Charlottesville Pavilion

I’ve seen quite a few shows at this venue, both in its current configuration and «back in the day» with a different stage setup. I have to say I REALLY miss the old setup, with a smaller, lower wooden stage. I recently saw Ryan Adams from what should have been very good seats (3^rd row, right orchestra, on the aisle). The problem is the height of the stage relative to the sightlines, from at least the first 10 – 12 rows. The stage is so high – I would guess almost 6 feet – that we were craning our necks the entire time and we really felt the yawning gap between the stage and the seats. Maybe this makes the stage easier to see from the lawn, but it is a real problem for someone who prefers a more intimate concert experience. Also, I think it hurts the quality of the shows, because It’s almost impossible for the performer to feel connected to the audience and to feed off that close-​to-​the-​stage crowd energy. I wish there was some way they could lower the stage by at least a foot or more.
Charlottesville attracts a good calibre of artists and nTelos Pavilion has a lot to recommend it (downtown location, size), but to me the high stage is a major problem, for both the performer and the close-​up audience members.

This venue is really really great! I saw earlier reviews mentioning sound issues. This was not a problem at all for the show I saw tonight (Ryan Adams and Jenny Lewis). It was great to be able to pay for parking when we bought our tickets and then pre-​game at a nearby bar. When we arrived, I swear it was the fastest and least painful check-​in I have ever experienced at this size venue. And low and behold, they have food trucks inside. With donuts! I didn’t get a donut but thought that was a great option. Two non-​music components of a live show were also thumbs up — there were enough restrooms for a crowd of beer drinking concert goers and we never waited more than two minutes for a beer.
I would definitely make the three hour drive from my hometown to come back to this venue again!

It looks like the last reviews were written a while ago, which may explain the difference in experiences.
I love the Charlottesville Pavilion! This is my third year in town and I’ve seen upwards of 25 shows and concerts here. The open-​air pavilion is large for Charlottesville, but provides a great alternative to small venues like The Southern and The Jefferson Theater while not being as overwhelming like John Paul Jones arena. They also attract great bands that are passing through the area looking to play at something other than a club-​style venue.
The atmosphere absolutely cannot be beat, the Pavilion staff is great, there’s always extremely helpful security and reasonably short waits to enter and leave. I’ve never noticed any issues with the acoustics or speakers in the Pavilion — they’ve always seemed loud and clear to me. I think perhaps this is something they’ve worked on in the last few years. The floor slopes gently towards the stage, making it easier to see over taller patron’s heads. The best part is tickets here tend to run in the $ 20 range, some a little more and some a little less. They also have a free concert series in the summer called Fridays After Five, a great way to check out and support local music and very family friendly.
They usually have great beer available — Budwiser and Bud Light for standard beers but usually have some variations of Starr Hill and local beer as well. The bathrooms are huge and EXTREMELY clean. Which is amazing considering the foot traffic that comes through each year.
Tips:
* When you enter the pavilion, if you hang a left there are a number of food trucks INSIDE for your snacking pleasure, often including Mellow Mushroom. Awesome!
* If you are over 21 ordering beer, there are a number of steps involved. First, show your ID to the wristband staff, obtain wristband. Move to ticket table, purchase beer tickets from either the cash only or credit or debit lines. THEN proceed to the beer carts.
* If you’re watching the show and want to bring your over 21 friend beer so they don’t have to leave the crowd, you can buy two beers at one time. ONLY two.
* Will call is to the right, entrance lanes are to the left.
* It gets VERY WARM under the Pavilion in the crowd. It might be November, you might want to wear a jacket to walk to the pavilion, but you are definitely going to want to have some place to stash it once the show starts.
* Be respectful to the cops and security — they are incredibly helpful with things that are not their jobs (pointing you in the right direction, helping you locate lost items, suggesting nearby parking). They are also VERY good at their jobs — I think I’ve seen one fight here ever, which was broken up almost immediately.

Not the best acoustics and the sloping concrete floor makes it difficult to stand (especially if you’ve had a few). Still, a nice spot for outdoor music.

Located at the end of the downtown mall, the Pavilion is a great smaller music venue. Usually the variety of artists that roll through have made their way across the country, but you are able to see and hear them in a smaller setting. When combined with «Fridays After Five» the mixture of people is enjoyable. I’ll be perfectly honest in saying that I have no problem finding a comfy spot outside the pavilion but still within the downtown mall to hear the music without paying the $$ and going inside the tent. Only on those special acts where visually I wanted to be entertained as well do I pay… Willie Nelson (Saturday…07/24), Thievery Corporation, Phil Lesh, Wilco, Widespread Panic.etc.etc. Check out this venue for something different outside the larger city locations. ~

It’s nice that Charlottesville has an open-​air space for music performances. Too bad the acoustics are horrible. The speakers are scratchy and staticky and everything needs amplification.
It’s mostly covered seating with a little bit of a lawn seating at the very back. If you walk down to the east end of the downtown mall you’ll see a big white tent, that’s the Pavilion.
They are starting to book some good names like Modest Mouse and Gary Allan. Every Friday evening in the summer there is a free concert– it’s called «Fridays After Five» and the artists are regional or local.