On the evening of Monday, September 1, 2025, my wife and I went with neighbors to the James Taylor concert at the Allianz Amphitheater At Riverfront. This new outdoor concert venue is on the banks of the James River.
A few days prior to the concert, our neighbors did a reconnaissance drive to check out parking options and the walking distance to the entrance.
Additionally, a day before the event, my wife received a courtesy email stating the concert was sold out. Arriving early was recommended.
The reconnaissance for the parking was smart. We parked in a lot within reasonable walking distance to the amphitheater. Additionally, the price for parking was acceptable.
It was a bit after six when we finished up at the parking lot and started our walk to the entrance. What we didn’t expect was the long, long line of people waiting to enter the amphitheater.
Richmond police officers did good work monitoring pedestrian and vehicle traffic at the intersection of Second and Byrd. That long, long line worked its way up a very steep hill along Byrd Street well past the Afton Chemical Corporation.
For a person with worn-out legs, challenges with their cardiovascular system, or wheelchair dependency getting up this hill was a challenge.
At some point the line started to move. The movement toward the entrance was slow, but steady. We cleared the security checkpoint, and the next challenge was finding a space on the lawn for us to sit.
We found a spot, but then we relocated. We relocated to the back of the lawn area. A fence runs the length of the lawn. We had two chairs reserved for seating. Our thinking was the fence would be like the back of a chair while sitting on blanket.
Again, the line to pickup our two chairs was long. We tolerated the wait time. Good news, the chairs were sturdy and comfortable.
When we relocated to the fence, the chair line was directly in front of us. Numerous people came to the chair line not realizing that a reservation had to be made to secure a chair. Just before the concert started, another problem surfaced. Apparently, the supply of chairs for people who had made a chair reservation was depleted.
As we settled into our spot, we learned that there are still some kindhearted souls in the world. A lady with two chairs stopped in front of our group. She offered us her chairs. Where her friends were seated on the lawn was too crowded for chairs, so she offered them to us.
Prior to the opening act, I spent thirty minutes exploring the amphitheater.
The stage is massive and it appears to be outfitted with all the latest bells and whistles for concert technology.
Seating options are varied with some unique locations, and the sight-lines seem good. This is despite at least three large light poles that can impact those sight-lines.
Large video monitors grace either sided of the stage. So, if your sight-lines are lousy, and the tall and lanky, James Taylor, looked tiny, the monitors capture all of the action on stage.
The space provided for food, beverage, and merchandise seemed to be adequate. This area was full of people, but despite some long lines people were able to move freely.
Can’t speak for the women, but there was no wait time for the mens’ restroom area. Urinals, sinks, and toilets were numerous.
No one from our group purchased any food or beverages. I’m not sure about food prices, but a variety of items were offered.
I had read about the grumbling over the pricing of alcoholic beverages, and I now understand the grumbling.
Interesting to me that pricing for all wine options was prominently posted. Wine pricing was expensive. A can of wine was $14.00. Wine by the bottle fell into three price ranges from $40.00 to one Cabernet Sauvignon topping out at $110.00.
As far as I could tell pricing for beer was not posted. It is my understanding that beers in 24 ounce cans cost from $16.50 to $23.00. I did see one beer sign advertising a Value Beer for $5.00.
When I inquired about the value beer was I shown a 12 ounce can of Busch Light. While I’m sure Busch Light has its fans, I don’t value it as a beer. Plus, a consumer can purchase a 30 can case of Busch Light in a local grocery store for $27.99. With that pricing, each can of beer in that case cost about 93 cents a can. Even for a value beer, that’s a significant mark up, but nothing like the mark up on the other beers.
The concert started on time with opening act Tiny Habits hitting the stage at 7:30. After their set, the roadies made some adjustments to the stage, and then we were treated to two solid hours of James Taylor and his very gifted band.
On September 15, 2024, my wife and I made our first trip to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. We made this trip to see James Taylor.
Clearly, Wolf Trip has been presenting concerts much longer than the rookies at the Allianz Amphitheater. However, getting into Wolf Trap, working our way to the lawn, and picking up our reserved chairs was seamless.
Part of me wants to know if anyone involved with the development of the Allianz Amphitheater spent anytime picking the brains of the staff at Wolf Trap.
It is my hope that the management team will conduct a detailed review of this first season. That review should include receiving feedback from the people who attended the concerts, and all Allianz personnel.
The day after the concert, my wife did receive an email from Live Nation, a survey that opened with: “What did you(really) think of James Taylor? Share your review!”
That opening was followed with these question prompts:
How was the event? Best ever? Room for improvement? Leave feedback on your recent concert or event, so Ticketmaster, a division of Live Nation Entertainment, can help enhance your next live experience.
I wonder how many people responded to the request for feedback? Additionally, I wonder how diligently the survey comments are discussed and studied by Live Nation and Ticketmaster?
From my perspective, here are some questions that management needs to ponder:
When a concert is sold out, how might the long line and wait time for getting into the amphitheater be reduced?
If I reserve a chair, how does management ensure that the chair will be available for me?
For consumers of alcoholic beverages, the pricing must be clearly posted for all options, and the pricing of these beverages must be restructured to be more sensible.
How might the seating in the lawn area be more balanced between blankets and chairs? Should the lawn area have a designated section only for chairs?
Hopefully, management will listen and improvements will be ready to be implemented by next summer.
At the age of 77, James Taylor enjoyed performing in this new venue. He was complimentary of the facility, the setting, and the crowd. His compliments also hinted that he would like to return next summer for another performance.
I’m 72, I anticipate returning to the Allianz Amphitheater At Riverfront for another concert. However, if I opt to return, I certainly hope that the management team will collectively work to make improvements. Improvements that will make the concert experience better for all who attend a performance in this amphitheater.
Failure to listen to feedback and institute reasonable changes based upon that constructive criticism could potentially hurt the success of the amphitheater.
At the end of this first season, I know everyone will be looking at the profit numbers. I won’t deny the importance of that data. But did concert attendees have a good experience also drives that revenue, and that can’t be overlooked.
And thinking of people, there is one more important part of our concert experience that also can’t be disregarded—the Allianz personnel. From my interactions with them, I found these employees to be patient, polite, and knowledgeable. In our impatient world those traits are important, especially in a public setting—nice work.
might be baloney 