Chicago show venue failures a breakdown

[Candyman]

We met a couple in the lot who had been to 45 shows and they were saying how this was the worst show Jimmy has ever performed. Are group stared at each other wondering what show they had been too. Except for the show being extremely short we thought it was a very high energy show. After seeing the pictures I totally understand how this was a Morris's nightmare show. I hope the concert promoter makes things right with everyone who had to endure the lawn. I'm guessing Jimmy will be looking for another venue next year.

[Wino you know]

Back to Tinley Park, let's hope.
There people can actually GET to the venue, they can actually tailgate, AND I know this really dynamite couple named Dan and Vicki who live close by.

[ejr]

I also remember a number of people saying who cares about the potential problems....it's JB on an island in Lake Michigan and I'm going. I hope those people are not now the ones complaining.

Weren't most of the pre-concert complaints stuff like, "it's Chicago, we're going to get mugged" and "are we sure there's going to be tailgating there?" Because those are the two main points I remember reading.

Yeah there were some comments along those lines but STL Parrot is also correct about the other comments

I was one of the people expressing concerns. I thought if all worked well, it would be a fantastic setting, but given the Park District's reputation, the location of the venue, and other things I had heard, I thought the potential was there for one big mess. Plus it being the first time for the larger audiience. And, in what could have happened and did not--imagine what things would have been like if a thunderstorm had come through the area, as they had so many times in the previous few weeks--there really wasn't anywhere to escape to, and cars were far away. I decided not to go, hating to do so, but I also was unsure i would be able to do all the walking, especially if conditions were bad. And all this knowing that lots of my friends had had great concert experiences at Northerly Island in its original, smaller set up. I wish I had been proven wrong, but that doesn't appear to have been the case for so many loyal Buffett fans.

Hopefully this will be a one time only experience and he will return to one of the TPs next year.

[Gypsy In The Palace]

And, in what could have happened and did not--imagine what things would have been like if a thunderstorm had come through the area, as they had so many times in the previous few weeks--there really wasn't anywhere to escape to, and cars were far away.

This is something that I have wondered about before. At ANY amphitheater, there really is no place to go to escape lightning. Unless you have pavilion seats under the roof (and some amphitheaters don't have a roof), the restroom is about the only place to go. I was in this situation at a JB show in Atlanta a few years ago, and luckily that night, I did have pavilion seats under the roof. But, I was very concerned about the people on the lawn. And, I'm sure that they would not let you re-enter.

[FinnsU.P.]

While reading all of this one thing kept coming to mind regarding the early entry fees - this sure sounds familiar. I went back and took a look and found this entry from 2010 regarding Alpine Valley:
"Does anyone know who runs and operates Alpine Valley Music Theater? Their web site no longer exists and I'm dying to give them a piece of my mind about the "early entrance fees". My problem with the fees is that they didn't tell you about them before hand. If they want to charge an early fee, fine, but you just can't spring it on them when they are already there. They handled the situation very poorly.

It was $20 per car and $50 per bus. Buses already pay an extra $100 for parking, despite the fact that parking fees are already included in every ticket sold. It's also the longest it's ever taken to get from the highway into the lot, which is obviously due to them stopping each car."
I believe it was the year before that we also had the temps in the upper 30's with steady rain. The hill became a huge slide between mud and wet grass. We had people taking us down when they accidentally fell and started sliding. Unfortunately, you weren't the first and probably won't be the last.
R

[FinnsU.P.]

They also stopped charging the early entry fee after 3:30-4ish and I think it was the same last year.

[RinglingRingling]

Supposedly this venue was only suppose to be TEMPORARY. It was to be only open a few years til they made the whole "island" a park. I am sure old man Daley is still rolling over in his grave for the s*** move his son Richie made tearing up the runway.

gotta love Mayor Shortshanks. a serious case of "entitlement"-itis there