I'm sure it's fine for basketball games, but not Cirque du Soleil. Â Definitely not Cirque du Soleil.
We went to see Quidam today. Â My previous experience with Cirque du Soleil is that once the show starts, people are not seated until there is a break between acts. Â Definitely not the case here. Â We were seated in Section 107, seats 13 and 14, which were adjacent to the stairs. Â Problem was, our sight of the stage was blocked every time a latecomer came up the stairs to go to their seats, or look for their seats in the dark. Â We missed most of the first half of the show in this manner. Â The seats were also high enough for nosebleeds, and we were in the sight line of a blinding spotlight.
I did go to guest services, and they did relocate us to much better seats, the only bright spot of the afternoon. Â Parking was good. Â Getting in and out: not bad. Â Lesson learned. Â If you want to see a Cirque du Soleil show, hold out for the Grand Chapiteau.
Ah, I attended my first concert here back in 2010. It was Muse and it was a sold out crowd. The stage was decked out with lights and lasers. But there was the small issue of sound quality...
The Patriot Center has a fair number of shops for food and drinks, however as all larger venues, they are overpriced. The staff is a hit or miss. I distinctly remember seeing one member rocking out to Soundgarden along with the crowd so props to him.
I also had my graduation here. So the Patriot Center does hold many fond memories, but I think its organization (in parking, cleanliness) paired with its audio system should be changed to ensure a better experience for all future concerts or events.
I could not describe this venue better than the rating description: "Meh. I've experienced better." Â There is just very little about the Patriot Center that is special or memorable. Â Not that I was surprised by that, since at the end of the day it is really designed for sporting events, but for my money it just doesn't offer much magic for experiencing a concert. Â
To be fair, it probably didn't help that the band I saw here was Sigur Ros, so being transported is a really critical element of the show, but I can't imagine I would have loved it had I been seeing anyone else either. Â It also didn't help that there was some kind of major technical malfunction that was infuriating the lead singer all night that nobody seemed capable of fixing, which really affected the mood of the evening. Â The concert was still absolutely beautiful, but the tone was certainly a bit off.
So, some positive things: the venue is a good size for concerts that are big but not quite Verizon Center big. The General Admission area is sizable and you can get a great spot even if you come pretty much at the last minute. Â There is ample parking available included with your tickets and it is generally pretty easy to find. Â The venue is clean and well-maintained.
But that's where the good stuff kind of ends. Â The venue is a good size and the fact that it's indoors is comfortable, but since it's a stadium, the acoustics are less than amazing. Â Also, it obviously looks like a stadium, and that vibe just kind of turns me off. Any space that's not on the floor seems really far away when they have the stages set up, so I would never go without GA tickets. The parking is available in plenty, but getting out of there after the concert is another story. Â They try to handle the crowd with traffic cops, but it still ends up a total mess....and more of one even than other concert venues out in the MD/VA 'burbs. And yes, the venue is clean, but it's almost too clean. Â It feels sterilized. Â Even the food and drink available is insipid and insanely overpriced. Â
In short, would I go back? Probably, but only if someone I absolutely could not miss was going to be there and only there in the local area. Â It's just not worth the trip for such a vanilla venue.
I saw the Harlem Globetrotters here and I can say that I don't think I would want to see a band play here. It doesn't look like its set up to support those types of events.
Also why is beer so expensive here??? $12 bucks for 20 oz of Stella draft? I could go get a beer in a can but that would still cost me $8 bucks and it would be nasty domestic brews. Sorry I am a beer snob but not good.
I would recommend getting there early to find a good parking spot. We rushed out just as the show was done and made it to our car before parking even had a chance to get bad.
I like the patriot center.
Mostly because I graduated with my masters degree on this floor, which I will always think of.
But it's also a good place to see concerts too. Â It's obviously a lot smaller than other indoor arenas like Verizon center.
PS walking around the concourse 6 times is about 1 mile. Â I learned this one night when I was early for a show and walked around over 20 times.
