Riverbend Music Center

Last updated
Riverbend Music Center
Riverbend Music Center logo.svg
Riverbend Music Center
Full nameJ. Ralph Corbett Pavilion
Address6295 Kellogg Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45230-7118
Location Coney Island
OwnerMusic and Event Management, Inc.
OperatorMusic and Event Management, Inc.
Capacity 20,500
Construction
Broke groundJune 2, 1983 (1983-06-02)
OpenedJuly 4, 1984 (1984-07-04)
Renovated1999, 2009
Construction cost$9 million
($27.5 million in 2023 dollars [1] )
Architect Michael Graves
Tenants
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (1984–present)
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (1984–present)
Website
Venue Website

Riverbend Music Center is an outdoor amphitheater located in Cincinnati, Ohio, along the banks of the Ohio River. It has a capacity of 20,500 (6,000 reserved pavilion seats and 14,500 general admission lawn) [2] and was built for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, to allow them to play in an outdoor venue during the summer months. Its location is directly adjacent to Coney Island water park and Belterra Park. Famed architect and 2012 Driehaus Prize winner Michael Graves designed the building. The venue is owned by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, booked and operated by its subsidiary, Music and Event Management Incorporated (MEMI) and also partners with Live Nation.

Contents

Venues

Riverbend Music Center

When Riverbend opened in 1984, it was one of only 16 outdoor music amphitheaters in the United States and it helped revive the Cincinnati concert scene. Many concert promoters avoided Cincinnati following the December 3, 1979, Who rock concert tragedy, in which 11 people died at Riverfront Coliseum. The city passed tough crowd control ordinances, which kept major acts away. Despite those factors, promoters gave the venue a chance and the fans were excited to see acts who had been avoiding the city since 1979. [3]

Riverbend was built for $9 million on 15 acres (61,000 m2) of land donated by Coney Island, a small amusement park. The land was once the site of 2 popular rollercoasters, The Wildcat and Shooting Star, the latter was demolished in 1971. [4] Due to its location next to the Ohio River, parts of the venue can become flooded, canceling shows. A Pearl Jam concert in 2003 and a 2001 show by Oasis and The Black Crowes were among the shows canceled.

The venue's first performance was by Erich Kunzel & The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, with special guests Ella Fitzgerald and Neil Armstrong, on July 4, 1984. The British group the Spice Girls played a show, during the North American leg of their Spiceworld Tour, on July 18, 1998. On July 4, 2000, The Pops performed the first live concert televised from Cincinnati, which aired on PBS, featuring Rosemary Clooney and Doc Severinsen. The Dave Matthews Band performed and recorded their show, on June 26, 2000, which was later released as a live album, entitled Live Trax Vol. 16. Sting performed during his Symphonicities Tour on July 20, 2010, along with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The amphitheatre has also played host to music festivals, including Crüe Fest, Crüe Fest 2, Curiosa, Lilith Fair, Lollapalooza, the Mayhem Festival, Ozzfest, Projekt Revolution, The Horde Festival and the Vans Warped Tour.Also, in 1995, The Alan Parsons Project played live.

Jimmy Buffett at Riverbend

Gulf and western singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett played at Riverbend every year from 1988 to 2022. As of his 2008 appearance, he had performed for 41 consecutive sell-out crowds. There are only two other venues at which he played more shows (Comcast Center and Merriweather Post Pavilion). His following in Cincinnati started at Kings Island's Timberwolf Amphitheater, where the term "Parrotheads" was coined. Every year after, his concerts sold out in minutes, and was one of the toughest tickets to get in Cincinnati. Because of the sellouts, he played two shows in 1989. As shows continued to sell out, Buffett was one of a few performers who played multiple nights at Riverbend. He played two shows in 1989 and 1990, three in 1991, four in 1992, and a five-night stint in 1993. He continued to play multiple nights through 2000. During the summer of 2001, fans in Cincinnati were disappointed when only one show was played. Even though the shows continued to sell out in record breaking time, he only played one show each year from 2001 to 2022. [5] (Buffett died in 2023.)

