Are you gonna wait till 3am again to hand out line tarp numbers AGAIN!?? That takes all of the fun out of the festival when people need sleep/ want to hear the Campground picking.
Please don’t.
Mike
Tarp Line policy
Because we have had many complaints about the overnight line to get into the show, we have established a new policy in hopes of creating a kinder, gentler, more Festivarian-like entry each morning. Please keep in mind that the entry line is a complicated logistical problem and we have developed these rules with a lot of experience and a number of factors in consideration. Our goal is to create an entry procedure that will be fair, orderly, and will satisfy the greatest number of Festivarians.
* Festivarians may not assemble for entry until midnight.
* Festivarians must be physically present, i.e. no empty chairs.
* Festivarians must be sitting up, not lying down.
* Festivarians must assemble in single-file.
* At some randomly chosen point during the night (to be determined by Planet Bluegrass), numbers will be distributed to all people in the “assembly area.” These numbers will be distributed in a random order, so that each person present at this time will have an equal chance of getting a low number.
* Once these numbers have been distributed, Festivarians may leave the assembly area for the rest of the night.
* About an hour before gates open, Festivarians with numbers will reconvene in the assembly area, forming a line in the order specified by their numbers.
* Festivarians will be admitted one-at-a-time in the order specified by their numbers.
* After all the Festivarians with numbers have been admitted, all other Festivarians will be admitted in a first-come first-served order.
I dunno, but I think half the fun IS waiting up. Heck, that’s way better than 5am which I think happened a couple of years ago. :eek (yeah, I know we’re all a little bit crazy)
Besides, if everyone knew that it would happen before say 2am, then there would be a LOT more people waiting in line.
Most important is I hope they don’t run out of numbers like some prior years -
I guess everyone has there own opinion about this. Personally 10 years of this and I guess I’m getting Old. I’d rather get my # before 3am and go to bed so I can get some rest for the next day. I know at least one night each year they make us stay up way to late and I know last year a bunch of people were ready to Riot! My 65 year old dad gave up and went to bed.
The line policy sucks. I have been coming to RG for 10 years and I’m about to stop because of this single issue. Seriously, planet bluegrass - figure it out. There HAS to be a better way than by making people sit up all freeking night waiting for the numbers to be passed out. It’s such a BS policy. Why not just do it earlier at a set time - like 11pm. So what if there are more people in line due to the ‘earlier’ hour. If the numbers are random then it shouldn’t matter.
Planet Bluegrass - you do so many things right but you continually miss the mark on this one year after year. It’s pathetic.
I say we set up chairs, take away the tarps and have reserved seating. There are different levels of Dollars spent. The closer you need to be, the more your ticket costs. No tarp run, dancing in designated areas and everyone is relaxed and well rested. No big land rush. :lol I’m to old to run any way…
Did you think I was being sarcastic :lol Not really, it makes good sense.
The same folks have the same issues every fest. The nature of fest in part is landrush. It is part of the scene, the total package. Anyone remember Woodstock?
I say if you don’t want to put out the energy, sit in back or go to concerts instead. Fest is Fest, all together now!
Reserved seats, it is a way to eleminate this constant gripe, however be careful what you wish for.
I personally am getting slow to the finish and my beloved spot that we stake out and work hard to get might be a thing of the past. But I will still be there, because, well, I have to. It’s one of the best highlights of my summers :medal
Landy may be on to something. Creating a “no tarp - chair only” area will help with a couple things. First, those that don’t want to deal with the tarp line have another (although more expensive) option in order for premium seats. Also, this could help with my typical problem. I normally arrive mid - late morning and often have a problem finding any spot to park my chair.
A “seats only” area should accomodate more ppl than a tarp area - allowing us to maximize the use of the limited room. Well - it will help if the amount of tix sold doesn’t increase.
However, if nothing changes, no biggie. I just chalk this up to ME changing. I’ve done my share of tarp runs in the past and I loved them. I made life choices some years back that I don’t regret (part of getting old I guess). Those changes, unfortunately, don’t allow me to arrive early - so viewing the music is problematic. RG is still the great event I remember from years back - just not as good for me right now.
That’s not a bad idea, still have the number be random, right?. In 2009 at Folks, I had a bunch of people who were not in line suddenlly appear and jump in front of me, grabbing numbers.
I’ve suggested people putting their name or wristband number on a 3x5 card and putting it in a box at the box office, say between 8pm and 11pm. Then a PB person could randomly pick out the cards and number them. Early the next morning, pick up your number.
i just wanted to drop $0.02, as the lady and i talked about this for a couple of hours last night…
i, a multi-year veteran of planet bluegrass events, just think it’s the funniest (and saddest) thing that everyone gets in an uproar about this tradition, the tarp run. i simply don’t understand why you’re in such a hurry so grab up the perfect spot TO SIT STILL ALL DAY. i have to admit that i’m a little embarrassed when the music is just right to touch your soul and get your feet moving and you look over to the entire rocky grass crowd from our little sliver of dance area and they’re sitting perfectly still. you folks just don’t appear very festive. i wonder what the talent thinks when they look out and see all your scowling, motionless faces…
i say displace the poser pit and a fair dance area UP FRONT! that stage is plenty tall to accommodate plenty of folks’ hot feet without blocking the views of everyone seated IN THE BACK and/or OFF TO THE SIDES! allow the ENERGY to be received by the artists.
i wouldn’t be upset to 86 tarp run at all! i think it makes grown folk act petty and actually diminishes the spirit of brotherhood that we should be here to embrace. traditions should be re-articulated if they just don’t roll of the tongue like they used to…
Yes what Beru said that part i don’t agree with really just the overall sentiment that the line policy is flawed, and would love to see more dancers have the ability to dance. Smite away smiters.
go up front and take a picture, turn around and observe.
i know it simply isn’t fair to generalize everyone as grumpy old farts, but i actually felt like yelling when i took my own pictures turned around to see what looked like a lynch mob. it just doesn’t seem very festive to have all the empty tarp space or to be chastised when the music makes you get up and move, whether you look graceful doing it or not. i certainly don’t enjoy getting there late and not being able to find two square feet to put down my own chair.
i guess i just don’t get it. with a line-up as fast as what we have, i’d expect a little more emotion from those who are so intent on a great spot that they wait til 2 in the morning for a number so they can haul ass to claim a spot at 9. “i have to have a spot better than you” doesn’t seem like a very festivarian thing to do.
I’m too busy dancing up front, looking at the mountains, getting a beer, or in the river to worry about how others are spending their time (other than my friends).
Now that being said, I did call someone a fascist one time when I was told to sit down while grooving. Note, I told that person how I felt, not the entire crowd.
you weren’t up front grooving at any rockygrass i’ve been to, unless you were the guy i saw the old lady throwing ice cubes at. you may well have been grooving where i was also grooving, off to the side, squeezed into a walkway, essentially; we were in the same beer line, looking at the same mountains- loving it!
i’m only reporting what i’ve experienced and suggesting what i believe will make the experience better.
The Planet is doing the best they can. I agree with you that the dancing area should be much bigger.
I also understand and get that RockyGrass is not Telluride - there are a lot more patrons who like/need to sit down. I’m fine with that and I adjust my experience in light of this.
seems we’re in the same boat, save that i fear the wrath of that old lady and will not challenge her kung-fu.
i admire and respect the work of Planet Bluegrass and would like to see this one tiny accommodation for youthful energy. the dance area we have now is just unacceptable. we either need more space or crappier music… :cheers
billy, let me get you a beer or something?
see you in july!