Saw Mumford and Sons here 14th Feb. This venue met my overall expectations, more or less. We were GA standing and one of the hardest things was navigating the massive campus at night to find the place itself....traffic was mad to get it and it was hard to find. Lots of parking, though.
We arrived and found ourselves more or less one row back with a little finagling - the crowd at the front was mostly college students who didn't have to deal with the driving and parking like we did. Â We purchased two water bottles at two different stands - one took off the cap and one did not. If you'd like the convenience of keeping the cap, go to one of the stands on the floor itself.
I noticed that even in the stands, you'd have a decent enough view of the show.
The show sounded great and the band did fantastically. The security guy in front of us was pretty polite and good humored. After the show, we tried to hang around a bit to ask for a setlist but another wave of security wasn't so welcoming and loudly insisted we leave right that instant. Cue a massive crush to get out into the lobby and doors, ect. Not how I like to do things, but a pretty typical situation.
Would probably go again if another band I liked was playing here.
Two stars for good parking situation.
This venue does not work well for most concerts. Being an enclosed arena, the acoustics can and do cause some serious bounce-back which can make the music sound seriously out of tempo.
The seats are very small and uncomfortable. The area also gets to smelling of beer so badly that it can become pretty nauseating by the end of the night. I like beer but it doesn't create the most pleasant smell.
Every time I've been the crowd has been probably 98% college students and they are loud and obnoxious during concerts. At the last concert I went to here we were lucky enough to sit right in front of an American Idol wannabe who knew every word to every song that the band played. She was absolutely convinced that we were all there to see her perform. Believe it or not, it made it very difficult to actually hear the band half the time. I know the venue is not responsible for people like this, but my experiences at other venues in the DC metro area have not involved near as annoying a crowd as what the Patriot Center gets.
If it's your favorite band, it may not be worth the impression you'll be left with if you see them at this venue.
I attended The Killers concert in December here ... first thing ... awesome concert you have to see them live! The venue is clean (concert was in the gym area), spacious, and surprising the parking staff had everything effortlessly under control. Usually parking is a disaster at most venues entering and exiting, but not here. The food inside was overpriced (as most event locations are).
Only gripe was heading to GMU is a 2 lane road with people trying to enter/exit the neighborhood complex which slowed traffic. Overall nice venue.
I saw The Killers play at the Patriot Center in December of 2012, and I while it was one of the more modest venues I've been to, it was one of the best shows I've seen!
The Killers are my favorite, so I bought general admission tickets and got to George Mason at the crack of dawn. It was my first show at the Patriot Center and I didn't really know what to expect. A few other diehards arrived early as well and were telling me that getting on the floor for general admission at the Patriot Center was a particular pain in the you-know-what, because everyone has to be patted down but a member of the same sex. The problem is, they said there are hardly ever many female security guards and so the line to get in moves exceptionally slow. Well, things have apparently changed because the process for filtering people in could not have been faster. Staff handed out wrist bands before the doors opened, and no one was required to be patted down. Waiting outside all day paid off because I got the best spot in the house! The show was phenomenal and I definitely left with a huge stinking grin on my face! After the show I got to meet the band by the tour buses and left with a huge stinking grin on my face AND tears streaming down from my eyes!!
It was definitely fun to see my favorite band at a smaller venue and would definitely come back. My only complaint was that a bunch of $75 parking tickets were handed out to ticket holders because they parked in the appropriate parking lot designated on the ticket earlier than two hours before showtime. There were no signs in the parking lot stating otherwise and I think the parking guidelines could be made a little more clear on the show ticket. So if you get to the venue earlier than two hours prior to showtime, make sure to park in one of the nearby paid parking garages.
Whenever I see this place listed as the venue for a concert I just wince. Representing the worst parts of suburbia with huge parking lots, lots of waiting in cars (to get there as well as the fact that GMU cannot handle massive influxes of people) and mediocre food/drink, anytime this is where the band/concert is I am going to think twice about attending.
