We’ve been on a cycle to go to NHC one year, and GABF the next, and so on…
So we were not in Philly last year. But certainly bought tickets to the BNA party in GR. There just doesn’t seem to be as much “buzz” about the BNA in GR as there was in Seattle or San Diego. And on the BN forums, folks are not too complimentary about the Philly BNA. This year it “seems” to be much better, more room and such. And with no Pro-Brewers night, and the move the BNA to Thursday, it all seems good to me.
But, I’ve only been a part of this community for 5-6 years, a relative newbie.
It was very disjointed and crowded and there were private beers for VIP and IIRC it was not clear they would be unavailable. There were three places for the regular Joes to get beer and over time the crowd cleared out. For awhile it was nearly impossible to wet the whistle. It was also hot has heck in some areas.
You forgot to mention the high noise level. Real high. We left fairly early, and the bus was full.
This years venue will be in a minor league ball park parking lot. The MI Brewers Guild holds the winter fest there. The VIP area will probably be in the Stadium Club, that’s where the beer fest has the VIP area. Hopefully BN has similar food venders lined up. Oh, the winter beer fest has about 7500 people including workers, so the venue will hold the BN party.
My favorites were SD and Minneapolis, followed by Seattle, then Philly.
I’ve been to several of the BNA events. While I appreciate them putting them on, I’ve found them all to be too crowded and noisy for my liking. The VIP thing was kinda the last straw for me.
Hopefully they learned from last year and will clearly identify the VIP beer list or not publish/provide it at all. Many people were irritated when they found out 25% of the list was filled with unobtanium based on their ticket.
It was loud as heck last year too.
The food was a little sketchy in San Diego, but the beer availability was nice.
I’ve been to the BNA in Minneapolis and Philly. In Minneapolis, it was loud and hot–but tolerable, you could move around somewhat and help yourself to beer. The beer at Philly was great, but otherwise it was awful. I wanted to leave after ten minutes. Impossible to move, had to scream at the top of my lungs to be heard, and it was ungodly hot. I was embarrassed that I sold my six friends on the idea to come. As, for the music, I’ve seen bands like Pantera and Megadeth. I don’t mind loud music. But when I want to drink beer, I want to drink and enjoy good conversation with friends. The band was a major distraction. (The guy singing acoustic was OK, tho.) The bottom line is that I swore I was done with the BNA’s. However, I think Justin may have hit a home run with the Fifth Third Ballpark. That said, this is the last chance for the BNA.
Philly was the first BN party for me, since my flight to Seattle was 9 hours late… Basically, they overbooked the venue, and all the problems (noise, lines, beers kicking, heat) came out of that. With a much bigger space, maybe this year will be better, but for $50 I’m sure I can find some darn good food and beer, and sit down to eat/drink it.
I agree with the above… It was crazy loud and so packed with people that you couldn’t even move in Philly. The best part of the whole thing was School of Rock at the very end of the night though. They were pretty awesome.
Seattle was great for space and beer, but food was severely lacking. One truck sold out quick and the other guy (hot dog cart) sold out right after I got something.
Philly was hot and crowded at first, but it did open up a little as the night went on. The hardest part to get to was Moonlight Meadery on the top floor. I didn’t do the VIP, but it was very clearly stated that some items would only be available for the VIP. Maybe I was more aware since I’m on the BN forum constantly. After the event, my friend and I walked back into town rather than waiting for the bus and went to Nodding Head.
I have my VIP ticket for this year and I’m really looking forward to it.
The real problem was the list you were given had all the beers at the four various locations and then when you try to find the one location it was the VIP location. I guess that may be good for future marketing, but why irritate the masses by showing beers on the list you are given and then you find out they are unavailable. Seems like a better idea would be to have those lists in the VIP and to have the riff raff list separate. It wasn’t that those beers were that much more sought out, it was they simply were not available.
So is the consensus to attend or forgo? This is my first NHC and am looking to take advantage of all that is offered, but if the general sentiment is save $50 and do something else then I don’t have a problem doing so.
I didn’t want to say anything about that to be polite. I think it was between games of a double header with Cleveland. The fans stormed the field and game two was a forfeit for Cleveland.
Well, since it’s in a ballpark I doubt space will be an issue. All you can eat and drink, plus they are going to have activities like fast pitch contest, dunk a brewcaster, etc., I think $50 is well spent. And it’s a perfect filler for the hole left by the AHA from removing Pro night.
I’m not going for reasons outlined previously, also I am not fond of constant d*ck and fart jokes.
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”
I never heard of it, but here is what the wikipedia page says:
[quote]Disco Demolition Night was an ill-fated baseball promotion that took place on July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. At the climax of the event, a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field between games of the twi-night doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Many of those in attendance had come to see the explosion rather than the games and rushed onto the field after the detonation. The playing field was damaged both by the explosion and by the rowdy fans to the point where the White Sox were required to forfeit the second game of the doubleheader to the Tigers.
[/quote]
