A lot is riding on what organizers of the Hard Rock Cafe Rockfest hope will be the biggest concert of the summer. They will have employed more than 700 people and spent better than $6 million by the time the gates open at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Chicago Motor Speedway. When it’s all over, after Metallica exits the stage about 11 p.m., they hope that at least 60,000 fans will have paid $65 (plus additional service and parking charges of as much as $30) to see 12 bands and participate in a carnival that includes theme-park rides, volleyball and other games.
Give them this: the festival organizers are blunt in their aspirations. Rockfest is designed to be “a national platform for corporate sponsors to market their products,” says Brian Murphy, executive producer for New York-based TBA Entertainment Corp., which is promoting the concert with Jam Productions of Chicago.
In that mercenary spirit, concertgoers will be bombarded with advertising under the rubric of “activities” from a half-dozen major sponsors. They also will line up for $2 bottles of water and 500 restrooms. There will be as many free water sites as there will be oversize video screens. And there will be no shortage of rules.
Ticket holders can pack sandwiches but shouldn’t expect to keep them fresh. Coolers or ice chests won’t be allowed through the gates. Neither will lawn chairs, umbrellas or pets. ATM machines, however, will be available. Beer will be sold, but you’ll need an ID. Blankets, sunscreen and sealed plastic water containers are among the few items that will be allowed to pass through security.
The headlining bands — Metallica, Kid Rock, Barenaked Ladies, Stone Temple Pilots and Third Eye Blind — will each play at least one-hour sets to close the show. Preceding them, the following bands will take the stage in 40-minute increments beginning at 10 a.m.: Love Joi, Nine Days, Vertical Horizon, Guster, Tonic, Veruca Salt and the Tragically Hip.
Last year, 127,000 fans attended Rockfest ’99 in Atlanta. But ticket sales for this year’s event in Cicero have been sluggish, and promoters’ early hopes to attract more than 100,000 have dimmed. “At most a one-day show in Chicago will attract about 60,000,” says Jam’s Scott Gelman.
Though Murphy says he “will not be thrilled if Rockfest doesn’t do similar numbers” to last year’s event, he hopes to bring the festival back to the area next year after three years in different locations. The city’s status as a cultural and media hub make it an ideal location to spin off the numerous marketing and promotional activities that are the real purpose of the festival. These include Internet broadcasts, syndicated radio programs and television specials, he says. But first the fans will speak with their wallets.
The $65 ticket, plus $10 in service fees, “is a fair price for this market,” Gelman says, noting that Metallica and Kid Rock alone sold out two shows last January at the Allstate Arena for $49.50. Though parking is steep — ranging from $10 to $20 — public transportation schedules will be expanded to allow fans to see the entire 13-hour show and be ensured a ride into and out of Cicero.
“Saturday night presents a bit of a problem for us, because we’re basically set up to operate from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” says Woody Mosgers, RTA marketing administrator. “But we’re stepping up to do what we can.” He says problems with inadequate transportation at last year’s Guinness Fleadh, a similar-sized music festival at the track with different promoters, have been addressed by Rockfest organizers. “They came to us early and we do have a more expansive plan in place,” Mosgers says.
Here’s some additional information for concertgoers (also visit www.hardrock.com):
What to bring:
Your ID if you are 21 or older and wish to purchase beer; a poncho in case it rains; cash for food, drinks and souvenirs (ATMs will be available; sandwiches and sealed plastic water containers can also be brought in); waterproof sunscreen and bug repellent; blankets; cell phones (public phones also will be available).
What to leave at home:
Coolers, ice chests, bottles or other containers (except for plastic water containers); beer, wine, liquor; lawn chairs; cameras and audio recorders; large umbrellas; laser pointers; weapons and fireworks; pets, except service animals.
Public transportation:
(For transit questions, call 312-836-7000.)
Chicago Motor Speedway is served directly by bus route #54B South Cicero, which operates between Cermak/Kenton and the Ford City Mall via the Midway Orange Line terminal.
Spectators traveling from downtown Chicago can board the Orange Line train at stops on the Loop elevated. Ride to the Midway terminal stop. Board buses #54B South Cicero with a destination sign reading 54B to CERMAK. Ride to the track entrance, at 3400 south. Travel time: 25-35 minutes on Orange Line; 15 minutes on bus #54B. Service on bus #54B will be increased to operate every 10 minutes during Rockfest between Cermak/Kenton and the Midway Orange Line station. Supervision will monitor service and adjust further, if necessary. Service hours will be extended, with the last trip leaving Sportsman’s Park at 12:30 a.m. to accommodate the break at approximately 11 p.m.
Orange Line hours will also be extended, with the last trip leaving Midway at 12:51 a.m.
Shuttles will be provided to the Metra station to catch the last outbound train at 12:49 a.m.
PACE will be providing a Rockfest Express bus service to Chicago Motor Speedway on Saturday. The bus service details are as follows:
Northwest suburbs: Buses leave PACE’s Northwest Point park-n-ride lot in Elk Grove Village (near the corner of Arlington Heights Road and Interstate Highway 90 (the Northwest Tollway) at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The buses will make a stop at the Rosemont CTA station (near River Road and the Northwest Tollway) at 10:50 a.m. and 2:20 p.m.
South suburbs/Indiana: Buses will depart from PACE’s South Holland park-n-ride (located at 167th and Canal) at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Fares for advance Ticketmaster sales are $10 for a round-trip ride. Tickets may also be purchased on the bus on the day of the event for $10 with exact fare.
Parking:
It’s available in lots adjacent to the festival for $20 and in remote lots for $10. More than 200 free shuttles will run from remote parking sites throughout the day.