Review Source:I came here for the first time for a concert. And well, the concert was amazing. The venue itself was a-ok. As far as university venues go, it's pretty good. It had lots of concessions and whatnot. And parking and finding the venue wasn't too bad. But it's just not built for concerts really. Not quite the same vibe and atmosphere you'd get at a true concert venue. I've never been to another event here, so I suppose I can't really judge. But the staff seemed good. On top of it, but never over-enforcing anything. Bathroom lines were never unbearable. Food and drink prices weren't outrageous. And the sound quality was alright. So overall, it's a 3-star / average place.
Review Source:#191
Patriot Center was a sort of a sterile place to see the Smashing Pumpkins. There's nothing really here offensive about the venue, but there's also nothing really here to make me want to come back.
Hands down, the best thing about the Patriot Center is there is plenty of available parking. Parking isn't difficult to find, and there's enough free parking available for concert-goers that if you arrive early enough, you won't have to pay $8 for special event parking. Leaving the parking lot is a breeze too. No waiting in line with a queue of other cars to exit the parking lot or the university. After the concert, I was in my car and onto Braddock road in less time for the band to play "Bullet With Butterfly Wings."
NOT "Gossamer".
Plenty of security and staff inside the venue directing you to the appropriate place. Bathrooms are clean and there's an adequate number of toilets. Place is well-lit although the facilities are a bit aged.
Beer quickly gets expensive at $12/cup.
It's nowhere near as large as Verizon Center, which is good. Because even if you arrive just prior to the opening act, you're probably still assured of a decent spot in the GA crowd.
With all that said, I remain unconvinced about the effectiveness of arenas functioning as concert venues. It's just not right. It's far too vast an empty space to fill. It's not intimate. The acoustics suck (BADLY). And, it just feels really lonely if you choose to sit in the bleachers.
Smashing Pumpkins were terrific. I waited 17 years to hear "Hummer" live-- and, they NAILED IT.
The Patriot Center is the events stadium located on the campus of George Mason University in Northern Virginia. Â It is most commonly known as the venue for the school's basketball team. Â Like the rest of the campus, the Patriot Center is gorgeous and clean.
Came here to see one of my favorite musical artists, Lupe Fiasco, perform on a weeknight. Â One thing I noticed off the bat was that the venue was too large for the concert to be held during exam week. Â I'm sure that the school administration/student government planned the concert to give the students a stress reliever as they're studying 'round the clock, doing papers, etc. Â At the same time though, they could've done a better job of moving everyone in closer to the stage regardless of what type of ticket they purchased.
The floor area was full and then with each seating section there were less and less people sprinkled about. Â Matter of fact, people eventually sat wherever because it's not like anyone cared to monitor things. Â There was plenty of security by way of campus police but they were too busy trying to get their own Girls Gone Wild thing started with the young college girls. Â Note to undergrad college females- campus cops can't help you with your pre-law classes, it's a fake line!
The concert was awesome and Lupe totally owned the stage. Â For those that are not familiar, Lupe Fiasco is a socially conscious rapper whose songs typically revolve around relevant societal issues, some of which can be controversial. Â The sound system at the Patriot Center was amazing and accentuated the beats and guitar performances of the show.
One thing that was disappointing was how much they charge at the concession stands in the stadium. Â Their prices are comparable to prices at movie theaters. Â I bought a soda for $5.00!! Â While it's great that they have a nice variety of concession choices in the Patriot Center, the fact that they're gouging students is pretty sad. Â George Mason is a public university that is located in the county (Fairfax) with the 2nd highest median household income in the nation. Â They can't cut the students a break?? Â Perhaps Lupe should comment on this issue on his next album!!!
Got tickets with a friend to see the latest UFC fights at the Patriot Center this week.
Since this is a small arena in retrospect to pro sports, almost every seat should be a good seat. There really isn't an "upper deck". Also, tickets were reasonably priced too.
As far as concessions, it's reasonable. Nothing too expensive, but certainly not cheap either. Beers were $7, popcorn $5, and chicken finger basket about $13.
I would say if your favorite band or event is in town, definitely check them out here as opposed to the Verizon Center for a more intimate setting.
