Merriweather

What: A day of free family-friendly activities to celebrate Columbia's 40th birthday. Where: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia Town Center. When: Gates open at noon. Entry: Parking on Merriweather's lots and entry to the pavilion is free. No glass containers or alcohol can be brought in. Organizers plan to hold the event if it rains. Information: www.columbia40.com. Highlights Noon to 5:30 p.m.: Picnicking is encouraged on the Merriweather grounds, and concession stands will be open.

There are many ways to describe Merriweather Post Pavilion 's M3 Rock Festival - passionate, sweaty, loud, over-the-top, sartorially questionable. Sometimes, it's even romantic. Just ask the Australian couple that got engaged while in attendance and returned the following year as part of the honeymoon. "We did a toast from the stage with a couple of the artists," said Brad Canfield, the festival's producer and general manager of Merriweather Post Pavilion . Now in its fifth year, the M3 Festival (which stands for May Merriweather Metal)

With the Merriweather Post Pavilion's future as an outdoor concert venue up in the air -the Rouse Co. wants to sell it to Howard County as an enclosed theater - the Incubus show on Monday may be the end of an era for the 37-year-old site. In its time, Merriweather has been the venue for many top touring acts, from Blondie to Madonna, from the Grateful Dead to Phish, from Joni Mitchell to Norah Jones. Surely you sprawled on its lawn under the stars, or sprang for a seat in the pavilion a time or two or 20. Did you bang your head to Metallica?

For years, the Virgin Mobile FreeFest has been the biggest annual concert with the most consistently impressive lineup in Maryland. Sweetgreen's Sweetlife: A Music and Food Festival has been a recent challenger since it held its first concert four years ago. And with today's release of this year's lineup, the battle for best local festival just got closer. The Sweetlife Festival will return to Columbia's Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 11. The lineup was announced via the YouTube clip above.  On the main stage: Phoenix Passion Pit Kendrick Lamar The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Gary Clark Jr. Solange Lindsey Stirling On the Treehouse stage: Holy Ghost!

The news that Animal Collective would perform at Merriweather Post Pavilion — which inspired, at least in name, their breakout album of the same name — was greeted in some corners of Baltimore with unmitigated glee. But on Saturday, don't expect to hear much of "Merriweather" at Merriweather. The show will be 12 songs — 70 percent of them new, said founding member Dave Portner. Still, he said, fans abroad, where the band has just come back from a tour, have responded well.

 In many of the letters that have been published, the statement has been made that if you move close to Merriweather, you should not complain about the noise. Let me tell you the other side of the problem. Fifteen year ago, my lady and I thought we had found our perfect retirement home at Wyndham Condominiums. We perceived no problem with Merriweather; and at first, there was none. Sometimes you could not tell there was even a concert. Over the years, the volume of Merriweather has gotten louder so that even with the doors and windows closed, the noise is barely tolerable, but this is not the main problem.

I'm responding to the June 14 letters to the editor and the editorial regarding Merriweather. Not a "relative newcomer," I exercised "due diligence" in choosing my home in Columbia: Key factors in my choice were its excellent school system, close commuting distance to both Baltimore and Washington, and all the amenities that come with neighborhood-friendly, suburban living. Choosing to live close to an outdoor venue, I did expect to "hear occasionally the sounds of their concerts," key words being "occasional" and "sounds.

We just bought a house in Owen Brown and are concerned about the noise coming from Merriweather. We knew about the concerts and were told it has not been an issue in our area. Two weeks ago, we did not hear much noise from two concerts. However, the night of July 15 until 11 the noise was coming into our house, even though all the windows and doors were closed. We live almost two miles away in the opposite direction of where the pavilion faces. Most concerning was the noise disturbed sleep for our 16-month-old.

The HFStival two-day rock concert is headed back to the Baltimore area, coming to Merriweather Post Pavilion during Memorial Day weekend. The lineup of 60 acts is scheduled to be announced Monday for the music festival at the Columbia amphitheater, which will take place May 27-28. Tickets go on sale April 8. "We think this is one of the best lineups the festival has ever had," said David Geller, vice president for business development for I.M.P., which manages the pavilion. "It's a real diverse lineup."

Avicii, Kid Cudi, and the Shins are the last three acts of the Sweetlife Festival on Saturday, with the the DJ and Cudi getting Merriweather all to themselves for the last two hours of the night. They will play after 22 other acts, including Zola Jesus, Fun. , and Twin Shadow, have performed at three different stages throughout the day at the one-day event, according to the just-released official schedule.  Kicking off the one-day festival at noon Saturday is a solo set on the secondary, 'Treehouse, stage by Cut Copy bassist Ben Browning.

