One of my Favorite places to go for Concerts. I have seen a lot of concerts here and everytime I come here I have a blast. The lawn is the best place to be, you can bring your own blankets, you can rent the chairs and just enjoy the day sitting and watching the concert with your family and friends. It is pricey here just to get some pizza it is like 8-12 dollars, and don't even mention alcohol it is super expensive even fountain drinks is pricey. I love how you can just sit back relax and enjoy the show I love it! The best thing about this place is if you don't have tickets to get in you can also enjoy the show from outside the pavillion. They let you sit outside and enjoy the show.
Review Source:I went here on 10.20 for a Bday event; we saw Jill Scott and Charlie Wilson. Â Now, I love Jilly from Philly, but I am an old soul - Mommy had me later in life. Â Thus, when I say Uncle Charlie did it up - he ROCKED it.
Okay, the venue.. that's what the review is all about.
This spot was great. I don't prefer the lawn at home(DMV), but I was not paying so I went with what the purchaser paid for. Â Boy oh Boy was I happy. We had great seats on the lawn and could see everything; including the girls wearing stilettos on the lawn(WTHeck). Â
The only thing that was crazy is that you could NOT bring your own chairs. Â You had to rent chairs. Â Well of course Ms. Frugal Fanny(well my friend since I was in Tx), had a blanket so we were straight. Â
The other thing that I like is that the restrooms were clean. I detest public restrooms, but I am a fish(I drink tons o' water) so I basically can't hold a thing.
All in all, if I am back in Houston and there's a good concert  I am there!
Firstoff, I have been to a lot of concerts. Not bragging, just prefacing my review of this horrendous, poor excuse of a music (which is an ART) venue with that information.
I should have known that this was going to a shitshow (not by the artists, but the staff) as soon as I strolled up to the box office after having queued all morning before those soulless robots arrived and asked for my willcall ticket. Sure there were hiccups at other venues through this tour (I was following a tour through its entire run throughout the continent) regarding when X employee arrived who was the only authorised to release fanclub willcall tickets, but these people had the tickets but refused to give me mine. It's a long story, but it was not a problem anywhere else, from sea-to-shining-fucking-sea, but these people here ....
Alright, so after hours of nonsense, I got my ticket. Cool.
Now we are getting somewhere. It was a GA PIT ticket, which I guess are hard to come by. So on to the show; since my ticket was uniquely issued to me, it had a hand-written (by the BOX OFFICE) section in an open space (I wish I still had it but other staff inside the venue kept it) denoting it as a GA PIT ticket. Honestly, you cannot make this shit up. So I get to the pit area after DOORS ...
(Pro Tip #1: don't go through the main entrance, or even the corporate pre-show lounge located near the front main entrance, where you will be enticed to go through in order to be screened prior to DOORS with the premise that it will get you to the barrier sooner because you will have already been through the search. Instead go through the back entrance which hardly anyone uses; it is closer to the stage and is downhill rather than uphill.)
and the staff person is of course with the "there is no reason to rush, there is plenty of space in the pit" attitude that is so indicative of someone who has never dedicated an entire fucking day in the sun to ensure a centre barrier spot for a GA show. He takes one look at my ticket and says "who gave you this ticket".
"The BOX OFFICE," my anger growing.
He looks at it harder.
I grow angrier.
He finally relents and gives me a wristband. Douche.
Fast-forward to the end of the show. Arcade Fire have performed their songs dedicated to The Woodlands from their latest record. Win tells the venue to allow the people to come down, and invites the concert-goers to come down (to the pit). Excitement builds. Few people get in before a line of staff -- as if they were a fucking police line -- form in the back of the pit stopping all comers.
I think this is a ridiculous scene. The artist, who is paying for all this shit, wants more people in the pit. There is plenty of space. Allow some people in.
I encourage this 220lb. or so teenager to just step over the rail, and on my goading, he starts to step over and for that receives a serious push from a staffmember. I feel like absolute shit now.
I remove my wristband without breaking it and discretely hand it to him. He does not put it on because his hands are too big for it to slip over. This douchebag staffmember, who must have failed The Woodland Police Department testing for being too dumb, must have felt like he must stop the kid from coming in at all costs, and also get me out of there for trying to usurp his ninety-minute-length of glorious authority he enjoys once a week at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. He gets a supervisor and gets me thrown out during the encore. I get thrown out for trying to fulfill the wishes of the artist who is headlining the fucking show and paying for these assclowns to be faux-pigs for a night.
