GEDDES, N.Y. (CelebrityAccess) A June 5 concert by the Dave Matthews Band at Geddes, N.Y.’s Lakeview Amphitheatre apparently had delayed ingress, with the Syracuse Post-Standard calling it a “debacle,” “chaos,” “insane” and a “nightmare.”
Thousands waited in long lines trying to catch shuttles to the DMB concert, with a few frustrated enough to walk across Interstate 690 to get to the shed, according to the paper. Some said they would never return to the county-owned facility because of traffic jams, a closed parking lot, long lines, too few shuttles and “disorganized attendants/staff.” One issue is apparently that an Orange Lot paving project wasn’t completed in time for the show, which kicked off the summer concert season. Kenny Chesney is scheduled to play tonight.
There were apparently also few Uber or Lyft rides available to help get people to the front gates.
Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney told the paper that the construction at the Orange Lot made venue officials concerned about pedestrian safety, leading to the closing of a pedestrian bridge. She admitted that some fans “took their lives into their hands” by crossing the interstate.
“We thought that (closing the bridge) would be the safest thing for people,” she said. “But as it turns out, it wasn’t.”
Officials at facility management company SMG said they would “significantly” increase the number of shuttles. The parking lots will open beginning at 3:30 p.m. The shuttles will start taking concertgoers to the amphitheater’s main gate at 4:30 p.m.
Mahoney called the situation “growing pains” stemming from the first concert of the summer. She commended the band for delaying its show for a half-hour as people continued to enter the facility.
The amphitheatre opened in 2015, replacing the aging Mohegan Sun Grandstand.
