Sleep Train Pavilion
Encyclopedia
The Sleep Train Pavilion (formerly known as the Chronicle Pavilion and before that, the Concord Pavilion) is an outdoor venue
located in Concord, California
. It is owned by the City of Concord and operated by Live Nation
. . The Pavilion has a capacity of 12,500 people and opened in 1975 as the Concord Pavilion. It is used for concerts, local community events (including an annual jazz
festival) and local high school
graduation
s.
The Pavilion was designed by architect Frank Gehry
and landscape architect Peter Walker
, and Gehry also designed its mid-1990s renovations, which included more parking and seats. The venue has hosted numerous professional musical acts over the years of its operation, and continues to do so to this day. Bing Crosby
played his last US concert at the Pavilion. Lawrence Welk's appearance at the Concord Pavilion on June 13, 1982 was billed as his farewell performance. Legendary concert promoter Bill Graham
was killed in a 1991 helicopter crash after leaving a concert at the Pavilion by Huey Lewis and the News
that had been organized as a benefit for the victims of that year's fire in the Oakland Hills; Graham's production company, Bill Graham Presents (BGP), had been the booking agent for the Concord Pavilion since at least 1985.
In a deal with the city of Concord, Bill Graham Presents took over operations of the facility in February 2000. Shortly thereafter, its name was changed to the Chronicle Pavilion at Concord, following the purchase of the naming rights by the business agent of the San Francisco Chronicle
, the San Francisco Newspaper Agency. BGP was purchased in 2000, along with its parent, SFX Promotions, by Clear Channel Communications
; in 2005, Clear Channel would spin off its concert operations into Live Nation
, which operates the Pavilion to this day.
The Pavilion's latest name change took place in April 2006, when it became the Sleep Train Pavilion after the California-based mattress retailer purchased the naming rights.
The First Battle of the Bands for high school, middle school, and elementary school students took place in 2006 and the winner was a high school band, Poster Boy.
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
located in Concord, California
Concord, California
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...
. It is owned by the City of Concord and operated by Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
. . The Pavilion has a capacity of 12,500 people and opened in 1975 as the Concord Pavilion. It is used for concerts, local community events (including an annual jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
festival) and local high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
s.
The Pavilion was designed by architect Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
and landscape architect Peter Walker
Peter Walker (architect)
Peter Walker is a landscape architect in the United States.-Biography and Influences:Peter Walker grew up in California and attended the University of California, Berkeley. Walker initially started out in Journalism but quickly changed his field...
, and Gehry also designed its mid-1990s renovations, which included more parking and seats. The venue has hosted numerous professional musical acts over the years of its operation, and continues to do so to this day. Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
played his last US concert at the Pavilion. Lawrence Welk's appearance at the Concord Pavilion on June 13, 1982 was billed as his farewell performance. Legendary concert promoter Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
was killed in a 1991 helicopter crash after leaving a concert at the Pavilion by Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...
that had been organized as a benefit for the victims of that year's fire in the Oakland Hills; Graham's production company, Bill Graham Presents (BGP), had been the booking agent for the Concord Pavilion since at least 1985.
In a deal with the city of Concord, Bill Graham Presents took over operations of the facility in February 2000. Shortly thereafter, its name was changed to the Chronicle Pavilion at Concord, following the purchase of the naming rights by the business agent of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, the San Francisco Newspaper Agency. BGP was purchased in 2000, along with its parent, SFX Promotions, by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
; in 2005, Clear Channel would spin off its concert operations into Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
, which operates the Pavilion to this day.
The Pavilion's latest name change took place in April 2006, when it became the Sleep Train Pavilion after the California-based mattress retailer purchased the naming rights.
The First Battle of the Bands for high school, middle school, and elementary school students took place in 2006 and the winner was a high school band, Poster Boy.