Okay, so I finally made it out to The Ridge up in Gilford, New Hampshire. Been hearing about this place for ages, mostly the concert venue part, the Bank of NH Pavilion, which everyone just calls The Ridge.
Getting There and First Look
So, I decided pretty last minute to grab a ticket for a show. Drove up on the day. Getting there wasn’t too bad, honestly. Expected way worse traffic heading into the Lakes Region area, but maybe I just got lucky. Found the signs easily enough. Parking was… well, it was event parking. You know how it is. Big fields, lots of walking, pay the fee. Standard stuff.
Walking towards the venue, you start to get a feel for it. It’s got that outdoor amphitheater vibe, big sloping lawn in the back, covered seats closer up. Seemed pretty well organized getting people in, scanned the ticket on my phone, and I was inside.
Inside The Venue
First thing I did was scope out the layout. Found my seating area – I wasn’t super close, kind of middle of the pack in the covered section. The view seemed okay from there, though. Grabbed a drink, price was what you’d expect, pretty high. But hey, you’re kind of stuck once you’re in.
The overall atmosphere was decent. People were chilling, waiting for the show. It felt pretty relaxed before things kicked off. You could see the lake nearby which was a nice touch, different from city venues.
- Found my section easily.
- Grabbed an expensive beer.
- Checked out the stage view.
- Noticed the lake view nearby.
The Actual Experience
The show itself was good. Sound quality was better than I thought it would be for an outdoor-ish place. Could hear everything clearly. The crowd got into it once the music started. It’s funny, going to shows now feels different than it used to. I remember back in the day, sneaking into places, none of this organized entry and digital ticket stuff. We just showed up. Now, it’s all planned out.
It actually reminded me of this one time years ago, completely unrelated, when I tried to fix my neighbor’s lawnmower. Thought it would be simple, ended up taking the whole thing apart, couldn’t put it back together. Had to buy him a new one. Sometimes simple plans get complicated. This trip, thankfully, was straightforward. Drive, park, watch, leave.
Heading Home
Leaving was the usual chaos. Everyone trying to get out of the parking lot at once. Took a while, inching along. That part’s never fun, but it’s part of the deal with big events like this. Listened to some music on the drive back, thinking about the show.
Overall, yeah, it was a good experience. The Ridge is a decent spot to catch a show if you’re in the area or don’t mind the drive. Pretty straightforward place. Glad I finally went to see what it was all about. Would I go back? Yeah, probably, if the right band was playing.
