Mesa Amphitheatre

Went to Chris Stapleton on the 14^th. Got there early to get in by 6, parking was a breeze. Like that it’s all outdoor. Great sound for both the opener and Chris S.
However, not much offering in regards to food. Plus and most importantly, they sold out of all beer at like 8 pm (draft, bottles, bombers, etc). How is that possible?
Mesa Amp, I like you like an old friend, who have been around awhile, however you have to plan accordingly for beverages. The artist has a hit song titled, «Tennessee Whiskey.» Do you think his fans like to imbibe a little more than usual?
Thanks to Chris S. and Anderson East for a great concert though.

I have LOVED this venue for years! In fact up until last night, labeled it «my favorite»!
Last night Chris Stapleton ROCKED that place to a SOLD OUT show! However the venue did his show NO JUSTICE! Ran out of bottled (can) beer WELL BEFORE the opening act was over THEN had ridiculous lines at the multiple locations to purchase ANY beverage! I had a friend wait in line for an HOUR to get a drink while missing the concert. Then when I finally decided I couldn’t hold out out any longer (feeling parched) I finally decided to head for the line for a drink only to find out they were all tapped out! Well before the concert was even over! EPIC FAIL MESA AMP! GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND MAN UP FOR SOLD OUT SHOWS OR DON’T HAVE’EM!

First the good: this is a small venue, not a bad seat in the place, & who doesn’t enjoy listening to great music while laying in grass outside under the stars when it’s 75 degrees in AZ? Chris Stapleton was amazing & from the center of the stage the sound was great. Off to the sides, not so great but still good.
So the not so good: Really long lines for everything! Waited 15 minutes for a VERY thorough pat down & purse raid, then another line to scan your tickets. Ticket gal tells me «you’ll have to wander around to find someone in a red shirt to get wristbands to buy a drink if you’re over 21.» Huh — ok… well everyone working there has on a red shirt! But apparently there’s only five red shirts in the whole place with wristbands. Why wouldn’t you just put the wristbands right next to security, or have them stand next to the end of the concession line? It’s just seems logical, but no — we wander…
So after wandering for about 10 minutes, we track down Wristband Waldo only to then spend 45 minutes in the beer line. Thankfully we were in between acts but it was still ridiculous. And I’m not exaggerating, it was truly 45 long minutes. We finally make it the front of the line — woohoo! — and the beer selection was down to draft Bud Light only (ugh). But after waiting 45 minutes I’m thirsty so I pay the $ 7 for it, only to realize it wasn’t even cold! Huge disappointment. There was plenty of space available to add a few more concession stands to accommodate everyone. FYI also, concessions end 1 hour before closing, which is 10pm on the dot.
And ladies, should you actually get a cold beer and then need to use the restroom expect a 20 minute line for that. Again, just poor planning imo. Perhaps if they ever redo the bathrooms (since they really should fix the ceiling that looks like it’s going to fall down in there) maybe they’ll add a few more stalls and hire someone to clean them periodically through out the event. I think I’ve actually used cleaner port-​a-​potties.
All in all we had a good time, just wish Mesa Amp would fix some things so it could’ve been a great time.

Really terrible event operations. Disorganized process to enter, use facilities or get concessions. I can’t believe they’d leave this much revenue on the table with such poor operations. Would not return for another event.

I guess I shouldn’t really review this place since technically I didn’t make it inside, but I was rather irritated when I spent $ 50 for a concert ticket and found no parking at all anywhere. It doesn’t seem that they have adequate parking for the amount of tickets they sell. So I was out $ 50 all because of no parking. I couldn’t sell my ticket because it was a printout with my name on it.

Always something happening! Friday Sept 11^th is Latin Festival. Free! Los Lonely Boys!

Avett Brothers in an intimate venue under the starry night sky on a cool winter night=perfection.
It’s a small enough setting that you can see superbly from anywhere you stand, but with enough room to spread out on the grass if you so choose. If you score a spot right up front and find yourself wanting a beer without losing said spot, worry not. Beer, nachos and freshly popped kettle corn will find you.
Parking was simple enough and the prices were right when compared to most. The pat down was a bit of a pain with having just one girl vs. 3 guys avail to do it, and they’ve got some pretty strict requirements in terms of what you can bring in, but all in all, great place to see your faves play!

We have been to this venue, just a few times. Not exactly close, we live in north phoenix.
The Security was insane and the strictness for the cameras caused some problems with our camera.
Outdoors amphitheater style seating. makes for great sound and the lush grassy area looks nice. I would not go to a show here in the summer.
Minus a star for cost, water alone is almost $ 4.
Minus a star for the insane security.
This venue is not on the top of my list.

Saw Cage the Elephant and Young the Giant. Great time. First time to this venue. Beer was expensive, but the bathroom lines were short. It was a younger crowd, but plenty of space near the stage or sit. Look forward to my next show here.

