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White River Amphitheater
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Yes
- Coat Check:
- No
42 reviews for White River Amphitheater
I think there's a trend here.
Parking.
Yea, well, I didn't have to deal with that godawful crap because I took the shuttle that was offered so I could relax and not deal with the mess. Believe me, if I had driven here I'd have started playing monster truck crushem' in my Honda Fit just to get the hell out.
ANYWHO.
I won't complain about no lids on my drink because that's a band demand (oooh I'm a poet and didn't know it!) But the lawn, what the heck. WHY was my butt wet? It was hot all day! I'm used to a much more treacherous slope on my amphitheater lawn so I won't be forced to stand up, however, I did not go sliding when I started pogoing to Spiderwebs either so I'll take the trade off.
Just right in the middle on this one. Another star would be gained for the parking situation to be better, but I see no brilliant way to fix that with the way it stands right now. At least they try to help and run the shuttle system to shows they know will be a total cluster eff.
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Rod Wears It Well! :)
Free tickets to Rod Stewart got us to drive out to Auburn last night. Deep, deep into Auburn to the White River Amphitheatre.
I will say that we did not deal with the parking issues like others may have because we left about 4-5 songs before he finished his set. We saw plenty of Rod (at 64, he is an amazing entertainer- no really) and left before the masses did, which ensured us getting out of the lot before the masses did.
To whomever designed the parking: Are you kidding? Did you earn your planning/ architecture degree from the Hamburger University? Two lanes leading in and out of a lot that hosts a venue that holds 20,000 seated? That is NOT okay.
We had a good time here b/c:
a.) we left before everyone else did
b.) they have a huge screen that shows performers on stage so there's no need to squint
c.) indian fry bread tacos. ZOMG.
I probably won't be back to White River b/c I'm not normally one who goes to big shows like this. However, if Rod comes back to White River... well... I could be convinced.
Yes, he's still got it. Someone threw panties on stage last night.
And No, it was not me.
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"Piper down, we gotta piper down"
So remember in the movie So I Married and Axe Murderer when they played the song, "do you think I am sexy?"... I fell that much more in love with Rod Stewart, so of course I would totally jump on the bandwagon for going to see Rod... for free!!
As far as the show, Rod was highly entertaining, and I actually got misty eyed when he sang some of his old songs. The women sitting next to us had seen him in concert 14 times!! and they were a hoot. The sound was great, people were enjoying themselves and luckily we didn't witness any obnoxious drunk people. Someone threw their panties on the stage, and Rod stuck them in his shirt pocket. Silly Rod.
The food choices seem varied, and we all stuck with Indian Tacos, and I got the real cheese while my lactose intolerant friends enjoyed the still enjoyable fake cheese sauce. We were starving and they were eaten quickly.
As far as parking, we were smart and left early, because we were worried about getting stuck on the way out, which I could see happening. The exits were not clearly marked, and the staff was all sitting there chatting when we left. Thanks for showing us where to go?!
I wouldn't ever go back to the venue unless Rod was gonna shake his thing, or Madonna or Prince were playing there. Otherwise, I will stick with some more local venues.
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My friend and I went to the No Doubt/Paramore/The Sounds show here last night. The music was good, but I am NOT a fan of this venue whatsoever.
Parking is a disaster. They pack the lot insanely full and there are cars as far as the eye can see. We knew that it would be an absolute PAIN to get out of this place, so we ended up leaving the show early so we could get out of the parking lot and get back to Seattle at a reasonable hour. There are also NO signs indicating where the exit of the parking lot is. We ended up following a couple other cars out, but the fact that the exit route was not marked whatsoever was shocking to me.
Waiting in line for the doors to open was fine, but at some point a woman on the event staff made everyone wind around in a ridiculous zig-zag of people that was unclear and messy. Then when our part of the line eventually reached the doors of the venue, it was clear that tons and tons of people were cutting the line and the staff was doing absolutely nothing about it. There were no staff members to even be seen at this point and while 90% of us patiently continued to stand in the line, it was frustrating to watch all those other people walk past us and cut in line with absolutely no staff interference.
It would nice if there was a sign or two telling people what they can and can't bring into the venue. I understand the opinion of other reviewers that people could read about this ahead of time on the website, but not everyone does that. It's just a fact. So it might be nice if there was some sort of information posted about this, so you don't wait in a 45 minute line to arrive at the front and have the inexperienced and confused staff tell you that you cannot bring in your cooler. Note: this did not happen to me, but I saw it happen to others.
The bathroom facilities are crappy and were not maintained well for the amount of people coming through. They could also have another couple available bathrooms because....the lines for the bathrooms were the longest I have EVER seen for a public restroom. And I have been to plenty of theme parks, state fairs, and music festivals.
I understand that the artist can choose whether or not to have drinks distributed in cups or bottles, but if the artist requests that all drinks are served in cups, it might be nice if the cups the WRA used were large enough to hold all of the liquid in the bottle. Having to drink the last two gulps of soda in the bottle while standing in line to receive your cup of soda is pretty ridiculous and poorly planned.
The design to the lawn is really poor as well. At the Gorge you can sit on the lawn and if the people around you decide to stand, you can still see the stage. Not at the WRA. If one person stands, everyone has to stand because otherwise you can't see a damn thing except for dozens of people's butts.
Only pros to this place: Lawn seats were $10 bucks and parking was free. The sound was fairly good, especially from way back on the lawn. Also, from where we were seated, we could see Mt. Rainier in all its glory. It was quite beautiful.
However...it is 99% likely that I will NOT be back to this venue for a show. I was very disappointed and would not return unless a band I really loved was playing here. Even then I'd probably have to duck out before the show was over so I could avoid the cluster-eff of cars that I've read so much about in other reviews.
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My friend, sister, and I went to the No Doubt/Paramore/The Sounds show here on Sunday. The music was great, but I DID NOT like this venue one bit.
