PNC Bank Arts Center

Been to a lot of area venues over the years and I can honestly say that I have never had a bad time here. Is it perfect? No. But it is a lot better than most places. Easy in, easy out. Great tailgaiting areas. Very safe place. Great views from any seats. Prices are reasonable. Food and drink is expensive, but you can tailgate before hand. We will always come back here for the classic bands. We have seen… Moodys, Ringo, J. Browne, Chicago, Frampton, Synard and more. The best of all was… John Fogerty. Great venue. Fun on a nice NJ summer night…

I’ve read a large number of negative reviews here, and after going to a PNC concert (Bad Company and Joe Wash) for the first time last night, I can only say I had a different experience. Granted that based on the negative reviews, my expectations were low. But aside from the unusually hot and humid evening, we had a pretty good time.
Getting in was easy, though I’d say that going for the VIP parking late in the game ($ 30 on StubHub, less if bought with the ticket) was probably a really good idea. Plenty of parking, people hanging out tailgating, lots of music, enjoying the food we’d brought. Very pleasant. Less than ten minute walk to the theater. Ample restrooms. Not clean by any means, but no worse and maybe a tad better than comparable facilities. Ridiculously priced refreshments and tees, but again, this is true at any concert venue. Ample staff, and apparently well staffed first aid facility.
The two screens were large and clear. The sound quality for both bands was more than acceptable.
Biggest negative — the seats were not comfortable. I seem to recall the seats being better at SPAC, but it’s been a few years, and I wouldn’t even swear to that. The amount of sanctioned bad behavior was small. This could have been a function of the age demographic. Cigarette smoking in the theater was pretty much quashed by the staff, as it should have been. Weed was everywhere, which was fine with me. It was a concert, after all!
All I all, I was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

I attended a graduation here and it was really nice.
The outdoor space is large, airy and you can hear everything really well.
There are restrooms all around and stands in which you could buy drinks & snacks.
Cons:
Seats are really close together and it is a struggle to get in & out of them.

Went here in July for a comedy series, was very fun. But the archaic elitist way they allow access is not. Even if you have tickets just a breath away from the front row, unless you fork out money for their tiered VIP access, you’re no better than the lawn seats. Was disappointed with their selection of food that was more apt for a carnival than for adults.
Exiting also took forever. Hey, at least a friend bought the tickets right?

Awful venue. Parking is a mile away unless you are a vip. No shuttle. Then after you walk uphill you have to go in a farther gate because the close one is for vips.
Food and drink is, as mentioned by others, ridiculously overpriced.
Seats are so close together you can not move. And the sounds system is horrible! Couldn’t Eben make our the words to the songs.
Will not come here again.

PNC Bank Arts Center has provided me so many years of memories. I saw my first concert here. Yep, that N’SYNC show that I reference in my Unilocal profile. A lot of places go downhill or don’t live up to hype of nostalgia, but I don’t think I’ve even seen my best days at PNC yet.
As a young Jersey Girl, my days were spent in the lawn. As an older music goer, I’ve spent some time in the front row. The front row is right against the rail so you don’t feel like you are at a seated show, but have that opportunity to sit. There is a platform between the front row and the stage, but there’s not enough space to be blocked by photographers. The acoustics were great.
Of the larger outdoor seated amphitheaters I’ve been to through the PA, Jersey, NY regions, this one might be the nicest. It’s spacious so you don’t ever feel like you are in a herd of cattle.
At first I was a little put off by the $ 15 price sticker for light, bad beer. That was until I found a stand selling $ 10 dollar 16 ounce Goose Island IPAs. Still overpriced but a much better beer for a much better deal.
Parking is always easy enough here too. I go in the back way and have never had to pay or sit in traffic. They also offer a shuttle for anyone who is taking the train to and from NYC.
Unfortunately, this venue is no longer as close to home as it used to be. I’d have no problem spending a little time on the road to return. Their summer concert season has been great as long as I can remember.

I came here for a kelly clarkson and Pentatonix concert. The parking was ridiculous coming in, even more ridiculous coming out (but that’s to be expected bc there were so many people). But just be aware that you might want to park closer to the entrance, and thus come early to snag a spot, so it makes life easier when the concert ends.
I got the lawn seat, which had a decent view depending on where you sat. It rained that day though, so it sucked to be sitting on wet grass and I would say that In this situation, it might be worth it to have paid extra to be closer to the stage and under a roof. Otherwise, bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Check the weather and bring an umbrella too!
The venue facilities overall left a grimy impression (bathrooms, food stands, etc), but the amazing concert made up for it.

