was looking forward to the show last night and was unfortunately very disappointed-- not by the talent but by the venue itself.
we had the 'cheap' seats on the lawn-- 35$ plus a $12.50 per ticket convenience charge-- not an inexpensive evening for the two of us. Â
the screen that was most visible to us (looking at the stage, we were on the left hand side) was completely out of focus and fuzzy all night-- and somehow it got worse as the night wore on. Â
we were also struggling to hear during the first few songs of the opening set. Â when the band moved to the front part of the stage, to part of the stage that jutted into the crowd, we were able to hear even less. Â
ended up leaving early since we couldnt hear or see much of anything-- and doubt we will ever go back to the susquehanna bank center as a result. Â too expensive of a night for not much of a show experience.
The Plusses: Craft beer in large vessels. Â Sure, $12 is a lot for beer but for 18-24 ounces, it's not a bad price.
The Negatives:
I go to a concert venue to see and hear a concert. Â I could do neither. Â The TV screens were out of focus for the lawn, and the music was inaudible. Â The frequent feedback I was able to hear did not help the situation.
There were also very few easily visible trash receptacles for the lawn, so people were dropping beer vessels on the ground, causing a downhill flow of beer that made sitting unpleasant.. Â
And while I don't think this had anything to do with the venue specifically, getting stepped on and tripped over by drunk teenagers was just the icing on the cake.
My disposable income and I are unlikely to return for a show in the future.
Pros:
- They book the best talent in the area
- It's outside, if the weather cooperates it can be gorgeous
- Great view of Philly across the river
- Very good beer selection
Cons:
- Parking is godawful. Â You get herded in certain areas by the disorganized cops, then herded out of Camden in the most inefficient manner possible. Â Case in point I was stuck in a parking garage for 50 minutes last night after a concert, took 1hr 20min total to get home and I can see my house from the SBC across the river. Â Try the ferry from Philly (which can be inconsistent) or public transport (which can be scary). OH, and it's $20+ everywhere.
- Crowds can be gross. Â Not the venue's fault here either but they don't seem to control underage drinking at all. Â Watch who you go see.
Overall decent, but I definitely think twice about buying tickets here because of the parking thing alone. Â It's really not worth it in many cases.
Its not a great venue, but its not the worst either. I've seen a lot of shows here Pearl Jam, Kiss, Ozzfest, Warped Tour, Mayhem Fest, MMRBQ, Alice in Chains. Parking is horrible, staff and security are horrible and rude, although the younger the staff and security are the more pleasant they are, everything is way overpriced, and at the end of every  show be prepared to be sitting still for at least an hour since to Camden Police find the need to block every single street off but one, but the venue reminds me of summertime, and despite everything ive said i have had some great times here, and the sound is great.
Review Source:The Bank center was an ok venue, I saw Heart and the Jason Bonham band there on July 3rd at the WMGK Let Freedom Rock Concert. Â The parking was an outrageous $25 a car which especially for the murder capital (Camden, NJ) of the United States is ridiculous. Â Even citizens bank park right across the river only charge $15! Â All food and drink were also well over-priced, $5 for a soft pretzel, $6 for a cup of lemon aid, etc and so forth. Â The seats were really small like for kindergarteners and the staff & security was really very unnecessarily rude and obnoxious. Â However the sound was excellent and there was not a bad seat in the house! Â Heart and the JB band was spectacular!
Review Source:The morning of the concert, I realized we would be waiting in line for porta potties, drinking crappy beer, and spending way too much money on overpriced food and beer.
Well, we did spend too much money, but I was pleasantly surprised by the legitimate bathrooms, and clean, too!
There are many options for food. Chickies and Petes, a few food trucks, and traditional venue food. I was extremely disappointed that there was no funnel cake, though. Â The dippin dots almost made up for it.
I was pleasantly surprised at the selection of craft beers and liquor drinks. Â We drank Dogfish and Yards all day. It was way overpriced, but I'd choose that over a Budlight any day.
The concert was fun, what I remember of it anyway, and overall we had a great day.
I have been coming to shows here since i was in college. I have sat both in the seats and out on the lawn. I have to admit, that of course the view is better from the seats, but there is something special about having the freedom to move around out on hill. I attended the Dave Matthews concert Saturday night, and was concerned going in about the conditions of the grass after such a drenching rain Friday night. I was very surprised to find that the hill was not muddy at all, and was in very good condition.
The sound quality was very good. We were able to get a good spot, dead center, so our view wasn't bad either. Of course you get the gouging prices on drinks ($13.00 for a 24oz can), but that is anywhere. Another good show by Dave, with an awesome encore (two step)! Great times!
