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Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk
Rating Details »
Categories: Performing Arts, Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: Universal City100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
(818) 622-4440
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Wed, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
57 reviews for Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk
I came here last night for a concert with my mom, sis, and a friend. My mom's disabled so they bumped us to preferred parking after paying the $12 general parking charge. We came pretty early arriving at 6.45 for an 8pm show. It's a bit of a walk but we still got inside pretty fast b/c most people arrive later. I wish they had better signage for finding seats but otherwise it was great. Plenty of restrooms, roomy comfortable seats, clean venue, and even the snacks we bought were good and not stale.
However they are not the most differently abled friendly. there is one elevator lift and a woman waiting before us was told it's 10 minutes to get her up and down, also they wheeled her to the steps and a staffer helped to have her carried down some steps to get to her seat. This didn't seem right, the woman was a senior. other places I've gone roll you to a wheelchair access point and provide a chair for you companion to sit with you. Also my mom was not offered assistance, it seems you reall have to ask for help here if you're going to get it. Luckily my mom's a trooper so with some time and assistance she'll do it on her own.
We were in the mezzanine section ($25 each-$32 w/ service charge) and can safely say there isn't a bad seat in the house!
We purchased tacos at Pedro's Cafe - a makeshift stall right outside and they were yummy. I don't know if they're always there but the handmade tortillas make these a must!
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I was recently stuck in the area on business and noted a convenient concert opportunity within walking distance of our hotel: Pearl Jam on the final night of their 'residence' @ the Gibson Amphitheatre. Score!
While I wasn't too thrilled about having seats third row from the top, it turns out you cannot go wrong, no matter where you end up seated, the occasional odd crowd member notwithstanding. The sound was impressive for the type of venue. Drinks and other refreshments all over the place, and priced as you would expect at a concert venue.
If I found myself required to be in the area again, I would hope to be so lucky as to have one of my faves show up for a concert at Gibson Amphitheatre. Minus one star for not being located in Northern California, where it should be.
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As one of the larger venues in Los Angeles, I think the Gibson is a really great place to watch shows. It's a shame most of the bands I like don't even play here and go for the Greek Theater, Forum, or Nokia Theater instead. Maybe it's too expensive to play here? I dunno.
Last time I was here was for KROQ's Acoustic Christmas of 2008. I had loge seats that weren't as close as I'd like, but when you're at the gibson, there's no bad seat at all in loge. The sound is great and the view is still decent. Orchestra, of course, is still the best spot to sit there, and if you get pit tickets, even better. Their pit is fairly large though. Maybe 3 times the size of the Greek Theater's, I think.
Food's good here. I know you end up spending $10 or so, but it's huge portions. I've gotten the chicken tenders and fries and it's always way more than I need. Or you can always eat at Citywalk before getting there.
Security check is a breeze, they don't pat you down or anything, just a quick glance through your bag. I've been able to bring my camera easily in this place.
Parking sucks. You have to park at Citywalk's lot and I think it's $10 or you have the $20 "Preferred" option that's a little bit closer. The $10 one is a farther walk.
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The first time I was here was for the Movie premiere of Bruce all Mighty. Then the other few times was for concerts. I really enjoyed this theater and stage. I've sat from all the way at the end, all the way to the sides and also right smack in the middle! There is practically no wrong seatings. I believe all seatings have a great view of the stage!
Sounds were awsome! The only thing I have to complain about is the parking. Long walk! You have to park somewhere on the City walk side and walk all the way to the front and then another long walk to the theater.
Long story short, saw Silversun Pickups at Gibson Amphitheater; great show, neat theater. Parking was $14-$25, same for car AND motorcycle, which is absurd. And Live Nation put ON THE TICKETS that the show was at 3pm (when it wasn't till 7) so we spent 9 hours there because the hour and a half commute home simply didn't make sense.
Sound at the venue was decent, sit by the mixing engineer if possible, but I probably won't attend Universal City Walk ever again and I am left extremely reluctant to buy tickets through Live Nation...