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in a nutshell. Avoid at all costs. - E
The venu is typical for outdoor venues like this (been to one in Atlanta, Phiilly, Cleveland, etc.) Â I will start with the negative and somewhat funny and more from there: Â When you come through the gate be prepared to have a security guard check you for weapons....here is the FUNNY part....he said "pat your pockets" Â I said what am I looking for....I was floored...he said weapon, large camera, video equipment or similar items. Â REALLY?? Â And if I find something, do you think I am going to tell you? Â Then he says "pull your shirt up" Â REALLY? Â So I pulled it up over my head and put it back down and he said thank you...next? Â Good thing though....he didn't ask my girlfriend to pull her shirt up.....guess he swings the other way! Â The consession folks are AARAMARK and this comment is more about them...but the facility should police them....they ask me for my ID for a beer and I gave them my Military ID card and the guy insisted he wouldn't accept that. WRONG ANSWER...but again...I don't fault the facility. Â POSITIVE...clean, organized, well run operation and...we had lawn seats and when we were walking in a guy randomly stopped us and upgraded us to seats!! Â This weekend will be our third trip to see a concert there this summer and we will continue to drive there from San Antonio. Â I gave it 5 stars even though the drink thing angered me!
Review Source:I went here this past weekend for the first time. I scored free VIP tickets to the Florence + the Machine concert, and my best friend drove down from Dallas for it. So I'm sure my review of the venue is better than most.
Had a VIP parking ticket, so I got to park in the garage, steps away from the entrance gate.
Didn't get felt up while being searched...they only searched my purse.
Ate a delicious Korean Reuben in the Woodforest Bank Club.
Had awesome seats in the reserved section. The concert was AMAZING. Weather felt great, other than the mini-monsoon that occurred during part of the concert...you could feel a little bit of mist coming from under the roof, due to the crazy wind.
Yes, I had to drive an hour from my house in NW Houston, but I had FREE tickets.
Got some great photos, given my non-professional camera.
Restrooms were pretty clean, especially given the amount of traffic.
Didn't encounter any potheads that my husband warned me about once the lights dim (however, he went to BuzzFest).
Backing out of my parking space in the garage was fun, but once I exited, there were police officers controlling traffic to keep the jerks at bay.
So I have nothing but great things to say! :)
Ok so I have a love hate relationship with this place. First the hate. Outdoor venue in the middle of the Texas summer is not so good. Too restrictive on what you can bring in. At some shows a woman cannot even bring in a small purse? No blankets or towels allowed at some shows on the lawn. 11 dollar beers?  4 dollar waters? If there is a festival all day show the second stage is a long walk and is basically in a long alley way with no restrooms and a stage at the end. You can't see since everyone is jammed in the narrow alley with no breeze and tons of sweaty people. Now for the good. All the good shows are here in the summer. House of blues tent is a great place to chill between bands or before the show starts and they have a full bar. 1 quick tip I have is that you want to hear a band from the second stage you can sit on the patio of the House of blues tent and it is great. You can't see the band due to a fence but it is better than being jammed in that back alley where the stage is.  They also serve so cool and interesting food at the house of blues tent. So really I'd give the  Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion  itself 2 stars since it is over priced, hot and restrictive. I added a star because the house of blues tent makes up for some of that with it's full bar, AC, good food, and nice patio area.
Review Source:This is my oldest bookmark, dating back almost 3 years. Â Why?
It was one of those places I had heard such bad things, yet everyone has enjoyed...err...experienced a concert here. Â This meant I had to at least see it for myself before I could write it off.
Start things off, it's in the woodlands. Â So that already makes me cringe thinking about the gas I'm wasting. Â Parking around the area is $15, and you can park by the mall for free, be careful some areas are ONLY for the movie theater and they will tow. Â Most people do park by the mall and just walk though. Â
Once you get to the gate, it's a very thorough search, even more than the airport. Â They were making guys AND girls lift up their shirt to make sure they were not hiding anything. Â I even had to lift up my jeans to display that I did not have anything hidden around my legs. Â
So this venue brings a lot of mainstream artists here, but many of them SUCK, COUGH, nickelback, creed, etc! Â But I had eyed the concert list every year and finally someone I wanted to see: LINKIN PARK. Â Whatever you say about them selling out, the music is still good.
They were going to be playing with Incubus, which I knew a few songs, so I was prepared to purchase tickets right when they were released. Â By the time I got my tickets all of the seats were sold out except for the lawn. Â I was ready to do the lawn, when a friend had two extra seats in row Z, so I sold my lawn seats and gladly upgraded.
So imagine, Miller outdoor theater, except you have to pay. Â It's open air with some fans above, so the day acts can be very hot and sweaty, the night acts it gets a bit cooler.
