DC101 CHILI COOK-OFF Tickets

This was my first Chili Cook-off but it was loads of fun. Will be going next year.

With the exception of the music, the remainder of the venue was a poor excuse based on its namesake. There were ridiculous lines just to acquire $8.00 (draft) beer tickets. Granted if you were lucky enough to find a roaming beer ticket vendor, you could get the tickets for (*gasp*) $10.00 each. Add to that experience, the lack of chili and/or cook-off was a huge disappointment. I did find one vendor that kindly offered chili for my hot dog. Hormel-type chili. Seriously?!

I will NEVER buy a ticket for this event again any time in the near future. The event was misrepresented as a chili cook off. There was no chili present—apparently the chili was not present for the first time. Instead, food had to be purchased and for an example of pricing...lemonade was $7.00 and a bud light on tap was $8.00. A gyro was $9.00. The lines were insane (wait 30 min in line to get your $8.00 beer ticket and then up to an hour in line to get your draft beer with your ticket) and the whole event was held in a PARKING LOT with NO SEATING whatsoever. If you wanted to eat your expensive food, you were sitting on concrete amongst crushed plastic cups. There was not even a designated "sitting-on-the-concrete-to-eat-your-overpriced-food area". It would have been nice if they had a tent area with some kind of temporary seating. The only way the event would ever be worth the money is if you are not planning to purchase food or drink and your only intent is to see your absolutely favorite band which never does shows anywhere else.

This is the best buy around as far as how many great bands you can see for under $30 (if you buy early). That's why I go. However, the time has come to retire the name "Chili Cookoff." As the years go by with this event, the chili is harder and harder to find, and not free, as it used to be. Last year at RFK, the chili folks were way, way off to the left, near the Don's Johns, and everyone was collecting "donations" even though the ticket price included the chili. This year, I couldn't find the chili vendors! They certainly weren't in the Siberia they were in last year. Hard Times had a booth to sell food, as usual, and I guess they were the ones with the chili. I thought I just wasn't looking hard enough, until I heard a guy walking by yelling, "THERE'S NO CHILI AT THE CHILI COOK OFF!!" lol There are thousands of people there as a captive audience. Once in, if you leave, you are not allowed to be readmitted. So for hours, on hot asphalt, with now strangely fenced off sections of small grassy hills, we're stuck with NOTHING to do! Okay, well there was the Marine booth where folks were doing pull ups. Impressive, but not fun. There was the DC Lottery and Jack Daniels booths that you could play doofy little games and get lame prizes. And the usual insanely overpriced, mediocre (for the most part) food. My god, can't DC101 get some people out there to sell space to vendors. Seriously, there is a captive audience, most of whom are drunk (thanks to the copious amounts of Bud Light.) and nothing to do. It's boring as you wait for the bands. People drink even more when they're bored. Or they fall asleep. There are a lot of people snoozing on the grass. Even the year before, there were more vendors. Pizza Boli was touted as the big sponsor, but they had a dinky table in the middle of Siberia. Surely there are companies out there that see the value in a captive audience with money to spend, time on their hands, many of whom have impaired thinking. The music- -- it's what keeps me interested in this event. I've been able to see bands I really love, but for whatever reason, couldn't get tickets to, or they didn't tour when I was able to see them. This year, I was thrilled to see Soundgarden, who sounded awesome, and very Led Zeppelin-esque. Very cool that AWOLNation came back for the 2nd year, and really rocked! Loved "Kill Your Heroes." . Silversun Pickups -- a little spotty. Some off key singing here and there. Everyone else was good. The schedule is adhered to pretty well. I appreciate that because I don't want to spend any more time standing on asphalt watching people stand in long beer lines. Metro is a nightmare. I always take it, not wanting to drive, and I always end up telling myself "Next year, just drive, dammit!" But I don't. But really, what is the damn deal with Metro on the weekends? Single tracks, trains every 25-35 minutes, trains that sit there for minutes without anyone telling you why you're not moving. Argggh. By that point, I'm tired from the whole experience. But I leave you with this. The bands are always good. The line ups are very impressive with new, up-and-coming bands, and great bands that have been around for a while, and the price is a bargain, especially when seeing one band can cost you $200 for 2 tickets. As a middle age rock and roller, the music is why I keep coming back. (And I bring my daughter, who is almost 13. She loves AWOLNation, but wanted to leave when Soundgarden began. "Mom, can we leave?" Me: "WHAT?? Soundgarden just started!" Her: "Who?" Me: "I didn't put up with all of this, just to leave when Soundgarden began playing." Then I gave her the evil eye, and ignored her.