What a ripoff! Â I spent $25 for parking after spending $20 on tickets for Toby Keith! Â First off, we could not make out where ANY of the parking lots were and were forced into an adjacent parking garage. Â I can't decide if this is a bargain or highway robbery. Â NOT impressed. Â Won't be coming here again.
Review Source:I have been to three shows here for the 96.5 Super Jam Concert, Lil Wayne and Drake. Can't complain about this stadium. They had parking close to the stadium but i think they charge $30! What's unique about this stadium is that it is considered an outdoor stadium with the lawn section for really cheap seats. It can become like a sweat box here on summer days. Ticket prices depend on the artist performance. I bought mines through livenation. there is no re-entry and they do searches on you when entering fo safety. Regardless of being in the sketchy neighborhood of camden, I always had a great time. Beer was expensive as expected for a concert venue.
Review Source:Overall, I enjoyed this venue. I had lawn tickets to the MMRBQ Festival and had a great time. It was raining for most of the evening but nothing I couldn't handle. The sponsors handed out ponchos to most of the lawn crowd. The bathrooms were fine, no lines, and the food and beer selection was decent, although expensive (not more than any other venue I've visited). We took a cab there and back to avoid the parking situation and it was easy to find a cab by the aquarium after the show.
Review Source:I have been here for a couple concerts now and they have been great.
Don't ever buy the pit seats. They always sell way more tickets then they should and it becomes very uncomfortable. If you leave for the bathroom chances are you will barely be able to even get back in the room.
Best seats are in the first 8 rows of 100 sections. This gets you a slight elevation over the pit and your not fighting for a spot to stand.
VIP upgrades are nice because it gives you access to private bathrooms and free food.
Most people dont realize but both sides of the center have beer / food courts. The main side faces the river and is where most people enter. Try the other side and get away from the lines. Same everything with a little less people.
Yowza with the reviews on this place. They're all over the place.
Here are my two cents:
-Everyone in the 100-200 level seats has a great view of the stage
-The bathroom lines will get lengthy, but they moved fast (can't speak for the ladies rooms)
-There are an enormous amount of beer vendors (and solid brews). If you're waiting on line for a drink, you are a silly man.
-The food vendors are bleh.
-Lawn seating NEVER has good sight lines ANYWHERE, but you get to dance in the grass and grab some sun (you also paid less).
-The police will direct you to one of the parking lots ($25), but you can avoid this and find street parking all around the venue. Free parking rules, plus you can drive off without a queue.
-The philly crowd rules! Paramore "who's ready to rock?" Philly guy "f*ck you!" lol
-1 star bc the sound isn't great.
If it's 60+ degrees, get here. It's something you can't find in NY (It crushed Jones Beach).
I absolutely love this venue. Having been to MSG and Izod Center, this venue blows them out of the water.
First time I was here was for an Ozzfest, the biggest rock festival and father of the numerous other festivals, some featuring a ragtag collection of bands... But let's stay on course. Important: get here early! For 2 reasons: You'll get good parking and so that you have time to party your ass off and imbibe in huge amounts of alcohol in the parking lot. Yes, that's right! I came at 2:30 pm for the show starting at 6. Together with a great crowd, we spent hours drinking and BBQing in anticipation of the show.
After hours of pre-gaming we entered, and the show was totally sick! We got great seats about 20 rows from the stage, and the venue is uniquely built as an indoor/outdoor structure so it made for a fantastic night.
Motley Crue opened, and played the classic hits. The entire crowd was just wrapped around them! Then, the master of hard rock and metal, Ozzy came on and played many of his hits, as well as some rarely played materials. It was an absolutely stellar performance. The acoustics and overall sound projection are phenomenal.
Ohh, and security is pretty lax too. At least where I was standing. My shirt was off for most of the time and I wasn't bothered. :)
Verdict: For great times, hard-core partying before, during, and after, and a crowd that has one mission - to be one with the music, keep your eyes peeled for shows at Susquehanna!!
I can't wait to be back soon!
I had an opportunity to see a free Kiss/Crue show here a month ago..The bands were great and everything about the venue was cool including being able to tailgate before the show.
But the audio system that hangs from the roof on either side of the stage obstructs the view of the band and background.
Not cool
Fix it
Was here a week ago for Florence and the Machine ft THE WEEKND! Was super excited to go, never been to this venue before. It rained all night and we had lawn seats. Got the tickets fast and they nicely gave us tickets to come inside. The venue is pretty small, not that nice. I've been to better ones. The drinks were of course hella overpriced. Had a beer for $12! Â Parking was $25, overall it was okay. But the concert was great!