Incubus, put me to sleep, not going to lie. Â But as soon as LP got on stage I was feeling it. Â
This review might be even lower but LP put on such a great performance that I gave this venue a slight star increase. Â I would highly recommend getting seats then the lawn ones here. Â Drinks are ridiculously priced here.
acid. festival. champagne. bitches.
eric prydz. porter robinson. adrian lux. arty. wolfgang gartner. hardwell. showtek. le castle vania.
where do you envision a show with that caliber of talent, cooupled with glorious lightshows and a heavy bassline?
Um, not the Woodlands.
I visited the Woodlands Pavilion for Identity Festival...which if you don't know...can be described as a "rave", outdoors.
Okay so I've been to an ID Fest back home...and one thing that remains the same is the patrons are YOUNG. as in, barely out of highschool and a lot of cases...not even there yet. I'm thoroughly past that age bracket and nearing 25 on a daily basis.
This is not a review for the concert though.
The Pavillion is situated in the master planned community that is the Woodlands. Which to me, is like living in Stepford. A self contained city...and they bring rave kids here. I was half expecting to be chased with pitch forks for being a devil worshipper.
I digress.
There were two stages set up, one main stage and a smaller stage endorsed by Rockstar energy drink. (There was an entire tent giving free Rockstars. I drank about 8 of them to keep my energy up since I have been on the wagon for two months now). It was a bit odd to get used to, but pretty cool. The larger stage wa sin the amphitheater and the small set off to the side with NO tree cover.
It was approximately 105º on Saturday. We danced from 2pm-11pm....so the free water fountains were very appreciated. Beer ran about $12-14. No liquor, but they had these giant frozen things.
The major drawback of this place is the security. They clearly had no idea what to do with us or how to search us. I had to remove my fluffies, my shoes, lift up my kandi?! ....and they made my friend check his bandanna. Why? I quote "it could be soaked with drugs." ....uh......right.
I had press passes and half of the event staff had no idea what that meant. Here is what that means: Me, and friend are going to film the first ten minutes of every set, from a secluded area in the front. We will then stay there for 5-10 minutes snapping pictures and dancing. That happened flawlessly at the small stage...on the larger state, we barely got near the artists. What a bunch of jabronis.
At the end of the night, we were in the handicapped area dancing with a few of the security personnel (who told me I looked like Katy Perry?) and had primo viewing of Eric Prydz.
I don't think I would come back here for a concert unless it was truly worth it. An hour drive into suburbia to be heckled by ancient security guards and looked at as though I had leprosy? Hm, no thanks.
I recently revisited Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion a couple of weeks back. It had been a long time since my previous visit and it was still just like I remembered. I live in Spring so the long commute referenced by other reviewers is not an issue for me. I am here in 15 minutes or less. Parking is never an issue. I always park in the garage across the street on Market Street. They have paths to cross the street. After the event is over, there are security personnel out there stopping traffic for you to cross the street back to the garage.
Being an open air pavilion, this place gets pretty warm during the summer. We had covered seating and it was still very hot. There are some large fans over head that keep the air circulating, but it was still hot as hell. I could not feel any air moving from where I was sitting. With the sun setting all evening, we were in direct sun for a large portion of the show. Your best bet is to come during the cooler months and not in the middle of summer like my dumb ass.
The concessions here are a bit on the high side. I know that is to be expected and venues like this, but they could be a little lower and would generate a lot more business. Most beers were $12 with some options being $9. Luckily, I went to Market Square before the show and enjoyed numerous happy hour stops before our show. In my opinion, this is the way to go. I had a pretty good buzz going before we arrived at the event. I spent a fraction of what I would have spent at the show doing it which is always good.
I will probably return here due to the proximity to my home and they have great shows. Most of the top bands that come to Houston play here. If you are looking to have a good time and see a good show, make the trek up north and check this place out. I think you will enjoy it. Just make sure to not go when it is 100 degrees out and you will be fine.
This wasn't my first outdoor venue to attend nor will it be my last, but its probably been close to the best one I have encountered thus far.
I am surprisingly glad I got seat tickets, actually I'm more than glad given the time of year I attended. Lawn was just a no go, more so a hell no, not to mention it looked like a cattle roundup in the sense that it appeared overly crowded and to chaotic for my liking. The seating area has large fans keeping air circulating, thumbs up for that. My only gripe is that the security guard at the bottom of the aisles in the upper seats needs to sit down, NEEDS, its not an option, I hate human barriers. Though luckily I was able to relocate my seating situation after meeting some cool new Houstonians.
Parking was a breeze, just used the parking structure straight across from the Venue.
Personally I have found the ticket prices to be a lot cheaper out here in Texas across the board, makes me wonder what in the hell I was paying so much for in California, no WAIT its California that in itself gave me my answer.
