DCist: Morning Roundup: Water and Weddings Edition

drainyou

Tue, 13 May 2008 22:07:18 -0500

Wow. This is just ludicrous. Ten years of going to show and the one that this had to happen to was Radiohead. Hey if you made it to the show woohoo for you but that doesn't mean that several other hundred people aren't absolutely devastated that they missed this concert. So no one should be telling anyone to just 'get over' the rain and that we weren't allowed in. This was a big deal. This band doesn't come around that often and probably won't again for several years. (Till the next album) I was turned away and I know I deserve my money back. It wasn't the fault of the hundreds of people who were turned away.

scarymonster

Mon, 12 May 2008 18:24:18 -0500

I was on the lawn, and I can't tell you how many people I saw who came in wearing flip flips. FLIP FLOPS. And I saw a bunch of girls with heels...I can only imagine what happened to them. Does anyone know the status of the kid who was carried off in the stretcher? I think people on the lawn were getting serious hypothermia. This was one of the worst experiences of my life.

guest number 10

Mon, 12 May 2008 15:53:46 -0500

Moreover I'm insulted that DCist lumped everyone who was at the show as a twittering-skinny jean-wearer. I saw 1 skinny tie, but like 50 girls in trendy rubber galoshes and people wearing crocs. Not that those are any more fashionable than skinny jeans, but we don't all make bad choices.

Warshington

Mon, 12 May 2008 15:52:09 -0500

I don't have much sympathy for people who left late knowing the weather, its freaking Radiohead budget some time to get there early. Also, you know its going to rain, its been raining all week, bring a jacket. My friends and I all had rain gear (I stupidly brought a knock off Northface I got in Beijing so I deserved to get soaked), and we were on the lawn, but there were a lot of people in t-shirts, if you do that and get hypothermia its pretty much natural selection. Also waiting for 2+ hours in the parking lot after the show wasnt very much fun, but it was Radiohead.

MtP

Mon, 12 May 2008 15:15:13 -0500

Nissan charges $6.00 per vehicle for parking. At 25,000 seats that is $150,000 per sold out show. Yet this venue has never had even remotely adequate parking infrastructure, nor have they attempted to create reasonable access to major arteries. Shows with substantial rain happen every summer. Prince William county should realize they could legislate their way into a perfectly reasonable revenue source in order to improve the Nissan traffic situation and perhaps improve the mess that is Manassas and Gainesville in the process. Live Nation will put as much of that money in their pockets as they can as long as legislators throw money at them. I'm looking at you Ike Leggett and Montgomery County. Fools. Never again Nissan.

Esmeralda

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:52:51 -0500

For those of you intrigued by the idea of taking transit to the show in Camden: keep in mind that the River Line (or SNJLRTS as it was called in its infancy) only runs til 10 pm (midnight on Saturdays). After the show you'd have to walk about 10-15 minutes to the Broadway station on the PATCO line, which zips into Center City Phila from Camden in about 10 minutes. Not a bad option, assuming you'd feel safe walking the streets of Camden late at night.

Mike Licht

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:51:35 -0500

Re: Unqualified DC fire inspectors -- Time to look at the Eastern Market fire again. DC said the cause was electrical but qualified and experienced ATF fire inspectors ruled out electric problems as a cause. See Elissa Silverman's article.

RL

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:31:20 -0500

I was really cold. And wet.

Disco Stu

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:13:53 -0500

$6 per ticket times 25,000 equals $150,000 worth of explaining

cantdospirit

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:06:36 -0500

@I HATE RAIN Why are you getting mad at Radiohead fans complaining about their quality of concert experience. No one is comparing their situation to yours (flooded house) There are thousands of people in New Orleans who could think you are petty for complaining about some water in your house. But that would be ridiculous, because the situations are not analogous. Let people vent about their hard earned money and time spent for one of their favorite bands going to waste.

ellabellalee

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:04:08 -0500

oh and dear "i hate rain" some of us DO know the pain of a water filled house, a burned down house and so on. they should have known that people would still come to the show rain or shine. what's the point of being mean to us that tried to go and left in what we felt was sufficient time.