First of all, I took us 2 1/2 hours to get there since there is only a one-lane road leading to and from the amphitheater. So, ended up inside an hour later and completely missed The Sounds and only heard a little bit of Paramore.
Once we finally finished crawling down the road and entered the parking lot, I could tell the parking situation was going to be a problem. The lot was jam-packed with cars with tiny lanes in between rows. Plus, there was only one way in and one way out. A big problem. As we drove to our spot in the very back of the lot, we saw small Exit Signs with an arrow pointing to the left, on the fence.
Getting into the amphitheater was fine for me. A woman scanned my ticket and asked me to open my purse. I did so and she waved me on. My sister was let in by another woman and was told she had to dump the contents of her purse out on the table. I couldn't believe that. What nerve. It's not like she was wearing some huge backpack or anything. My friend also had trouble getting in, the person who inspected her snatched the ticket out of her hand and was very rude. After getting inside and getting our bearings, we decided to go to the bathroom and get in line for a T-shirt, taking turns holding our spot. The only plus of arriving near the end of Paramore's show was that we were able to go to the bathroom and buy T-shirts without that much hassle. There was no line for the bathroom when I went and we only spent 10 minutes waiting to buy the T-shirt.
No Doubt's show was amazing. Sitting in the venue was great. The seats were comfortable and the venue was steep so it appeared that everyone could see pretty well. Plus, there were 2 huge screens on either side of the stage.
We didn't get any food or drinks, but we saw people bringing them back with them in the stands. They were in cups with NO LIDS! Who does that? The drinks were full and everyone I saw spilled them at least a little bit. If you're not going to allow people access to lids, you should use larger cups and leave 1-2 inches of room. I thought that was really strange.
Since we arrived so late, we decided to stay for the entire show. I'm not really sure if this was a mistake or not, but it took several hours to get out of the parking lot. We were at our car at 11:15pm. We did not pull out until 1:15am. I live in Seattle, near Northgate, and I did not get home until 2am. Almost 3 hours to get home is completely insane! I cannot believe it took us 2 hours to get out of the parking lot. We didn't even attempt to leave our parking spot until around 12:30am because no one in the back of the lot was moving.
I will NOT be going back to this venue for a show. Not unless there is an amazing band playing there and I go super early and leave super early. The road and parking situation simply isn't worth it. I spent over 5 hours in my car when it should have only taken 40 minutes each way.
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I look at the other reviews.. what?/
It's a concert at a far away place in the summer in the country.
SO? Plan it.
Go early,plan to be there a long time, take a cool chest. Dont bring stuff which is not allowed.
Dont buy a 14$ drink. Go to enjoy. Period.
Afterwards... if you didnt take a shuttle then you have to wait for everyone else. It is the worst part of the experience.. we lf t early. i woudl if I stayed the entire concert .. I woudl read in the car fo an hour or so til all done.
I like the open air. I liked the space. I put 4 not 5 because of the winding roads and traffic from Renton.
These shows, however, take up much time and energy and many types of professional are used and needed to put on a show, so prices and security make sense to me.
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I love you No Doubt, but NEVER EVER AGAIN will I visit this venue.
Plus:
+ No Doubt!
+ Parking situation in the beginning was fine
+ The sunset while watching the concert
Minus:
- The smell...
- Walking and queuing all the way around the building and having to wait in the sun sucked
- Staff directing the line to move in some weird, serpentine-fashion, allowing cutters in and no one doing anything about it!
- Not allowing my non-opened bottle of water in unless I poured everything out into a plastic cup
- Having to pay $4 for a bottle of water
- Incline in the amphitheater sucks! Had to stand halfway into the aisle to see anything
- Finding your car in the darkness without any markers!
- TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE PARKING LOT!
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It's a shame that the Seattle area's premiere outdoor concert venue is tucked away in the middle of Crapville-East-of-Nowhere, USA.
Not a pleasant place to travel to.
From the moment we arrived at the amphitheater, we could see that this was not going to be an enjoyable place to see a concert. Entry into the venue parking lot wasn't permitted til 5:30 pm with the show starting at 7:30 pm. Two hours to let thousands of vehicles into a crammed parking lot? Yikes!
Meanwhile, early concert guests were told to "Go hang out in Auburn or Enumclaw and get off of the property." One of our friends actually had the local police called on her just for being there (is it a criminal offense these days to be a hardcore fan?)
Entry through the gates was disorganized and the venue staff was primarily unprofessional and rude. It felt as if they regarded concert fans as the enemy just for being there. It sure feels good to shell out the big bucks for a concert only to have the people whose paychecks you're helping to pad treat you like a criminal.
This atmosphere of hostility only perpetuated any sort of malcontent amongst the fans and made for a pretty tense exchange in the general admission pit area. I've never before been to concert where the fans were so contentious toward one another and the headlining band was No Doubt for goodness sake!
Was it worth all the trouble to see No Doubt play live? Well, yes, because they were amazing, but I sincerely hope that none of my favorite bands ever choose to play White River Amphitheater again.
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They need to do something about the traffic/parking situation here. It's a little ridiculous.
We left so that we had 2 hours free time before the show started, but because of traffic on the two lane road getting to the venue we got there as the doors opened.
The venue itself is nice (not nearly as nice as the gorge) and they have big screens on either side of the stage for the blind and people in the nosebleeds (but if I wanted to watch a concert on TV I would have pay-per-viewed it).
I payed $4 dollars for a Desani (which I am still shaking my head at)because they wont let you bring bottles in.
If you want a great outdoor music experience go to the Gorge. It may be a drive, but the sound is better.
