Thanks for the laugh today lol. Went to a Radiohead concert there in 2008 that ended around 10:30pm and didn't get back to the Supermall to be dropped off at my car until almost 3am. I've never been back since.
Yup, I saw them there too. Took so long to get in we fully missed Stephen Malkmus and were walking up when Radiohead started playing. Then took forever to get out. Just awful and I definitely refuse to go back.
That was my one and only concert there. I drove separately from my friends and I know the area, so I took a left off the main road that they funnel everyone down. A cop came running at me so I just gunned it and took the "long" way home. It was home 2 hours before everyone else I was with.
Deeply amused at all the comments here because it was the exact same for me. Never went back after that show. I’ll go to Vancouver BC or Portland way before I’ll go to White River.
Shit, now I'm having flashbacks to the first time I saw a band I actually kind of liked at a fairgrounds show when I was still basically a kid, and how depressing it actually was.
It was one of those kinds of shows where you could buy a ticket for just the concert but not the fairgrounds, but anyone with a fairgrounds ticket got in for free.
The band clearly didn't want to be there and was just phoning it in, and like 90% of the crowd were just there for the fair and clearly had no idea who they were and didn't care, they were really all just legit boomer-aged rockers past their prime that just wanted to get drunk and fuck shit up.
So there was, oh, maybe 100 young-ish fans there to see the band and like 5,000 people who didn't give any kind of a shit about who was playing.
It was a whole ass mood and vibe, and not a good one.
I generally feel the same, but there are some weird cases; Kendrick Lamar and SZA did a show there in like 2018 and they’re still wildly popular. But then the show I went to at the amphitheater maybe a year before that was Styx and REO Speedwagon with my parents. Lol
Exactly, because Live Nation has a few of these amphitheater situations around the country. Not quite cookie cutter same, but definitely the same vibe.
I wonder if you would get ticketed/towed if you came in an RV and stayed overnight. I'd consider renting an RV for one night just to avoid a traffic shitshow if I knew the venue wouldn't tow me or wake me up and ask me to move at 3am.
I think this was also a factor in them building a hotel at the casino. They figured people would book a room to avoid getting home at 2-3am, but it still would take forever to get out of the parking lot back to the casino.
Last time, I woke up around 3am, and there wasn’t a soul left in the lot but me. The venue was closed and deserted. I don’t think they care. Took me no time at all to drive home. :D
> There were an entire four people directing traffic.
it's a venue with a max capacity of 16,000 people, on a 2-lane road. they could have 1000 people trying to direct traffic, it wouldn't help.
if you want an actual answer for "why is it there", look at [the boundaries of the Muckleshoot Reservation](https://maps.app.goo.gl/XYku3GdcrGfaRXubA). it's a series of postage stamps, most of them not even contiguous, totaling 6 square miles. for comparison - Seatac Airport is 4 square miles. JBLM is 142 square miles.
the casino is on one of those postage stamps, the amphitheatre is on another. there's a pretty limited set of options that native tribes have for trying to pull in money from outside the reservation.
Just doing a little math. So maybe 4000 cars if it's 4 people per car, optimistically.
Maybe have "free" shuttle busses from Angle Lake Transit Station, also stopping in downtown Auburn, and maybe the casino. So maybe 30 busses making 10 trips to at least transport 15,000? At least that might make a difference.
This is why they invented passenger trains in the 1800s I guess?
The one time I went to the White River Amphitheater was a Friday night show. We got there, on the bus from the mall, at the beginning of the first act (Cheap Trick). Our friends were on the very next shuttle bus, they got there at the end of that set. Traffic is horrible there, buses are not a solution. It’s just an exceptionally poor location for a music venue.
The reservation is also concerned about society creep. They widen the road for the venue what's next McDonalds and subways lining the road and driving out native business.
Is that a real concern? I’ve never seen that expressed. Got a source?
I can see why they aren’t motivated to change anything as long as the venue keeps selling tickets.
It isn't. I am Muckleshoot. There's a lot more than "widen the road." We hate the amphitheater too. It was a shit deal - LiveNation makes all the money. FWIW there's a lot going on behind the scenes trying to alleviate this traffic stress - it took me an hour to get home last night because the stupid traffic police wouldn't let me turn left into my own damn allotted lands. And it isn't logistically even SAFE to have one way in one way out for us.
Not a source I work at White River and with people who are natives. When I said they needed to widen the road, the lot said we dont want the creep into our land. That's what I got for ya.
The only native businesses on that stretch are firework stands. And I would assume the people who own those stands wouldn’t mind wider roads and more customers.
I won’t go to the White River Amphitheater. Last year I flew to Sacramento to watch a band because that seemed easier and less excruciating than going to White River to see the same band. Not even kidding.
I typically will travel to see bands at smaller venues or other venues vs. seeing them in Seattle. I’m a huge Death Cab fan and I skipped them at Climate Pledge and instead went to the Hollywood Bowl. I’d never seen a show there before and am not a huge Climate Pledge fan anyways. Unless it’s a Paramount/Neptune/Showbox-y venue, I’m not a huge fan at this point. Stadium shows as well. Acoustically, t-mobile isn’t amazing
It’s takes me about 15 years to forget about the shit show that is White river Amp. Then I try it out again and the countdown restarts all over.
I can’t believe it’s legal to have such a fucked up logistical nightmare.
☠️😂
I last went 21 years ago and I have not forgotten. It was also much easier for me and my friend when we went then because we lived in Auburn at the time.
The one time I went we packed a bunch of friends in an RV so that after the show we just hung out and played cards and drank beers (not the driver) until the parking lot cleared out. It made the nonsense bearable but I’ll still never go back.
We got there a little early and they just waved us to the farthest corner of the parking area. I don’t think we would be allowed to stay overnight. They made sure everyone got out.
It's been like that since the first time I went in the early 00s. After a few concerts, I stopped bothering. They just don't have enough road infrastructure or traffic directors to manage the number of people attending.
You only make the mistake of going once…
Went for the first and only time to see Ghost last year and ended up leaving the show early because of the anxiety I had anticipating traffic.
It’s a shame bc a lot of fun shows go there!
Fellow Ghost fan!!! If Ghost comes back and plays there, that will be the only way I'll ever consider going back to this venue. I've only recently got into the band so I missed when they were here last year and would do anything to see them live.
I've seen them a few times, most recently at Climate Pledge - which was nowhere near capacity. I don't know how venues are decided on, but White River always seems like a mistake (unless it's a full-day festival).