During his two-night stay at Riverbend in 1990, he recorded live songs for the album Feeding Frenzy .

PNC Pavilion

PNC Pavilion
Riverbend Music Center
Full namePNC Pavilion at Riverbend
Former namesRiverbend Pavilion (planning/construction)
National City Pavilion (2008)
OwnerMusic and Event Management, Inc.
OperatorMusic and Event Management, Inc.
Capacity 4,100
Construction
Broke groundMay 2007
OpenedMay 24, 2008 (2008-05-24)
Construction cost$6.8 million
($9.99 million in 2023 dollars [1] )
ArchitectGBBN Architects
General contractorMesser Construction

Riverbend has built an additional 4,100 seat pavilion, The PNC Pavilion, adjacent to the current box office. The pavilion opened on May 24, 2008 with Cincinnati's Over the Rhine. The band performed their entire Ohio album on the venue's opening night. [6] In January 2009 National City Pavilion became PNC Pavilion due to PNC's purchase of National City bank.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dos Equis Pavilion</span> Amphitheatre located in Dallas, Texas

The Dos Equis Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheatre located in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blossom Music Center</span> Outdoor amphitheatre in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Blossom Music Center, locally referred to simply as Blossom, is an outdoor amphitheatre in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, United States. The venue is the summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra and the site of the ensemble’s annual Blossom Festival. Blossom Music Center is owned by the Musical Arts Association, the Orchestra’s parent organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Idaho Center</span>

The Ford Idaho Center is a complex of sports and entertainment venues in Nampa, Idaho, approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Boise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre</span> Music venue in Phoenix, Arizona

Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre is an amphitheater located in Phoenix, Arizona, which seats 8,106 under a pavilion roof and an additional 12,000 on a hillside behind the main stands. It officially opened on November 9, 1990. The naming rights sponsor is Talking Stick Resort. With a total capacity of 20,000, its capacity is higher than Footprint Center and Desert Diamond Arena. The amphitheater's season starts in April and closes in October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starwood Amphitheatre</span>

The Starwood Amphitheatre was the primary outdoor music venue in the Nashville, Tennessee area from 1986 to 2006. It was owned by Live Nation and had a capacity of 17,137. It had previously been owned by SFX Entertainment and Clear Channel Worldwide, both predecessors of Live Nation Entertainment. It was demolished in 2007 and the site, as of 2021, has not yet been redeveloped. It was not affiliated with the now-defunct Starwood hospitality company.

The PNC Bank Arts Center is an amphitheatre in Holmdel, New Jersey. About 17,500 people can occupy the venue; there are 7,000 seats and the grass area can hold about 10,500 people. Concerts are from May through September featuring 45-50 different events of many types of musical styles. It is ranked among the top five most successful amphitheatres in the country. It is one of two major outdoor arenas in the New York City Metropolitan Area, along with Jones Beach Theater on Long Island. Both venues are managed by Live Nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Knob Music Theatre</span> Open-air theater in Independence Township, Michigan

Pine Knob Music Theatre is an outdoor amphitheater located in Independence Township, Michigan, approximately 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Detroit. Built by the Nederlander Organization in the early 1970s, it is known as "Pine Knob Music Theatre" due to its proximity to the nearby Pine Knob ski area and golf course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xfinity Center (Mansfield, Massachusetts)</span> Outdoor theatre in Mansfield, Massachusetts, United States

The Xfinity Center is an outdoor amphitheatre located in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The venue opened during the summer of 1986 with a capacity of 12,000. It was expanded after 2000 to 19,900; 7,000 reserved seats, 7,000 lawn seats and 5,900 general admission seats. The season for the venue is typically from mid May until late September. In 2010, it was named Top Grossing Amphitheater by Billboard. It mainly hosts concerts; other events, such as graduation ceremonies, including that of Mansfield High School, occasionally take place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jones Beach Theater</span> Outdoor amphitheatre in Wantagh, New York, U.S.

