Riverbend Music Center facts for kids
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| Full name | J. Ralph Corbett Pavilion |
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| Address | 6295 Kellogg Ave Cincinnati, OH 45230-7118 |
| Location | Coney Island |
| Owner | Music and Event Management, Inc. |
| Operator | Music and Event Management, Inc. |
| Capacity | 20,500 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 2, 1983 |
| Opened | July 4, 1984 |
| Renovated | 1999, 2009 |
| Construction cost | $9 million ($26.4 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Michael Graves |
| Tenants | |
| Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (1984–present) Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (1984–present) |
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The Riverbend Music Center is a large outdoor concert place in Cincinnati, Ohio. It sits right next to the Ohio River. This amazing spot can hold 20,500 people. It has 6,000 seats under a roof and 14,500 spots on a grassy lawn. The center was built for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. This allowed them to play music outdoors during the summer. It is located near the old Coney Island water park. A famous architect named Michael Graves designed the building. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra owns Riverbend. A company called Music and Event Management Incorporated (MEMI) helps run it. They also work with Live Nation to bring in shows.
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Riverbend Music Center: A Look Back
When Riverbend opened in 1984, it was one of only 16 outdoor music places like it in the United States. It really helped bring concerts back to Cincinnati. Before Riverbend, many concert organizers avoided the city. This was after a sad event at Riverfront Coliseum in 1979. The city then made strict rules for large crowds. These rules kept many big music acts away. But even with these challenges, promoters decided to give Riverbend a chance. Fans were very excited to see their favorite bands again.
Riverbend was built for $9 million. It sits on about 15 acres of land. This land was given by Coney Island, a small amusement park. The area used to have two popular rollercoasters. These were called The Wildcat and Shooting Star. The Shooting Star was taken down in 1971. Because Riverbend is so close to the Ohio River, parts of it can sometimes flood. This has caused shows to be canceled in the past. For example, a Pearl Jam concert in 2003 was canceled. Also, a show with Oasis and The Black Crowes in 2001 was called off.
First Shows and Famous Performances
The very first show at Riverbend was on July 4, 1984. Erich Kunzel and The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra performed. Special guests included Ella Fitzgerald and Neil Armstrong. The British group the Spice Girls played there on July 18, 1998. This was part of their Spiceworld Tour. On July 4, 2000, The Pops performed a live concert. It was shown on PBS and featured Rosemary Clooney and Doc Severinsen. The Dave Matthews Band played and recorded their show on June 26, 2000. This recording later became a live album called Live Trax Vol. 16. Sting performed on July 20, 2010. He was with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for his Symphonicities Tour.
Riverbend has also hosted many music festivals. These include Crüe Fest, Crüe Fest 2, Curiosa, Lilith Fair, Lollapalooza, the Mayhem Festival, Ozzfest, Projekt Revolution, The Horde Festival, and the Vans Warped Tour. In 1995, The Alan Parsons Project also played live.
Jimmy Buffett's Many Shows
The singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett played at Riverbend every year from 1988 to 2022. He was very popular in Cincinnati. By 2008, he had performed 41 sold-out shows in a row. Only two other places saw him play more concerts. His fan base in Cincinnati grew at Kings Island's Timberwolf Amphitheater. This is where his fans, called "Parrotheads," got their name. After that, his concerts at Riverbend sold out in minutes every year. They were some of the hardest tickets to get in Cincinnati.
Because his shows sold out so fast, he played two shows in 1989. As more shows kept selling out, Buffett became one of the few artists to play multiple nights at Riverbend. He played two shows in 1989 and 1990. He played three shows in 1991, and four in 1992. In 1993, he even played five nights in a row! He continued to play multiple nights until 2000. In the summer of 2001, fans were a bit sad when he only played one show. Even though his shows still sold out quickly, he only played one show each year from 2001 to 2022. Jimmy Buffett passed away in 2023. During his two-night stay at Riverbend in 1990, he recorded live songs for his album Feeding Frenzy.
PNC Pavilion: A Second Stage
| Full name | PNC Pavilion at Riverbend |
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| Former names | Riverbend Pavilion (planning/construction) National City Pavilion (2008) |
| Owner | Music and Event Management, Inc. |
| Operator | Music and Event Management, Inc. |
| Capacity | 4,100 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 2007 |
| Opened | May 24, 2008 |
| Construction cost | $6.8 million ($9.6 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | GBBN Architects |
| General contractor | Messer Construction |
Riverbend added another concert area called The PNC Pavilion. It is right next to the main box office. This pavilion can hold 4,100 people. It opened on May 24, 2008. The first band to play there was Cincinnati's Over the Rhine. They performed their entire Ohio album that night. In January 2009, the pavilion's name changed. It went from National City Pavilion to PNC Pavilion. This happened because PNC bought National City bank.
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