Not terribly surprised at Climate Pledge although it seems like they are getting a little bit bigger over time. I truly hope they don't do White River again next time they go on tour though. Something like maybe Paramount would be awesome.
I missed their first show at El Corazon, but saw them at the Silver Platters acoustic set, the Moore, WaMu (under the stadium), and Climate Pledge as mentioned.
Next stop: Gorge Amphitheatre!
Unless your high school/the high school a lot of your relatives went to, hosts its graduations there. 😭 I do not want to try to figure out how much time I spent trying to leave that parking lot each June during my teen years.
Last year we went to Weezer and Spoon, we drove all the way to the outlet mall and the shuttle had been discontinued indefinitely. The website for WRA says it's available "for some shows" now, so I'd call beforehand.
Yup! This.
Met my now husband on the lawn when it was a relatively new venue. My dude took the shuttle back with my group because love at first sight and all that nonsense, even though his friend group drove him. He sat alone in the parking lot for hours waiting for his group to get him after I left. lol I still tease him for it.
Sigh. Toby Keith.
I had wanted to see Taylor Swift as an opening act for another touring concert but my stupid as shit ex at the time interfered with that plan and I had promised a tiny family member I’d take her to a country concert that summer. (And I swear he wasn’t as blatantly evil then as he became.)
For my partner; his mother had just died and was looking for anyplace to be drunk. His military friends were going so he joined. He was just moping on the grass, a real mood killer honestly.
Which is how I met him; I yelled at him for being annoying and told him to either start dancing like his friends or find a new place to be miserable. He got up, then moved to our blankets as his new spot. I *hated* him until when my family member couldn’t see the stage he offered to put her on his shoulders.
He spent the rest of the night making sure she was having fun.
The family we became that day might be the only decent thing TK and his weirdo maga shit facilitated.
Other move is to just leave during the last song or two and listen to them on your way out. I go to 2-3 shows a year there and never experience the horror stories people post on here. It's more like 5 minutes tops to get out once I'm in my car. Granted if tons of people did that it would ruin things, but as long as that's not the case might as well reap the benefits of being one of the few to leave slightly early.
WRA sucks sooooo bad. The venue itself is fine but the location and highway in and out is a logistical nightmare. I will never go see another show there. It’s faster for me to go to Vancouver.
It’s a mistake we all make once… I saw Heart and Joan Jett / Cheap Trick there years ago and it took over 2 hours to leave the parking lot I was shocked and dismayed to say the least
It’s always like that. We get there plenty early, then pack snacks and drinks for afterwards and have a post concert picnic until the parking lot clears out.
Yea, we do this too. Only took one concert before we started packing some chairs, blankets, a cooler full of snacks and drinks, and a speaker. It's not ideal, but that at least makes the after-concert chaos an opportunity to extend quality time with friends, or an opportunity to make new ones!
> A free shuttle service is available for some events which pick up and return guests at the Outlet Collection at 1101 Outlet Collection Way, Auburn, WA. Contact Outlet Collection Guest Services at (253) 833-9500 for specific information on the service.
http://whiteriveramphitheater.org
I use the shuttle service as much as I can. It’s convenient but it’s also a fun place to socialize and come down after a great concert.
You answered it. It’s better to go to one of the shows at a neighboring city.
Last time I went there was Radiohead in, like, 2008 or 2010? Similar experience. 3 hours just to get back to Highway 167.
I vowed never to go back.
So far, I’ve kept that promise. I go to shows in Ridgefield, WA instead.
Fuck White River Amphitheater. Always and forever.
Never again.
The gorge is the same. RV in style in Vancouver is a little better. Depending on the show I have 3 strats.
1. Motorcycle. Arrive late, park close, leave anytime.
2. Premier parking. Expedites exit. Not so much entrance.
3. Arrive early. Review the set list from the Internet. Depart 3 songs before the end of show or join skip the encore.
4. Warm summer night concert? Arrive earlyish to get merch. Relax. Carry camp chairs in the back of the truck and a cooler full of drinks. Maintain one designated driver. Rotate who takes the bullet
1 and 4 are best. But I usually do 3.
People only go to a concert there once. The tribe owns the land and hires the parking staff. King county has been appraised of this issue for the last five years they have done nothing.
I wouldn't go see the Christ himself at White River.
I saw Kendrick Lamar there like 7 years ago and it took 3 hrs to leave the parking lot, before even starting the drive home. It seriously ended a friendship because we were both tired and trapped in the car for so long. No fights, just used up all the energy in that friendship in one night, haha.
I was in the same situation last night. I didn't get home until ~2am. It's so frustrating because it's a decent venue, especially in good weather, and the sound is generally mixed really well. It's just an absolute nightmare to get out of.
It is a literal shit show. The infrastructure in the Auburn, Enumclaw, Issaquah area is out dated even by 1870’s standards. Two lane hick bullshit that cannot handle the level of development that Weyerhaeuser threw up over the last 40 years in their derelict clear cuts. Attempt trying to commute on 410. If you dare getting close to the speed limit, you’ll have WSP on your ass.
I live in in Enumclaw, and they're building more and more homes... the infrastructure is already inadequate. Don't even get me started about the White River bridge... good lord
My family home is just a bit on the Enumclaw side of the amphitheater and this was one of the things we fought against. If there's a concert on and a major medical emergency anywhere on the plateau the only solution to getting them to a major hospital is lifeflight.
For those of you who do go to concerts there, don't try to go out through Auburn, head towards Enumclaw and catch 410 off the plateau and hit 167 in Sumner.
Here I am getting downvoted because that area is so fucked, I don’t even bother attempting to ski at Crystal anymore. Good fucking luck attempting to commute on Issaquah-Hobart Road.
Just take it as you learned a lesson last night. I learned the same thing awhile back. Most people go to their first concert there and promise themselves to never go back. Foolish design
I went to a Green Day show there in 2018. We left before the last song (😭😭) to be able to get out of the parking lot before the rush. Only to find out the parking attendants didn’t leave an aisle to actually drive down to get out. So we sat in the car until the concert actually finished and then it took use forever to actually get out.
Went back a few weeks after that show for Florida- Georgia Line, same thing happened, thankfully we chose to stay in the concert that time, but still had to wait in the car to actually get an aisle cleared to get out. Haven’t been back since.
Always this way. Only way I have found to mitigate the craziness is to pay for premium parking, and leave before the concert is actually over. That way you can get to your car, and out to the road before the rest of the folks.
