Love the new venue! It reminds me of the old venue but bigger and more of a hill and more trees. Plenty of beer lines and the bathrooms seemed adequate. Great sound and stage. Too bad there isn't any camping here.
Parking is easy here (it was for me) -- but getting out is really tough. My advice - be handicapped.
I seem to have had a very different experience from most of the people reviewing this place, because I went to the String Cheese Incident shows this past Friday and Saturday nights, and absolutely loved the venue! Jamband crowds tend to be pretty friendly and conscientious, so it's possible that affected my experience, but I had a great time at the new Backyard.
Parking was easy and cheap (I'm used to $7-10 parking at most amphitheaters, so $5 was less than I expected). Parking attendants got us in place quickly, and the walk to the front gate was just a minute or two. After the show, the roads around the venue were pretty packed, but I don't see that as the venue's fault. Put a couple thousand people on ANY road at the same time and you're going to get traffic.
Entry was quick and easy. They had two or three lines going, with people at the first station checking your bags, then the next station scanning your tickets. They didn't allow any kind of camelbacks or water bottles - I saw a few people get pretty ticked about that.
The stage was big and attractive. My husband said he thought the sound wasn't as clear as it could have been, but I thought it was great.
There was no seating that I could tell - it was all GA, and everyone just stood, danced, and moved around at will. It was full, but not so packed that you couldn't make your way fairly close to the stage, and all throughout the venue, there were hilly areas and steps where short people like me could position themselves to see over the crowd.
The bathrooms were not porta-potties, but buildings on either side of the stage with a bunch of stalls. The toilets were clean, had toilet paper, and all worked just fine. The lines took about 3-4 minutes.
Free water! Maybe this was just the show I went to, but a couple of the bar stalls, and tables outside each restroom, were dispensing free drinking water. Cups were replaced frequently, and the water was cold. This was probably my favorite thing about the venue.
The trees blocked the stage view slightly from some parts of the venue, but they did make the venue prettier, so I can't complain too much about that.
The ground was a little rocky and uneven in places, making walking around after dark a little tricky, but I figure it's an outdoor venue with a LOT of fot traffic, so a few rocks is to be expected.
Overall, it had its minor flaws, hence only four stars, but I had a great time there, and nothing about the venue hampered my enjoyment of the show. I will absolutely go back when a band I like is playing at the Backyard!
Update to my previous post:
I did get a full refund on my parking and ticket prices for the Willie Nelson show that I missed due to the horrible parking issues. Â I spoke with the parking manager and he knew it was a nightmare that day and told me about some of the changes he plans to make the parking better. Â If a band does come to The Backyard that I want to see, I probably will give them another chance (I previously planned never to go back) but I will arrive early and cross my fingers for good luck.
I upped my review to two stars to average in my good time for The Beach Boys and my nonexistent time with Willie. Â If I go back, I'll update again.
Went to Willie's 80th and benefit for West. Â Got there an hour early, took 1 1/2hrs to park, paid $5. Â Not happy about that. Â One entrance in and out, poor planning. Â The "parking" was total chaos and unorganized. Â Luckily we didn't get turned away. Â Once in it was as expected packed to the brim. Â We found a spot and enjoyed the space and show. Â Port-a-potties not an issue, short wait. Â Because we were parked close to exit/entrance we got out in good time. Â Hmm, not sure I'll be coming back...not feeling it.
Review Source:Having been to the "new" Backyard to see Willie Nelson for the last 3 years it's time to post a review. I've never had an issue with parking. Usually my friend and I arrive quite late, almost before Willie hits the stage. So we would end up parking far out, but close to the exit. Not sure why people complain about what a nightmare it is to get out. Â Wouldn't it be easier to just take your time getting back to your car and avoid the rush? That's with any show anywhere. For this venue, do not bring a sports car. The lot sucks!
This past show, we arrived early because it was benefit/birthday. So yeah it took forever getting in. I feel bad for people who paid for advance parking to get in because we didn't pay at all! Maybe that just happened to make the traffic clear up quicker.
And yeah they only have one line letting people into the venue. Once they get into the groove it can move pretty quick. But still. How about more than one line?
This go around I had better luck with the bathrooms. My bladder is tiny and I always have to go at least 3 times! I must of hit the restrooms at just the right time. The floors were flooded towards end of the night and there was a cleaning lady trying to do her best. Either way it worked out much better than past shows where it was 30 minutes to pee!
There are still many issues here though. It seems like it'd help if they moved the fence line with the bar/vendors back 15-20 feet where it's a little flatter. Also provide recycling containers! Hello? How many years has this place been opened?
And this whole GA seated thing? Yeah, it takes up all the front, sides, center. I pay for it because I want to have a seat and a chance to be up close. But I'd rather pay for an assigned seat up close like the old Backyard. The security was much better at keeping people back that didn't have tickets to be up there.
I did score seats in the first couple of rows this time, but that all goes out the door once some tall fucker stands. I felt so bad for the adorable elderly lady behind me. At least if us shorties and the elderly had a seat it wouldn't be everyone standing in front of us.
Everyone rushes the stage and it's chaos.
What I remember about the old place was that we had assigned seats. There were like 10 rows blocked for GA reserved because Poodie gave me wristbands to sit there. RIP Poodie!