HORRENDOUS - That one word describes my experience last night at the No Doubt/Paramore concert.. Sad because No Doubt was amazing and put on a excellent show, but unfortunately that won't be what I remember. What I will remember is taking 2 hours to get to WRA.. then the WORST part.. leaving. We actually left the concert early because my son wasn't feeling well and we thought we would "beat the crowds" boy was I wrong. We got in the car after what seems like walking 2 miles, which is OK because that is expected, at about 10:57 pm. I literally moved 10 inches in a 2 1/2 hour time span. The staff was just standing around as people kept coming up to them asking what was going on. My sister and he husband after the same amount of time waiting , just parked and went to sleep. It was mayhem, people were screaming, honking, yelling, and complaining to the lone WRA staffer who was brave enough to stand out there staring at unmoving cars. Note to those people yelling: Yes, this guy worked there, but give the poor guy a break- he was one of many who contributed to the mayhem- we really need to complain to the management which by my guess has been done before by reading the past reviews. Also, after the 2 + hours in the parking lot, we were detoured by the fine Auburn Police Dept. down some Timbuktu farm roads that went on forever, just to end up merging with the massive line of cars traveling the Auburn Enumclaw Rd.
I would love to come to this venue again, I thought it was nice and it had a beautiful back drop to the concert- but until they come up with some solution to the horrendous parking/exiting fiasco I will never go again!
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Precursor: Radiohead was phenomenally fantastically amazingly if-I-use-another-adverb-I-will-be-killed-by-the-gr ammar-karma-police killer.
I'm a large Gorge fan. This review will compare & contrast various experiences at WRA with The Gorge.
Alcohol: Pretty similar to the Gorge. Except instead of 24 oz. beers you get 16 oz for $8. Also, their beer gardens are BS. I want to leave this tacky "garden" with my drink. What's that? I'm paying you a small fortune for 1 BEER and I can't drink it on the grass whilst watching the show? Douchebags. Winner: Gorge
Seating: Here's an idea, let's make an ampitheatre on a hill where if anyone stands up, everyone stands up. Oh, and they were selling chairs for RENT at $6 a pop. Chairs that very few people on the grass got to use. At the Gorge, if I was enjoying a show from the grass, I never have to stand. If anyone around me stood, the view to the stage is good enough that I don't have to stand as well. Assholes. Winner: Gorge.
Bathrooms: Let's say you have five beer gardens in different locations around a venue. How many sets of bathrooms do you think would be appropriate for that? Two? Yeah, only a complete idiot would allow there to be only two different bathrooms in the entire venue. Hahaha!! Oh, wait, that's how it is here. I can't believe I'm typing this, but I miss the Honey Buckets (ala Gorge). Get in, get out, miss maybe one song. Shit for brains. Winner: Gorge.
Scenery: Do you like, no, LOVE the look of parking lots and concession stands? Don't lie! Beyond the stage, that's about all there is to look at. Winner: Gorge.
Traffic: I took the shuttle and it worked very well. Rumor has it that it took three to four hours to get out of Auburn for those who chose to park there. Sadly, I missed Encore #2 heading to the buses. I heard that some people missed the first wave of buses and had to wait for a bus to come back and get them. I've never spent more than 1/2 hour getting out of George, WA. Fucktards. Winner: Gorge.
Sound: The reason that this is getting two stars. The sound was really good. I don't have anything disrespectful to say about it, which kind of disappoints me. Tied with Gorge.
I might go back. If the reunited Beatles played with the reunited Led Zeppelin.
Damn straight I've experienced much better. It's called The Gorge.
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Unless you are coming from the Buckley side, you should not drive to WRA. Seriously.
Not that the shuttles are that great either, but we left the amphitheater about 2 songs into Journey's final encore and were on a shuttle within 20 minutes or so. (side note: if I see you try to cut in line I will call your pathetic ass out in front of the line and multiple people would be happy to direct you about a quarter mile back to the end of the line where we all started...assholes)
The sound is good, even the lawn seating is decent (another side note: bring a water proof blanket if you're not going to be in a seat) and (psssst) if you head for the Rainier Lodge or whatever that cute little building just inside the main gates is called, you might just find LIQUOR for the same price they charge for BEER ($8, and if you're nice enough the ladies serving you might just let you direct how much mixer you would like with said booze).
Don't drive, be nice to the security, don't touch the big burly security dude's necklace or call him names, don't cut in line and enjoy your trip to WRA. *smiles sweetly*
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take the shuttle, it's worth it. Left as Radiohead was playing their very LAST song of the evening; caught a bus in 5mins, back to the car shortly there after. It's free, you don't have to sit in the parking lot lines to exit and if you're really lucky, you'll get a lovely soulful sista belting out some gospel between cussing like a sailor.
I'm not particularly fond of big show venues, as you don't get the full effect that you do with intimate ones. So the only thing I was looking for at this one was: Good sound and decent line of sight from the nosebleed; I got it. However, Radiohead prolly would've rocked it no matter what and I didn't even care that I was soaked to the bone. Lawn section wasn't bad, and they have chair rentals for $6. Prices for concession items are always going to be pricey at joints like this, just expect it or sneak in your own booze and suck it up. On a plus note, they let you bring in soft pack coolers.
http://redheadedevil.b...
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In August of 2005 I decided to go see Coldplay at the fabulously beautiful White River Amphitheater. I was so excited, as I hadn't been to an outside venue in Seattle before. I printed out driving directions, which said I lived 18 miles from the venue and should expect to take between 25-30 minutes to get there. The concert started at 730pm, so erring on the side of caution I decided to leave an hour early, at 630.
18 miles later, we arrived at 9pm. We found parking somewhere in the giant dirt parking lot and literally ran to the venue, found our seats and at 9:10, Coldplay started. We didn't miss a minute of the show, but that was by pure luck. It was an amazing show. The seats were great, the amphitheater itself was beautiful. I loved every minute of it, and for awhile I thought it was worth the tortured drive. That is, until we tried to leave.
The concert got over around 11 and we walked back to the car and tried to leave. I wasn't able to leave the parking lot itself until 1:30, and didn't get back to Seattle, 18 miles away, until after 3am. I will NEVER go back to this venue again, no matter who plays here, unless they figure something out with the traffic situation.