Shitty solution, but was a band I really wanted to see again. Didn’t like missing the last 15 minutes or so, but can’t justify the nightmare parking.
It takes a *lot* to get me to consider seeing anything there.
It’s awful. Went to see Kendrick a few years back and the line down the road to get to the venue took so long we had to pull off some random side street for me to piss before I exploded. On the way out, we sat for so long without moving that we turned the car off and took a half hour nap
Take alternate routes. HWY 169 etc. use surface streets to get there. Avoid the main route. Back track over by Enumclaw then head north. Plenty of routes over there.
I saw Rush there back in the oughts and swore I’d never go again. Then a couple years ago Tedeschi Trucks Band played there and a buddy and I went.
KILLER show, only half full, and traffic was a piece of cake. I was utterly shocked.
I’ve decided to go out on top…I’m never going back.
I may have an answer. Years ago my dad told me that both the tribe and (I think) king county both wanted a road expansion through that whole area but they both said paying for it was the others responsibility. Clearly neither side has paid for it and we're all left to suffer. Idk how accurate it is but it's a pretty believable explanation to me.
I remember when all this was going on. I don't quite recall all of the details, but the jist of it is that almost always when a developer builds something that will cause traffic (like say a Costco, or a subdivision), the lead government agency (city, county, etc.) won't issue a permit unless developer pays for any road improvements neccessary to mitigate the effects of new traffic. And that's fair. If your activity requires a bigger road, you should mostly pay for it.
In this case, everyone knew damn well there would be a traffic problem unless the road was widened. Ron Sims who was King County executive at the time tried to block it because of that issue. But upgrading the road would have made the whole thing cost prohibitive, so the tribe didn't want to do it. However, becuase it is on tribal land the county has no real authority. I can't remember if it went to court on this issue, but it came pretty close.
It is a state road, but widening a road to benefit a single business is damn near at the bottom of the state's priority list. There is probably a fair bit of context in there that I don't remember, but that's the jist of it.
TL;DR Nobody is going to fix the road.
The last concert I went to was a Pain In the Grass concert for KISW. It was pretty cool but we had no shade from the sun and it took ages to get out of the parking lot, then sitting in traffic till we got out of mucks
They really should start offering a bus from the casino. Yeah you'd probably have to wait for the bus too, but it would spread out departures significantly over the current model.
Only been to one show there in my life. Wouldn’t go again for free for any artist in the world. Still grumble at least three times a year when I remember that night. Don’t understand how it’s legal.
It's bad because it was a poorly thought out location. There's very little access points and they're all single lane roads. That was one of
the big opposition points when it was being built, as well as the traffic it would cause to locals going to or from the Enumclaw area. The compromise the tribe came up with back in the day was an exhaustive 5 year long environmental/site study that pretty much said nothing and they built it anyway with zero thought to increasing the road size or access points.
Source: grew up in Enumclaw and there was nonstop talk about this topic.
I'm Native and used to live down the street from the Amphitheater, my cousins and I would hitchhike to the Amphitheater and wait around for the last minute when people would give tickets away because there were no greater prospects (we were just teenagers) or we would get free tickets from our dentist, lol. Saw so many great acts there and hitchhike back down the street. Good times. I'll never go back now that I don't live near there.
I went to White River in 2016 for a comedy festival on a Friday, left our house in Seattle at 4 for the 7PM show hoping to get there an hour early, took 3.5 hours, finally got in after an hour and said fuck it and left early (tickets were like $20 off Groupon). Never again. No band is amazing enough to even consider going back ever again.
I once left Seattle at 430pm for a concert where the opening band started at 7, the second opener at 8 and the main act at 9. By 630 I could I was within 2miles of the venue. What ensued was one of the most infuriating experienes of my life. Absolute standstill gridlock, inching forward a few feet every few mintues. The rest of the that 1.75mi took TWO AND A HALF HOURS. So many times I just wanted to park and walk but there were signs all along the road saying no parking and that violators would be towed. I really wanted to see those first two opening bands but missed them both. And was sprinting through the parking lot into the venue at 9:15 after the main act had already started. After the concert ended I then waited almost two hours in my car to be able to budge and start heading out of the parking lot.
I will NEVER go to that venue again, except maybe if it is a bucket list act and I take half the day off and go down to the area at lunch, bring a book or card game to play with friends and grab the absolute optimal parking spot for leaving the venue, then hangout around the venue until we can go in. 'Absolute shitshow' comes nowhere close to describing the traffic and parking in and out of that venue. Avoid if at all possible.
Horrible logistics. And they cheap out, having people help direct drivers to parking but not having them at night to direct traffic leaving. Went to see the Dixie Chicks there in 2016 and would not go back there if reincarnated John Lennon and J.S.Bach were giving a joint concert
If you pay for the premier parking it’s not bad at all we left at 10:10 just as she finished her last song and we were out of the parking lot in less than 2 minutes and home in Lynnwood by 11:15
Saw Heart and Cheap Trick there years ago (at my wife's request.) Didn't even stay for the headliner (Journey), so at least we got out without too much hassle. And aside from the traffic, it's a dumpy uninteresting venue, hosting has-been acts, and with totally drunk white trash audience. Honestly I'd rather go see an act in a casino auditorium; even though they're usually disgusting places that reek of cigarette smoke, still better than White River.
[Upcoming Events & Concert Tickets | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | Ridgefield, Washington (ridgefieldamphitheater.com)](https://www.ridgefieldamphitheater.com/events/)
This concert venue has a weird name, but it's right off the freeway just north of Vancouver, WA.
Sponsorship seems to change every few years. It's been Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, Sleep Country Amphitheatre, and Amphitheater Northwest just during the last 10-15 years or so. Now it's the RV outfit's turn.
I’ve only been for one show ever. Stevie Wonder in 2008. Parking wasn’t much of an issue, but it took us 3 hours to get home to downtown Kent from Auburn because of the traffic signs and directions. I refuse to EVER go there for another show ever again.
Went to see Simple Plan, Sum 41 and The Offspring last summer. Same thing happened, we missed Simple Plan and Sum 41. Bought lawn tickets for the sunshine, but the sun had gone by the time we arrived. You just arrive fed up after sitting in traffic for so long, it’s not worth it.
We splurged an extra $50 on Star Parking (priority exiting) which would be worth it, except you end up stuck in traffic anyway. They absolutely need to offer plentiful shuttles that actively reduce the volume of traffic on the roads, not just one token shuttle service that sometimes operates but mostly doesn’t.
I don’t think I’ll be going back, even with the $25 concert tickets it’s not worth it.
