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With the coronavirus pandemic seemingly in the rearview mirror of communities across the country, officials at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion at The Woodlands are bracing for a busy few months as concerts resume.
That preparation, said Jerry MacDonald, President and CEO of Pavilion, helped venue officials put on Sunday night’s first concert at The Woodlands iconic music venue in 602 days.
“(Sunday) night was our first show, Chicago, everything went well with no issues,†MacDonald said. “We went 602 days without a concert, which is crazy, just crazy.”
Hopes have been growing since January, MacDonald explained, for a massive return-to-normal run of dozens of concerts in 2021 – many of which had been canceled in 2020 and reset for this year.
“I think we’ll be the busiest site in the country this year,†MacDonald said. “We are starting slowly. We had deliberately reserved numbers with which we could only make seats. “
The Pavilion concert season typically starts slowly in April and May with more shows on the schedule starting in June and continuing through the end of October. In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation or postponement of every concert under pressure.
MacDonald said Monday that officials at the open-air concert hall on the shores of The Woodlands Waterway are extremely optimistic that more than 30 live and in-person concerts will take place in 2021, with a flurry of acts. costly scheduled for September and October.
There are still a few possible concert additions to the fall schedule, MacDonald added, noting that a “big announcement” will be released by venue officials soon. He also said that seven new concerts have been added to the Pavilion’s 2022 schedule and are on sale online.
The Chicago concert was limited to seating, meaning the expansive grassy general admission area was empty and about 7,000 attendees were in attendance, MacDonald noted.
“We were the third date of their tour. They were all so excited to be back on the road, playing for the fans, â€MacDonald said of the members of the popular classic rock group. “It was seats only, so almost 7,000 people in the seats. We have announced 26 shows to date and these are on sale now. We plan to do over 30 shows during the 2021 season. â€
Many concerts to come
Optimism for the concert series has spilled over to Visit The Woodlands officials, who are excited about the many concerts in September and October that are expected to help fill local hotels with guests.
Nick Wolda, president of Visit The Woodlands, said he and other staff at the non-profit convention and township visitors bureau were excited about the season ahead after an unusual 2020 without concerts.
“The Pavilion has almost 40 shows over the next five months, they’re going to be on the move,†Wolda told township directors at a board meeting on June 23.
MacDonald said the lodge is ready to go due to the continuity of the site during the COVID-19 pandemic, including not laying off workers or staff after securing two PPP loans. Now a very busy concert series kicks off with the free symphonic musical extravaganza from July 4 on Saturday, followed by a roster of top performers.
Some of those expected on shows in 2021 include: country star and local favorite Parker McCollum; a very first show at the Pavilion by Dead & Company; the Doobie brothers; the Jonas Brothers’ favorite teenage girls; contemporary rock puts the Black Crowes, Brad Paisley on hold; Jason Aldean; Korn’s wacky antics; 1980s icons Daryl Hall and John Oates; crowd favorites, Lil Baby and Lil Durk; the Latino rockers Santana; old crooner Rod Stewart; the childish dance hits of the Back Street Boys; and in 2022, Steely Dan with Steve Winwood.
“The months of September and October will be very busy. We just announced Pit Bull, Kings of Leon, â€added MacDonald. “We are working on several other acts that we are announcing soon. There is no mask requirement and we operate as usual. “
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