Update the venue was better, they were really cool to me and the people at the railing in the front and kept giving us water and checking on us... However I maintain that the venue sold the parking lot by the entrance and the parking lots outside of that charge you 30.85 for six hours of parking which is criminal! How do you sleep at night.
The venue sold the parking lot by the entrance and they said no one can park there.... they also rejected me at the door with my personal camera and advised me it looked "too professional" :/ lol it was a nikon coolpix point and shoot. This is my 4th show here and I love the venue but maybe not so much the price gouging for mesenum tickets and the case by case rejection for my camera. I went in last time with my nikon d5600 and rolled right in no stops it's also not a professional camera but its far better than my coolpix. I am pretty big on social media and the pictures I take go right on there and I send people to the bands page to spread their music .... I wanted pics of tropidelics and I only got some randoms with my phone :/
I go to a lot of concerts in Phoenix, and the Van Buren is by far the best venue in the city. Especially when compared to other venues, the Van Buren is organized, and the staff are incredibly helpful and friendly. They understand how to keep fans organized in lines, and how to move them inside the venue quickly and safely.
This was especially true for the Chappell Roan show on November 3rd. They clearly marked the lines for VIP and regular GA tickets. After letting VIP ticket holders into the courtyard, they organized everyone in a single file line for check-in. After check-in, they kept us in single file lines while we waited for security to direct us to the stage. When they did, they once again kept us in a single-file line. I know that a big part of experiences like these are the fans, but I really really appreciate that security at the Van Buren clearly and openly communicate with each other, and fans, and understand how to make a concert experience as simple as possible.
I also very much appreciate that they always have water ready to pass out to the crowd. Out of all the venues I have been to, the Van Buren frequently has the least amount of people passing out or getting injured, and it's clear that this is because their staff cares about making sure fans have a good experience.
I have a great time speaking with staff of the Van Buren, especially security, including one man in particular – Bobby (hopefully that's his name). He was very kind to my friends and I, and it makes the experience so much better every time. I also greatly appreciate Adam, who I see around often. I can tell this team cares a lot about the people in the crowd.
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