Recently came here to see one of my favorite bands with a group of friends. I have to say, I'm impressed by this place! The bathrooms were super clean. The staff was friendly at all the food/drink stands. My seats were two steps away from the bathrooms and the beer and the food. I didn't walk around the whole place but from where I was sitting everything was super convenient. There really isn't a bad seat in the entire venue, though. One downside, my husband who is a musician and knows a lot more about how things should sound than I do said he thought the sound wasn't great. My friend who also works in sound said the same. Certainly wasn't bad enough that a non-sound person would take note of, but room for improvement. Would definitely come back here for another show.
Review Source:My first visit to the Patriot Center at GMU was a good one. I've seen a lot of concerts & stuff advertised here, but have never gone. This time I went for the circus. The venue was clean & well maintained. There are quite a few places to grab a bite to eat, but like any concert venue, be ready to fork out your money. A bottle of Dasani water was $4.00. I'd definitely return.
Review Source:Found some cheap seats for Boxing on Groupon and decided to make the one hour trip from Maryland. This place is great as far as the view is concerned, really not a bad seat in the house. We sat in section 110 and for the amount we paid for the tickets, definitely worth it. We stayed for 4 fights, 2 were decent, 2 were boring and I could tell my wife was getting tired of watching two guys hugging constantly during the heavyweight match-up. So we decided to get some refreshments and boy they were expensive. One large soda $5 and one nacho $6, OUCH! At least the refreshments were good. Overall, I had a good time and I got to see a world class boxer (Harry Joe Yogey). We left before the main event and beat the traffic.
Review Source:I've loved all the concerts I've seen here, but since it isn't exactly metro accessible it is SUCH a pain to get to. Yes I am whining. But come on, most concerts open between 6-8, and I'm pretty sure no one loves driving on 66 at those times. We tried using Lee Highway, and that was pretty painful too.
If not for the helpful iphone gps and the never ending line of fellow concert goers, it would be difficult to find. It can be a bit of a clusterf*ck getting in and out, which I guess is an issue with any event this big.
I've seen the Killers, TI & TPain, and Muse here. All of the shows were incredible. Â I've had a range of seats and all of them, while none were top dollar, were pretty excellent. I get a little vertigo as I get higher up...and the seats are cramped together, in every direction. Thank god I'm only 5'4''. I don't see how anyone much bigger than me can comfortably be in those clown seats.
I guess bottom line, despite the access issues, it is more intimate than Verizon Center, where you need a telescope to see the main stage. If it is an act I love, I will definitely brave 66 to see them.
As one of the 'major' venues in the DC metro area, this arena can pack a good crowd (about 10,000 capacity) but the upsides end there. Â It's a dated facility (finished in the mid-80's but it feels much older), is extremely difficult to arrive at by public transit (its a $20 cab ride from the Vienna metro station), has a poor concession offerings and leaks during rain storms.
A couple ideas to improve the experience:
1.) Offer shuttle buses before and after major events
2.) Provide better signage for those who drive or are walking on through the campus
3.) Keep concession stands open past half time.
Haven't stepped foot there in years but the early concerts of my youth were held here. Â This is a good college venue because at some you get stuck in a gym, thinking that you bought a good ticket, but finding out you're standing the whole time on the basketball court. Â Did you really want to do this? Â It's kinda wack. Â BUT at the Patriot Center, you can either sit in the stands or go down into the crowded, dark, pit if you're lucky. Â Don't know if you can meet your favorite bands, or not, but you can try to "go to the bathroom" whilst waiting in line to attempt to find a band member. Â I was too young then to embrace groupie-ness. Â It's also in NoVa, convenient for any teenager in Fairfax County, and especially if you go to George Mason, safe looking location and I mean how many bums and stick ups have you heard of there?