Review Source:Saw Jimmy Buffet here last night. The concert itself was great but It is a nightmare trying to exit the parking lot once the concert is over.
They collected $25 to park when you enter but there isn't an offiical in site when it's time to leave.
If everyone takes a turn to merge you can get out but that isn't always the case. We actually were hit by a drunk guy in a huge pick up truck who refused to yield even though people who were walking in the parking lot told him there was no room and that he was going to hit someone.
If security was in the lot directing traffic none of this would have happened. Â I am not sure why they collect the $25 if they don't use it to hire people to make sure patrons can leave safely.
Ozzfest, Korn, Limp bizkit, System of a down, Chili Peppers, Pearl jam,Tool...I have a ton of great memories related to this venue. Sadly the tweeter center as I insist on calling it is still unchanged from the first concert i've seen here back in 1998. It really hasn't aged well and is in real need for remodeling or complete demolition altogether. When a show is at near capacity forget about getting in and out of the bathrooms. The lines are insane, be prepared to wait in line for 30 minutes or do what most people do and get ready for some cave man style public urination... The top back wall of the lawn specifically.
I can't say much about the food served here because I don't go to concerts to eat. You know the food can't be any good to begin with.
Great venue. Â Perfect for summer concerts and the sound is terrific. Â My only complaints were that I have no idea where the bathrooms were even located, which means they are inconvenient to get to. Â I have this uncanny ability to hold in my pee for a ridiculous amount of time, so I didn't even bother trying to find it even though I had been drinking all night and had to pee so bad I could practically taste it. Â On the beer line, I overheard some dudes complaining about how many girls were using the mens room. Â Ew.
The concert was great, the sound was great but what killed my entire experience was the end. Â HOLY FUCKSTICKS. Â A sea of literally thousands of cars, all trying to exit out of one point and nobody directing traffic. Â We sat in the car for, I shit you not, over an hour. Â Like I said, I already had to pee the entire concert but this was just the icing on the cake. Â If I wasn't pee shy, I would have just popped a squat and peed behind a car in the parking lot since it was already a free for all. Â There were people blantantly drinking and driving, rednecks doing donuts and spinning their wheels in their pickups, walking around with their Bud Light bottles but the best had to be the exhibitionists in the car in front of us who thought it would be a great idea to have all types of SEX while everyone was waiting to get out. Â I know, I know, this is Camden and the police have much more to worry about than trying to deal with a rowdy concert crowd but seriously....we had to watch this couple go at it for an entire hour. Fogged up windows and straight up nudity. Â Nonstop. Â By the time we actually got onto the highway and back to our hotel, we were so tired and my bladder nearly burst. Â So for that reason, this place sucks and I'll never buy tickets to this venue ever again unless I'm wearing Depends or taking public transportation.
It's been years since I've seen DMB in concert, but luckily that changed last night at the Susquehanna Bank Center. Of course I'd rate the concert itself a stellar 5 Stars, but this review is mainly about the amphitheater.
First off, after reading about the horrible parking situation/cost on here, I'm very glad we took a cab from our hotel in Cherry Hill. I typically have road rage near the city and even worse parking rage, so getting dropped off right at the entrance was a great call. The PATCO line also runs a few blocks from here, which is convenient if you want to avoid the expensive parking or dreaded post-concert traffic.
Expecting the standard domestic crap, I was surprised at beer selection at the various vendor stands. Of course the prices were outrageous, but such is life in a capitalistic America. Having just eaten dinner before the concert, we were able to avoid any additional food cost gouging. Well, that is until we were leaving and just had to get a $3 late night hot dog from one of the street vendors. Damn that was good.
I'm not sure what it's like in the upper pavilion or back on the lawn, but I definitely have no complaints about our tickets. Fortunately, our seats were in the lower pavilion, down in section 103 (thanks to The Warehouse), where we could easily see and hear the entire band. Being that close, we just missed out on snagging a flying drumstick from Carter Beauford at the end. Dang.
Overall, a pretty decent concert venue. I've seen better and I've seen worse. I've always been a fan of the amphitheater layout over indoor arenas, especially on summer evenings where the smell of those smoking weed around us dissipates quickly into the open air.
Cons:
1. Parking. WTF?? There are at least three different lots, and I suspect more than that. They are all over the damn place, and they're not labeled in any sort of coherent way. Good luck trying to find someone else who's parked in a different area! They're also all very expensive. When we finally found some people who were in a different lot, off in the middle of nowhere, we realized that the porta potty was so disgusting that a girl we were with actually threw up from the sight of it. Way to encourage people to pee in the lot!