Ok, please tell me what happened to your venue?
I attended the Earth Wind & Fire — Chicago concert last night. The performance was amazing, the facility was less than desirable. I’m going to start and end with the ladies room. Disgusting, no beyond disgusting. Someone made a mess of the restroom and in the 30 minutes I waited in line, no one came to address the mess. The floors were wet and i presume it wasn’t from washing/​cleaning products. There were 5 sinks but only one was working so we had to wait in another line just to wash our hands.
Theres no excuse for this.

I went to the pnc last night to see Van Halen with Diamond Dave.
My group of 2 cars arrived at 445 for a 7pm show.
Entrance and parking was simple. My wife purchased the vip parking prior to the concert.
From what I understand if you plan on getting to the venue early buying parking is unnecessary.
The tailgate experience was excellent
We were able to monopolize a few spots.
You are able to bbq/​grill in the lot, alcohol is no problem. Nice experience.
We purchased lawn seats, it is what it is… we drank all afternoon and waited until the last possible minute to enter the arena. We were forced to go to the back of the lawn seating area, we could have sat down in our chairs (can only be nine inches off the ground) but we ended up dancing most of the night.
The area really needs to fix the lawn area, potholes and a steep walk do not mix. Folks were falling down, tripping etc.
Folks are generally well behaved.
Pnc has alcohol and food for sale.
$ 15 for a 24oz beer… yeah buddy
All ages arena, easy exit on to the garden state parkway.

This place blows like the governor of NJ Shammo the whale. Everything about this place annoyed me last night .
I payed extra for good seats and parking from Live Nation. To start with the parking staff was useless. I have never seen tail gating with tents next to cars and trucks with buckets for people to go to the bathroom in. Really NJ this is s first.
I had excellent seats except the acoustics are terrible while security allows wasted people dance in front of your view when security and staff isn’t blocking the view. Who runs the show here morons. For an outside concert go to Jones Beach in NY its managed so much better and worth the extra money. Forget getting a beer one yes one 22oz will cost you the price of a case of Heineken .
I hated everything about this place. The sound and the lowlife NJ subhumans who need to learn how to act at a concert. I have been to many shows over the years around the Tri– State area so my advise is avoid this place it’s not worth it.

Took my 15 year old to see Incubus (in the worst traffic day in Central NJ, TP was shut down between exits 10 – 14, and we live in Jersey City). Good thing we went early as she wanted to see all 4 acts. Arrived 5:00pm for the 6:15 start and got good parking — about a 5min walk to the venue. We had good seats, row F on section 104 — problem is the Security people block some of your view when you’re this close. Better to get seats a little further back and higher, save some money, too.
Like the other reviewers, if the weather’s gonna be good, line up early to get a lawn space, bring food and eat it in your car, they let you drink your beer in the parking lot — the 25oz can inside the venue is $ 15.

Great time.
1) Came here for Slipknot and Lamb of God.
2) I will recommend the lawn seating, save some money without missing much of the action. But bring a blanket if you want to sit.
3) The food is very expensive. So eat before coming. Also, they allow you to bring a water bottle inside.

Great venue for outdoor summer concerts. Lawn seating is the way to go. You can either bring your own small lawn chair or rent one for five bucks. Two giant screens give visuals to performance.
Tailgating is allowed in parking lot.

Check it
Steely Dan is real
New Jersey family and all the love
My beautiful wife was carded for no good reason came back to the seats with no beer wine or a smile. Customers service not included here. Ushers know their songs but refreshment staff are challenged.

Not among the best venues…
And yes, I’ve been to all sorts of venues for concerts both outdoor and indoor, seedy dive bars, large arenas and even in Central Park. This place is crap.
Unless you want to pay for parking, be prepared to walk nearly a mile to the lawn — and I’m not cheap or lazy, but if I want to go for a walk, I’ll go for a walk… but not before a concert. If it’s a hot day, enjoy the sweat. The parking lot is unorganized and the spaces are terribly marked. It’s full of cracks, loose rocks, and potholes — at least the lot I was in… the far one.
If you want a good spot on the lawn, you need to get here early. There’s seating, but my ticket was for general admission and I have no intention of ever coming to this dump again to find out. You can rent one of their chairs or bring your own (for the lawn) — but you may want to check if your chair is «up to code» for them.
There’s plenty of tailgating in the lot. People smoke (both kinds) and drink here, so if you’re sensitive to that it’s not for you.
So I can respect those who like this place, but I personally won’t be ever attending a show in this toilet again. Again, if you come here — get here EARLY.

I was denied access with my Service Animal today at Vans Warped Tour because «they might bite someone» which is a violation of federal law. They questioned my disabilities and asked for proof of vaccinations (which also is against federal law).
We called when we bought the tickets and asked about their service animal policy and we checked their website which says service animals are welcome.
The staff and the state trooper refused to listen to federal law. When my friend went to inquire about contacting their legal department, she was denied. They issued a refund which is the only reason I am giving this place a star.
I will be contacting the department of justice and human rights act regarding this.

