Beck and Phoenix rock a pretty sweet Maryland venue

Beck sings with Weyes Blood and Thomas Mars of Phoenix.

Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland was a bad word for me for many years. I had seen the Beastie Boys there in 2005 and the takeaway that stuck with me for years was that it was a place with truly awful sound. Plus, the vibe wasn't as cozy and nice as the similar outdoor ampitheater Wolftrap down in Virginia. And even though I was right in the pit for a 2010 Vampire Weekend show, the sound still wasn't optimal. Neil Young and Crazy Horse in 2003 wasn't great either.

But I've officially changed my mind after seeing Phoenix and Beck on Sunday night. The sound was frankly amazing. And the visual show from both acts was top notch, as was the general vibe up in the lawn.

Since renovations at Merriweather, in fact, I've also seen Wilco and Hall and Oates with Squeeze, and both shows had excellent sound.

Back to Sunday night, my friend Brian and I arrived with our sons after the two opening acts had finished and right before the start of Phoenix. I've been a fan of the French band since its 2004 sophomore album Alphabetical. Highlights of the set included "Lisztomania," "Alpha Zulu," and "1901," with singer Thomas Mars (who my son thought looked like Tom Cruise, which I agree with if you sprinkle in a little Timothée Chalamet) walking through and jumping into the crowd during closer "Identical."

Beck, who has always been on my bucket list of artists to catch live, played a very crowd-pleasing set full of massive hits like "Loser," "Devil's Haircut," "The New Pollution," "Sexx Laws," and Deborah." Mellow tracks "The Golden Age" and "Lost Cause" were my favorites, and I was thrilled to get those songs from my favorite Beck album Sea Change. Beck has come a long way since breaking out with the timeless "Loser" 29 years ago and has transformed into a mega rock star with very cinematic, L.A.-feeling qualities. He really knows how to entertain and captivate a 20,000-seat venue. Phoenix and openers Weyes Blood and Sir Chloe joined in for a rousing end, with bouncing Flaming Lips-like balloons everywhere, to the so-called "Summer Odyssey Tour" on "Where It's At."

Everyone left happy, and you know what, the renovations there may have even addressed some of the parking, because we scooted right on out from our top-of-the-garage spot. Well done, Merriweather.