2. The enormous pillars that block your view when you're on the lawn. I understand that the structure needs to be held up, but seriously? They're huge!
3. The price of beverages. I guess I can't complain about that, though, since every single venue charges a semester's worth of tuition for a drink.
Pros:
1. Our tickets were on the lawn, and I could hear very well and see decently.
2. Located close to the PATCO line.
All in all, decent venue. Not the best, not the worst.
We've been to a couple of shows here. It's okay, nothing special. I agree with the others that the screens on the lawn could be better. Being in Camden is probably one of its biggest disadvantages (as other people have mentioned, transportation--no matter what method you use--is inconvenient). Very overpriced food and drinks.
Couple of tips: If you don't mind parking in sketchy Camden (which let's be honest, you still are even in the lots), you can park for free on side streets way closer to the venue than some of the authorized lots. We parked on Stevens St, right off of 3rd (and around the corner from Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd). I was shocked that hardly anyone else was parking there and basically paying $20-25 just to park across the street. There's a whole neighborhood there with plenty of street parking and a short walk to SBC. Our car was fine upon return, and we didn't have to deal with the parking lot traffic coming or going. We used the $25 we saved on parking to buy beer and crab fries (whoever knew Chickie & Pete's crab fries could cost $13, but there ya go).
Also, to save money, you can bring a sealed bottle of water (per person) that's less than 1 liter. If you're on the lawn, you can bring beach chairs less than 9" raised off the ground. If you want to sit on the lawn (and not have to stand during the show) but still see the band, try sitting all the way to the back by the fence, assuming the lawn isn't too packed. A lot of people complain about the views from the lawn, but I felt like you could still see the stage okay back there.
If you're a girl, bring extra tissues in your bag. There's a good chance the stall you use in the bathroom will run out of toilet paper halfway through the concert.
I also just saw the Maroon 5 concert last night at the Susquehanna Bank Center. This was my first time here, and my first time sitting on lawn seats.
Parking was a little bit of a hassle. We drove around looking for a lot for about 10 minutes, and then parked. We decided to park where a lot of people were tailgaiting, so that was fun. It was really nice to hang out outside, eat some food, and listen to music. It was a bit of a walk to the arena from here, but in the summer when your with your friends it really doesn't matter. Be warned that the police patrol the parking lot and readily hand out under age drinking violations and will confiscate alcohol from anyone who is out of control. If you aren't in the younger crowd (Teens to mid twenties) you probably want to skip the tailgaiting unless its for a band that attracts a more mature audience.
It was fun to sit on the lawn because it was nice out, but if I really wanted a good music experience I would have paid for closer seats. The performers look like ants from the lawn. They have tv screens and a projector on the wall, but it doesn't do the band justice.
The sound was great, a lot of times at concerts the music is so loud it hurts my ears, but this was perfect.
As for food and drinks, I would try to eat before. Food is bland and over priced. A beer costs $13.
Getting out of here is a big bottle nose, and from where I parked we had to wait a half an hour to get out of the lot.
A lot of people will dismiss the center because it's in Camden, but honestly I didn't feel in danger at all. The area around the stadium and the actual seats were very nice, and I never saw any crime while I was there.
All in all, I had a good time. If I was a hardcore fan of an musician and really wanted to get the experience, I probably wouldn't choose the Susquehanna Bank Center to see them, but it was great for a summer concert.
(The photo of the girl half passed out on the grass really says it all about this place)
I came with friends to see Maroon 5 last night with Train and Gavin Degraw. Â We sat in Section 302 and had a decent view of the bands. Â Parking here was a bit of a nightmare. Â I thought I could park and visit the aquarium in the afternoon. Â Parking attendant told me to come back at 3PM and park at aquarium. Â After visiting the aquarium, parking attendant told me to come back at 4:30PM when the Camden police gave out the approval. Â I ended up meeting my friends at the Cherry Hill Mall for dinner and getting a ride to the SBC. Â My friend found a spot and backed into it and I realized afterwards it was smart. Â We found something free from obstruction for easy way out. Â She trucked out of there in less than 20 minutes.
In terms of the facilities, food options were limited. Â I had a pretzel and a lemonade which had a sturdy sippy cup with straw. Â This let me refill with water from the fountain near the bathrooms. Â The bathrooms were lined up and women unfortunately paid the price. Â However, my friends overcame their fear of entering the men's room and went as a group to the stalls after waiting in line with men. Â Souveneirs were way over priced. Â T-shirts for $30 and hoodies for $60. Â I checked online for Live Nation and you are getting a mark up of $6 from $24. Â So, basically you are probably saving on shipping. Â
Lineup couldn't have been better. Â All acts were good so you are paying for 3 acts which come from decent (Gavin Degraw) to pretty decent (Train) to very decent (Maroon 5). Â Would I come back here? Â Sure, I would if I came with a group. Â Camden looked a bit sketchy to me and we got lost trying to find Rte 30 East back to my car in Cherry Hill. Â We hit some rough spots of Camden and made sure all doors locked and windows rolled up. Â Besides that, it was really nice time.