Great venue to see some terrific acts that come to NJ. I really like how you can buy a beer and be back to your seat in minutes. Now, the beers can be pricey ($ 10.00 a can /​$ 16.00 for 24oz drafts) but I think we’ve all come to expect that this is the «price of admission» more or less these days.
Wide jumbo screens make the lawn seats tolerable. Otherwise, most of these seats don’t allow for good views of the stage. Regardless, there’s generally a cool vibe amongst all chilling on the lawn, save for the one or two a**holes who can’t handle their alcohol. We were section 101 this evening and it was terrific! Great views, great sound, nearby beer stands. Good night overall!
If you get a chance to see a concert here, I think you’ll agree it beats MSG or whatever becomes of the next IZOD center.

Went to the Holiday Lights Spectacular The admission is $ 25 per car load. Definitely pack the family in and for all its cheesy spectacular glory, it’s fun. They advertised blinking lights to radio station 102.5. Didn’t happen. At the near end of the trip, you are encouraged to visit the Santa Village. Not much to see. When we went, there was a line for photo opportunity to take a picture with Santa. We decided not to. As we were leaving, we saw Santa I asked if he would mind having our picture taken with him with our cell phone. He said he’d be glad to. The security official even offered to take it for us.
Go, enjoy but just know it’s a little cheesy but still fun.

I went here with a friend to see Brad Paisley and Randy Houser on a Friday night. We bought VIP tickets and a VIP parking permit. For the money they charge here, you would think they would invest in a few signs.
When driving in, there are no signs directing you where to go or which parking area to go to. We drove up to a few different parking attendants after randomly ending up in different parking areas. To enter our parking area, we had to drive through another parking lot full of people and tailgaters, take some ramp alongside the GSP, and got dumped onto a road that split off and we had no idea which way to go. One road had concert traffic backed up heading the wrong way against oncoming traffic. Very odd setup — with no signs.
After we parked and went inside, there were no signs advising which way to go. We finally walked through the lawn section and ended up making it to our section. The VIP passes also entitled us to a separate bathroom and lounge area, but we couldn’t find it anywhere… again, no signs. By the time we found a staff member to point us in the right direction and eventually found it, it would’ve taken longer than using the General Admission bathrooms. Half of the reason I got VIP tickets were for the separate bathroom area with minimal lines. It kind of defeated the purpose.
The concession stand prices were absolutely ridiculous. We paid $ 53 for a hamburger & fries, two nachos, popcorn, 2 small sodas.
The seating arrangement is decent, but even in the VIP section, it was difficult to see the stage. Being typical NJ, people walk just like they drive. Lots of people will stand up in front of you, blocking your view of the stage. There is a walkway in front of the VIP seating area, with a steady flow of traffic during the whole concert, which continuously obstructed the view. On the way out, a lot of people were pushing or stumbling into us. No wonder they can’t drive… they haven’t even learned how to walk yet.
All of the seats in the pavilion were hard plastic — including the VIP section. It didn’t bother us much, but people who are older or have back problems could definitely have difficulties with this.
Most of the staff were friendly and helpful. Some seemed like they didn’t want to be bothered and were more interested in socializing with their co-​workers, but that was only a few of them. The parking people were friendly, the seating people were very nice, and the waitress was was polite.
VIP tickets here are a complete waste. Apply that same money toward closer seats so you have less people blocking your view of the stage. However, the VIP parking pass (which can be purchased separately) is well worth the money… it’ll help you avoid walking a mile to the various parking areas which are spread out all over the place.

I really don’t like this place.
I don’t like the insanely high concession prices on par with NFL games at MetLife Stadium.
I don’t like the snail’s pace movement of the concession lines because the Art Center doesn’t contract out more than one bartender for the craft beer line while the «Alcohol Compliance Supervisor» stands at the checkout and pretends to actually care about underage drinkers.
I don’t like the lack of food options, even if I wanted to pay for it.
I don’t like the parking situation.
I don’t like the non-​existence of shuttles to move people from the parking lots to the venue.
I don’t like the disastrous attempts at handling the mass amounts of traffic before and after events.
I don’t like when my admission ticket specifically states that the gates open at 5:00 when the staff really doesn’t open the gates until after 5:30, thereby causing the crowd to line up like a herd of cattle.
I don’t like the frat house conditions of the bathrooms.
I really don’t like this place. Get my drift?
The only reason they’re getting two stars from me is because the sound has been flawless at every event I’ve attended, whether it be a concert or comedy show. And the staff does at least equip the area immediately outside the entrance with plenty of port-o-John’s.