Hurricane Ike Damage Ends Season Early for The Pavilion

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion’s 2008 season has officially been cancelled due to damages that occurred during Hurricane Ike Sept. 12 and 13, 2008. The Pavilion suffered severe damage to its Teflon coated Fiberglas fabric roof and support structure over the reserved seating area.

A structural engineering firm was hired to review and assess the damage, focusing on the stage house structure and seating area roof structure. The engineering report concluded that The Pavilion should not be used for public gatherings until the fabric roof system and its steel structure have been completely repaired.

“Regretfully, we have determined that damage sustained during Hurricane Ike has caused us to cancel the remainder of our season,” said Jerry MacDonald, president and CEO of The Pavilion. “Our facility is unsafe in its current condition to hold any type of public event due to the damage.”

The following events at The Pavilion have been cancelled/postponed/relocated as a result of damage from Hurricane Ike:

- Houston Symphony’s “Music of Mozart” Sept. 19 Cancelled
- Santana Sept. 20 Cancelled
- 3 Doors Down Sept. 21 Cancelled/Rescheduled
- Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Sept. 26 Cancelled
- Houston Ballet’s “Classics on Pointe” Oct. 2 Cancelled
- KSBJ’s “The Music Builds Tour” Oct. 3 Cancelled/Relocated
- Brad Paisley Oct. 17 Cancelled
- Houston Symphony’s “Hocus Pocus Pops” Oct. 24 Cancelled
- Buzzfest XXII Oct. 26 Cancelled
- 14th Annual Children’s Festival Nov. 13-16 Cancelled

Refunds for Cancelled Events
Refunds for cancelled events will automatically be credited to the credit card of those who purchased tickets through ticketmaster.com or over the phone through Ticketmaster. For individuals who purchased tickets at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Ticket Office or Ticketmaster outlets, refunds will be made in person at point of purchase. For more information regarding ticket refunds for any of the cancelled events, please visit The Pavilion's Web site.

3 Doors Down Cancelled; To be Rescheduled at a Later Date
Promoters of 3 Doors Down previously scheduled for Sept. 21, 2008, at The Pavilion are currently working on rescheduling this show at another venue. The rescheduled show will likely take place in the Houston area in early 2009. An announcement will be made about the rescheduled event as soon as information is available. Refunds for the cancelled show begin Monday, Sept. 29. The refund policy above applies.

KSBJ’s “The Music Builds Tour” Cancelled and Relocated
KSBJ’s “The Music Builds Tour” featuring Third Day, Switchfoot, Jars of Clay and Robert Randolph & the Family Band previously scheduled for Friday, Oct. 3, 2008, at The Pavilion has been cancelled and relocated to the Berry Center in Cypress, Texas. The event takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 3. For information about tickets purchased to the previously scheduled concert, visit KSBJ's Web site. Tickets to the new event can be purchased at ticketservant.com.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Play Benefit Show for Victims of Hurricane Ike
On Friday, Sept. 26, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss perform at the Zoo Amphitheater in Oklahoma City and all net proceeds from the event will be donated to the victims of Hurricane Ike through the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund. Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and the city of Oklahoma City have rallied behind this benefit to offset costs and provide additional assistance to Hurricane Ike victims. The duo was set to perform at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Sept. 26 as part of their “Raising Sand” tour, but due to the damage to The Pavilion sustained by Hurricane Ike, they were forced to relocate the show to Oklahoma City when no other venue in the Houston area was available.

Statement Issued by the Artists:
“When we saw the devastation that Ike had wreaked upon Houston and the Gulf Coast area, we immediately made the decision to turn our scheduled show in the area into a benefit for the victims of this disaster. When it was made clear to us that we wouldn’t be able to bring our show in, we immediately sought out an alternate city and venue to host the benefit so that badly needed funds could get into the proper hands as quickly as possible. To this end, we are grateful to the people of Oklahoma City for stepping up and contributing to this cause.

To the great people of Houston and the Gulf Coast, please know that you are in our thoughts as you continue to recover from all you’ve been through.”

Sincerely,
Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and T Bone Burnett
For more information about this benefit concert, visit zooamp.com.

“We are very sorry, for both the music fans and the artists, that we are not able to present these events at The Pavilion this season,” MacDonald said. “We are now looking ahead to 2009 and our 20th season. The Pavilion will be back bigger and better than ever.”

Despite the cancellation of the last 10 events of the year, 2008 produced a record-breaking season for The Pavilion with 11 sold-out concerts (15,000+ attendees). Sellouts this year have included Jimmy Buffett April 21, Buzzfest XXI April 26, Kanye West May 2, Roger Waters May 4, Radiohead May 17, Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick July 26, John Mayer Aug. 2, Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd Aug. 9, Dave Matthews Band Aug. 15, Projekt Revolution Aug. 24 and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Aug. 29. The previous record for sellouts at The Pavilion is 10 in 2004.

“We are thankful to have had an incredible season prior to Hurricane Ike,” MacDonald added.

For more information about The Pavilion, please visit the Web site at the link below.