Here is my review of All Good at Legend Valley.
1. Getting into the venue was hassle free for the most part. If I had a complaint it would be that despite their efforts to have everyone come in from side roads there were still a mass amount of people coming in from the interstate that were let in before us. In total it took us about 90 minutes to get from the traffic line to a camp spot. Not horrible but it could have been about 20 minutes had everyone followed the traffic patterns.
2. The camping was tight but not bad. The ground was way better than Marvin's. At Marvin's I was practically standing up to sleep because of the slope. Here I had a nice flat camping spot. Only complaint was the traffic noise from I70. I guess the semis think its funny to honk or use their jake brake at 4:00 in the morning. I did get used to it though so it wasn't too bad. The layout of the camp grounds was pretty organized. I did like this because my experience at Marvin's was quite annoying because of the lack of organization.
3. Security presence was a little heavier but I don't mind that. We ended up talking to the guys on horses and they treated us very well. Several times they passed while I was packing up a bowl or exhaling a good hit and they said nothing. I do like that they were there to contain all of the idiots who think they can do whatever they want. My general thought is who cares about security. If you are behaving and not doing anything to harm others then why would you care if they were there? I for one think there should be more presence at the concert bowl. Especially after seeing some dude jacked up on who knows what choke 4 people and punch several others because he had a bad trip. My friend and several others had to calm him down but after a few minutes he exploded again going after more people in the crowd. Finally a few security people arrived to drag him out but this totally ruined 3 ABB songs for me and killed my mellow buzz. If you don't like security at your festivals then don't be stupid and take shit you can't handle. The more idiots like this will only add security. Especially in a big city where there are a lot more rules and codes for the promoter to follow.
4. Getting into the concert area was a breeze for the most part. I don't know why crossing a road is such a big deal for everyone. One of my friends was complaining about it too. I didn't see it as an issue. Having to scan our bracelets when entering and exiting the concert area was a little annoying the first day but once you got used to it there was no issue. I think it is good for future planning. The promoter was able to gather a lot of data on the habits of everyone entering and exiting. I would imagine they will be able to tell when people are coming and going and how many left during certain acts etc. etc. A little hassle will surely make our experience better in the future.
5. Concert area was awesome! Trees surrounding the bowl, shaded hill, hills in the distance for great scenery, and a nice long path for vendors. I thought it was laid out very well and extremely comfortable. I like to chill out on the hill and Marvin's was the most uncomfortable hill. This really was a lot better in that respect.
6. Vendors were lacking I thought. Food was ok but selection was crap. I realize festival food is generally crap to begin with but I would like to see a better variety in the future. Shopping vendors were a little lacking too. There were some good shops and a lot of them but again, the variety wasn't very good.
7. Prices of things was very reasonable. $1.00 for a beer cup that you refilled for $5-6 dollars depending on flavor. Water and soda were very reasonable at $2-3 per bottle. Not bad in my opinion. Food prices were a little high for what you get but not too bad.
8. Facilities were ok. The porta-pots were as to be expected. They were cleaned periodically and generally didn't get too bad. My only complaint were the ones close to my camping spot. I think these things have been there for 30 years. They were pretty bad but kept clean so I can't complain too much. I didn't deal with the pay showers but I heard they were great. They would clean them out after each person and charged only $5.00. Not too bad in my opinion but I was good with the water filling stations and rinsing down at camp. The water fill stations were easily accessible for us and seemed to be for most areas.
9. Finally, the music. In general the lineup was pretty good. It felt like something was missing though. I don't know what it was but I didn't feel compelled to sit there all weekend in the concert area as I have in previous years. My favorites were Phil & Friends, ABB, Lotus, Lettuce, Yonder, Werks, Pimps, and RRE. My biggest complaint, not something new, is how strict the schedule is. I dig the 2 stages but some of the side stage acts could go in my opinion. Or at least they could arrange it a little better. Going from an afternoon blue grass set into a DJ is not my idea of good flow. I would rather have less bands with a more open schedule so jams can happen. Let the bands go a few extra minutes or give an encore if the crowd is feeling it.
Overall, I think this venue is a great change for All Good. It's growth demanded a new venue soon and given the history of this venue and the accessibility from several major cities I believe it was a great fit. I know there are some things that others don't like about it but let's face it. No matter how cool the promoters are it is still a business and the bigger it gets the more money they make and can help make it better each year. Change sucks but I don't think this was a bad change all together. I wouldn't dismiss this festival because of the new venue. Embrace it and it will only get better!
Sorry for the long post.
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