So you guys at the "new" Backyard need to take some of what made the old location so bad ass and run so much more smoothly and bring it to the new place. I've honestly skipped so many shows because I knew how bad it would be. I do it for Willie!
Yikes, tried to attend Willies 80th bash, six of us. What a fiasco that wes. They apparently oversold the event. At 6:30 they were turning folks away; park at your own risk - anywhere but our lot, (we even payed for parking in advance) Spent 1 1/2 hours traveling about a mile to the entrance. Of course we never made it in, messages to The Backyard are not being addressed. Shame on Tim O'Conner.
Review Source:I loved the old Backyard but this was my first time at the new venue. I actually feel fortunate to have made it out of there without being injured. Â We had a great experience up to the start of the show and then it just got out of hand.
It is Wille's 80th birthday show and fundraiser for West, Tx. They had representatives from West and Abbott VFD there as special guests, several in uniform and watching the show from the stage. Lots of fundraising going on. Very cool, right?
There was a huge crowd. I bought tickets for the seated area, which was still General Admission so my friends and I got there at 4:00 to get in early. We got the second row in the left section of seats facing the stage, close to the aisle.
The place fills up and the show starts and people start coming down to the stage and standing and dancing around in front of the people who bought more expensive seats and got there hours early. Completely blocking views and generally being obnoxious. Four different people went to find security to ask them to move. Security said they were "working on  it." For the first hour of the show, there was NO security at the front of the stage.  In fact, I only saw two people working in front of the stage the whole show. There was no one working in the aisles.
Finally a relatively small guy who looked more like an accountant showed up (not in any kind of identifying clothing) starts trying to move people back. Then another guy shows up and they manage to clear a small area directly in front of the stage. However, the aisles to stage left and stage right were all completely full and no effort was being made to clear them. We were essentially trapped in our seats.
First thing that happened was a disabled woman (using a cane) left to go to the restroom and by the time she got back, her seat had been stolen by someone who had been very aggressive to the seated patrons who asked him to stop dancing in front of (and crashing into them.) It took about six people telling the "guard" before he finally forced the man to relinquish her seat.
Next, an older couple stumbled into the little cleared area and the woman promptly passed out, apparently because of the crowds and being overwhelmed. We were all screaming at the "security" guy to help her. People sitting immediately around her jumped to her assistance but there were so many people crowded in that no one from the security team even saw what was happening until we screamed enough at him to get his attention. She was maybe four feet from me and I could not move. They radioed for assistance but the aisles were so full that the medics couldn't get through. (This happened right in front of the stage.) Finally, two of the EMS workers from West EMS who were on the stage as guests had to crawl off the stage and assist until the venue medics could get there. They finally cleared the aisles to let her out, but let them fill back up again almost immediately.
At least two times, people trying to squeeze up  to the stage via the front aisle fell against people sitting in the front row, which was mostly senior citizens. People all around us were angry and yelling and there were very nearly several fights.
I'm used to loose access to the front of the stage for people to walk up and take a picture then leave, but letting the only escape routes be completely clogged through the whole entire show was negligent and irresponsible.
I have been to many Willie shows, had similar seats and many of them at the original Backyard. I have never seen anything like this and not only was it annoying and came close to ruining the show, it was extraordinarily dangerous. Â It is shameful that those EMS people who were supposed to be guests of honor had to miss part of the show to do something that could have been prevented with the most basic crowd control. Â I understand having a more relaxed approach to things because it's Willie but this was beyond the pale. He wouldn't want his fans injured and and the Backyard's owners will be lucky if they don't have a serious tragedy there at some point if they keep running things this way.
The Backyard used to be a real gem. What a disappointment.
The layout of this venue is very strange. The bathrooms, beer, food, pricing and all that are just OK.
The parking is an issue. First of all, if I pay for parking then I expect that this parking lot can become full and cars would have to park elsewhere, and that someone is monitering the lot. Not the case. People were instructed where to park before the show, but I guess after a certain point people were just allowed to park wherever they wanted - this includes blocking 80% of the exits.
I drive a SUV and 20-point turns to get turned around everytime I reached a blocked exit was beyond frustrating. It took me nearly a half-hour to get out of the lot, and I left about an hour early. I can't imagine what it would have been like when the show let out.
This review is based on a single experience I had there: Arcade Fire/Explosions In The Sky.
I did not pay for parking, and do not even comprehend how some people paid, but perhaps queuing entirely too early (so early in fact that no one from staff is even there, or awake) has its benefits at times.
The box office did not have the tickets from Will Call until perhaps ONE MINUTE before the crowd was allowed in. This should not be a problem for those that do not queue for shows, to be first in line or on the barrier from the stage, but I cam from pretty fucking far away for this show alone and I did not plan on waiting outside an entire day just to not have my ticket when DOORS opened because the box office is grossly incompetent.
The venue itself is quaint. You can see the entire soundcheck from the fence, as the artist made note of during the soundcheck.
There is an enormous choke point upon departure from the venue, made worse by the location of the merch/swag table(s) and people slowing down to gawk at them with no intentions of purchasing anything.
