Merriweather Post Pavilion

Merriweather isn't in D.C. proper - it's out in Columbia, Maryland, set inside Symphony Woods, a 40-acre stretch of preserved trees that makes it feel nothing like a stadium. The original pavilion went up in 1967 (Frank Gehry had a hand in the design), and decades of renovations have kept it among the best outdoor rooms on the East Coast. Jimmy Buffett alone played it 42 times, if that tells you anything.

Capacity runs close to 20,000, split between roughly 6,000 covered pavilion seats under the roof and the open lawn beyond. The pavilion is your move for sound and shade; the lawn is the loose, blanket-and-cooler option where a lot of the fun lives. It's run by I.M.P., the same crew behind the 9:30 Club, so the operation is tight.

One real-world tip: traffic and parking around the venue get rough on sold-out nights. Carpool, rideshare, or build in extra time - future-you will be grateful. Find Merriweather Post Pavilion shows on Evil Tickets and map out your D.C.-area summer.