One of the best places to see a show in LA. Not a bad seat in the house and amazing acoustics. I came here for a No Doubt concert and it did not disappoint.
There's not a bad seat in the house, that's for sure! When we arrived, we grabbed a seat all the way in the back, the row of uncharted waters, apparently. It was great.
Once Steely Dan came on, we found our purchased seats and made our way forward, forging the crowd of undoubtedly drugged, drunk and animated Steely supporters.
The sound was great, the parking wasn't bad at all (if you pay the $20, you can park in the "Preferred" parking lot- the Frankenstein lot- and you're just moments away from the theater.
I really enjoyed this Steely Dan show, there have been others- such as the one at the Disney Concert Hall- that weren't nearly as laid back.
I will definitely be making a return visit soon.
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I really enjoy this venue.
When at the Gibson, you'll be hard pressed to find a bad seat. I've been in the front of the house as well as the back and have no compalints about either.
The sound quality is great and the facilities are clean and well organized.
My only complaint is the long walk to the venue from the parking structure, so be prepared to take a 10 mintue walk if you don't wanna pay $20 for parking.
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F you, Live Nation.
Now that we've got that out the way...
Wow. I caught Steely Dan here over the weekend and had my mind completely blown. What a performance! I'm more than sure Steely Dan has their own FOH crew, but even so the sound in this venue is fucking awesome. Talk about pristine clarity from practically any seat in the place! Not to mention the cool visual effects, lighting and crisp high end that creates an entire experience. So many venues are lacking that high end clarity, but the Gibson's sound was so incredibly rich, it was like listening to a high fidelity recording. As much as I hate the axis of evil that is LiveNation, I will definitely be back to this venue.
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There are not too many times that I will go up to LA to see a show, but my boyfriend was insistent on seeing the Steely Dan Tour here just last weekend.
This venue is part of the Live Nation land, so we were able to get our tickets presale with a code, and ended up with really great seats for the 2 nights that we went. Any seat actually seemed like a good seat in this one!
The sound was amazing- the security was very relaxed, and we just had a great time during the nights that we went to see a show there. Concession prices were a little high but that is what we expected for a venue part of City Walk.
Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to grab something to eat before the show in the restaurants there. There is always a wait and you don't want to miss any of the show- right?/
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Quick & Dirty: A nice, decent, indoor amphitheater with good acoustics. Parking was relatively easy too.
Long & INDOOR:
The Gibson (aka Universal) Amphitheater isn't half bad but it's not all good either.
The one thing that I need to remember about this place is that it's a good venue in the winter because it's completely covered. That's great... in the winter. In the summer, it sucks.
I went to see No Doubt here last week and had that "DUH!" moment as soon as I got there. I was soooo excited to see the band that I totally disregarded the venue I saw them at when purchasing tickets.
It was a beautiful, nice, warm summer night and here we were INSIDE??? What a bunch of MAROONS!!!!
The Gibson does have plenty of beer stands, bars, margarita stands, concessions, etc. There are relatively small lines also considering how many people this place can fit. There are also no obstructed views at this place at all, so any seat is a safe bet.
At the concessions, (if you haven't eaten by the time you got there) do yourself a favor and order the chicken fingers with a side of NACHO CHEESE!!! Yay! Everything is better with NACHO CHEESE!!!!
Nacho Cheese? Sure... suddenly I don't care if this place is covered.
Nacho Cheese? Yes... what world hunger and global warming?
Nacho Cheese? Okay... sure, you can have my feet. Just leave my hands so I can eat more NACHO CHEESE!!!!
Oh yeah, No Doubt was good too.
So remember kids, if it's summer go OUTSIDE and see your favorite band. At least until they take the roof off this place.
Later,
Sam
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Great small venue (about 6200) to see some excellent bands!