ellabellalee

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:59:33 -0500

i know, i just realized i had the wrong county. now i go there instead. for some reason i thought last night it was in fairfax for an odd reason of being in a car forever. whoopes

guest number 10

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:54:21 -0500

ellebellalee - it's PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, you know, the one that hates immigrants?

bv2112

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:47:21 -0500

It was an act of supreme stupidity and irresponsibility for them to allow the show to go on, as it was for me to decide to go despite the rain and flood warnings. I knew that arriving at Nissan would be a nightmare because it always is, rain or shine, so we arrived at the venue at 6:30pm (after a two-hour drive from Silver Spring, which is ludicrous in its own right). We sat in the car hoping that the rain would let up, but that never happened. We went in the venue and were able to stay there until maybe the sixth song played by Radiohead. The rain was so strong and the temperature dropped enough that even with appropriate attire, we became concerned about our well-being and the traffic home, so we left. Basically, there were no reasonable conditions for lawn-ticket holders to enjoy the concert. Regardless of the "rain or shine" stipulation on the tickets, I have sent an email to Nissan requesting a refund. There was no way that concert should have been allowed to take place.

everythingallofthetime

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:45:18 -0500

seriously, guys. are we really blaming radiohead for nissan's failures? i'm sorry to rub it in, but the show WAS FUCKING AMAZING, and it would be nice for the blog to reflect that instead of bitching about the venue. it really sucks that you weren't able to get in, but honestly, if the weather sucks and you know the venue's track record, LEAVE EARLY! that's what we did- and we had no problem (other than the girl behind me with the horribly off-pitch voice screaming fake plastic trees, but i digress). they did dedicate fake plastic trees to you all and though it's no consolation, it was cool. and the band did make declarations that they would TRY, to the extent practicable, to hold shows at mass-transit-friendly venues, but obviously this isn't always possible. i definitely still commend their willingness to do so where they can. all in all, i'm really sorry that some of you missed such a FUCKING INCREDIBLE show but radiohead put on a ridiculous performance for those of us who valued the experience enough to take every precaution to make sure we got there. THOM YORKE YOU FUCKING AMAZE ME.

ellabellalee

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:41:21 -0500

then they give back all money to all tickets NOT scanned. that's the only fair way. there were tons of radiohead tix for sale on CL sunday morning. it's true though, i told the nissan chick on the phone that we were turned away at gate. she said they would have to call me back when they figure out what to do. i am writing more fairfax county people now. i like ruffling their feathers. cheers to those that got to see them. hope it was a good show.

idontwantadcistid

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:23:41 -0500

"It does concern me that this is another pavilion. It also makes me wonder what their public transit options are being over the river from Philadelphia, which again, makes you wonder how serious Radiohead actually is about keeping their tour green..." Well, it may be another pavilion, but there is a light rail station (called Entertainment Center) right at the Susquehanna Bank Center. From Philadelphia, one would take the PATCO subway to the Broadway station in Camden, then transfer to the NJ Transit light rail at the Walter Rand Transportation Center (adjacent to the Broadway station), then ride three stops to Entertainment Center.

Politburo

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:18:16 -0500

The Susquehanna Bank Center is accessible by the RiverLINE and PATCO, which connect to all other area transit. There's also a ferry from Penn's Landing.

hungeegirl

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:14:06 -0500

yes, and it's pretty cut and dry when you close the entrance to the venue, you refund the money.

brats

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:05:45 -0500

"maybe 50 bucks isn't a lot of money to you, but it is to some of us" Hungeegirl, maybe if you didn't spend all day at work on DCist, you'd be more productive and could make more money? Just a thought. It rained, get over it. I'm sure the fine people at Nissan would rather have had you inside buying $10 beers than turn you away at the gate, but at a certain point someone has to consider the safety of those that chose to drive out to a show in a deluge. It's pretty cut and dry (pun intended) when a road needs to be closed due to flooding.

voteprime

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:04:32 -0500

@MikeB: I actually just assumed their was a Philly show and felt like it would be the next-closest large city option. But it turns out their Camden, NJ show at the Susquehanna Bank Center on August 12 is intended to be their Philly show. Camden is just over the river from Philly and actually looks to be a very short drive. It does concern me that this is another pavilion. It also makes me wonder what their public transit options are being over the river from Philadelphia, which again, makes you wonder how serious Radiohead actually is about keeping their tour green...

skaterboy

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:57:46 -0500

yea, you can add me to the list of people stuck in a car for 6 hrs who missed the show. first the Earth Day concert..then this?

