What Is Your Favorite Arena/Concert Venue?

[David]

That outdoor bowl thing in Santa Barbara is really nice, but I love outdoor places on the beach the best, like the place they used to hold Beachstock in Redondo Beach.

[chiliD]

If you discount the hassle of their nightmarish parking, these would be my top four:

Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
Pacific Amphitheatre (Costa Mesa, CA)
Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles)
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (nee: Irvine Meadows)

As far as INDOOR venues:

Carpenter Center (on the campus of CSU Long Beach) just went for the first time this past Saturday...great place, even the back row at the top is only about 30-40 feet from the stage (horizontally), it's pretty high up, though. (Ok, could be clouded by the fact that from where I live now, I can WALK there)

Wiltern Theatre (Los Angeles) An old converted 30's Art Deco movie theatre...great sound everywhere, great sightlines even from high up in balcony. Parking used to be a bit of a hassle, but since they've completed a 5 story parking structure adjacent to the theatre, it's a whole lot better. A sample of who I've seen there:

Lindsey Buckingham (OotC tour)
The Allman Bros Band
Lyle Lovett
Concrete Blone
The Church

Wilshire Theatre (Los Angeles) Another old converted movie theatre (saw the premiere of the Who's Tommy movie there back in the early '70s...been to a couple of concerts there in recent years. Like with the Wiltern, the addition of an adjacent parking structure improved the concert going experience there.

Gibson Amphitheatre (nee: Universal Amphitheatre) (Los Angeles)
I DID like it a whole lot better when it was an open-air amphitheatre...the "charm" was gone when they enclosed it, but it is still a good venue.
Sample of who I've seen there:

Eric Clapton
Fleetwood Mac
Bob Welch
Randy Meisner
Electric Light Orchestra
Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band


Clubs:

The Golden Bear (Huntington Beach) RIP



Best oncert venue (to me, anyway, since I never got to go to either Fillmores)....directly across PCH from the HB Pier. Sadly, the HB city council caved to pressure from developers in the early 80s and granted permits for "property improvement" and the Golden Bear's lease was canceled and the building destroyed in the name of "progress". A SHORT LIST of acts I saw there:

Walter Egan
John Stewart
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (multiple times)
Rick Vito's Blue Moderne
BB King (multiple times)
Albert King (multiple times)
Muddy Waters
Albert Collins
Buddy Guy & Junior Wells
Peter Tosh
Etta James
Koko Taylor

The Roxy (West Hollywood...on the Sunset Strip) Good sight & sound from anywhere in the room. Parking is a hassle, though. And, maybe I might be a bit biased, since I played there myself a few times back in the mid/late 80s.

House Of Blues (Downtown Disney, Anaheim)
Saw Peter Green Splinter Group there....stood behind the sound board for most of the show...no better spot to be. Was up in the balcony for the opening act and sound was good, but there were many "visual obstructions".

Walnut Room (Denver, CO)
A bit biased here...my son-in-law is the Production Manager for the place. But, that aside....you can't get more than 40 feet from the stage or you'd be out in the parking lot. The sound is great, the sightlines are awesome. The only downside: Depending on the act, seating could be a problem, though, since it's mainly standing room only (just a few cocktail tables w/ barstools...from what I hear pretty much like the Fillmore East & West of the 60's), so if you can't stand for long stretches of time, you probably wouldn't have a good time.


Arenas:

Long Beach Arena (Long Beach, CA)
Close to home and the acts I saw there are some of the greatest of all time, so I may be remembering the place from THAT standpoint rather than the quality of the venue itself. The city council banned concerts there in the mid 80s, relented for a couple of special occasions (Ozzy w/Black Sabbath & The Ramones....and the Beastie Boys, post-concert semi-riots occurred both times...so once again concerts were banned)
Some of who I've seen there:

Eric Clapton (three times)
Led Zeppelin
ZZ Top (pre-beards)
Fleetwood Mac (Heroes Are Hard To Find tour)
Paris (Bob Welch's post FMac band)
Little Feat
Ten Years After
Gary Wright (anyone remember "Dreamweaver")
Santana
Van Halen (prior to their first album)
Edgar Winter Group
Climax Blues Band
Slade
The Motels
X
Los Lobos
Bachman Turner Overdrive
Wishbone Ash


The Great Western Forum (Inglewood CA)
IF you have seats BELOW the walkway or on the floor, where the sound from the stage is impeccable; above the walkway and the sound from the stage degrades sharply the higher you get)

Honda Center (nee: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim CA)
Been to five or six shows there and had seats in various locations & heights...good sound everywhere (for a sports arena). Parking not TOO bad....it helped that I only lived 2.5 miles away (by streets...about a mile as a crow flies) from the place most of the times I went there.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by Erin

Really? I think that place is a dump. It needs to be remodeled. I think the Bradley Center in Milwaukee is a nice venue.

As far as the Chicago area goes, I can't name one good venue. It's rather shocking how bad the venues we have in such a major metropolitan area are.

