ARAMARK at Alpine Valley Music Theater Review

Leg workout!!
It's a very beautiful open venue, it's tucked in the middle of nowhere.
The lawn is very very steep.
You kinda have to stand and dance from side to side or risk falling.
Lots and lots and lots of security and police.
The staff is friendly and polite enough to just tolerate you but you can tell they don't care.
Rental chairs are 10 bucks like at every venue.
Food is pricey but that's pretty much the standard at every amphitheater.
If you're a #tmobile customer use it.
You get to go inside right after VIP and people with assigned seating, before GA people.
You can bring a small cooler the bag type, gallon of water and sealed bottles.
Advice get there early, pay for premium parking totally worth it.
Bring comfy shoes, lots of walking on steep hills. Even if you're in shape.
Small fanny packs or clothing with hidden pockets are best for ID, cash and keys. Lots of people lose their stuff, you drop it rolls away guaranteed.

Great venue for outdoor concerts. Gave 4 stars because it's relaxing, great sound, good vendirs/concessions & the ladies room attendants did an incredible job keeping the long lines moving & keeping the stall clean. They were Rick stars too!

The mechandise staff sold limited edition Dave Matthews Band posters a night before they were supposed to be available. They were practically sold out for the fans who were should have been able to get them. You ruined a lot of people's nights.

Paid the premium for reserved pavilion seats only to find out the last 10-12 rows are not under the pavilion. Rained all day, got soaked because pavilion seats are not all pavilion seats .
No restrooms for pavilion area. You have to walk all the way to the top of the hill.
A draft beer was $17.
Traffic in/out is one lane and can take hours. Overall horrible venue that is gouging consumers with no regard for a quality consumer experience. It s bad enough paying today s tickets prices (if you can even get them at face value) but when the venue has no regard for fans it s a real shame.

Took over an hour to get into the parking lot, and longer than that to get into the venue. We missed the first 2 songs of the concert waiting to get through security. There were only two gates open to get in for a sold-out show and no uniformity to the lines so it was nothing but chaos, all 6 of us got separated. The security guys were jerks, making snide comments out loud about "finding all the drugs", but they weren't even really looking in bags so any drugs and/or weapons could have easily been brought in. I had been to Alpine before, about 10 years ago and it was nothing like this. Very disappointing, I won't be returning. This is what happens when Live Nation takes over a venue.

Saw Dave Matthews Band 10+ times here. Definitely the best venue.

I've been here over a dozen times and I swear it just gets more pretty each and every time I go, if you ever have the opportunity to see a show at Alpine valley do take the chance it's a beautiful venue.

It's been years that I've been here! Went to see Hank Williams jr and Brad Paisley. I forgot how beautiful it is there!

Beautiful venue, great sound but horrible overall experience. Getting in and out is chaos, no signs or directions it bottlenecks bad and takes forever. Everything is overpriced $15 for a beer is a little nuts. Security is on a power trip, and the sherriff task force is a joke. Who are you protecting by arresting someone for smoking weed at a grateful dead concert? Alpine lost it's way, down to only a few shows a year it's no longer about the music and the entire county is there to squeeze every penny out of you they can.

First, to the lovely people that were at Dead & Co. with me, the Shakedown Prohibition/Security/Policing/Harassment/Traffic Control/etc. is at the hands of Walworth County and the city of East Troy. Nothing the venue can do. Not sure who to lobby to get them to ease off.

Legendary, beautiful venue. Some technical difficulties with the video boards. Sound quality varies a bit with the topography. Venue security to get in was reasonable and as quick as can be expected for a venue of the size. The food prices are reasonable and solid quality. $20 for a vodka lemonade. Nope. Allowed to bring sealed water bottle/empty Nalgene types, and food in Ziploc bags! Multiple water-bottle filling stations inside the lodge thing. Bathrooms within a stone's throw from most places.

Great overall experience, aside from law enforcement that could stand to "One. Two. Three. Take a step back." Maybe shut down alcohol vendors and counterfeiters, but let people sell grilled cheese and homemade jewelry. There's gotta be a reasonable middle ground.