Nate

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:51:35 -0500

The problem with offering refunds is that every large concert has a percentage of 'no-shows,' and there's no way for LiveNation or the Nissan Pavillion management to know whether or not you were actually turned away at the gate, or if you just opted not to go. If they make every unredeemed ticket eligible for a refund, they lose all that "just didn't attend" revenue that they would normally count on regardless of the weather. I can see them offering profuse apologies, or even some kind of discounts to future events (ha!), but I'd really be surprised if full ticket refunds ended up as one of the results of this fiasco.

Politburo

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:49:19 -0500

The "Philly" show is in Camden, Aug. 12.

MikeB

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:43:00 -0500

Voteprime: when and where is the Philly show? I was looking at a list of tour dates last night and didn't see Philly on the list. Maybe I missed it.

hungeegirl

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:42:17 -0500

http://consumerist.com/5008714/radiohead-flooding-forces-fans-to-circle-parking-lot-for-3-hours

voteprime

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:37:45 -0500

My concert experience was a mess, but I clearly have no right to complain since I got to see the band and eventually got home. However, as OldName... pointed out, if I've learned one thing it is this: When Radiohead comes to the DC area, it's safest to just stay home. From Bull Run to Tibetan Freedom Concert to this (and it might have even been raining the year I saw them at Merrieweather). I think I'll be trying my luck at their Philadelphia show next time.

Tom S

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:21:23 -0500

FYI - the Nissan person who took my number said they'd call back within 'the next couple of days.' She couldn't confirm that they were giving refunds; you get the sense they're doing damage control, and have yet to figure out what they're obligated to do under the law (or what good PR would require).

kevintgarb

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:17:56 -0500

it was a great show even from the lawn. no hypothermia to speak of here. knowing the problems of Nissan, we departed logan circle at 3:30, made a couple of stops and pulled into Nissan around 6:30. left after karma police and were on 66 by 11:45. after reading all of these posts, it seems like we lucked out.

hungeegirl

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:10:18 -0500

thanks mikeb. i just called nissan. they are indeed taking names and numbers of the people affected. when i asked when they would "get back to me" they said they didn't know and "i just answer the phones." number to call is 703-754-6400

IMGoph

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:09:34 -0500

i wanna see verification on that refund stuff from an official live nation source. until then, i don't buy it.

attackthenissanpavilion

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:06:52 -0500

Direct quote from the Nissan Pavilion Website: - PARKING Parking is convenient in secure, well-lit lots adjacent to the Pavilion. What it should say: - PARKING Parking at the Nissan Pavilion is a total disaster. Even though we boast "Rain or Shine" capability, we completely lack the ability to facilitate entry into our venue, despite having precharged you for the service with your ticket price. In addition, keep in mind that unless you arrive 4 hours early for a 7:30 show, we reserve the right to deny you entry because (a) by "Rain" we mean "a light sprinkle" and totally lack the ability to handle a well-prediceted deluge; and (b) by "convenient" we mean "totally inadequate and accessible only after putting you through absolute hell."

cminus

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:03:25 -0500

I'll never forget seeing Coldplay at Nissan, and while it wasn't flooded- it was a horrific nightmare. Oh, come on, Coldplay's not that bad.

MikeB

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:03:07 -0500

hungeegirl - I'll take a look. It definitely wasn't from the band or its managment, but from a fan who just said if you call Nissan Pavilion, they're taking numbers from people who were denied entry. this is the post

OldNameWontWinUsernameOfTheWeek

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:59:01 -0500

I'm a Radiohead fan, but this is clearly the band's fault. To wit: I tried to go see them in 1999 or 2000 at Bull Run Park. We got to the venue alright, but the deluge that started after the Beta Band took the stage literally flooded the parking areas. People were diving off of pickup trucks. We tried riding out the storm by hiding in a portapotty until lightning struck one of them (it was pretty cool to see 70 portajohns open simultaneously after that, though). Clearly, Radiohead brings torrential, concert-ruining downpours to the Washington region. Lightning strikes twice = not a coincidence. By the way, that show was out and out cancelled, so everyone got their money back.

hungeegirl

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:57:44 -0500

mikeb- do you have a link to the post?

