Jiffy Lube Live (formerly Nissan Pavilion)
| Legendary History of the Jiffy Lube Live The Jiffy Lube Live opened in June of 1995. It was originally slated to become the Cellar Door Pavilion but was renamed before it’s opening to the Nissan Pavilion. It is located at 7800 Cellar Door Drive in Bristow, Virginia giving credit to the originally planned name. It has become a popular destination for northern Virginia folks. It also draws large crowds from the Washington DC area. This is no surprise considering its legendary roots. Dave Williams, former owner of the Bayou Club founded by his father Jack and his cohorts Jack Boyle and Sam L’Homonedriw Jr., former owners of the Cellar Door are credited for starting the famous pavilion. Both the Bayou and the Cellar Door were the hottest venues in Washington DC for playing host to the hottest musical acts in history. Dave managed a company called Cellar Door Productions founded by Jack and Sam and several of its later incarnations. He promoted concerts in the area and in many other states. After many complains from the community that surrounded the RFK Stadium where annual Grateful Dead shows were held, He decided he needed a venue in the middle of nowhere that was accessible to a highway and could hold dead heads for two or three shows a summer. He located land in Prince William County perfect for his endeavors. What came next was very interesting. A company later identified as Walt Disney started secretly buying large parcels of land in the area. They wanted to start a new theme park call Disney America. People in the area were outraged and vowed to stop the park from coming into their backyards. The council being overwhelmed by debate finally gave Dave his permits for the Pavilion. The first concert showcased KC and the Sunshine Band plus others. After rave reviews in all the papers, anticipation grew for the three shows scheduled by the Grateful Dead, but tragedy struck and Jerry Garcia died. Sorrowfully, the Grateful Dead never got to perform in the house built for them. The mega venue has hosted a wide range of music artists in the summer season and since 1995, Jimmy Buffet has performed annually. The late saxophonist of the Dave Matthews Band played his last performance there. It was later released as Live Trax Vol. 14. It is the annual host to the WMZQFEST and Mayhem Festival. Local High schools hold their graduation ceremonies there each June and President Obama held his 2008 presidential campaign at the venue on June 5. It is the area’s largest outdoor amphitheater with reserved seating for 10,000 and lawn seating for 15,000. It’s well planned design has flexibility to allow huge concerts and smaller shows. There are video screens on either side of the stage that lets you feel close up to the action no matter where you sit. Its pristine HD-quality sound makes it the venue where music lives and breathes. The name Nissan Pavilion changed to Jiffy Lube Live on January 8, 2010 reflecting the new franchise agreement between Live Nation and Jiffy Lube Co-op Inc. So concert lovers, plan your next trip to “The Lube” as local residents have nicknamed it for the best show ever. |