Went to the A Day to Remember Tour with Bring Me the Horizon, Chiodos, and Motionless in White, and it was AWESOME! Had so much fun, the crowd is super friendly. The atmosphere was amazing even down in the pit. Upon arrival you are separated into Male and Femle lines for security search. Bags however, are not allowed, so don’t plan on bringing anything with you inlcuding bottles of water. Water and beer served inside but it is pricey. ATMs are also available inside. But overall, great place and enjoyed the show!

I’ve been to this location a few times over the years and a week ago I attended The Offspring show (Summer Nationals Tour) and everything about the venue and experience was amazing! My friend and I had the best time for so many reasons.
The venue is an open air amphitheater and has plenty of space for tons of people. This show was PACKED and it still felt like everyone had enough space to move around, dance and enjoy the show. Including me, I DANCED the whole concert. I don’t think I came close enough to anyone to bump into them or «throw boes». HAHA This evening was a nice 98 degrees and felt perfect with a slight breeze. I’ve been here on nights that were a wee bit hotter in the triple digits and it was not quite as enjoyable.
When we arrived to the smallish parking lot and saw that it was full, we decided that was a sign that it would be better to just find parking on the street anyways. I dislike being stuck in a parking lot after a concert or ball game. It’s not fun when you’re sweaty, hungry and exhausted! So we drove around for about 5 minutes until we found a free spot. It was a little walk away, but we’re active people and the short walk went quickly each way because we were super excited about the concert. Don’t fear a little walk sometimes, peeps!
There were lines to get into security and to buy beers, but honestly nothing took too long. The bathroom didn’t even have long lines. And to avoid buying a $ 4 water, I bought a draft beer, drank it and the filled my cup repeatedly with water all night. My friend drank more beer, so I keep myself hydrated and drove us home after the show.
Something I found different, to get a 21+ wristband, we had to find a security guard in a red polo shirt, show him the ID’s and he gave us wristbands. Usually there is a booth with a long line, so this was different. It seemed to work out just fine for us.
When the concert was over, people start to stream out of there like aggressive little ants. So if you aren’t big on being stuck in a line, just wait it out for about 10 – 15 minutes. Take some selfies or finish a beer or drink some water and then the line will have thinned out a bit.
I’ll be looking for more bands to see at Mesa Amphitheatre, especially in the fall with the awesome Arizona weather!

This place wasn’t awful but it wasn’t great either. We came for the Summer Nationals Tour and hit a few bumps before actually making to the point of being able to find a spot to sit and enjoy the show.
First, parking is a little bit of a nuisance but we didn’t mind having to walk a couple blocks to get to the theater. My biggest issues are with their processes for actually getting in the door. My boyfriend and I did get split up because the male pat-​down line has two lines as opposed to the women’s one. This was also frustrating because after we were split up, security came back around and provided the option for boyfriends to stick with their girlfriends in the women’s line until they got towards the front. I do think it’s nice that they have igloo coolers with water so you can hydrate a little while waiting, especially since it can get so hot in the late summer. Points for that.
Next, when I finally got to the front of the line the security personnel yelled at me that my bag was too big and I would have to take it back to my car. She snapped that «Didn’t you see the sign?!» I told her no, I didn’t see the sign but that it wasn’t a problem and that I would take care of my bag and come back. There was a sign out front by the lines that I saw when walking out but you couldn’t see what it said because of the crowd of people around it. Maybe putting it in a more open area would be more helpful so people can catch it before getting in line? Either way, I didn’t see the need for her to be so rude over something that is easily fixable and was an honest mistake. I also checked online and the rule about «large» bags is there in the FAQs, so my bad for not checking beforehand, but I think it would be more helpful if these rules were printed directly on the tickets similar to other venues so they are a little more in your face and you don’t have to go digging for them. Just a suggestion!
After the trip to my car and back, I made it through the security line again, after which you are pooled into another area to wait in line to have your ticket scanned in. Once I got in and tracked down my boyfriend, we tried to get a beer but were told we had to wait in yet another line to get over 21 wristbands to drink. This is fine, but I think this whole process would be a lot smoother and less aggravating if we got everything done in one shot at the front gates.
Booze prices were steep but expected. Overall we had a good time sans the rough time actually getting in, and actually enjoyed being able to get out at a decent time due to Mesa’s noise ordinance that is in effect after 10pm.
On a side note, buying tickets online has a steep «convenience fee» which makes you second guess buying tickets. The fee for each ticket is like a third of the total cost of the ticket itself which is a little outrageous. I wouldn’t have a problem buying tickets at the venue; however, the box office is only open for select hours in the middle of the work day during the week, so it’s difficult to try and make my way over there to make a purchase. Maybe this is just me!

Went here about 5 years ago for a Rancid/​Rise Against double header. Was sorely disappointed when Rancid bailed after 45 minutes because it was like 105 degrees at 6pm. If the Mesa Amp didn’t close down at 10pm (on the dot) they could have come out at sundown and not sweated off the stage half way into a set.
Now I go online to pick up Stephen Marley tickets for $ 32 and the service fee is $ 12 a ticket. $ 12??? I’m sorry but with the other reviews I’ve read on here and my last experience with you guys, it’s just not going to happen. Swing and a miss.