Beers, oh sweet beers, they are a little on the steep side. Being a Shock Top fan I paid $12 a beer. It's semi horrible but the size of the beer I cant complain I've paid worse for a lot less. The pour in my opinion is the size of two beers, still heavy on the pockets but its a concert/performance ridiculous prices are to be accepted. BTW the permanent concession stands take debit/credit cards so avoid the ATM's if your going to be charged a fee and just use those.
All things in their entirety I'm pretty sure I'll attend another show here given its proximity to my home and now that I have a little more knowledge of the ins and outs of the venue which isn't all that bad.
I went to a Buzz Fest for my first experience at the Pavilion. Â First they search you more than they do at the airport or you search yourself I should say. Â It was ridiculous! Â The place is nice but I felt like I was at Six Fags instead of a rock concert. Â Other reviews talk about how great the bands sound but the volume of the music way to low. Â My seats were not that far from the stage and I could not hear the band that well. Â I could talk on my cellphone without having to repeat anything. Â The food and drink prices are crazy expensive. Â They make Reliant and other large venues here seem down right cheap. Â I would eat before I went to the place because choices are very limited and not very tasty. Â They must be making a fortune off the drinks and food alone. Â I will never return to see anything there again.
Review Source:I hadn't made a trek to Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion since college, so I figured it was high time I make a return visit. First of all, the Woodlands is far. I remember it taking over an hour from my home base of Sugar Land, but even from downtown it's not close. Factor in that drive time, people.
Judging from the Yelp reviews, there also appear to be a lot of complaints about parking, but I don't ever remember having an issue. There's free parking, and I've always come early enough for that not to be a problem.
From a pure ambiance standpoint, the Woodlands Pavilion is pretty awesome. It's nestled in a pristine residential area. And if you ever wonder why any fool would live up in the middle of nowhere-burbs, all you'd have to do is look around on your walk from parking to the Pavilion. I love the venue itself too, and personally, I dig the open-air lawn seating. There's ample assistance from the staff, and concession options abound.
Beyond the mileage it takes to get here, the venue really gets dinged for sky-high prices. I'm not even just talking about the tickets, either. Concession prices are patently absurd: $9 domestics and $12 premium beers? Yikes. $6 for lawn chairs? Agh.
Instead of embracing the relaxed, open-air, green experience, the whole shindig at the Woodlands Pavilion feels wholly corporatized and commercial. I don't think it would kill the Pavilion to allow more freedom for guests to bring in a more picnic atmosphere like Miller Outdoor Theater does. Ticket prices alone should be sustainable enough for a pet project founded by a billionaire, no? OK, feel free not to answer that naive question.
Saw The Beach Boys last night. They're still rockin and a rollin'. The venue is physically amazing. The covered roof and fans kept us cool and dry. The sound was so so but seemed to improve as the show went on. Sound check, anyone? Now the bad parts. First, $12 for a Ziegenbock, really. Why, you ask? To support the Woodlands High School band. Hey, folks, how about you put the kids to work at a car wash or something? This way they actually learn the value and satisfaction of reward for their own efforts and I don't have to refinance my home to afford to buy a round. My next beef is the uptight crowd. A few people a few rows up decided to stand and dance. This so aggravated the tucked in Hawaiian shirted oil nerd and the camo and Wranglers dressed idiot who thinks that boots and a cell phone on your belt makes you a Texas Ranger that the police actually came. The debate over whether one ought to be able stand and dance or must sit on hands at THE FREAKING BEACH BOYS went on for a third of the show with nothing accomplished but distraction. Will I go to CWM again? Of course I will but the next time I will be better prepared for the Stepford like culture of the Woodlands.
Review Source:Before I really was not a fan, but I just went to the Black Keys concert last night, and my first time to sit in the actual seats. Â Sitting in the seats made me a fan. Â They have huge industrial fans to keep the air flowing, the sound is great, and it is covered for inclimate weather. Â Great place to see a concert, but definitely recomend the reserved seating.
Beer is expensive, but you expect it. Â The entry is a little ridiculous because they no longer pat you down, you basically pat yourself down and lift clothing while doing twirls. Â I told the gate girl, I feel like I violated myself.
Seeing a show at the Woodland's Pavilion is always an amazing experience. The sound quality is terrific, and even if you buy a lawn ticket you still get a great show. The venue is always clean and well-kept, which I love. It's very big and seats more than enough people! Tickets can get expensive, but the pavilion usually showcases well-known acts, which is totally understandable. Even for big events like BuzzFest the Woodlands is the perfect venue. I love the seating and I even love the lawn so much that I won't ever hesitate to buy a lawn ticket if there's a show coming up that I want to see!
