Concert updates at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion; Harvey relief main focus of upcoming performers

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Country superstar Eric Church has postponed his Sept. 8 concert at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion until April 27, 2018 – at which he's inviting first responders to be his special guests.

"There is a time and place for everything, and we really feel that now is not the time for us to play in Texas," said Church in a press release from the Pavilion. "We are regretfully postponing both performances. I look forward to seeing everyone at the rescheduled concerts next year. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you all."

Church was also scheduled to perform Sept. 7 in Austin.

According to the Pavilion, Church is designating both rescheduled shows as benefits for those impacted by the storm, with ticket proceeds from the concerts going directly to Houston relief charities.

Details on how to obtain tickets will be announced soon.

Current ticket holders that cannot attend the rescheduled April dates will be able to receive a refund at the original point of purchase.

Refunds are also available at the point of purchase for the cancellation of Houston Symphony: The Best of John Williams performance Wednesday Sept. 6.

"While The Pavilion has had no physical damage to the venue from the impact of Hurricane Harvey, our focus has been on our staff, fans and community whose homes are experiencing devastating flood waters. We now know this also includes our friends and colleagues at Houston Symphony," said Ashley Gravois, Pavilion public relations and educational outreach manager. "We plan to include this program in our 2018 performing arts season."

If tickets for this show were purchased at The Pavilion Box Office, customers must visit the Box Office in person to obtain their refund. The Pavilion offices and Box Office are now operating as normal.

Goo Goo Dolls

Meanwhile, multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated band Goo Goo Dolls has announced that their upcoming show at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion will go on as scheduled Thursday, Sept. 7. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring non-perishable donation items to the show to help support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

The band, along with opener Phillip Phillips, will be collecting donations at the North drop-off in front of the venue from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the day of the show to thank the Texas community for their resilience during this terrible tragedy. Per the group, all donations, along with 100% of merchandise sales for the night, will go to the Houston Food Bank.

Those who are able to bring donations will receive a voucher for a $20 dollar ticket to the Goo Goo Dolls concert that can then be redeemed at The Pavilion Box Office. Those who are unable to attend the show are still encouraged to make donations. A list of the most needed donation items can be found on The Pavilion website at www.woodlandscenter.org.

Goo Goo Dolls and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion hope to echo Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s sentiment that “the city of Houston is open for business,” and provide the heroic first responders and residents of Texas with an evening of optimism and appreciation. With this in mind, The Pavilion and the band will be granting free entrance into the show for first responders and their families. Proof of ID and first responder badges must be presented at the marked entrances located at any of the venue’s 3 gates.

The band had the following to add: “After reflecting upon the tragic devastation brought on by Hurricane Harvey and Mayor Turner’s recent comments that Houston is indeed open for business we have decided to move forward with our show at The Woodlands. We want to do our part to not only gather donations but to also hopefully give people an evening of much needed enjoyment.”