Baseball Stadium Shows. Good or bad?

pearljammr78

I wanted to put this poll out but didn’t wanna pile on just PJ. Many bands seem to play these shows now. 

Heres my opinion. While seeing your favorite band or a huge legendary act is usually an awesome experience. Something is lost when the event gets too big and is in a venue not made for concert sound. Yes it looks super cool on video to see all those people together but you are also getting the best view in the house from the camera. If your someone who is not in the first 20 rows then you are stuck usually watching the screens instead of the live people in front of you playing the music. And the further back the worse the sound (usually). 
They only ones who seem to benefit from these shows are the artists and the vendors. I can see the artist view. Less work than multiple shows and a bigger payday. And damn that ego must get stroked from packing say Fenway. But over all I believe music should be held in venues made for music and not baseball. Just my two cents. 

pledgeagrievance

I wouldn’t say the PJ stadium shows are bad. What’s bad about them, is if they play stadium shows, it seems they won’t be playing anything else; ie 15-20k seat arenas 

pearljammr78

Bad.

Yea. Any Pj is better than no Pj for sure. It’s just the older I get, the pickier I am about going to concerts. Saw BB King and Jeff Beck at a minor league park here in Fresno years back and the sound was bad then too. 

mrussel1

Bad.

Baseball stadiums are better than festivals, but way worse than arenas.  The worst arena seat is better than 80% of baseball seats.  

pearljammr78

Bad.

I did catch PJ at Safeco last August and was one of the highlights of my life. That being said, I was about 10 rows from the stage on the floor and it was my all time favorite band in the Mecca of great music. So that surely helped. And the set list was amazeballs!! 

Merkin Baller

I would prefer they play an arena, but I’ll take what I can get. Also considering I live pretty close to Fenway, it could be a lot worse. 

mcgruff10

mrussel1 said:

Baseball stadiums are better than festivals, but way worse than arenas.  The worst arena seat is better than 80% of baseball seats.  

Agreed. 

cutz

Bad.

mcgruff10 said:

mrussel1 said:

Baseball stadiums are better than festivals, but way worse than arenas.  The worst arena seat is better than 80% of baseball seats.  

Agreed. 

So do I.

mcgruff10

Festivals are the worst. Global citizens and made in America rank in the bottom five for me.  I don’t think I ll ever see pj at a festival
again. 

mrussel1

Bad.

mcgruff10 said:

Festivals are the worst. Global citizens and made in America rank in the bottom five for me.  I don’t think I ll ever see pj at a festival
again. 

Me either.  First time I saw them was Lolla 92.  Last festival was Music Midtown in 12.  The latter was a good show, but too much hassle.  2 hour greatest hits set, fundamentally. 

pearljammr78

Bad.

Festivals are fun when your in your teen years or early 20’s when everything is still new and fresh but they quickly lose all appeal as the years pass. Long lines, shorter sets, fair weather fans, long long days mean more wasted people. No thanks. I’m good with festivals now. That’s why I’ve skipped Ohana every year. Being in the sun all day seems exhausting. 

Indifference71

mrussel1 said:

Baseball stadiums are better than festivals, but way worse than arenas.  The worst arena seat is better than 80% of baseball seats.  

This is it.  End of thread.

pearljammr78

Bad.

But will you go to a baseball stadium show?

mcgruff10

pearljammr78 said:

But will you go to a baseball stadium show?

I went to Fenway in 2016 and wrigley in 2018, both shows were amazing but I doubt I d do another one again, Too big and impersonal. Plus the whole weather factors plays a huge role.  I absolutely loved Chicago but I would have been pissed if the show was canceled due to the weather.  
Arena shows are where it’s at.  

mrussel1

Bad.

mcgruff10 said:

pearljammr78 said:

But will you go to a baseball stadium show?

I went to Fenway in 2016 and wrigley in 2018, both shows were amazing but I doubt I d do another one again, Too big and impersonal. Plus the whole weather factors plays a huge role.  I absolutely loved Chicago but I would have been pissed if the show was canceled due to the weather.  
Arena shows are where it’s at.  

The bright side is seeing all your friends together.  I have a really big group of tapers and friends and get to see them there... everyone goes to the big ones...usually starting in the merch line!

F Me In The Brain

Loved Wrigley 13, the Seattle, Missoula and Fenway (both years) shows.  Loved.
Is the sound better inside?  Yes
Can you see better inside?  Usually.
Do you need to worry about weather, for the most part?  Nope.

Still an awesome experience to be with that many fans and friends.

Festivals stink, in general, but I have seen them some at festivals and had fun.

Would be happy to see them play again soon, anywhere.

MayDay10

Bad.

Bad.  Im pretty much done with baseball park shows.  Crowded, far away, weather dependent, etc.

drakeheuer14

Bad.

Have not and will not attend one. 

hrd2imgn

The "best" seats at wrigley, were not even close to the stage.....I hate going to a live show and end up watching a damn screen to be able to see

josevolution

Bad.

