After three decades of dust, gusts and deluges at the New York State Fair Grandstand, from having my belly pushing up against the front rail for the Southern Spirit Tour to resting my back two rows from the top for Kid Rock, I sat smack dab in the middle of a green patch of grass next to my dear wife Karen Thursday night on chairs from bags I brought slung over my shoulders.
I looked past the pretty pavilion to gently bouncing and twinkling lights on boats on Onondaga Lake as stars shined overhead.
Before we chose our spot among thousands of equally happy music fans on the lawn, we were treated to a dazzling sunset off to the west.
Afterward, star Miranda Lambert drew us all to our feet with her rollicking set of got-it-going-on country, hot and sweet.
This is ours, I thought of the $50 million Lakeview Amphitheater.
Hell, yeah.
First impression: Well done.
It's easy to get to.
Mark this down for next time: We took the highway from our Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. The best tip is to obey the portable fair sign and take exit 6, staying left as the big line clogs the Solvay exit 7, then going right toward Auburn but staying on the shoulder to exit immediately to the fair's Orange lot. Our EZ Pass lane allowed a quick entrance for the $5 parking fee to be electronically docked. We joined the line of cars, parked, and walked with a string of fans to the venue entrance. It was a shorter journey from any lot to the grandstand other than fighting the traffic to park on the same side of State Fair Boulevard.
The hike to the pavilion from the entrance seemed long and winding. I broke it up by buying us a beer each, 16-ounce Miller Lites, total price $16.
When we got there, we went to the right. We found a spot in the center, about halfway down the lawn, and I set up our chairs and went investigating.
I saw a moat with a hurricane fence separating the lawn from pavilion access. I asked the friendly guard if I could cross to take a quick photo if I promised to come right back. She smiled and said sure. When one of the three video screens on the edge of the pavilion flashed "Six Fun Facts," I discovered my moat was actually the official west trail bike path.
Nobody bothered me as I followed a path down the left side of the amphitheater to shoot inside and look at the lake behind, too.
The views were beautiful and panoramic. It felt like the place was built on the end of a pickle.
When I returned to my seats, Karen told me she'd talked to folks who told her that they'd arrived at the announced opening time, 6 p.m., to a long line. Gates opened at 6:15, they said, and everything went smoothly.
The place is said to hold 17,500. It looked like the seats inside were mostly full by showtime. I thought the lawn was, oh, half full. The left side, facing the stage, was particularly empty.
The sound was great on the lawn. Better than any show at the grandstand, even when I had the best review seats next to the soundboard in the center elevated track seats. I thought my lawn seats center and halfway up equated to halfway up the grandstand, distance wise from the stage. The video screens on the pavilion made me feel closer, and not mind everybody standing when I felt like sitting down.
"We made this happen because of you," Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney said while introducing Lambert to the stage. "This is a brand new Onondaga County Park. This will be open to you every day. This will be the first live music in Onondaga County in a long time."
She lost me a bit in that last part of her intro, what with all the music going on across the way at the fair before and after through Labor Day, and in many other places throughout the county. But, yes, having the Lakeview Amphitheater and the ability to book shows like this at a place like this is a good thing. Hell, yeah.
You can find more photos from Thursday night and two song snippets from videos I shot of Miranda Lambert at my blog, markbialczak.com.