Post-Gazette Pavilion at Star Lake

I recently attended a concert at the Niagara Pavilion and it's safe to say that it was my first and last time ever entering into that hell on earth ever again. My aunt described the experience as a ""hog being taken to it's slaughter."" If that doesn't say it all I don't know what does. The evening started off fine as we meandered through the parking lot to the very last row of cars in the entire place. This can't be good I thought to myself...little did I know what the evening had in store. We picked up our tickets at will call - just over 50 bucks a pop for a lawn seat - pretty pricey - this better be a good show I thought to myself. Then we waited in line to get into the event - I think it was around 45 minutes in a sweaty, loud, and very drunk underage crowd. I'm 28 and I like to have a few cocktails but I think 80% of the people there were under 18 and had been doing keg stands since about noon. Then I proceeded to be frisked by some overweight, sweaty and pimply security girl. If I knew that was going to happen I sure wouldn't have brought in my damn purse. Ok so we get into the concert - great, it's about damn time. First we hit the bathrooms since the facilities were should I say non-existent in the vast parking lot. I had to use a blanket over my body for privacy to go to the bathroom in the parking lot - GROSS. I think the bathrooms were the only thing that we didn't wait in line for at the entire event. Then we waited in line for $11 miller light cans. WHAT??? Someone mentioned that they had decent beer for sale - I wouldn't consider a 24oz can of Miller Light for 11 bucks decent. That's embarrassing. Then we waited in line for food (are you starting to notice a trend here?) The food was OK at best but I was starving at the time so keep that in mind. Then we made are way over to the ""lawn"" We had brought blankets to sit on and enjoy the concert from - What a joke. The lawn was a mosh pit of sweaty drunks puffing away on cigs - I figured if I entered the lawn I may not ever come out alive again. So we perched ourselves at the corner of the lawn and settled for watching Tom Petty on a TV screen. Wait a minute, I thought the point of a concert was to see the musician? If Tom was in that crowd he would not approve. Just when I was settling in to watch Tom and the Heartbreakers ON TV it started to pour rain. And so the night wore on, watching Tom ON TV and the cold rain. Doesn't that sound like fun? So the show wraps up (FINALLY) and we start the walk to the car (in the last row if you remember). I made a comment at the time that we were going to sit in this parking lot for 3 hours - I thought I was exaggerating at the time. And then we proceeded to sit in the car for 2 hours straight in the exact same spot. We literally did not move an inch in 2 hours and I am not exaggerating at all. All that being said, if you are a pig looking to go to slaughter then this is the place for you. I on the other hand won't be back. And one more thing, I was forced to give one star in order to write this review - but my true rating is 0 stars. Pros: n/a Cons: worst place to see concert EVER if you like music that is more

We had seats under a roof, and within half an hour of the show starting, staff began giving out tix to those in the lawn. I assume to fill out the seats b/c it was not a sold out show. However, these people who paid much less for their lawn tix were getting to sit closer to the stage than those of us who paid for the seats!!! This is clearly not fair-as you're better off buying lawn tix, and hoping to get into the seats. Why don't they have everyone in seats, move up, then fill int he back with people from the lawn???\r Also, I was in an aisle seat, and there were people who didn't even have a seat that were trying to push their way into our row! It was super crowded w/ people trying to be sneaky. And forget about the staff doing anything about it... Pros: great performers Cons: the staff/security and policies more

i was at a concert at the pgp just a few days ago. this is the worst place to go. i had lawn seats and by the time all the fees were added on to my $25 ticket - i ended up paying almost $50. sneaky of them to add $6 to every single ticket to pay for parking. \r \r when i was there, i was so disappointed at the way this place allows fans to behave. security - yeah right!!! that's a joke. in the lawn, it's a nothing more than a chaiotic free-for-all. the amount of drunk (lots underage), high, looking to start a fight minded individuals out there is insane. the fact that smoking is permitted is also wrong. sorry people, wait, no i'm not. the lawn was so thick with smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and illegal smokes that it was disgusting. add to that all the people walking around drunk and stumbling over other people. i also got to see lots of yelling and fighting. (didn't i pay to come see some great music here?) to make things worse, there was at least and hour break in between the two major performers. all there was to do was watch chaios! after almost an hour, my group left. we had had our limit of stupid. \r \r why does the pgp allow and seeminly encourage this kind of behavior? there were a lot of families and kids there to see the bands perform. they were subject to this too. oh, and the ""family section"" of the lawn - ha!!! what a joke. it is off to the side in the back and is a tiny little grassy area with baby gates put up . that would be like taking a table in the middle of a smoking bar and saying this is the non-smoking/kid friendly section. drunk idiots are still all around, thick clouds of smoke are still all around. and to think - these people then get in their cars and drive around!!!! Pros: nothing Cons: everything - from parking to fan behavior more

This venue needs needs to implement some new policies. First, the parking lot was to open at 6, then at 4 and, upon arriving at 4, it was open at 3. Gates were to open at 7, then at 6 but actually opened at 6:25. Parking lot is terrible - needs paved and is littered with broken beer bottles after events. Sitting in the lawn is like sitting in a cesspool - ruled by obnoxious drunken under-aged losers, one of whom pulled off HER pants and urinated on our group's blanket (a group of 15 year old girls!) I am sure this girl's mother would be so proud of her disgusting drunken behavior. And, don't bother telling the security people about this - they don't care and walk away like you are the idiot for stopping to bother them! Worst excuse for a venue EVER and I will not return for any reason! Pros: Would be great place if more security and better policies were put into place! Cons: Alcoholics in the lawn let loose without any control! more

In the past have had great experiences, but not yesterday. Performer was wonderful! \r \r However: The venue's crowd control sucked. Waited 1 1/2 hours to go 3 miles to enter the ampitheater. Parking was a nightmare- getting out there were no people directing traffic, making it a free for all. Waited in line at the bathroom for 45 minutes and missed the first song of the show. There were obnoxiously drunk people everywhere, which, whatever, but security didn't even stop them from invading others' space or getting rowdy and ruining others' time. Pros: Performers are always top-notch Cons: the whole Venue. more

advice: car pool with several friends & split the overly expensive parking; eat a ton of food before you go into the venue or expect to pay outrageous sums for mediocre junk food; spend a lot on your seats and get near the stage or don't bother going -- sight & sound on the hillside (behind reserved seating area) is horrible; if you're lucky enough to have a reserved seat & you're not extremely close to stage, expect to get pelted w/huge pieces of sod torn from hillside by pissed-off spectators. Pros: good if near stage, easy access Cons: way too expensive, bad if not near stage more

This is nice place to go to see a show. There are great shows there and many seats in both the seated area and the lawn. The only problem is if it rains and that is up to mother nature. Pros: great sound, screens for lawn seat, great shows Cons: crowded, expensive, weather more

I really like going to star lake to see concerts. Even sitting way on top of the lawn, you can still hear everything really well. Although alcoholic beverages are really expensive, your garanteed to still have an excellent time. I've been there for a variety of concerts and I was please with them all. Pros: bands/performers, parking Cons: Traffic, alcohol is expensive more

Post-Gazette has an excellent atmosphere and great entertainers and enthusiastic fans. more

I paid $18 plus shipping to park in premier parking for the Poison concert. I ended up waiting longer to exit than those who paid the regular amount! The problem was the staffing, they didn't have a clue. The next concert I went to, I parked in the regular parking, and once again got out before the people in premier parking. Unless you hang out after the show, premier parking isn't worth it. Pros: great acoustics Cons: bad parking setup more