Well, I like it partially because of the setting right on the lakefront, so that does factor into it for me.

[Zombie]

I've always loved the Starlake in Pittsburgh. It's now called the "Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pavilion," but that does not sound near as good as "Starlake" does to me, so Starlake it is forever.

I've never had a bad concert experience there, and I've been there for a wide range of different types of shows.

I like the Detroit Opera House, as well, even though the acoustics aren't as great as they could be. I've seen Tori Amos there twice, and it's just a really lovely building. Last time I was there, my (now ex)boyfriend, during the day, was all, "You know, Detroit isn't that bad, I don't know why it gets such a bad rap" and I just goggled at him. He changed his tune when he insisted we stop to eat after the show, around midnight, at the IHOP just near the Opera House and we got patted down for weapons before we were allowed inside.

His wide-eyed idealism was adorable, of course, but yeah...no. Detroit deserves every bad rap it gets and then some.

[LikeAWillow]

Originally Posted by Zombie

I've always loved the Starlake in Pittsburgh. It's now called the "Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pavilion," but that does not sound near as good as "Starlake" does to me, so Starlake it is forever.

Hometown pride. Starlake (I still keep using the moniker, too) drives me a little crazy because of how far it actually is from Pittsburgh, but I've had some great experiences there.

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by Erin

Really? I think that place is a dump. It needs to be remodeled. I think the Bradley Center in Milwaukee is a nice venue.

Marcus Amphitheater is kinda dumpy, but its far better than the monstrosity that is whatever-they're-calling-it-now shed in Tinley Park. Bradley Center, eh... narrow seats, cramped.

Originally Posted by Erin

As far as the Chicago area goes, I can't name one good venue. It's rather shocking how bad the venues we have in such a major metropolitan area are.

wha wha wha?? I know I'm biased, but there's a great mix of all types/shapes/sizes! I love the Vic, the Riv(iera), the Aragon for rock shows... and for the theater shows, you can't beat the Auditorium/Chicago Theatres... the Civic Opera House, the Palace, the Oriental, etc. Even outdoor shows, which normally make my skin crawl, can be enjoyable at Ravinia or the Navy Pier/Northerly Island boutique sheds.

For larger scale venues, Allstate Arena is quite the dumpy barn, as is the hideous Rosemont Theatre (actually, all of Rosemont is a ****hole.. I can only think of one reason why I'd ever set foot in that town again) United Center has nice amenities, at least. Haven't been to the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates yet, but I'm sure its nicer (as its smaller)

What Chicago venues are you thinking of?

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by LikeAWillow

Hometown pride. Starlake (I still keep using the moniker, too) drives me a little crazy because of how far it actually is from Pittsburgh, but I've had some great experiences there.

Ahh, Pittsburgh. I love Mellon Arena. I've been looking for an excuse to see a show/game there before they tear that place down.. its a true original.

[hayley]

Originally Posted by LukeA

For larger scale venues, Allstate Arena is quite the dumpy barn, as is the hideous Rosemont Theatre (actually, all of Rosemont is a ****hole.. I can only think of one reason why I'd ever set foot in that town again) United Center has nice amenities, at least. Haven't been to the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates yet, but I'm sure its nicer (as its smaller)

Yes. Rosemont sucks. Hard.

The Sears Centre is okay, but the acoustics are really bad. They did not do a good job designing that arena for multi-purpose use.

[CreepingDeath]

Originally Posted by ButterCookie

Ah, I hate the MEN.

My favourite venue is Buxton Opera House in the High Peak (UK ) Because it's small enough for everyone to see the performance yet there's enough room to get up and jump about. Second to that is probably Sheffield Arena, because the staff are nicer

Maybe it was the performers I saw there more than the arena itself.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by carrie721

oh man, i've been to a bazillion shows there. i've been way in the back of the lawn (mostly for cleveland orchestra) and in the pit (for sixx am). it's a nice venue, but parking and getting there are absolute nightmares. rt 8 is the most direct way to get there and it's basically a dirt path. ok, not that bad, but it is not built for the kind of traffic blossom attracts. and once you get off rt 8 it's 2-lane back roads to get there. ugh.

no, ur not exaggerating.. the parking and traffic are horrible..

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by LikeAWillow

Hometown pride. Starlake (I still keep using the moniker, too) drives me a little crazy because of how far it actually is from Pittsburgh, but I've had some great experiences there.

I will never forget the time I went to Mayhem Fest there and when Slipknot got on stage, Corey Taylor was all, "HELLOOOOOOO, BURGETTSTOWN!!!" and I was like, "Hee hee. He has no idea where he is, he just read that on the Ticketmaster thing before he got on stage."

[Josh2003]

The Electric Factory in Philadelphia is probably one of the coolest venues I've been to. Small, intimate, industrial feel to it.

