intimate atmosphere. Lots of fired up college kids at one of America's better party schools. Dave must have gotten caught up in the Madtown vibe when he pulled #40 out of the bag for the first time in a long time on 12/11/98.
4) Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, PA) (1) The best of the NBA arenas that I’ve been to for a concert. A big place, but it doesn’t seem too huge when you’re inside.
5) Target Center (Minneapolis, MN) (1) Good crowd and the upper level seats aren't in the total nosebleed range. Nice downtown area around the arena. The Lone Tree bar had one of the best pre/post show parties that I’ve seen.
6) Bradley Center (Milwaukee, WI) (1) Pretty mellow crowd. Very nice concourses. Upper level seats are very steep, I was glad to be in the lower level.
7) United Center (Chicago, IL) (1) The house that Michael built didn't do much for me as a concert venue. The place is just too big. There were more fans not paying attention to the concert than any show I've been to. The pre-concert scene in terms of tailgating or barhopping is non-existent since the arena is basically in a run-down neighborhood.
8) TARC (Kenosha, WI) (1) This isn’t a concert venue, but I was lucky enough to see Dave and Tim here. Acoustics sucked and I couldn’t see much from 35 rows back. After realizing how lucky I was to finally see and Dave and Tim show, I realized that the truly lucky fans are the ones who got to see Dave and Tim in a nice concert hall (Purdue, Radio City, etc.)
9) Alliant Energy Coliseum (Madison, WI) (1) The best part of this venue was that I saw my first show here and it was GA floor seating so I was able to get to 10th row center. The floor was pretty rowdy because this show was around the time (10/21/96) when DMB was becoming too big for GA seating.
Stadiums:
1) Soldier Field (3) The venue itself was pretty run down and I'm curious to see how things are after the renovation. It is a cool sight to see so many people jamming in a sold out football stadium. It is quite an adventure to file out of the stadium when you have floor seats. You have to love the people who like to burn the ties on the floor chairs and then create a pile of chairs without any regard to the people who now have to avoid this pile of chairs while dancing to the show. Grant Park and Michigan Ave. make for great sights around the venue. If they ever play here again it should have to be during the Taste of Chicago.
2) Comerica Park (1) Awesome baseball stadium! Not much of a concert venue. I don't think that the shape of baseball stadiums allow for a nice concert atmosphere. You have people on the outfield grass and then you have everyone else in the stadium seats. Maybe if MLB let fans on the infield grass it wouldn't seem so bad, but all of that empty space makes for a weird setting. The fans in the seats are very, very far away from the stage. I sat near the 1st base dugout and it really didn't seem like I was at a concert.
Well, that's my take on the venues I've been to. Feel free to create your own list or rip mine to pieces.
The number in parenthesis is the # of times I've seen a DMB/D&T/D&F show at that venue.
Amphitheatres:
1) Alpine Valley Music Theatre (East Troy, WI) (8) There truly is something special about 40,000 people in an amphitheatre setting. The best tailgating and parking lot atmosphere, lawn seats that seem to go up to the sky, and a unique roof which gives great sound to the shows. The band always seems to have a little extra bounce to their step when they play here. I’ll leave the Dave’s favorite venue argument for another time.
2) Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek (Raleigh, NC) (2) Very nice, clean venue. All of the pavilion seats are very close to the stage and the lawn seems more intimate than some other 15,000-20,000 seat venues. I especially liked how the parking lots were set off in a forest-like setting. Unfortunately this venue is now a 1 night venue. I don’t think I’d fly to Raleigh for 1 show, but I definitely would again if they got another 2 night stand.
3) Verizon Wireless Music Center (Deer Creek) (Noblesville, IN) (4) The venue itself is pretty basic. The lawn is big and is known to get pretty rowdy. Reserved seats are limited so consider yourself lucky when you score these seats. Large bathrooms guarantee that you won't miss much of the show. Crowds at Deer Creek shows are always fired up because of all of the fans that hang out at the many campgrounds around the venue. If you like to camp, then Deer Creek is the Midwest stop for you.
4) Blossom Music Center (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) (1) A tough venue to grade because the good here is very good while the bad is very bad. The amphitheatre is awesome and the sound is great thanks to a roof similar to Alpine’s. The woods behind the lawn make for a nice setting. The trip through the state park is very nice while driving to the venue. The fun ends once you park your car as there is hardly any tailgating scene. There weren’t very many cops around to enforce the “no tailgating” rule, but the locals must know the drill because they didn’t even try. Traffic getting out of the venue was worse than any I’ve ever seen.
5) Marcus Amphitheatre (Milwaukee, WI) (2) There are plenty of great seats at this Milwaukee venue. There are 2 levels of reserved seats before you get into the bleacher seats and behind the bleachers is a small lawn section that gives a nice view of Lake Michigan and downtown Milwaukee. If you catch a show at this venue during Summerfest, be sure to catch some of the other acts on the smaller stages. Don't expect a 3 hour show, however, as the band seemed to be on a pretty tight curfew the 2 times I saw them here.
6) Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge (Bristow, VA) (1) I was pleasantly surprised by this place. Pretty active parking lot party, fired up fans, lots of restrooms and concessions to choose from. The only negative here was a parking lot that rivals Blossom in degree of difficulty for leaving the lot.
7) Tweeter Center on the Waterfront (Camden, NJ) (3) I did like the view of downtown Philly from the lawn, and everyone in the lots seemed to be having a good time. However, I really did not like the enclosed feel once I got to my pavilion seats. I understand that this is a "convertible" venue where they play shows in the winter, but I like the outdoor feel when I'm at an amphitheatre. The walls on the sides of the stage seem to trap the music and create an echo effect. I’ve encountered more obnoxious fans here than any other venue. Hopefully I won’t have to hear the “E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!” chant anymore this year. Of course, I’m sure there still is a lot of pride after losing in the NFC Championship 3 years running.
8) Meadows Music Theatre (Hartford, CT) (1) I’m sure fans who hold this place close to their hear will disagree, but I thought it was a decent place that really didn’t do much for me. Seats were ok, crowd got into it at times, didn’t pay attention at other times. The parking lot party seemed to be pretty strong. I was glad that I didn’t have to endure any riots or fires. Proximity to downtown makes for a short trip from your hotel to the venue. Lots of good bars and restaurants to choose from for pre and post show activities.
Arenas:
1) Assembly Hall (Champaign, IL) (1) I was very impressed with this venue. The circular layout of the seats made it seem like everyone was on top of the stage. I really liked where they put the stage (not on the end where a hoop or goal would be at a sporting event, but turned like it would be across from the benches at a bball game.) There was a great crowd, which you'd expect from a college town. No beer sales, which I was mad about at first, but it actually was a good thing since there seemed to be very few beer runs/trips to the bathroom by the crowd.
2) Allstate Arena (Rosemont, IL) (2) A very loud, old arena with lots of great seats. You get the Chicago big-city vibe without having to drive too far into Chicago to get to the arena.
3) Kohl Center (Madison, WI) (1) A bigger arena, but the sections do overhang each other to create a more intimate atmosphere. Lots of fired up college kids at one of America's better party schools. Dave must have gotten caught up in the Madtown vibe when he pulled #40 out of the bag for the first time in a long time on 12/11/98.
4) Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, PA) (1) The best of the NBA arenas that I’ve been to for a concert. A big place, but it doesn’t seem too huge when you’re inside.
5) Target Center (Minneapolis, MN) (1) Good crowd and the upper level seats aren't in the total nosebleed range. Nice downtown area around the arena. The Lone Tree bar had one of the best pre/post show parties that I’ve seen.
6) Bradley Center (Milwaukee, WI) (1) Pretty mellow crowd. Very nice concourses. Upper level seats are very steep, I was glad to be in the lower level.
7) United Center (Chicago, IL) (1) The house that Michael built didn't do much for me as a concert venue. The place is just too big. There were more fans not paying attention to the concert than any show I've been to. The pre-concert scene in terms of tailgating or barhopping is non-existent since the arena is basically in a run-down neighborhood.
8) TARC (Kenosha, WI) (1) This isn’t a concert venue, but I was lucky enough to see Dave and Tim here. Acoustics sucked and I couldn’t see much from 35 rows back. After realizing how lucky I was to finally see and Dave and Tim show, I realized that the truly lucky fans are the ones who got to see Dave and Tim in a nice concert hall (Purdue, Radio City, etc.)
9) Alliant Energy Coliseum (Madison, WI) (1) The best part of this venue was that I saw my first show here and it was GA floor seating so I was able to get to 10th row center. The floor was pretty rowdy because this show was around the time (10/21/96) when DMB was becoming too big for GA seating.
Stadiums:
1) Soldier Field (3) The venue itself was pretty run down and I'm curious to see how things are after the renovation. It is a cool sight to see so many people jamming in a sold out football stadium. It is quite an adventure to file out of the stadium when you have floor seats. You have to love the people who like to burn the ties on the floor chairs and then create a pile of chairs without any regard to the people who now have to avoid this pile of chairs while dancing to the show. Grant Park and Michigan Ave. make for great sights around the venue. If they ever play here again it should have to be during the Taste of Chicago.
2) Comerica Park (1) Awesome baseball stadium! Not much of a concert venue. I don't think that the shape of baseball stadiums allow for a nice concert atmosphere. You have people on the outfield grass and then you have everyone else in the stadium seats. Maybe if MLB let fans on the infield grass it wouldn't seem so bad, but all of that empty space makes for a weird setting. The fans in the seats are very, very far away from the stage. I sat near the 1st base dugout and it really didn't seem like I was at a concert.
Well, that's my take on the venues I've been to. Feel free to create your own list or rip mine to pieces.