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AKA The Comcast Centre, but no one I know calls is that. Now I understand why Phish has not stopped here in the past couple years, mostly because we are a very small state sandwiched between 2 states that Phish frequents nearly every year, NY/MA. Though we have the 4th largest outdoor amphitheater in the country with a capacity of 30,000 people. 
Phish has stopped here 5 times
6/30/00
7/01/00
8/14/09
6/17/10
6/18/10
Now, you could say I'm biased because I lived 5 minutes away (about an hour now), but this an epic venue. Last 3 they played, I attended, and it RAGED all 3. I remember talking to people after the 09 show who had never been to the meadows and about how awesome the venue was and how it was built for this band. Though the sound is what you'd expect from an outdoor show, but the energy you get from a packed house in that place is nothing short of magical. Its right off the highway, numerous hotels in walking distance and huge lots. This should be Northeast Phish stop staple, but its not. Here's to a stop or 2 or 3 in 2013.
What's your guys thoughts on the venue from those who have attended in the past?
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They have to play here in 2013
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I sure hope so went to all the shows since they came back and had a blast at all of them would love to see them come back next summer
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First gig of my life was Pearl Jam, 1996 at the Meadows......always hava good time at the Meadows.
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Signed
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30 min from my house, so I would love more, first show was 6.18.10 for me, but I read all the idiots OD'ing maxed out two floors, 80 beds total during the 2010 shows both nights at Zhatgird Hospital. That is a huge risk and cost and my guess, why they haven't come back since. I live in CT, have seen 15 shows, only my first in CT.
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I would love it. Never seen a bad show from any band there.
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Love the Meadows - saw epic shows from Phil & Friends and the Dead there a while back and would love to see Phish play there again. Great lawn, kind security (in my experience) and a just a fun scene. Easy to get to and to get out of, i.e., better than Great Woods in every way.
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I'd much rather see Phish play at Meadows then Great Woods any day. Meadows is a far better venue yet they play Great Woods instead.
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Sign'd.Had no idea it was that bad in 2010, @HARRYHOOD213. Though, I guess it doensn't surprise me. It was getting really sketch latenight in the lots there...
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@Drgordy said:
I'd much rather see Phish play at Meadows then Great Woods any day. Meadows is a far better venue yet they play Great Woods instead.I always thought great woods was better until I saw phish at both places in 2010. Meadows has much better sound. The lawn is way better and security is low inside the theatre so u can easily move around. Plus, it's roomier so if u do move it doesn't interfere with other people's space or experience.
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By all accounts, Phish likes playing the Meadows, and they seem to love the crowd (ex. 2010 Monkey> Tweeprise> Tweeprise encore). However, 30,000 is tough for them to fill now when they play so many Northeast shows. Even Worcester didn't sell out until day of show last summer. Any way, I'd love to see them in Hartford again. I'm local, so home game for me!
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I was there for 6/30/00 and 7/1/00 and they were absolutely spectacular. I live about an hour and a half from here so yeah.... f***in' signed.
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Its such a bitch to get to when traffic is brootal.
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Being 30 minutes away myself, I would LOVE for them to come back. I was just getting into Phish and missed the 2010 shows there, so seeing them play on my home turf would be awesome.Granted it's not the most spectacular venue around (No Bethel Woods for example) it seems like bands always seem to throw down in CT, specifically at The Meadows. It's not a bad venue, just nothing to write home about, aside from the music of course, because it's almost always phenomenal.
Sound isn't terrible, no major dead zones or really shitty areas, but it's also not great at the same time. Still a great place for an outdoor show. COME BACK!
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Pong.
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I have a feeling @Jayem will have an opinion on this one
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Right you are @birmy.I have worked within walking distance of the Meadows for 10.5 years. So I have been around all kinds of craziness.
My first show there was Rage and Wu Tang back in 97. You can read how that turned out here I have seen DMB, Skynard, Allmans, Phil and Friends (disco biscuts opened), Tom Petty, Trey Mike Benevento Russo, Santana, John Mayer, the list goes on. Most for free and just left my car at work and walked over.
The 2000 Phish shows are easily my top 3 concert going expierences ever. I know @bostonron had a similar time. I could start a thread just talking about those shows. I got to places the second night that dreams are made of. Well till after the show when I almost cried because I was terrified to ride in the back of a Wrangler with no roof. I thought the force of the wind was going to suck me out (drugs can make you think crazy thoughts)
The 2009 show is also in that top 3. That show was the "They are really back" show for me and I know a lot of other fans. Pre show I was chilling on the hill outside the venue with my buddy Pat listening to the Party At The Lamppost soundcheck when Pat says "I might cry if the play Forbins/Mockingbird. These two guys chilling with us basically laughed in our face and told us how crazy we were for even thinking that would happen. Pat and I acted like we just scored a game winning goal in game 7 when they broke into Forbins. f*** high fives we straight up hugged! And that was just the first set. The feeling in that place that night cannot be described I won't even try but I will remember it forever.
2010 were both great but they don't fall into the same category as 00 and 09 for me.