Review Source:Went to see Dane Cook, who of course was awesome. Â Sound quality was a little off, even though we were only five rows away from the stage. Â We must have asked five different employees where to purchase t-shirts and they were not sure. Â After the concert, I used a restroom where upon looking up at the ceiling (something told to me too) I noticed a ceiling tile missing (must have been 2 ft. x 2 ft. piece) directly above the toilets. Â There was a massive amount of cables and plenty of space for someone to sit up there and watch. Â Pervs. Â My husband and I went to Guest Services to request information on how to obtain a taxi, upon where we were given a sheet with cab phone numbers. Â We had left our cells at our hotel, so requested if there was a phone or pay phone nearby so we could call a taxi. Â There was neither - IN GUEST SERVICES!! Â I also notified the little twerp who was "working" (passing out sheets of papers with cab phone numbers) at Guest Services about the missing ceiling over the women's toilets and she could have cared less. Â Finally a manager walked up and I told her. Â The lady manager didn't seem disturbed by what I told her at all - like it was a normal thing for ceiling tile to be missing above women's toilets. Â Lovely. Â When I commented that "Guest Services" didn't have a phone for GUESTS to use, the ahem, Guest Services worker smiled at me. Â I felt like anyone I came in contact with who worked there that night was being put off by our presence. Â Maybe they work for free, I don't know. Â Anyway, so we walk out and someone lets us use their cell phone to call a cab. Â Then we wait an hour because the police officers directing traffic keep "shooing" the cabs away from the entrance where we and many other patrons are all waiting. Â My husband and I finally end up having to walk in the dark, in 40 degree temps, at 11:00 at night, looking for a taxi, in a city we are unfamiliar with. Â Not too pleasant. Â I will never go to that venue again. Â And hopefully if someone was taking video or photos, or just watching us women pee, they saw my good side. Â Two stars to the Patriot Center, if that.
Review Source:I been to George Mason a couple times for dance practice but I always knew where to go. This time I had to find the Patriot Center for the UWC Ultimate Warrior Challenge MMA fight, boy I have to say it was frustrating. The signs weren't very clear and I was running late so I ended up parking near the dorm area and I met some people from Maryland GO TERPS! and we headed towards to the Patriot Center together! We walked through several buildings and people kept saying 'down and around' and that's like several miles later. I finally reached the Patriot Center and I was late meeting my friends - they were at South entrance and I was at North so I had to make another run around the complex. Patriot Center was a bitch to get to. The complex was huge and they have all kinds of cool vendors like Chick-Filet, Hooters- so appropriate ! and other vendors. I don't think Comcast center has all that?! Anyhow the first fight started its second or third round I sat in the Lloyd Irwin MMA school section and they had so many fighters in the event especially the main title fights. I got pretty good seat - the complex was not filled probably about 60% capacity or so. The UWC is very professional and well-organized - the lighting was great and the intro is like the UFC complete with theme song and crazy lighting. The cage was six sided apparently UFC has to the trademark for the 8 sided octagon cage HAHA!! They also had these super slutty chicks holding the Round cards at the beginning of each round. I think the UFC girls are more classy. UWC is supposedly smaller scale than UFC but the fighter were very skilled and professional. I was surprised how little most of the fighters were. I was most surprised by the womens' fight!! It was so exciting and the girls were really tough, there was a girl from Alexandria who fought and she looked so badass. The title was was exciting but a let down cos Easton wasn't doing so great kept getting brought down to the ground yet he won the fight. People booed. When I was leaving I asked my friend who parked right in front to give me a ride and we took turns to several dead ends I think we circled for 20 min before finding my car. That really blew!
Freddy Assuncao def. Felipe Arantes - R3(5:00) Decision (Unanimous)
Jessie Riggleman def. Josh Ferguson - R3(5:00) Decision (Split)
Iman Achhal def. Sumi Sakai - R2(2:30) TKO (Punches)
Kris McCray def. Igor Almeida - R1(0:39) TKO (Punches)
Jacob McClintock def. Beau Baker - R1(3:33) TKO (Punches)
Timothy Woods def. Ryan Sturdy - R3(0:35) KO (Punches)
Kyle Baker def. Tommy Truex - R1(4:59) TKO (Knees)
Pat Runez def. John Dodson - R5(5:00) Decision (Split)
Mike Easton def. Chase Beebe - R5(5:00) Decision (Split)
The sound for the Tool concert was excellent and the staff (cashiers, security, etc) were surprisingly friendly.
