Riverbend to add 2nd pavilion

BY CLIFF PEALE | [email protected]

May 10, 2007

 

IMAGE: A look at the new amphitheater (background) coming to Riverbend. National City Bank bought naming rights to the space.

PROVIDED RENDERING

 

IMAGE: An artist's rendering of the new amphitheater (bottom) to be built at Riverbend Music Center. It will seat 4,100 and be ready by June 2008.

PROVIDED RENDERING

 

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will start construction on a second pavilion at Riverbend Music Center this summer and will have it open by June 2008.

 

The symphony, which owns Riverbend, said it has raised more than $3 million in private contributions to go with $3.25 million in state capital funds to build the 4,100-seat facility.

 

It will be on the western edge of the Riverbend property near the current amphitheater, which has about 6,000 seats under roof and room for 14,000 more on the lawn.

 

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^ I wonder if the new pavillion will be better.  Riverbend is my least favorite place for concerts mostly because of its poor design.  You can't see the stage from many of the seats, and forget about the lawn.  It's not friendly for those 5'4" and under.  :(

I know the views suck and the design is poor, but lawn tickets to a good show on a nice summer day is unbeatable in my opinion.

Riverbend's addition sizes up concert crowd

Small, intimate space growing venue's appeal

BY MELISSA HALLER | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER

February 22, 2008

 

In a rapidly changing music industry - where direct-to-consumer technology has led to market segmentation - the owners of Riverbend Music Center are building to keep up with the times.

 

The 4,100-seat National City Pavilion now rising at Riverbend's campus is expected to deliver performances for consumers who've developed a taste for talents that might not have had a sizeable fan base when the industry was influenced mostly by what was played on the radio. Such niche performers often have a substantial and loyal following, but one that's not large enough to fill the existing J. Ralph Corbett Pavilion and amphitheater at Riverbend, which can accommodate 20,000.

 

That's where the new pavilion comes in. It will allow for more intimate concerts by often eclectic and unique talents. They might be bands without big-money labels, regional musicians, and even recognizable talents such as Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, B.B. King, and Stevie Nicks.

 

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This could help bring bigger and better music festivals into Cincinnati and Riverbend.  I have been to a few shows that have multiple stages, not that fun at Riverbend.  Usually additional stages are set up in the parking lot and they are fenced off from the "outside", or people who haven't paid to get in.  4,000+ seats would be perfect for a "2nd stage" for big music festivals such as OzzFest, Lollapalooza (is that even going on anymore?) and many more.  Those are the music festivals that I would personally go to.  I am sure there are other festivals for country, rap and other music. 

 

I happened to be working for Anderson Township when Riverbend wanted to build this, I was very exciting to hear about the news, to say the least.