The venue it's self is meh. Lots of space to move and breath but lacks any personality. Security in the venue is pretty chill but the Hartford PD get off on busting concert goers and just being dicks overall. My employer owns a lot near our building where we charge for parking. Every big concert is a shit show. Country shows are by far the worst. They are a mix between what you would expect at a DMB show and a bunch of Budweiser Pounding Confederate Flag (yes even in CT) waving drunk guys.
Craziest thing I have seen: One night I am leaving work at 6pm. I see this kid on his hands and knees on the grass basically in our parking lot. A car is in the way but I assume he is puking. He stands up and to my surprise so does a girl. The guy is buttoning his pants and the girl is pulling her skirt back down. Yup just f***ing in broad daylight in the parking lot of a car dealership. You stay classy Hartford.
@harryhood213, because of the problems back in the mid to late 90's at the Meadows the local media loves to put those XX amount of people to the hospital stories out there. I know after one of the country shows, Rascal Flats maybe, the numbers were almost double the Phish numbers. It's mostly drunk kids. I don't think that has anything to do with why they have not been back. I imagine those types of numbers happen at every big venue they play and not just Phish.
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2010, both nights, were my gf's first shows. i enjoyed myself immensely, but she was FLOORED.how long has the Cirque du Soleil big top tent been parked just up the block? we parked there both nights by pretending not to have a clue what was going on up the street. "hey man, what's goin on over at the Meadows? why are all these dirty hippies wandering up and down the street?"
they commemorated its proximity in 2010 by playing both Esther and When The Circus Comes on night one.
i've never seen a grimier, creepier, or more aggressive nitrous scene than we did leaving those shows and walking back to the car. flatbrimmers and worse, posted up every fifteen yards down the sidewalk, chasing after people to get them to buy.
still... i'd love to see them return. such a cool vibe - it's a huge f***ing hill! in the middle of the city! with a huger f***ing wall around it! great sound and plenty of room to rage.
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my home venue, but yes, it can get sketch in Hartford.
the "00 shows were so much fun
the "00 shows were so much fun
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CONNECTICUT NEEDS TO START HAVING SHOWS SOMEWHERE ELSE OR NEW THEATRE OR MAYBE Rentschler Field <-----it's a football/soccer/event stadium in east hartford.....
even the parking would be awesome for a lot scene...
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@PhishPhan_CT They have to do something to get that horrible waste of money filled.
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I like the place but would never sit on that lawn....too big.I think it is better that GW. Easier to get in and out of and you can goof around in Hartford before and after the shows. I loved the last three shows there and I hope they go back.
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My first show was here!
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I'm on board with this.
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@Jayem, it may have happened since then, however that was supposedly the first time the ER was maxed out on both floors - 80 beds and I have a friend that works there and she confirmed it was an absolute mess those both nights. Of course, hard to compare to other locations, but if that's not the reason, I am very curious what is.BTW, I was at that Wu/Rage show too!
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@mattsox94 said:
overall though, its probably my most often attended venue, even if it is a dump, in the middle of a dumpy area of hartford. i used to live about 30 minutes south of it growing up. now i'm north of boston so i dont go as often, but with friends and family still down there, i make the trek from time to time
Never seen a bad show from any band there.i have. a DMB show in '05. now, i know many of you dont like em, but there is a difference between a good DMB show and a bad one. the one in '05 was awful
overall though, its probably my most often attended venue, even if it is a dump, in the middle of a dumpy area of hartford. i used to live about 30 minutes south of it growing up. now i'm north of boston so i dont go as often, but with friends and family still down there, i make the trek from time to time
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rage/wu was out of control there
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i'm split on this one. it's kinda my home venue too, but here is my quick and dirty review:
-the good phish shows (2000) i've seen there make up for the bad DMB shows there
-parking/logistics is horrendous
i prefer Great Woods in Mass over the Meadows in a big way.
-the good phish shows (2000) i've seen there make up for the bad DMB shows there
-parking/logistics is horrendous
i prefer Great Woods in Mass over the Meadows in a big way.
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my partrents house is about a half hour away i grew up seeing shows at the meadows. It's not a venue I like at all. that being said I will go phish plays. I just have had some crappy experiences at the venue. One time a crack head attempted to rob me and my girl out side the venue. given the double tweezer reprise was dope and the 09 show was bonkers. i like jones beach more and i want another ac run or better yet betel woods bottom line here hartford is shady as shit and that venue isnt that cool.
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@WaxBrain said: First gig of my life was Pearl Jam, 1996 at the Meadows......always hava good time at the Meadows.That was the time they did mail order and you had to send a check to PA. A few months later, 4 tickets arrived and I could not believe it. That was huge scoring tickets to that show.
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@HARRYHOOD213 said: BTW, I was at that Wu/Rage show too!It's funny reading that old article on how crazy that show was. I was on the rail between the seats and the lawn and fully involved in the sod war. I was so muddy but I remember it being a blast.