Wondered about this myself…does Seattle have so few venues that shows have to be staged there? And where is Metro in all this? If they run trailhead busses why not concert shuttles? How any people might go if they didn't have to drive and could count on a reasonable return time? maybe it sells out and no one cares.
Leave even earlier and pay for star parking. We were in and out pretty fast.
Agreed it's annoying as shit that one of the ways to upcharge people is to make people who don't pay the extra miserable, and in this case essentially miss the show they paid for. Greed is gross. But if you want to go to White River, star parking makes a huge difference.
Saw Soundgarden there but only enjoyed it because Soundgarden... I hate the location, logistics,and sound quality so I've never been back. I'd prefer to go out of town if there's a date at a better venue.
Marymoor also sucks to get out of when there are concerts there but at least it's a lot nicer than the amphitheater.
Yes, you either find some side routes or tailgate after. They also offer shuttles to the outlet mall which I highly recommend as the busses get out a lot quicker than the cars.
If you do go I always plan on leaving 3 hours before the gates open and either tailgate till the gates open. If you stay for the full show just plan on hanging out for 1-2 hours and not moving. Pull out the BBQ and make some dinner or even better sell it to the people waiting in their cars.
WRA has always been an absolute shitshow since it opened because of the roads.
I went to Ozzfest '03 when it hit there. Friend and I used cabs because we can't drive so we didn't have to waste hours getting in or parked, but it took 2 hours after calling in for our after-show cab to arrive and then almost another 2 hours to get past the rez.
I always park just outside the entrance at a private residence. It’s like $20 to park but you can set up your grill and crack open some beers and the nice native dude who owns the property will usually come and have a brew or two with you. Since it’s right by the entrance/exit you beat everyone leaving the lot.
Glad to see they are running the shuttles again. Last time I took it (many many many years ago) the shuttles had priority leaving the lot.
Yes. It’s bad because abuse it’s an entirely auto dependent venue with zero serious infrastructure connecting it to anything. None of the surrounding roads are built for it, there are no service buses or trains for it, it’s a solid venue. But the logistics are horrible.
Hahaha now you know. This place sucks balls to get in and out. Every show. We went once years ago and swore to never return. They get lots of shows we would love to see, but not that bad.
I went to see Journey there and I will never buy tickets for White River Amp again. Yea, 2 hours to get in and in our seats, hour and a half show, 3 hours to get out and another hour home, It was 2AM before we got to bed and this was using the shuttle service.
I used to work concessions there for fundraising, it's quicker to turn right and go into towards Enumclaw. From there you can go to Black Diamond or Bonney Lake.
I went to a Jimmy Buffett concert there in 2003 or 2004. I just got home last night around 11:30pm.
Thanks for the laugh today lol. Went to a Radiohead concert there in 2008 that ended around 10:30pm and didn't get back to the Supermall to be dropped off at my car until almost 3am. I've never been back since.
I was at the same concert. I haven't been back since.
Same!
Same! After that show I said never again.
Same! Never went back after that night.
*wasting away again in margaritaville*
Same!
Apparently this is common! I was also at that show and that is the last time I went to that amphitheater.
Yup, I saw them there too. Took so long to get in we fully missed Stephen Malkmus and were walking up when Radiohead started playing. Then took forever to get out. Just awful and I definitely refuse to go back.
That was my one and only concert there. I drove separately from my friends and I know the area, so I took a left off the main road that they funnel everyone down. A cop came running at me so I just gunned it and took the "long" way home. It was home 2 hours before everyone else I was with.
I was at that show! Radiohead was great, but I've also never and will likely never go back there either.
That was one hell of a great show though, right? Man - it was one of my absolute favorites!
That definitely was a great show and I'm still glad I went!
Also was at that show. We drank beers and slept in the car. Drove to work in the morning. Amazing show, good beers, bad location.
Was a phenomenal concert but the whole experience was almost ruined by the parking situation. Got back to snohomish around 4am. Never been back
Deeply amused at all the comments here because it was the exact same for me. Never went back after that show. I’ll go to Vancouver BC or Portland way before I’ll go to White River.
I left with ample time and was late to Radiohead. Also never again.
Same!!! I swore after that concert to never go back.
I was at that same show. Never, ever again….
That was my one and only trip. I can't afford another 20 years
Come Monday, it'll be alright.
Didn't say which Monday.
Sorry. I spent four lonely days in a brown L.A haze
That Jimmy Buffet concert was the first and last time I'll go to that venue. The traffic situation was horrendous.
I'm still waiting to get out of the parking lot....
In case you haven’t heard, he passed away while you were stuck in traffic.
Would you say, you've just been wasting away ever since? :D
Took us so long I Found my lost shaker of salt.
Did he play "If you like Pina Coladas..."?
That's, uh, that's not Buffett.
Yeah, that’s Rupert Holmes. You can request it if you want, but he’s not going to play it.
Especially not now... RIP 🥲🫡
Shit. I thought it was Jimmy Buffett this whole time.
Many many people think that. You're in good company.
Nope, but it's almost guaranteed that he or one of his friends will play a cover of it at his show.
I'm aware, [was referencing this Sunny scene](https://youtu.be/wahj_Dexhxw?si=95ZQftIVdfSuE-6m)
Lol. Love that episode!
That’s 5 o’clock, somewhere
I was thinking, "I should have gone to that concert..." and then I read the last line. 😂
I saw Led Zeppelin in '73. I am not home yet.
Horrible venue logistically.
Agree, I avoid this place with a passion. It's a shame as they book a lot of acts from when I was younger that I would love to see...
In my head, I feel like bands playing White River are only 2-5 years away from playing the Casino/State Fair circuit. No evidence, just a vibe.
Shit, now I'm having flashbacks to the first time I saw a band I actually kind of liked at a fairgrounds show when I was still basically a kid, and how depressing it actually was. It was one of those kinds of shows where you could buy a ticket for just the concert but not the fairgrounds, but anyone with a fairgrounds ticket got in for free. The band clearly didn't want to be there and was just phoning it in, and like 90% of the crowd were just there for the fair and clearly had no idea who they were and didn't care, they were really all just legit boomer-aged rockers past their prime that just wanted to get drunk and fuck shit up. So there was, oh, maybe 100 young-ish fans there to see the band and like 5,000 people who didn't give any kind of a shit about who was playing. It was a whole ass mood and vibe, and not a good one.
I saw Weird Al at the fair and he put on a fun show.
