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Merriweather Post Pavilion

For the album by Animal Collective, see Merriweather Post Pavilion (album).

Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor concert venue located within Symphony Woods, a 40-acre (160,000 m2) lot of preserved land in the heart of the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. In 2010, Merriweather was named the second best amphitheater in the United States by Billboard magazine.[2] The venue was also ranked as the fourth best amphitheater in the United States by Rolling Stone in 2013.[3] It was again ranked by Consequence of Sound at number 29 of all music venues in the nation out of 100 in 2016.[4]

Merriweather Post Pavilion
Merriweather Post Pavilion in 2017 (prior to major renovations)
Map
Address10475 Little Patuxent Parkway[1]
LocationColumbia, Maryland, U.S.
Coordinates39°12′33.29″N 76°51′45.61″W / 39.2092472°N 76.8626694°W / 39.2092472; -76.8626694
Public transitRTA 406 (Central Library stop)
RTA 501 , RTA 503, MTA 315 (Broken Land/Hickory Ridge)
OwnerDowntown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission
OperatorI.M.P. LLC
TypeAmphitheater
Genre(s)Music
Seating typeLawn, stadium
Capacity19,319
Construction
Opened1967
Renovated2015–2016, 2018
ArchitectGehry, Walsh, & O'Malley
Website
merriweathermusic.com

History

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20th century

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Merriweather Post Pavilion was commissioned by the Rouse Company for its Howard County development project Columbia. The first design was rejected and the theatre was redesigned by award-winning architect Frank Gehry, who is best known for challenging architectural norms, and N. David O'Malley with the firm of Gehry, Walsh and O'Malley.[5] It opened in 1967 on the former grounds of the Oakland Manor slave plantation.[6] It is named for the American Post Foods heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post to honor her for her years of sustained financial support for the National Symphony. The theatre was originally intended to be a summer home for the National Symphony Orchestra.[7] It later became a venue for popular music concerts, including performances by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, and The Who.[6]

A grand opening gala was held on July 14, 1967,[8] and Vice President Hubert Humphrey attended a presentation of "Columbia: Broadsides for Orchestra" in a driving rainstorm that flooded the orchestra to its knees. The Orchestra went bankrupt the next year.[9] In the 1968 season, controversial presidential candidate George Wallace held a 7,500-person rally on June 27, 1968, followed shortly after by candidate Eugene McCarthy.[10][11]

On May 25, 1969, The Who and Led Zeppelin shared a stage for the first and only time, playing to a crowd of 20,000. Led Zeppelin performed "Whole Lotta Love" live for just the second time ever, and allegedly ran long in their opening slot, resulting in their plug being pulled by The Who's production crew.[12]

Before the start of the 1970 season, loge sections were built (adding 1,800 seats) in order to book a seven-night run of Tom Jones, featuring Gladys Knight & the Pips as the opening act.[13]

 
Pavillion seats prior to renovation

In 1970, Columbia's manager Richard Anderson dropped bookings of rock groups after gate crashing and disturbances at a Steppenwolf concert.[14] The Nederlander Organization began managing the venue in 1971.[15] By 1972, the music shifted from Rouse & Merriweather's vision of symphonies to rock performers, and Charles E. Miller proposed bills that would disallow performances of entertainers with a history of violence in venues with a capacity of 3,000 or more.[16] In the summer of 1974, Howard Research and Development manager Micheal Spear banned rock music after more incidents, listing Alice Cooper, Grateful Dead, and Edgar Winter as artists that were unacceptable.[17]

In 1977, Jimmy Buffett performed at Merriweather for the first time. He played a total of 42 times, the most by any act.[18]

In 1978, and again in 1980 during his campaign against Ronald Reagan, President Jimmy Carter joined Willie Nelson on stage to sing a duet of "Georgia on My Mind".[19]

SFX bought the entertainment lease in 1999.[20]

21st century

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In 2003, development by General Growth Properties threatened to shutter the pavilion, drawing the ire of local Columbia teens, along with former bandmates Ian Kennedy and Justin Carlson, who launched and sustained a grassroots "Save Merriweather" campaign to keep the concert venue open. As part of the fight, Kennedy vowed not to shave his beard until the future of Merriweather was secure.[21]

As "Save Merriweather" began to pick up steam, General Growth Properties offered to sell Merriweather to Howard County on condition that the pavilion be converted into a much smaller, enclosed theater. Shortly thereafter, 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz's I.M.P. was chosen as Merriweather's new promoter amidst the claim by GGP's General Manager that trying to make Merriweather Post Pavilion profitable was like "trying to sell ice cubes in the middle of winter."[22][23]

