Columbia’s Merriweather finds magic from uncertain future to sold-out concerts

For musicians who tour during the summer, confined many hot days to buses, Merriweather Post Pavilion boasts one perk in particular that’s likely to feel like an oasis: the outdoor concert venue’s backstage swimming pool.

Some artists are so ready for a plunge that “as soon as they get off stage, they hand over their electronic mics and all of that, and just dash in the pool with their clothes on,” said Audrey Fix Schaefer, the director of communications for I.M.P., which operates Merriweather Post Pavilion.