Cincinnati show was horrible!!!!

Pirate Lookin' at 40 · September 3, 2004 12:08 am

I will never go back to Riverbend again. I have always heard that Cincinnati was one the great places to see JB. Well, that is BS!!! If you are on the lawn, but not in the middle section, forget seeing anything unless you simply watch the monitors. The sound was horrible as well. This was the worst view and sound of any concert I have ever been to. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement at the least. Don't get me wrong, I have no complaints about JB himself. Well, okay I have one. I can't believe that he chose to play this piece of s@#t venue and not play Starwood in Nashville at all. Starwood is a hundred times better than Riverbend!! Whoever designed this ampitheatre is an idiot!! If they tried to design it so that the people in the lawn could not see the stage, they could not have done a better job! My disappintment is not with Jimmy Buffett, but with this peice of crap venue that I will never ever go to agian. If the great Jim Croce was resurrected for a one time performance, I would be there no matter where it was....unless it was at Starwood. This place should be demolished, tommorrow. In it's place they could build an outdoor concert ampitheatre where people could pay 40 some odd dollars and actually see what they payed for. JIMMY- do your fans a favor and play Starwood instead of this joke of a venue!!!

Duff · Post by **Duff** » September 3, 2004 12:12 am

Sadly, I agree. Cincinnati is a great city and I've been to the Bend multiple times, but really do not like the venue. If you are not in the pavilion, your f'ed. I was in the deep lawn on the left side and found myself watching the monitors as well. I'll never turn down the chance to see the man when he gets into my general vicinity, but the Bend blows.

LastMango · Post by **LastMango** » September 3, 2004 12:58 am

Yes, the view is obstructed on some parts of the lawn. However, when you are that far from the stage, I am not sure that it really matters. I actually think it is a very unique venue.

Uncle John · Post by **Uncle John** » September 3, 2004 1:00 am

I made the trek to Cincy as well for the first time and HATED the venue. It was a major disappointment after all the great things I've heard about it. I loved the show itself, just wish I could have actually seen it. Indy sucks for lack of tailgating, perhaps they could combine the two shows and have the Cincy tailgate at Indy? Of course it would still pale to Alpine, but heck why not... Of course, I'll be back in Cincy again next year because I cannot pass up the chance to see JB, I'll just have to make sure I'm in the pavilion

ches4me · Post by **ches4me** » September 3, 2004 5:26 am

I live in cincy, and If I am offered lawn tickets, I turn them down. a few years ago, we had put together a proposal, along with the managers and Builders, of course, for JB to play Great American Ball Park. It would be perfect. Not a bad seat in the house.

Guess he liked the Idea. because he now does Ball parks, Just not ours.............

Dr.Corona · Post by **Dr.Corona** » September 3, 2004 7:56 am

Thanks P.L. 40 for your candid opinion regarding the Riverbend venue.

Many times I have read comments from Buffett concertgoers and they gush about how perfect their experiences are at Cincy and that it's one of the best venues out there for a JB show.

From what's being said, the tailgating is awesome which you acknowledged, and if you have pavillion seats then the viewing isn't a problem, but for someone not in the know (such as myself) it's great to find out that certain lawn positions are absolutely terrible. While I agree the whole package of tailgating and atmosphere are important to a JB show, I need to be able to actually see the stage or I would be hugely disappointed in the show!

Again, thanks for giving us the real scoop!

aquaholic · Post by **aquaholic** » September 3, 2004 8:04 am

Here's a veteran's take on bad seats..........I p*** away money all year on different items,boat stuff,house stuff,kids stuff, etc.,......when it comes to a jimmy show I always p*** away the appropriate dollars to insure good seats...........even when times were very tight I stuck to this plan and have not been dissapointed...........anyway

Calypso Poet 99 · Post by **Calypso Poet 99** » September 3, 2004 8:38 am

In my opinion, the show is only part of Buffett concert experience. I've been to Cinci twice for the show and both times sat on the lawn, and had a very good time. The tailgating was great, and it seems that beer line wern't to long. I guess if the sound quality wasn't that good, it might be a little upseting, but what do you expect for $35?

capnrick · Post by **capnrick** » September 3, 2004 9:21 am

wish "I" had a concert to b*tch about (snif)

capn rick
s/v "Cavale"

Beach95 · Post by **Beach95** » September 3, 2004 10:17 am

Cini is bad? Great Woods is very similar......if you are on the lawn, forget seeing the show, and sound is low enough to carry on a coversation. I think the whole ampitheater experience in general leaves a lot to be desired anywhere.

cartmill72 · Post by **cartmill72** » September 3, 2004 10:20 am

Beach95 wrote: I think the whole ampitheater experience in general leaves a lot to be desired anywhere.

I agree completely! That is why Value City Arena (Columbus) is one of my favorite places to see Buffett. I've seen both shows he's played there and they both rank in my top 5.

Coconuts · Post by **Coconuts** » September 3, 2004 10:48 am

cartmill72 wrote:
Beach95 wrote: I think the whole ampitheater experience in general leaves a lot to be desired anywhere.
I agree completely! That is why Value City Arena (Columbus) is one of my favorite places to see Buffett. I've seen both shows he's played there and they both rank in my top 5.

I have to agree on Columbus!! That's my new "must-do" venue!!

And the sound on the lawn in Indy isn't that bad, but if you're in either of the outside sections in the pavilion, it's just terrible! My first pavilion seats were there, and it was no fun at all. I lucked into decent seats the next time, and thought it was the best Buffett show I'd seen. Well, talked to a friend who was in the outside section the next day, and she thought it was the worst Buffett show she'd seen.