In 2005, Howard County held a charrette to discuss redevelopment of the Rouse Planned community beyond its initial 100,000 population design. In 2010, The Downtown Columbia Plan passed, requiring the developer, General Growth Properties (now the Howard Hughes Corporation), to renovate Merriweather before additional development could occur in Columbia. In 2014, County Executive Ken Ulman proposed a bill to relieve Howard Hughes of the renovation expense including a $10 million grant.[24][25][26] The final plan which only granted $9.5 million to the developer was announced at a Jack Johnson concert on June 5, 2014, removing a major development restriction.[27]

Virgin Mobile's FreeFest was hosted at Merriweather Post Pavilion for five years, from 2009 to 2013. Each festival was free to attend contingent on attendees completing charitable tasks in their community. VIP tickets were also available to purchase, with proceeds donated to the RE*Generation House homeless youth shelter in Washington, D.C. An estimated 50,000 people attended each year, which included guest appearances by Virgin's CEO, Sir Richard Branson, and such acts as Jack White, LCD Soundystem, Pavement, The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, M83, TV on the Radio, MGMT, and St. Vincent.[28][29]

The majority of the wooded and open field land surrounding Symphony Woods and Merriweather served as a park, festival site, event parking, and site of yearly Symphony of Lights Christmas light displays. As part of the redevelopment initiative, the owner Howard Hughes Corp rezoned the land for a project called the "Crescent", which would relocate the Banneker fire department, redevelop the area into 2,100 homes and 1,125,000 square feet (104,500 m2) of general and medical office space, in 20-story-high buildings.[30] The Crescent project gets its name from the shape of the work area surrounding the pavilion, as well as Rouse's (Howard Hughes') partnership with Crescent Real Estate Equities on its Woodlands development.[31]

In August 2014, the site made national news when two patrons died and twenty others were hospitalized from drug overdoses after a Mad Decent concert. Venues across the country implemented stricter drug enforcement controls after the incident.[32]

Merriweather Post draws a regional traffic base with 90% of concert attendees traveling from outside of Howard County.[33]

In 2015, the Howard County Planning Board approved a submission by Brian Spencer, a registered lobbyist and project manager by Howard Hughes. The $8.4 million design by Jamie Pett (JP2 architects) includes renovation with new concession stands around the 9:32 club and replacement of the condemned restrooms.[34]

On November 30, 2016, The Howard Hughes Corporation transferred ownership of Merriweather Post Pavilion and Symphony Woods to the Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission, a nonprofit organization helmed by "Save Merriweather" co-founder Ian Kennedy. At the official ceremony, Kennedy shaved the beard he had been growing for 13 years, since the beginning of the campaign in 2003.[21]

2017 marked Merriweather Post Pavilion's 50th season, celebrated in part by I.M.P.'s signing of a new 40-Year lease to continue operating Merriweather through 2057. The celebration continued with the completion of $55 Million of renovations creating 15,000 square feet of dressing rooms and backstage areas including a swimming pool and dining room. The renovations also include the expansion of the stage house in preparation for raising the pavilion's famed roof, the installation of a turntable inset in the stage, and new bathrooms and concessions for patrons, as well as a new VIP rooftop bar.[35]

In honor of its illustrious history, legendary artists from Paul Simon and Sarah McLachlan to Santana returned to the Merriweather stage in 2017, including an Anniversary show featuring Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Father John Misty, and Grace Potter.[13]

Early in the morning on January 13, 2018, the roof overhanging the reserved seating at the venue suffered a total failure and collapsed. It was in the final stages of a five-month project to raise the structure by 20 feet (6.1 m) to improve sight lines for patrons on the lawn. Management quickly issued a statement indicating that the roof would be replaced, and that the venue would open as scheduled for its 2018 concert season.[36]

Photos

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Merriweather Post Pavillion from the lawn.
 
Merriweather lawn after 2018 renovations
 
Pavillion after 2018 renovation, from the Skybar
 
Pavillion after 2018 renovation, from the Skylawn
 
Merch desks after renovation
 
Restroom barn
 
Renovated food and drink stands
 
Renovated food and drink stands and Skylawn
 
Merriweather at night after 2018 renovations
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Events

