2008 VIP REVIEW

BY CHRIS FROM LIBERTY, MO.

For the third year in a row, my wife and I purchased VIP tickets to Moondance Jam. We will continue to go VIP as it is just too good a deal to pass up and it is run by an excellent staff. The two people in charge of VIP, Jean and Don, again did a great job of truly making everyone feel like a VIP. They run the front entrance to VIP and are there early in the day until the last band finishes, always greeting people with a smile. The staff, many of whom I have seen all three years, works tirelessly during the jam serving drinks and food to around 800 jammers each day. I will review all aspects of the VIP experience below.

Changes

Every year there are a few changes made in VIP to make it better. Last year desserts were added to the evening hors d’oeuvres list and were continued this year. New this year, the food serving area was moved from under the VIP tent to a covered area beside the stage away from the people in VIP. This was nice because it allowed more room under the VIP tent. The only drawback was you couldn’t see the bands perform while waiting in line for food. Another change was with the stage box area, which is reviewed below. With the new stage at this year’s jam, the new stage box area was expanded and now includes two levels which allowed better viewing and more people on the stage box at a time. Also, this year rather than having two meal serving times at 5:30 and 7, meals were served continuously from 5:30 to 8 each evening. I believe this cut down on the time you had to wait in line.

Food

One of the best things about the VIP experience is the food. The first food serving of the day is hors d’oeuvres from 3:30-5pm. Everyone is allowed unlimited trips to hors d’oeuvres. The meals were served from 5:30-8pm. Meals this year included the main dishes prime rib of pork, BBQ chicken and ribs, fish, and prime rib au jus. Each meal was served with three or four side dishes. Each year I am surprised by how big the servings are for each meal. Both prime rib meals included huge cuts of prime rib. The chicken and ribs in the BBQ meal were each big enough for a meal yet you still got both. A fried fish dinner has been served each of the last three years and I thought this year’s was the best. From 10-11pm another round of hors d’oeuvres is served. The following hors d’oeuvres were served at some point: regular chicken wings, hot chicken wings, BBQ mini hot dogs, mini corn dogs, mini tacos with sour cream and salsa, various cold vegetables, several types of crackers, Caesar salad, regular salad, chicken fingers, meatballs, fried cheese sticks, and a variety of brownies and cheesecake. About the only complaint I heard was a few things were served every day. However, the last night several new things were added including chicken fingers and fried cheese sticks. My suggestion is that each day features a new main selection during hors d’oeuvres.

Drinks

As always, tap beer, Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails, pop (Pepsi products), and bottled water are all included in a VIP ticket. The beer included Michelob Golden Draft Light, Bud Light, and Honey Weiss. This was also one of the few places to get tap beer during the jam this year. For $2 you can get a 16 oz. cocktail with top-shelf liquor. The mugs that are available throughout the venue can be filled with a cocktail for $6. They are mixed very strong as well. There were four types of Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails: Wildberry Jack, Lynchburg Lemonade, Downhome Punch, and Watermelon Spike. The lines to get drinks were very quick as well. I never waited more than a couple of minutes to get a drink. Drinks are available in the VIP tent starting at 2pm and last until the last band finishes. If you don’t want to walk to the bar, waitresses will also get your drinks for you.

Seating Area

This has become more important in my eyes the last few years because of the variety of weather you may encounter at the jam. A couple years ago it was nice to stay out of the sun when the heat wave hit and this year it was nice to be able to sit down out of the rain. The front two rows of VIP are uncovered but the next two rows are covered by the tent. Behind the first four rows are many tables that are also covered. All of these seats provide a great view of the stage. New this year was a row of tables in the back of the tent where food used to be served. This definitely helped with congestion. While there were many people in VIP, I never felt crowded. Access to the food lines, bar, and restrooms is also easy since there are walkways behind each row of seats. There is also plenty of room between the rows of seats for walking. While no seat in VIP is bad, if you arrive by 3pm you should be able to sit in the section you wish. Most people in VIP remain seated but it is not required. For those who want to be in the action, all you have to do is walk out into the sandpit.

Restrooms

Many portable toilets are located in the back corner of the tent. There was rarely a line to use the toilets and they were clean. There were also two wash stations located in the same area.

Workers

As with everywhere at MDJ, the people working in VIP truly seem to enjoy their jobs. The bartenders work very hard to get drinks out quickly and the servers during hors d’oeuvres and the meal were friendly. The waitresses who came by to deliver drinks were also very quick. With all the food served in VIP, trash could pile up quickly. However, waitresses cleaned the tables all throughout the day and would often take the plates right after you finished eating. Everyone working the entrance to VIP is extremely nice and would answer any questions about meet and greets, bands, etc. This year they also provided great weather updates during the storms.

VIP Stage Box

A great perk to VIP is the VIP Stage Box. All VIP ticketholders are able to actually watch a portion of a band’s set from above the stage. The stage box was also expanded this year to hold 20 people at a time and included a lower and upper level that allowed everyone a great view. In past years it was one level and people in the back had a limited view. Each time I went to the stage box this year I was able to watch four songs, two on the upper level and two on the lower level. The view from the stage box is amazing. It also seemed more people took advantage of the stage box this year. Lines would begin forming before the bigger acts performed but I was able to eventually get on the stage box for every band I wanted. The view while waiting in line is still great so you never miss a song waiting. I was able to get some great pictures from the stage box as well.

Parking

Parking is also provided, one parking pass for every two VIP tickets. VIP parking is located directly behind the VIP tent and is a very short walk to the seating area. The parking area is close enough you can go to your car at any time without missing much. You also get to avoid the bus lines that form for regular parking so it takes very little time to exit the venue each night. Regular parking is a very long walk. Entering VIP parking only took a few minutes and exiting after the shows only took 5 to 10 minutes each night. There was some confusion whether or not campers with VIP passes are allowed to park in VIP. Campers purchasing VIP tickets should ask if they are allowed to park in VIP. [Editors Note: The VIP parking issue for VIP ticket holders who are camping has been remedied this year by dropping VIP prices $50 and having VIP Parking as an optional $50 add-on for all 3 Day VIP ticket holders.]

Meet and Greets

VIP also gives you a chance to meet the bands performing at the jam. The people in VIP have no control over whether a band will do a meet and greet but most bands do. Each band decides how many people they will meet and a drawing is done early in the day to determine who gets to participate. The meet and greet may be as much as enough time to sign autographs and visit or as short as a single picture. Once again, this is all decided by the band and is out of control of the staff.

As always, VIP this year was absolutely worth it. As I said above, it is run by two of the nicest people in the world who work hard to make you truly feel like a VIP. It is easy to see they love their job and it rubs off on their workers and even people in VIP. Jean and Don and everyone at the entrance area are always there to greet you with a smile and to ask if you are having a good time. The fact I have seen many of the same people enjoying VIP the last three years proves what a great deal it is. Many people purchase VIP every year and I will continue to do so as well.