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I think it's rather unfair to compare this locale to the Gorge as many are doing. The Gorge is a fairly unique venue. Red Rocks in Colorado is a fairly good comparison but if you're hoping that every placed labeled as an amphitheater is going to stack up to the natural beauty of the Gorge, prepare to spend most visits to them being disappointed.
I read about the locale before I ever went. I read about the snarling traffic. I read about the beauty of the FREE yellow school bus shuttles that help you avoid the traffic. By utilizing these shuttles, we basically circumvented traffic. It's a nice time to sit there, veg out and not have to drive. Combine avoiding traffic with FREE and you have a win/win situation here.
As far as the amenities go, it's run by Aramark. If it's run by Aramark, you know that you're going to be paying out of the yin for drinks and food. You've come to expect it from any big concert locale, though, haven't you? Drinking a beer at a concert is about the same as drinking a beer at a sporting event.
The sound, however, was amazing. I was sitting in the 200 section, though. I can't speak for the lawn. It seemed like it would be good through the whole place, though.
My only real gripe was the lack of security. I'll admit it. I'm a bit of a snob, I suppose. I paid a fair amount of money for my tickets. I didn't want a bunch of drunk hooligans (or the not-so-entertaining-guy-tripping-on-acid) coming down from the lawn and basically trying to run a frat party on the stairway next to me. Not cool.
All in all, though, I'd go there again. I'd use the shuttles again. I'd get ripped off at the concession stands again and not complain. Good times.
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I saw a show here a few years back and vowed never to return. It was awful, totally disorganized, and filled with angry teenage staff.
So, when Stevie Wonder popped up as a headliner, I was extremely reluctant, but I caved and bought them anyway. Damn man, It's STEVIE WONDER. I did have a last minute change of mind and tried to sell them, via craigslist, simply due to the location. I love Stevie, but that's how much I hated the venue. Fortunately, tickets didn't sell and a pal and I went.
First thing , take the shuttle from the Auburn Supermall. Even if you're running late. We got to the mall at 7:30, show started at 8, we were there by 8:15. After the show, while those who drove to the theater sat in their cars for hours, we hopped on the bus and made it back to the car within 30 minutes. Convenient.
We had the lawn seats. In my opinion, that was the way to go. Yeah, it's in the way back. Yeah, there's no seats, but it's a hell of a lot less expensive and you have a lot of room to get your groove on.
Here are some things to know when sitting on the lawn...
-Bring bugspray. Mosquitoes are bad.
-Bring a blanket, with a plastic backing, it's wet, or those low lawn seats.
-Bring snacks. Saw one group with a little picnic. Jealous.
-Bring drinks? I was a little confused about this one. I think plastic might be ok, but no glass. Have to check on that. Also, saw a guy with a cooler, but it was a soft kind.
-The stage is pretty far away, you might want some binoculars, or just deal with it and watch the screens.
-The lawn seems to be kid and herb friendly.
-Bring an extra jacket, ect. for a little warmth when the sun goes down.
-Camera is ok, as long as it's not pro, just a little point and shoot.
Also, the staff seemed to all be eating happy pills. I think 15 kids said, "thanks for coming", as we headed out. Weird, but a nice change.
All in all, this was a much more pleasant experience than the last time. If necessary, I'd go back. By the way, Stevie was wonderful! Get it?! Ha!
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Never again!
Trying to leave after the Radiohead show was a total disaster. It took TWO HOURS just to get out of the parking lot! Next time I'll drive to Portland or Vancouver- hell I'll even fly to San Fran if I have to.
If you're a masochist and decide to see a show here, I at least suggest the Auburn Mall Shuttle instead of parking here.
Did I mention the $8 cans of beer?
WORST VENUE EVER.
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It's hard to separate the experience a really good band brings from the venue. The venue is merely the vehicle by which the artist is delivered to us, the patrons, right? So as long as it doesn't get in the way, and we can experience the artist we came to see, then the venue has done its job.
White River Amphitheater achieved this for the most part. Recognizing they have a logistics problem getting people out of their parking lots after a show, they implemented a shuttle system (see my review on the Supermall to White River Shuttle System or whatever it's called). Ok, so we were able to get right in from the buses with very little hold up at security, very little line. Great!
Once inside, there were only one set of bathrooms on the side we were on. This seemed... odd. The bathrooms were set up for a lot of traffic, but there was still some open space. They could have been bigger, or had multiple bathrooms to cut down on the huge line that developed. Think Safeco Field... I have never had to wait long to relieve myself at a baseball game. However, drinking is a lot easier at a game...
Drinking. You're not allowed to bring alcohol in (though you can bring in your own food, at least if you're sitting up on the lawn). There are beer gardens on each side of the lawn, but they are not within view of the stage or the screens. And you're not allowed to take your alcohol out of the beer garden, apparently. And I heard the beer was a tad expensive. So... considering that alcohol generally is a tremendous money-maker for a venue, this seemed really poorly thought out.
There wasn't an ATM in sight. Apparently there was one outside the main gates, but since we took the shuttle in, we totally missed it. I saw an American Express sign on one of the t-shirt stands, so maybe they took cards? I don't know. I borrowed $40 for my t-shirt from my buddy.
We staked out a spot on the lawn, put down our tarp (it was raining the night we were there), and chilled out and ate while waiting for the headliner to come on. The opening band was not projected on the screen, which was fine, but for a long time I thought they were just sound checking (they were playing some very intangible music).
Once the main act came out, their video feed was projected. It was very cool, mostly because it was the artist's videography (Radiohead). The sound up on the lawn was great. Not overpowering, not too quiet, just perfect. We wound up having to stand up for the entire show because the slope isn't great enough to be able to see past people standing in front of you, but I have never been anyplace that did have a slope that steep.
Exiting was a disaster. The line out to the shuttle did not move at all for a good half hour. Standing out there in the pouring rain waiting for someone to move really sucked.
All in all I enjoyed the concert. I heard, I saw, I experienced.
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I saw Radiohead here on Aug. 20, 2008. The show itself was amazing, and the venue was decent. I had lawn seating, so I stood in the rain for the whole time, but it was still a great show.