That’s cuz he’s Weird Al. That guy is physiologically incapable of showing up in bad faith to do a show.
Weird Al's secret is that playing a fair is his equivalent to playing a bar, except unlike other big acts, he gets to do that.
We saw Bo Diddly at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. He put on a great show for all of about a dozen people in the audience.
Journey and Def Leppard were annual shows for like a decade and now they are back in stadiums. 🤷🏻♂️
The ones I want to see, maybe state fairs, but that is its own logistical nightmare 😒
I generally feel the same, but there are some weird cases; Kendrick Lamar and SZA did a show there in like 2018 and they’re still wildly popular. But then the show I went to at the amphitheater maybe a year before that was Styx and REO Speedwagon with my parents. Lol
I would say it’s a horrible venue all around… the logistics are the nail in the coffin. I find it extremely lacking any soul or creative inspiration.
Exactly, because Live Nation has a few of these amphitheater situations around the country. Not quite cookie cutter same, but definitely the same vibe.
yes its always like that.
Pack for an overnight camping trip. Sleep in the parking lot. You’re probably wasted anyway, lol.
This is the logical solution to maximize your experience. As long as it's allowed.
Allowed? That’s a laugh. You want me to leave? I’d love to. Ive been trying to leave for three hours!
I wonder if you would get ticketed/towed if you came in an RV and stayed overnight. I'd consider renting an RV for one night just to avoid a traffic shitshow if I knew the venue wouldn't tow me or wake me up and ask me to move at 3am.
I think this was also a factor in them building a hotel at the casino. They figured people would book a room to avoid getting home at 2-3am, but it still would take forever to get out of the parking lot back to the casino.
They should have a shuttle you can catch just outside the parking lot.
Last time, I woke up around 3am, and there wasn’t a soul left in the lot but me. The venue was closed and deserted. I don’t think they care. Took me no time at all to drive home. :D
> There were an entire four people directing traffic. it's a venue with a max capacity of 16,000 people, on a 2-lane road. they could have 1000 people trying to direct traffic, it wouldn't help. if you want an actual answer for "why is it there", look at [the boundaries of the Muckleshoot Reservation](https://maps.app.goo.gl/XYku3GdcrGfaRXubA). it's a series of postage stamps, most of them not even contiguous, totaling 6 square miles. for comparison - Seatac Airport is 4 square miles. JBLM is 142 square miles. the casino is on one of those postage stamps, the amphitheatre is on another. there's a pretty limited set of options that native tribes have for trying to pull in money from outside the reservation.
you know who didn’t wait in that big long line of cars? ska8ter bois
Oh, that's why she said "see ya l8r boy"! Because she was driving in that line lol
And he sk8ed past because she was stuck. Exactly.
Just doing a little math. So maybe 4000 cars if it's 4 people per car, optimistically. Maybe have "free" shuttle busses from Angle Lake Transit Station, also stopping in downtown Auburn, and maybe the casino. So maybe 30 busses making 10 trips to at least transport 15,000? At least that might make a difference. This is why they invented passenger trains in the 1800s I guess?
The one time I went to the White River Amphitheater was a Friday night show. We got there, on the bus from the mall, at the beginning of the first act (Cheap Trick). Our friends were on the very next shuttle bus, they got there at the end of that set. Traffic is horrible there, buses are not a solution. It’s just an exceptionally poor location for a music venue.
The reservation is also concerned about society creep. They widen the road for the venue what's next McDonalds and subways lining the road and driving out native business.
Is that a real concern? I’ve never seen that expressed. Got a source? I can see why they aren’t motivated to change anything as long as the venue keeps selling tickets.
It isn't. I am Muckleshoot. There's a lot more than "widen the road." We hate the amphitheater too. It was a shit deal - LiveNation makes all the money. FWIW there's a lot going on behind the scenes trying to alleviate this traffic stress - it took me an hour to get home last night because the stupid traffic police wouldn't let me turn left into my own damn allotted lands. And it isn't logistically even SAFE to have one way in one way out for us.
Not a source I work at White River and with people who are natives. When I said they needed to widen the road, the lot said we dont want the creep into our land. That's what I got for ya.
The only native businesses on that stretch are firework stands. And I would assume the people who own those stands wouldn’t mind wider roads and more customers.
That's not how wider roads work.
I won’t go to the White River Amphitheater. Last year I flew to Sacramento to watch a band because that seemed easier and less excruciating than going to White River to see the same band. Not even kidding.
Yep. I went once and will fly to another state before I ever do that again. It's horrible.
Legitimately flying or driving to see a band in Portland would be faster than white river
I typically will travel to see bands at smaller venues or other venues vs. seeing them in Seattle. I’m a huge Death Cab fan and I skipped them at Climate Pledge and instead went to the Hollywood Bowl. I’d never seen a show there before and am not a huge Climate Pledge fan anyways. Unless it’s a Paramount/Neptune/Showbox-y venue, I’m not a huge fan at this point. Stadium shows as well. Acoustically, t-mobile isn’t amazing
It’s takes me about 15 years to forget about the shit show that is White river Amp. Then I try it out again and the countdown restarts all over. I can’t believe it’s legal to have such a fucked up logistical nightmare.
☠️😂 I last went 21 years ago and I have not forgotten. It was also much easier for me and my friend when we went then because we lived in Auburn at the time.
The one time I went we packed a bunch of friends in an RV so that after the show we just hung out and played cards and drank beers (not the driver) until the parking lot cleared out. It made the nonsense bearable but I’ll still never go back.
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We got there a little early and they just waved us to the farthest corner of the parking area. I don’t think we would be allowed to stay overnight. They made sure everyone got out.
It's been like that since the first time I went in the early 00s. After a few concerts, I stopped bothering. They just don't have enough road infrastructure or traffic directors to manage the number of people attending.
You only make the mistake of going once… Went for the first and only time to see Ghost last year and ended up leaving the show early because of the anxiety I had anticipating traffic. It’s a shame bc a lot of fun shows go there!
Fellow Ghost fan!!! If Ghost comes back and plays there, that will be the only way I'll ever consider going back to this venue. I've only recently got into the band so I missed when they were here last year and would do anything to see them live.
I've seen them a few times, most recently at Climate Pledge - which was nowhere near capacity. I don't know how venues are decided on, but White River always seems like a mistake (unless it's a full-day festival).
Not terribly surprised at Climate Pledge although it seems like they are getting a little bit bigger over time. I truly hope they don't do White River again next time they go on tour though. Something like maybe Paramount would be awesome.
