Columbia’s Merriweather finds magic from uncertain future to sold-out concerts
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 regraded pavilion and lawn to improve views of the stage, among other enhancements. Pollstar dubbed it the world’s highest-grossing amphitheater last year, and it’s drawn in nearly 6 million concert and festivalgoers in the span of 20 years, I.M.P. announced in May.
Highlights of this year’s season include Alanis Morissette, Hozier and Maggie Rogers. Mitski will be performing three shows at Merriweather, the first time any artist has done it in 30 years and the first time a woman has done it since Donna Summer in 1979, said Zhubin Aghamolla, Merriweather’s co-director of booking.
“Once you create that magic on both sides of the stage, that’s when you’re putting on the best show you possibly can,” Aghamolla said in a statement. “And I think that’s why the artists and the fans continue to perform and attend our venues.”
The rock band O.A.R., formed in Rockville, will return to Merriweather for its 18th time in July — setting the record for the band that’s played the venue the most over the past 20 years.
“The people in Maryland and our surrounding area are so supportive,” Schaefer said. “It’s like they have an insatiable musical appetite.”
Fans also come to visit from all 50 states, she said, with festivals like All Things Go selling out.
“It’s kind of like having your playlist on shuffle,” Schaefer said of the festivalgoing experience.
She said Merriweather hosted its largest crowds — 50,000 people, compared with the usual 19,000 for a sold-out concert — during the annual Virgin Mobile FreeFest, a free event.
Taylor Swift, who’s played at the venue before, is one artist she’d like to see return. Aghamolla wouldn’t reveal the artists who haven’t yet played at Merriweather that he’s hoping to book, so as not to “spoil any surprises.”
“Anytime you walk through the gates, it’s something that takes you away from real life,” Schaefer said.