Went to see the Avett Brothers here recently. As a first time visitor I liked it. There seems to be quite a good amount of parking and the line to get in went very quickly for our sold out show. After the concert was over we did wait around for awhile on the lawn so I can’t comment on how hard it is to get out if you rush out with everyone else. If you decide to hang on the lawn for a bit it’s really easy to get back to where you want to go :). The was good for an outdoor venue with more than enough room for people to get around and get beer or head to the bathroom. Overall a very pleasant experience and I will be happy to come back. I’m not sure if I would want to come here in the heat of the summer, but for a fall concert it’s a fantastic place.

the hubs and i drove up to mesa amphitheatre this past thursday to see the good vibes summer tour 2013: featuring rebelution, matisyahu and collie buddz. doors were at 330PM and we got there around 5PM.
*tip: if you’d like to bring in bottled water, make sure it’s factory sealed. we brought a nalgene and had to take it back to the car. would have been nice to know because i paid for a bottle of dasani water at $ 3.50/ea.
they had a beer garden with lots of attendants and no lines. it was great! the prices at their venue are pretty steep, though.
the really cool thing about this amphitheatre is the terraced seating they have. i wish i had taken a photo to share! the terracing provided comfortable seating for many, many people. the area in front of the stage was left open so a large amount of people could stand and dance.
the sound people are right in the middle of the terracing and they had pop up tents, but as soon as the sun went down/​shade covered them enough they took their tents down which was really considerate of them! i thought they’d be up the entire night. the crew did a great job with the sounds/​lighting effects during the show.
there were lots of security and personnel around which was good because it made you feel safe, especially with such a large amount of people. they even had EMS on scene near the beer garden area just in case!
i would love if tucson could have an amphitheatre just as nice as this one! can’t wait to check out more shows here.

My Mom, Sister, and I all went to the Mesa Amphitheater last night to see «The Piano Guys». The facility was very nice and was able to accommodate the large crowd. All of the concert staff were very nice and helpful. Our concert was amazing and I could not believe the level of talent on stage. We sat in the reserved seat section on the left side (stage right). It was a great view! The concert started at 7:30pm– so the amphitheater was a great venue to have it since the weather cooled down.

First of all, my bad for assuming no one in their right mind would host an acoustic show, with a piano and a cello, in 108 degree heat — despite the lack of sunshine. They DID think to have huge generators running giant misting machines — but they didn’t think about how that might affect the sound quality for the audience. The grass was well maintained, and the staff was nice enough, but in 2013 I just expect every single venue to accept debit /​credit cards. I don’t care that you have an ATM, it’s insulting. Also, your parking is a nightmare. That is all.

We really like this venue. It is small so there is no bad seat in the house. We had a general admission for a concert and are so glad we didn’t get seats. They were crammed together in front. The lawn is tiered to you have great views of the stage. Sit on the grass and the embankment behind you serves as back support. The bathrooms are clean and the beers somewhat reasonable. Glad we ate before we went.
Dinging a star because the acoustics are not as they should be. Who doesn’t love and outdoor venue on balmy spring evenings?

I’m that girl who’s super, super uptight about following all the rules…
I respect authority way more than I should, I don’t speed, I’d rather be 30 minutes early than 2 minutes late, I don’t text while driving and I don’t ever try to bring cameras into a venue… UNLESS, the website says I can.
Now ordinarily, even when the venue says I can, I typically don’t, especially when I’m going to a venue in the city I live in, however, I flew out to Phoenix to see some friends and we were all going to the Black Keys concert, so I figured I’d check out the camera policy, because this was one of those times I really wanted to document the memory. The website said as long as there was not a removable lens, the camera would be permitted. Perfect! …Or so I thought…
When I got to the front of the security line, the lady told me no cameras. I explained the policy stated on the website. She said she couldn’t make the call and I would have to hash it out with her supervisor. So I proceeded to plea with the big mean woman about what the website said and how my camera was within the limits they outlined. But she said no. Absolutely not. I argued a little with her, which is very unlike me, but ultimately I lost and I had to trek all the way back to the car, in a place I had never been to, to put the camera away. Fortunately my best friend joined me and we made it into a fun predicament.
The Black Keys were of course amazing and the venue played a big part in that. The open multilevel grass seating was a brilliant touch and I definitely loved that I could see one of my favorite bands under my favorite starry night sky, which is why I’m giving the place 3 stars.
As for the rest of it? I could do without.

I saw the Pixies play here this past Friday. We got in around 6pm and parked for free on Center Street. Nobody in line at the security check, so we all got in within two minutes. Inside was really nice, it seemed cooler with all of the green grass. Far different than the typical Phoenix concrete experience.
Acoustics were pretty good. They had a projector playing band pics and abstract images. The dripping-​blood backdrop was cool. Beers were $ 7.50, only Bud products though. Shock Top, AmberBock and a few others. Overhang of contact buzz with all of the hippies and stoners in attendance. However, when I was leaving, all of the smokers were still lit up with everyone crowded around the exit. And to my dismay, they were smoking cigarettes, not the good stuff. Not cool, one bit. Still, a worthwhile experience to see a live band play here.