Verizon Wireless

For “JACK'S FOURTH SHOW” we were dead center in the lodge. We were looking forward to a great time. \r Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Maybe the best that night but Missing Persons & Ratt all sounded great. \r Things started go wrong when Eddie Money took the stage, mic not working. When George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic came out, the sound mixer got crazy with the bass or for some reason the sound became very distorted. Good time to go to the bath room. It shook us like a 8,000 horse power funny car just lunched off the starting line and never stopped. \r As the B-52S & Foreigner took their turns & places on the stage some “Sound Mixing Person” forgot it was Rock & Roll and left the Bass cranked up. This wrecked the both of their performances. You could see the drummer for Foreigner with his head down and whaling, but you could barely hear it. We left after 3 songs by Foreigner with a lot of other folks all complaining about the bass all the way to our cars. \r \r Pros: The Beer was only $13.00 Cons: Bass, Distorted or the Sound Mixer on the Drain-O more

I was at the Rod Stewart Concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, on Friday night, (8/1/2008). I've been to this venue quite a few times since it opened as the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in the 80?s and changed over to Verizon in 2000. I say this because I?ve always liked this venue and have enjoyed most every event I?ve attended there, until last night. We had good (not great) seats, 3rd row center, loge. Well last night?s performance was a big disappointment, not because of the performers, but due to Verizon?s sound system. The big speakers built into the stage superstructure were blown out. Even the relatively moderate volume of Brian Adams and Rod Stewart was completely distorted at all but the quietest moments. It ruined the whole evening. I only hope the performers were aware of this, because it certainly effected the enthusiasm of most of the crowd, except for those in the first few rows who relied more on the stage speakers and not the larger arena speakers. I?m going to dispute my card charge, maybe it won?t work, but it might get Verizion?s attention. I won?t be eager to attend another Verizon event. Pros: Outdoor, rolling hills, cool breeze Cons: Blown arena speakers, old outdated seating, did I mention the blown speakers? more

I saw Rush at the the Verizon last night. The concert was great, the band was awesome, and my seats were good. We bought the VIP package back in April - 4 months prior the concert. When we bought the VIP package it was clearly stated to include VIP parking, access to VIP lounge and bathrooms, and complimentary food. On the day of the concert, Live Nation decided to hire caterers to run a ""High-end VIP restaurant"". We paid top dollar for our tickets and came expecting to be fed. They sent us to two different VIP areas until we discovered that we had to order from the menu. They wanted $65 for an Angus burger, a tiny appetizer, a tiny salad, and a miniature water. My husband and I split one of these little dinners and not only were we still starving, but the service took so long we missed the opening of the concert!!! Needless to say, I was NOT happy! I will never venture out into another Live Nation event again - I don't care how much I love the act. Pros: Great place to see a show. Cons: Live Nation more

Just saw Gwen Stefani at Verizon Amphitheater. Her show was fabulous and the sound system at the amphitheater was very good. We had lawn seats and the outdoor venue was very pleasant. It helps to get there one hour early to secure a good seat. Although the official website indicates differently, they do allow you to bring in lawn chairs, binoculars, blankets, small cameras and even food - as much as will fit in one Ziploc baggie. They do not allow any drinks, not even water. So bring lots of cash since water is $4 a bottle and beers are $10 - $13 each! Pros: Ambience, VIP Parking,Good Food Cons: Expensive food and drinks, women's bathroom lines are very long more

I've seen two shows at the Amphitheater: Jack Johnson and Jimmy Buffett. Both times we tailgated in the parking lot which was definitely a lot of fun (and an absolute MUST for a Buffett concert). However, having lawn seats and gaining entrance within a half hour prior to start of both shows I found that there was absolutely no place to sit on the lawn!! At Jack, half of the latecomers, including myself, jumped over the fence onto the abandoned hillside behind the lawn to sit. At Buffett, they had increased security to prevent this from happening so I spent most of the concert wandering around in a drunken haze...sadness. Getting in early means you have to pay up the ying-yang for food and beverage, which is no fun. Boo...I say put some grass up on that old hillside and throw a row of port-a-potties at the top because the lines for the bathrooms are always really long, too. Pros: Local, good shows Cons: Relatively small lawn space for lawn tickets sold, too few bathrooms, high prices inside more

I saw Pearl Jam at Irvine Verizon Ampitheater in June 2003. overall it's a decent venue. you need to walk about 1/2 mile from the parking lot down a hill to actually get to the venue. beer and food prices are outta control. they were charging $23 for a small personal sized Dominos Pizza Pros: good sightlines Cons: beer and food prices more

The best thing about the Verizon is the fact that you can sit on the lawn under the stars and enjoy music. The worst thing is that, if you choose lawn tickets (which are still pretty expensive), you're going to have to bring binoculars and climb about a half mile up a steep hill to find a teeny spot to lay your blanket, most likely too close to an amorous young couple. Still, this is a fun place to catch a concert, if you're more interested in relaxing and enjoying the music than seeing the band up close. And, joy of joys, there's a Gordon Biersh right on the premises. more

It's a great venue once you're in the door but everything prior to your entry is borderline hellish. Contrary to previous assertions, the parking lot is a mess both upon arrival and departure. In addition, they seem to allow some degree of tailgating (a good thing) but they exert no control over the activity and as a result at the wrong show (say No Doubt or DMB) the experience quickly becomes a bad college party. Be ready to pick glass out of your tire treads and wipe beer spray off your car. more

Irvine Meadows is synonymous with great outdoor shows. I just saw Dave Matthews there and the sound was fantastic! I would recommend buying tickets early in order to avoid general seating on the lawn. And, just for the record, they have not fixed the exiting the parking lot problem. It took me 30 minutes to get out of that mess. Pros: great sound, great view Cons: exiting the lot more