It's my fourth show here, having been to some KROQ festivals here in the past and, my most recent show, watching The Sounds, Paramore, and No Doubt tear up the stage.
There are drink and food vendors everywhere and the prices, while obviously expensive, aren't exorbitant. I also appreciated how, when waiting in line to get a beer, a worker pointed out to us another nearby bar that had no line. Speaking of lines, ugh, the bathroom line is always too long!
Seats are comfy, cupholders are convenient, and they keep it pretty cool inside so while you're rocking out, you don't get too sweaty. Now, how can I get in the pit next time???
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I love coming to this place for concerts. I have been to many places but this place by far gives the best experience. There is no such thing as a bad seat at this house, If you get a chance to see someone here do it, you will love.
I have seen Vicente Fernandez, Mana, and Bill Maher and they were all great. of course chente killed it as I knew he would, the best concert EVER!!!
I am going once again this November to see Chente again, I cannot wait. Also it is in Universal City walk so there is plenty to do, eat, shop browse, have a little sip of some alcohol, yup yup. I love coming here.
I've seen 4-5 shows @ the Gibson Amphitheater and I can finally own the fact that I like this place.
Why the hesitation: First off it is located inside Universal City walk. I am not a fan of this tourist attraction with chain restaurants, lots of folks size 16 and up(nothing wrong with it if you are a healthy plus size but if it's from a poor diet it can be depressing... especially when you see 15 year old kids 50-60 lbs over weight) and retail shops with a bunch of LA trinkets.
But once inside the Theater- I am always happy. It is small and I've yet to have a bad seat. Acoustic and video production is good. And parking is never as bad I anticipate. I suggest preferred parking @ $25.00. Valet is ok- if you have patience, just a little and you will be ok. Regular parking is fine if you don't mind a 15 minute walk or hoping on a shuttle to access the theater/Universal city walk.
Drink selection is ok and food is your typical junky funky- overpriced options: chicken fingers, pizza hut, dogs and nachos...
But the sound, comfort of seats, security, ease of in and out is Solid. I will no longer sigh in contemplation but just buy my tickets.
Go.
I Loves me some live music like a fat kid loves cake.
Strangely enough, the wife and I saw a comedy show here last week with the likes of Patton Oswalt, Joe Rogan, Craig Robinson, Sarah Silverman and the standout of the night....Ray Romano! seriously! I normally can't really stomach his show or him for that matter....but his standup is hilarious....yeah I know....I'm getting old.....ha.
This place has a lot of "firsts" for me....first time I saw Weezer, Coldplay, Korn, Snow Patrol, Linkin Park and No Doubt was at the "Universal"....ONLY time I saw At the Drive in before it died/morphed into The Mars Volta... Also the first and only time a buddy came with me to see In Flames, Soulfly and Slayer....he was a FORMER preacher....but maybe he got a little freaked out nonetheless...he's got a wife and lives in Singapore now but that's besides the point and I don't think it's ALL Slayer's fault. =)
Standard parking here is $10, there's not a bad seat in the house (I'm lucky enough to have been down in the pit, orchestra, loge and up in the mezzanine for shows...sound is always great!) Like any venue...concession prices suck.... $13 for a 20oz beer!! yikes. $7 nachos! yuck. Highlight of this venue? the rotating stage of course!
I'll never forget the time we saw Weezer here and the mosh pit broke out during Say it Ain't So and Buddy Holly...it was the funniest/happiest pit I'd ever been a part of...as opposed to the hairy, sweaty, 300lb dude with tattoos ready to punch you in the chest while Kerry King shreds your face off during Raining Blood http://static.px.yelp.... .....and strangely enough...on both occasions...I could not have had more fun.
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I've been to the Gibson Amphitheatre twice, which is located within CityWalk. The first time I went was for a movie premiere, and it was a good experience. On my most recent visit, it was to watch Chris Rock perform. Though these weren't concerts, I felt the sound systems were good.
