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| - What a fun event! Went with two fellow Yelpers and had a great time listening to music and munching on various bites. The weather was ridiculously hot and sunny for a couple of hours, but eventually the cloud coverage rolled in and things improved overall.
MUSIC: I'm not a huge fan of any of the musicians featured, but I enjoyed what I heard. Arrived in time to hear Andy Grammer's upbeat, poppy set, got a kick out of Needtobreathe's southern-flavored rock, Lifehouse got the whole crowd singing along, Matt Nathanson was engaging and a little odd, but Third Eye Blind was what everyone waited for. They mixed old and new songs (and more of the latter than I would have preferred), but I skipped out early to avoid the clustercuss of the parking lot... and the clouds of pot smoke. I didn't come here for a second-hand high.
FOOD: The bites were mostly under $5, and there were several featured vendors from chain places putting out their specialties (Raisin' Cane, PDQ, Shake Shack, Smoothie King, Lazy Dog, CJ's Custard) to local places and various food trucks (Clever Chefs, Going Green, El Ceviche, Aloha Kitchen & Bar, Violette's vegan). The low pricing allowed our group to sample several smaller items without spending a lot of scratch. Standouts include Lazy Dog's pumpkin cheesecake (the obvious award-winner in the dessert category), the gelati fruit bowl made from a halved baby watermelon at CJ's, and the tender and savory grilled chicken skewers at Aloha. The businesses with cooler treats (ice creams, slushes, Dole Whip) seemed to get the most business.
ORGANIZATION: I found it odd that bags weren't checked at the gates, and I wish this event allowed you to leave and reenter (I don't know how anyone stayed the entire day, the heat was brutal). That said, crowd control was effective, I saw few smokers (it was technically only allowed in "designated areas" despite being an outdoor event), and there were ample portapotties.
This is definitely an event I'd come back to! Check Groupon for tickets leading up to the event- at $16 presale and $25 at the door, Groupon had 'em for $13 (and you could stack on a 20% discount for a total just over $10). Go with a group to try the most, bring a blanket for seating, and carpool for the easiest experience.
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