Review Source:Ugh... best word to describe when a concert I want to is here. Â Besides being far from where I live (and pretty much everyone else), parking is super far away, ticket prices are high, and items inside the place is high. Â If the weather isn't nice, which is most of the time in Houston, it sucks making the mile walk to the venue and for the poor like me, sitting on the wet lawn or blistering heat. Â I don't even think the sound is all the great, even though they've made the considerations for acoustics and such. Â Overall, probably like my most least favorite venue to see concerts in Houston.
Review Source:It's a cool place to see a concert. It's pretty chill...once you get in there and get seated, that is. Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
- On a Spring, Fall or Winter evening (there's usually a nice cool breeze), the lawn seating rocks! It's a very 60's, 70's, Austin-like feel. If they'd let people get lit here, people totally would all over the lawn!
- There isn't a bad view in the joint so you should be happy no matter where you're watching the concert. Just get there early to pick out your lawn spot early!
- It's located in the middle of tons of restaurants, bars, etc. So there's tons to do before and after the show!
Cons:
- Parking is a b*tch (for lack of a better word)! Get there early b/c you'll be driving around for a minimum of 20 minutes looking for a spot.
- Tickets prices are surprisingly high, especially for the lawn, since you're sitting in grass afterall and you bring your own seats!
- Don't get stuck sitting behind 1 of the 4 speaker poles, it'll mess up your view! Get there early so you can get the best lawn seat you can get!
- If someone in front of you gets really into the concert and decides to stand up, well...you're screwed. Either stand up too or just stare at their ass and just listen to the music.
This is the second largest outdoor amphitheater in the world and hosts every variety of music, acts, concerts, ect. Â You name it, they got it. Â It offers a variety of seating from pit passes, to reserved seats, to uncovered reserved, to the hill.
If you listen to someone that says they hate it because its expensive, they're an idiot. Â Any venue charges you an arm and a leg for a beer or a hotdog. Â Obviously they have you in a confined space and know you have to pay it if your hungry. Â Therefore, eat before you go. Â Drink some beers in the parking lot. Â Dont be stupid and show up to Def Leopard or Skynyrd on an empty stomach and not one beer in you already or you'll be paying $9 for a beer and complain. Â Also, people complain about slow service. Â Hmmm 16k people watch a show and all of them travel to get food at the same time, that will probably cause some slow service. Â So get food before a set ends or early in the evening and you WONT have that problem.
Seriously though, this place is amazing and one of the best live venues in the world. Â Yes, world. Â I've met people that have traveled around the world to see shows here. Â I've seen performances that traveled around the world and stopped HERE. Â Its an amazing place.
I've been here a couple times for random free symphony things, but I've never been compelled for any other reasons.
Their stuff here is EXPENSIVE.
I came for a Halloween symphony and wasn't well prepared for food, and had been drinking so I recognized that I NEEDED some food. Â Bagh, most expensive hot dog I evar had.
Drinks are stupid expensive too. Â It's all stupid expensive. Â I know that's the game with venues like this, but I hate it.
The facility is nice and all though, grassy sitting area is good when the weather is nice.
I'd come back if friends had something cool to go to over there, but I've never sought anything out on my own, and haven't for like 9 years....
Ok, so I feel like I've gotten past the point where I'm horrified by $14 "yard" margaritas and $10.50 pints so I won't complain about any of that. Â I might wonder why they call a foot long drink a "yard," but I won't complain about it costing me my firstborn.
My biggest complaint about this place is that they have the slowest service I have ever experienced at a concert or sporting event. Â We were at a Jimmy Buffett concert on Cinco de Mayo, meaning that something is seriously wrong if I don't have a margarita in each hand. Â This requires regular replenishment. Â I mean, seriously. Â I missed something like 5 songs because the people running the bar are slower than snails back there. Â If you order two Miller Lites and a margarita, they go get you one Miller Lite and then have to come back and chat because they've already forgotten what the rest of the order was. Â There was major hot dog confusion (what's confusing about hotdogs other than what's in them?). Â When people are trying to get drinks and hurry back for the next song, this is immensely frustrating. Â Boooo. Â Also, some jackhole checking tickets made me show him my stub despite the fact that he made eye contact with me when I was leaving to get a drink. Â Digging in your pockets with a margarita in each hand is not easy, and I don't appreciate his misplaced diligence.
Other than that, parking and traffic seriously suck. Â Bathrooms are fine. Â Everything is ridiculously expensive, but that's to be expected.
Jimmy Buffett and the rest of the crowd were awesome (unless they were in front of me at the bar trying to order hot dogs, then I hate them and wish they hadn't come).
