Foster Pavilion means a new era for Waco concerts

In cities like Dallas, Houston and Austin, the economics of a nice night out can get overwhelming. Dinner costs, concert ticket prices, and parking fees all add up in a hurry. Waco residents (including Baylor students) then have to add over two hours of travel (and perhaps a pricey hotel stay) to the cost, making the expense of such a night on the town approach the price of a vacation.

Those days are now over.

With Foster Pavilion now serving as a live event venue, Baylor Bears (and other Central Texans) can now enjoy a proper night on the town with far fewer impediments and a much shorter time commitment.

Take, for example, the first headliner to grace the Foster stage, Baylor grad Forrest Frank (BBA ’17). Without Foster, the nearest show for the Billboard top-100 artist would be in Fort Worth, at Dickies Arena. Let’s compare a Forrest Frank show at each location:

Better prices — In DFW, where demand is much higher, you’re likely going to have to get tickets on the secondary market (where prices shoot up). As we write this, the minimum ticket cost, which lands you the farthest seat, is $220. For nearly half that price, the concert-going public can get the closest possible seats; the general admission pit on the floor at Foster, the most expensive ticket in the arena, is just $121. (And the highest priced ticket in Fort Worth right now, at a staggering $900 per ticket, is 7.5 times as expensive as Foster’s top price, inflating the budget for the night out into overseas flight territory.)

Better traffic and parking — It goes without saying that traffic and parking in Waco are incomparable to any of Texas’ metropolitan areas. On the day of Forrest Frank’s show at Dickies Arena, the cost of parking is either $25 or $50, depending on distance. At Foster, parking next to the venue will reach a maximum of $35 for prepaid spots in the Foster garage and $25 for the Hurd Center, just down the street. And there’s also plenty of free, easily walkable street parking nearby.

A more intimate venue — Boasting a concert seating capacity of 5,700, Foster Pavilion is large enough to host top-tier acts, but small enough to still feel exclusive. And the sight lines at Foster are designed to ensure that every seat is a good one — not only for Baylor basketball, but for bands and live acts, as well. Even the worst seat at Foster Pavilion is still almost 20% closer than a comparable seat at Dickies.

And then there’s dining — One might expect the big city to dominate the dining comparison. However, the Waco dining scene has evolved, and now goes stride for stride with many of Fort Worth’s finest. Opal’s is Waco’s own Walloon’s, Red Herring can go toe to toe with Lonesome Dove, Milo could be HG Sply Co.’s sibling, and more than a few people would opt for Terry Black’s over Heim for barbecue. Waco’s restaurant scene, whether casual or fine dining, has become increasingly alluring over the past five years, making a night out far easier. (And with most of Waco’s restaurants being either a short drive or a manageable walk from Foster, there isn’t a need for an early dinner or a hurried pace.)

Jason Cook, Baylor’s vice president of marketing and communications (and point person for concerts and entertainment in the arena) sums it up: “Foster Pavilion is going to provide a one-of-a-kind concert experience in a very intimate setting. Fans will be right on top of the stage. There’s no hassle of leaving early to fight I-35 traffic, lots of dinner options available within walking distance, and you avoid a late-night post-concert drive home or hotel stay. For people in Waco, you just don’t get this total concert experience in Dallas, Fort Worth or Austin.”

We’ll beg Mr. Frank’s pardon, and say that Waco could really get used to this.

Sic ’em, Bears!

[The Forrest Frank concert is very nearly a sellout, and the recently announced Lauren Daigle concert looks to be following suit. Additional concert announcements are expected in the next few weeks; follow @FosterPavilion on Facebook, Instagram and X to be the first to know.]