The Westbrook venue, Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row, kicked-off the summer concert season with a performance from Anderson .Paak over the weekend, and concert attendees weren’t the only ones who heard the show that night.
While some residents are excited about the new addition to the town, others are not too fond of the new noise. Portland resident and business owner Kathleen Vance told the Bangor Daily News that the concert was “incredibly loud” and she could hear “not only the music, but every single word that was being said over the loudspeakers” from her home three miles away. Another nearby resident, Lois Steele, told the Press Herald that the show kept her and her husband awake until 11 p.m.
Many other residents complained via the Westbrook Police Department’s Facebook page, but were redirected to the compliance officer in charge of complaints with Rock Row concerts.
The general consensus is that fans know the beneficial economical impact the venue has on the city and they don’t want to shut down the concerts – they just want the volume turned down a bit.
Josh Levy, co-founder of Waterstone, told CBS 13 that the concert was a success, noting that “as far as first shows go, I would call this a home run” and it was “truly amazing to see 4,000 people come to Westbrook for this concert.” While there were some noise complaints, he said that the problem will be addressed as the summer continues.
“We have four sound monitors throughout Portland and Westbrook to gather data on the noise levels leaving the stadium,” he said. “We have sound engineers piecing that information together over the next three weeks, including today, to figure out any fine tuning we need to do.”
The 8,200-capacity venue is set on a 100-acre business and residential complex, which is still under construction. The entire complex will take between five to seven years to complete. It will hold a handful of shows throughout June, July, and August as a part of the series Waterfront Concerts. The psychedelic/funk group Slightly Stoopid will take the stage next on June 15, followed by indie-rock groups Young The Giant and Fitz and The Tantrums and rockers Buddy Guy and Kenny Wayne Sheperd. Shinedown, the rock group touring in support of ATTENTION ATTENTION, are expected to bring in a large crowd on June 29.
Check out the venue’s website for tickets and more information.