Great acoustics, surprisingly. Not really a bad view in the house. Expensive drinks. Surprisingly clean bathrooms.
I don't understand why the FUCK they do not open their "upstairs" bathrooms. I was handicapped when I went there for a Styx show- foot in a cast and all- and they wouldn't let me in the upper echelon's restroom area. RUDE. My hobbly ass had to limp ALLLLL the way down to the floor level (?) restrooms. Rude.
The parking isn't bad and the shuttles are legit.
I'm lucky enough to live close by so distance is no issue. The venue does not control ticket prices, the acts do so I don't know why people bitch about ticket prices for the location. I will bitch about how concessions suck!! Â Pepsi products only, $12 beer, no napkins to be found for food, and over priced junk food.
Water stands on the property in locations. The restrooms are tolerable. I actually used a stall in the ladies room that didn't have a toilet seat. Â Seriously you can't make sure you have seats? Â They spent money on Dyson blade dryers for your hands but there are only 3 for 7 sinks and most of the time one or more didn't work.
The venue makes no attempt towards green practices. Â You can not carry in an empty water bottle, and they will not give you water in the bottle that you purchased. Â
I've read complaints about the locale compared to others and I can agree that the pavilion has some things that work well and others that are just a big cluster f%ck. Â I can't stand how they set up the way around to the side stages when you have big concerts, like yesterday's Buzzfest. Â There is actually a direct route on the property, but they fence it off and make you walk all the way around the seating area to around to the front to get to the other stage.
Parking and traffic is a bitch in the area. Â I feel sorry for the idiots that forget when there is a venue in town and get stuck in the traffic from all of the crazy concert goers that just walk out in the street. Â You can pay to park in garages or you can park in various businesses near by and walk. Â Don't park in the HEB parking lot unless you want to get towed, they have people staked out on the roof watching where people are walking to when they leave their cars. Â
There are great places to walk to after wards to continue the revelry as well as to get started before the concert that has cheaper alcohol. Â Concerts = Crowds so deal with it!!! Â The one good thing about the location is that they are able to book a variety of acts and performances from plays, symphonies, and musicians to meet a wide variety of tastes.
I LOVE the woodlands Pavillion. The only problem is it costs a fortune to get a good seat or even just a bad seat for that matter. My first concert here was ZZ Top and Aerosmith, which in a major understatement was amazing. I love the Pavillion so I choice to see Aerosmith here again this summer, however the price is so costly that I could barely be able to afford to get into the seated section. In short this place would be better for someone who can drop a few $.
Review Source:We've seen about 100 concerts here, everything from Def Leppard to ZZ Top and all others in between. Â It's gotten a lot better over the years as there used to be only one restroom yet now there are about half as many as they need. Â The tickets for the covered area to get out of the rain are normally just insanely expensive. Â Parking can be a PITA and security tends to slow entrance by using metal detector wands, a privacy violation.
BTW, if you don't know who Cynthia Woods Mitchell is, she's the wife of a billionaire that became powerful by selling fossil fuels. Â That's why her name is on your rock concert ticket.
I love this venue. Â I was spoiled by incredible venues in CA, but this one moved to the top of my list after my first outing.
My first concert was Steely Dan...I know...so frickin' cool. Â I'll never forget it. Â I deeply believe that the venue had much to do with it. Â Had I experienced the same show in say the Toyota Center, I don't believe that it would have been quite as memorable as sitting under the night sky in a cool breeze on a grass hill imbibing margarita slush and inhaling the second-hand smells of a familiar scent.
The production here is flawless. Â Lighting, sound, you name it - flawless. Â You will pay for that quality in your ticket price, but it's well worth it. Â Besides, if you are at all like me and enjoy sitting on the grass, they tend to sell 4-packs for $75 the last time I checked. Â Not very cool that they rent you lawn seats, but seriously, how much of a wuss are you? Â Take a blanket for cripes sakes. Â On the other hand, $5 for not lugging a chair or anything else from and back to the parking lot might be worth it especially after many beverages of an alcoholic nature.
There's also covered seating with fans above for those who can't bring themselves to do grass or those who want a more intimate view. Â I haven't sat there because of the price, but maybe when I get older and don't want to hoof it up hill that'll be nice. Â Beyond that they also have corporate boxed seating in air conditioned and amply monitored and manned suites for the truly well-off and extremely delicate - not my flavor, but they have it.
Parking - they have many lots with many colors and different prices - if you can walk, pick a cheap or free one far away - if not, then reserve a spot in the VIP/ Gold area.  I've not done it yet, but they also have water taxis  in the waterway running alongside the venue.  I think the pick-up spot is somewhere in the Woodlands Town Center, but whether a ride back on a late concert is an option or not, I'm not certain.