I give this 3 stars only because Buffett was awesome, I paid $20 to get in early to tailgate and was crammed in together and when people in our row tried to say something the event staff was rude and told one person they'd get the cops and would be made to leave. The person wasn't being rude/swearing just tried to ask a question. Then after the concert it took us almost 4 hrs to leave we spent 3.5 hrs just sitting where we had originally parked, then when we could leave we'd move 3 feet and then stop and wait. Now I know leaving any concert it takes time but Alpine is the only place that takes more than 2 hrs to leave. If it weren't for Buffett I'd only give this place 1 star only because I can't give less than that

Absolutely terrible. Drink prices were out of this world expensive, WAY too many people and way under-staffed to accommodate. Took almost an hour waiting in line for a can of beer! The venue itself is great, the sound is awesome, but every single other thing is beyond terrible. Might be our last concert in a long time. What a huge disappointment!!!!

Traffic is brutal, security is waayyy to tight, hard to dance at a 45 degree angle but the shows and ambience make it all worth the trouble.

I saw Phish here. Had I seen some other band, not sure I give it 5 stars. Is that unfair?

A totally unique venue. A good view of the stage no matter where you sit. Even the grass seating is worth it.

Awesome place to see a show! Can see from all around, good to bring kids there too

Go on a Magical Journey!
Watch this glorious scenes that brings out the true wonder of dreamy alpine valleys, remote villages, pristine lakes and mountains also, hilly meadows.

Very disappointed with the non existence of guest services and hospitality, no help for people with disabilities especially wheelchairs

Wonderful open air venue. Loved the set up and it seemed pretty clean. I will definitely be back for more shows!

Let me count the ways Alpine Valley failed.

1) The repeated PA message out front of the box office that never ends. 2) poor system to get a full house in the gate before showtime. The people are there. They can't get a full house in the gate fast enough. 3) Not community friendly. Banned Shakedown Street vendors at Dead & Co. That's just stupid. They could charge a vendor fee, and the patrons would be happy about it, because it's what we expect. 4) The H2O refill station in the expo building tasted like sulfur...so people have to buy bottles of water and beer maybe. Good strategy. 5) I stood in line for one hour to buy bottled water, because of #4. Only five people ahead of me, but one staff person working two lines. Still that would be ten people ahead of me. One hour! 6) while waiting for doors to open, staff at gate 4 explained he's got a problem with alcohol, heroine, and pills...mostly. Classy. 7) parking exit was insanely bad. It appeared that all VIP lot was being let out before general lot was allowed to exit at all. The line didn't move for 30 minutes. We ultimately drove through a clearing in the trees separating the general lot from VIP exit to make an escape. Had to do it. Alpine, it's no mystery why the venue is struggling. Whomever is in charge needs to hire people who know what they're doing, because the whole thing seemed like amateurs running the show. It was bad. I'll not drive eight hours for a show there again. Once was enough.

One more thing. Domestic beer $14. Skip the beer. Each person can bring in one bottle of water, factory sealed, up to one gallon. Do it. This policy is the only reason they get even one star rating.

The location is beautiful even if it's not convenient to any major city or town. This holds a ton of people. If you end up on the lawn in the middle to the back, expect to not see the stage. The sound needs to be improved for folks out there as well.

Parking is in huge, grass lots. Got muddy when I was there. Getting out can take a while. Maybe a couple of hours depending on where you are. They do a good job managing the exodus, but the natural limitations of the area make things slow.

Think of going to Alpine as a nostalgic trip. It was built decades ago, and the concert experience is the same as it would have been back then. But that's not bad, really.

The venue was pretty good. Food and drinks were expensive, but it's expected when you have a venue that is VERY tailgate friendly.

This is an amazing venue to see a concert. It was one of the best concerts I ve ever been to. Just a few tips for those that come here... there are many ver steep hills and it might be dangerous for a disabled person to be mobile. Get to the concert early... traffic gets backed up for quite a while. Wear walking shoes because you are going to be walking a ways in grass and gravel; up and down steep hills. Enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of seeing a concert outside of the city. It really is a beautiful experience to be there. I would choose this over any of the venues by my my home any day.