Although I can see how the Merriweather sound exemption aids the venue, I am not convinced that it is economically advantageous for Columbia residents and developers. In recent years a growing number of us in Columbia and adjacent Ellicott City now hear Merriweather sound (especially the drums). The problem will only increase as Town Center expands housing and also, perhaps, adds a new amphitheater to be used by Merriweather. Older residents (a fast growing demographic) and others who might otherwise be attracted to the amenities that Town Center offers, may hesitate to buy here because of proximity to Merriweather. Columbia home buyers should not be limited solely to those who like loud rock concerts.

 In many of the letters that have been published, the statement has been made that if you move close to Merriweather, you should not complain about the noise. Let me tell you the other side of the problem. Fifteen year ago, my lady and I thought we had found our perfect retirement home at Wyndham Condominiums. We perceived no problem with Merriweather; and at first, there was none. Sometimes you could not tell there was even a concert. Over the years, the volume of Merriweather has gotten louder so that even with the doors and windows closed, the noise is barely tolerable, but this is not the main problem.

Merriweather Post Pavilion has been in Columbia since 1967. Howard County has only had a noise ordinance since 1985. Why Merriweather wasn't exempted from the ordinance in the first place is absurd. This issue involves legal complexities that cut along county, state and even federal lines. Being the state already has the ability to decide on local issues and the county's noise ordinance is adopted to mirror that of the state's, this exemption should be governed by the state. The proposed exemption would legally codify Merriweather's operation as it has been for 45 years.

Prospective and current residents of many cities throughout the country are also dealing with the effects of noise pollution. Possible solutions include double-paned windows, weather stripping, earplugs, white noise machines, and headphones designed for noise cancellation. These solutions are especially important to consider for anyone with small children. However, oftentimes the most effective solution is moving to an area that features less noise pollution. When my wife and I moved to Columbia, we asked our real estate agent how far we needed to live away from Merriweather to avoid the noise.

I am outraged that there is a bill being introduced in the 2013 Maryland legislative session that will exempt Howard County residents from noise pollution protection legislation. The Merriweather Post Pavilion frequently violates the current legal noise levels. The noise violations have a negative effect on the health and well-being of Columbia Town Center citizens in nearby residential neighborhoods. Town Center residents have been complaining to Howard County officials and as a result this legislation to exempt Howard County from noise regulations is being considered.

Perhaps the strangest, most dizzying scene at Saturday's Virgin Mobile FreeFest at Merriweather Post Pavilion unfolded in the Dance Forest. Some young women wore just glitter, body paint and underwear, while other concertgoers dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Teenagers in T-shirts emblazened with "YOLO" (short for "you only live once") fist-pumped to deep bass rumbles. Naps were taken against trees. It was a scene of liberation that felt very 2012, when the growing popularity of electronic dance music shows no signs of fatigue.

To an extent, I agree with the stance of "if you don't want to hear the music, don't live next door to Merriweather. " The fact is, however, that we don't live next door to Merriweather and we still hear the music. We live in Owen Brown, and our house is about 1.5 miles from Merriweather as the crow (or bass percussion) flies. For the entire concert season, we are definitely hearing the Merriweather merriment. We don't hear the crowds or the people, and the lyrics are definitely not distinguishable; we hear the bass and some of the music.

We didn't see this coming: Virgin Mobile just announced they will release 1,000 extra FreeFest tickets on Friday. The $20 "Karma" tickets will only be available at the Merriweather Post Pavilion South box office and the 9:30 Club box office from noon to 6 p.m. (or until they run out) Friday. There will be a two-ticket limit. Proceeds will go toward the Re*Generation House, Virgin Mobile's new homeless youth shelter in Washington. This is a final push so the shelter "won't have to worry about funding for at least two years," according to spokeswoman Audrey Fix Schaefer.

When Alabama Shakes take the Virgin Mobile FreeFest stage on Saturday, the quartet - all from Athens, Alabama - will likely play its biggest hit, "Hold On," within the first few songs. This is a deliberate move, and also a sort of challenge to the audience: With our most popular song out of the way early on, will you stick around? "'Hold On' is still the one," said guitarist Heath Fogg. "The iPhones come out when we play that one. We play it first, second [or] third. We get it over with.