Went to the Peter Gabriel concert here. The sound was incredible! And honestly, there is not a bad seat in the house. Overall, it's a wonderful venue. Staff was good about making sure that no one got too rowdy and stayed in their seats. Meaning no dancing in the aisles.
Location: The area is slightly sketchy. It is Camden, after all. So have your fancy dinner in Philadelphia then drive on over the bridge to Camden for your concert. It's only about a 15-minute drive.
Parking: This was our biggest concern especially considering everyone else's reviews. We followed the advice and parked near an exit. We were out of there in about 15 minutes and it was great! The walk to the entrance isn't too far. Although parking did set us back $25. Cash only, of course. Make sure you come early to avoid the traffic.
Facilities and Food: Alcohol is expensive. Actually pretty much everything is expensive. Bathrooms are not that bad. There were plenty but then again I wasn't really drinking that much.
The only con really were the jerks who had too much to drink and were generally drunk nuisances. Could the staff done something more and kicked these people out? Probably. But there's no hiding from these people.
I went last night for the Janelle Monae concert. (Oh, Bruno Mars was there too. I was there for Janelle!) I don't believe lawn seats were even available so the space felt very small. I had pretty good seats and overall had a good time. (Dave H's story about a bitchy girl on her cell made me laugh - some bro-dude behind my friend and I asked us to sit down since everyone around us chose to SIT during a Janelle Monae performance and said we were "ruining it for everyone else." We told him to stand and then WE opted to stand the whole rest of the performance while he and his girlfriend complained until Bruno Mars came on. Are crowds here just total tools for every show? I've never been to a concert where people sit and then whine about the people that choose to stand.)
Parking is pretty close but I hate places that charge a premium for parking; seriously, where do all the fees that I pay for tickets go? A concert at a large venue can easily go from a retail ticket price of $35 to a whopping $150 after fees, taxes, parking, and food/drink. But I digress. My problem with inflated concert prices isn't with Susquehanna. It's a decent venue.
I just saw my first event here and like many, read the reviews and was a little concerned about having a good time here. Overall, my wife and I enjoyed the venue.
Parking: Make sure you bring cash. The lots were $25 cash though there was a lot for $20 but we didn't end up seeing that. Try to park as close to a parking lot exit as possible. This will save you loads of time when you try to leave. We were basically the farthest car from the gates and it was no more than a brisk 3 minute walk (at most) and we escaped the venue VERY quickly while everyone else waited in what seemed to be a LONG line to get out of all the lots.
Tailgating: Â We saw coolers, beers and mixed drinks everywhere in the hours leading up to the event. There were porta-potties on site at the parking lots. They are as clean as any public porta-pottie has ever been. It was convenient though. We saw a sign at the entrance that consumption of alcohol is illegal etc but did not see any cops or facility personnel raising a fuss. I think the rule is enjoy your drink and don't make a scene and you should be just fine here.
Food: Not much to offer once you get inside but then again, who goes to a concert and expects a meal let alone a meal that is high quality and affordable? You can get your standard popcorn, pretzels etc and they are the same as they would be at ANY major concert venue. If you don't like that, then don't leave your house for a concert.
Sound: I have been to many shows from small venues to large stadium. The sound here was fair. I felt the bass and heard everything very well but did not leave with my ears ringing. The balance was good and if you really got picky, it probably could have been a little bit louder but overall, it was clean and the basically good.
Bathrooms: Once inside, there are only a few bathrooms. Our show was 95% sold out and we never saw a line for the mens room. The woman's bathroom did have a line form however, it moved pretty quick. There are bathroom attendants cleaning the whole time and for the women, there are two in the bathroom that act like air traffic controllers notifying you of an available stall and they really try and keep things moving. Â The bathrooms were pretty clean to be honest. I expected, especially after reading some reviews here, that the bathrooms would have been horrific. Either past reviewers were simply tooooo picky or easily grossed out or the facility has taken notice and put more attention to keep the bathrooms sanitary during the events. Â
Lawn: Â We did not have lawn ticketsbut it was PACKED back there and everyone seemed to be having a good time. There was grass back there, not a lump of dirt like we expected to see.
