I have a ball every time I go to Ak-Chin Pavilion but I think the level of enjoyment one experiences often depends on the state of mind. Doesn't hurt to remember that you're in the same place as thousands of other people and your experience is not dependent on them, but rather on YOU.
Ak-Chin is an outdoor amphitheater in the middle of BFE where everyone drives, parks for free, attends a great concert, then tries to leave at the same time and get upset about it. My friends and I try to be somewhat responsible and book a nearby hotel and use a taxi service to get to the concert. When the concert is over, just walk to the QuikTrip on the corner right outside of Ak-Chin and catch a cab back to the hotel. It saves us the headache of trying to navigate our way out of the lot which can take a good hour.
Ak Chin puts on a great show with fantastic sound and great projection screens. We paid for actual seats in a section for Blake Shelton but quickly realized the better way to go is with lawn seats. Lawn seats were my first choice but someone in my party wanted to be closer. When I'm at a concert, I'm pretty much dancing and singing as are all the people on the lawn. Not everyone in my section felt the music in the same fashion and stayed seated for most of the show so my girls and I got a few looks but truth be told, I paid the same amount of money as they did and if I want to show my enthusiasm by standing and dancing, I'm gonna do it. But from now on, I'll stick with the lawn. It's a better crowd anyway.
Drink prices are no more than any other concert venue and there are plenty of choices, even a tequila bar. Better food would be nice though. A hard pretzel for $3.50 and cheese sauce for an additional $4 is a little steep. I'd pay quite a bit more to have a decent meal from a local restaurant down in the food and drink area.
Misters cool the crowd down in the food and drink area which is very welcome because it gets HOT jamming out in the middle of summer!