Rites of Spring 2010

I will be passing on the Rites of Spring this year. Last year was... um... well, I'm not sure how to describe it. (Druid, HGH, you guys have any words for it?)

If you've never been before, be prepared. That's all I can say.

Care to elaborate? I have friends in grad school at Vanderbilt and am thinking about making a visit this weekend. Seeing a few of these bands as well would be an added bonus.

I guess I was expecting something akin to the Bonnaroo crowd. But in all honesty, it was an over-run frat party. I believe Vanderbilt Students either get free tickets or they are deeply discounted so a lot of them come with their coolers (FYI: You were allowed to bring in your own beverages last year, may be the same this year). The people around us tended to talk/socialize during the performances. Very obnoxious.

The scariest thing was the crowd during the Flaming Lips set. There was a lot of pushing and shoving and people getting mushed because most people were "wasted" and not considerate of others. We moved to the outside of the crowd because of the craziness inside of it. It really ruined the experience.

And I remember Handgunhips (I think) had a girl next to her in the FL crowd who wanted to know who that guy on stage was (it was Wayne Coyne). Why you'd want to go to a show when you didn't know the band playing seems ridiculous to me.

BUT, these are just my personal opinions. I'm sure others have gone and had a good time. However, I outgrew the college environment a long time ago so I didn't have a pleasant experience.

You had me at clusterfuck. I'll have to see if I can rearrange my schedule for this.

I saw where you can bring in a 6 pack of beer, but only 1 water bottle. Really sucks for the Under 21 people

It was me who had the girl ask "Who is the old guy on stage?"

While it limited each person on how much beer they could bring it , they allowed re-entry, so it was simple to drink your six pack and then run out, buy more, and come back. This happened over and over to the point where most of the crowd consisted of belligerent drunks who just wanted to party and talk over the band. It, to echo Jho, was an over-run frat party.

I was disappointed with the environment, and I can't say that I'd ever want to go back. :/

You guys realize you are complaining about Vanderbilt students ruining a Vanderbilt function right?

eh... not so much complaining, more like offering advice on what to expect when going to ROS. I would compare it to telling someone to be prepared to walk a minute to get to centeroo and once you're there, be prepared to wait in line to get somewhat searched before you let loose.

With ROS, it's be prepared to be around a bunch of people who do not know how to drink responsibly and be prepared to be pushed, shoved, and soaked in beer.

Did you actually know anyone who brought in more than 6 beers, because I think you're mistaken. The wristbands they give out have 6 punchable holes so they can keep track of how many beers you bring in. You can come and go, but they're pretty strict about how many beers you bring in. Luckily for me, my wife is a lightweight, so I was able to have about 8 or 9 ;D

I can see how people would let the atmosphere spoil their good time, but I personally had a blast for most of the weekend last year (and many times before it). I guess I'm just good at tuning out all the distractions around me and focussing on the great music. The lineup this year isn't nearly as good as last year, but I'm still looking forward to Phoenix and Passion Pit. Plus, I get the employee discount, so it's an even better deal at $40.

BTW, students pay $30, but most of them are rich, so it's basically free to them any way ;D