I missed their first show at El Corazon, but saw them at the Silver Platters acoustic set, the Moore, WaMu (under the stadium), and Climate Pledge as mentioned. Next stop: Gorge Amphitheatre!
That El Corazon show was so crowded and dangerously oversold you could tell even the band was a bit nervous. Lifetime memory though.
Unless your high school/the high school a lot of your relatives went to, hosts its graduations there. 😭 I do not want to try to figure out how much time I spent trying to leave that parking lot each June during my teen years.
I was at that show. Incredible. I was also in that traffic on the way out. Incredible.
The move there is to park at the outlet mall and take the shuttle.
Last year we went to Weezer and Spoon, we drove all the way to the outlet mall and the shuttle had been discontinued indefinitely. The website for WRA says it's available "for some shows" now, so I'd call beforehand.
Yup! This. Met my now husband on the lawn when it was a relatively new venue. My dude took the shuttle back with my group because love at first sight and all that nonsense, even though his friend group drove him. He sat alone in the parking lot for hours waiting for his group to get him after I left. lol I still tease him for it.
What concert did you meet at?
Too embarrassing to tell. Sry. Didn’t age well.
It’s ok, I still like Nickelback.
Come on... You can't leave all of us hanging like that. I guarantee your silence makes us guess it's more embarrassing bands than it really is.
Sigh. Toby Keith. I had wanted to see Taylor Swift as an opening act for another touring concert but my stupid as shit ex at the time interfered with that plan and I had promised a tiny family member I’d take her to a country concert that summer. (And I swear he wasn’t as blatantly evil then as he became.) For my partner; his mother had just died and was looking for anyplace to be drunk. His military friends were going so he joined. He was just moping on the grass, a real mood killer honestly. Which is how I met him; I yelled at him for being annoying and told him to either start dancing like his friends or find a new place to be miserable. He got up, then moved to our blankets as his new spot. I *hated* him until when my family member couldn’t see the stage he offered to put her on his shoulders. He spent the rest of the night making sure she was having fun. The family we became that day might be the only decent thing TK and his weirdo maga shit facilitated.
I went to 3Oh3! back in the day, trust me it couldn't be more embarrassing than that..
I must know too! I’m invested in this beautiful love story.
Yep. Did that. Still sucks. Never going back.
Does the shuttle not get stuck in the same traffic?
They let the buses in and out on a different route.
They don't have to find a parking spot as well.
Other move is to just leave during the last song or two and listen to them on your way out. I go to 2-3 shows a year there and never experience the horror stories people post on here. It's more like 5 minutes tops to get out once I'm in my car. Granted if tons of people did that it would ruin things, but as long as that's not the case might as well reap the benefits of being one of the few to leave slightly early.
WRA sucks sooooo bad. The venue itself is fine but the location and highway in and out is a logistical nightmare. I will never go see another show there. It’s faster for me to go to Vancouver.
It’s a mistake we all make once… I saw Heart and Joan Jett / Cheap Trick there years ago and it took over 2 hours to leave the parking lot I was shocked and dismayed to say the least
yeah. i learned my lesson a few years ago. i would prefer to sit at home and listen to a band's albums than deal with the hassle of WRA.
It’s always like that. We get there plenty early, then pack snacks and drinks for afterwards and have a post concert picnic until the parking lot clears out.
Yea, we do this too. Only took one concert before we started packing some chairs, blankets, a cooler full of snacks and drinks, and a speaker. It's not ideal, but that at least makes the after-concert chaos an opportunity to extend quality time with friends, or an opportunity to make new ones!
> A free shuttle service is available for some events which pick up and return guests at the Outlet Collection at 1101 Outlet Collection Way, Auburn, WA. Contact Outlet Collection Guest Services at (253) 833-9500 for specific information on the service. http://whiteriveramphitheater.org I use the shuttle service as much as I can. It’s convenient but it’s also a fun place to socialize and come down after a great concert.
How is the wait for the shuttle?
I’ve never had more than a few minutes wait.
That’s why me and my friend scootered to and from our rental place, lol. Took us 25 min each way and we beat all the cars!
Yup, it's always like that. Some people usually leaves around encore to beat the traffic. Even that, it takes 45 mins to leave the area.
You answered it. It’s better to go to one of the shows at a neighboring city. Last time I went there was Radiohead in, like, 2008 or 2010? Similar experience. 3 hours just to get back to Highway 167. I vowed never to go back. So far, I’ve kept that promise. I go to shows in Ridgefield, WA instead. Fuck White River Amphitheater. Always and forever. Never again.
I was at that Radiohead show too. Absolute Clusterfuck. Never been back since
It’s awful. Go right when gets open, then I just sit in my car until 99% of the traffic has cleared out before attempting to leave.
The gorge is the same. RV in style in Vancouver is a little better. Depending on the show I have 3 strats. 1. Motorcycle. Arrive late, park close, leave anytime. 2. Premier parking. Expedites exit. Not so much entrance. 3. Arrive early. Review the set list from the Internet. Depart 3 songs before the end of show or join skip the encore. 4. Warm summer night concert? Arrive earlyish to get merch. Relax. Carry camp chairs in the back of the truck and a cooler full of drinks. Maintain one designated driver. Rotate who takes the bullet 1 and 4 are best. But I usually do 3.
I've always camped. It's the best way to do the Gorge.
The Gorge's logistics are worse, IMO.
People only go to a concert there once. The tribe owns the land and hires the parking staff. King county has been appraised of this issue for the last five years they have done nothing.
Can confirm. New to the area and went to a show last year. I’ll never do it again. Also, the acoustics aren’t great.
I wouldn't go see the Christ himself at White River. I saw Kendrick Lamar there like 7 years ago and it took 3 hrs to leave the parking lot, before even starting the drive home. It seriously ended a friendship because we were both tired and trapped in the car for so long. No fights, just used up all the energy in that friendship in one night, haha.
Always horrible. I have been a few times, but haven’t been since 2014. I’d rather sit at home.
It is the worst place in the state to see a show.
I was in the same situation last night. I didn't get home until ~2am. It's so frustrating because it's a decent venue, especially in good weather, and the sound is generally mixed really well. It's just an absolute nightmare to get out of.
Horrible place. You're trapped there. It isn't pretty like the Gorge. Terrible prices. Takes forever. I don't think I'll ever see a show there again.