My beef here is not with the show or the venue, but the organization of parking and traffic control. Upon arrival, we were herded into a massive gravel lot without any lines or lanes to be seen. The cars were coaxed into a nearly perfect grid by workers who were no doubt having a crappy day at work in the pouring rain. We got into the venue fine, but the real problem was on the way out.
There was only one exit out of the place, and the people who carpooled (and got closer parking) were forced to wait in line with the people who had to take yellow buses to their parking spots. Once we got into the lot, it was a clusterf*ck of cars facing every which way, driving and honking without a single traffic control person in sight. It was a mess and we waited two and a half hours without moving, among running cars doing the same thing.
I don't care if the deceased members of the Beatles come back from the dead and they reunite at the White River Ampitheater, I'm not going back ever again.
Total travel time for thirty miles: 4 and a half hours
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Never, ever, ever again. EVER. EVERRRRR. JUST SAY NO!!!
Okay. In all fairness, I would consider it if I heard from reputable sources that the roads to and from the place had been considerably improved, like if they get their own express lane that went directly from Lynnwood to White River. Or if they started offering free helicopter rides. Then I would consider it. But only then.
Next time a musician is playing there that I want to see, I will go to the Portland date, if there is one, or cross some country lines to go to the Vancouver show, like I did when Radiohead toured in '03. I don't know why I didn't just do it that way again, it would have been easier! And it sure as hell would have been faster!
I'm not even joking here people.
For the record, both times I've been here (yes, twice, apparently I'm a hardcore masochist since I came back after the first catastrophe), I took the damn shuttle. The shuttle is only useful if you're among the first out of the theater, otherwise you'll be standing in the rain for two hours. Forget driving. It can take 3-4 hours just to get out of the parking lot.
Let's not forget the weekday afternoon/evening driving on 405 that it takes to get there if you're coming from the north-end or east-side. I left Lynnwood* at about 4:00pm for White River for a show that starts at 8pm. I missed the opening act completely and got there right before Radiohead went on, at about 9pm.
*Yes, I know this admission opens me up for all kinds of Lynnwood jokes a la Almost Live and the Seattle LJ community, so fark you in the arse in advance. The End.
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I'm giving this place 5 stars, not only for the impeccable sound, but for it's ability to piss off the majority of the plankton who seem to flock to it during it's events.
Apparently people are too stupid to sneak in their own water, which must be equal to rocket science since nobody seems to be able to do it. Well, at least nobody who's writing a review about it.
As for the beer situation, boo hoo. You poor babies.
Anyone....ANYONE who needs beer to enjoy radiohead, let alone ANY concert that they would be willing to go out of their way to auburn for, is a complete moron anyways. How miserable do you have to be to need to have a few beers to enjoy an amazing band play at a venue with amazing sound? Losers...
Anyone who can't enjoy a show without pounding down a few doesn't belong there anyways...period.
Oh, and bitching about the prices of beer? Are people who drink THIS dumb? It's called TAILGATING, aka...drinking BEFORE the show in the parking lot. Also not rocket science. I guess people would rather walk in and pay the assraping prices and then proceed to bitch like babies about them online. What miserable fucks. I can only smile at such things.
And finally, the parking lot whiners? Okay, the first experience is worth complaining over. I'll at least agree to that. Whoever designed this place and the outgoing traffic flow after shows is either a brain-dead piece of horse shit, or they just don't give a damn about your average concert-goer(not surpising). In any case, anybody who comes here a 2nd time and whines like a baby about not being able to get out of the parking lot in a timely manner should be dragged out and shot, seeing as they have no idea how to pass time without acting like crybabies. It's called reading a book. It's called smoking a bowl. It's called INTERACTING with people! You know, that thing that americans are so great at? Apparently not. Or how about this? Put on a few cd's to listen to. Oh, wait, people who go to the white river amphitheater probably don't enjoy listening to music anyways. My mistake!
Anyways, these reviews just go to show how incredibly stupid and arrogant some people in the seattle-area really are. Don't take any of these whiny reviews seriously. Get to the venue EARLY, bring several things to pass the time, use your fucking head unlike these people do, and make a day out of the experience. It will very well be worth it in the long run. I have had some of the most amazing concert experiences of my life here .
Enjoy the sound and the scenery, and tell the depressed haters to fuck themselves. Good times!!! 5/5 baby!
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An amphitheatre is an amphitheatre is an amphitheatre. This one's not as cool as the Gorge (is anything?), but better than say, the crappy one I went to in NJ a few times. Been here twice, and don't exactly have the burning desire to return, but if a super special - enough band came, I might consider it.
First time was a couple years ago to see Coldplay. We were on the hill. You could get a decent view of the stage, plus there are screens. The hill is more grass than mud. In both regards this surpasses the Tweeter Center in NJ (features a muddy hill which is approximately 5 miles away fr the stage). On this occasion we were clever enough to take the shuttle buses. We didn't have to wait that long, coming or going. The highlight of the show was when Chris Martin jumped off the stage and ran part way up the hill, then through the path that separates the seated area fr the hill. I bet Security was shitting their pants.
Like many others, I returned to White River Amphitheatre in August to see Radiohead. Two encores and it was awesome. Also awesome was the fact that we had seats and it rained all day. I so did not envy the people on the hill. They were drenched and we were relatively cozy in our seats; plus of course there is a better view of the stage. But twas not cheap and I hate paying that much for a concert. This time we did make one mistake, we did not opt for the shuttles. While this meant we didn't have to wait in the rain for a bus, it does mean we spent two hours getting out of the parking lot and then about half an hour in one lane getting out of Auburn. Got home after 2am and had to work the next day.
Though some bemoan the lack of bathrooms, the facilities beat a porta potty, IMO, even if you have to wait a bit. Oh, if Security tells you to take the cap off your bottled water, smile and nod, and then don't do it. Worked for me.
