Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
Category: Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: Near Southside1300 S Linn White Drive
Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 540-2668
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage, Private Lot
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Music: Live, Music Videos
- Best Nights: Fri, Sat, Sun
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: Yes
- Coat Check: No
21 Reviews for Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
I'm not going to sound redundant, but it is the best place to watch a concert. The stage is somewhat small, but it makes for a more intimate concert experience since the acts will be so close to you.
I just got done watching an awesome show here (Drop Kick Murphy's!) and it was my first time here. I was reluctant to come here, as I was turned off for a couple of reasons...one being it was outside in the middle of summer. I guess we got lucky as it turned out being an awesome night, with no rain!
I feel as though there is a ton of room (we had general admission and there was plenty of room between the mosh pit and me--let's face it, I'm not 16 anymore!) on the floor, and there was a seating area as well. This venue is well run on both the concession side of it, as well as security.
I will be back to see another show soon!
FYI--parking is 20 bucks in the lot near the pavillion.
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DropKick Murphy's and Mighty Mighty Bosstones are LOUD.
The first band Civet was hard to understand but I would love to buy them a beer
The outdoor venue is great for smaller shows and open seating is a great concept. The drinks were over-priced and the food was terrible.
Other than house of blues, why can't a concert venue ever think outside the box. They should cut the staff in half to drop their overhead. Then, do premium appetizers and real mixed drinks.
The stage is poorly constructed. You could see trucks and other crap behind the performers. Spend some money and build a real closed off stage. I think this place has great potential, but need too spend some money before they can get five stars from me.
What better wat to spend seeing your favorite rock show or hip show than on a warm summer night with Chicago's gorgeous skyline in the background??
I'm not a fan of the security, but I've been lucky enough to sit in VIP almost every show I've seen there. If you pay 10 bucks, you get to be a part of their dinner buffet and it's well worth it. the VIP tent itself turns into a bar/club type thing once the show is over and stays open til 1.
Not a bad seat in the house...
Favorite shows by far:
Common
Black Eyed Peas with Rhianna
Chicago/America
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Wonder
Angels & Airwaves
John Fogerty/Willie Nelson
The Green Tie Ball
John Mayer (It was that good)
I even sat through Fall Out Boy and the atmosphere was so great, I STILL had a great time!
Here's a little secret...
If you park in Soldier Field's garage, just tell the parking attendants that your tickets are at will call. They wave you through. Never once have I paid for parking while enjoying a show at this venue... walk the mile to the entrance from there or pick up the free trolley and they'll drop you off right in front.
Better than any outdoor venue next to the Pitzer Pavilion...
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I really really like this venue!! It's kind of a hidden special spot.
I've been for 2 concerts: Jack Johnson, and Stevie Nicks (last night...AMAZING!!!). The view of the city, I love it! It really makes you realize there is no reason to see a concert in doors, unless it's December and snowing.
My only complaints are stating the obvious. $9 for a glass of wine, $10 for a beer, $7 bottle of Corona...yikes!!! I wish they had more of a beer selection, if you're not into mass produced beer (ex. Budweiser) your SOL (note to self, bring a flask next visit) And last night the big screens went out half way through the show...that was a little disappointing.
All of the workers very friendly. Location is fairly easy to get to using the train (Roosevelt stop and a 10-15 minute walk, which is scenic and enjoyable!!)
Look forward to going back.
This is my numero uno favorite outdoor venue in the Chicagoland area. I've seen everyone from Snoop Dogg to Guster here, and I adore this place. You can see from pretty much anywhere, and I've gone from seats to stands to "floor". The lighting makes for some pretty cool effects and whoever runs it is kind of awesome. The sound is excellent.
The food and booze is expensive but it will be anywhere you choose to go to a concert, and I've gotten food in there with no problem. I'd park by Soldier Field; they have a trolley that takes you to Charter One and the drivers of the trolleys are funny dudes usually.
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We had a great time going to a concert here. Nice facility. Nice view. We would definitely go back.
Parking was easy and convenient. Getting there was easy. The concessions were of course a rip off.
If it might rain do remember to bring your own poncho. It rained the evening we were there and while they handed out ponchos people grabbed several extras. There were people infront of us that had 2 or 3 ponchos per person... So make sure to have one with you.
But it was a fun atmosphere, great view of the stage and the city, and easy parking. Definitely a nice option for outdoor music in the city.
We recently saw the Beastie Boys here and had a great time. GREAT sound system, not a bad seat (or standing area) in the house. Of course typical rip off beers. Parking was a quick exit, so quick that we were at a bar afterwards within 30mins of concert end. I would definitely come here again to see a concert.
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What a great venue! I honestly don't think there is a bad seat, not to mention, in addition to the stage view, you get a nice view of downtown's skyline.
Didn't buy anything here so I can't comment on prices but there are plenty of concession stands everywhere.
And I have to give major kudos to the parking and traffic attendants. I thought it would take at least 20 minutes to get out of there, but they were so wonderful at directing everyone that we were on LSD in minutes.
My only complaint and it's not their fault, with being so close to the lake, if you are seeing a show in the evening, be prepared for all the bugs!
