JBL Live at Pier 97

Won free tickets from lottery at today tix. Told were 9000 entries with 12 winners. Amazing seats about 15 rows from stage. Behind are general admission all standing. Concert will be about 4 hrs. Food trucks look good but really long lines. Lots of major Bway stars to be here

Christina Perri and Colbie Caillat concert during the summer time — it was quite hot but seems about right for a concert. Little booths for drinks, porta potties with crap inside. Sweaty people crowding around each other. The concert was great though!

I had a pretty good experience seeing Counting Crows at JBL Live at Pier 97.
The venue itself was a little far out there. I guess it had to be in order to secure that prime space along the river. The doors and show were early by normal concert standards. I could imagine that being a pain for people trying to see a show after a workday. Additionally, there really wasn’t much around it in terms of pre-​concert food and drink. There was this little thing called the West Side Highway that made it isolated. You are supposed to cross the street at 58^th. If you try to run across the highway before the show, you will probably be yelled at. If you try to do it after the show, you will be stopped by park rangers.
Since the venue is by a biking/​running path, beware of cyclists and runners. Because of this path, security won’t let you line up for the show until early afternoon. That’s probably a good thing because you will be sitting on the hot concrete, and boy did it get hot. There are nice little benches in a park that you can sit on prior to lining up.
I’m not sure what happened the day of my visit or whose fault it was, but they let both the VIP and GA groups in late. Doors were supposed to open at 5pm and probably didn’t open until a notch after 5pm. I also had the unfortunate luck of picking a ticket-​scanner in training to scan me in. They really shouldn’t let the trainees start scanning until the initial rush to the rail is done.
Once inside with a secured space and my one bottle of sealed water, I had a great time. Brandon E. was on point with his potty pro-​tip. The ones toward the back are really clean. Dare I say, the cleanest port-​o-​potties I’ve ever been in!
Beer will run you $ 9 per drink. They serve cans all the way back towards the river and drafts at all other stands. The bartenders were friendly and downright charming. I also noticed that there was not a single light beer to be found. Bravo to JBL Live and their craft beer selection. I got to enjoy a few Bronx Brewery Session IPAs.
While I’m not familiar with the NYC food truck scene, it was great to see that gourmet trucks were selling the concert grub. I wish I had a chance to try some of the food, although the thought of hot food on such a scorching day was a bit of a turnoff.
The acoustics from my vantage at the front of the rail were excellent. Once the sun went down, the cool freeze felt refreshing. There is a gap between the stage and the rail that includes space for speakers and photographers, neither of which obstructed the view at all. For a newer venue, they do need a little work on the rail. The part I was standing by was wooden and a little splintery.
According to the website, all concerts at JBL Live at Pier 97 end at 10pm. This show was no exception.
While I wouldn’t travel from Philly to New York specifically for this venue, I wouldn’t hesitate to come back for a good act.

Overall «meh» music venue. You get a nice breeze from the river and the beverage vendors take credit cards but otherwise nothing spectacular. Food truck options are limited as are the options for beer (3 draft choices). I agree with the other reviewers about the massive sound tower being poorly placed. Crowd control is also a big issue: we experienced delays exiting the venue due to a massive and seemingly unnecessary bottleneck. Sound quality was pretty poor — difficult to hear unless you make your way towards the front of the crowd. Loads of better outdoor music options in NYC — and most with a less expensive price tag (concert t-​shirts were $ 40!!!)

The concept is cool the layout and security is terrible. First it’s a mission to get into and everyone directing traffic tells you something different. Even if your a big fan who lines up to get front row don’t get your hopes up high. They break apart lines when letting crowd in. Also they recently started doing sitting and not just ga and it’s terrible bc unless ur in seats you won’t be able to see anything even if your 6’5 bc they have this huge tower right in the center after seating that holds tech equipment and it blocks anyone from seeing if your ga behind it terrible. Security are a bunch of rude dudes with power trips which is typical but here they are extra feisty because the loads of people who can’t see try to position where they can and guards say no no no keep it moving. Beers are 13.00 and food trucks have lines for days with way over priced food. I had tix for Meghan Trainor and left after her third song because I couldn’t see her or even hear her, speakers are kept pretty mild because I’m sure of regulations. Avoid, not worth it unless your guaranteed front.

