Yes, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead played here! Merriweather Post Pavilion is one of the world’s most beautiful and storied amphitheatres – nestled in 40 acres of forest, smack between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.? If the backstage walls could talk, they’d echo Roger Daltrey and Robert Plant trading some wicked stories about when the Who and Led Zeppelin played here in the ‘70s.

A concert season at Merriweather Post Pavilion is like putting your iPod on shuffle: the calendar features the best in rock, country, rhythm and blues, pop, jazz, hip hop, alternative, electronica and classical.

Thanks to Billie Joe Armstrong, Merriweather ripped out the first 15 rows of seats to build a mosh pit for Green Day’s American Idiot Tour. But it was for superstar Tom Jones that the loge sections were added, and in the early ‘80s, the lawn was regraded with 700 truckloads of dirt to form its current slope, allowing for great sight lines.

Originally built to be the home of the National Symphony Orchestra, Merriweather was designed by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, who is best known for defying architectural conventions. The natural outdoor setting is one that can’t be matched. The fantastic sound system and large video screens make this amphitheatre a favorite for bands and fans.