MikeB

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:55:15 -0500

I don't know if this is official, but someone on the Radiohead message board said refunds are being given, if you call Nissan Pavilion and/or Ticketmaster. They are taking numbers supposedly.

dcistlurker

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:54:54 -0500

The show was great and I had no problem getting in and out. You guys are chumps that follow the herd. there was a "closed off" lot that we easily drove into right after entering the coned-lanes after the entrance. We literally got there and parked in 15 minutes, left right after "House of Cards" closed the concert, and we were on 66 by 11:20. you all feel like crab soup apron stains! one other thing no one is bitching about, though i have no reason to since i was warm and toasty in the middle of the pavillion, is that Radiohead in their misguided greenery TURNED OFF BOTH MONITORS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE STAGE - presumably because they took too much energy?! WTF - I died laughing in my warm and dry seat, that not only were lawnies getting soaked and catching hypotherm, but they also couldn't see thom and the boys more than a speck. Live Nation is laughing at as all. They are the dollars and cents and the pounds and pence and the mark and yen. They're gonna crack your little souls.

hungeegirl

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:47:59 -0500

goat boy- we aren't complaining that it rained. we are complaining that people were DENIED ENTRY AFTER PAYING 50 BUCKS FOR A LAWN TICKET. maybe 50 bucks isn't a lot of money to you, but it is to some of us.

goat_boy

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:44:32 -0500

it's nissan/live nation's fault that there was a monsoon and horrible flooding, obv. i mean, they should have known it was going to happen and built some kind of elevated, flood-proof, 10,000,000 space parking lot for the event. fuck. maybe even get some valet shit so droplets of water would not fall on your precious heads on the way into the venue. a retractable roof would have been nice as well, i think. greedy corporate fucks. how could they be allowed to intentionally destroy your radiohead concert, and consequently, your lives with such impunity? i bet they are having a good laugh at all your expenses right now. lets burn down their headquarters. and of course each of you is entitled to a refund. possibly even a free rescheduled show in your living rooms. everyone go crazy about not seeing radiohead! ahhhh! the sky is falling! priorities! 2008 is roooooooned!

Reid

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:36:44 -0500

I learned my lesson about Nissan without even going there. I just happened to try to get home from a day trip in the Blue Ridges the same day some god awful country-pop band was playing there. I got stuck on some random VA US highway for about an hour. Never again, Blue Ridges...

guest33

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:30:36 -0500

I am glad I went because I was never before able to see Radiohead (last time I tried was Bull Run debacle). That said, those who did not attend made the right decision. What a disaster of a rain storm and location. Thousands of cars having to go through one lane of traffic for miles to get onto 66? Priceless. Still, it was an amazing show. I can't believe people were on the lawn for that one. Those are some dedicated (crazy?), and probably sick today, fans.

Nate

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:24:30 -0500

Wow . . . I waffled back and forth about going to the show, mostly because I hated the idea of having to eat $100 or more worth of tickets, but it sounds like I made the right choice by deciding not to go. I was worried mostly about the discomfort of watching a whole concert on foot holding an umbrella (stupid lawn tickets!), though, not about spending hours and hours in flooded parking lot traffic.

elizabaer

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:22:42 -0500

Although the rain and traffic were beyond horrible, I can at least say that the show was incredible. We left DC at 5:30 planning to tailgate in the rain a bit before going in (har, har!). We parked at about 7:30 in the driving rain (already driving through some deep puddles to get there) and ate chicken salad and drank beers in the minivan. Although we got soaked through getting to our seats, we were inside for the show so managed to stave off hypothermia (barely). The light show and video on stage were beautiful and the performance was one I won't forget. They dedicated Fake Plastic Trees to the fans who couldn't make it because of the flooded roads (didn't sound like they were aware that they were turned away at the gate -- different story). Leaving was, as others have said, awful. We stayed through the end and it took us about an hour and a half to get out of Nissan. We weren't on 66 until 1:30... it seemed like they were directing all of the traffic to one road (two lanes at its narrowest point) to get onto 66. Between the post-rain thaw in the car, the rain and tail lights and the three sleeping passengers in my car, it was all I could do to stay awake for the drive home. One other note of frustration: Nissan automatically includes a $6 parking fee on every ticket. This means that 8 of us in 2 cars paid $24 to park each car, while people who don't carpool and add to the clusterf*ck pay a lot less (as little as $6 per car!). One idea might be to charge for parking by the vehicle at the gate to give a break to people who carpool...

