Park amphitheaters

There are a number of parks that have on-site or adjacent amphitheaters that share the parking lot. The Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, for instance, attracts plenty of big-time summer concerts. I attended one a few years ago, and while attendees could enter the amphitheater from the lot, I waited in a huge line to enter from inside Darien Lake. The place was packed, the venue was fine, and the overall arrangement seemed to cross-pollinate the park & entire grounds in a positive, complementary way. Master of extra service fees, Live Nation, isn't going to win humanitarian awards as the venue operator, but I'll hand it to them -- large shows come to town.

While Darien Lake is pulling it off, other parks have dated amphitheaters and poor booking prowess, seemingly stuck with county fair classic rock or local acts. Some theaters occasionally see life with entertainment shows, but are still underutilized. Worse yet, some just sit in dormant limbo altogether. I’m impressed by the size of the outdoor amphitheaters at the former Paramount parks, for example, but “going to waste” is the phrase that next comes to mind. A venue look-up on Setlist.fm shows that Carowind’s Paladium is far past its concert-hosting heyday. Although it’s a separate business, I wonder if some parks wish that they had sought more collaborative involvement with concert venue managers and planners in the 90s. Instead, lots of new venues popped up in other locations, while some park amphitheaters that can seat thousands stand like ghost towns.

Does anyone have any good concert memories at amusement parks? How can parks attract better shows? Would you like to see some of the older park amphitheaters get refurbished or torn down?

A fun night at Darien Lake