Stage Design Fail: Raleigh Amphitheater

drenched
09/22 09:38 AM

Despite the downpour, it was a pretty amazing scene last night. Didn’t mind being soaked so much until the PA system failure.  As concert go-ers, shouldn’t we have some assurances against shows being shut down due to failures of equipment? Do we have any recourse at all?

JW
09/22 09:44 AM

People..Its called nature.If you wanna run the risk of being struck by lightening..go ahead..Its not the citys job to be your babysitter..

Barney
09/22 09:52 AM

A little more information about what was going on during the delay would have been nice.  Were they simply waiting for it to stop raining?  Obviously it wasn’t going to stop.  Were they trying to swap/dry out equipment?  They didn’t appear to be doing so.  Instead the band is stuck standing around on the stage while the fans are left soaking in the pouring rain like a bunch of jackasses for an hour wondering if they’d ever start back up.

Rain happens, I get that, but the folks who paid $40+/ticket deserve a little more information when things are shut down. 

Hopefully this gives Fleet Foxes extra incentive to come back soon.  What they did play was tight.  Shame we didn’t get to hear the rest.  Amazing that the rain held off all day right up until show time.

Michelle
09/22 09:53 AM

JW, your comment lacks any sense.

People are upset because the sound system failed (as an outdoor venue, one would expect they would plan for things like rain) and the show had to be shut down half way through.

People were ‘going ahead’ and taking the risk of lighting - the article even states “heavily drenching thunderstorms and bright lighting flashes only elevated the vibe”  Who was expecting the city to babysit them?

Gov't Wet
09/22 10:15 AM

THIS IS NOT THE ONLY TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED.  This is has been something that has grinded my gears for a long time…  My first experience with this was seeing Gov’t Mule there last year, they ended the show about 20 minutes into it.  There was not even any thunder and lightning this time, but the equipment on stage was getting soaked.  Why can’t Raleigh invest in something that wouldn’t cost nearly as much as the whole deal altogether?  Matt Abts and his drum kit were soaked before anything else but he kept playing.  Please Raleigh… MAKE CHANGES TO THE ROOF AND TO THE BACKDROP BEFORE OUR BEAUTIFUL AMPHITHEATER GETS A BAD NAME!

Last night Fleet Foxes were tearing it up, and not a single person in the crowd cared one bit that they were soaked.  A real shame, I tell ya’s.

Andrew
09/22 10:17 AM

I agree with Barney that the crowd deserved a little explanation about the stoppage. It wasn’t the rain that dampened the mood at the Raleigh Amphitheater last night; it was the fact that a great performance was interrupted because of a poorly-designed venue.

Side note: I love them, but The Walkmen belong in a club setting.

Still drying out
09/22 10:34 AM

I agree with everyone’s comments, except for JW. If you have a rain or shine policy, then design the venue to withstand the weather. I had no problem dancing in the rain, getting soaked. It was a great time up until the cancellation. I appreciate the Fleet Foxes for making the most of the time they had.

On a side note, everyone who attended that concert and got screwed out of a great concert, should email or post something on the Raleigh Amphitheater’s Facebook page and demand a refund. Yes, they have a rain or shine policy but we met our end of the bargain by getting soaked, they didn’t uphold their end. Shame on you Raleigh Amphitheater!

Pineview Style
09/22 10:35 AM

Hey, I paid good money for my ticket so I was prepared to take whatever mother nature sent around.  Fleet Foxes were putting on a great show, too bad the sound system couldn’t handle the elements.  The crowd was pretty energized too.  When Robin’s mic shorted out during “Ragged Wood” the crowd still carried on the the lyrics! I know if I were a singer/songwriter that would be pretty awesome to have a crowd sing my lyrics back at me.  It seemed like those guys still wanted to keep playing, but because of the weather, management probably pulled the plug….

tinymontgomery
09/22 10:35 AM

Don’t put rain or shine on your tickets if you can’t continue in the rain, its that simple…I plan on complaining and requesting a refund, everyone else should too.

We left after they stopped because I figured there was no way they were gonna get started back up any time soon.  Did they eventually start playing again? Or was that it?  The article doesn’t really say.