The seats were comfortable enough though it did get a tad hot in there at times. Getting concessions before the show was quick and easy. How easy is it to get the concessions during the intermission? Forget about it.
Overall, it was a good theater, and I would go back if the performance interested me.
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Was at the Gibson last night for John Legend! Amazing, amazing, show. That man is seriously talented!
Although the crowd was large, the sea of people rolled in like waves, so it was relatively easy to get pass the security gate and into the venue.
There were a few food and drink areas throughout the entrance, conveniently close to the stairs leading up to the mezzanine level. They accept credit cards, so don't get suckered in to using the ATM's! I also noticed this cool touch screen "self-serve" thingy where you can place your order, pay for it, and all you have to do is get it at the pick up window.
The place is clean and safe. It was a tad steamy walking through the area outside of the ampitheatre, but once we found our seats inside, it was climate controlled comfy.
We sat in Row C, mezzanine level and had nice seats at the end of the aisle. The BF had all this leg room to his right, and it was a breeze for us to get up for a bar run without having to do the movie theatre apologetic shimmy past seated neighbors (seats 127-128 row C I believe are the exact ones!). We weren't dead center, but more like center, right. You still have a decent view of the stage and performers, they don't look like a speck or anything. But if you don't have good eyes, there are always the two big screens on either side of the stage to help you zoom in on the fun.
And while we're on the subject of the screens - Verizon runs random texts and pics that concert goers are encouraged to send to the email/text # on the screen as a way to kill time while waiting for the main act. I sent a pic of my dog and saw him on the big screen twice. I was all giddy to give my dog his 15 minutes of fame. It was awesome, lol!
Overall a great experience; I'd come here for another concert.
PS: Here's an inside tip: If you are a local resident within a 1-mile radius of Universal Studios (proven by your address), you can sign up for their parking program that provides you with a book of free parking permits. Ask the guys at valet at the main parking complex for the # to call.
I get them yearly and use them anytime we visit any of the venues within Universal Studios (the park, citywalk, and last nights visit to Gibson). Parking is crazy expensive, but since we get it free it allows us to eat at the citywalk restaurants without the added expense.
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went here for a lil wayne concert. concert was good. but the rating is for the venue.
seats are good no mattter where you sit in the venue.
the only negative is where are the ushers when the people around you are smoking cigarrettes and weed.
the person to the left of me was just lighting up a cig after another. and people behind me were lighting up and smoking weed. wheres the people to regulate.
kids and teenagers were present. helllo? do a better job!
and i didnt even get searched for the lil wayne concert. are they idiots. alot of others who looked suspicious just walked right past by. i walked through the metal detector and it went off. and without a search was able to keep on walking....idiots.
The gibson is the way to go when seeing a concert. I went to Kroq acoustic christmas 2007, and they had an excellent lineup which was great, but the acoustics inside are insanely good. Its not too big & not too small.
Parking is very close by.
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This is a surprisingly fun place. Very casual and laid back in my experience.
They allow in and outs. You can smoke outside and mingle with the hotties or just chill at your seat, People were standing in the isle and no one got shit for it. Although the artist I saw, DANZIG. First off Amazing 20th anv didn't want photos but that was him not them. The acoustics were great even for a three piece band like Danzig,it was tight.
Good sized place not a bad seat in the house.
City walk is always a good time...
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If you're gonna sell out your name, might as well sell it to something that is relevant to the venue (it's Gibson Guitars, right?).
Anyway, this is a good, not great, Amphitheater-sized venue in the heart of Universal City. All the KROQ X-Mas shows are here, and I saw the Smashing Pumpkins here back in '98, so I know how decent the place can be.
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Meh. I don't care much for this place.
It's too big, and the food is baseball-stadium-priced (overpriced for a bunch of trash.. you know what I mean).
I came here for KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas in 2004. It was a good show back then. Now, I'm not so sure about their line-ups.
