There were def way more hits than misses for the inaugural LIB fest. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll make this an annual event.
The Good:
-A lineup on par with the other major festivals in '13.
-Easy walk from stage to stage
-Easy in/out
-No bathroom lines
-Cool artwork in every corner
-Plenty of parking available downtown
-Artists could be caught wandering the fest checking it out
-Toyota tent brought some acoustic action (Passion pit, Dawes) in the early afternoon
-Perfect weather
Negs:
-There were so many activities (music/food/art), you were bound to miss half of what was going on
-Most bands started late
And yes, beers were $9 from the Heineken tents... BUT Fremont East was open! I don't know any other festival where you can literally walk into a bar and sit down for a drink and some pad thai. Plus there were specials... SPECIALS... AT A FESTIVAL. $3 fireball shots at Park On Fremont were going down all weekend. Compare this to Outside Lands, where the vendors and expensive tasting pours are your only option.
Considering that this was a festival IN A CITY and not in a huge field, I think they did the best they could. Is there room for improvement, sure, but will I think about the great time I had at this fest for the rest of the year? HELL YES!