There was a time, in the not so distant past, when South Florida was not fertile territory for mega tours. We'd get some, sure, but there were too few suitable venues and we were too far south geographically.
We haven't been able to alter our placement in the North American hemisphere, global warming notwithstanding, but over the past decade-plus we've seen the addition of world-class concert arenas, amphitheaters and mid-sized venues that rival any major city's.
Here's a look at some.
• AmericanAirlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd. Miami (also houses the Waterfront Theatre); 786-777-1250.
• BankAtlantic Center, One Panther Parkway, Sunrise (also houses the Sinatra Theatre); 954-835-7825.
These newer venues both opened in the late 1990s. Sunrise's BankAtlantic -- formerly named National Car Rental Center and Office Depot Center -- and its Miami-Dade counterpart, the AmericanAirlines Arena, are your every-city, sports arena-turned-concert venue.
That means a possible 20,000 seats (depending on stage configuration) with good to poor sound and sight lines. This is where you will find arena-level acts like the Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Barbra Streisand and Beyoncé.
There have been some impressively rich shows at these arenas -- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at BankAtlantic, for instance, boasted CD-quality fidelity. So did Streisand. Some others, like the summer perennial American Idols Live tours, always sound echoey and look murky. It's all up to the sound mixer and the stage designer.
BankAtlantic Center has 7,045 on-site parking spaces; AmericanAirlines has 939 on-site with a possible 8,200 at private area lots and the nearby Bayside Marketplace garage. BankAtlantic's lots are easier to access; the AAA can be a horror, contending with less on-site parking, congested Biscayne Boulevard and its endless construction delays. Prices vary but, ouch, expect $20 to $40 per show.
Both sites have food courts with BankAtlantic topping the AAA in terms of food quality and with brighter, more inviting hallways.
Both venues also have retrofitted rooms for smaller acts. In this case, AAA's Waterfront Theatre outclasses the BAC's Sinatra Theatre in terms of sight lines and decor.
• BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, 1245 Dauer Dr., Coral Gables; 305-284-8686.
Not to be confused with the BankAtlantic Center. (When this venue opened a few years ago it was named the Convocation Center for a micromoment). Smack-dab on a college campus, the 7,000-seat BankUnited should be popping with shows and, for a blip, some hot tours passed through here from Green Day and Coldplay. We'd like to see more of that caliber. Bring 'em on, we can take it.
Decent sound, easy parking in an adjacent garage (price of parking is generally included with cost of ticket) gives concert fans in the Gables, Kendall and Homestead regions something to get excited about -- a major concert venue in their time zone.
• Bayfront Park Amphitheater, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-358-7550.
Bayside and Bicentennial Park, seven blocks south, tend to host multiartist radio package shows and themed festival concerts featuring hip-hop, techno, reggae and hard rock, the better to cater to the young and agile who will have the energy to hunt down parking, dodge construction sites, outmanuever the homeless, and brave the heat.
Bayfront seats a little over 2,600 but has a capacity of 10,000 or so thanks to lawn space.
• Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222.
Everything Miami's Carnival Center should be: a neighborhood revitalizer with plenty of parking in a multi-story garage with attached covered walkways, plus nearby bars and restaurants. A romantic stroll along Riverwalk is a must after an evening swooning to Tony Bennett. Try that at the Carnival Center.
Broward Center has a 2,688-seat main room for touring Broadway shows, pop, jazz and classical concerts and a 500-seat theater for developing acts.
• Carnival Center for the Performing Arts, Knight Concert Hall, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami; 305-949-6722.
Miami's world-class crown jewel for the arts or not worth the bother? You'll find plenty of patrons who could convincingly argue both sides.
On the plus column, the 2,200-seat Knight Concert Hall portion, where you will find the resident classical music companies, and contemporary pop, jazz, Latin and country acts (yes, even country, Willie Nelson played here), has warm, clean sound. The blond wood floors and seats are lovely. Bask in all that eye-candy.