About the Gibson... it's just too big (I know I said that already) to my liking. Also some of the guests were a bit rude.... both times that I have been here, actually. The second time I came to see Japanese rock band Dir en grey.
I guess the sound is great and all, but you don't have the same kind of audience interaction as you would in, for example, The Roxy (obviously very different) but the big stage does allow for the artists to add some cool decor to their act. I still remember to this day Jimmy Eat World's unforgettable Christmas set-up--what a great way to end a show!
Smartly enough, the Gibson is in Universal Citywalk, which is pretty nice to walk through after hours.
As mentioned before though, I'm not really a fan of amphitheatres or large venues, which is why I gave this 3 stars.
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The Universal Amphitheatre is a fantastic place to see a concert. The parking is easy to get in and out of and the seats are all good inside. Not really a bad seat inside from my point of view. Maybe it was because we got really good seats to see Neil Young, my favorite singer ever, that I have such positive feelings about this place.
Security wasn't as bad back then as it appears to be now and if you want to get in a camera or two I'm sure you can but why do people bring in cameras anyway? Have you ever seen a good concert picture using a disposable or cell phone camera? I have looked for them online and have never seen one yet.
So all in all I recommend this venue highly and if you get a chance to see your favorite artists while you are in LA, then pony up the cash, buy some ducats and have yourselves a great night out.
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Concert halls are much like vaginas in that the smaller they are the better they feel; the Gibson Amphitheater is about on scale with a whale's vajayjay. Now, I'm a rather large fellow *ahem* but it's hard to get in the mood and reach any sort of musical climax within these cavernous walls. I'd much prefer to catch a show in the tight confines of HOB or the intimate Temple Bar, but sadly more admired performers draw bigger crowds and require grander venues. Thus, if/when I come again for another session I'll be sure to splurge and blow my load on orchestra seats in order to get deeper into the action.
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I was an LA resident for a few years for school but never ventured out to the City Walk before until I revisited this past weekend.
The Amphitheatre itself seems to not quite fit the mold of what the City Walk is all about--which itself truly epitomizes all of Los Angeles--huge, overdone, built for the masses, and where everything you see is all "Hollywooded" out but certainly charming in a superficial way.
It probably had mostly to do with the 80s tribute concert that I went to, which was no more than 7.5% packed, but it was loud and energetic, full of people born before the 80s (unlike myself). Perhaps that's why this place had much more of a San Francisco hipster feel than a Los Angeles/Hollywood theater that's surrounded by props of King Kong and the Incredible Hulk.
Prices for seating went up to $70 or so, but our ~$20 seats provided us with a great view and didn't deter from the experience any, and I imagine no matter what kind of show you see here, no matter what kind of seats you get you will be satisfied.
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The Gibson Amphitheater is not my favorite venue. I went to KROQ's 2007 Almost Acoustic Christmas, Night 2 (aka best line up, EVER: Muse, Spoon, The Shins, Jimmy Eat World, Feist, Modest Mouse, The Killers Silversun Pickups).
On their website and on the ticket, they made a big deal of "NO DIGITAL CAMERAS" so I didn't bring a camera. When I went through security, they didn't even stop me or anyone else. The guards were just kicking back, not doing their job. I could've brought my f'ing digital camera, but no, I brought a stupid disposable one. The food SUCKS. The bathroom lines were so long. Inside the venue, there are no ushers to help you find your seats. because they're all hanging out in the hallway. The seats were uncomfortable and the rows were really narrow, but my seats were so kickass. But at this small of a venue, I imagine that all seats are pretty good.
Also, in between sets, it took them a really long time to set up, and it was very irritating.
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Gibson.
Sure, whatever you say, to me you will always be the Universal Amphitheater. You will always be the place where I saw my very first Rick Springfield concert. You will also always be the place that hosted Chicago, the GoGo's and several KROQ Acoustic Xmas' and for that I thank you.
Now that you have changed your name and you're all grows up n stuff, you are still trying to be the kind of venue you built your roots on and I think you are doing a pretty excellent job at it.
