I know, I’m usually very friendly and peaceful with cops these days and have never had an experience like this since I got sober. Usually I’m very respectful and am glad it’s their job not mine. And I don’t hold it against the town or the community, all the locals and employees at the venue were extremely cordial. However I don’t feel the need to drive half way across the country to be treated like that so I doubt I’ll ever return. A case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch…what can I say?
No argument from me Doug, just kinda venting about the proliferation of said bullshit. It makes me sad and angry that a huge chunk of our culture is deteriorating into a cesspool of self-centered, self-absorbed, entitled, inconsiderate jerks.
Wait, that cop was those kinda things, right?
Sorry, can’t tell if I’m off topic & just generally regular ol’ pissed off.
No, he just ripped the tube out of his hand and looked inside. He probably would have though if his hands weren’t too fat to reach in the tube and pull it out.
Luckily we didn’t have any problems, but we got to the lots pretty late both days.
I was told someone was hit and killed walking drunk down Rt. 9 near the ampitheater after the DMB show so they were being a little extra overzealous this year, although they can be slightly overzealous there every year.
Strange to hear of this level of intensity from law enforcement in a state that’s usually considered a more liberal, forward-thinking type of place. In all the time I’ve spent in New York state, I never got the impression that the cops were this way.
In general no, but the state is broke and Saratoga was trying to make a point. The community doesn’t feel like they get a bump in $ or any big benefit from having concerts like Phish/DMB and it’s a lot of extra work. Now country fest and Jazz fest are things they want to encourage as the local hotels and restaurants see a bump (like track season). SO it’s simply about welcoming some people but discouraging others from coming to their up scale community.
Ah. I didn’t realize that Saratoga Springs was considered “upscale”, but then again I’ve never been there. Spent more time in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse than I ever did in eastern NY. I think it’s weird that they didn’t see a bump in revenues from the Phish shows, though. Most towns seem quite pleased by the enormous amount of revenue that Phish generates.
The hoitiest for sure. It’s all about the horse races and holding up century of “vacation spot for the rich an famous”. I bet the biltmore family used to come up in the summer. (hayword, polk, franklin too)
And I’m sure they see some bump, like at the state park camping, but hotels are very expensive (and if it’s track season sold out).
Yeah, it’s really too bad because it’s a pretty venue… but everything else about it sucks. Doojette and I said the same thing after last year… good show, but we’ll never be back.
I don’t get the pretty venue thing. Who cares about looks it’s all about the sound. I now live in Albany, grew up over the border in MA and have been seeing shows since the early 90s at SPAC. Boy what a treat when I first traveled to Greatwood, and then down the coast.
Sure it “looks” cool when you first see it, but from the inside it’s nothing special and god forbid you have to watch from the lawn (which I did on Saturday). Give me a wide open lawn with good sound any day over SPAC. Maybe if they didn’t over sell and cracked down on the “walk in” but it’s not going to happen.
I skipped the 09 show at SPAC, didn’t feel like the hassle but this year it worked better with work. Bethel Woods in 11 please!!!