The 'parking lot', it is dirt/rocks so I use this term loosely, is a nightmare to leave, but it is what it is. The highways are a nightmare; backed up to carpocalypse proportions. Again, it is what it is. If you are in route to somewhere important, on a schedule, succeeding the show, then don't go to the show.
People were relatively cool (but too many of the males wore flannel patterns). - E
Great sound system and a neat outdoor venue overall. Plenty of food options from outside vendors. Many vendors take credit cards and there are ATMs onsite as well. $7 Tecate tall boys and $5 Budweiser 12oz cans last time I visited. There are several stands with a full bar and even a little coffee shop vendor selling cuban coffee. $5 to park in an unpaved area but at least they laid down some kind of mesh product to aid traction when it is rainy and the mesh also serves to define the path to drive in and out. Unlike in the past management has finally decided to setup staff and traffic cones to help aid the flow of traffic going OUT of the venue and it helps immensely!
Tailgating before a show is one of my favorite things to do here but don't expect to whip out your BBQ grill or anything, heh. Staff is super friendly and helpful from my experience. Heard complaints about stingy pouring on single and double drinks at one of the bars. Not sure if that complaint was directed towards just a single bartender or if it was a simple case of a very drunk customer? Otherwise everyone at the show seemed to be having a great time and the sound system was plenty loud but not overbearing.
I went to the Passion Pit show this September and while the show was enjoyable, the place itself was not so much. I wish that I could give more stars, but The Backyard can't get the credit for Passion Pit's amazingness. Let's review:
Pros:
Pretty scenery.
Ample Space to move about.
Parking was easy and we got out in 5 minutes (Maybe we just got lucky at the end of the night. We came way too early, so that may have aided us).
Opportunity to be pretty close to the stage without too much trouble.
Cons:
BATHROOMS!!!!!!!!! Disgusting. If you're going to have toilets, then make sure that they're capable of flushing. Don't give me a port-a-potty and try to tell me that it's a toilet. Line was out of control.
"Beer Garden" is a rock garden with maybe 8 plastic chairs. Bf asked, "Is THIS the beer garden?" upon arrival.
Beers $1-$2 higher than Stubb's or other comparable places.
No re-entry. I wanted to get my jacket out of my car to sit on, but I wasn't allowed to.
Overall, I think that this place still needs work. I'll have to pass next time on this venue.
I don't leave reviews that often but this place deserves one. First of all the ticket venue fee was 6 dollars I'm fine with that most venues have fees. Things kept getting more expensive from there on, parking is 5 dollars and it's terrible. All of the bars on the premise did not take cards because "the system was down". The only way to get a drink was to take out money from an ATM which had a 4 dollar fee!!! I was going to buy a lonestar but I found out it was 6 dollars. I have never paid more than 3 dollars for a lonestar anywhere in my life. Now let's talk about the super dirty bathrooms with no soap and no paper towels.
This place is horrible, I will never go back ever!
It's a greedy venue
After reading all of the horrible reviews for this place, after I had bought tickets, I was expecting the worst when I went to the Foster the People concert last night.
But this place was AWESOME!
Getting in was a breeze. We got there about 5:15-5:30, and the doors opened at 6 pm. Traffic was flowing smoothly, and while there were a lot of people there already we were still there pretty early, judging by how empty the parking was. The line to get in was freakishly long, but when the doors opened it moved pretty smoothly. We managed to get a pretty close spot and staked out our area, then we took turns getting food, swag, and going to the restrooms.
I didn't go to the restroom later in the day, but getting there right away there was no line and they were clean. There are two sets of indoor restrooms so the lines that did happen at the end of the show went FAST. The food was good as well, and they sell water at the food vendors so the lines were pretty evenly distributed. My only complaint about the food was the lack of CHOICES. It was basically barbecued meat, fried meat, or meat in a taco. Pretty much no veggies. I don't expect to eat amazingly healthy at a concert, but c'mon. Only three vendors and all they sell is meat? You can do better than that.
The concert itself was freaking amazing. Kimbra, The Kooks, and Foster the People all rocked it.
Now getting out, that was the challenge. If you're patient, like I was, you can get out somewhat easily. We waited about 30 minutes for the line to thin out, because out of the 30 minutes maybe 10-15 minutes was where the line didn't move at all because there were so many cars. But once we managed to get going, it was pretty smooth getting to the stoplight and out onto 620.
A lot of the reviews talk about the crappy roads and the rocks and stuff, but going into the concert we didn't come across that. It wasn't until we left when they had us drive across an EXTREMELY bumpy area with all sorts of rocks. But it wasn't THAT bad. And they had plenty of people directing traffic.
Also, the tickets were a steal... $40 each (fees included), plus only $5 for parking? So freaking cheap for three amazing acts.
Not sure if The Backyard got their act together since the bad reviews were posted, or if those people were expecting too much from an outdoor venue, but I was very pleased with The Backyard. The only two things they really need to improve on is the food choices, and getting out of the venue. If those two are improved, this would easily be 5 stars.
The fellow that attended the same show I did (Foster the People) had a completely different experience. Seems that's the case with pretty much all of the reviews for The Backyard at Bee Caves. I thought it was worth taking a chance on since most of the bad reviews were from a while back - they probably fixed the problems from a year or two ago, right?