Politburo

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:18:56 -0500

Good point.

OldPosterKnownAsCranky

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:18:26 -0500

My first and last time to Nissan was a year or so ago to see Roger Waters play Dark Side. The traffic to get to the parking areas was utterly insane. Even leaving waaaay early, we still missed the first few songs b/c of the traffic backups and the incompetence of the parking lot crews to provide information on which lots were full. And the long drive home late at night was also miserable with fog and deer conspiring against us. Never again Nissan.

tmoney

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:11:50 -0500

Everyone saying they will write letters to Nissan and Live Nation. Could you write a summary of your experince and send it to tips@consumerist.com. Its a consumer rights website that I'm sure would be interested in posting a story about it and when things get posted, companies are more likely to respond and do something for those affected. You can see the site @ consumerist.com. Good luck to everyone trying to get something done about the crappy night.

hungeegirl

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:10:34 -0500

well, i dont have my ticket stub handy, but i did learn in law school that just because it's on the back of a ticket doesn't mean its the law. i would have to dust off my contracts text but i'm pretty sure by paying for a ticket and then being denied entry to the venue would result in a breach of contract.

MikeB

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:06:38 -0500

Yeah, but Coldplay also had a lane on I-66 closed due to road work. During rush hour. Beautiful. That's the only other time I've been to Nissan. I've learned my lesson.

smperk

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:03:44 -0500

I'll never forget seeing Coldplay at Nissan, and while it wasn't flooded- it was a horrific nightmare. never again, and I'm glad I stayed away this time. I almost bit the bullet and tried it out again just because I love Radiohead.

DC_Mex

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:00:07 -0500

So awful! We tried to beat the rush by leaving the show at 10:30 and sat in the parking lot for 2 hours only to be redirected away from 66 for another hour once we were free of Nissan's awful parking claws. Nissan should refund us all for not having the foresight to cancel the show.

Politburo

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:59:45 -0500

"do you think there is anyway those who missed the show could make a huge stink for their money back? i honestly think, as a matter of law, that they deserve their money back." Uh, which law, exactly? Read the back of your ticket. My guess is everyone's screwed unless Live Nation decides to play nice. Hate_Rain: Sucks about your house, but no reason to shit on everyone else.

guest number 10

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:52:43 -0500

To bad Radiohead wasn't on Saturday. Then, if Kanye was on Sunday he could've thrown in some excellent references to Katrina & Prince William County hating black people.

hungeegirl

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:38:27 -0500

@I hate Rain they turned people away at the door. they were denied entrance. yes, they bought tickets that were "rain or shine." they tried to go to the show in the RAIN, but were not allowed. that makes them completely justified for a refund.

DE

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:36:06 -0500

Hey ellabellalee...why would you write to the commissioner for Fairfax County? Nissan Pavilion is Prince William County. That was indeed a shit show last night. We entered right before Radiohead started but, thinking we'd get a headstart on the droves that would be leaving at the end of the show, headed for the car at 10:15. I guess everyone else had the same idea and we sat in the car for over two hours (yes, unfortunately idling for much of that time) before finally being routed all across PWC by the police. Nissan Pavilion is dead to me.

the_heckle

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:35:07 -0500

ellabellalee, While I think your anger is justified, Fairfax doesn't have a horse in this race. Nissan is in Prince William County.

I_HATE_RAIN

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:34:02 -0500

Cry me a river! No... wait, don't. I could care less about you whiny babies who overpaid for tickets to a show, then felt compelled to go to said show in such a deluge. Try having your home that has no prior history of flooding take on water. Try having most of your neighbors' homes take on water -- even those that are up on slopes with good drainage. Deal with 2-3 inches of FLOWING water on the surface outside your home when the nearest creek is a half mile away and 20-50 lower than where you are. You bought tickets for a show that was "rain or shine". Was Nissan's management irresponsible dickheads for not cancelling or postponing? Yup. Were you equally as irresponsible for trying to go anyway? IMNSHO, yes.

