That’s right! It’s not too late for us to announce a show! Mark your calendars rock fans, Godsmack, Drowning Pool, and Five Finger Death Punch with be at PNC Pavilion on October 17! Tickets go on sale September 10 at 10am! Get excited! The summer’s not over yet!
It feels like August just began and we’re already half way through! We’ve had all genres in the past few weeks so hopefully you all were able to brave the heat and come out to enjoy your favorite band here at Riverbend and PNC Pavilion! Things are cooling off outside but we’ve still got a great lineup of shows for the end of August and September so we hope to see you out here!
To kick off August with a bang we had country sensation Rascal Flatts with Kellie Pickler on August 6! Aside from Buffett this was our largest concert this year so THANK YOU for that! We hope you all had a great time out there! For the past few years Rascal Flatts has been able to draw an extraordinary crowd of fans from die hard country fans to college kids savoring their last few weeks of summer to families of all sizes. Kellie Pickler, yet another progeny of American Idol, hit the stage before Rascal Flatts in sparkly heels and the perfectly fitted “little black dress”. She sang her heart out and showed just why American Idol has become one of the best places to look to find future musical talent. She amped up the crowd to what was a nothing short of explosive performance by country trio Rascal Flatts. The crowd was just as explosive all evening, cheering and shouting every word back at the band. Rascal Flatts have blown up the country scene in the past few years and are now no doubt mainstream sensations.
Photos by Mark Byron
Next up we had the Jonas Brothers on August 10! I’ve only been out here at Riverbend for the past two years and I have definitely never seen and HEARD so many young girls so excited for a group of boys! Okay, I may have to take that back…I did drag my dad to an NSYNC concert when I was younger and I’m sure that was just as crazy! It was great to see this kind of crowd for a concert though! I loved seeing the large families with all of their kids hanging out on the lawn and then of course the fathers with several of their young girls that reminded me exactly of my dad and what he must have went through! The Jonas Brothers definitely deliverd to their several thousand young fans last Tuesday evening. In between each song their were waves of screams and cheers just as loud as their amplified songs themselves. I hope a lot of young kids in the area had the time of their lives…and that you parents recover!
Photos by Thomas E. Smith
August has been full of many other great performances so far including Paramore with Tegan and Sara, Creed with Skillet, and Sugarland! We’ll have the recaps for you soon! But for now keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter! More great shows still left this summer, we hope to see you out here!
Thanks to our great sponsorships with Blue Grass Quality Meats and Kroger we have been able to bring you 6 FREE Pre Show Cook Outs this season at PNC Pavilion. Our final one of the season is this Thursday at the Pat Benatar and REO Speedwagon concert. Doors open at 5:30pm and the show starts at 7:00pm. The Cook Out begins right at 5:30pm so be sure to get there early to grab a table and enjoy some delicious brats, metts, hot dogs, and other delicious picnic food! Also this year we have turned the west side of our concourse into the Time Warner Cable Party Plaza. The plaza is home to our Cook Outs, Wine Tastings, and other special events. We also have live music by some of your favorite local bands every night between when doors open and the main acts start. Live music will be provided this Thursday by The Turkeys, a local Folk-Rock band from Covington, KY featuring Simon & Garfunkelesque harmonies. Don’t miss this great evening of music, food, and fun! Everything starts at 5:30pm on Thursday, August 19, and tickets are still available for the whole evening! Buy them at our box office and pay NO service fees! See you Thursday!
It’s hard to believe it’s already August! We’ve been through three months of shows already here at Riverbend, but don’t worry, it’s not over yet! We’ve still got August, September, and I even hear talk of a show getting added in October! Nothing’s set in stone yet, but we’ll see! It would be nice to have a nice cool October concert. We did have a great end to July though!
Sting made his way back to Riverbend on July 20 with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. I have to admit, I was a little worried that the show would be a bit of a downer. I’m used to hearing Sting as part of the Police or at least on his own with electric guitars and a full rock band. The show on July 20 featured Sting, vocalist only, with the RPCO behind him. Being a classically trained musician, I also worried about what the humidity would do to those instruments. The performances by Sting and the orchestra though were AMAZING. I was so impressed by how much I loved hearing the songs “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Roxanne” accompanied by strings and horns instead of electric guitar and a drum set. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience to see Sting and his hits performed this way. If you missed this show, you definitely missed out. Sting’s still got it as a vocalist and as an amazing, creative artist.