WRONG.
Arriving:
We arrived at 7:30 (figured that would give people ample time to battle it out) and waited in a line from 71 to Bee Caves Parkway, the only road in and out of The Backyard. Okay. I get it, we didn't arrive an hour before doors open, shame on me. Whatever.
Parking:
Parking was a clusterfuck. There's not another way to put it. I went in knowing it would suck and was well prepared, but there was really poor parking signage (Where did you park your car? Hope you dropped a pin on it before you went in for the show...), poor lighting, ill marked "roads", a poor excuse for "directional assistance", etc. You should be wary of driving a low riding vehicle - there are tree stumps, larger rocks, and other rocky terrain. If you're on the fringes of the property, it's worse. If you're in the middle, you'll have flat dirt areas to park in.
Ticketing went smoothly. Bag checks but no body searches.
Brewskies:
Standard big beers available - normal pricing. They do accept credit cards, but as an effort to be "green" they do not provide receipts. And you have to tell them how much you want to tip prior to them processing the card.
Bars:
I had a legit problem with one of the bartenders. Near the bathrooms there are two side-by-side bar set-ups. While figuring out what I wanted to drink, there was only one person in front of me. I glanced to the other bar and saw a lady wave us over. No point in going over since we were up to order... But, for whatever reason, I'm assuming because we didn't go to her to order, 20' away... She flicked me off. Not even kidding. Boyfriend witnessed as well. Great customer service...
Trees:
While I appreciate trees, they sure do hinder the viewing experience when there's a fully packed venue.
Bathrooms:
So they have "indoor" bathrooms. Okay. They're primative, but they're indoors and they're actual toilets. Okay. Beyond that - THE absolute worst bathroom experience I've ever had in my life. Mud-ridden portapotties at ACL a couple years back don't hold a candle to these. Why are the bathrooms terrible? Clearly I must be exaggerating. Those ACL bathrooms were atrocious.
NOT exaggerating. No less than 10 women watched me drop my pants to use the restroom. Why is that? Their absolutely terrible bathrooms have doors that either dont lock or, like mine, refuse to do anything than fling wide open. Cool. I would have prefered the shower curtains mentioned in earlier reviews.
Leaving:
We left the show one song into the encore to leave with the other 2500 people that had the same idea. "Leaving this 'parking lot' is going to suck. We should head out now." Yup. Took an hour to leave. Fine. I get it. Be patient. WHY THE HELL DID I PAY $5 TO PARK IN THIS SHITHOLE? Oh, it's really the only option. That's right.
OVERALL:
Absolutely refuse to go to another concert here. There are serious changes that need to be done to this place to get it up to the standards of a concert-going community like Austin. Get your staff up to snuff, bathrooms resolved and pave the damn parking lot.
I, like many of my predecessors, saw Willie play here on 4/21!  First things first; it was a GREAT show.  Willie can certainly still hang.. played for nearly 3 hours  straight & sounded like he could have done another 3 just as easily.
The venue. Â This is EXACTLY what I picture when I think of the ideal concert scene. Â Open backyard, various seating options - of course, we got lawn seats! Â Several beer lines, food stands and all around unique people watching.
I'll have to echo what some people have previously stated. Â When you go to a venue of this size, parking is always going to be somewhat of an issue. Â Trying to corral thousands of cars is probably 10x harder than corralling the same amount of cattle. Â Especially when everyone is in a self-induced rush and "deserves" to be the first out of a sand & gravel lined parking lot. Â This is part of the experience, people... take it for what it is and enjoy it!
The only "complaint" I have is the bathrooms. Â But again, these are never going to be comfortable and luxurious when you're viewing any legend in an outdoor venue. The stalls are outlined by shower curtains, fine; but after a few drinks, note that anyone will gladly walk in & expose you to "check" if the toilet is vacant. Â Anyway, as I told myself, Â "suck it up and play the part" - I'm sure people in third world countries would give anything for these "treacherous" conditions.
In any case, I'd highly recommend checking out a show at The Backyard.. especially if your preference is open air venues!
Went to Willie Nelson last night. Â Fourth or fifth time here at new Backyard. Wow guys, really? Three years later and you still can't figure out some of these problems??
Ridiculous bathroom lines!! Â Do you not understand that you'd sell more booze if we weren't petrified of having to go pee again! Â Seriously. Twenty minute lines are unacceptable at a concert. That's 1/6 of the show standing in line! Â God forbid that you have to go twice. Â And just like the last times I've been there, half of the toilets were not flushing so everything was disgusting!! Â
People have covered the parking issues and while they aren't perfect I don't have that much to say about it.
The seating arrangements however are quite insulting. In a million years I didn't figure on the entire front and middle being on the "reserved" level. This area is literally 50% of the entire venue and certainly all of the good views and sight lines. Backyard, I get that you want to make some extra scratch but it is literally like stealing to push people that pay FORTY dollars out to the fringes. Â Not cool at all guys and if I had known I never would have come. Â :-(
I saw Willie play for his yearly birthday bash. It was a great show.
Most of the reviews on the Backyard are over exaggerated. Come on people it's a massive venue, so of course the parking is going to suck. When is parking ever good when there is 10,000 plus people? It's fucking Austin, traffic sucks. Get used to it.