RJ

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:32:04 -0500

You might want to resend your letters to Prince William County, and to the Sherriff of Prince William County.

DC Guy

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:30:14 -0500

I went to a show when Nissan Pavilion first opened. Haven't been back and will never go back. The venue is mediocre at best, and the access is about as bad as it gets.

Disco Stu

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:27:43 -0500

Well, after standing and being soaked we sat in the car for over an hour before even moving. Left around 11pm (karma police) but were in the back lot parking... Didn't make it to 66 until 1:30am Never, never, never Nissan. Radiohead, I don't blame for the weather but your attempt at low-carbon? A complete and utter joke. Thom York's comments were well received in that they recognized the state their fans were in to even be there. BUT, huge apology show/refund? Abosolutely called for. I had three other car loads of friends who couldn't make it. But like you said, Live Nation has the money in their pockets...

ellabellalee

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:25:45 -0500

i suggest writing letters to nissan and the commissioner for fairfax county. i did that last night when i got home. the police were not helpful in the least last night and honestly we didn't know what was going on really. i wrote to the chief of police office and will be writing to nissan and more and as many people as possible. i don't care about the money. i care about what if there was a bio attack or something what would fairfax do? yes going to nissan sucks. we ALL know that who have been there. not a big deal. we left in sufficient time even in rain to get there, i know we did. we all knew we did. we had a blast in the car. me and my friend were going to get out and kick down this sign that said 'no open fires before 4 PM' which we thought was funny. i just think the little people get forgetten about. just sitting in cars not knowing anything. a cancellation would have been fine, a redo on the tickets a new show or something. my friends that eventually made it to their lawn seats told me that they couldn't make it under pavilion even though it wasn't to capacity that sucks too for the rained on folks. i am very curious as to how many tickets were actually scanned for a supposed sold out show. so if anyone knows how to find that information that would be good to know for when i try to get money back. thanks.

guest number 10

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:24:25 -0500

that sucks those who got detoured. fwiw - thom yorke dedicated green plastic trees to you. word of advice, when you go to a show & it's pouring rain & 25000 people are also driving all the way out there, you might want to leave, you know, early.

IMGoph

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:23:51 -0500

i'm glad that i wasn't alone in feeling screwed over here. radiohead screwed up in not actually looking into whether or not the venue they chose to play actually lived up to their "reduced carbon footprint" schtick. it obviously didn't. prince william county deserves some flack here for not having a decent contingency plan to deal with this. don't they have a plan 'b'? i'd hate to see how they deal with real emergencies. probably just round everyone up, call them illegal immigrants and call it a day. (yeah, i'm not in a good mood)

Foggy Magoo

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:17:49 -0500

We left Arlington a little after 6:30. Got to Exit 44 at 7:30. We finally got to the Detour - Road Flooded sign at around 8:45. Then we gave up and headed home. Nissan definitely screwed up. There were flood warnings for Manassas well before 7:30. The show should have been cancelled or postponed.

charmcitylights

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:15:42 -0500

I plan on contacting the venue via email stating that they owe people who puchased tickets an explanation as to why they were turned away and what the procedure is for harsh weather conditions. They owe people explanations. My guess is that Live Nation could care less, as they already had everyone's money for this sold out show. Others should contact them as well. General questions, information, community: customerservice@nissanpavilion.com (703)754-6400 phone (703)754-6429 fax Mailing address: Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge 7800 Cellar Door DR Bristow, VA 20136

tvc15

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:13:53 -0500

Contact info for Nissan Pavilion's customer service. customerservice@nissanpavilion.com (703)754-6400 phone (703)754-6429 fax

erincarly

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:13:31 -0500

didn't it rain like mad the last time someone huge came to Nissan and people lamented about how they'll NEVER try to go there again? the venue's going to run out of patrons if this poor quality of service keeps up. also, i remember there being an article about how Radiohead is trying to go green on their tour, encouraging people to take mass transit to get to the shows, yet they picked the least travel-friendly venue in the area. with cars sitting, idling, in all that traffic for hours and hours, i think this show negated any possible 'greening' any of their other shows may have done.

