Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
Encyclopedia
The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis (commonly known as Verizon Wireless Amphitheater and previously Riverport Amphitheater and UMB Bank Pavilion) is a 7,000-seat outdoor concert
venue
, with lawn seating for another 13,000, making it a 20,000 person capacity venue. It is located at 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights, Missouri
, near St. Louis
, one mile west of the I-270 and I-70 interchange, at I-70 and Earth City Expressway South (exit 231A).
The venue was built for, approximately, $12 million and opened on June 14, 1991, with a performance by Steve Winwood
.
Shortly after opening, the amphitheater became the site of the infamous Riverport Riot
, sparked by Axl Rose
, during a Guns N' Roses
concert, during their Use Your Illusion Tour
. This riot was the cause of the band's ban from St. Louis, disallowing them to play in the area.
The amphitheatre has played host to music festivals, including The Vans Warped Tour, The Mayhem Festival
, Farm Aid
, Projekt Revolution
, Lollapalooza
, Ozzfest
and Lilith Fair
.
In 2002, UMB Bank acquired the naming rights to the venue for five years. Verizon Wireless then purchased the naming rights in November 2006.
Sting performed during his Symphonicities
Tour on June 23, 2010, along with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
.
On July 23, 2010, Kings of Leon
abruptly ended their set, after only 3 songs, due to being pelted with feces by pigeons while onstage. The band gave fans their money back and later announced a makeup show for the pigeon-gate scandal. The new date was scheduled to be on September 25, 2010. Tickets were free for those who attended their last show and were $10.00 for other fans planning on attending.
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
venue
Music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
, with lawn seating for another 13,000, making it a 20,000 person capacity venue. It is located at 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, near St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, one mile west of the I-270 and I-70 interchange, at I-70 and Earth City Expressway South (exit 231A).
The venue was built for, approximately, $12 million and opened on June 14, 1991, with a performance by Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
.
Shortly after opening, the amphitheater became the site of the infamous Riverport Riot
Riverport Riot
The Riverport Riot was a riot at the Riverport Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri at a Guns N' Roses concert on July 2, 1991...
, sparked by Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
, during a Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
concert, during their Use Your Illusion Tour
Use Your Illusion Tour
The Use Your Illusion Tour was a concert tour by the rock band Guns N' Roses which ran from January 20, 1991 to July 17, 1993. It was not only the band's longest tour, but one of the longest concert tours in rock history, consisting of 194 shows in 27 countries...
. This riot was the cause of the band's ban from St. Louis, disallowing them to play in the area.
The amphitheatre has played host to music festivals, including The Vans Warped Tour, The Mayhem Festival
Mayhem festival
The Mayhem Festival is a touring metal festival that takes place during the summer. The inaugural iteration took place in 2008; the festival has since become an annual event across the United States and Quebec, Canada. The tour has been sponsored by the Rockstar Energy Company since the time of its...
, Farm Aid
Farm Aid
Farm Aid started as a benefit concert on September 22, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois, held to raise money for family farmers in the United States...
, Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution is a music festival hosted by Linkin Park, bringing artists of various genres of music together. Linkin Park started Projekt Revolution in the year 2002 with just one stage...
, Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
, Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
and Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 to 1999, and was revived in the summer of 2010. It...
.
In 2002, UMB Bank acquired the naming rights to the venue for five years. Verizon Wireless then purchased the naming rights in November 2006.
Sting performed during his Symphonicities
Symphonicities
Symphonicities is the tenth studio album by English musician Sting, released on 13 July 2010 on Deutsche Grammophon. The album is a companion piece to the tour of the same name, in which Sting, performing with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, reinterprets some of his songs as classical...
Tour on June 23, 2010, along with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
.
On July 23, 2010, Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
abruptly ended their set, after only 3 songs, due to being pelted with feces by pigeons while onstage. The band gave fans their money back and later announced a makeup show for the pigeon-gate scandal. The new date was scheduled to be on September 25, 2010. Tickets were free for those who attended their last show and were $10.00 for other fans planning on attending.