We would go back here if a show caught our eye. It is a little harder to get to for us than PNC Bank Arts Center but we did not see anything that would prevent us from seeing a show here again.
There's no way for me to be objective about the Susquehanna Bank Center, nee the Tweeter, once upon a time the Sony "E" Center. Â It's my home venue and I've seen more shows here than anywhere else. Â I can remember every seat I've ever sat in, every time I danced for four straight hours on the perilous hill of the lawn, every time the universe magicked me a third-row seat and I was like a fetus ensconced in a comforting womb of sound.
As a quasi-adult, the pavilion for summer shows is the only place I can stand. Â Though the lawn is certainly fun, getting trampled and pushed and having nowhere to sit is certifiably unappealing to the elderly like myself. That said, you can pretty much do whatever you want up here, short of violating another concertgoers person. Â It's anarchy, maaaan.
The sound, for a giant impersonal amphitheater, is not bad. Â Especially in the pavilion it's very clear and loud and you can kind of live inside the waves of music rolling over you. Proximity to the bathrooms and concessions is easy-breezy from the pavilion, as well.
Beers and waters are the only things I've ever purchased here, and they cost me my first-born child and were nasty to boot. Â 16 oz. of lukewarm Budweiser or Miller Lite in a plastic bottle for $9, I kid you not. Â And the only water they sell is that foul Pepsi-brand Dasani, which leaves my mouth tasting worse than before I drank the damn H20. Â So that's annoying. Â
FACT: You can bring a sealed or empty less-than-one-liter water bottle into the show. Â As the kids on the lot say, $1 here or $5 inside, your choice.
I went to the Susquehanna Bank Center (Tweeter Center in my mind) to see Maroon 5 and the Counting Crows. The place is pretty nice. Food is normal stadium price so you should consider eating before or after.
I wasn't brave enough to buy lawn tickets in case in rained that night. There was definitely a lot of space for people to sit or dance back there. You are able to bring your own lawn chair or blanket to sit on. As the night got closer it got chilly. Dress accordingly since the place it wide open even if you get actual seats. I expected this place to be a lot bigger.
Parking was easy to find and finding our seat was a breeze. Getting out of this place was a whole other story. It didn't seem like there were so many people inside but when it let out the whole surrounding area got crowded.
Overall its a good place to have a concert on a warm day but I would consider the lawn tickets cheap but risky.
This is seriously one of the worst concert venues on the east coast. Â Everything about it sucks. Â Where to begin?
-Traffic in and out is horrific. Â NEVER see a show here on a Friday night in the summer. Â Just don't do it. Â Shore traffic is something you do not want to deal with.
-Because all of the center orchestra seats are sold to season ticket holders, you can't get a good seat here. Â It is next to impossible. Â The side orchestra sections are VERY far to the side. Â You can't see much. Â
-And the sound is terrible. Â Some of the worst I've ever experienced. Â
-Never seen so many out of control drunks at a show in my life. Â People pissing EVERYWHERE. Â The mens rooms have lines inside for each urinal, stall, and SINK. Â F-ing disgusting. Â Drunk 14 year olds falling down all over the place. Â
Just a huge mess of a venue. Â If you are going just to party with friends, you may not hate it. Â But if you care at all about the music, go anywhere else.
Formerly known as the Tweeter Center, the Susquehanna Bank Center is a big-ass venue for some big-ass shows. Â Like most amphitheatres, this has a covered area with seating that can be entirely closed in, and also a big dirt hill out back for aforementioned big-ass shows. Â My first show here was the Chili Peppers, and we were out on the hill. Â It was drizzling so it was a muddy mess. Â Also, it was the farthest I've ever been from a stage. Â We watched RHCP on the screens. Â It could have been impersonators onstage, you'd never know. Â That kinda sucked even though I'm sure the band rocked out. Â And then there was the parking lot. Â It took us about 2 hours to get out and what everyone says about asshole cops and kids doing nitrous is entirely true. Â We thought a girl died next to the car.
Got to be inside for The White Stripes and A Perfect Circle. Â You could actually see the stage and performers (and thus the fact that Meg White was DRUMMING WITH ONE ARM THROUGH MUCH OF THE SHOW, GOD IS SHE LAZY!). Â This was better, though still a very corporate venue. Â Speaking of which, yes there are concession stands and yes everything is overpriced. Â And the bathrooms might be kinda gross, but it beats a porta potty any day.
Overall this place isn't that fabulous but for certain shows you just might have to corporate it up, stand on a muddy hill, and then waste away in a parking lot.
