Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
Encyclopedia
The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Charlotte is an outdoor amphitheaterAmphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
that specializes in hosting large concerts. The facility originally opened as the Blockbuster Pavilion in 1991, and largely replaced the Paladium Amphitheater at Carowinds as the premier outdoor concert venue in the Metrolina region. It was renamed in 2000.
The amphitheater is located on Pavilion Boulevard in the University City neighborhood near the US 29/I-485 (Outerbelt) interchange. The venue is 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....
, a concert company. There are other Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Verizon Wireless Music Center, Verizon Wireless Theater, and other variants are names given to several music venues in the United States:*Current venues:...
s around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The amphitheater hosts many different varieties of acts, including rock, alternative, pop, country, jazz, and rhythm and blues along with special events and festivals of all kinds. The venue gained some notoriety in 2005 when Simon Le Bon
Simon Le Bon
Simon John Charles Le Bon is an English musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and musician of the band Duran Duran and its offshoot, Arcadia.-Early life:...
of Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
referred to the city of Charlotte as "Charlotte, Virginia".
Paul McCartney's
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
final North American tour date on his 1993 "New World Tour"
The New World Tour
In 1993, Paul McCartney and his band embarked upon The New World Tour, spanning almost the entire year and almost the entire globe. The tour was intended to promote McCartney's album Off the Ground...
was held at the amphitheater on June 15th, 1993. The show was nationally broadcasted on the FOX network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, who aired commercials in place of some live songs.
The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte is a popular stop for summer tours, usually sandwiched between shows in Raleigh, NC and Atlanta, GA's similarly sized venues. The Vans Warped Tour, 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 other traveling festivals generally always make an appearance at this venue.