Aramark handles concessions, so you know it's gonna cost ya. Â Enough said.
What more do you want? Â It's beautiful, technical, and comfortable. Â I love this place.
My first concert in the Houston area: Depeche Mode on 8/30/09.
The band did not disappoint, they brought the energy that most DM fans expect from Dave, Martin and Fletch.
The venue itself was perfect. Â Nice evening, not hot and humid, the moon was out and the planets were aligned for a great show.
My recommendations:
Go to the venue website first.
Park in one of the colored lots, they don't charge a fee. Â It's short walk to the venue but, hey a little excercise doesn't hurt anyone right?
Buy the lawn seat tickets, get there early and rent a chair for six bucks. Â You can be seated about 15 feet behind the covered seats and still be able to see the stage without any problems.
Drinks are expensive, but that's to be expected. Â The bathrooms are nearby and they are clean. Â
The staff is by far the friendliest I've ever seen at a show. Â Hands down the best.
The lawn is on an incline so when you stake your spot, try to leave room around your claim (expect drunk people to drop their drinks on your stuff as they try to solve the incline).
Aside from all of the second hand hippie-lettuce smoke, it was a great time.
We saw Willie, Mellencamp and Bob Dylan last weekend. Great seats in the covered section. We expected it to be super hot and were actually quite comfortable under the fans. Had a great time but wondered where they get the nerve to charge so much for beer. They make Minute Maid Park look like a bargain! That aside, we were really impressed with the staff who ensured that the drunk folk stayed in their seats and threw out those that didn't. We love the venue and will enjoy many more shows here in the future.
Review Source:Seventy-five miles north of the border on I-35 is an INS checkpoint. Â Only after we squeaked through did I tell the naturalized citizen driving the rental car that I had a quarter ounce of weed I'd just picked up in a colonia. Â All was forgiven after I also got past the Pavillion security, and my wares became his in for the chiquitas. Â I was just there to hear Ozomatli and Santana.
This was the second time I would see Carlos Santana perform, this time in support of his tepid-enough-for-the-Grammy-voters album Supernatural. Â And what a difference five years would make.
The show five years earlier had also been an outdoor affair, with Carlos shouting peace and love and Jesus so ebulliently I damn near knelt down to the Guy in the Sky midway through Samba Pa Ti. Â But here in the Woodlands, he was giving off a much darker vibe. Â In contrast to his thanks-to-Jesus praises the last time, he actually abrasively ranted between songs against Christianity and its money-grubbing purveyors. Â What a difference five years make indeed!
I didn't and don't care too much either way on the topic, but the Rio Grande ditchweed still got my mind a-reeling. Â Just what could have happened in the intervening five years. Â How could Carlos have lost his faith? Was it love lost? Â Fortunes squandered? Â Confidence betrayed?
And as though like clockwork -- yea, like a sign from God herself -- just as I lay the query on our new ladyfriends, onto stage walked the best answer we would come up with to question the existence of a benificent deity: Â guest collaborator Rob Thomas.
Went to the Dave Matthews show that opened the Pavillion's season this year after the destruction by Hurricane Ike. Â As usual the show was awesome but we're here to talk about the Pavillion. Â The covered area is enlarged - now all of the seats are covered by the canopy. Â In addition - the second tier of seating now has more of an "aisle" concept to navigate -- you don't seem to be able to just walk straight up into that 2nd tier of seats and navigate to your row and seat number. Â Nothing else seems to have changed. Â As usual parking is best done in the mall lot or surrounding shops. Â Good place for a show - and don't gripe about the drive up there - make an entire evening out of it - Dinner, drinks, show, spend the evening and pretend you went on a mini-vacation.
Review Source:I have been to see many different musicians over the past 15 or so years at the 'ol Pavilion. It has always been a personal favorite of mine. Â Rather then go into a couple paragraphs of description, I'll just narrow my review down to pros and cons.
Pros:
1) Â Beautiful location. Â The Woodlands has a lot to offer visually with trees everywhere and the perfectly landscaped greenery.
2) Â Cleanliness. Â For the most part everything stays clean, including the bathrooms. Â The only exception is an all day festival (i.e., Buzz Fest, Family Values, etc.). Â But I hardly think you can blame the custodial staff for falling a little behind after hours of cleaning up after increasingly drunken/stoned, screaming and generally rowdy masses.
3) Â Friendliness. Â Maybe it's just my luck but I can't recall ever encountering an unfriendly employee (or volunteer). Â Surely it's happened but I just can't remember. Â
4) The hill. Â Now, there are some shows you most assuredly do not want to be sitting on the hill (more on that in cons). Â However, there have been several I've attended that were made even better as a result of sitting on the grass, the moon shining overhead, the stars and the occasional plane twinkling in the distance and one of my favorite bands crooning (or rocking out) some of my favorite songs. Â There are screens located on either side of the back of the covered seating section so you can still have a closer view of the goings-on onstage.