Photos by Craig Weiglein
Next up we had two all day touring festivals. Mayhem Festival on July 21 featured over 20 metal bands including headliners Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb Of God, Rob Zombie and KORN. The concert was our first and only metal/hard rock concert of the year and Cincinnati definitely showed us they like metal! Next, on July 28, we had the Vans Warped Tour. The tour brings over 50 punk, ska, and pop rock bands on 6 stages. Tons of photos from tons of bands can be seen on our Facebook Page.
Lastly, we had one of the most enduring rock bands of all time on July 30, KISS! You’ve never seen such a spectacle that is a KISS concert. The band hit the stage with lights and pyro galore. Halfway through the night the stage fireworks began (yes, literally), including fireworks being shot out personally by members of the band. Gene Simmons spat blood and fire and Paul Stanley ziplined above the crowd to a satellite stage in the middle of the pavilion. Just another night for the four members of KISS but an amazing show for all of those who came to see this legendary band that Friday night.
Photos by Keith Klenowski
Coming up Friday we’ve got Rascal Flatts! And then a whole lot of August and September!
Two big on sales this weekend! Don’t forget!
Tomorrow, July 30, tickets for An Evening With Widespread Panic here September 21, go on sale at 10am! Get tickets HERE.
Saturday, July 31, tickets for Toby Keith with Trace Adkins here August 27 go on sale at 10am! Get tickets HERE.
See you at the KISS concert tomorrow night!
That’s right, it’s not too late in the year for concert announcements! On September 21 Widespread Panic will make a stop on their fall tour in Cincinnati at PNC Pavilion! Tickets go on sale THIS Friday, July 30, at 10am. Get all the info HERE.
KISS will bring their American Tour to Riverbend on Friday, July 30, and they are making it possible to bring the whole family out to their concert! Children 14 and under are FREE on the lawn when they are accompanied by a paying (21+) adult. Up to four children can come with each valid adult. Subject to availability and capacity restrictions. Free entry fulfilled day of event at entry gate. Tickets are still available online HERE.
Lawn tickets for the Jonas Brothers are now ONLY $20! The Jonas Brothers with Demi Lovato are at Riverbend Music Center on August 10 at 7:00pm. Tickets available HERE.
So many great shows have come and gone so quickly! But don’t worry, we’ve still got a lot left! In fact, we’re announcing a brand NEW show next week! That’s right…you heard it here first. I the mean time let us know how you enjoyed these great shows we’ve had the past few weeks! And take a look at some awesome photos from our very awesome photographers.
July 15 we had Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers! Yet another great night of great classic rock music! Tom Petty definitely didn’t disappoint, starting off the evening with favorites like “Free Fallin” and “I Won’t Back Down”. He and the band play other hits along with several new songs off their latest album, Mojo, their first new studio album in 8 years. They closed out the night with my personal favorite, “American Girl”. All online tickets came with a free download code for the new album, so if you’re still waiting, head over to tompetty.com now and download your free copy of Mojo! Check out the official recap from the tour HERE. And relive the night with these great photos.
Photos by Keith Klenowski
More photos HERE.
Next up was Brooks & Dunn’s “The Last Rodeo” tour on Sunday, July 18. I admit when I was young I used to be a BIG country fan. (I even had a huge poster of Billy Ray Cyrus on my wall…mullet and all. But that’s another story..) So when I get a chance to see some of the country acts that have been around for years I am more than a little intrigued. It’s hard to believe that this band, who is one of a few that has defined country music, is calling it quits. They put on a great last show though. Riverbend was packed for one of its largest crowds of the season and the fans were thrilled to be a part of the Last Rodeo to help wish Kix and Ronnie farewell.
Photos by Keith Klenowski
More photos HERE.
Photos and recaps from Sting and Mayhem Fest coming soon!
Visit our Facebook Page to enter to win two tickets to Vans Warped Tour on July 28 along with over 50 cds!
Don’t miss Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers tomorrow night (Thursday) at Riverbend Music Center! Tom Petty is yet another one of those “legendary” “can’t miss” artists we are fortunate enough to have this year! Check out our TV spot below.
Tickets are still available! Get them at our box office and pay NO service fees EVER!