Rock The Garden Rocked!

What a great day to see a concert with a few thousand of your closest friends, eh? I wanted to write about the highlight of my day but there were just so many! I think I have been completely cured of my stage-fright. Walking out there and looking out at all those faces of people just like me, who just came to see a killer concert, gave me an overwhelming feeling of belonging. Thank you!

I thought Bon Iver was a great way to get the show started. It seemed like everyone knew every word to every song he sang. I never did find his young relative to find out whether anyone had followed Justin's advice and given the little tyke a "punch in the lip."

My love for Cloud Cult is pretty well know, but I'm sure after watching them today, you can see why. There's just so much going on up on their stage. Craig's animated and jumping all around, there's the painting, the musicians moving from this instrument to that one. And from the second I heard the first notes of "Happy Hippo" I was just the happiest girl in the world!

While waiting in line for the ladies room I heard someone lamenting on how they had heard Neko Case wasn't playing with The New Pornographers tonight and how bummed they were about it. Okay, sure, Neko would have been a welcome addition. But was the performance missing anything? I don't think so. I'd never had the chance to see them play before and thoroughly enjoyed every second. The energy of the crowd during "Don't Bring Me Down" was nothing short of electric! Perhaps so much so, that just as the song was ending the first raindrops fell.

I took this as my cue to take my daughter inside to grab a bite to eat. We waited for Mary to introduce Andrew Bird (and she was right, he was indeed dressed rather sharply.) And we headed upstairs to the VIP area. We probably would have just headed home, but my daughter had her very first VIP pass and she wanted to see what that meant. We hadn't been outside on the terrace long when the wind started to gust. I'm looking around and trying to devise the perfect way to "accidentally" bump into Carl Newman when they had to evacuate the terrace because of the winds. Once we got back downstairs we learned that the show was being halted until the threat of lightning passed. That was the sign to get my lil' one home.

I'm sure that since I didn't get to hang around for Andrew Bird's whole set, there will be more than a few of my coworkers who can fill in that gap and any others I may have missed.

I want to say thanks to each and every one of you for coming out to the show. And a special thanks, as well for those of you who gave my daughter something to talk about for days and days to come. I can't tell you how many times she said to me "Mommy, you play this song at home." Everyone that met her mentioned her dress. She was so proud of that dress and she twirled, danced and skipped around all day thrilled to be meeting so many people who made her feel just like one of them, very special.

We grabbed a cab to come home and she talked to the cabbie about the great time she had at Rock The Garden. I could hear some very low playing music that sounded familiar to me and I asked him what he was listening to and he said "All I ever listen to is The Current."

Perfect.

Cloud Cult had the best set of the day. They are a band that you MUST see live to truely appreciate their music.

But all the acts were very good.

Sorry Barb, I didn't mean to be such a downer about Neko. I'm just a big fan of her and her voice. The New Pornographers set was still very good, and I'm glad I got to see them play live finely.

Phill, unless you were actually in a stall in the ladies room, I wasn't speaking of you *insert giggle here*

I know that a few people were hoping that not only would Neko appear and do a solo song or two, but that we'd hear a Destroyer set, and a few solo A.C. Newman tunes, as well. Let's face it, there just wouldn't have been time for that AND to have fragmented in that manner it might have taken away from the awesome performance that was The New Pornographers set!

My mistake! Though I was expressing my own dismay just about everyone I met. Honestly I came expecting NP's set to be the show stealer, I think Bird's set was the most exceptional of the day. That man shreds the violin like no other. One more thing I wish I would have been able to see (perhaps the current has pictures it could post??) was the finished art work from the Cloud Cult set.

What was the second to last song played by NP? That could have been played last or even after Andrew. I think that really swooped up the crowd.

I feel like I wasn't at the same show. I agree that the line up was great, but it would have been nice if I could have actually heard them. I was most excited to see Bon Iver, but missed the whole set just waiting inline to get in. Once in I have to say I was disapointed by the sound quality, not to mention that on the hill you could barley make out the songs. I feel that it was a little over booked, or maybe the Walker is just not the place to have an outdoor show. I've got to say this is one of the most disapointing shows I have been to... Does anyone agree?

I loved the show and sat on the hill most of the night. One simple solution to the sound on the hill would be to point amps/speakers towards it. That way we all could have heard the music a bit better.

It could have been me complaining outside the bathroom about Neko Case's absence. After I heard Dan Bejar wouldn't be there, I was kind of disappointed that my first NP concert wouldn't be in full-force. But of course Carl did an amazing job and Kathryn has a beautiful voice and I'm really glad they played some old favorites.

I wish the stage had been taller. I stood in the crowds most of the night and felt like I never had a good view of what the performers were doing. I figured the show would be in the sculpture garden, but of course that would have killed the grass.