You haven't skyrocketed your food prices like other venues. In fact you will still give attendees a solid (well, it's a concert so I use that term lightly) meal of a burger and fries or a grilled chicken sammich and fries for around $6.50. Not too shabby. You also keep the beers flowing, even if you did have problems with the Blue Moon beer at every station, but hey, Dos Equis were fine by us in the end.
You also have a pretty great staff working there and everyone was friendly and polite. I attended the Keane and Rocco Deluca show here last night (which was sooooo AWESOME!!!) and was in the "VIP" section and normally this is just a clusterfuck of "I know the band" or "I don't need a pass to get in there," but this staff handled the LA attitudes with ease and helped to create a very pleasant environment.
So overall, it's a great venue. The only one star deduction is that it is smack dab in the middle of Shittywalk and having to go anywhere near that place is just lame in my book, but as for the rest, nicely done.
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If you have a band you like coming to the Gibson, you're going to want to get there. The amphitheater is rather small in size, so you will not have a bad seat in the place.
I've been here for a couple of the KROQ and KCRW concerts and it's always a nice lay out. Bands sound great here.
The parking... well, you'll have to deal with Universal City Walk when parking and that $15 is just a pain. But what are you going to do, right?
I can't give this place the full five because it's located and you have to go through City Walk. While it's easy to leave after a show, given that city walk is a ghost town after midnight, it's still a pain to go through to get to the show.
The couple of concerts I have been to with vip passes, I've enjoyed their set up for the after party section. Great drinks and they never stop flowing. If you happen to want a drink during the show, they'll provide you them in great amounts. The price is pretty cheap compared to other venues when it comes to drinks. Best to just get your drink and food on before a show though.
It's tucked away behind Shitty Walk and sort of in the middle of the park. There's a lot of tree life to make you feel like you're somewhere else nice and different. Over all. A great place to watch a concert.
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Ah, the Gibson Amphitheatre...the memories I have there...
Once upon a time, a much younger Heather R. was very naughty in the balcony area of the then Universal Amphitheatre during a sold out concert. Yeah - good times!
I'm sharing this memory because it could be one of the many that has made the Gibson Amphitheatre one of my favorite concert venues. I have seen so many great shows here, and like other Yelpers have said, there is not a bad seat in the house. Plus, with City Walk right there, it is so easy to get a pre-concert dinner or a post-concert drink.
The negative of the Gibson is the parking. You have to pay through the nose to walk practically a mile to this venue. Because of the walkways, there is a slight cattle feeling about it all. Ick.
However, once inside, the cattle prodding can be forgotten because good times are always had!
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This review is for the Gibson Ampitheatre only (I don't really care much for Citywalk---I give it a few shrugs and mehs) Just came back from the Smashing Pumpkins concert and I was reminded of how amazing the acoustics are here. I've seen John Mayer, Maroon 5, and The Strokes here. Gibson is perfect for the casual lazy concertgoer. Parking? No problem. $10 and plenty. Grub? Citywalk's got plenty. The Gibson is safe and clean so you don't have to worry about getting pummeled by some drunk asshole. The Gibson also isn't as big as the Anaheim Honda Center, The Forum, or Staples Center so you don't have to stress about leaving early just to make it out alive in a crowd of 20,000.
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I don't really get the appeal of Citywalk, hmm, like, AT ALL!!! I get the idea of it, but all the stores pretty much suck, the restaurants are all sub-par, etc. etc. But I do sort of like Gibson. I've been to a variety of shows here (Stevie Nicks --- lots of scarves and dove imagery, ESPN Sports and Music Awards --- I touched Tony Hawk and almost passed out, and KROQ Acoustic Christmas 2006 Night Two --- totally rocking in all ways, best multi-headliner show ever). And, like my times at the Greek, I've sat (or in the case of the pit, stood) everywhere. There's not a bad seat in the place, but closer is definitely better. I think the acoustics and sound are pretty good, they actually made Stevie sound even better than normal, and I could understand every word that came out of Brandon Flowers' mouth.