And add me to the list of Blossom fans. Yeah, it's a pain to get to, but it always felt, to me, more like a park than a corporate-run concert facility (I'm looking at you, Post Gazette Pavilion, aka Starlake).

[Erin]

Originally Posted by LukeA

Marcus Amphitheater is kinda dumpy, but its far better than the monstrosity that is whatever-they're-calling-it-now shed in Tinley Park. Bradley Center, eh... narrow seats, cramped.



wha wha wha?? I know I'm biased, but there's a great mix of all types/shapes/sizes! I love the Vic, the Riv(iera), the Aragon for rock shows... and for the theater shows, you can't beat the Auditorium/Chicago Theatres... the Civic Opera House, the Palace, the Oriental, etc. Even outdoor shows, which normally make my skin crawl, can be enjoyable at Ravinia or the Navy Pier/Northerly Island boutique sheds.

For larger scale venues, Allstate Arena is quite the dumpy barn, as is the hideous Rosemont Theatre (actually, all of Rosemont is a ****hole.. I can only think of one reason why I'd ever set foot in that town again) United Center has nice amenities, at least. Haven't been to the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates yet, but I'm sure its nicer (as its smaller)

What Chicago venues are you thinking of?

Sorry, I was referring to the big arenas and sheds. First Midwest Bank Amphitheater is the name of the shed in Tinley, at the moment. It is truly awful. I've played on the stage (graduation ceremonies when I was in high school), and everything bounces off the pillars so you can't hear anything but a muddled mess. For those in the crowd the first few rows are fine, but after that horrible sound. They keep saying they're going to sell the land and tear it down, but there haven't been any buyers...so the shows go on!

The United Center has nice amenities, as you mentioned, but crappy sound from the shows I've seen there (U2, the Rolling Stones). I don't think Allstate's sound is that bad, but it's in such bad shape. I haven't been to the Rosemont Theater. Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island didn't exactly blow me away with high quality sound, plus port-o-potties! Yuck! I also don't like the bleacher seating. I haven't been to the Sears Centre either, but it's already a negative for me because Hoffman Estates is a pain to get to from where I live.

I do like the Civic Opera House (was there for the Damnation of Faust on Friday night), the Auditorium, Chicago Theater, etc. But for the most part rock concerts aren't held in these venues with good reason, so I feel cheated! I'm not a big fan of the Aragon, Riviera, or the House of Blues. The first two are dirty (can't someone take a mop and clean, plus put up a fresh coat of paint to these places?), and the HOB just annoys me with their buy stuff so you can stand in line inside line, and their overly aggressive security.

[bucklind17]

Originally Posted by Erin

Sorry, I was referring to the big arenas and sheds. First Midwest Bank Amphitheater is the name of the shed in Tinley, at the moment. It is truly awful. I've played on the stage (graduation ceremonies when I was in high school), and everything bounces off the pillars so you can't hear anything but a muddled mess. For those in the crowd the first few rows are fine, but after that horrible sound. They keep saying they're going to sell the land and tear it down, but there haven't been any buyers...so the shows go on!

The United Center has nice amenities, as you mentioned, but crappy sound from the shows I've seen there (U2, the Rolling Stones). I don't think Allstate's sound is that bad, but it's in such bad shape. I haven't been to the Rosemont Theater. Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island didn't exactly blow me away with high quality sound, plus port-o-potties! Yuck! I also don't like the bleacher seating. I haven't been to the Sears Centre either, but it's already a negative for me because Hoffman Estates is a pain to get to from where I live.

I do like the Civic Opera House (was there for the Damnation of Faust on Friday night), the Auditorium, Chicago Theater, etc. But for the most part rock concerts aren't held in these venues with good reason, so I feel cheated! I'm not a big fan of the Aragon, Riviera, or the House of Blues. The first two are dirty (can't someone take a mop and clean, plus put up a fresh coat of paint to these places?), and the HOB just annoys me with their buy stuff so you can stand in line inside line, and their overly aggressive security.

I have a love/hate relationship with the HOB's policies about buying stuff. On one hand, I've done Pass the Line at shows and gotten front row, which was great but at the same time, I think it's kind of lame that anyone who wants to pay more on top of their ticket price can buy a shot at a better spot, but it still doesn't guarantee you anything. My friend and I are going to the Chicago HOB next week for a show and we're thinking about eating in there. I've only seen it on concert DVDs but it seems like it's a pretty good size and you want to try and be toward the front, no?

Also, I heard a RIDICULOUS story from last year about their security and some drama regarding a fan taking a picture off the property and having the camera removed by force. Sooo, I won't be taking any pictures near any security guards?

[Erin]

^^
If you want to stand on the floor, then yes closer is better, although the stage is pretty high. If you want to sit in the balcony or opera boxes, you wouldn't need to do the pass the line.

Security is a beast there. They wand you and go through your purse. I still managed to get a camera in, however I don't use flash, so I was able to take pictures to my heart's content. If you do use flash, chances are they will catch you and may get nasty about it.