Capital Cities was awesome. With the exception of their mix, Silversun Pickups was really good. They were the main band I wanted to see. Their sound quality was just a big mush. Couldn't distinguish individual instruments hardly at all. Awolnation was phenomenal. Soundgarden was tight. Other than SSPU having a bad mix, and the fact that it didn't take place INSIDE the stadium but rather in an adjacent parking lot (I did not know this ahead of time), it was a very good experience.

I thought the bands were excellent. I hated the overall set-up/flow/logistics of the event though. And there was no actual chili cookoff. Still a good deal and good experience.

Music was amazing, crowd was cool BUT where was the Chili!?!?

Paid 35 buck to wait in line to get in. Waited in a line to get a beer ID bracelet. Waited in a long line to buy $8 budlight coupons. Waited in a long line to receive a beer. Waited in long lines to buy food. I'm pretty sure that I spent 75% of my time in a long line. By the way, where was the chili? This is the first chili cook-off I have ever been to that didn't actually have chilli. FYI, they were giving out free tickets after the Filmore show the night before. That immediately made me feel like I wasted money buying the tickets before even getting there. Which ended up being pretty much the truth.

AwolNation was awesome. There was a bit of audio distortion and failing sound levels leading up to the performance of Soundgarden; which cleared up by their first song. the wether and location were good. plenty of parking and ample room for vendors. Biggest disappointment was there was no chili except that of hard times. besides that 8 dollar beers, lots of porto johns the lines could be up to 10 minutes long.

So, how can this be called a chili cook off when there was no chili to be had anywhere. I thought people entered and cooked their chili for a prize? Some of the craft beers ran out before the last call selling time and the security started pushing people to one line WAY before the last call selling time, so some of us got stuck with now worthless $9 craft beer tickets! The only good aspect of the show was the music. Everything else prettty much sucked. NEVER AGAIN!!!

The bands were all great, but why is it called the chili cook-off? I didn't see much chili and I didn't see anything resembling a cook off. I only saw two vendor tents selling their restaurants very common chili. I think it’s time to rename this event.

This was our first Chili Cook-off. Very disappointed in the line situation for beer tickets. It took us 40 min to get tickets. The other frustration was the craft beer line. It just felt like we were in lines too long, could have been more efficient. Bands were great and plenty of port-a-pottys.

Bands were great, but there was no chili! Get some chili or change the name to something less misleading to customers.

I went to this event last year and had a blast. There were chili vendors further than the eye could see and the music was outstanding (Cake and Incubus). Given my previous experience, my friend and I told everyone about this event and got a larger group together to attend this year...only to walk in the gates and find out THERE IS NO CHILI COOK-OFF, just overpriced beer and music. The headliners weren't as good as 2012 in my opinion, and the fact that no one was informed there wouldn't be a Chili Cook-Off part of the event this year was mind blowing. I was embarrassed to hype of this event from my previous year's experience, just to look like an idiot telling everyone, "there's no chili this year". We woke up early to make sure we didn't miss out on the samples and got the most of the day, just to be let down. I felt this was a huge falter on the event coordinator's part and may result in my final appearance at this event.

It was great until it started getting cold out - around 7:30 - so a week later would be awesome!!

I was very disappointed that there was no chilli cookoff at the chilli cookoff. There should atleast have been some other form of entertainment to make up for the chilli cookoff.

I will never be attending DC 101 Chili Cook-off again. Long story short, there is no chili cook off. Chili is supplied by Hard Times and only at 2 locations for a fee. Basically this is just a money grab where they lie to the public and sell them $60 tickets to a sub-par music festival.

Awolnation, Silversun Pickups and Soundgarden all right on point (didn't see the first three acts...). Watching the better part of the Soundgarden set standing next to Brian Aubert of Silversun was the icing on the cake. Rock on DC101 chili cook-off!

Lamest chili cook off I have ever been to. There was no chili except for Hard Times Cafe that you had to pay for. They won by default. Had to stand in line forever for beer tickets that were $8 for domestic and $9 for craft. These beers were served in 9 oz. cups and domestic was limited to Bud Light only. Getting near the stage was almost impossible since the way the set was laid out made the crowd narrow, almost tunnel like. And all food was $10. Slice of pizza $10, hot dog $10, pit beef $10, etc. Last time I will ever attend this event. Not to mention the line up this year was weak!!! Soundgarden did their thing but everyone else seriously needs to hire better sound techs.

I would have liked for Awolnation to go before Silversun Pickups instead of afterwards. It was kind of a weird break coming from Silversun Pickups to Awolnation then Soundgarden & I wanted to stay hyped but that's just my opinion. lol. But any who, I loved it. It was very exciting & I can't wait until next year. I want them to bring Incubus back and maybe even N.E.R.D. (my personal favorite) :)