ALLEN CITY BLUES FESTIVAL Tickets

Really enjoyed the blues tent outside with the performers from the Guitar Shop in McKinney. Awesome talent from 8-18 ages! The Billy Cox Group did a great job on the Hendrix tunes-Darling Dagger and Foxy Lady to name a few.It seemed like Jimi was up there-dudes played like him and one looked like him too. Only complaint was once inside you could not leave and come back.So I was trapped for 6-8 hours.Highly unfair and many complained they would not come back next year.I talked to management,said it was because last year many left and came back rowdy from drinking elsewhere.(Guess they didn't like the $6.50-$8.75 drink prices too!) Why penalize everyone for the ones who need controlling?

Allen "blue" it! The blues festival could've been great, but they didn't plan it very well. My issues/suggestions... Have more than one outside stage. Use the area all the way around the event center and even into the parking lots of the surrounding businesses! Set up 3 or more stages and allow food trucks and vendors to set up as well. Hire good local bands to play outside. The 4 bands I heard outside were pretty bad. There are a ton of good bands who would love to play this event---maybe even for free---open auditions to the public and actually find good musicians! Allow attendees to come and go. It's cruel to host a 10 hour event close to a hotel and good restaurants and make people stay in an uncomfortable stadium. Nowhere to sit outside the stadium plus only expensive hot dogs, nachos, or BBQ to eat and 5 dollar sodas and 8 dollar beer We left for dinner and would've come back to enjoy the "headliners" in the evening---but we weren't allowed! That stinks! Have many more vendors. Charge them a fee to come sell art. Have an MC for each stage. The poor bands having to come on the stage and introduce themselves is very "amateur." Just some stadium employee or festival coordinator saying, "Having fun, Allen?---Well, put your hands together for the legendary Wanda King" as the bands come on stage would've made the event seem better.

Excellent show and venue !!! Staff was very helpful .. Well organized and hoping this event will take place again in 2014 - Only problem was not being able to re-enter Event Center once ticket was scanned. Wrist bands, hand stamp should be used. Was not issue for us on Saturday, however, we easily could have planned to leave event to pick up a child and return, make a quick stop home to let out a pet, etc. We would not have been able to re-enter had we left. Staff did advise ticket holders, but I believe many people were hoping to be able to leave for a bit, even for a quick trip to a car to get a sweater since it was an A/C facility ... just my thoughts ... Kudo's to the staff running the sound !!! They did a GREAT job. ...

The wife and I didn't get to the festival until 4 PM, which was just fine as the music went on until about 11:00 PM (7 hours is a long time). The first band we got to hear was the Griff Hamlin Band out of California. They rocked! Griff was an excellent blues guitarist and the horns section was a great complement to the music they played. I was surprised I had never heard of them! We next saw Wanda King (the daughter of the late great Freddy King). This was more the great old style of blues music and she and her band were spot on! Excellent set! Next up was Billy Cox Band of Gypsies Experience. The guitarists in this band were amazing! They played most of Jimi Hendrix's hits and nailed it! Awesome! Next up was Eric Johnson, who's music I have enjoyed since the 80's and was the main reason I wanted to go to this festival. Eric's playing was amazing as usual, but something seemed off a little. My only complaint is that whomever decided to crank up the speakers in the Allen Center full blast. Maybe I'm just getting old but it really was almost painful and I thought distracted from Eric's playing.

Music was GREAT! Awesome way to spend your Saturday and Saturday night. The turnout was disappointing, though, and I believe it was due to a lack of knowledge. Had I not read aboyt the event in a local magazine, I would have never known. It also would have been nice to have print outs of the stage line ups.

The event was scheduled from 2pm to 10:45pm and there was NO RE-ENTRY! Didn't see that advertised anywhere when we bought the tickets. I was not ready to spend 8+ hours in the Allen Event Center eating their food and drinks (mediocre at best, always overpriced). Other than the no re-entry policy it was a pretty good venue (size, seating). Billy Cox and his band playing Jimmie Hendrix was awesome. A couple of the outside bands I heard (local talent) were also really good. Eric Johnson was just kind of boring.

Every act was great. A lot of talent in one venue for the money. Parking was free. It was a great time to see Billy Cox back on stage was a real treat.

Music was great! The "no re-entry" this year makes it an event I won't attend again. Previously, it was fun to listen for a while, take a break outside (without SMOKERS) and come back to enjoy more music.

Attended the Allen City Blues Festival on 07/27/13 with my nephew. He has been wanting to see Eric Johnson play for a few years now, so I figured that this smallish, (compared to say the AAC), venue would be great. Indoors, no smoking, etc............ The event center was sparkling clean, no fuss at all with parking, bathrooms were very clean and well maintained. Apparently there were lots and lots of rich folks there, because everyone must have purchased about 7 tickets each, because the place was dog gone near empty. Maybe I'm old, who am I kiddin', I AM old, but we used to make a whole day out of these blues fests. They were outdoors, we roasted in the sun, we partied too much, and we grooved. Not sure if the vibe wasn't 100% right, or if it was the lack of acts on the bill, but the mood was just a little....off. Seeing Billy Cox was great, and Eric Johnson continues to amaze after 30 years. My nephew was blown away, which was my mission on that day. Great venue, sound was great, can't say enough good things about the AEC. I will be checking upcoming events to see what I can bring the family to see.

Could not leave once you entered. Won't be back...ever 1 star is too high of a rating. F- is about right.