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List of Events

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Merriweather Post Pavilion" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  2. ^ Waddell, Ray (October 13, 2010). "Bon Jovi, U2, Lady Gaga, AC/DC Among Billboard Touring Awards Finalists". Billboard.
  3. ^ "The Best Amphitheaters in America: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  4. ^ "The 100 Greatest American Music Venues: A first-class, front-row ticket to this country's most vital concert halls". Consequence of Sound. April 29, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  5. ^ Baltimore: 81. September 2005. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[full citation needed]
  6. ^ a b "About Us". Merriweather Post Pavilion. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  7. ^ "Merriweather feels pangs of middle age". The Baltimore Sun. October 20, 1997. Archived from the original on July 18, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  8. ^ "This Day in History: July 14". Retro Baltimore by The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  9. ^ "Symphony Gala Ends as Okefenokee of the arts". The New York Times. July 18, 1967.
  10. ^ "Speech Set By McCarthy At Columbia". The Washington Post. July 11, 1968. ProQuest 143459937.
  11. ^ Jay, Peter A. (June 28, 1968). "Wallace Hits Riots, Dubs D.C. a Jungle: Wallace Raps Crime, Riots, Calls Washington a 'Jungle'". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ Scalera, Nick (November 15, 2012). "Merriweather Post's Legendary Double Bill". Boundary Stones: WETA's Washington DC History Blog. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Greenberg, Rudi. "Merriweather Post Pavilion at 50: Why the outdoor venue feels like home for artists and fans". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  14. ^ Vest, Louise (August 4, 2015). "Steppenwolf causes Merriweather to reconsider rock concerts – History Matters". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  15. ^ "New Managers At Pavilion". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  16. ^ Clark, Micheal J. (January 5, 1972). "Bill would let Howard cancel concert of 3,000-plus if violence is feared". The Baltimore Sun. p. 1.
  17. ^ Zito, Tom (January 31, 1974). "Post Pavilion Rock Ban: Pavilion, Rock Ban". The Washington Post.
  18. ^ Newby, Tim (October 25, 2005). "Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD". Glide Magazine. Archived from the original on July 22, 2010.
  19. ^ Clark Jr., James A. (1999). Jim Clark: Soldier, Farmer, Legislator — A Memoir. Gateway Press. p. 118.
  20. ^ Neal, Jill Hudson (March 23, 1999). "Merriweather concert lease goes to SFX". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  21. ^ a b Waseem, Fatimah (December 1, 2016). "With transfer of ownership, Merriweather Post Pavilion eyes new future". Columbia Flier. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  22. ^ Craig, Tim (October 15, 2003). "Merriweather Post Pavilion Gets New Promoter". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  23. ^ Cadiz, Laura. "Howard pavilion to stay open air". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  24. ^ Yeager, Amanda (May 7, 2014). "Merriweather discussions continue as pre-filed bill put on hold". The Baltimore Sun.
  25. ^ McPherson, Lindsey (March 30, 2012). "Ulman's $175 million capital budget focuses on schools, roadways". ExploreHoward.
  26. ^ "General Plan Amendment on Downtown Columbia". Retrieved June 1, 2014.[dead link]
  27. ^ Lavoie, Luke (June 5, 2014). "Merriweather renovation plans revealed before Jack Johnson concert". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  28. ^ "R.I.P. Virgin Mobile FreeFest". Consequence of Sound. July 30, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  29. ^ Ramanathan, Lavanya (July 29, 2014). "Virgin Mobile FreeFest will not return in 2014". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  30. ^ Lavoie, Luke (March 19, 2014). "Urban streetscape planned for downtown Columbia's crescent". The Baltimore Sun.
  31. ^ "Crescent Real Estate Equities Co – '10-Q/A' for 9/30/97". SECinfo.com. Fran Finnegan & Company. December 5, 1997. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  32. ^ "Strict drug safety measures at Mad Decent Block Party event in Brooklyn". WNYW News. August 9, 2014. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  33. ^ Mitchell, Joseph Rocco; Stebenne, David L. (2007). New City Upon a Hill: A History of Columbia, Maryland. History Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-5962-9067-9.
  34. ^ Lavoie, Luke (January 28, 2015). "Merriweather Renovations Poised to Start". The Columbia Flier. p. 10.
  35. ^ "I.M.P. Signs 40-Year Lease To Operate Merriweather Post Pavilion Amidst $55 Mil Renovation". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  36. ^ "Merriweather Post Pavilion Roof Collapses Early Saturday Morning". TicketNews. January 14, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  37. ^ "O.A.R Presents Live from Merriweather Post Pavilion". Live O.A.R. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  38. ^ "Easter@Merriweather". Bridgeway Community Church. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  39. ^ Blue, Jeannie (May 12, 2017). "M3 Festival Brings Party To Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia, MD 4-29-17". CrypticRock. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  40. ^ DeMetrick, Alex (July 14, 2017). "Merriweather Post Pavilion Celebrates 50th Birthday With A Face-lift". WJZ News. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  41. ^ Frank, Noah (July 18, 2017). "Beyond 'Feel Good,' Gorillaz bring energy, showmanship to Merriweather". WTOP. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  42. ^ Rowell, Griffin (July 24, 2017). "Fleet Foxes and Animal Collective to perform joint show Saturday". The Eagle. Washington, D.C. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
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