Pineview Style
09/22 11:09 AM

@tinymontgomery…. That was pretty much it after they quit playing.  We all waited for a half hour or so in the pouring rain.  We thought they were going to start back up cause there was some talk about resuming once the lightning stopped, but someone came out and said the show’s over since there was another storm moving through, to which everyone booed.  Then Robin, the lead singer, came out and and apologized and thanked everyone for coming out.  I’m sure that they wanted to continue, but the facility’s sound system was probably a lost cause at that point….

toto
09/22 12:05 PM

i’m sure all of you were the ones whining two years ago on here about the cost of the amphitheater and how “tax payer money shouldn’t be spent to blah blah we don’t understand how our taxes aren’t the same as food/beverage/hotel taxes”.

the amphitheater was built as a temporary structure to last ten years or so until the convention center needs to be expanded into that lot. the prevailing newraleigh commenter’s notion of things being magically fixable is as ridiculous as usual.they tried to buy a tent facility for the exact reason that it would withstand weather but it was turned down for a variety of financial reasons (check this very site’s archives for details and relive some of your past posts about how the amphitheater will be an empty waste of space, is too expensive, etc etc).

http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/downtown-amphitheatre-still-hanging-around/

i agree that it sucks when weather ruins an event like that, but you can only buy/install/build what you’re allowed to buy/install/build.

toto
09/22 12:07 PM

even better link:

http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/council-votes-on-ampitheater-today/

gregoryrme
09/22 03:01 PM

Mr. Toto, you are correct. However, like others commenting here, the point is this: If the ticket says rain or shine, and the concert-goer is willing to stand in the (buckets of pouring) rain, then the concert-goer is fulfilling his/her end of the contract. If the facility is unable to fulfill its end (for whatever reason: bad sound system, not enough coverage for stage area, band unwilling to perform), well, then, the contract is broken. I suggest the facility be either willing to disregard its “rain or shine” policy or upgrade the facility to withstand the rain. Regardless, the facility now has a public relations problem again—one it dug out of after a mediocre first year. How it—meaning the city—handles this will be instructive about how the city regards the importance of a lively and vibrant downtown.

Juanimal
09/22 03:18 PM

Convention center expansion? In what universe will that place need to be bigger by 2018 or even 2028?

Jay
09/22 03:35 PM

anyone know why the stage faces the shimmer wall and not the audience? wouldn’t that be a great backdrop to the stage and view for the audience, plus throw in the city skyline to look at. at present there is no nice backdrop to the stage.  this is just a comment not complaint, the amphitheater is great overall

Ryan
09/22 03:49 PM

I was at the show last night and it was amazing despite being cut short. The rain and lightning truly added to the experience and really jumpstarted the crowd. Hopefully Fleet Foxes will be back soon. Check out the Raleigh shout out on FF’s twitter page. Hopefully they’ll remember Raleigh for the awesome fans and not the equipment and stage malfunctions. 

For all those who were at the show and are interested in a refund I would recommend calling 919-831-6400. They said they are still deciding if they are going to issue refunds or not but give them the name of the person who purchased the tickets and that person’s phone number and they will call you if they decide to issue the refund. And remember the person answering the phone had nothing to do with the concert being canceled so be pleasant with him/her.

toto
09/22 04:07 PM

@jay - to avoid having the sound projected out towards the boylan st neighborhood. there was some push-back from folks over that way who were afraid they’d get blasted out by the noise. additionally it makes more sense to have gates on mcdowell than on dawson. there may be other reasons as well.

@juanimal - what’s your background in knowing what goes on at the convention center or are you just regurgitating the tired “there’s nothing ever going on there” line? from what i understand there are already several yearly shows that are outgrowing the space (major league gaming, world wide web conference, agency shows, among others). additionally, with all of the accolades raleigh receives there are lots of requests from larger groups to use the space. currently, the lack of hotel rooms nearby is a bigger factor than the convention center’s space, but it’s only a matter of time until expanding makes sense.

@gregoryrme - live nation books the amphitheater space for those shows. it’s their policy not the amphitheater’s. again, what was built was what was allowed to be built. as countless articles from the time will show, the tent was a good option that was denied due to funding.

just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary, etc.

Dan Schram
09/22 04:08 PM

Not really a new story here, Gov’t Mule had much of their equipment ruined a year ago because of rain. The amphitheater needs many improvements like solid building structures, more cover for the crowd, stage improvements, and for the love of god, do something with the dirt pile. It’s embarrassing. The whole thing could essentially be packed up and gone tomorrow because everything is collapseable. Yeah the seats suck too.

Juanimal the regurgitator
09/22 04:25 PM

Keep believing the hype toto. After failed bond referendums it took an exceptional economy just to get the thing built in the first place. Those glory days are gone and won’t be back “in ten years or so” and the convention center isn’t necessarily breaking the bank. It’ll have to be renovated before it’s expanded. If the amphitheatre ever goes away something else will be on that property and it won’t be an expanded convention center.

Gov't Wet
09/22 05:14 PM

@Toto, you do realize that projected time that spans a decade or more almost never come to fruition, right?  It’s not like this venue is a Dorito bag.. It’s a really nice venue, and a very* small amount of revenue or tax payer money will easily take care of the stage issues.  It’s absurd to build what they’ve built in such a great area of downtown without proper stage protection… Why waste the time of building everything they’ve built?  There’s nothing “temporary” about this place, and if there is, then what a WASTE!  Best small/outside venue in the triangle if they just get some thicker backdrops and proper covers for the stage.  Disgruntled over here.

frank
09/22 05:20 PM

you’re standing in a parking lot. Do you expect more from a low ball production?