General admission is standing room only — which means that if you want to actually be able to see the stage, you have to be way up in the front. Otherwise, taller folks or kids seated on parents’ shoulders (or the gigantic scaffolding in the middle of the arena) will obstruct any possible view of the artists on stage.
They don’t have outdoor video screens showing what’s going on on-​stage, so there really is no way to see the artist unless you’re super close.
The alternative is to walk back pretty far so you can see above the crowd, but the sound system doesn’t extend the length of the pier, so you may be able to see the stage from far away but can’t really hear the concert that well.
The price for the tickets was OK (~$ 40 for Meghan Trainor), but it was still a little too much to pay to be able to hear-​but-​not-​see, or see-​but-​not-​hear the concert.
If you’re going, plan to arrive early to secure a spot by the stage.
Otherwise, plenty of food and drinks, and plenty of portable bathrooms with clean hand-​washing stations.
The views of the city are great from the venue.
Entrance is under the west-​side highway between 58^th and 59^th on 12^th avenue.

This place was super hard to find (I wound up running into a member of the band I was seeing on the street and had to ask him where the hell the venue was but thankfully he knew lol) but once I was there it was an awesome place. I just don’t recommend going to a general admission concert on a really hot day because at the end of the show I felt like I was going to pass out but I didn’t bring water in the crowd with me (but the security guards in the front kept giving people water which was helpful)… but I got to see my favorite band there so it was great!

This review is not about the concert it is about the $ 50 per person VIP. PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!
Second time at this venue. First time, there were plenty of food trucks and a larger variety. There was very little wait time to eat and the amazing variety of food and of course the great dessert!!! This time, we decided to spring for the VIP seating, which was $ 100 for the two of us. There were only three food trucks and one that ran out of everything except the tacos. The variety and prices were scarce and over the top. The VIP DOES NOT INCLUDE FOOD SERVICE. We waited 40 minutes on a pizza line that hardly moved. At one point it completely stopped. We ended up leaving the line and the concert… we were starving. At the VIP entrance there are 4 to 5 employees just standing there watching the concert. Maybe they should be serving food. I would have no problem paying a service charge for the food.
So…the point is. It’s an great venue to see a concert. The show from what we saw (on the food line) was great. Christina Perri never disappoints. But never opt for the VIP!!! The people sitting Indian styles on floor looked really happy and $ 100 richer. Lol

Came to see the Barenaked Ladies with the Violent Femms and Colin Hay. The venue was great. The food was normal priced for an outdoor concert. The bands were amazing. I would be happy to come to another event here. Something about a concert on a pier just makes it better!

This place is as hard to find on Unilocal as it is in real life. What a confusing mess, that’s why no 5 stars. Even Barenaked Ladies got lost getting here.
Don’t google map it, it will take you to 10^th street. You need to go to 58^th Street and cross under the West Side highway if you have regular tickets and will call and the box office is on 55^th.
The venue itself is pretty good. Plenty of beer and wine vendors as well as a few food trucks. There are enough porta johns for all of Hell’s Kitchen. Pro-​tip: don’t go to the john’s close to the stage, venture further to the rear and they’re clean and no line.
We came to see the Violent Femmes and Barenaked Ladies. It was fairly easy to get close to the stage and wasn’t claustrophobic. I could do without people sitting down in random spots which seemed to be a thing. This is a concert venue without seats, suck it up and stand or buy VIP tickets.
I will definitely be back for a show. Although in the middle of venue, fairly close to the stage they have the sound tech island which is fine but they have this giant, unnecessary 30 foot scaffolding over it which really obstructs any view from behind it making everyone funnel to the 2 narrow sides.

I recently won free tickets from the MusicGeeks email list for Billy Idol at end of May 2015. I would have never known this venue existed (Apparently neither did Unilocal — I couldn’t check in directly and had to use Hudson River Park.) You enter here by 58^th Street if you have tickets or come up from 55^th Street if you are going to will call/​VIP/​Guest List.
This is a excellent venue that is very well organized. Since most people would have to cross the Henry Hudson Pkwy to get there the organizers have many workers around the streets directing pedestrians on where to enter for the will call, general admission, etc. They also act as quasi crossing guards.
The venue is quite impressive with majestic Manhattan views on one side and the Hudson along with an awesome sunset when the timing and weather cooperate. There are plenty of vendors set up to buy drinks and there are great food trucks here such as Coolhaus, Morristruck, Waffle De Lys, Korilla on this occasion.
The venue was not packed which allow you to walk along the pier. There is even a sunset lounge at the end of the pier to hang out and purchase drinks.
The major con with this venue is lack of true bathrooms, but they do have an impressive array of porta-​potties along with multiple foot pump hand washing stations. If real bathroom facilities were incorporated here this place would be a 5 star, world class, venue that will knock your socks off with its privileged location!