The negatives? Scattered parking spread out in a still iffy neighborhood. Nowhere suitable to walk after a show to have a drink or dine. Not enough contemporary pop concerts. The staff could be friendlier and more knowledgable.
• The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-673-7300.
We know this much: when the remodeled venue opens Oct. 10 with a splashy Ricky Martin shindig, the venue will hold 2,700 people, just like it did when it only had one iconic name (Jackie Gleason Theater). But promoters promise a taste of the famed Fillmore in San Francisco.
• Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, near Hollywood; 954-327-7625.
Plan to make a day of visiting this gleaming 86-acre mini-city. The 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live is just one part of this gaming village which is stockpiled with restaurants of all price ranges, boutiques, the casino, and enough pop star memorabilia on the walls to satisfy the most encyclopedic-minded rock fan. There's Led Zeppelin's concert rider from 1969. Madonna's bustier. Elton John's encased feather-festooned outfit from when he was cool and didn't look like somebody's uncle.
The concert venue's square room has been well-designed with mostly good sound and sight lines but, as with any venue, the soundboard mixer is king.
Venue caters to the over-45 demographic it wants to lure into the nearby casino -- meaning a lot of classic rock and pop acts booked here. But the Hard Rock cachet also lures heavy hitters, like Bruce Springsteen who held a sold-out, one-man show here.
Multiple parking lots ensure a space for all -- and, wow, it's all free (unless you simply must pamper yourself and valet park).
• James L. Knight International Center, 400 SE Second Ave., Miami; 305-416-5970.
Tucked inside a Hyatt Hotel in a neglected area of downtown Miami, the Knight Center is showing signs of wear. Despite the run-down feel, the sound can be quite good at this 5,000 seater.
Yet parking has become a chore. Once, paved lots were plentiful across the street but these are torn asunder for construction so you must choose to pay overpriced valet fees or park in the hotel's narrow, winding garage. Drive carefully. The garage seems designed for Munchkin mobiles. (If you go this route, skip the encore to beat the crowds or you'll be stuck trying to squeeze your way out for the better part of 30 minutes or more). Or, find a city garage a couple blocks away.
The venue primarily hosts Latin or R&B performances, however British synthpop duo Erasure recently had a gig here.
• Pompano Beach Amphitheater, 1806 NE Sixth St., Pompano Beach; 954-946-2402.
It never rains in Southern California, a pop singer once sang, but we'd pelt him with lightning bolts if he tried to adapt that ditty in South Florida. We once sat here under a deluge so heavy it sent the performers, Crash Test Dummies, scrambling back to Canada, never to return, even though they were playing on a covered stage. Hey, it rains in South Florida. We deal.
Under a starry sky, this 3,000-seat venue for mid-sized touring acts (Heart, Trisha Yearwood, Sugar Ray) is a treat. Parking's not a problem, there are paved and grass lots surrounding the site. Ample leg room means you won't be French kissing your knees when the bloke next to you runs for another beer. All eyes are drawn straight to the stage no matter where you are seated and the sound is generally good.
• Sound Advice Amphitheater, 601-7 Sansbury's Way, West Palm Beach; 561-793-0445.
Since opening in the mid 1990s, this open-air venue has had more name changes than Madonna has had guises. Whatever they are calling it this year, this is South Florida's prime spot to catch the biggest pop, rock and country acts. Plentiful concession stands, 7,000 seats, lawn space increases the capacity to 19,000.
Into country's Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Brad Paisley? Classic pop/rockers Jimmy Buffett, Roger Waters and James Taylor? Modern rockers Marilyn Manson and Velvet Revolver? Eighties packaged tours from Poison/Ratt? You'll find yourself here at some point.
Plenty of on-site parking lots ($20). Since Sound Advice was built for music, more attention to sound went into its design. It's little wonder audiophile duo Steely Dan performed here.
The one nit: folks in Miami-Dade may feel that they are on a road tour themselves while making this 160-mile round-trip trek. Pack plenty o' tunes (might we suggest Patience from Guns 'N Roses?) for the car ride over.
-- Howard Cohen