This really is a great venue for large shows. We went to Virginia's Nissan Pavilion to see DMB this summer (in what turned out to be one of LeRoy's last shows) and, while the venue looked almost EXACTLY LIKE the Tweeter Center, it lacked the veritable charm of the waterfront, the bridge, the sky at sunset over the river, and the Philly skyline. Really. I'm not being sarcastic. You just can't beat the view from the lawn seats at sunset. That alone made me pick four stars over three stars.
I recently saw the Allman Brothers play here, which reminded me how much I really dig this venue, even if the food and drinks are severely overpriced and the alcohol vendors will yell at you when the mixes are too watery for those tasty 14" layered margaritas.
This place looks familiar... Kind of like the CT NOW theater in Connecticut. My guess is that it's the same floor plan. Cool. I like it. I had lawn seats for the best band of my generation last night. Radiohead. Amazing show. The sound was incredible, the lighting was perfect, and it was awesome kicking it on the lawn. There security was really tight so it took a good portion of the show for me to sneak into the seated are. But I did. So +1 star for not being good enough to thwart my efforts. I got right up to the front right behind the pit. Incredible.
The bad:
$8 - $10 for Beer. Wow. I knew to expect that, but that doesn't mean its okay.
$8 for a slice of pizza. Yeah, I passed on that one.
Looooooong ass bathroom lines. Srsly, I have never seen a long line for the men's room. This was strange.
All in all this venue was solid. I am sure the best band EVAR playing had a lot to do with it, but I'd gladly come on back to JerZ to see a good band play here.
Well, Jack Johnson was great, but this venue needs to get its act together. Â Thier credit card machines were broken all night so unless you had wads of cash coming out of every pocket and orifice (to pay those exorbitant prices) you were enjoying the show hungry and stone cold sober. Â Â And while we were waiting for the doors to open we sat in line right next to a trash can that had NOTHING in it and still smelled like vomit and poultry farm. Â Hose those things off every now and again dudes!
Seating was very nice and we were 3rd row center so I really can't complain about anything at all here. Â I guess all that time waiting by the maloderous trash can really paid off.
They didn't really have the parking that organized but luckily I attended the type of concert that Assholes typically wouldn't have shown up for, so we made our own paths and everyone merged very nicely. Â The cops are idiots though and I can see how and why so many before me have lengthy complaints on the situation. Â I would say be prepared for mayhem.
The other details have, after one night, already faded into oblivion.
This place suffers from the same general crapitude that any amphitheater suffers from...its designed for maximum attendance, not show enjoyment. Its extremely impersonal, and no matter where you are sitting, it feels like you are watching the band on television (of course, if you are in the lawn, you pretty much ARE watching the band on television). Concessions are overpriced and parking is a nightmare.
But...
All that aside, there is something to be said about this place in the summertime. Standing on the lawn, looking at the Philly skyline across the water...some things about this place are good. As a live music experience it stinks, but if you like people watching, its great. There are a few tricks of the trade that will make coming here much better:
1. Don't park here. Its expensive and you'll get home tomorrow. Unless you really, really want to tailgate, just don't do it. I always park in Philly and take the ferry over. The ferry itself has its own lot, or you could park in Old City somewhere. Now, this has a downside as well...if you don't make a beeline for the ferry AFTER the show, you'll be standing in line there forever. If I'm in the lawn, I make sure to inch my way towards the lefthand side near the end of the show, and as soon as its over...bam! Off to the races.
2. Don't drink (or eat) here. If you are already parking in Philly, go ahead and hit up The Khyber to drink, or the Mexican Post to drink and eat. You'll have some fun, spend much less money, and who doesn't love a drunken ferry ride? Plus by the time you get back to your car after its all over, you'll be plenty sober (or sober enough) to make it home ok.
Security can be a royal pain, depending on how you like to enjoy yourself at a concert, so watch your back, jack. I find myself going here at least once every summer, no matter my intentions to the contrary, so you have to make the best of it. And if you do, its not all that bad.
#1 reason the venue sucks is leaving after a concert. Â Not only do the Camden police cattle shoot you into impossible lines of traffic, but they do not allow you to make the necessary left to get back onto the Ben Franklin Bridge. Â We had to travel down Rt. 38 into Cherry Hill before finding one of Jersey's elusive jug handles to get onto 38 W heading back towards the bridge. Â Just what you want to do after leaving a concert after midnight, sitting in traffic until 1 am, and then having to travel a half hour out of your way to make a freaking left turn.