McGillicuddy

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:07:04 -0500

someone needs to sick the Karma Police on Radiohead and the Nissan Pavilion. sounds like a bunch of bollocks to me. you should get your money back.

hungeegirl

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:02:44 -0500

do you think there is anyway those who missed the show could make a huge stink for their money back? i honestly think, as a matter of law, that they deserve their money back.

MikeB

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:58:28 -0500

Sounds like that 15 minutes made the difference. Some friends left about 15-20 min before my car did and made it in for Radiohead (missed Liars). We got the detour. Talk about timing. At the very least they could have had more info on that electronic detour sign I saw. All it said was "detour, road flooded."

tvc15

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:56:30 -0500

I didn't bother going to the Radiohead show. After the Bull Run shows rained out in 2001, I didn't think I was going to have any luck this time around either. That sucks that you guys were stuck in traffic. I saw Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood walking on M and 25 Sts NW on Saturday. Those guys had the worst hair styles I'd seen in a while - maybe flock of seagulls? ok, maybe not that bad but pretty dang close.

charmcitylights

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:55:07 -0500

I made it to the venue for the Radiohead show before the opening act went on. With that, the roads leading to the venue and the parking lots were horrible. There were flash flood warnings throughout the evening. While the event was listed as "rain or shine", the responsible action would have been to cancel or postpone the show (instead of putting people's safety in danger).

MikeB

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:54:55 -0500

I will say it could have been worse. Someone my friend knows who made it in said someone in the lawn section (talk about fun) came down with hypothermia and it took them 30 minutes to get a stretcher to her. Nice response time.

hungeegirl

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:54:44 -0500

yes, i am an angry radiohead fan. my boyfriend and his 2 friends had to drive separately from me because the one with the car was up for the weekend for richmond simply for the show. so, i drove ahead while they picked up another friend to go to the show. i was, at most, 30 minutes in front of them. probably only 15. i get there at 8:45pm, after leaving at 6:15pm from columbia heights. radiohead goes on a 9pm. i watch the entire show (i leave after karma police because...) my boyfriend and his 2 friends never got into the show. they were pretty devastated - they love radiohead. i left early because they gave up after they were turned away at the entrance and told there was a "detour." they were still trying to get into the venue during the 1st encore. they gave up and went to ihop. so i left the venue to meet them, before it was over. i DEFINTIELY think that nissan pavillion owes them their money back. does anyone have any ideas as to how to go about doing it? they TURNED THEM AWAY AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING LOT!! only 15 minutes after i had gotten in the parking lot.

OldPosterKnownAsCranky

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:50:43 -0500

I sense some angst among Radiohead fans.

Tom S

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:48:56 -0500

I'll second what Mike B wrote. Some sort of explanation is definitely called for from Nissan Pavilion on this one. If your venue depends on auto access (as Nissan does), and people can't get in by car, then, frankly, you ought to give them their money back. At a minimum you ought to apologize for making them sit in lines of traffic six miles long for a few hours. Would it have been so hard to send a guy with a bullhorn out to tell us we weren't going to get in?

MikeB

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:45:17 -0500

Oh and raining is an understatement. I could have kayaked to the show.

drew in adams morgan

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:44:19 -0500

Jenna's dress was quite nice. I wish that I could say the same for Mrs. Bush's satin blue burlap sack. Yuck!

MikeB

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:42:25 -0500

The rain didn't just cause thousands of Radiohead fans to send out endless Twitter updates. It caused thousands of us to miss the entire show. Traffic was a mess, and one of the roads in flooded out. They were turning back people at the entrance. My friends and I gave up about 1/4 mile from the place (after detouring all the way around it) when it became obvious Radiohead had just started the encore. I'm never going to Nissan Pavilion again, and I hope Radiohead (and Live Nation) can find a way to schedule another show in the area (in the city would be nice). But I'll get over it eventually.

Reid

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:40:33 -0500

Deluge 2008, perhaps?

IMGoph

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:39:54 -0500

the hell with twitter, etc. it was just raining out there, and i had an old-fashioned crappy time because i mised the entire show. never, never, never going to nissan for anything.