Poorly trained, poorly staffed, not enough gates open for a crowd of 35,000+. Got there over an hour early, and missed the entire first half of the concert just getting through the gates. We were later told that you should arrive 3-3.5 hours before the start of the concert. Thats absurd. And had we been warned ahead of time, would have done so. I'll never return.
It is a gorgeous setting however, or I would have only given one star.

Great place to see a show of you have allot of money to spend. There's no bad seats but drinks are terribly expensive.

John Mayer playing with the Grateful Dead was awesome unfortunately the drummer's weren't that great but that has nothing to do with the venue cool place but very very expensive

Great tailgating and concert. However, the THREE HOURS to get out of the parking lot, after the show, was ridiculous.

Did alot of work around the theater, if you have never been there I would definitely put it on your list and go see a great show!

Saw Jimmy Buffett that is an experience in it self.
On line we saw we could each bring in a gallon of commercially sealed water but once there told we could not so we had to buy water there but in Alpines defense some people do get a little unruly so would hate for jugs to be thrown around.
No assigned seats on the lawn so get there early to grab the area you would like to sit in however be fore warned people that come later will try to squeeze up front of you. Sad they think they paid same as you but don't realize that maybe but you got there first. Want a seat up front get there first if not stay in back. The walk way is hell to get through after concert starts. And bathrooms are a distance to walk to. Grounds are beautiful and staff great.

Greatest venue of all times! And to watch Phish there again was the greatest test of all times! There is not a band that I have seen here that has been hard to hear, see, or feel! Concession stands are close and washrooms are highly accessible! Just a wonderful place for entertainment!

Grill summe burgers or hotdogs or chicken on the grill, and have summe drinks before you head in and enjoy a wonderful time!

Love it for what it is! It's not a Sunday afternoon stroll with hand holding at every turn. It's a giant field, with many volunteers/seasonal workers, a cool lawn (although steep and full of drunk people stumbling - stay away from main thoroughfares), steep drink prices, mediocre food, etc. BUT that's why I love it. They probably make drink prices so high to discourage people from overdoing it but that's what the tailgating is for.

One thing I always wish for is camping on site!

Fantastic natural amphitheater, outstanding acoustics. Expect steep climbs when moving about, food good but way overpriced. Paid $19.00 for a double bourbon and soda. All beer and drinks priced too high, but being it was Farm Aid I didn't mind if it benefits the cause. Staff was helpful and courteous. If it's your first trip to Alpine Valley, be sure to check their policies on what to expect, and what you can bring in. Parking was adequate and free. All things considered, I had a wonderful time.

Good sound in pavilion and lawn. Small video boards. Horrible crowd management and parking. An hour line to enter theater. 1.5 hours to get out of lot.

Great for an outdoor party, ok for beloved concert.

If you can get inside the Pavilion your gold. This place may not have the best acoustics, but oh man the energy here is amazing!! Some of the best shows of my life have been inside of this venue. We have sprung for VIP access before and the meal that they offer is very simple but it is convenient. Just make sure you're not too hungry, unless things have changed in the last year or so. It's nice to have the upper Pavilion with the VIB, the views are simply beautiful. You should also try to get reservations at the lodge. The rooms are simple, but it is a party back there. You also get your own separate entrance into the venue. It is worth the extra money, and saves a lot of time and hassle. It's also fun to walk around the property and check out the ski lifts, etc when the weather is nice. If you walk behind the lodge, all the way down to the last lift, you can usually hear the band doing soundcheck quite clearly. A nice secluded place to relax and hang out before the show.

The venue is nice. Your generally sitting on a steep hill. Only low beach type chairs are allowed, or rented. Two exits so expect a wait when leaving. Security at entrance typical of any large venue.

