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The Prudential Center in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is one of the premier entertainment venues in the United States. It is a multi-purpose, indoor sports arena, which opened in 2007. This facility was built over a two-year period, with a construction cost of $375 million. When it opened, the Prudential Center was the first major sports venue to be built in the New York Metropolitan area since 1981.

The Prucenter, as it is sometimes called, will accommodate large crowds. The number varies, depending on the type of event. For ice hockey it accommodates 17,625; basketball and lacrosse, 18,500; soccer, 16,250; and concerts, 19,500. It is the home of the New Jersey Devils (NHL). Other tenants include: New Jersey Nets (NBA), New York Liberty (WNBA), Seton Hall Pirates (NCAA), and NJIT Highlanders basketball (NCAA).

Noteworthy design features help make this facility a unique destination. Those who approach the building from the front see the arena’s 4800 square-foot, externally mounted, LED display. It is one of the largest in the world. The east-side entrances along Mulberry Street have two enormous “entrance cylinders” named the PNC Tower and the Verizon Tower. These towers, the arena’s most prominent features, provide access for fans by escalator and staircase up to the grand concourse.

More than 200 events take place each year in this venue. Several sports teams and numerous concerts keep its calendar full. Fans go to the Prudential Center to see:

• New Jersey Devils: This team, which is in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, Atlantic division, has made the playoffs in 20 of the last 22 seasons.
• New Jersey Nets: This NBA Eastern Conference team will play at the Prudential Center through the 2012 season.
• New York Liberty: The WNBA team will play at this venue from 2011 until the 2013 season ends. The team is a charter member of the WNBA.
• Seaton Hall Pirates: This NCAA, Division I team participates in the Big East Conference.

From a music lover’s point of view, the top five concert venues in New York City may not be the most famous venues. They might not be the five largest venues either. A top concert venue in this city needs to be unique, offering its own bite of the Big Apple. Some clubs cater to the local music scene and others book national and international acts. These five music hot-spots present a diverse panorama of what New York City has to offer.

Radio City Music Hall (1260 6th Avenue, 212-307-7171)
With a history featuring legendary entertainers like Frank Sinatra and legendary shows like the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular, Radio City Music Hall is a world-renowned, legendary midtown landmark in it own right. This hall is as likely to have AC/DC as Eminem on any given night. It also plays host to special events and film premieres.

Hammerstein Ballroom (311 West 34th Street, 212-279-7740)
The Hammerstein Ballroom’s 75-foot high ceiling and 12,000 square feet of space have made it a popular Midtown venue for musical performances that demand a large stage area, like Britney Spears or other big productions. Three balconies overlook the main floor, offering great sight lines for the wide variety of events housed there, from elite fashion shows to professional wrestling.

Madison Square Garden (4 Pennsylvania Plaza, 212-465-6741)
Midtown’s famous Madison Square Garden is among the most famous arenas worldwide. The 20,000 seat capacity makes it a terrific venue for major musical acts as well as the NBA’s New York Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers. Big enough for a circus and intimate enough for a dog show, the Garden is among the last of a dying breed of mega-arenas.

The Knitting Factory (74 Leonard Street, 212-219-3006)
For those who prefer heading downtown, The Knitting Factory showcases rock and jazz bands in one of three intimate settings. Other events like poetry readings and dance performances are held there too.

Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette Street, 212-539-8777)
For an unpredictable mash-up of all musical genres in a hip setting, try Joe’s Pub in the East Village. Velvet couches and easy lighting make this a pleasant place to catch new acts of all types.

Madison Square Garden (MSG) is located in the Manhattan borough of New York City at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, and is situated on top of Penn Station. It first opened in 1968, and has been a favorite venue for those playing or entertaining in New York ever since. Billed as “the most famous venue in the world,” by its operators, it seats up to 20,000 spectators and is the third-busiest in terms of ticket sales.

Currently, The Garden, as it is known locally, hosts about 320 events every year. These range from sports games to concerts. It is the home of the NHL’s New York Rangers, the NBA’s New York Knicks, and the WBNA’s New York Liberty teams. It is also known for the boxing matches held there, and for its concerts.

Events at Madison Square Garden are often scheduled months in advance. Some events for 2011 are already in place. These include games by the Knicks and Rangers, as well as shows by the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and the Westminster Kennel Club. The Harlem Globetrotters have a few of their entertaining basketball exhibitions on the roster as well. Musically, many big names have already scheduled performances for 2011 as well. Among them are Lady Gaga and Bon Jovi. For entertainment suitable for all ages, there is a series of performances by Disney On Ice and one by Cirque du Soleil on the schedule.

Whatever type of entertainment you like, you will find a huge selection at Madison Square Garden. Its fame and size ensure that only the best performers will be booked here. Due to the popularity of the Garden’s games and shows, it’s good to buy tickets in advance. This will ensure that you get your preferred seats when you come to New York to enjoy a game or show at this famous venue.

Check out this map of the MSG floor

The band, Phish, has experienced the kind of long-term success that many musical groups dream about but never achieve. This popular group has performed and been successful ever since it was formed in the fall of 1983. The four original members, Trey Anastasio, Jeff Holdsworth, Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman, were all students at the University of Vermont when they created the band. Marc Daubert joined Phish in the fall of 1984. The group’s first gigs were on the university campus. In 1985, a Vermont luthier (a person who makes or repairs stringed instruments), Paul Languedoc, joined the group to work as their sound engineer. Currently, Jeff Holdsworth and Marc Daubert no longer are a part of Phish, but Page McConnell has joined the group.

Phish has become highly successful because of both its sound and its unique blending of various musical styles. The group’s music is an eclectic mixture of jazz, rock, bluegrass, funk, progressive rock, new wave reggae, ambient, Latin, blues, country, psychedelic rock and classical. Some of their more ambitious compositions are sometimes described as classical music in a rock setting. The band has released 14 studio-recorded albums, a multitude of live shows, a series of 27 complete concerts called Live Phish, 7 traditional live albums and 6 videos. The group has played approximately 650 individual compositions.

There is good news for the band’s fans that live in the New York Metropolitan area. Phish is scheduled to play a series of concerts at Madison Square Garden for the 2010 New Year’s Eve celebration on December 30th and 31st and January 1st. It is always fun to attend a Phish concert, but it is especially so when the venue is Madison Square Garden. It is the world’s most famous arena and situated in the heart of New York City. Madison Square Garden is an exciting place to attend a concert. It is located on 8th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets, on top of Pennsylvania Station. It seats 20,000 people for concerts and, based on the number of tickets sold, is the third busiest arena in the world.

Led by frontman Chris Martin, London-based band Coldplay is currently on tour. Starting in the US with a show in Cleveland Ohio of all places, their tour kicks off on October 21, 2008. The first engagements include:

• East Rutherford NJ
• Boston MA
• Washington DC
• Philadelphia PA
• Auburn Hills MI
• Atlanta GA
• Orlando FL
• Ft Lauderdale FL
• Kansas City MO
• St Paul MN

To buy coldplay tickets, simply use our search form and all dates will be returned… even the current European dates. Ticket packages can be had for just under $100 per person.

Did you know: Coldplay’s latest album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), was produced by rock legend Brian Eno?