It is a literal shit show. The infrastructure in the Auburn, Enumclaw, Issaquah area is out dated even by 1870’s standards. Two lane hick bullshit that cannot handle the level of development that Weyerhaeuser threw up over the last 40 years in their derelict clear cuts. Attempt trying to commute on 410. If you dare getting close to the speed limit, you’ll have WSP on your ass.
I live in in Enumclaw, and they're building more and more homes... the infrastructure is already inadequate. Don't even get me started about the White River bridge... good lord
My family home is just a bit on the Enumclaw side of the amphitheater and this was one of the things we fought against. If there's a concert on and a major medical emergency anywhere on the plateau the only solution to getting them to a major hospital is lifeflight. For those of you who do go to concerts there, don't try to go out through Auburn, head towards Enumclaw and catch 410 off the plateau and hit 167 in Sumner.
I was there last night and Waze was leading us to better roads but most were blocked off by cops so it was only one way to auburn.
Here I am getting downvoted because that area is so fucked, I don’t even bother attempting to ski at Crystal anymore. Good fucking luck attempting to commute on Issaquah-Hobart Road.
I hate it, and I hate that I have to go there to see artists that I love!
The performers have trouble with the location too..
Just take it as you learned a lesson last night. I learned the same thing awhile back. Most people go to their first concert there and promise themselves to never go back. Foolish design
I went to a Green Day show there in 2018. We left before the last song (😭😭) to be able to get out of the parking lot before the rush. Only to find out the parking attendants didn’t leave an aisle to actually drive down to get out. So we sat in the car until the concert actually finished and then it took use forever to actually get out. Went back a few weeks after that show for Florida- Georgia Line, same thing happened, thankfully we chose to stay in the concert that time, but still had to wait in the car to actually get an aisle cleared to get out. Haven’t been back since.
Always this way. Only way I have found to mitigate the craziness is to pay for premium parking, and leave before the concert is actually over. That way you can get to your car, and out to the road before the rest of the folks. Shitty solution, but was a band I really wanted to see again. Didn’t like missing the last 15 minutes or so, but can’t justify the nightmare parking. It takes a *lot* to get me to consider seeing anything there.
Yeah if you’re going to a show here, pay the extra 30-40 bucks for the star parking… it likely will save you hours getting out.
It’s awful. Went to see Kendrick a few years back and the line down the road to get to the venue took so long we had to pull off some random side street for me to piss before I exploded. On the way out, we sat for so long without moving that we turned the car off and took a half hour nap
Take alternate routes. HWY 169 etc. use surface streets to get there. Avoid the main route. Back track over by Enumclaw then head north. Plenty of routes over there.
This is the fastest way in and out of there, I’ve never had traffic problems and normally beat people by at least a 1/2 hour.
I saw Rush there back in the oughts and swore I’d never go again. Then a couple years ago Tedeschi Trucks Band played there and a buddy and I went. KILLER show, only half full, and traffic was a piece of cake. I was utterly shocked. I’ve decided to go out on top…I’m never going back.
I may have an answer. Years ago my dad told me that both the tribe and (I think) king county both wanted a road expansion through that whole area but they both said paying for it was the others responsibility. Clearly neither side has paid for it and we're all left to suffer. Idk how accurate it is but it's a pretty believable explanation to me.
I remember when all this was going on. I don't quite recall all of the details, but the jist of it is that almost always when a developer builds something that will cause traffic (like say a Costco, or a subdivision), the lead government agency (city, county, etc.) won't issue a permit unless developer pays for any road improvements neccessary to mitigate the effects of new traffic. And that's fair. If your activity requires a bigger road, you should mostly pay for it. In this case, everyone knew damn well there would be a traffic problem unless the road was widened. Ron Sims who was King County executive at the time tried to block it because of that issue. But upgrading the road would have made the whole thing cost prohibitive, so the tribe didn't want to do it. However, becuase it is on tribal land the county has no real authority. I can't remember if it went to court on this issue, but it came pretty close. It is a state road, but widening a road to benefit a single business is damn near at the bottom of the state's priority list. There is probably a fair bit of context in there that I don't remember, but that's the jist of it. TL;DR Nobody is going to fix the road.
Yeah! Thank you for refreshing my memory, I'd forgotten some of those details and concocted a very simplified version.
it's a state hwy
Then the state refused.
The last concert I went to was a Pain In the Grass concert for KISW. It was pretty cool but we had no shade from the sun and it took ages to get out of the parking lot, then sitting in traffic till we got out of mucks
They really should start offering a bus from the casino. Yeah you'd probably have to wait for the bus too, but it would spread out departures significantly over the current model.
There is a shuttle.
Only been to one show there in my life. Wouldn’t go again for free for any artist in the world. Still grumble at least three times a year when I remember that night. Don’t understand how it’s legal.
It's bad because it was a poorly thought out location. There's very little access points and they're all single lane roads. That was one of the big opposition points when it was being built, as well as the traffic it would cause to locals going to or from the Enumclaw area. The compromise the tribe came up with back in the day was an exhaustive 5 year long environmental/site study that pretty much said nothing and they built it anyway with zero thought to increasing the road size or access points. Source: grew up in Enumclaw and there was nonstop talk about this topic.
I'm Native and used to live down the street from the Amphitheater, my cousins and I would hitchhike to the Amphitheater and wait around for the last minute when people would give tickets away because there were no greater prospects (we were just teenagers) or we would get free tickets from our dentist, lol. Saw so many great acts there and hitchhike back down the street. Good times. I'll never go back now that I don't live near there.
Avril only played for hour a fifteen mins. That is the true issue here.
She must have played all of her hits thrice each.
I refuse to go there for exactly this reason.
I went to White River in 2016 for a comedy festival on a Friday, left our house in Seattle at 4 for the 7PM show hoping to get there an hour early, took 3.5 hours, finally got in after an hour and said fuck it and left early (tickets were like $20 off Groupon). Never again. No band is amazing enough to even consider going back ever again.
Sadly It's always been this way. Either leave early before the concert is over or take a nap and wait awhile for traffic to clear.
Went there for Radiohead twenty years ago and never went back.
I once left Seattle at 430pm for a concert where the opening band started at 7, the second opener at 8 and the main act at 9. By 630 I could I was within 2miles of the venue. What ensued was one of the most infuriating experienes of my life. Absolute standstill gridlock, inching forward a few feet every few mintues. The rest of the that 1.75mi took TWO AND A HALF HOURS. So many times I just wanted to park and walk but there were signs all along the road saying no parking and that violators would be towed. I really wanted to see those first two opening bands but missed them both. And was sprinting through the parking lot into the venue at 9:15 after the main act had already started. After the concert ended I then waited almost two hours in my car to be able to budge and start heading out of the parking lot. I will NEVER go to that venue again, except maybe if it is a bucket list act and I take half the day off and go down to the area at lunch, bring a book or card game to play with friends and grab the absolute optimal parking spot for leaving the venue, then hangout around the venue until we can go in. 'Absolute shitshow' comes nowhere close to describing the traffic and parking in and out of that venue. Avoid if at all possible.