Yes, the beer is a little pricey, but again this is pretty regular of any big named venue in Austin. No surprise on the booze prices.
As far as the bathrooms, again this is fucking Austin, every bathroom situation in Austin blows because most people are fucking alcoholics and can't pace themselves and they piss a lot.
Advice for attending, get there early and stake out a spot, because the only thing that really sucks at the backyard are the damn trees that are scattered all across the amphitheater. BUT, if you get there early you can get a good spot.
It's a great venue. Come prepared and don't fucking annihilated and you'll have damn good time.
The only good thing about this venue is that it's in the Hill Country. Expensive drinks, horrible parking. Even cans of Tecate are $5. Mix drinks are $6 to $8. CASH ONLY bar. Bar staff not friendly. Crappiest parking ever. Huge lot with one entrance. Not even a lot, just like random dirt field on a hill with scattered trees. Takes forever to get in and out. Huge bathroom lines. I will never go here again unless I get free tickets and the show is amazing.
Edit: This review was for the Arcade Fire show in 2011 which was notoriously badly managed show with too many people. It even made the local news it was so bad. So a normal night might be different. I still think the drink prices are high.
What a way to take in the long awaited Incubus concert. In true Incubus style, this very chill open-air venue allows you to truly take in the music, while relaxing with some of your besties.
The venue was not too large and not too small. Some people plopped their Picnic blankets on the lawn and took in the tunes with style.
I loved this place and would definitely see another concert here.
Contrary to what a few others wrote, I thought the sound system was very good. Â That's why I gave it 2 stars. Â
As many others have stated, the parking is a nightmare. Â I went to see Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top for $60 a ticket. Â It took forever to get near the parking lot and I was dumbfounded when they asked for $5 extra to park. Â Not a lot of money, I know but after spending nearly $70 total for the ticket, I considered the extra fee a money grabbing insult. Â And that's before I tried finding a spot. Â The lot itself is large and primitive with no defined spaces. Â If you value your car's suspension, you'll want to use extreme caution navigating this battlefield. Â So, about 1 hour getting into the lot and between finding a spot and walking to the gate, at least another half hour. Â By the time I found a parking spot and got inside the gates, the music started and I was fuming.
Then came the joy of leaving. Â To keep it short, 1 1/2 hours of sheer torture to get out of this place. Â 3 hours of music and 3 hours of parking horrors. Â I won't be back.
Parking for the venue is a complete NIGHTMARE!! The worst I have ever experienced in 15 years of going to shows.
The sound of the stage was great, but it could not relieve my frustration about how horrible the experience was getting to the venue. The Backyard needs serious help in designing a parking lot to accommodate the number of people that are attending the shows there.
We left before Incubus finished their set so we wouldn't have to experience the madness all over again.
John Paul DeJoria (aka Paul Mitchell) needs to invest some of his fortune from hair products and tequila in some well designed parking garages and multiple entrances to his venue. He could also learn how to pronounce the name of the artist correctly...Inc-A-bus, Inc-A-bus...haha!
Based on the reviews of the parking nightmare, we parked outside of the grounds and it worked out great! Some granite business on Bee Caves Pkwy charged $10 to park in their lot and it was worth it!
The acoustics were amazing in this place. The perfect balance of band and voice where one didn't over power the other.
We got drinks quickly and there were lots of snacks.
The weather was amazing and the venue was beautiful, for a concert/park grounds.
A good time for all, if only they can fix the parking madness.
I can safely say that I will not be returning to The Backyard for anything.
I usually don't care for the larger venues and this is just another reason for me to avoid them. Which really sucks because some of the bands that I really enjoy come through these places.... oh well.
We came here to see The Arcade Fire and Explosions in the Sky. I was totally stoked, this was my first time I was able to check these guys out. The doors opened at 6 and the show was at 715. We get there around 645. And let me tell you, if the parking attendants had actually been doing their jobs (instead of texting on their phones or talking amongst each other) we might have not had to wait 20-25 to get to the "last" parking spot. We park and start to walk to the actual venue and notice that the parking was so poorly placed, that there could have been plenty more parking for the large number of cars that were behind us waiting in line. LAME!
The beer was overpriced, I am pretty sure that the venue was over capacity. So we enjoy the music and we had decided that we were going to go to the car and wait to leave the venue, knowing that it was going to be hard to get out. We had no idea it was going to be THAT hard! OMG! We sat for 45 min in the same spot, moving not once. I have no idea what was going on up there, but I am sure it was similar to what was going on when we got there. I just can't believe that something so large can't have a staff trained well enough to be able to direct traffic in the best way possible!
Get it together Backyard! We didn't drive out to Bee Caves for an experience like that!
Only thing that saved this concert was the artist. Kudos to Arcade Fire for putting on a terrific show.
Backyard on the other hand has head in ass syndrome. By far some of the worst event management I've ever witnessed.
Bathrooms are a joke. Parking/traffic situation was an epic let down. Why not hire off duty cops to direct traffic? Why not have an actual parking staff? Why not remove head from ass?
I will give them credit on stage setup and food options buts that's it. Management needs to take some cues from Stubbs and other music venue veterans.