Did the 1st Fenway show that was enough for me even with my upclose seat , I passed on the last shows in Fenway..

deadendp

I enjoyed Wrigley 2016, but my husband and I consider it a one and done.  It was a fun time, but I didn't even put in for shows last time since they were only stadium shows.  Given the choice, I would prefer a weather controlled arena.  

Merkin Baller

deadendp said:

I enjoyed Wrigley 2016, but my husband and I consider it a one and done.  It was a fun time, but I didn't even put in for shows last time since they were only stadium shows.  Given the choice, I would prefer a weather controlled arena.  

The stadium shows have changed my perspective about travelling for PJ. I did Wrigley in 2013, and stayed to the end. It was an awesome experience, but I won't be traveling for another stadium show at this point.

tempo_n_groove

Bad.

Merkin Baller said:

deadendp said:

I enjoyed Wrigley 2016, but my husband and I consider it a one and done.  It was a fun time, but I didn't even put in for shows last time since they were only stadium shows.  Given the choice, I would prefer a weather controlled arena.  

The stadium shows have changed my perspective about travelling for PJ. I did Wrigley in 2013, and stayed to the end. It was an awesome experience, but I won't be traveling for another stadium show at this point.

My thoughts exactly.  Did 13 Wrigley because it was the first time.  Did Boston 16 for the same reason same w Missoula and Seattle.

After doing The Home shows tour(skipped Wrigley) this past tour I will not be attending another one for a destination.  I'll just watch someones periscope feed.

Zod

I'd prefer arena shows, but if PJ only does small tours we need stadium shows or tickets will be tough to get.  Stadiums might be more hassle than arena's, but they do allow many more fans through the door.

MayDay10

Bad.

"Its better than nothing"...  but it doesn't really feel like a concert to me though.  At least one that I particularly enjoy.  I went to the 2018 Wrigley shows, and I am glad I did it 1 time for the experience, but I have no desire to do it again.  First night, my seats (which were very expensive) seemed to be a half mile away at a poor angle and I couldn't really see anything other than the screens and the sound was OK at best.  The venue itself wasnt built for that many people, so everything was hot and crowded, not to mention the merch mania fiascos these ballpark weekends have become. 

Second night we had GA.  It kind of sucked obsessing about the dire weather reports all week and that day, as well as f5ing things for any announcement.  I guess you can get this at an amphitheater, but they are semi enclosed and I am sure the baseball organization is more restrictive.  Then, we got a decent spot where we could see (right behind the disability seating zone).  Then had to get flushed out into a hallway for a long time, while people were climbing over each other to get toward the front of the pack.  The running of the bulls out of the tunnel was a blast, but we did manage to get close to where we were previously.  There were a few really sketchy scenes in the GA section during the show as it seemed to have more of a wild west vibe.  Saw a fight, saw someone passed out from dehydration or something, saw someone pin a random girl uncomfortably against the nearby disability section railing...  there was a distracting selfie fest for 3 hours right in front of us IN the disability section by people who did not have a disability, followed by them asking us to take photos of them.  
it was a bit uncomfortable.... and even in GA, we still werent as close or in the 'orb' as we are in an arena or even amphitheater show.  Everything is vast and not built for a concert designed to be more than a novelty.

Indifference71

pearljammr78 said:

But will you go to a baseball stadium show?

I've been to all 5 Wrigley shows.  Any time I can see PJ and sleep in my own bed I will most likely be there.  I hope they're done with Wrigley for a bit but who knows.  But I definitely won't be traveling to see a baseball stadium show...not worth is to stand there and stare at a screen for 3 hours.

mrussel1

Bad.

Indifference71 said:

pearljammr78 said:

But will you go to a baseball stadium show?

I've been to all 5 Wrigley shows.  Any time I can see PJ and sleep in my own bed I will most likely be there.  I hope they're done with Wrigley for a bit but who knows.  But I definitely won't be traveling to see a baseball stadium show...not worth is to stand there and stare at a screen for 3 hours.

Yeah, give me a good ole fashioned east coast tour.  I love those.  I can drive anywhere but Florida.  There's always plenty of great seats to be had too.  It's fantastic.  

pjhawks

I think it depends on the stadium itself and where your seats are.  I mean for me growing up as a baseball fan getting to be on the field at Wrigley and Fenway Park were just amazing mind-blowing experiences. being on those fields with my brother and seeing my favorite band are moments  I will remember and cherish forever.   If it was a random stadium show then I'd say that yes it's not really something I'd prefer to see especially if not on the field itself.  the sight lines from the stands aren't very good for concerts at most stadiums.

brianlux

Bad.

Huge venues are the worst.  Clubs and small to medium sized theaters are the best by far. 

HesCalledDyer

Good.

What's so bad about a stadium show?  The question isn't "Are stadium shows good or bad in comparison to other venues?," it's just "Are staidum shows good or bad?"  I haven't seen a bad show at a stadium yet, regardless of who I've seen.

Ledbetterman10

Good.

Every baseball stadium show I've been to (three by PJ at Fenway, one Metallica in Philly, one Roger Waters in Philly) was great. I like being outdoors for concerts so baseball stadiums, pavilions like Camden, NJ, and (some) festivals are okay with me.