The lights kicked on and the dance party began Saturday night at White Oak Music Hall's first outdoor show. The downtown skyline provided a dramatic backdrop to the large temporary stage set up on the lawn overlooking Little White Oak Bayou.

Some of the 3,000 concertgoers had bicycled in, and others arrived via the nearby light-rail line, but most drove their own vehicles and filled the four parking lots on the 6-acre property at 2915 North Main. The developer of the new venue called it a success to build on.

"We want to continue to execute the shows smoothly so we can win over the neighborhood," developer Will Garwood said, noting that 650 parking spaces were available Saturday night. "It's hard to wade through the city bureaucracy, but we follow the rules and we know how to communicate."

But while the sold-out crowd enjoyed French indie rock from The Yacht and M83, residents of the near northside community were training a wary eye on the development. Some downloaded apps that let them measure decibel levels. Many say they called in complaints about their homes vibrating from the sound.

"For some reason the music was allowed to well exceed the maximum allowed levels all night on Saturday," said Beth Lousteau of the Glen Park neighborhood, which is across from the music venue. "Not surprisingly, this was a problem for nearby residents."

Lousteau said she is aware of dozens of people who called the police to report noise violations, although a Houston Police Department spokesman said Monday it had no record of any complaints issued from the area surrounding the venue on Saturday night.

Update: An HPD call for service log from the night of the concert shows at least 17 calls to the police department reporting loud noise coming from the address of the music hall. HPD spokesman Victor Senties clarified Tuesday that there was a noise complaint filed on April 9 and April 7 coming from the address venue. The information he provided the Chronicle Monday only included incidents called to the 2900 block of N. Main.

The developers hired more than a dozen police officers to manage traffic. Lousteau said she thought it was well-managed but that North Main "looked like the Vegas Strip, with traffic back up all the way to the Interstate." She said the sound issue is further evidence that the developers are not following the rules.

Residents, who have been vocal with their misgivings, plan to meet this week to compare notes.

The outdoor venue, part of the music complex by W2 Development and Pegstar Entertainment, drew scrutiny early on. It wasn't included in the original building permit and has not been approved. Instead, the developers built a temporary stage for "special events" on the lawn. Planning officials questioned whether that should apply for 30 to 50 events per year.

With a permanent outdoor stage, the venue would be required to have 352 parking spaces in addition to the required parking for the indoor hall that is still under construction. A temporary special event does not require specific parking.

Councilwoman Karla Cisneros, who represents the area, did not attend the concert but visited the venue before the show to see if everything appeared in order. Her office said there was a complaint about noise during the sound check on Thursday; the developers replied back to the neighbor and promised to fix the issue before the scheduled performance.

A representative from Cisneros' office said in an email Monday that the councilwoman "is continuing to work with all city departments to ensure the developers of the Music Hall are in compliance with city ordinances as well as handling constituent complaints in a timely matter."

The Planning Department told Cisneros' office they have not received any inquiries or complaints from neighbors since the event but will continue to look at the parking permit concerns, especially as the permanent music hall is completed.

Garwood said he is in compliance with all city rules.

This summer, the indoor part of White Oak Music Hall is expected to open with two rooms that can seat 300 and 1,200 people. A bar and smaller venue, The Raven Tower, is already open for business. Residents fear what will happen when all are operating.

Diana Pfeifer of Super Neighborhood 51 said the group wants to remain involved with city officials going forward.

"The idea of establishing a relationship with White Oak Bayou Music Hall has always been based on finding a way to have a voice at the table with developers," she said. "It's not an easy task to undertake, especially in a city where there is no zoning. No doubt there is still work to be done. But the door is open to conversation."

Pfeifer also many residents there are excited about the concert hall.

Houstonian Michael Bell attended the M83 concert Saturday. He said to avoid any potential traffic or parking problems, he and his friend took the train from Midtown and walked a few blocks to the venue. Bell said as he walked the five blocks from the light rail to the venue, he couldn't hear the music until he arrived at the venue. Some fans complained the sound wasn't loud enough. Bell said it was an enjoyable show overall.

"I would definitely go back to the venue. It's cool," Bell said. "Houston hasn't had a nice amphitheater in quite a while."

Still, he took issue with the effort to call the stage "temporary."

"I'm glad the venue is nice, but it's bad citizenship the way they are doing it," Bell said. " ... These guys were known as pro-Houston guys, worried about our music scene. And when it comes time to execute their plan, the first thing they do is push forward and say, 'Let's hope the local community doesn't complain too much.' "

Note: This story has been updated to reflect updated information from the Houston Police Department.