I will never recommend this venue to anyone and will never visit it again short of a Radiohead/Muse double headliner show.
As we slogged through the parking lot after last night's Arcade Fire show, I said to my husband, "There's going to be a lot of bad Yelp reviews tomorrow." Sure enough, there they are.
I am torn on this one, because the venue itself is nice. The sound was great, we were able to get pretty close to the stage, and the ground is sloped a bit so short people like me actually have a hope of glimpsing the band. And even though it was sold out, it didn't feel overpacked inside. The parking lot was a different story.
The logistics of this place are a nightmare. I received an email a few days before the show stating that a second entrance had been opened. So we entered on 71, rather than 620. At first it seemed like a good idea, as the line of cars approaching the 620 entrance was ginormous, but that feeling disappeared quickly. There were guys standing around, ostensibly "directing traffic," but they were useless. They directed us to go to a certain section of the parking lot where there was nowhere left to park! It was basically a free-for-all.
Once inside, the lines for the bathrooms were ridiculous. There's no excuse for that. My sympathies to the ladies who were drinking heavily.
Trying to find our car in the dark was pretty terrible. We didn't have as bad as time as others getting out of the parking lot, but it was still annoying. The parking was free (I think there would have been riots if it wasn't) but I would rather pay than go through that hassle.
Arcade Fire was amazing, so I'm glad I went. But unless they make improvements to the parking situation, I won't be back if it's not a band I absolutely have to see.
Man, I am utterly blown away by the negative reviews about this place. Perhaps I caught it on a good day with a good band and didn't notice the negative stuff.
I absolutely loved the venue last night. Getting there was easy, parking was easy, entrance was easy, buying beer was easy, finding a really good spot on the hilly terrain provided a perfect view of the stage.
Although it was a sold out show, you really could not tell as there were plenty of patches where no people were which meant no neck breathing from a perfect stranger.
They have real bathrooms, too. Dirty ones, but I'd take that any day over stinky portos.
All and all, an amazing show. I'd go back to this venue in a heartbeat.
"In line right now for Arcade Fire. It has taken almost 2 hours to go 10 miles! I could, and have, run faster!! This is so ridiculous! It will have to be somebody pretty super amazing to get me to this venue again. I'm actually watching people park off the highway and run!"
So, above is the draft of this review I wrote while sitting in traffic last night. I've had some time to cool my heels, but I am extremely unhappy with The Backyard. When my friend and I made it to the entrance, it was just blocked off with police cars. No signs, no one telling us what was going on or where we could park. We ended up at an insurance company parking lot and walking, in the dark, along 620. When we made it back to the entrance, it was so dark, we couldn't tell where we were going and Arcade Fire was starting their set. So we walked as fast as we could, and luckily didn't fall down! I will say the employees seemed very nice and wished us well. One other note - I have no idea why anyone thought shower curtains would be a good idea in the restrooms. Its strange and feels dirty to me.
I did meet a really nice girl who had arrived super early! She thought the venue was very nice early on, but when her friends arrived (furious like me), they said they saw her car and it was completly blocked in. This leads me to believe no one was directing parking, and I just don't understand the disarray. Not to mention, that it is just wrong to sell more tickets than you have parking for and not inform people of their options. I really thought we had left in time to catch the opening act, and I'm appalled that I missed the first couple AF songs. Honestly, this has never happened to me before, and I love going to shows. Sad face.
The venue itself is fantastic... Beautiful area, nice lawn, great acoustics, good food... but the parking lot is the worst parking experience I've ever had. Â
Saw the Arcade Fire Show on 5/3. Â Easily one of my top concert experiences. Â The band/venue/setting couldn't have been any better. Â I really, really loved the show. Â
However, saying the parking lot was a disaster would be kind. Â We waited 40 minutes before our car was able to begin moving. Â People trying to leave were getting aggressive and nearly ramming their cars into each other in the hopes of maybe getting a car length ahead. Â There was no staff guiding traffic in any reasonable way. Â Imagine 3000 cars pointing in random directions all trying to ram their way to two exits on either side... Â Dangerous, chaotic, and just plain stupid. Â
Avoid the parking lot at all costs.
I couldn't understand why my friends were getting to The Backyard right when the doors opened for the Arcade Fire show. 'They must know something I don't know,' I thought. They did. I was able to get in a park pretty quickly about an hour after doors opened. Â Glad I was trying to meet my early-bird friends, since it sounds like lots of people had a totally different experience.
Lessons learned if going to The Backyard: 1. get there early, 2. remember which mesquite tree you parked next to in the parking lot (yes, I lost my car after the show. It sucked so bad), and 3. bring your own Lone Star (yes, they ran out and we had to drink Budweiser. It sucked so bad).
The venue itself needs a little work. Shower curtains instead of bathroom doors? Yeah, that's a great idea. Sound for opening acts was really quiet, and was not that loud for the headliner either. It could have been more enveloping, fuller, you know, like you're at a concert, and not listening to an album being played on a boom box? Â Lights were decent but this is no Woodlands. Â
Overall, very underwhelming since so much hoopla was made about this new Backyard. You'd think it'd be like a premier music venue, but it's just another stage on a rocky hill side with bathrooms that have shower curtains instead of doors. This experience made me REALLY miss Southpark Meadows, you know, when it used to be a concert venue and not a strip mall?
