A Review of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte, North Carolina

The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte is one of a handful of outdoor concert venues in North Carolina. Located conveniently near I-85 and having a seating capacity of 18,500, it draws many well-known performers like Alan Jackson, The Dave Matthews Band, Incubus and Mötley Crüe. However, despite its popularity, it is a sub-par venue. From poor parking arrangements to outrageously overpriced concessions, there are many detracting aspects of this amphitheater.

Parking is divided into the haves and have-nots. If you are willing to pay an extra $20, you can park in the paved, decently-lit parking lot immediately outside the amphitheater. If not, you are relegated to a poorly-lit grass field across the street. The staff directs you to a spot and cars are packed like sardines in a can. Despite the fact that many concert-goers tailgate in the grass lot, there are no portable toilets in sight. If you are not familiar with the layout of the area, it can be confusing finding your way to the venue. There is no traffic control and pedestrians are left to dodge cars while trying to cross the street. While this is not a major problem before a show, it could be deadly after a show. For such a high-traffic area, the street lighting is pitiful, and seeing pedestrians in the road is very difficult. Sadly, more than a few concert-goers become intoxicated and decide to drive home. Alcohol impairment and poor visibility is a recipe for tragedy. In an attempt to ease traffic jams, three of the four lanes on the road are dedicated to exiting traffic. It is smooth traveling from there, but getting there is another matter. There is no traffic control in the lots, so you have to either push your way into line or hope for a kind stranger to let you in.

Upon approaching the main entrance, you are subject to a pocket and bag search. While it seems like a good idea for the safety of the concert goers and the integrity of the musicians' performance, the staff is fairly lax. In most cases all you have to do is state what is in your pockets or bag and you are waved through. After the search, you walk to the entrances and the line moves quickly because tickets have bar codes that are scanned. More venues should use this scanning technology. It would be a money saver for them because most people print the tickets at home yet are still charged typical fees. Because people print their tickets at home, it would be nice to see paper recycling bins so they could recycle all or part of their tickets inside.

Once inside the venue, you have the option of walking up large flights of stairs to go into the amphitheater or you can walk a curved path in either direction where concessions are sold and organizations set up petition booths. A small building near the main gate has free water, sunscreen, bug spray and ear plugs. Having these free things is a nice gesture that is not always found at other outdoor venues. Unfortunately, this is the only true positive found here.

Walking either left or right will eventually take you to large concession areas and the bathrooms. For a potential crowd of 18,500, the bathroom facilities are sorely lacking. Few doors in the women's bathrooms lock, so you are left with the choice of waiting a long time for a locking stall or enduring an uncomfortable trip to the bathroom while you try to do your business as you hold the door closed.

Like any facility that has you trapped and does not allow outside food or drink, the price of concessions is outrageous. A 24-ounce can of beer costs $11! There is a decent selection of food, but nothing particularly healthy. Unbelievably, all concession stands are closed by the time a show is over. Of course there needs to be a last call for alcohol, but it is ridiculous that you cannot buy even a bottle of water after a concert! Not only is it poor customer service, but it is also a poor business move; the potential profits from drink sales after a summer concert in the North Carolina heat is enormous.

Finding your seating area can be confusing the first time you visit. For instance, the sign directing people to Sections 1 and 2 points left or right instead of up the stairs, which is where you really need to go. If you follow the arrows, the next sign will not have any mention of Sections 1 and 2. Once you climb the stairs, you come to the lawn and finding your way to the seats is tricky. It is easier to access the seats near the concession stands and bathrooms, but the signs do not indicate that. There are also no signs indicating where disabled patrons should go. The lawn area is somewhat steep, and could be dangerous if the grass is wet.

The design of the seated areas is puzzling as not all seats are covered by the roof. Why would a venue not cover all of the seats? Concert goers who pay more for a seat should be protected from the elements. It also makes no sense that outdoor amphitheaters would not have fans to circulate the hot, stale air that builds up. Disappointingly, the front row of seats is on the same level as the pit, so your view could be just as obscured as if you were standing in the pit. To access the pit, you have to show your ticket and staff puts a bracelet on your wrist. But unlike other venues, people are not asked to surrender their tickets to prevent others from gaining access. There are two large screens on either side of the stage so people further back can see, but the image is very faint while the sun is up. The sound travels well, and is easily heard from the grass parking lot.

After the concert ends, people are herded out of the seating area and a bottleneck ensues. It can take quite some time to make it out into an open area. Once you do, of course you can't buy any food or drinks and the inadequate number of bathroom facilities means long waits. It is another slow process to make it to the gates to exit. You are immediately accosted by men selling t-shirts as soon as you are outside the gates. It would be nice if they were prevented from selling their shirts on the property because they are too persistent. Even more men stand in the middle of the road in the dark trying to sell shirts to people stopped in traffic. It is only a matter of time before one gets hit because they are almost invisible.

One final disappointing aspect of the venue is the commercialness of it. Unfortunately it is becoming the rule rather than the exception but having a Verizon Wireless store inside is pushing the limits of tackiness. You are constantly reminded of the owner because you cannot turn around without seeing something with the Verizon logo on it, or something trying to sell you Verizon products.

Overall, the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte is a mediocre concert venue. There are many areas that need improvement and very few that do not. With some alterations, it could be an excellent place to see your favorite bands.