The drink lines and restroom lines are bad, but it's a pretty damn big venue, and they move pretty fast considering. Parking is awful, and always as far from the amphitheater as you can get.
But I've never had a bad show at Gibson, and I don't mind making the trek out there for a good line-up.
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Before this wave of corporate naming rights and even before Universal City Walk, the Universal Amphitheatre was always one of my favorite venues. There's not a really bad seat in the house, since every seat is with 150 feet of the stage. I've been the back row here and it was still pretty good.
Most of the top names in music have played the Amphitheatre. I haven't been here in years, but I've caught a diverse group of acts, including Harry Connick Jr., Jane's Addiction, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, 10,000 Maniacs, Nine Inch Nails with Manson, and Smoking Grooves, and the venue helped make the show great.
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I have mixed feelings about this place. On one hand, I enjoy coming here with my wife to see performers she listens to all the time. I also enjoy stopping by the small, but tasty, Versailles for some quick 'n' tasty Cuban food.
On the other hand, I absolutely detest the large throngs of people that are funneled in and out of this place. Every time we've been here, my long legs end up sore from taking countless 'mini-steps' from the theatre to the parking structure. I also didn't enjoy sitting next to the humongous and deafeningly loud main speakers on the periphery of the lower mezzanine section.
So, as you can see, I like and dislike this place at the same time. Thus, the mediocre three-star rating. For the most part, seating is good anywhere in the theatre. When we saw John Mayer/Mr. Jessica Simpson (currently), we could see the stage just fine. However, during a Brian McKnight concert, our friends in the upper level didn't even realize that a huge movie screen was set up above the stage. Why? They had seats that were too high up and out of the line of sight of the screen. On a positive note, the acoustics in here are pretty good. I think the massive speaker system has something to do with that...
During a Chris Rock performance, we sighted P. Diddy, Li'l John (yyeeaahh! oookaaay!), Mr. Gwen Stefani (Gavin Rossdale), Alan Thicke (Robin Thicke's dad, aka - Mr. Seaver), and several other celebs. I think Bootsy Collins or Verdine White from Earth, Wind, and Fire was there, too (I mix them up all the time). Remy remembers them all...my memory's not so good. I think the speakers damaged my brain, too.
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I went here for the first time to see Café Tacvba as part of their 2020 tour, and it effing rocked! The Gibson offers quality sound and it is HUGE! Considering that it is Café Tacvba, and that with them comes their huge Mexico City expat-fan base...it felt like almost half of Mexico City was there that night! The only thing I recommend for patrons to do before arriving to the Gibson is to pack some earplugs because depending on who is performing, it can get extremely loud in there...you can feel the vibrations ON YOUR FACE!!! Unlike an arena, the Gibson offers the same or greater amount of seating but with plenty of room and decent theater seats instead of "ass-numbing" plastic ones. Their bathrooms for the most part, are kept up, and their food section is nice along with a great selection of beers on tap (They sold me with Dos Equis!) and a full bar! Overall, the experience was worthwhile and I wouldn't mind going to a concert at the Gibson again sometime.
Nothing says intimate indie rock show like a giant, 6,000 person room where only maybe 150 people can fit in the "pit".
The whole place lacks character. The people outside trying to get you to win a trip to Napa (aka get solicitations for Timeshares) were giving away chapstick, so that helped, but the people working there were totally apathetic, and when you're super stoked to see your favorite most awesomest band in the whole world and the people who work there suck the life out of the place, it really does detract from the experience.
While I'm sure Leslie Feist has the foresight to tour with her very own lighting designer and sound engineer, the Gibson did have the necessary equipment to make both the lights and audio impeccable, so I'll give it that.
Come here for something you don't really care about. Try to catch the stuff you REALLY want to see elsewhere.