While the venue is beautiful and the performers may be awesome, the parking situation at the Backyard at Bee Cave is abysmal and bordering on dangerous when the show is sold out. After waiting in traffic for over an hour to move less than 1/2 mile into the Backyard at Bee Cave parking lot--continually being directed deeper into the lot by the parking attendants--we were blocked in by oncoming traffic from the other lot entrance. We asked the attendant what was up, and he said the lot had been full for over an hour and seemed confused about why people were still driving in. He literally looked like a deer in the headlights--particularly when we asked him, "how do we get out?"
I am glad that some people were able to get in without a hitch. Unfortunately, some other people were stuck in a line, led into an unsafe situation, and then told that our only option was to go find parking across the highway and walk a half mile to get in.
So if you're able to get in and enjoy the concert under the stars, it's great. If you get stuck in a maddening line that is entirely the fault of the venue's management, the Backyard at Bee Cave is horrible.
If you do decide to see a show here, show up early and park near the exit--it will save you a great deal of frustration.
**edit** I also saw that people trying to comment on the Backyard's Facebook wall regarding the Arcade Fire show are having their critical posts deleted by the page's administrator. That is sort of chickensh*t too.
Terrible, avoid, perhaps part of this review should be attributed to C3 Events for the planning side of the Arcade Fire show. I honestly didn't even get a chance to see the venue....along with hundreds of others, given the parking lots were full by 8pm (perhaps earlier). No explanation from the cops or alternate suggestions, just a "keep moving forward". A complete and total cluster - like nothing I've ever seen. Sure, traffic is expected but some management of this would help. Cops didn't show up until after the fact.
I have a feeling there will be a lot of angry people requesting refunds. So wish I would have read these reviews before purchasing a ticket. Wait on a better venue - Stubbs, Erwin, anything...promise you, it is just NOT worth it.
Never again...
Okay, so I DO NOT understand why this venue has such low reviews. It's my new favorite outdoor venue.EVER.
1. free parking. FREEEEEE. Hello? come on people.
2. View: it's gorgeous. The night sky, the breeze.
3. Acoustics: It's Rocking
4. You/Stage: you can lather yourself in rockstar sweat. None of this freaking 5 miles from the stage b.s.
I just saw Stone Temple Pilots with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club yesterday and it was LEGENDARY. I had drunk married men on my left, pot smoking couple to my right and freaking STP up front! It really doesn't get better than this. Even though it was crowded with people, you will never feel sweaty and gross cuz of the nice breeze. Plus, the wind carries away everyone's BO and the pot kinda masks everything else.
The only downside is their bar. It is NOT a full bar like Stubb's so the selection is kinda sparse.
I will definitely come back!!!!
I will preface this review by saying that I visited the "old" Backyard many times over the years it was open and I was living in Austin. That being said, the following is not meant to be a comparison, but a stand-alone account of the "new" Backyard venue.
My boyfriend and I scored free tickets to see Bob Dylan last week at the newly opened Backyard, this time located just off of Highway 71 in Bee Cave. As others have mentioned in previous reviews, the flow of traffic into the venue is pretty much a clusterf*ck. There is traffic coming from THREE directions, bottle necking into one lone entrance. We saw policemen regulating the traffic lights, but it really didn't make a difference. Once inside the "parking lot" (and I put this in quotation marks because an actual parking lot is paved and not a pile of limestone rubble that requires four wheel drive to maneuver), we parked our car and began to walk towards the entrance. Again, one entrance to funnel in an entire venue's worth of patrons.
Before the show started, they were playing a really odd mix of an audio book of On The Road, Barbara Streisand songs, and recent hip hop tracks. Not only this, but at times, they overlapped the feeds. SO you'd hear a chapter of the book with Lil Wayne AT THE SAME TIME. Jarring, to say the least. They couldn't drum up a local band to open instead of this weirdness?
The restrooms I visited had visible cleaning products and stacks of paper towels and toilet paper, which I felt was kind of rudimentary and weird to have out in the open. And yet, NO SOAP at the sinks. WTF? There were no doors on any of the ladies room stalls, but shower curtains (some of which were falling off the rings). I embarrassed myself and at least two other ladies already in stalls trying to find an empty one.
There were three plywood bars set up around the back perimeter of the venue with liquor, beer, and wine for sale, but there were no prices listed anywhere. Annoying.
As much as The Backyard boasts being green and having "an environment of music, in sync with nature, while not disturbing the natural balance of the land" on their website, there was not one single recycling container. If you do some simple math, two drinks per person multiplied by about 5,000 at a sold out show, that makes 10,000 plastic or aluminum containers per show going straight to the landfill. Shameful.
I did like that they are utilizing the popularity of the local food trailer businesses for the food (Torchy's, Giovanni's, Best Wurst). But that's where my praise ends.
Leaving the show, I almost twisted my ankle a few times, trying to maneuver the rocky landscape of the parking space with almost no lighting to help us make our way back to the car. They have a few light towers thrown up to light the area, but it's not the best situation at all.