And it's really quiet on the lawn in Chicago, too.

citcat · Post by **citcat** » September 3, 2004 1:07 pm

capnrick wrote:wish "I" had a concert to b*tch about (snif)

capn rick
s/v "Cavale"

*sniff* aw now you got me crying. Next year=NASHVILLE, huh? (for a concert, not for da bitc#in'!!!)

Gypsy In The Palace · September 3, 2004 1:51 pm

I have made the eight hour drive to Cincinnati three different times. There is something about the atmosphere and the setting there that is absolutely magical to me. Coming in on I-275 just after passing the I-471 junction, you go over that beautiful bridge over the Ohio River. The next thing you see are the boaters pulled up behind the stage and tailgaters everywhere. It makes cold chills run over me to come across that bridge and see that. The fans are really into it, and the atmosphere is always unbelievable-and I believe that JB feeds off the energy of the crowd, and as a result, he's usually in rare form. Plus, the setting is great with the stage going right up to the river, and the whole area with Coney Island and the horse track next door.

The first show I saw there, I had lawn seats. I was one of the first ones through the gate, and I immediately parked right in the center of the lawn at the very front. I had no problems seeing or hearing, but unfortunately, the party atmosphere in the lawn took away from the concert experience. I vowed to not sit in the lawn again if I went back. The following year, I had seats about halfway up the last section of the pavilion on the left side. So many things came together that night to make it the best show I've ever seen! The seats were great, I could see and hear as well as any show I had ever been to, JB was as usual in rare form (It was a four encore night), and after about two weeks of 100 degree temperatures, the heat had broken, and the high was in the low 70's. I tried to think if there was anything about that show that would have made it better, and I could not think of anything!

The following year, I went back and had seats three rows from the back of the pavillion on the right side. The sound there was subpar. I could understand what he was saying, but I had to really pay attention in order to understand. Plus, JB was sick that night, and understandably, he was lacking energy. But, in spite of it all, I still had a great time. I think the sound issue is not unique to Riverbend; I think that all venues have certain spots where the sound is subpar. You just have to be lucky enough to not find them. Two years ago in Nashville, I was in the lawn and was front center while my parents had pavilion seats on the left side. I heard everything just fine, but my parents said that they couldn't understand him at all. It really is just the luck of the draw.

It has been three years since I've been to Riverbend (Attention, Jimmy: Quit coming on weeknights!!), but that venue always will hold a special place in my heart because of the atmosphere, setting, and that one absolutely magical concert that I saw there. Every year since then, on the day of the show, I always really regret not being there and hope to get back there again one day soon.

Fins up!

Patticakes & Fruitcak · September 3, 2004 2:10 pm

I agree 100% that the lawn at Cincy su**ed BIG TIME! I've also seen JB at Starwood and could actually see him, the acoustics (for an outside venue) were mediocre, but on the lawn in Cincinnati there was so much screaming, talking, partying, etc. going on that we couldn't hear a single word that Jimmy said inbetween songs.

Next time I trek that far to a concert, I will definitely pay the difference for pavillion seats!

And yes, Columbus was a nice venue to see him in...

Otherwise, it was a good show...but, Jimmy, puhleeze come back to Nashville!

Pirate Lookin' at 40 · September 3, 2004 2:54 pm

I guess I have been spoiled by seeing him several times at Starwood. Anyone that has been to Starwood must agree that it is sooo much better than Cincinnati. The tailgaiting was much better at Cincy though.

Patticakes & Fruitcak · September 3, 2004 3:38 pm

Pirate Lookin' at 40 wrote:I guess I have been spoiled by seeing him several times at Starwood. Anyone that has been to Starwood must agree that it is sooo much better than Cincinnati. The tailgaiting was much better at Cincy though.

Well then, next time he shows at Starwood, we'll just have to work on showing up Cincy in the tailgating department, right?

TikiTom · Post by **TikiTom** » September 3, 2004 3:41 pm

I only have experience on the lawn at Camden Tweeter Center. When I went there, I was thoroughly surprised because we were smack in the middle about 5 yards from the rail, and I could see everything on the stage, as well as see the screens and hear the music. But further up on the lawn the sound quality was not as good... I think it depends on where you end up on the lawn sometimes, but thats just my 2 cents.

Boomerang Ross · Post by **Boomerang Ross** » September 3, 2004 5:17 pm

"Starwood is a hundred times better than Riverbend!! "

"If the great Jim Croce was resurrected for a one time performance, I would be there no matter where it was....unless it was at Starwood."

I'm confused?

Take it from a Nashvillian, Starwood sucks. Basically, all of these cookie cutter lawn/amphitheaters s***. Trust me, there's got to be a better way to handle beer, Id stations, than Starwood's system they have now. Nashville's last show in '03 (that in itself is a crime) I missed "Great Heart" trying to get in and get a bracelet and a beer. Ended up abandoning the hope of a bracelet and a beer and ended up recruiting a friend halfway therough the show that had a bracelet to buy beers. I think he got to see the encore.

Cajunph · Post by **Cajunph** » September 3, 2004 5:34 pm

I'm not from Nashville and was at the '03 show and thought it was great. Do have a brother that lives there so we got our tailgating done before going 'cause we had heard there would be no tailgating. But when we got there it appeared there was plenty of partyin' going on. The checkin was cumbersome but we just got there early enough to get in on time. We were on the lawn, sound was great, and no problem getting drinks (except the following morning). Now if you need a venue that sucks - try AAA Arena in Miami. Worst JB show I've ever seen and it wasn't his fault.