And I agree with Amy in that it was overbooked. Though I never had to wait long for the bathroom, thankfully, all the other lines were pretty long and my friend's bike got trapped in the middle of a rack because of all the clustering of bikes.

Excellent line up and a very well run show...nice work Walker Art Center and 89.3 The current!

...the only things that would have made it stronger would be to angle the stage towards the walker/grass hill slightly..this would allow for people on the hill to have a stronger viewp point. Also, either have more bathrooms and eating options or admit less people...the lines were crazy!

...the zero waste effort was very impressive as well.

Great show-"Loved Them All"

A couple of ideas-

1) Open doors earlier or show does not start till all are in.
2) More places to fill water bottles-free. Or cheaper water.
3) Allow food in or have more food venues to reduce lines.

I was also very disappointed that too many tickets were sold for this show, making it less enjoyable for everyone. Too bad because the line up was great. I didn't make it past Cloud Cult - it was too crowded and impossible to see anything in front of the stage, and the sound on the hillside (where there was a little breathing room) was echoey and not at all enjoyable. It was difficult to impossible to squeeze through the crowd to try to get food or beer or get to the bathrooms. I feel ripped off.

Barbs description was great. Having gone to all the Rock the Garden concerts... I'd have to say this was an exceptional one. The lineup just rocked. Things were actually better than previous ones with the grassy knoll to relax on. Beer was served at both ends this year. Way way more porta potties. Just as crowded as ever but that's because the music is always great. More food this year despite what everyone thinks. Walker insiders said they couldn't turn the speakers to the knoll cuz that'd piss off the neighbors. Maybe free tickets would make them feel better next year :-) So from past experience: don't go hungry, enter from the west end, cozy up to the stage, take breaks with friends on the knoll, relax and enjoy an absolutely gorgeous day (& night) and an amazing mix of 4 great bands. oh, then cut out before the encore and grab dinner/drinks at Eli's on Hennepin. What a great night!

ROCK THE GARDEN? DONT YOU MEAN...ROCK THE STREET IN FRONT OF THE WALKER ART CENTER?!

this was billed as rocking the sculpture garden, which sounded dope, but alas we were in the street, and no gardens were rocked. I got there at 4:20 and bon iver started at 4:30 and the line was around the entire block, we had to wait in line while he was playing, which is just a joke. The walker art center was in no way capable of running this event smoothly, lets count the ways:
1. cant get people into show fast enough
2. poor sound quality, the music was heavy in the bass and the high end lyrics were blown out and distorted.
3. there were probably 2000 more people there then they should have sold tix for
4. waited for over an hour to get a chipotle burrito
5. packed like sardines in front of the stage, just a glob of people
6. overflow was inconveniently located on the hill that was a 90 degree angle from the stage, the sound echoed off the walker and sounded like a county fair, no speakers pointed toward hill and you could not see stage, if you were lucky to be low on the hill, you did have an excellent view of the mini gold course.
7. no water, lines for water were super long, only fountain was in the mens bathroom inside, of which lines were also super long.
8. this was billed as "rain or shine" but when it started sprinkling during andrew bird's set, they shut it down for weather reasons.

I am surprised more people have not posted like me, I may sound intese, but I feel toally ripped off. I have been to 100's of show's, festivals, etc.. and this is the worst music experience i have ever had, it had so much potential.

The current/walker art could have and should have done a much better job with this event, with everyone paying $35/ticket there was enough money to make it work.

I agree with Donovan. There were just too many people at the show which made it an uncomfortable experience, particuarly waiting in line for the bathroom, for water and food. The sound quality was poor and I had difficulty even identifying songs played from the hill. Perhaps the experience would have been different had I been sitting in VIP.

I thought it was a swell show with great weather. The sound wasn't horrible; like people are saying, for an outdoor show. And the people, or crowds of people, are what shows are supposed to have.
I liked the short lines for the privies, and the beer line in back of the stage was pretty much non existent, which my brother and I took advantage of. Yes, the food lines were long, but we didn't go there to eat. And yes, the lines to get in were long, but we were late getting there anyways, so it was our punishment so to speak.
But my brother and I still had a great time at Rock the Garden and we drank lots of beer and talked with great people and listen to awesome music. I hope you have it again next summer.
Rock on fellow Rockers!

I was one of the people bummed by Neko Case's absence, but I thought the NP were pretty awesome anyway. I drank a lot of beer and spent most of the time smashed up in the crowd right in front of the stage, having a good time and dancing like a fool. The weather was great and the music was terrific, so I had a good time. For me, concerts are about the overall experience--the energy of the performers and the crowd, etc., and not just the sound quality. I guess I'm easy to please! As a side note, is that Janus horn thing that Andrew Bird has the coolest thing ever, or what?

