06-27-2024 Howard - Flipbook - Page 14
HIGHTLIGHT
BY ABIGAIL GRUSKIN Howard Magazine
The“SkyLawn”and sky suites overlook the amphitheater seating and stage at Merriweather Post Pavilion. PHOTO BY BRIAN KRISTA
Summer soundtrack
I.M.P. celebrates 20 years running Merriweather
For musicians who tour during the summer, confined many
hot days to buses, Merriweather Post Pavilion boasts one perk in
particular that’s likely to feel like an oasis: the outdoor concert
venue’s backstage swimming pool.
Some artists are so ready for a plunge that “as soon as they
get off stage, they hand over their electronic mics and all of that,
and just dash in the pool with their clothes on,” said Audrey Fix
Schaefer, the director of communications for I.M.P., which operates Merriweather Post Pavilion.
This year marks I.M.P.’s 20th year at Merriweather — an amphitheater that two decades ago faced the threat of permanent
closure and since has benefited from $65 million in renovations
done over seven off-seasons, said Brad Canfield, Merriweather’s
vice president of operations, in a statement.
Today, there’s a 48-foot turntable that rotates in the stage, an
elevated “SkyLawn” for fans with lawn tickets and a re-graded
pavilion and lawn to improve views of the stage, among other
enhancements. Pollstar dubbed it the world’s highest-grossing
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| Summer 2024 | howardmagazine.com
Hozier performed at the Merriweather Post Pavilion as part of his
Unreal Earth 2024 Tour. PHOTO BY PAUL W. GILLESPIE
