Like others have said, SPAC, Jones Beach is a pretty special spot and marvin's mountaintop was stunning(would have gone to allgood had the venue not changed.) but one that surprised me was going to Hunter Mountain for Mountain Jam. They dont have regular shows there so I dont know if it counts but its one of the nicer outdoor spots Ive been to in that area. As someone who just recently moved from the East Coast to 20 minutes from red rocks, I have to say that nothing that I have seen out East comes close.

Merriweather because when I went back this year (1st in 10 years) they had added these huge fans in the pavillion which helped alot compared with the sweatbox that was the Mann. The show was awesome as well.

Thanks for all the responses everyone! Just to clarify I know there is only one place that is comparable to red rocks as far as scenery and that would be the Gorge . The comparison I was trying to make was the iconic status of RR or the Gorge, to one of the places out east. Seems like Bethel is probably the spot.

If you are looking for cool scenery and ambient atmosphere, not to mention a nice breeze off of the water, both Jones Beach and MCU park in Cony Island are fun, comfortable places. Jones Beach security is way overamped, however having water behind the stage brings a nice warm breeze. As for Cony Island; a ferris wheel, parachute jump, roller coaster, a famous amusment park, this all adds to the experience in a fun way. The stadium itself, though a minor league ballpark, is big on the comfort level. The stage is set up behind 2nd base. In the stands, the scene is way mellow. No wait for either food or bathrooms. Did I mention the ocean breeze? Upstate concerts are fun, people (by east coast standards) are calm, but from an architectural standpoint, not much there. As for the Mann, uh I am making an effort to be more positive, so uh, moving right along; Tanglewood is a nice place to see music. Unfortunately the band doesn't play there. In summation, no premier venues on the east coast, but lots of nice places to see shows.

CMAC in Canandaigua, NY is really nice. So much better than Darien Lake or any other place nearby. Haven't been to Bethel yet.

when the philadelphia orchestra plays the mann, lawn tickets are free and you can bring in an entire picnic, wine and beer included, and the sound is sublime...i got to see itzhak perlman there...dude is a madman

Gelston Castle
I remember hearing about those long lines. We came in from the other direction and turned right in>>>>>>>

nycdave wrote:

With all due respect MCU is a logistical nightmare. Bethel can be problematic, unless you know backroads, but for my money I would take Bethel over MCU or Jones Beach any day of the week. It's not Red Rocks, but Bethel is worth the journey.

the old pool farm in schwenksville, pa...aka home of the philadelphia folk festival aka my backyard:

That looks pretty freakin cool