There is a casino nearby if that interests you. And about 1000 closed fireworks shacks line the road. Maybe they are open in July?
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As every one of my friends knows, I much prefer to hit up a small, local venue and pay $15 or less to see three or more bands play than to pay outrageous ticket prices (I think I'm still scarred from 80s TicketMaster fees), drive an hour or more, tramp around on an open field, and empty my wallet for one bottle of water and a hot dog.
But I digress - White River Amphitheater is only about 40 minutes outside of Seattle, Stevie Wonder was playing, my ticket and transportation were FREE, and I got to go with one of my favorite girls, so how could I turn it down?
This place does seem a bit nicer than your average field...and I appreciate that you can park at the SuperMall and ride the short bus in (ok, I lie. it was a regular sized SCHOOL BUS!) to avoid the long getting-out lines of cars from the Theater's lot. I didn't even mind paying $8 for a 16-oz. can of Miller Lite (ew, what?). No really, I didn't mind...much.
The major cons for me were:
No big screens visible from our seats, which granted, were pretty close - but still, c'mon!
The seats themselves were the plastic bucket style, so no back support = ouch
I can only imagine how much water would be if you needed some
And...there's no view - unless you count the yard full of chickens we saw on the way there. At least the Gorge, even though it's many hours away and a giant rock of heat, has a BEAUTIFUL view!
And the big one: THE PEOPLE - 1) you would be amazed how many people cannot follow the simple instruction of "move to the back of the bus first" and 2) WHO expects you not to stand up and dance? At a concert? At a STEVIE WONDER concert??? The woman next to us almost got neck-punched for sticking her arm out in a clear 'stop short' maneuver. WTF? Fortunately for her (and unlike her), we embraced Stevie's "get over it" attitude and rocked with positivity!!! She could learn a little something...
Anyway - duh: I am simply not cut out for this kinda of thing. Viva la Chop Suey!!! Viva la Neumos!!! Bring back the CROC! Please. For the love of god. PLEASE.
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Don't be afraid. It's not that bad!
Here's the set up...
I had never been to the White River Amphitheater (WRA). All I ever heard about were the parking lot horror stories.
A friend invited me to see Stevie Wonder and said we could park at the Super Mall and take a shuttle in.
OK I'm game.
Well it was not bad at all. We stood in a shuttle line and got on the third bus. On the trip out the load up was quick. And the best part... it is FREE!
They give the busses preferential treatment and allow them access to the main road. All those other suckas had to wait... and wait... they may still be waiting for all I know.
I will not turn my nose up at this venue any longer.
Oh and by the way... Stevie Wonder sounds as good today as he ever did.
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I hate the place...it gives me the runs!!!!
keep the shows at the gorge...or dont bother
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I have heard many a bad thing about White River so it has kept me from seeing any concerts there so far. Leave it to Stevie Wonder to change that. Since he is one of my most favorite singers and I was offered two free primo seats to his show, I decided to risk the incredibly long traffic and expensive water. We didn't try the food there so I can't tell you what they have but a 16oz. Bud Light is $8. Nuff said.
As far as the infamous hours of post-show, soul sucking traffic, I did not subject myself to the pain. You have to take the free shuttle from the Supermall to make White River bearable. Also, by shuttle I mean big yellow school bus. You get packed in there like a bunch of kids heading off to Camp North Star. It still takes a while to drive in but you avoid the horrible snaking line of cars trying to get back to the city. When Stevie ended (why does the man refuse to do encores?!) we walked out and almost right onto a waiting bus. We sailed past the suckers in their cars and were back in Seattle within an hour.
All in all, White River is just A LOT OF WORK. It would take another monumental band/singer to get back there anytime soon.
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For every reason already written:
Unless you plan on camping in your car and having front row seats (or getting piss drunk), add a few extra years to your life and stay home.
Find out when they are playing in another venue that is reasonably close (or not) and go there. The extra time and money involved will surely offset the cost for therapy that you will need to shell out for choosing the white river route.
Cheers.
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I've never been a big fan of humongous concerts:
the driving,
the traffic,
the parking,
the hauling of the stuff,
the whining,
the porta-potties,
the lines,
the mud,
the possibility of rain,
the crowds,
the lines for the toilets (yes, even for dudes)
being so far from the band that I watch the screen the whole time,
the perpetual cloud of weed smoke that will not go away even though it's windy.
But worst of all: trying to get out of the parking lot and the traffic going home.
I saw Radiohead (a great show) but was it worth all the headaches? I say no. Some say yes.
White River is fine, but I don't like the concept of the massively huge concert.
The one star is for a fairly clean grounds, indoor bathrooms, fairly good view of the stage from the back rows of seating.
The lack of more stars are due to the following:
THE PARKING/EXITING IS ***RETARDED***. Not only does it take forever to get to the venue from Seattle (recommend going a slightly longer distance route to 405 to Hwy 169 to SE 400th instead), but getting home from the venue took us FOUR AND A HALF HOURS... and THREE AND A HALF of those hours were due to being redirected onto a one-lane highway for 2 hours after waiting 90 minutes in the parking lot in a chaotic post-war pile-up without any parking staff to direct cars in a meaningful, organized fashion. I was enraged and will think twice about going to that venue again in the future. I wonder if VIP parking is any better... but, somehow I doubt it.
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Uh huh! It's my sh...!
Until the night we took our daughter to see her idol, Gwen Stefani, she thought those were the opening words to Hollaback Girl.
Now she knows that Gwen Stefani swears. And now she also knows her mommy does too. Holy fricken good golly mother effer this theater - or I suppose I should use their affected spelling: theatre - is a bitch to get to and an even bigger bitch to leave.
5 stars for the throaty and genuine performance by the foul mouthed Gwen Stefani and the so cute you want to take them home as pets Harajuku Girls. Another 5 for the setting. Lovely. A bit cold that night, but still, so lovely.
Minus 11 stars for being such a bitch to get in and out of and for making me swear in front of my 9-year-old.