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I saw a show at the Charter One Pavilion for the first time the summer. Like others had said, no matter where you stand you do not have a problem seeing the stage. They also have tickets with seats if you do not prefer standing. It was a beautiful day when I was at charter one, but obviously I think if it would of rain my opinion about it would been quite different. (My tickets had said rain or shine, so I'm assuming if the weather is bad, then you should expect to standing in the rain). Prices for food and drinks were average compared to other venues, although the beers here seemed much larger in size ;). One other aspect of the Pavilion that I liked was that the sound systems was awesome for being outside. So overall I'm excited to see another show here, hopefully that will be soon =)
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This place could be so much more.. It's an asphalt jungle... The middle area is literally like an asphalt parking lot with lines painted for where you need to stand. Behind that are temporary risers... It's sitting ON the lake, yet you can't see the lake at all ?? and really you don't see the skyline... why do they need to use such prime real estate to have concerts, but it's somehow not even pretty? At least give us something that made it worth robbing Chicago of an airport!
They have a bar area but they were lame with the drinks... for $10 or $12 a drink (or whatever it was) you could only order certain mixed drinks, even if it were possible for them to make them. Then later in the night they ran out of any sort of item normally used as a mixer, and started trying to make things like Sierra mist and vodka. oohh, tasty. I suppose this could vary a bit by whatever concert they're hosting too.
I wasn't sure what to expect for an outdoor venue, but was pleasantly surprised by our seats. I like places where the seats are raised high enough from the row below that you can see over people's head and have a great view. So, any seat is a great seat. Unfortunately it was a little chilly out, but we came prepared with hoodies and blankets. Also there were some little bugs since we were near the lake. We were near some teenage girls who were annoying as crap, but what can you expect?! They seem to have quite a few concessions here, and a decent amount of bathrooms. What's even nicer about this being outdoors is that people that are near the lake can probably hear the music and concerts if they sat out in the grass or on the beach. With a beautiful cityview and the stars and great music, it's a memorable place to be!
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This venue is really cool. The location is definitely amazing being on the lake with the city view, but what really surprised me was the ease of getting around. Crowd management was wonderful! No long line to get in, no lines at concessions, and very short lines at the restrooms. And there were a lot of people there! It also seemed that there would be a great view from all of the seats.
Only complaint- beer prices. Though I didn't mind that much since I got in with comp tickets, so I happily spent $80 on eight beers. But any other time- not so good.
It does not get any better than this venue, which is simply slammin' when someone good is on stage. I've seen Jack Johnson/Jimmy Buffet and just saw 311 at this spot off the lake. The sound surrounds you like you wouldn't believe; with the great Lake Michigan behind you one would think sound would get lost; not the case at this island. The sync of everyone jumping up and down to 311 could have easlily been used in a music video; I hope someone got it on tape; plus I haven't sweat my ass off like that since......well I'll keep that to myself.
Get tickets now before summer ends; otherwise I'll see you there next year; remember, this place only held 5,000 and its not up to 10,000 I believe-Miggs Field who???
Great f-ing time. I saw Fall Out Boy here last night. and it was a great time. Surprisingly, it was mostly an older crowd. As this is definitely a pop band, I was expecting hordes of teeny boppers. The parking was free with your ticket stub, so that is awesome. The sound was amazing. Overall great time. They have a great line-up this summer, and I am for sure going back! Food and bevs. pricey, but that is to be expected at this type of event.
This place is incredible. The background of the city on one side, and lake Michigan on the other. The sound is amazing. I saw Mike and the Italians there summer 2006 and had a blast. Rumor has it that from the beach you can see the screens and hear the music clearly ta boot. Best outdoor music venue in Chicago by a long shot.
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Great summer venue if the weathers nice. Great layout and great sound. Cool chicago skyline in the background. The bathrooms are well kept in the trailer. The price of beer is just insane at $10. you can get a great view of the stage no matter where you are. I hope this does stay and doesn't get torn down for the olympics.
I went to see Ben Harper here, and even though he is my most favorite artist, the venue was small, cozy and just lovely. The beer was, like any other place in chitown, is overprized. However, I loved moving my way to the front row and the very clean restrooms.
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Great idea to put this venue here. I have seen two shows here - Pure Future and the Black Eyed Peas. The venue is set up well and is extremely well run. The sound system is one of the better outdoor sound systems I have heard and you really couldn't have a much prettier spot in the city to go see these kind of concerts. Not to mention, the bathrooms are ridiculously nice for an outdoor venue. Lower the price of the beer a little and this place would be the perfect place to go see a concert.
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I saw John Mayer last weekend, and concert venues don't get much better than Northerly Island! We had seats in the middle, but I really don't think there were bad seats - it was very intimate for a concert venue. The setting was perfect: It was a warm summer evening with the lake behind us, watching the sunset with the city as a backdrop...and seeing Johnny Boy wasn't bad either! (He was outstanding, if you enjoy his music, you MUST hear him live. ) After a few beers, I truly felt like my body was in a wonderland. :)
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saw Tom Petty/The Strokes here, and DJ Tiesto and Deep Dish, oh ya Jack Johnson too, pretty dope venue, wish you could see more of the city skyline in the background.
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