I unfortunately have to side with Donovan and others who have criticized the show and its execution.

Looking back on it, the things I enjoyed of the show had nothing to do with the Current or the Walker: it was simply a beautiful day to spend outside with some good friends. With an inside tip, I was able to bypass the longest entry lines and get in before the Bon Iver set, which also let us establish a good position on the hill for the dozen or so people I was with. Unfortunately with the hill, you were forced to sacrifice. Relax on the hill but have to listen to low-quality sound, or stand in front of the stage on asphalt but hear the music how it was intended? This is not a choice that should have to be made. Set up the entire area differently next time.

Maybe it's the "Minnesota Nice" thing or maybe people are just too deeply in love with the Current to admit it, but RTG could have been run much smoother. I for one enjoyed myself immensely, and hope to do so at other RTG's in the future, but I can see how things could have easily gone downhill.

Pros
Great lineup, no one is complaining about that.
Volunteers were helpful.
Food was good.
Parking wasn't as bad as expected.

Cons
Very crowded
Long lines
Half the people had good sight lines\good sound
Consequently half the people had poor...etc..

Food lines were crazy 70 minutes for a salami sandwich, at one point my wife suggested in stead of waiting in line at Joes Garage at the show, we go to the actual Joes Garage and get takeout. It's not that the food vendors weren't working there buns off, it's just that they were overwhelmed with people.

Overall it was awesome and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"Twin Cities are double teaming" -Lifter Puller

I cringed when Mark Wheat announced the other beer stand to the right of the stage--it was the only thing aside from the privies I could get too quickly and wanted to covet it. The sound was very good if you were positioned for it. I noted the folks behind us and the orange fence preventing their entry had grass to relax on.

I refused to wait an hour for a corn dog and opted to enjoy the Summit for dinner; logistically with a sold out show food vendors would have paid for locales at the event.

My husband nearly blew a gasket listening to Bon Iver from the entry line, I lamented the 1st Ave show in August. Perhaps open the gate 2 hours early to allow for 7,500 to enter properly.

Loved Cloud Cult.

I love the current and I hate to say it, but Rock the Garden was pretty crappy. I agree with much of what was said, too many people, bad sound, too long of lines, and what really got me was missing Bon Iver while I was in line to get in. I mean, if they can push back Andrew Bird's set for the weather, don't you think that they could have pushed back Bon Iver's set a bit for the people who were waiting in line and in turn missed the set completely? I feel like for $35 this was a huge let down. I hope the current addresses that this was a poorly run event...

Ripped off? I think that's pretty strong. For the four bands we all saw, $35 is a bargain price. If the sound quality on the hill was so poor, then sit there during breaks and hang out where the sound is better when the bands are actually playing. Personally, I went into the day expecting to be on my feet, and I was down in the crowd pretty much the entire time. I also had a lot of fun.

I didn't wait in line for much more than ten minutes for anything--beer, food, bathrooms. We sort of took it for granted that we'd have to strategize our timing and which lines we chose, and that seemed to work out just fine.

Sure, I was disappointed to hear the start of Bon Iver's set from the line outside, so perhaps the gates could have been scheduled to open earlier. On the other hand, we had only been in line for about 5-10 minutes by the time his set started, so that was poor planning on our part.

I'm not saying that there aren't improvements that could be made for next year's show, but there was still a whole lot of enjoyment to be had in the music, crowd, and weather we had on Saturday. I, for one, had a great day.

It was such a beautiful day, people were so forgiving and generally, happy people. The line up was amazing. PLEASE! Next time, hire a company that does this sort of thing professionally. The organization stunk. The beer tent behind the stage? Of course, there was no line there or to the privies! You couldn't get to it. You had to wade through the people in front of the stage to get there. You know, it would behoove the people in charge to have to hang out like the other 7500 of us, wait in line for food, try to get to the beer tent without a line. At least some food carts and a beer tent on the hill for the majority of the crowd that was forced over there due to too small of a space for the number of tickets sold. Can we hear about how next year improvements will be made? Thanks! And I love The Current and MPR!!!

i don't think it was a rip off but there are definitely improvements that need to be made in the future in order to get me to come back.

if it wasn't for the golf course, the stage could've been turned slightly toward the hill, angling it so it faced the building straight on. that way there would've been a wider area in front of and around the stage, people both on the street and the hill could've heard equally well, and it wouldn't have been facing the residential area above the hill straight on.

standing and being cramped in near the stage was expected. that's how concerts are regardless of venue. however, the street, being so narrow, was not conducive at all to food/drink lines. again, had there been more room in front of the stage and the sound better on the hill, this wouldn't have been as much of an issue. the way it was, people who wanted to really hear the music had to be on the street which forced the listeners and the people standing in line to fight for space. it made getting something to eat very confusing (and time consuming!).