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Just to start off, I'm only putting 5 to counterbalance the 2 star. Otherwise, I'm a 4.
I think a person's rating when it comes to venues differ for a variety of reasons. Therefore I'll break it down for a few different types.
Audiophile: Amazing. The acoustics here are wonderful, whether you're standing in the pit, or sitting on the lawn, the sound is set up amazingly well. When it comes to sound, you come here for stage performances, and you go to the Cinerama for film. No questions.
Loves-The-View: Not so much, it's out in the middle of nowhere and it smells like manure most of the ride. You're there to watch your favorite artist though, so in terms of that, every seat has a very good line-of-sight, and the stage technics are set up very well. I know it differs from show to show, so take that with a grain of salt. It's no Gorge though, so in place of sexy canyons, you get people walking around behind.
Parents-Pay-For-My-Tickets: You probably only know the band because it was on MTV, or their radio hit has made you a devout fan until it's no longer on the airwaves. It won't make much of a difference for you. You might not like it because it's isolated in the middle of nowhere and you can't pre/post-funk anywhere. If you think you don't think you fall into this category, you do if you enjoyed any concert at the Key Arena.
I don't know who I'm missing, but I'll add anything if you want.
Jen's definitely right though, that kind of parking arrangement should be a felony.
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the amphitheater is totally awesome, even being way up on the grass you have a great view of the show.
totally disorganized getting in and out. leaving was a disaster. what can i say? i'm just not a huge fan of sitting in a parking lot for 3 hours in the middle of the night with a mob of angry people.
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Security sucks here. My sandwich got a pat down!!! They don't allow chairs despite "lawn seating." I can be ghetto fabulous and came here to see Snoop Dogg, and half way through the concert some idiot jumped on stage and took the beating of his life and BAM the show was over. Thanks for wasting my $50, White River. Maybe if you had been on crowd control instead of sandwich surveillance that would not have happened. It would have to be the concert of a lifetime to come here again.
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It would take reuniting the Beatles, with all four original members (not counting those other guys who started out with the band, but bailed before they made it big - I'm talking the Fab Four), to get me to ever go back to White River Amphitheater for a concert. And not because the venue was bad. It was beautiful, with sloping views of the stage from all angles and decent sound all around.
But because of the parking.
Seriously. The parking situation was so effed up upon exiting the venue, we would've been better off to walk back home to Seattle. And still make it home before those other poor saps who decided to wait in a single-file line to exit through The One entrance.
One entrance/exit! For tens of thousands of concert-goers! Who was the genuius who designed this parking lot? I'd like to meet him (or her, no sexism here) and give him a swift kick in the groin (again, not sexist).
Coming into the venue is fine, because usually, most people arrive at a concert at varying times. Therefore, one entrance/exit is somewhat acceptable. But when a concert ends, EVERYONE leaves at the same time, and it's like opening the flood gates and trying to squeeze a herd of drunken cattle through a pinhole. There is no rhyme or reason, with cars all akimbo, as they make their way to The One exit.
During our particular experience, the concert (which was Coldplay, by the way) ended around 11 p.m. We didn't make it to the exit until 1:30 a.m. Which meant we didn't make it back to Seattle until after 2 a.m. Absolutely ridiculous. And completely unacceptable.
I understand that the venue is fairly new, and perhaps the designers are still working out the kinks regarding the parking, but come on! I didn't drive 45 minutes and pay more than $50 per ticket to wait in line with a bunch of a-holes.
So yeah. It would have to be the most amazing concert ever - the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors - for me to venture down the road that leads to White River Amphitheater again. And well, we all know it would take some serious smelling salts and a heater to make those shows a reality.
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Wishing for a zero star rating on this one. I cannot express the depths of hatred that I experience at the utterance of this place's name.
Several years ago my family and I attended a Jimmy Buffett concert at this venue. We parked at the Muckleshoot and took the shuttle, but it really would have made no difference at all since there is only one road approaching this place, everyone was stuck in the same traffic regardless of what type of vehicle they were in.
Having arrived at the casino an hour early and wondering why we weren't seeing more shuttles, we finally made it on to a bus only to sit in traffic for an hour and end up being an hour late to the concert. (I could have walked and made more progress!) Luckily SO MANY people were that late that they had delayed the start time so we didn't miss much. So we found our seats, set our things down and left the minors to watch everything so we could head down to the concession stands. We stood in 20 minute lines only to be told (at 9pm) when we got to the front that they were no longer serving alcohol. What?
I must admit that it was nice that the sound carried everywhere, even in the far back reaches of the lawn we could hear clearly but even when I joined my family in their seats about mid-level, everyone still looked like ants. And those were very expensive seats! We were all so unhappy with the view that we ended up standing near the (lame) concession stands right up next to the stage and hanging over the fence to see, it was better than the seats that we had paid for!
Of course the concert was awesome, but even the Parrothead aura couldn't keep the frustration away when we all started to leave. First I was almost hit by Jimmy's limo as it pulled away. I don't know if I'm excited about that or upset at the developers for putting the celebrity escape route in the middle of the ONLY walking path back to the buses. Which were, by the way, in the middle of NOWHERE and it was a mad stampede, grown men shoving children out of the way, to board. And THEN the buses couldn't get out of the lot so we were stuck on sweltering hot, overloaded buses with a great mixture of people who were pissed off at the experience and people who were drunk and yelling/singing so were pissing the others off even more! Argh!
At this point I was coming down with a vicious flu and was so upset that I was close to tears and still had to wait 2 hours until we could get back to the casino!!!
Several acts that I've wanted to see have come to town and played this venue, but I will not go back. Ever.
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Screaming "I LOVE YOU JOE ELLIOTT!!!" was how I lost my voice the last time I was at WRA. Journey was awesome too but I was there for Def Leppard and the best one armed drummer in the world.
The other times I lost my voice there I was screaming "Breaking the Law! Breaking the Law" (Judas Priest with Halford), and "This sh*t is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" (Gwen Stefani).
