![]() It sounded more muffled off to the side by the food trucks. Maddy: But it does make you focus more on the music being played (it is named The Sound, after all), and the quality was crisp past the stage. Without access to a zoomed-in video feed showing the emotions and expressions on the faces of the musicians, I felt a bit removed from the performance. Sitting all the way at the back of the seated portion of the venue, all I could focus on was The Big Hat. Gabrielle: Robin Zander emerged onstage wearing a comically large feathered top hat. ![]() I desperately wanted a screen to see everyone’s faces - sweaty foreheads and all! Maddy: One downside, though, is if you’re not seated in the front, it’s hard to see those on stage. People congregate under an oak tree before Cheap Trick's performance. My lower back would be happy the next morning. Back at my folding chair, I loved the feeling of having my shoes on soft turf instead of concrete. Gabrielle: We sat in one of the last rows, but I strolled around the sloped lawn area behind us and thought it also offered a pretty good view down to the stage. And the people sitting on the lawn gave everything a real music-in-the-park vibe. The seats are close to each other, but not squished. Maddy: The Sound feels way more intimate than you’d expect an open-air, spacious venue to be. I had a hard time picturing the full amount crammed back there on the grass. Gabrielle: This venue has 4,000 covered seats and room for 5,000 lawn seats, although only 3,000 tickets for the latter were made available to the public. Back inside, it was all pit stains and melted mascara - but also lots of smiles. A man passing by a drink stand grumbled about high beer prices. While I was ordering my dinner, a woman in line behind me remarked that everything felt thoughtfully designed. The permanent onsite concession area has lighter bites - chips ($3), Bavarian pretzels ($6) and, the cheapest snack in the venue, fresh fruit ($2). These vendors will rotate throughout the show calendar. Other trucks included Gigglewaters, Fo’ Cheezy, Funnelvision and Sea Dog Brewing. It took less than 10 minutes to order and receive my generous portion of bang bang chicken from Shisho Crispy ($17, with a vegan version available for a dollar more). Gabrielle: Thanks to the numerous food options, lines for grub were never too long. Also, cash carriers beware: This is a cashless venue (although you can use dollar bills to tip). Be prepared to shell out $5 for water and between $10-$23 for anything with alcohol. At these stands, the nonalcoholic options are limited (just water and soda) and the alcohol is expensive - something that could be said for most venues. ![]() Maddy: To find a drink, all you had to do was turn your head and walk - no doubt, you’d find a place to buy one. The packaging was a plus for me - less plastic, plus the cold metal vessel doubled as an ice pack. The only H20 option: canned mountain water from Liquid Death. At least a dozen drink vendors were scattered around the lawn, with more nestled in the nifty food truck area where fans first enter. Gabrielle: If I hadn’t sweated away every tear left in my body during the blistering walk from the car, I could have cried with joy walking in and seeing so many beverage stalls: little pop-up carts, water tents, cocktail and beer stands, and a convenient grab-and-go fridge. (another spot on the map), and only paid 90 cents for parking. Instead, I snagged a spot in the first open lot I saw at 311 S Osceola Ave. I originally planned to park at a lot near the Clearwater Main Library - a prime spot on the map - but the number of cars on the road all heading the same way had me changing my tune. Maddy Franklin: When I was on the road, I found the city of Clearwater’s map more confusing than helpful. I highly recommend writing down the addresses of a few different lots or garages so there’s a quick backup to punch into your GPS if your first few choices fill up before you get there. The downtown parking map created by the city of Clearwater was a helpful starting point to study ahead of time. I blame road closures caused by the Coachman Park ribbon cutting, though, not the lack of parking options. (two hours before the music started), I drove around for over 15 minutes hunting for a spot. Gabrielle Calise: Despite arriving in downtown Clearwater just before 5 p.m. People stream into the new Coachman Park moments after it was officially opened to the public on Wednesday.
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