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I like Gibson. I guess it is bigger than many venues, and it is a bit of a stretch to call Gibson a small venue, but I like it when bands who normally play at much bigger arenas play here instead. It certainly offers a more intimate setting than the big arenas. I cannot really say if all the seats are good but where I've sat has always been good.
The getting here is not so bad except that it always seems like I have to walk several miles from where I park to get to the Amphitheatre. Is there closer parking? Am I just doing it wrong? If there is, it is clearly not obvious enough for me to figure it out.
I also don't really like it when I am short on time and end up eating somewhere in Citywalk. For that, though, I blame myself for not planning ahead. And, this review is about Gibson not Citywalk so that's enough about that.
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There really is no BAD seat at the Gibson. I've seen many a concert here throughout my 25+ years, and I've enjoyed them all. The most recent one, HEART, was great. We had seats downstairs but decided to move upstairs when the drunk n' dumbass blonde bimbo in front of us wouldn't shut up about her smoky eyeshadow and her stripper (and not to mention ugly) black boots. UGH.
Luckily, we didn't get harrassed for moving seats, as there seemed to be quite a few open upstairs. It was comfy, had a good view and great sound. Although I will say that you could definitely FEEL the music upstairs more than you could downstairs.
Of course, nobody likes the prices of food and drink at any venue, so the Gibson is no different, since you get raped for being thirsty. $5 for bottled water? $9 for a beer on tap? UM, no thanks.
One thing I will say that freaked me out a little was the LACK of security. I know not too many people are going to get all crazy at a Heart concert, but c'mon. They weren't checking bags, people had cameras, and I don't think I saw any uniformed guys walking around.
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This is a review of what used to be called the Universal Amphitheatre. I assume it's now called the Gibson Amphitheatre, but if I'm wrong, please tell me, and I'll take my review down.
I haven't been to this place in a long time, maybe ten years, but I've seen about seven concerts here. It's your run-of-the-mill mid-sized indoor thing. I wouldn't give it more than three stars, but it's really cool to be going into a theme park just to see a concert. Now, Universal Studios is a bad theme park, but the idea of it is fun anyway.
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Parking at the Gibson does suck some ass! Definitely valet--if you can, that is. Last night we were there for a concert. We were stuck in obscene parking traffic and were told the valet was full. Thankfully the employee lot was waaaaay closer than the regular parking and still $10. We just made it. Mind you, the concert was nowhere near sold out, so the valet being full annoyed me ever so slightly. Anywho, I don't have any complaints about the amphitheatre itself. We had side balcony seats last night, but we still had a decent view. I've never had any complaints about the sound.
HOWEVER, when you exist the amphitheatre, they encourage you to exit the back end. It's good if you've parked in butt-fuck 'cause you're about halfway down City Walk when you get out, but that involves the walk of death for your sense of smell. GARBAGE, GARBAGE, GARBAGE!!!! Yes sir, my last memory from the concert was the smell of vomit-worthy garbage. The doors to the "garbage area" were wide open, so you could also see the lovely strewn-about mess that was garbage from the Gibson.
Don't exit the back way, if it can be avoided. My nose hairs are still singed.
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I wasn't going to write a review on the Gibson because a lot of people have already commented on the pros/cons of this place.
But! Just to reiterate...
Went to the KCRW show. Typical LA traffic made us late, but to make matters worse the valet parking was full, meaning we had to sit through 20 minutes of crawl towards the parking structure. $10 bucks down the hole, and we still had to find parking. Got really lucky and found some on the second floor, BUT still had to weave our way through the ridiculous Citywalk crowd, and the Gibson is at the very end.
Made it. There are bathrooms before you get to the amphitheatre, no line, so I suggest you go first instead of waiting for the bathroom inside the Gibson.
Really not a bad seat in the house, and the acoustics are amazinggg. My friend said he could feel the bass in each strand of his hair. Haha. Hope to back here again.
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