They don’t even come close to booking enough acts to make the venue worth upgrading.

while not wanting to be a “nanny state” fan, but you can be killed playing a wet electric guitar or even a microphone. It’s deadly up there so it’s easy to see why after the downpour, they’re not eager to switch the juice back on.

Here’s a thought, if you want to not worry about summer downpours, book a show at a venue with a roof.

James
09/22 06:10 PM

What the bands were able to play last night was really good.  The crowd was really positive and resilient; standing in rain from 7:30 to 9:45 with nary a complaint is commendable.  Yeah, it was a bummer that they stopped but it makes sense; if a band and some of the crowd died because they were struck by lightning there would be lawsuits and no live music at the venue for quite a while if ever again.  When you go to an outdoor venue that is the chance you take.  It was laudable that Robin Pecknold came out and apologized to everyone and thanked us for staying for the show.  They will definitely make a stop in Raleigh again.  The lowlight of the night for me was the douchebbag who, 2 minutes after that speech, screamed at the band that they “f’ing sucked” among other negative things.  The band heard him, they looked shocked and that makes the rest of us look like a bunch of losers.  Just suck it up and move on.

Vamp
09/22 06:30 PM

Great show, and the deluge of rain only added to the experience. My complaint is this…the amphitheater is charging champagne prices for everything; tickets, food, drinks…so having a ghetto stage setup is unacceptable. FF are playing better venues across the country for less $. The amphitheater needs to amp their shit up.

Josephina Kreuk
09/22 07:26 PM

Well, at least we got an hour of phenomenal music from this unique band “Fleet Foxes”. I noticed people of all ages just having a really, really good time despite an angry sky and getting drenched to the bone!! This band’s life performances are without any doubts superb.One lesson I learned though,I won’t be ordering Raleigh Amphitheatre tickets in advance anymore.I bet Fleet Foxes will come back soon, but I guess not to this Amphitheatre…..

doc brown
09/23 08:53 AM

two years ago on newraleigh: “they shouldn’t waste tax payer money on a tent for the amphitheater. they’ll never book any shows in a parking lot. it’ll suck. i hate it. i hate everything. waaaah.”
=
now on newraleigh: “why didn’t they buy a tent or better structure for the new amphitheater? this phenomenon called “rain” ruined my $200 denim jacket. also, beer is expensive at concert venues. this is a surprise to me. this sucks. i hate it. i hate everything. waaaah.”
=
two years from now on newraleigh: “i don’t understand why they need to waste tax payer money upgrading the amphitheater. the stage they have is just fine. i went to see <insert random hipster band> last week and it was awesome. it’s all about the bands anyway not the stage. who cares if it rains? they should just keep the stage they have instead of blah blah blah blah…”

JCLII
09/23 11:18 AM

call 919-831-6400.

If they get enough names they will have to give a refund.

JCLII
09/23 11:19 AM

This was my last show at the ampitheater. Tickets are just too damn expensive.

Brian
09/23 02:57 PM

“...for the love of god, do something with the dirt pile.”

It’s not a dirt pile, it’s a keep-people-at-Deep-South-from-seeing-the-show-for-free barrier.

Walt
09/24 02:34 PM

Oh please.  Raleigh Amphitheater is an awesome venue.  It wasn’t just raining the other night.  It was POURING.  The band and venue did the best they could.  I love RA and I will continue to support it by showing up and spending money when they have bands I like.  And, for the record, the concert seasons have been great.  I’m frankly pretty proud they’ve gotten so many premier acts.

frank
09/26 10:56 AM

the tent Live Nation was dumping on Raleigh as bait was moth eaten piece of junk that had already been worn out in Boston and Denver. It would cost more money to repair it than “build” the parking lot.

It probably would have collapsed in the downpour and broken someone’s back.

arnold
09/26 11:04 AM

@frank - totally. the moths they have in boston are unbelievable. i’m glad you have the inside scoop on the state of that tent. it’s hard to understand how the mothiness could have been overlooked by the city in determining the feasibility of using the tent. you should run for mayor.

LB
09/27 11:40 AM

sucks about the stage issues. seems like it should be a relatively easy fix. I absolutely love this amphitheater and all its simplicity and faults.  best thing to happen to Downtown in many many years. hope it keeps building.

Gregory Rideout
10/01 10:29 AM

Live Nation called me back and apologized and offered free tickets and the person was absolutely attentive and listened. He said the nature of outside venues just means that sometimes problems will happen. The Raleigh Ampitheatre will survive most rain storms, but sometimes it won’t… and when it doesn’t, feel free to ask LiveNation for some redress. I bet, if the person I talked to has anything to do with it, the company will. By the way, I declined the tix… just glad to have my concern listened to.