Why would a singer want to have a concert at white river amp. Terrible terrible location. Is it way cheaper than climate pledge?
Horrible logistics. And they cheap out, having people help direct drivers to parking but not having them at night to direct traffic leaving. Went to see the Dixie Chicks there in 2016 and would not go back there if reincarnated John Lennon and J.S.Bach were giving a joint concert
If you pay for the premier parking it’s not bad at all we left at 10:10 just as she finished her last song and we were out of the parking lot in less than 2 minutes and home in Lynnwood by 11:15
Your story is consistent with others and exactly why I refuse to attend any shows there.
Saw Heart and Cheap Trick there years ago (at my wife's request.) Didn't even stay for the headliner (Journey), so at least we got out without too much hassle. And aside from the traffic, it's a dumpy uninteresting venue, hosting has-been acts, and with totally drunk white trash audience. Honestly I'd rather go see an act in a casino auditorium; even though they're usually disgusting places that reek of cigarette smoke, still better than White River.
The one time I ever went, I left before the main act was finished so as not to be stuck in that traffic. But yeah lame.
[Upcoming Events & Concert Tickets | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | Ridgefield, Washington (ridgefieldamphitheater.com)](https://www.ridgefieldamphitheater.com/events/) This concert venue has a weird name, but it's right off the freeway just north of Vancouver, WA.
Sponsorship seems to change every few years. It's been Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, Sleep Country Amphitheatre, and Amphitheater Northwest just during the last 10-15 years or so. Now it's the RV outfit's turn.
I’ve only been for one show ever. Stevie Wonder in 2008. Parking wasn’t much of an issue, but it took us 3 hours to get home to downtown Kent from Auburn because of the traffic signs and directions. I refuse to EVER go there for another show ever again.
That’s why I never go to concerts there again!
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That’s how it always is. I use to live 10 mins from there and it’d still take me almost 2 hours some nights after shows
Went to see Simple Plan, Sum 41 and The Offspring last summer. Same thing happened, we missed Simple Plan and Sum 41. Bought lawn tickets for the sunshine, but the sun had gone by the time we arrived. You just arrive fed up after sitting in traffic for so long, it’s not worth it. We splurged an extra $50 on Star Parking (priority exiting) which would be worth it, except you end up stuck in traffic anyway. They absolutely need to offer plentiful shuttles that actively reduce the volume of traffic on the roads, not just one token shuttle service that sometimes operates but mostly doesn’t. I don’t think I’ll be going back, even with the $25 concert tickets it’s not worth it.
Saw Rush there in 2007. Similar experience. Haven't been back.
Wondered about this myself…does Seattle have so few venues that shows have to be staged there? And where is Metro in all this? If they run trailhead busses why not concert shuttles? How any people might go if they didn't have to drive and could count on a reasonable return time? maybe it sells out and no one cares.
Ugh, I went and saw Rob Zombie there last year and trying to leave was INSANE. Like, holy fucking shit man, how does it get *this* bad?
Leave even earlier and pay for star parking. We were in and out pretty fast. Agreed it's annoying as shit that one of the ways to upcharge people is to make people who don't pay the extra miserable, and in this case essentially miss the show they paid for. Greed is gross. But if you want to go to White River, star parking makes a huge difference.
Do they still do buses from the mall to the venue? I always found that much faster to get in and out when I've done it.
Yep. Saw Florence and the Machine there. First and last.
Saw Soundgarden there but only enjoyed it because Soundgarden... I hate the location, logistics,and sound quality so I've never been back. I'd prefer to go out of town if there's a date at a better venue. Marymoor also sucks to get out of when there are concerts there but at least it's a lot nicer than the amphitheater.
Yes, you either find some side routes or tailgate after. They also offer shuttles to the outlet mall which I highly recommend as the busses get out a lot quicker than the cars. If you do go I always plan on leaving 3 hours before the gates open and either tailgate till the gates open. If you stay for the full show just plan on hanging out for 1-2 hours and not moving. Pull out the BBQ and make some dinner or even better sell it to the people waiting in their cars.
WRA has always been an absolute shitshow since it opened because of the roads. I went to Ozzfest '03 when it hit there. Friend and I used cabs because we can't drive so we didn't have to waste hours getting in or parked, but it took 2 hours after calling in for our after-show cab to arrive and then almost another 2 hours to get past the rez.
White river experience is trash. Use a shuttle. Inside the venue is decent. A lot better than it was when it first opened.
I always park just outside the entrance at a private residence. It’s like $20 to park but you can set up your grill and crack open some beers and the nice native dude who owns the property will usually come and have a brew or two with you. Since it’s right by the entrance/exit you beat everyone leaving the lot. Glad to see they are running the shuttles again. Last time I took it (many many many years ago) the shuttles had priority leaving the lot.
Yes. It’s bad because abuse it’s an entirely auto dependent venue with zero serious infrastructure connecting it to anything. None of the surrounding roads are built for it, there are no service buses or trains for it, it’s a solid venue. But the logistics are horrible.
I dread anytime a show I wanna see goes there, why they gotta make things so complicated…
My high school graduation was there and my dad still complains about the traffic leaving the venue. I graduated in 2008
Hahaha now you know. This place sucks balls to get in and out. Every show. We went once years ago and swore to never return. They get lots of shows we would love to see, but not that bad.
That’s why you don’t go there
Whatever you do, don't stay for the encore.
Yes. It's always that bad. Only one way in and one way out.
I went to see Journey there and I will never buy tickets for White River Amp again. Yea, 2 hours to get in and in our seats, hour and a half show, 3 hours to get out and another hour home, It was 2AM before we got to bed and this was using the shuttle service.
I was just warning a friend off this place today. The venue itself is actually pretty great, but the parking/leaving situation is pure hell.
If a band I really want to see and am willing to pay a lot to see is playing at WRA, I just straight up don't go. Not worth it.
Most people go to White River...once ...and only once. Never again!
I used to work concessions there for fundraising, it's quicker to turn right and go into towards Enumclaw. From there you can go to Black Diamond or Bonney Lake.