MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

5 changes fans want before next concert at IMS

David Lindquist
david.lindquist@indystar.com

Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles said the track likely will host its next concert in 2016, which will allow ample time to tweak and refine what Rolling Stones fans experienced on the Fourth of July.

The Stones show marked the first time in the venue's 106-year history that a concert happened on a date outside a race weekend. The band's performance has been universally praised, but attendees haven't been shy about sharing opinions on possible logistical improvements.

Here are five concerns in the wake of the Independence Day show that attracted a crowd of 50,000 to the world's largest sporting venue:

1. What am I watching?

The infield concert site northeast of Pagoda Plaza was an open field with no bleachers, chairs or elevated terrain. Behind the VIP and Gold ticket sections closest to the stage, attendees in the Silver and Bronze sections could see the musicians represented on three large video screens. But sight lines posed a challenge in terms of viewing the actual musicians onstage.

"I could barely see (drummer) Charlie Watts' head if I stood on my toes," Don Monahan wrote in an email to The Indianapolis Star. "First live concert where I couldn't see the performers."

While the format was similar to what is experienced at the Lollapalooza, Coachella and Bonnaroo outdoor music festivals, the IMS show lacked the higher vantage points found in venues such as Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Klipsch Music Center.

"I think the biggest challenge going forward is managing the expectations of the people when they come," Boles said. "So whether it was, 'Hey, this is standing not sitting,' or 'This is a festival not an arena,' that's the biggest challenge we have."

The video and sound, he noted, were powerful to reach all corners of the concert site. "It still presented a really good live experience," Boles said.

2. Where am I sitting?

Grass or asphalt served as the standing/sitting surface for most attendees, but gravel made up the periphery of the Silver and Bronze sections. Gates opened at 4 p.m., and the Rolling Stones arrived onstage at 9:30.

"We had some mixed reviews on gravel," Boles said. "My biggest concern with the gravel was people who got there early had to stand all day, and it was not as comfortable if you put a blanket or cushion down."

He said the track is exploring the idea of replacing the gravel area with asphalt. "Future shows would probably be just grass and asphalt," he said.

3. Where are they selling?

Among the on-site vendors were drink tents in the middle of the crowd.

"Vendors belong along the sides and at the back only," a reader wrote in an email. "The canopies of the vendors perfectly blocked the view of the stage."

At least one tent was behind a large tower used for spotlights and speakers.

"We knew nobody would be standing there because you couldn't see (through the tower)," said Boles, who added that the midcrowd vendors were placed with the idea of shorter walks for attendees who otherwise had to venture to sides of the concert site.

4. Why am I running late?

Indianapolis resident Davey Barrett spent more than two hours in 16th Street gridlock on his way to the show. He paid $75 for premium parking inside the track, which he said felt like wasted money.

Gate 2 on 16th Street served as an entrance for premium parking, but anyone who didn't pay for premium parking had the option of free parking available to the north and west of the track. Boles added that Gate 10, accessible from the north via 30th Street and Hulman Boulevard, accommodated attendees headed to premium parking inside Turn 3.

Boles said a conspicuous flier inside future ticket mailings might be effective in instructing the best routes for making it to the track.

"If you punch 'Indianapolis Motor Speedway' into your GPS, it takes you to that 16th Street gate," Boles said. "A lot of it is messaging to people who have never been here."

5. Why is it so late?

In a complaint not unique to the Rolling Stones at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, some attendees said they spent too much time trying to exit parking lots after the show.

"It was a huge mess," one fan posted to social news site Reddit. "There was nobody directing traffic when it was time to leave."

Boles said IMS plans to consult local law enforcement on strategies for easing the exit process. "Part of it is 50,000 people leaving at the same time," he said.

The post-concert 19-minute fireworks show, launched from inside Turn 2, played a role in congestion. "You couldn't send anybody south until the fireworks were done," he said.

Looking ahead, Boles said the track is committed to more stand-alone concerts. Don't look for any this fall, however. Boles said his staff will be focused on preparations for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29, 2016.

Call Star reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.