5 of the Best Concert Venues in the United States
Concert venues are always important because they always add something extra to the experience and make it more fun to watch a performance live. Besides who wouldn’t want to attend a show at a venue that is unique and beautiful? Whether you like to watch your favorite artists perform outside or inside a historical theater, there are a number of places where you can sit back and enjoy great music live. Below are, according to us, 5 of the best concert venues in the United States.
1) Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Located in Denver, the Red Rocks Amphitheatre is one venue you have to visit if you want to see your favorite artist perform out in the open. Opened in 1906, it is the only naturally occurring amphitheatre in the world and can accommodate approximately 9,525 people. Situated 6,450 feet above sea level in the Red Rock Park, the venue was selected by the American Institute of Architects to be Colorado’s entry in the National Gallery of Art for the AIA’s Centennial Exhibition in 1967. Moreover, the amphitheater has also appeared in several films and television shows including, ‘The Amazing Race 9,’ ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Women’ and ‘South Park,’
This spectacular concert venue has been a big attraction for many artists like, B.O.B, Zac Brown Band, Train and OneRepublic who have all filmed their music videos there. It is also very famous for live recordings. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, U2 have released their concert video, ‘Live at Red Rocks: Under a Bloody Red Sky.’ In addition to that, stars like, Dave Matthews Band, John Tesh, The Moody Blues, Neil Young and many more have come out with live albums of their performances at the Red Rocks. Also, many legendary names like, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Depeche Mode among others have stepped on to the stage at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
2) PNC Bank Arts Arena
Previously known as the Garden State Arts Arena, the PNC Bank Arts Arena should be on your list if you are a concertgoer. The venue is located in Holmdel Township, New Jersey and opened its door to the masses on June 12, 1968. Managed by Live Nation, it is one of two main outdoor arenas situated in the New York City Metropolitan Area, with the other being Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. The amphitheater has the capacity of almost 17,500 whereas the grass arena can be occupied by about 10,500 people.
The PNC Bank Arts Arena is undoubtedly one of the most popular amphitheaters in New Jersey and has hosted a number of major music festivals over the years like, The Uproar Festival, The Area Festival, Projekt Revolution, The Vans Wraped Tour and The Mayhem Festival among others. The venue has also seen some very famous names take the stage there. One of them is James Taylor who is one of very few artists to perform there on three consecutive dates.
The Spice Girls also played a sold out show at the venue in 1998. Moreover, the recipient of Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Glen Campbell has also recorded his live album at the venue titled, ‘Glen Campbell Live’ which came out in 1969. It charted at the thirteenth and the second spot on the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Country Albums respectively. Other stars like, Jackson Browne and The Allman Brothers Band have also released live albums of their performance at the PNC Bank Arts Arena.
3) American Airlines Arena
A multi-purpose arena located near downtown Dallas, Texas in Victory Park, the American Airlines Center is one the most popular venues around and is home to both, the former NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks and the former Stanley Cup champions, the Dallas Stars. Opened on July 17, 2001, the venue can occupy 21,000 concertgoers.
The American Airlines Center is also used as the concert venue and over the years, many popular acts have performed there including, the Dixie Chicks who performed there during their, ‘Top of the World Tour’ in 2003. Other names like, Cher, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Green Day, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Rush among others have also entertained fans at the American Airlines Arena. Now, the venue will soon be rocked by, Kendrick Lamar and Fall Out Boy. They will be going on ‘The Damn. Tour’ and ‘The Mania Tour’ respectively.
4) Infinite Energy Arena
Attending a concert at the Infinite Energy Arena should also be at the top of your list if you are a music fan. Opened to the public in 2003, the venue serves as the home of the professional ice hockey team, the Atlanta Gladiators. It also acts as the home of the Georgia Swarm, a box lacrosse team which competes in the National Lacrosse League. Known as The Arena at Gwinnett Center previously, the Infinite Energy Arena is located within the Atlanta metropolitan area outside the city limits of Duluth, Georgia.
Apart from hosting ice hockey and basketball games, the Infinite Energy Arena has also been holding concerts since 2003. Over the years many popular country acts have performed at the venue including, George Strait, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Tracy Lawrence and Little Big Down among others. Other famous artists of different genres have also played music there like, Avril Lavigne, ZZ Top, Nickelback, Elton John, R.E.M, Kid Rock and many more. Now, three more stars, Kendrick Lamar, Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran are scheduled to perform at the Infinite Energy Arena in 2017. So, will you be there when they take the stage live?
5) T-Mobile Arena
Watching a concert live at the beautiful T-Mobile Arena is an experience of its own. The venue is a joint venture between the Anschutz Entertainment Group and MGM Resorts International which opened on April 6, 2016. Located in Paradise, Nevada, the arena is the home to the Vegas Golden Knights. So far, the venue has hosted a boxing match between Canelo Álvarez and Amir Khan and will soon be hosting the Pac 12 Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2017.
Besides sporting events, T-Mobile Arena has also seen many notables in the music industry perform there. Among them is the country legend, George Strait who announced his Las Vegas Residency at the venue last year in 2016. He is still to perform a handful of shows at the arena. Other than him, stars like, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, Slipknot, Coldplay, Drake, Keith Urban, Kanye West, Carrie Underwood and Bon Jovi have all performed there live. The list doesn’t end there because superstars like, Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Imagine Dragons and Depeche Mode are all set and ready to rock the T-Mobile Arena soon.
So, there you have it. This is our list of 5 of the best concert venues in the US. If you plan on watching your favorite artists live, then try to attend one of their shows at one of these venues. It will be worth it.
