VENUES

Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: September 6, 2007

Charlottesville audiences have a wider array of national entertainment options to pick from than were available just a couple of years ago.

Charlottesville Pavilion

The Charlottesville Pavilion, at the east end of the Downtown Mall, offers concerts for every musical taste.

Christian rock band Third Day appears with Sanctus Real and Revive. Performers this year have included Robert Randolph, Bonnie Raitt. Ziggy Marley, the Neville Brothers, Bob Weir and Ratdog and Lyle Lovett and k.d. lang.

The outdoor venue is home to the Fridays After Five concert series, which offers local residents a chance to mingle, meet friends and kick off their spring and summer weekends in style.

There's still time to catch the final shows in the Fridays After Five season. Sparky's Flaw plays Aug. 31, and SGGL will perform Sept. 7 to wind up the offerings. If you'd like to recommend a favorite band, stop by the Web site and add your input.

Local performers also take the Pavilion stage, including the Charlottesville Municipal Band, which is winding up its 85th Summer Concert Series.

To stay on top of Pavilion offerings, visit www.charlottesvillepavilion.com. To get tickets, call (877) CPAV-TIX. For local information, call 245-4910.

John Paul Jones Arena

When the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena isn't humming with a Virginia basketball home game, there's likely to be a big-name act performing there.

The $129.8 million venue near the intersection of Emmet Street and Massie Road has seating for 15,000 fans. The facility includes enhanced concessions, team store, training and weight rooms, academic center and even a dining hall.

Variety is a hallmark of arena shows. Among top performers to stop by this year were Justin Timberlake, Billy Joel, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, George Strait, Rod Stewart, Jon Stewart, Rascal Flatts and Common, to name a few.

Coming up Sept. 16 will be the "American Idols Live'' tour featuring winner Jordin Sparks, runner-up Blake Lewis and fan faves LaKisha Jones and Sanjaya Malakar. Maroon 5 will perform with the Hives on Oct. 8.

Family shows are another option at the Jack. The famous Lipizzaner Stallions will return Nov. 16 to demonstrate 400 years of meticulous training that unites equine power and grace. Monster Jam will return with monster-truck action in March. Wholesome family fare so far this year has included appearances by the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, Sesame Street Live and My Little Pony Live.

Those interested in basketball tickets can visit http://www.virginiasports.com or call (800) 542-UVA1 [8821] or 924-UVA1. For show tickets, visit www.johnpauljonesarena.com or call (888) 575-8497.

Paramount Theater

The Paramount Theater, which reopened in 2004 after a painstaking renovation, is the place to see a wide range of performers from Broadway to bluegrass to magic acts to Motown. Behind the Greek Revival facade are a variety of live performances, educational programs and movie screenings.

The theater is winding its first summer performance season with performances by the Glenn Miller Orchestra and poet, actress, author and director Maya Angelou.

This year's visitors have included "American Idol'' champion Taylor Hicks, Herbie Hancock, Savion Glover, the Chieftains, Bobby McFerrin, Lily Tomlin, the Beach Boys and Whoopi Goldberg.

The large screen also makes it a welcoming spot to catch film screenings.

Keep an eye out for announcements about the coming fall season of shows.

Stay informed by visiting www.theparamount.net. The box office can be reached at 979-1333.

Scott Stadium

The University of Virginia's football stadium was the site of a couple of major concerts: the Dave Matthews Band in 2001 and the Rolling Stones in 2005.