5) Â The covered seats. Â For those wishing to shell out more bucks they offer covered seats. Â This is a blessing when you attend an all day festival and do not wish to bake in the sun. Â It's also good for catching one of your "top 5" bands, when you want to be a little closer to the action.
Cons:
1) Â Parking! Â Oh Lord does the parking situation ever suck. Â Sure there are different parking lots dotted throughout the area but you'd better be sure you don't accidentally park in one that tows - and those seem to be plentiful in the areas directly around the Pavilion. Â Most of the time you end up having to park blocks away - which isn't so bad upon arrival but hours later when you've got a pretty good buzz going and your feet are singing from standing (or jumping) around on them, it pretty much sucks. Â The bad thing is I'm not sure how they'll be able to remedy this situation. Â It may just be one of those things you have to learn to deal with.
2) Â Cool-down areas. Â They need more of these during the hot months, especially during the festivals. Â There are clubs you can pay to go into that are very air-conditioned but unless you know the right people to get a pass or you are willing to shell out some bucks to buy one then you're screwed. Â I realize it is an outdoor venue but still - how hard can it be to set up those tents with the cooling mist?
3) Â The hill. Â As mentioned above it can definitely make a great experience even better - BUT, if you're going to see an act that will probably attract lots of young folks who will probably be getting drunk/stoned out of their minds then I recommend shelling out the extra money for the covered seats. Â Unless you don't mind people falling over you, sloshing their beer down your back, stepping on your stuff, talking loudly/obnoxiously and walking around continuously right in front of you. Â Also if it rains then the grass quickly turns into a mud pit. Â Not that you can predict that when you buy your ticket but you know, FYI.
That's about all I can think of for now. Â All in all it's not a bad experience. Â I live in the area and I was really bummed when I heard about the damage from the hurricane. Â However, from what I understand they're almost done repairing it and it'll be reopening next month. Â So hooray for that!
I've made it pretty clear that i'm not a fan of seeing live music in huge venues, so the Woodlands starts off on the wrong foot. However, there are eerily similar venues across the country that do things to make seeing a concert there tolerable. For example, the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Silicon Valley allows concert goers to bring their own chair if they have lawn seats instead of renting, and allows them to bring in their own food and water. Additionally, Shoreline has a few hours on Sundays when you can go buy tickets from the box office and all service, convenience, handling, and venue fees are waived, which is pretty sweet. Shoreline also has a system for parking that is relatively efficient and easy (notice the word RELATIVELY).
The Woodlands conveniently takes none of these measures to make things easier for concert goers. Food is ridiculously expensive (and you can't bring any of your own in), parking is a total disaster, chairs must be rented (for some reason relating to 9/11, yeah, don't really get that one), ticket prices are high, and it's way the hell out in suburbia.
I myself, am not a big fan of seeing live music here.
This venue definitely brings in good mainstream acts--Aerosmith, Carlos Santana, Tool, Tom Petty, Enrique Iglesias (yum), Matisyahu ... But it also brings in craptabulous bands like Nickelback, Creed, Maroon 5 ...
Sitting on the grassy knoll gives me the feel of an outdoor music festival, but I prefer small, intimate music venues--and here, you have to pay mucho dinero for a good seat. And the beer? Who wants to shell out $20 bucks for two beers ... then the gas money for the trek out to The Woo? Terrible parking situation, dealing with rain, horribly weak margaritas, a lot of youngsters... I'll pass.
But, like I said, if there's a really good act that I must see, this place isn't all that bad.
Fantastic concert venue. Â The best that Houston has to offer. Â Safe, convenient, and well-constructed.
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion offers covered reserved seating, uncovered reserved seating, and plenty of lawn seating. Â Of course, they sell all their tickets via TicketMaster. Â Remember, there are no refunds rain or shine. Â When it rains, you will get soaked no matter where you sit. Â Food is the general and expensive type. Â Eat before you arrive. Â Parking is awesome. Â Only fools pay. Â The Woodlands mall is a quick walk away, which is where everyone parks. Â Getting to and from the venue isn't a problem, since I-45 is right there.
The only downsides are the sheer rising costs of ticket sales for a venue such as this and the fact that there is a mandated curfew of 11p since the Pavillion is located in the master-planned community of The Woodlands. Â An 11pm curfew is no good when you're catching a jam band that go on for hours, but has to cut their concert short because of the venue's location.
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