It is surprising a very good place to see a show. Be sure to bundle up or bring extra blanket. The beer garden is good to stop by before the show and there are plenty of bad-for-you food to gorge yourself with.
Parking sucks the big elephantitis donkey balls so you can a) Pay the $20 for the premium parking which is SO worth it; or b) park at the Super Mall and take the free shuttle to and fro. Otherwise, be Zen with the fact that you'll be waiting in the parking lot for up to 2 hours after the show.
Butt rock, anyone?
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I haven't been to a concert since my college days but when a friend scored tickets to the Cheap Trick, Heart, Journey concert I absolutely had to go. A friend of his told him to mapquest it for the best route and I can tell you it was a little longer in distance but we escaped the majority of the concert traffic. We were worried as it was sprinkling on the way out seeing as it is outdoors. There is plenty of dirt lot parking surrounding the theater and not too much of a hike. Lots of people tailgating outside. Friendly crowd. We had our own tailgate and ended up merging with the three cars next to us for a great feast. Helpful hint avoid the honey buckets outside as the bathroom is right as you enter the door. I'm sure those same buckets have been around there since at least summerjam . Security checked our stuff on the way in but were pretty relaxed about it. I so should've hidden some airplane sized bottles in my bra and gotten away with it (whatever, I probably could've hidden a fifth in my cleavage and they wouldn't have noticed). Just like when I was younger. No strip searches tonight.
I really liked this place. It was clean, modern, well lit and huge. The walkways were very wide so you didn't feel like you were being herded into a pen. First stop was the beer gardens which were reasonably priced. Standing tables only. After we were WELL refreshed we hiked up to the grassy hill and were surprised to find an area center stage right behind the more expensive seats. We threw down our blanket and made camp. Cheap Trick came out and started the show. Obviously they were the opening act. Second up my favorite barracuda ladies singing strong. Heart was awesome. At this point it was getting dark and you can really appreciate the theater as the sun goes down and the sky is a beautiful rosy pink. It started to get crowded and it seemed like people were closing in on our comforter. Hey three's a crowd. At this point we couldn't resist the smell of the kettle corn any longer and bought a huge bag.
Journey was the last gig and they were fantastic. The new and improved Steve Perry sounded just like him. Why is it after each song they have to take time to introduce someone else in the band. Get it over with in the beginning "this is so and so we came here to rock..."
After having consumed so much to drink i had to make several trips to the little girls room and was happy that there was hardly a line whenever I had to go.
1 star just for the band line up
2 stars for my companion
3 stars for a beautiful amphitheater with awesome beer gardens
4 stars that it didn't rain but only slightly mist at the very end
5 stars for making me feel like a college student all over again
The only downfall was leaving. The parking lot is a mess even if you leave a few songs before the end. They have pubescent kids out there armed with their orange vest and air-traffic control strobe lights trying to get rowdy adults to follow directions. I doubt any of them were born when these bands were popular.
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i saw Radiohead play here a few years back. it was my first and what i swore to be my last time there. it was the single most unpleasant show experience i've ever... experienced.
first of all, auburn? really? why not the gorge? a few nights at the paramount? come on! i'd traveled to LA to see the band play on their Kid A tour when only two US dates were scheduled. i don't mind traveling for them. i'm one of THOSE fans. but i digress...
last time, i didn't mind driving out to try out this new amphitheater. once we found the place, which was surprisingly out of the way, at the end of a long two-lane road, my friends and i spent some time by our car, getting excited to go (read: smoking copious amounts of "the sticky icky"). i'd brought along a bottle of water, sealed, which was confiscated at the entrance. they said i could bring the bottle in if i poured out the contents. i just handed it over and moved on. i was still excited.
but as you can imagine, i had a bit of the "dry-mouth" from said "icky," so i made my way to a stand to buy a bottle of water. A 12OZ BOTTLE FOR $5. i sucked it up and paid. before the bottle was handed to me, however, the lady at the stand removed the cap and threw it away. i found this odd and a little off-putting, but i was determined to have a good time, now, and ready to rawk.
we made our way to our seats with ample time before Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks were to go on. i was still feeling pretty good when i sat down and set my water bottle on the ground, out of the way.
and this is when it went downhill. which is to say, my water went downhill. the cement was at a slant. enough of a slant to TIP MY 12OZ $5 BOTTLE OF WATER OVER and lose approximately $3 worth before i could retrieve it.
i was PISSED and swore i would not give the place another cent. when the show came on and i tried to get back into things, i found myself TRYING to have a good time. the sound wasn't great. the SLANTED cement floor made standing for songs difficult and uncomfortable.
even radiohead, a band whose live shows have always impressed the hell out of me, couldn't make this place worth being in. by the end of the show, NOT ONE of my cohorts was pleased with their show experience. and worse? what with NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, THAT FUCKING TWO LANE ROAD KEPT THOUSANDS OF FANS IN GRIDLOCK FOR HOURS.
FUCK YOU WHITE RIVER AMPHITHEATER.
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When this "Ampitheater" came onto the scene, I saw the lovely PAINTING-inages of it with Mount Rainier in the background...thinking, "Maybe this will be a closer version of the sweet atmosphere like in Vantage/Gorge....?" Neil Young, being one of my personal favorites, put on an amazing show/rock-opera. Other than that, everything about this SHIT-HOLE concert location BLOWS. I thought that going to White Zombie in 1995 in Tri-Cities Gymasium was heinous.... HAHAHHAHA, well, guessed I should have figured to wait to go to White River!
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this place is a shithole. i've been here twice, the first time for maiden and then again for pain in the grass. after maiden i said to my husband, "let's never come here again." but you see, we missed queensryche on their last tour, and have missed seether and shinedown the last couple times they played, so we went for pain in the grass.
it takes 2 hours just to get out of the parking lot, the sound is the worst i've heard at any concert venue EVER (in 18 years of concert-going), and to get there is a drive through rural auburn...need i say more?
why oh why do bands play here???
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