My family went to Farmaid over the weekend and it was really fun :) the hill gave us a nice view of the stage

Love coming here for a show! The pre party in the parking lot is almost more fun than the concert your seeing! RIP SRV

It is a very disorganized venue that really could make somebody anxious, but if you have patience and can get through the madness of actually getting in, the sound quality and vantage points are really nice.

We hadn't been here in awhile and we probably won't be back. Tailgating was fun. Bike patrol cops weren't there. Lines to get into the show were long and slow, bathroom lines and beer lines were long. It was uncomfortably crowded in the lawn area. It seemed oversold. Getting out of the parking lot took over 1.5 hours! Luckily we were with great company.

First time there. Enjoyed it alot. Sound was great. Concession stand prices were way to high. 2 beers $30

fun place great sound..just be ready to walk up hills ..its a workout

I won't go back. They over sold the show & they are so unorganized. Very disappointed.

Dead and Company was AMAZING!!! The novice team they hired for concession and tickets was not ready to handle a venue of this size... 45 min wait to get 2 waters for $14. They had one poor girl serving 3 formed lines at a stand... Poor management. This doesn't include the BS I heard went on with the Sheriff departments crew and parking lot .

Dave Matthew's Band at Alpine Valley. Doesn't get much better!!

Love Alpine. Not much else to say other than I avoid lawn tickets like the plague.

Saw dead and co. While a bit run down, the venue is beautiful and the vibe was great

One of the best outdoor venues in the midwest. They are seasonal and have a bunch of shows each summer. The parking lot is where the action is and is grassy. They allow all kinds of tailgating and charcoal grills. The hike to the pavilion is downhill both ways. The food and beer is ridiculously expensive.

Great venue for sound/experience! Very open, with a lot of hills.

Oh, Alpine, how poorly you have aged. Once a nice venue that was more beautiful and comfortable, now a money grab. Way over priced drinks and food. Expanded hillside makes for long lines for restrooms and vending. The hill is so steep it hurts your feet. Expanded seating is not covered by the roof. Way undersized video, and the sound system could not deliver bass. Only six people with wands to get a capacity crowd in! Don't try to have fun in the lot because you will get hassled or arrested. Inadequate vehicular exits. Find another venue if you really want to enjoy the act.

Went there three days for the Phish concert. The show itself was fun. But... prices were outrageous. As an example a pretzel and a beer was 20 dollars. A pretzel was 5 dollars and a beer was 13... so... buying themtogether was an extra two dollars??? And on at least three occasions the venders attempted to deceive me about whether or not I'd paid them enough when they still visibly had more cash in their hands than what was required. One demanded a tip after overcharging me by a dollar. Additionally I'd like to thank the brave young security guard who picked me out of a sea of cell phone users to threaten to throw me out for briefly filming. enjoy the $450 it cost for three tickets on three days.

Nice sound but bathrooms were on a huge upward angle, and potapotties had not been dumped.

Very fun atmosphere, but the drink prices are ludicrous

First time to the venue and the music sounded good. Need separate smoking section and standing sections. Hate paying for lawn chairs then can't see anything all night because of drunk girls strutting their stuff. Overpriced drinks ($16-$20 cocktails with glowing cups or other fun containers). Bathrooms in the building were generous size (lots of porta potties too). Free parking forced too tight on entry but was handled well for quick exit. No WiFi.

Sound is pretty terrible, but is a decent outdoor venue

To watch a show here at sunset with the view over the hills was amazing.

Was just here for farm aid and before that hadnt been in probably 10 years. You need to either take a tractor ride to get to the venue or prepare for quite the hike because the lot is no where near where the stage is. This was a special circumstance because something like 30,000 people were there so it literally took over an hour to get food, but I still think there could be more places for food vendors. The shows were awesome even though we didnt venture far from the top. The fact that you can bring chairs and blankets and set up shop close to the bathrooms and food/beer makes the lawn the best place to watch a show.

Great golf at great prices. Nice lunch at the shack.

Great outdoor music venue, but the drinks are a bit pricey. Get drunk before you come! Or pay $12 per beer.