#2 Â This isn't exactly a reason for it to suck, but more of a general observation. Â The parking lot is a joke. Â It is a free-for-all, unless you happen to pee in public. Â Who cares about the kid fishing out from the nitrous balloon he just did, or the fat asses that set up a card table in a parking space. Â Just don't pee outside because that will get you arrested. Â By the way, if you make an illegal U-turn in order to get into the parking lot off of Market because of the brillant minds of the Camden transit cops, you get a time out. Â That's right. Â No ticket, but they will make you sit in your car 3 minutes and then you can keep going. Â No wonder the murder rate is so high. Â Speaking of high....bring all the paraphenalia you want. Â Spark a fatty. Â No one says a word.
#3 Umm...$12 bucks for a beer? Â And $60 to stand on a lawn? Â Good thing Pearl Jam doesn't need to be seen in order to have a great experience hearing living legends. Â However, if you are hoping to see Justin Timberlake at this venue, cough up the money for a seat and get loaded in the parking lot. Â For "performers" rather than "musicians" Â the lawn is NOT where it is at.
#4 Â Don't blame the band for not allowing you to bring a blanket. Â They want you to dance and not burn the lawn when you drop your joint and it lands on your blanket.
All this said, I had an AWESOME time seeing PJ here Thursday night. Â They had the best set list out of all of their concerts this summer. Â It rivals Bonnaroo. Â However, getting home was a bitch.
I ventured to the Susquehanna Bank Center (previously the Tweeter Center) in Camden to see Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus show. Twice.
(I found the Traveling Virus to be a hilarious show. They hired athletic, local, go-go dancers, and more importantly, the comedy lineup was worth the price of admission; Bob Sagat is a RIOT and so very NSFW. The crowd is enthusiastic, sometimes jeering, sometimes flashing, sometimes cursing, sometimes drunk, mostly laughing. A girl sitting right behind us wouldn't get off her mobile. We asked if she could take her conversation elsewhere and she bitched at us. We bitched right back at her, and it was a grand time.)
Parking's fine. Security is good: the venue's security team and Camden police patrol and keep rowdy folks under control. Their sound system is adequate, but could be better considering the venue's size. Visual quality of the large screens isn't horrible - if you're sitting on the hill, that's all you have to see the stage (unless you have eagle eyes). Speaking of sitting, the hill is fun! It's airy, and you can always finagle room to sit. By the way, BYOC (bring your own chair), unless you want to pay through the nose to rent one. Concession stand prices are a little nuts, so pre-game and eat elsewhere before you arrive. Candy, beer, hot dogs, it's all sky-high pricing. Note that restrooms are mobbed during intermission, even the men's. (I saw a guy attempt to go in the sink - this is classic - and a brave security guard somehow got him to stop before he actually did.)
The Susquehanna Bank Center isn't a bad venue and has a lot of local charm.
Now the Susquehanna Bank Center.
Susan G is right the NIN show there in 06 was great, Bauhaus opening for them was amazing! I was glad I had seats and not on the lawn for that show since it was drizzly/raining on & off. My seats kind of sucked because the stage & amp equipment were blocking my view & I was practically right below the large screen so watching that was out of the question. Other than that there was nothing remarkable or horrible about the venue itself. The layout is kind of confusing after a show if you are not familiar with it. Especially since they were herding us in one end before the show & then out the other after the show. Maybe I just get dizzy easily.
All of what Russ C. says is true, but I expect great sound from an outdoor amphitheater, and the TC simply cannot deliver. The bathrooms are disgusting and all of the vendors are beyond overpriced-- we're not talking ballpark prices, we're talking OUT of the ballpark. (Did you like that little turn of phrase? That's original. I came up with that on the fly.)
Of course, like any concert venue the vibe and crowd depend on the artist. I've been to summer alt-rock festivals here where everyone seemed piss drunk and asshole-like. I also went to my only Phish show here, when many were tripping hard but tranquil, and others were piss drunk and asshole-like.
BUT I get the impression that people feel they can run wild in this open air setting in the heart of Camden, so I definitely wouldn't suggest bringing any small people along to a show here, unless you knew for sure that it was going to be a family atmosphere.
There is nothing like sitting on the hill on a warm summer night taking in a good musical performance. Â Marijuana, sex in public and vomiting are all clues that you are, in fact, sitting on the aforementioned hill. This open air venue has a couple thousand seat, covered area, with a huge grassy hill sitting behind it.. Â Prices vary depending on artist, but typically seats on the hill are manageable.
The Tweeter Center is a great place to see a concert. Â I would recommend going even if you're favorite artist isn't playing, as the experience is worth the money itself.
Personally, I have seen several shows here and have never been disappointed. Â James Taylor was especially phenomenal. Â Spring is a just a few months away, take a look at tour dates and make a plan to see at least one show at Tweeter this summer.
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