Hayden Homes Amphitheater — Attraction in Bend

I have to go with what I know: this venue is like grafting most the best parts of Shoreline Amphitheater and Concord Pavilion together into a place to see music.

First thing first is the vibe. Chill entry. Super friendly staff. I was unexpectedly stuck behind a gaggle of super-toned cougars fetching their rental chairs. The staff couldn’t have been nicer. The gaggle were also nice, even if it was hard to discern their actual emotions given the Botox. I kid. Bend is not where Californians go to chill. Seriously, it isn’t. Even if I just mentioned two Bay Area venues.

The second thing you notice is that it is all grass up front, with none of those assigned seats creating a barrier. And the gentle slope of the grass means that you can see the stage (and the screens) from almost anywhere, even while sitting in a reasonably priced folding chair. Are you a big-time attendee? You sit behind the lawn, and golf-clap from your raised boxes while you sniff booger sugar and eat caviar (at least that is what I thought I saw!). What a concept!

Third, the prices were sooooo much lower than in the Bay Area. And, if you bought a beer, you got a free koozie!?!? Well, isn’t that nice? And it is less than half the price? Also nice. Didn’t try the food. But it seemed reasonably priced. And I know that merch is a separate thing. But the staff there and the prices were quite a change from the aforementioned places.

Fourth, the people-watching is amazing! Recall those cougars. They sit (or dance) right next to townies that didn’t get the message that Bend is now overrun with movers and shakers from other places (hint: California, as you could tell by their swagger, that Botox I mentioned, and those Pilates-toned armes that still have some wiggle . . . it was as if REI was waging a war with armpit hair and good old boys . . . and it was, I think, winning, albeit slowly).

Here's the thing though. And it is a minor, though perhaps in some cases major, quibble. If you are here for a concert that starts at around 7:00, be prepared to be face-blasted by the sun. On a cool or cloudy day, no biggie. On my visit, it was in the low-70s. There was a nice breeze. But on a hot day? With no breeze? That would be horrible. Facing the stage and looking to the left, there is a clear spot to place some sun-shading to help concert goers enjoy the show without having to shield themselves from the sun. Just saying.

All that said, this was an amazing experience. A great show. A great venue. Value for my money. Who would...

My wife and I joined several friends in Bend this weekend to celebrate my wife's birthday, and to attend a concert at Hayden Homes. My wife has a concert purse and has attended dozens of concerts with this small purse over the last several years. Hayden Homes has a policy regarding bag sizes and told my wife she couldn't enter the venue with her bag because it was about 1" too long. Another friend who went through a different line, and has the same bag, was let in. My wife has severe asthma as well as immunodeficiency and needs to cary various medications with her. So, she was singled out on her birthday and told she couldn't attend the show with her bag but could come back with a smaller bag, or could check her bag (hand made by a close friend so she had no interest in handing it over to a stranger). Absurd!! I walked her back to our room and she was shaking and in tears. I walked back to try to enjoy the show with our friends. During the show we all noticed many people with rather large purses and other bags (not clear plastic). How did they get in? Maybe some security staff are being overly strict and some don't care? Either way, an inconsistently implemented policy essentially singles people out. I even saw someone with a large rolled up blanket with a shoulder strap. It was easily 12" in diameter and 20-24" long. So, that's acceptable but a small purse might have a weapon in it?

Also, pedestrian flow is poorly designed, long lines everywhere and disorganization to get anything. I saw 2 shows in Red Rocks this past June - took 30 seconds to get a drink, no lines for anything. True professionals. Hayden Homes - corporately named which should be a red flag. Poor venue,...

Been coming to this venue for years. Located in the center of Bend, Hayden Homes is easy to get to via bike, walking and you can usually find parking close by. Bonus points for getting to watch the sunset to the left of the stage each show.

However, LiveNation continues to find ways to suck the joy out of going to live shows. LiveNation hits your wallet from every angle extracting every dollar they can making sure your enjoyment costs a small fortune.

Craft beers art $16. Chair rentals are $12. Once again, craft beers in a can are $16. You can bring in a yoga mat or a beach towel...it never used to be like that. No blankets allowed. I'm surprised they don't charge you to rent a plot to lay your blanket on.

We have never rented a chair. You used to be able to bring your own chairs to this venue before LiveNation took over. Today, I'm going to a show and decided to rent chairs for the first time. Added the chairs to my order and went to check out. After clicking Purchase I get a message saying chairs are no longer available. Of course they aren't...

I asked myself, isn't that what capitalism is? The market will determine if someone is willing to pay for a product. Guess people want to rent chairs, or they don't have a choice. If you want any sort of comfort and don't want to sit on a yoga mat you kinda have to cough up the extra money.

In summary, LiveNation is a business and they didn't buy this venue to be nice. They did it to make as much money as they can off of us. And they're not shy about it.

Tonight's show is $67 for a ticket + $12 for a chair + 2 beers for $32. Including wife (+ 2 drinks) and kids it ends up being about $400 not including food from the...