Cricket Wireless Pavilion

a) why must you change your name every damn year?

b) why must you be so far away?

that's all.

I was nervous about coming here during the summer but it turned out to be really lovely.  We arrived around 8:30 for a Mumford and Sons show, by the time we parked, bought a t-shirt, grabbed some craft beers and sat down, it was 9:00 - not bad.  We sat chatting for a bit and I realized that the weather was quite beautiful and I looked up and saw a few stars and thought it was pretty cool to be catching one of my favorite bands outside on such a great night, I felt positively blissful.  

For an outside venue it was pretty nice.  I was excited that when I walked in I saw a huge sign for craft beer.  It was a $1 less than the jumbo beers in a can that everyone was walking around with.  The seats weren't as uncomfortable as the stadium seating at the D-Backs game.  Although I was sitting next to an obese man who's thighs took up a quarter of my chair... I felt he owed me a beer at the very least.  

One thing though:  I notice this place is now called Ashley Furniture Homestore Pavilion.  That's some bullshit.  Can we all agree that whatever owners change hands of our stadiums/pavilions, we'll still call it by ONE name.

I wish there were more alternatives for shows.  This place is probably the worst venue in town as an overall facility.

First off, it is so expensive for anything inside.  More expensive than pro sports ballgames.  Come on - that is really shameful.

I am going to slam the facility hard for there very poor sound management.  The place is for concerts!!!!  Sound is supposed to be what you are experts in and yet they can't get it right.  For the second concert(Mumford and Sons) the sound quality was terrible.  We could not hear half the show because the volume was so low and then when they turned it up, there was so much noise that it was just as bad.  They really ruined the show for me!

The service is non existent and pathetic.  The people working are truly lacking any semblance of personality.  They also have the most ignorant rule I have ever seen:  you have to give up your bottle caps to your water for fear of it being thrown!  I understand that possibility....but look at the tickets - If someone can throw a bottle of water from the lawn section then they should be in the NFL or MLB!  What a joke!

Parking is free, but is a cluster to get out as the police do little to assist and the facility does not provide any assistance either.

Bottom line though:  SOUND - you get paid for it, GET IT RIGHT!!!!!