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No cost tailgating @ holiday inn would be best. BYOB, food available for purchase. No reason to charge admission, let us enjoy a full day like we should be able to anyway

ejr wrote:

bufitonmybmw wrote:The pholks at the Holiday Inn are requesting some input... given the "rattlings" about what they're charging. They've upped the ante to include 4 beers or 2 mixed drinks.
What suggestions might y'all have for them? No charge? Just a place for everyone to hang out early, if they so desire? With food & beverage available for purchase? They're really interested in hearing what the masses have to say!

I seem to remember from being there once before that entrance to the area was free, and you could buy tickets for drinks, burgers, etc. That really seems to make a lot of sense. I also seem to remember a long, long walk into the hotel to find a bathroom, and a very long wait. Perhaps a porta potty or two in the lot would be helpful.

Charging to be in their lot and hear the bands seems silly to me, since they hadn't done so in the past. Not all, but many of the people in attendance at their lot in the morning and afternoon have already shelled out quite a bit for rooms... $190/night seems double what the rooms are actually 'worth'.

I don't think upping the ante with drinks is a great idea... mainly because despite parrotheads' reputation, not everyone drinks, so there's really not much value offering the beverages to the non-drinkers or the non-over-drinkers. Also not a great idea for all who still have to drive from the HI to the venue.

Having food and beverages on hand for sale seems to have worked - many seem willing to buy a burger and a beer to tie them over before heading to the big lot.

We're a generous lot... I was thinking they could collect donations for charity, either monetary or for a local food bank, or perhaps do a 50/50 raffle, but that's just more work for them without any personal gain, but deposits into the karma bank. I recall in the past them holding raffles for concert tickets or merchandise - that's something to try to pick up a few bucks.

Ellen's idea for port-a-pots seems like a good one - I seem to recall them having them in the past, but I had a room that I would just run up to as needed, so I'm not sure.

I do understand the Holiday Inn wanting to try to recoup some of their expense for the live music, but I don't know what the answer is. I do know that $25 seems extremely excessive to me - I can't see it being more than $5 per person. I also believe that the main appeal for most in attendance in their lot for the pre-party isn't about the entertainment and festivities... it's about getting the most out of the day visiting with friends - especially the ones that we only see once or twice a year at the gala that is a Buffett concert. Many would be happy to just hang by their vehicles listening to music from ipods, and slowly easing into the pomp and circumstance that comes later at the venue lot.

Let us know if they're planning a costume or hat contest for fabulous prizes!

Ditto.

I have forwarded your comments/concerns on to the management at H.I.

I'm in for June 30th

(Funny thing is I was looking at the map on Live Nation, and picked a seat in the 104 section... It was only after I purchased the ticket that I wondered how I got row YY (the map was backwards going AWAY from the stage...)

So I'll be in section 104 row Y seat 9... Should not be too bad a seat as far as acoustics go...

BTW ,

I have no problems with 25.00 at Holiday Inn... since they open around 9:00, it won't be that much different than the early entrance fee at Alpine...
My suggestion is maybe they should give a percentage of the entrance fee to charity, like Joann says, we don't mind charitable causes...

The venue added this to their Facebook page confirming the 2pm start for tailgating (hope the link works) -

http://www.facebook.com/notes/first-mid ... 0923645301

Lostarlake wrote:The venue added this to their Facebook page confirming the 2pm start for tailgating (hope the link works) -

http://www.facebook.com/notes/first-mid ... 0923645301

So it's 2:00 now? I'll probably go down to HI at 11:00 am and be ready when the gates open...
Who's going anyway? Don't see a list... should I get one started?

Heavy advertising continues for this concert in Tinley, newspaper, radio all over Chicago......must be thousands of tickets left.

Glorfindel7 wrote:Who's going anyway? Don't see a list... should I get one started?

Dave: List is started in 1st post.....

MikeJW wrote:Heavy advertising continues for this concert in Tinley, newspaper, radio all over Chicago......must be thousands of tickets left.

If the interactive seat map is accurate, it looks like around 1200 seats still available.

From Sunday's Daily Southtown.....

To appease the Parrotheads, First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre has bumped up the tailgating start time for the June 30 Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band concert.

Originally slated to open at 3:30 p.m., the parking lot at the outdoor theater in Tinley Park now will open at 2 p.m.

“We just know how much tailgating is part of the concert experience with the Jimmy Buffett audiences,” said Jon Reens, senior director of marketing/Midwest for Live Nation, which operates the theater. “In working with the village of Tinley Park, we were able to get an earlier lot time that allowed for tailgating.”

But some Buffett fans are passing on the Southland concert because of the late start to tailgating.

Previous Buffett concerts at Toyota Park in Bridgeview featured all-day tailgating prior to the show, with gates opening at 9 a.m. for last summer’s show.

Oak Lawn resident Jim Baker, 47, has gone to about 32 Buffett concerts and said he’s passing on the Tinley Park show due to the later start time and setup at First Midwest.

“For core Parrotheads, hanging out in the parking lot is a big deal,” said Baker, who attended the 2011 concert. “Last year, we had one of those inflatable pools. I think it was 5 feet across, 10 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep. We brought a water truck and filled it up. I also brought 2,000 pounds of sand and made a beach.”

“Tinley was never a ton of fun,” Baker said. “The only space is the walk-around. I guess that’s great if you don’t put in all the work and bring props and displays and really don’t think about what your theme for the year is.”

Reens said fans will have plenty of time to tailgate at this summer’s show.

“We are opening when we can open to accommodate tailgating,” he said. “I don’t know what they do at other buildings, but I know what we do typically at that building and we wanted to provide tailgating and took the steps necessary to provide it.

“The show starts at 8 p.m., and we’re opening the doors at 2 p.m. That’s six hours of tailgating. This tailgating experience is going to be like any you can have at any other building. We hope everyone will join us for the show.”

More about this show including additional comments from Jon Reens and Jim Baker is at blogs.southtownstar.com/fmba.

Back to where it all began. The Flamingo Sisters will be making their triumphant return to Tinley Park!! Can't wait to see all you crazy parrotheads!

Glad Tinley is relaxing their policies... I attended the Dallas show, and they let those folks do whatever they want.

Hot holiday weekend in Chicago (first time that's happened in a while)....Looking forward to next month and return to Tinley
Where is everyone???

Glorfindel7 wrote:Hot holiday weekend in Chicago (first time that's happened in a while)....Looking forward to next month and return to Tinley
Where is everyone???

Sitting in a A/C Bar

Five weeks and counting!

It's hot outside so, I'm using my License to Chill! With 5 weeks to go..I don't want to peek too soon!

Some of the people going to show with me came over during the weekend. Started the planning process. Bringing my 'keets 9 and 6 with us this year.

4 weeks from tonight!