The Backyard

Worst music venue in Austin!. I wish I could just give half of a star...They really need to warn people about how HORRIBLE the traffic is and how slow they are getting everyone into the venue. I left with more than a sufficient amount of time before the show (Incubus) was supposed to start, ended up sitting in traffic for OVER 2 and a half hours, and missed seeing Young the Giant (which was who I was mainly going to see). They need a better system for getting people into parking because that was ridiculous. I have never been to a concert that has been that slow and backed up just getting into the venue! At least provide people with proper warning about the horrendous traffic on the web site, or fix how you handle the crowd. I saw comments prior to mine complaining about 30 min to get into the parking??? Yeah, not near as bad as the TWO HOURS I was in traffic for parking...that was completely unacceptable for the money that I paid for concert tickets and parking!

The Backyard also does not provide an email address or anywhere to leave comments or concerts about their venue. On facebook they are known to delete all of the negative feedback without responding. I believe that it is very important for a "business" to have room for feedback and pay attention to it's customers, especially for improvement. The Backyard needs to get its issues fixed and needs to care more about the people who support them (aka-customers). DON'T GO TO THE BACKYARD...you will be filled with disappointment.…

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME/MONEY!. I attended the Hill Country Rock N' Ride on 8/21/10 Let me just start by saying that this is NOT a biker friendly venue. Beginning with the 1/2 mile UPHILL LOOSE GRAVEL entrance, all the way to the pathetic excuse for parking. How do they expect to plan a successful biker event/concert with such a treacherous entrance!?! Even in a car! Ridiculous.

The bathroom situation has not improved since Willie's Picnic. When I tried to shut the bathroom door, the entire wooden slat flew out of it's metal frame, EXPOSED NAILS AND ALL!!! UNBELIEVABLE! How are they allowed to open with this half finished facility? Even the green outside walls are FALLING APART, again with exposed nails and gaping holes where they have started to seperate. What a shitty attempt at opening up a new Backyard. I'd say the only thing this place has in common with the old backyard is the NAME. Don't let the name fool you, this is no backyard! It is a field full of safety hazards and poor organization! I will not EVER go back to this place, and I suggest you save your time and money as well!…

HORRIBLE experience at Willie's July 4th Picnic. The Backyard needs to get its act together ... and until it does so, I don't recommend attending shows there. I attended Willie Nelson's 2010 4th of July picnic there and it was ONE OF THE WORST -- if not the WORST -- organized concert events I've ever experienced. I don't think that this facility is designed well for the large crowds it intends to serve or they just don't care whether their customers have a good experience, or maybe both.

Parking -- one of the big problems with The Backyard at its former location nearby -- is still an issue. We arrived only a few hours after the gates opened for this all day/night event and the lots were already full so we had to park across the highway and then take a big bus to the venue. Except the bus dropped us off far from the entrance to the amphitheater so we had to trudge uphill for about half a mile in the blazing heat, lugging all the supplies we brought for the day (padding, blanket, four bottles of water, etc.) to get to the actual entrance.

The lines for food were perpetually very long and the vendors ran out of food well before the event was over. We even waited on line for an hour at one point and were only a few people away from placing an order when that booth ran out, leaving dozens of us hungry and angry.

And what's with the unfinished bathrooms with shower curtains instead of real doors and no soap by the sinks? Did The Backyard run out of money and decide not to finish out the facilities? Or again, do the owners just not care about the customer experience?

Plus generally moving around the grounds was unpleasant -- very crowded, body to body, suggesting that the place is poorly laid out for a large/capacity crowd.

As far as the concert itself, although there were a number of great performers and bands -- among them, Asleep at the Wheel, Jamey Johnson, Randy Rogers and the legendary Ray Price, there were a bunch of weak acts including Willie Nelson's offspring. Granted, it's Willie's event and we love Willie but I wasn't expecting a showcase for his kids who aren't nearly as talented as he is. Furthermore, the sequence of the bands was terrible. Instead of building from lesser known bands to the top artists, the lineup was mostly random and no schedule was available so one couldn't possibly know when to catch his or her favorite acts. Worst of all, by midnight, Willie still had not come on stage to perform and I, like many others, just couldn't wait any longer ... so lots of us left disgruntled and feeling let down and even a bit ripped off. There was quite a bit of grumbling on the bus ride back across the highway to the parking garage.

I plan to avoid The Backyard -- allegedly new and improved but it's not -- unless all these issues are resolved.…

A Truly Bad Experience From A-Z. Arrived at the "new" Backyard over two hours early for the ZZ Top show and it still took over 30 minutes to pull into the parking lot......one totally disorganized and chaotic line of cars. With clueless, helpless attendants. The dirt parking lot is a joke-- covered with ruts, rocks, tree branches it was like driving off-road; DO NOT TAKE YOUR NICE CAR!

Porta-potties were already full & filthy BEFORE the show even started and only got worse as the night went on as if they hadnt cleaned them from the previous day's show; Lines for drinks were 30 people long. Walking at night was hazardous with rocks, branches and stone planters everywhere but no lighting to see where you're stepping. Rude staff; Sound was a mess.

We literally felt like we were in a prison camp; I sense that managment just slapped this together in the middle of a dusty field with no regard for the audiences' comfort or experience. We felt ripped off and couldnt wait to leave....unfortunately, traffic was so bad, it took over one hour to leave the parking lot in a car that was "white with dust" from the lot.

Austin has too many great music venues to put up with this kind of a rip-off.…