The roof leaks so there was water on the main floor. The lines for food/beer/bathrooms were always long. This I can overlook. HOWEVER, this place SUCKS when its comes to signage. There is barely anything on the main road telling you where exactly the place is (not George Mason University campus, which is HUGE, but the actual Patriot Center).
Hey Dean, spend some money on this place (signs, new roof, more staff) and it might actually make a nice profit.
I went to Mason. I've patronized the Patriot Center.
How about we don't take parking from the students who paid to park, say, to for kids graduating high school. Or, the Circus. Or any other concert that made me park across the street at Giant after I already paid to park.
Just saying.
I was here on Halloween to see Panic at the Disco. It was amazing, but I much prefer other venues like DAR Constitution Hall. Something about the atmosphere just wasn't as good. It's certainly big enough, and the acoustics aren't bad, but it just didn't have that wow factor. I called in about an hour before the concert to ask about the location of the will call office, and not only did the woman seem uninterested in helping me, but I later learned she also gave me the wrong information. Anyways, on the plus side, the staff at the merch booth were very nice, if a bit slow. Overall, a nice venue, but not my favorite.
Review Source:I've been here for basketball games and various concerts. Check seating charts before buying tickets! I've sat total nosebleed section (hey, that's what I get for buying last minute- I don't blame the Patriot Center... haha) and had a fine time. It really depends- for basketball games, seat doesn't really matter too much. Depending on which ticket you get and what time you arrive, you can have a pretty good time (especially college students, namely Mason students). As for concerts- you're SOL if the artist(s) decide on a low key set. But I've sat third row for Kanye West- that was an awesome concert (I took my brother to that several years ago- his first concert- lucky bastard...) and basically everywhere else for other concerts. No complaints- a concert is a concert, your experience varies by what ticket you get. Food is decent- what else do you expect? Some tenders, a pretzel, soda, hot dog- standard for this kind of venue. Parking is organized, there's parking right next to the Patriot Center, and Mason usually lets concert goers park in Lot K (a short walk- but a lot more convenient for getting the heck out of there, as you can go directly to Braddock or 123.
Review Source:I went here to see Matchbox Twenty and Alanis Morrisette back in February of this year. It was an AMAZING show, but the venue isn't quite top tier. But then again it's a stadium so what can you expect? When I went it was CROWDED and they didn't have things organized at all so people were scrambling everywhere. I thought it was bad even for a concert. It's pretty nearby so even if you live out in the burbs of MD like me it's not that hard to get to. Don't depend on public transportation though...that's my advice. I'm not sure how dependable the CUE buses are...ask a GMU student, hehe.
Review Source:My first concert was here, it was for Oasis!
I've now seen my fair share of concerts and Mason basketball games here and I do enjoy the venue.
I like how they can really reshape the environment for whatever show they are catering to. The food is standard stadium fare...not much else to say!
Never been here for a concert so I won't review the Patriot Center from that angle, but I've attended lots of basketball games here. Â In general everything works fine and typical of other sports stadiums. Â The seats, sound system, restrooms, etc. are all okay, nothing great. Â The concessions are a little weak in terms of quality, taste and especially variety; and of course very expensive for what you're getting. Â The staff is generally helpful. Â During the basketball games the Patriot Club area (just a curtained off area along the concourse) makes it really difficult to get through the hall at the end of a game. Â BUT, a pretty big renovation is coming, including the concession area. Â So . . . hopefully I can update this review and give up some more stars.
Review Source:This university auditorium seats 10K and sounds a bit cavernous. If you go to concerts for fun, dancing, and entertainment, and if musical/vocal purity isn't that important to you, then this venue is fine. E.g. my friends and I had a blast at Duran Duran, Kanye West, and Depeche Mode. Â
However, once we came here for an acoustic Springsteen show and it didn't work at all -- the sound system just wasn't fine enough to capture the subtleties of his quiet performance, and he was too far away give these intimate tunes the emotional power they deserved.
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