Merriweather Post Pavilion






Merriweather Post Pavilion - A Brief History

 The Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland has been through a lot of changes since its creation in 1967. The venue continues to improve, the music is always excellent, and people keep flocking here to see some of their favorite artists in a setting of preserved natural beauty. With improvements still going on, the Merriweather Post Pavilion will be a gathering place for lovers of live music for many years to come. When Frank Gehry was commissioned to design the pavilion, it may have seemed like a rather simple project for him. It was elegant in its simplicity, an outdoor venue named for Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to the American Post Foods Company. The award-winning architect was better known for challenging architectural convention by designing buildings that looked as if they were melting or warping into strange shapes. Looking up at a Gehry building can make the viewer dizzy because there aren't any straight lines, and his admirers may have been a bit disappointed when he took the job of designing a pavilion for the performance of outdoor musical events.

The Merriweather Post Pavilion was originally intended as a summer venue for the National Symphony Orchestra. The 1967 dedication included two orchestrated compositions by Morton Gould, a renowned composer who had already distinguished himself by writing numerous Broadway scores, film and TV soundtracks and critically-acclaimed symphonic works. The performance of his compositions for the opening of the Pavilion will always be remembered in the annals of American musical history. However, that first performance wasn't really representative of the music that the pavilion has seen since then. Over the years, the venue has been host to a wide variety of musical styles, and artists from all genres come back year after year because they and their fans love it so much. Just two years after its staid opening, the Pavilion was blasted by the high-energy music of the Who and Led Zeppelin in a gig that is now legendary for being the only time these bands played the same event. Both Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin also played the Pavilion, two shows that are memorable because both artists died soon after. You can hear parts of a 1977 Jackson Browne concert from the Merriweather Post Pavilion on his album, "Running On Empty," and Genesis made a video there the following year. Of all the artists who have played at this venue, Jimmy Buffett holds the top position with more than 40 appearances. More recently, Animal Collective named an album after the Pavilion.

Not surprisingly, there have been many multi-artist musical events held at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. The Vans Warped Tour, an extravaganza of music and extreme sports, has been held here every year since 2006. The Virgin Mobile Festival, a free music event, was held here in 2009 and 2010. On several occasions, the Pavilion has been the location for the Lilith Fair, an event highlighting women in music. Looking at the Merriweather Post Pavilion from the vantage point of more than 40 after its creation, we can only admire how wonderful it is, and how perfect it is for its purpose. As its many admirers know, attending a concert at the Pavilion allows them to see their favorite artists in a beautiful setting that is a pleasure in itself.