They opened this venue before they were ready (they still don't have power from the grid and are running every show off of generators), and it's obvious. Months later, they could at least finish the damn bathrooms and provide simple recycling containers. Also, what's the point of having a venue that far outside of town if the view behind the stage at night is that of the Hill Country Galleria and the highway? I just don't get it.
If I had paid $45 per ticket to go to that Bob Dylan show, I would've been more than pissed off-- I'd never go back.
We saw Bob Dylan the other night. The venue is nice - it was nice to sit under the stars and you could see the stage from just about anywhere. We were near the front on a blanket on the grass. Â The parking was close and not a problem to get to.
I'm sure I'm in the minority - but we are nonsmokers/drinkers. We actually left the concert early because of all the smoke from cigarettes and "other kind of smoke" Â all around us. I would have enjoyed it much more if they enforced their "no drug" policy and had smoking and non-smoking areas.
I should preface this review by saying that my Ex Mister managed at Direct Events for over 20 years and I am a member of Willie's Family so I have inside views.
That said when Tim O'Connor let his staff run The "Old" Backyard it was 5 Stars Awesome! I have so many fun memories there including a Willie show when I took my Daddy backstage to meet Willie and my Daddy asked Willie if he had any "weed". Watching my Daddy and Willie share a joint is something I will never forget. I do not smoke at all or drink much. That night my Daddy bought drinks for everyone in line and acted like it was Woodstock. My Daddy is a very conservative business man and has since had 2 major strokes so that night at the old Backyard with Willie will always hold a special place in my heart.
Fast forward to the new address - Tim O'Connor who owns The Backyard and Direct Events has lost all his long time staff due to his disrespectful nature and almost lost all respect when he fell through on paying Willie for his 4TH of July Picnic.
I went to the Picnic late and actually fell asleep on the bus before Willie decided to go on. Then when I tried to "walk" 2 drunk friends to sleep it off in their car we almost got arrested - you are supposed to wait for the transport bus????
To add insult to injury Tim is also being sued by the architects and the construction company for non payment and both have liens on the property due to no payment. Tim is not a person I want to support.
Blazing hot on a blazing kinda day singing along with Willie Nelson at his 2010 picnic. The reviews are horrible for the venue and even for his concert... so based on the reiews posted I decided to give it a five star, but not becasue it was the best venue ever, but based on the extremly poor reviews which was not deserved.
Yahoos:
*restroom-thank god the toilets flushed and toilet paper available. Yes, shower curtains were used for doors, but I thought that was a clever until they completed finishing touches. Plus, I waited in line no more than eight minutes.I even had the chance to wash my hands with soap and running water. that was cool, better than a stupid porta potty.
* drinks.- cash only. beers 4.50. cape codds 4.00. plus they had top shelf and bottom shelf selections. cool... waited not more than ten minutes in line for a beverage. two per person was the limit.
*seating- bring a blanket or the cushioned stadium seat. be ready to look for a spot under a tree... many to choose from. grass covers the ground and the venue is basically on a big hill with the stage on the bottom. beautiful view at night. you can't bring lawn chairs or a cooler filled with drinks.
*location/parking- we stayed at a local hotel so we were able to walk. it was 0.5 mile walk to the venue, the a five minute hike up a hill to the entrance. Â i saw the bus line after the concert that took patrons to a different parking lot, but i am glad i walked becasue the line was crazy long.
*security- they check your bags, but no body searches. smiles. also, no crazy sercurity walking around. you are basically free to enjoy the night as you wish  smile witha super smile on my face... willie's fans are mellow, so there weren't any problems.
bummers:
*food- i didn't eat at the venue. didn't want to waste time in line. but i know they ran out of food about 7pm.after the concert, we had the munchies and nothing was open. damn.... was starving.
I went here last night to see ZZ Top, and I had a pretty good time. Â I never went to the original Backyard, and the new one is bigger than I thought it would be. Â I think the place is laid out pretty well. Â The only concert I've ever paid to go to in Austin before tonight was to see Quiet Riot at Carlos 'n' Charlie's (before Kevin Dubrow OD'ed) in 2006, so this was a treat. Â
I didn't get the greatest seat in the house because I got there at 7pm, and doors opened at 6:30, but my seat could have been a lot worse. Â I was able to hear and see everything just fine. Â I finally got to see one of my favorite bands of all time, though I secretly spent the whole concert wishing it was 1983, back when they looked and sounded better and had a hit album... and back when popular music was actually good.
Easy access to booze, and the food smelled great.
A few people tried to bring their dogs in, which is a no-no at Backyard, and I saw at least one person get kicked out for having a video camera. Â What a dumb-ass.
Okay, I've decided to write a little bit about parking. Â I heard a lot of people complaining last night about having trouble getting into the complex when they came via 71/Bee Caves Rd, but I came by 620 south, and I didn't have much of a problem. Â Sure, there was traffic, but who didn't expect that? Â *I left my house at 6pm and got to the beer stand inside the event by 7pm, so I can't complain. Â As far as the actual parking at Backyard, I've heard it was laid out pretty badly at the old location once the stupid strip mall started being built, but I found ample parking last night. Â As long as you leave early enough, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a spot.
*Your experience may vary.
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