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As a native CT kid, I have seen many a show at the Meadows and have always had a great time. I was at a ratdog show where some poor chick od'ed and was hit by the train that runs adjacent to the venue, and that was kind of a bummer. I had a great time at both of the Phish shows in '10. Came out sweating balls from dancing my arse off both nights. The nitrous mafia is always prominent at the Meadows, which sucks, but that comes with any show within proximity of Philly. I came out of a Hartford show to a stowed tank under my buddies truck once. It was after a P&F's show at the XL center. Getting the owners to relocate it was interesting to say the very least. The meadows lot is a blast though, all you need is a skateboard and you bear witness to all types of peeps doing everything and anything you can imagine. I have found everything and anything I was looking for party favor wise, and shakedown is fairly large. Security is fairly chill as long as you aren't being a complete idiot. Do not F with Hartford PD however, they deal with a lot of shit on the reg, so they will not hesitate to do their jobs. The fact that it was built on a garbage dump is always a favorite nag of locals. The large capacity makes extras easy to find. Definitely want to get there early to avoid the traffic. I would not hesitate to try to get back to CT if they played there again. Always a family reunion for me.
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@revooner said: As a native CT kid, I have seen many a show at the Meadows and have always had a great time. I was at a ratdog show where some poor chick od'ed and was hit by the train that runs adjacent to the venue, and that was kind of a bummer. I had a great time at both of the Phish shows in '10. Came out sweating balls from dancing my arse off both nights. The nitrous mafia is always prominent at the Meadows, which sucks, but that comes with any show within proximity of Philly. I came out of a Hartford show to a stowed tank under my buddies truck once. It was after a P&F's show at the XL center. Getting the owners to relocate it was interesting to say the very least. The meadows lot is a blast though, all you need is a skateboard and you bear witness to all types of peeps doing everything and anything you can imagine. I have found everything and anything I was looking for party favor wise, and shakedown is fairly large. Security is fairly chill as long as you aren't being a complete idiot. Do not F with Hartford PD however, they deal with a lot of shit on the reg, so they will not hesitate to do their jobs. The fact that it was built on a garbage dump is always a favorite nag of locals. The large capacity makes extras easy to find. Definitely want to get there early to avoid the traffic. I would not hesitate to try to get back to CT if they played there again. Always a family reunion for me.My thoughts exactly. I've seen some rough stuff in the lots, and yes you can find anything you want, and nitrous is in every lot, even across the bridge in those lots. Take it or leave it, but its there. To call the meadows a dump though? a little low, just stay away from DMB shows there, you'll end up with puke thats not yours on your shoes and your car will be damaged (not vandalized or broken into, it just serves as the ropes to a ring) Ton of fights.
Bottom line, always had a great time there.
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@Jayem said: @HARRYHOOD213 said:I was also at the 95 Lolla show when the sod was torn up there too. The good old days. Old men with kids now!BTW, I was at that Wu/Rage show too!It's funny reading that old article on how crazy that show was. I was on the rail between the seats and the lawn and fully involved in the sod war. I was so muddy but I remember it being a blast.
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@HARRYHOOD213 said: @WaxBrain said:I'm part of the 10Club....I remem that I sent away for tix, and they came -- still have em of course! -- with my name on them. SO rad.First gig of my life was Pearl Jam, 1996 at the Meadows......always hava good time at the Meadows.That was the time they did mail order and you had to send a check to PA. A few months later, 4 tickets arrived and I could not believe it. That was huge scoring tickets to that show.
Yeah, that was the Anti-Ticketbastard tour. It was through some small ticket company. All the venues were non-Ticketbastard ones...if you check out the tour, it was def odd.
Great times....great times......I was 9th row, dead center. I'm an old skool Vitalogy Health Club member haha.....
Would love to see Phish back at the Meadows. Only one I've been able to get to due to...well, life, is the 2009...but that sure was a rad one!
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@WaxBrain said: @HARRYHOOD213 said:Ha ha, yes, they did have your name on them and I still have mine, was just looking at it the other night. I got 10th row seats for that one.@WaxBrain said:I'm part of the 10Club....I remem that I sent away for tix, and they came -- still have em of course! -- with my name on them. SO rad. Yeah, that was the Anti-Ticketbastard tour. It was through some small ticket company. All the venues were non-Ticketbastard ones...if you check out the tour, it was def odd. Great times....great times......I was 9th row, dead center. I'm an old skool Vitalogy Health Club member haha..... Would love to see Phish back at the Meadows. Only one I've been able to get to due to...well, life, is the 2009...but that sure was a rad one!First gig of my life was Pearl Jam, 1996 at the Meadows......always hava good time at the Meadows.That was the time they did mail order and you had to send a check to PA. A few months later, 4 tickets arrived and I could not believe it. That was huge scoring tickets to that show.
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i love the meadows. its like a 90 minute drive. love when phish plays there.
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crosses fingers
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My fav north east venue. Love how you can walk from the hotels downtown
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I've been to a total of 30 Phish shows and not ONE in my homestate of CT. I didnt accept Phish into my life until Fall 2010.
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6/30/13!
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Gimme a 2-3 night run at the Civic Center. Many great shows, many bands, there in the 80s and early 90s. And their NHL team was cool.
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