Jones Beach Theater is an outdoor amphitheatre at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, New York. It is one of two major outdoor arenas in the New York metropolitan area, along with PNC Bank Arts Center near the Jersey Shore. Both venues are managed by Live Nation. The theater was designed to specifications provided by Robert Moses, who created Jones Beach State Park.

Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre is an outdoor music venue located in Tinley Park, Illinois, that opened in 1990 and was built by Gierczyk Development. It is one of the largest music venues in the Chicago area, with a capacity of up to 28,000 spectators: 11,000 reserved seats and 17,000 lawn seats.

The Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheater located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, within the Montage Mountain Ski Resort. A temporary fixture was originally built in 1992, known as the Montage Mountain Amphitheater. Due to the venue's popularity, a permanent venue opened in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PNC Music Pavilion</span> Concert venue in Charlotte, North Carolina, US

PNC Music Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheater in Charlotte, North Carolina, that specializes in hosting large concerts. The venue largely replaced the Paladium at Carowinds as the premier outdoor venue in the Metrolina region. It was renamed under a new naming rights deal with PNC Bank. It has a capacity of 19,500.

iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Music venue in West Palm Beach, Florida, US

The iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre is a 20,000-seat open-air music venue in West Palm Beach, Florida. The facility, owned by the South Florida Fairgrounds, is a modern amphitheatre used primarily for concerts and other performances. The loading dock and backstage area is sometimes used for concerts that are general admission standing room only, while the amphitheatre stage is used as the backstage area in these situations.

The Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre is an outdoor amphitheater, located in West Valley City, Utah. From 2003 to 2024, the Amphitheater was named after USANA Health Sciences, a manufacturer of nutritional supplements. A new naming rights agreement with Utah First Credit Union was announced on January 23, 2024. It offers a view of the Wasatch Mountains. The venue opened July 2003.

The Pavilion at Star Lake, originally Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheater, is an outdoor amphitheater near Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, United States, 25 miles (40 km) west of Pittsburgh. The venue holds approximately 23,000 fans: 7,100 in a reserved-seating, open-air pavilion and an additional 16,000 on a general-admission lawn. It is owned and operated by Live Nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (Maryland Heights, Missouri)</span> Outdoor concert venue in Missouri, U.S.

The Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre is an outdoor concert venue in Maryland Heights, Missouri, near St. Louis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal Credit Union Music Park</span> Amphitheatre and music venue in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States

Coastal Credit Union Music Park is an outdoor amphitheater located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, that specializes in hosting large concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Helen Amphitheater</span> Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California, US

The Glen Helen Amphitheater is a 65,000-capacity amphitheater located in the hills of Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater</span> Outdoor concert venue in New York

The Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview is an outdoor concert venue located on the shores of Onondaga Lake in the Town of Geddes, near the western edge of Syracuse, New York. It is an extension of the Empire Expo Center, home to the Great New York State Fair.

The Cadence Bank Amphitheatre is an outdoor amphitheatre within historic Chastain Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The venue, designed by Nelson Brackin, opened in 1944 and is decreed "Atlanta’s Oldest Outdoor Music Venue". The venue attracts more than 200,000 spectators per season.

References

  1. 1 2 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. "Riverbend Music Center". 25 years of Riverbend memories. The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  3. Bird, Rick (2004-05-18). "Riverbend at 20 is still going strong". The Cincinnati Post . E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on 2005-08-11.
  4. Plan a Visit: History Archived 2016-04-22 at the Wayback Machine , Coney Island Park.
  5. "Shows by Venue: Riverbend Music Center". Archived from the original on 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
  6. "Over the Rhine to Perform Entire Album at Venue Premiere (April 15, 2008) : News : PlugInMusic.com". Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2008-04-19.

39°03′08″N84°25′07″W / 39.052105°N 84.418721°W / 39.052105; -84.418721