i applaud the current for getting such an incredible line up. i wasn't sure how bon iver would translate live and i was simply blown away. so musical, so passionate, and so sincere. they somehow filled out the sound while maintaining the beautiful haunting, sparse vibe from the record. cloud cult rocked (although i was trying to get a burrito during their set and wasn't able to see much). it was a treat to see the new pornographers for the first time. although it would've been nice to see and hear neko and behar, a.c. newman commanded the stage with his laid back demeanor and dry sense of humor and kathryn's voice was absolutely beautiful to hear. we resigned ourselves to the hill for mr. bird as we needed to lay down by that point, plus we had seen him before at first ave. but from what we could hear, he was awesome as usual.

i'm not just going to completely write off this whole experience and the hard work of the current and walker staff because of one logistical aspect (albeit, significant). it's the current's first one. oversights are expected. hopefully, though they'll take people's feedback to heart and realize that comfort and convenience are huge factors to the outcome of one's concert experience and make some changes next time around.

Hey, I just wanted to chime in with a note letting you all know that we are reading your posts and taking them into consideration as we hold follow- up meetings about this event. It's important to us to make sure audience feedback, both positive and negative, is included in these discussions.

We are sorry to hear that some of you had a less-than-enjoyable time at RTG, and want you to know that we did try to anticipate and mitigate many of the issues raised here. All logistical decisions were made based on past Rock the Garden events and experiences, and we did the best job we possibly could to accommodate the needs of a slightly larger audience than in years past. Obviously some things worked better than others, and we are definitely learning from both the successes and the not-so-successes of this year.

We are already discussing the future of this event and hope to take steps to ensure that everyone who attends has an incredible time.

I thought RTG was pretty great. There were some issues, however...

Long lines are to be expected, and they were long, but they weren't really that bad. My theory is this: get anywhere early, and expect the unexpected. Lines should simply be expected for a concert like this. Granted, I think they could have done better; but I don't think I'll be holding it against them.

Can't stand to wait in line for 70 minutes to get a burrito? Grow up. Again, the food/water situation could have been orchestrated better, but no one forced you to enter the park without your own snacks on hand and no one forced you to stand in line. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's people who commit an act, and then proceed to complain about committing that same act. If you want the burrito, stand in line and shut up.

Andrew Bird was awesome. What a fantastic performer! The rain delay was appropriate and the right thing to do. I heard people all around me screaming things like "Ten minutes? You [expletive]!" So Andrew Bird and/or the people in charge don't want to see a performer electrocuted -- is that really a hassle? Is ten minutes really more time than you can spare on a Saturday evening? Grow up!

For next time, I would recommend that the concert literally be in the park instead of this sort of "Rock Nearby the Garden" that we had. There should be more food vendors and more access to water (even free water, perhaps!? and this could all be arranged on the street with the concert in the park -- keeping the two fairly separate).

I would also recommend that the concert goers who found this concert too excruciatingly awful go find a different hobby, like banging their heads against a wall, because I think we'd all be happier with that arrangement. I thought it was a blast.

Did it rock? Yes. Was it perfect? No.
Fairly standard music festival stuff, lines for beer tickets, lines for beer, lines for food.
Only problem was: they were all one line. Massive confusion for the most, too narrow a space; spreading things out next time might help a lot. Also putting the signs up a bit higher might have helped - a 'beer over here' kinda idea.
The sound system? Sounded great from 30 to 300 feet directly in front of the stage - anywhere else it was unbalanced.
Enough of the negatives: bands were fantastic, volunteers were great and the beer was cold. Could not have asked for a better day; I'll be back if RTG is next year.

I sent my two cents' worth to The Current on Monday, so won't go into it here.
I lurve The Current and the WAC (am members of both), but next year, we're gonna picnic in Loring Park. It's free, we won't stand in line for an hour for an overpriced sammich (or wait in line for an hour for something they actually ran out of but never bothered to disclose this information) - and the sound is actually quite good in the park.. better than on the grassy knoll by the WAC. (The rich folk on Lowry Hill will NEVER allow speakers to face their way, btw.)
Yeah, it was Rock the Asphalt between the WAC and the Sculpture Garden, not Rock the Garden. Great lineup, though.

The only two things that would have made a good show great... do something about the golf course, it was really in the way, and turn the stage about 45 degrees so people could mob in front of the walker where the golf is for great sound, and relax on the hill for good sound. The golf course out so the hill and space around can be properly utilized.

I wasn't able to go to Rock the Garden this year, but I went to the pre-Current edition in 2004. At one point, David Byrne opined, "This isn't really Rock the Garden, is it?....more like Rock the Driveway". That's always been one of my most endearing memories of the night.