Blues on the Green

It’s fun free event to see bands play and people watch. They have good food vendors. Something to take note of however:
* bring a blanket or chair to sit on
* no glass
* it’s outside there are mosquitos
* might want to bring something for shade
* while they say no smoking — it does still happen
* hand sanitizer (porta-​potties)
* some kind of light: phone or flashlight — you’ll be happy you have it when looking for your car at night afterwords.
* some way to keep your dog cool — it’s hot and muggy — and they have a fur coat on!!! If you think your hot — just think how your dog feels…

BOTG is quintessentially Austin. Once upon a time it was a collection of locals appreciating hometown music in a laid-​back, friendly and quaint (Rock Island) surrounding. It is now a (much larger) collection of locals cultivating the art of being seen and treating the music as an after thought. I’m guessing there were probably 40−50k people there last night… think ACL Fest with one stage, which doesn’t really evoke the live music experience Austin is known for. I could go on about how much the city has changed, how overcrowded and expensive it’s become, how gentrification is becoming homogenization, etc, but I wont. I’ll sign off by saying it is my hope that the newcomers to Austin, who have relocated here for all that it has to offer, will hopefully realize their role in maintaining that quality of life.
Peace and love,
Stevie T.

This is going to be an unpopular opinion based on the reviews I am reading here, but this was not enjoyable in any way. We arrived almost 1.5 hours early and already the lines into the park were forming. There were 2 cashiers to take payment for parking causing the backup, otherwise parking was pretty easy.
When we got to the field the whole front was already occupied. Granted, I could have stepped over a bunch of people and claimed a crowded spot. Being from out of town I have never been before, so I thought I would be fine as I was still along the lines of the food/​event tents.
Couldn’t have been more from wrong. Partly due to the bad placement of the speakers all near the front facing forward, and partly due to the overcrowdedness of a bunch of people who came not to enjoy the music but to sit and socialize the whole time, I couldn’t hear a thing.
I’m from Seattle and I was really excited to hear Shakey Graves as I have heard his music and even purchased a couple of his albums. I was really let down that I couldn’t really hear anything.
Also — could have been my fault, but the website says alcohol and smoking is prohibited. Either enforce it or allow it. I wish I had known because a cold beer on a hot night would have hit the spot. So many people brought a cooler and paper bagged it but walk around for 10 seconds and you could easily see 100s of people carrying alcohol around. If you are not going to enforce it, then might as well post that it is allowed so those who don’t know better can bring it. And the no-​smoking is just as much of a joke.

One of my favorite Austin events. Super chill evenings on a picnic blanket listening to good music & chatting with friends. $ 5 parking & free music. BYOB, but no styrofoam or glass allowed. Bring your camp chair or blankets… is over at 10pm on the nose.

Went for Bob Schneider. Great people watching, but we couldn’t hear the music! Kinda missed the point of the whole experience, wouldn’t you say? :) I guess if we ever tried it again we’d really notice how close we sat, but it was dark by the time he came on, and far too late to make a change, so just be forewarned if you go.

What a great free summer event! Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, drinks, and food and enjoy a relaxing day at the park. There are several food and drink trucks to check out but the lines may be long so I suggest saving some money and bringing your own. One guy near us brought several boxes of Popeyes for himself and I think he is a genius :)
My friends and I arrived around 7:00 and were able to get pretty good seats. There were a few people complaining about not being able to hear the music well but I think that should be obvious if you are not near the stage. If you are there for the music, arrive early and sit close. If you are there to just hang out with friends with good music in the background, then I think you’ll be happy.
It took us almost an hour to get out of the parking lot though so I would suggest either not parking at Zilker or leaving early to avoid the crowd.

I’m sure this used to be enjoyable. There had to be over 30,000 people with 20 porta potties. Could barely hear the music. Unless you want to be surrounded by children, high schoolers and traffic this isn’t fun

Truly one of my favorite things about Austin Summa!
Encapsulates everything that Austin, TX is supposed to be. Yes it will be hot, sticky, humid, parking sucks, dogs will be everywhere (Dog Lover here so it’s cool with me), college kids, kids, hippies, families, and that good ol Austin kind spirit.
The crowd is generally kind and fun. There will be wacky tabaccy, cigs, wine, beers, liqueur, picnic foods, flag poles, glowing hola hoops, drones, rugby players, and a bunch of folks having a great time.
I love me some ACL and SXSW, but they aren’t about us locals anymore. BOTG still feels like it is ours. Although, I admit it feels like it is also slipping away.
I have been going since about 2002, and I have seen a ton of changes in that time. Like everything, BOTG is becoming more commercial and less about Blues, Jazz, or local Texas acts. We joke each year, that next year will be the year they start charging for this BOTG Summer Series. Tell a man he can make a $, and he will try to make $$.
BOTG seemed to play a lot of DJ music and advertisements, with less less live music this year. I hope the guys that run BOTG read this and go back to the Blues, Jazz, Country, and BlueGrass that made it what it is. Understand I am only critical because I love it and want to see it continue to be a pleasure for our locals and summer visitors. I bring this up, not to be facetious, but to urged you to go out and enjoy it before it is gone or they start charging.
Nonetheless, you will see incredibly talented artists, no matter what type of music you like. I personally love me some Blues and Jazz. I would love to see Gary Clark Jr, Black Joe Lewis, Jimmie Vaughan, Marsha Ball, Seth Walker, or Los Lonely Boys play again. If you really are getting Cra Cra some WILLIE would be awesome!!! Pretty Please!!!

Great music and good for people watching. Occasional whiff of Mary Jane when the wind blows your way. The evening was cool. My beer was cold. Seems perfect even if just for a moment.

Quintessential Austin experience. Can’t beat free music in a gorgeous setting.
The only problem is that is typically blazing hot as its held during the summer months, but aside from that, it’s a lot of fun. Getting in takes a while with the traffic, but it’s worth it. Tons of great people watching, food stands, desserts, lots of cool dogs, family friendly, BYOB (not legally, but completely and blatantly unenforced) some cool bands, and a couple hours of fun. Great way to break up the work week by bringing a little picnic or grabbing some food here while taking in some free music, drinking a cold beer, and relaxing under the stars.

It’s begun! Every Wednesday take off work a lil early, pack a cooler, snacks, blanket, your dog and roll out to Zilker for live music and good company. One of Austin’s best summer events to relax and enjoy the sky line.

Dogs (check), kids (check), beach balls (check), young adults (check), smelly hipsters (check), smelly homeless (check), food and drink booths (check), FREE music (check), tie-​dyed everything (check), one top-​less chick (check), smell of weed (double check), people sharing all of the above and having a GREAT time (CHECK).
It’s getting harder and harder to find places where «Keep it Weird» still exists and I for one keep returning to soak up the ambiance and recharge my native Austinite batteries.
Thanks City Of Austin and P.A.R.D. for all you do.

I don’t know what took me so long to come to Blues on the Green. Maybe I wasn’t motivated to go because I didn’t have anyone to go with. Then again there was the heat and the parking to contend with but I figure it all comes with the territory when there are events at Zilker Park (ex. ACL and Zilker Park Kite Festival).
Blues on the Green is fun for the whole family and it’s free. I’m glad there are free music events as opposed to over-​priced concerts such as ACL. There are vendors from local business set up.
I do recommend a picnic basket and bring a water cooler. Nothing huge because remember you have to drag that around.
Free music without the stupid ticket prices. Worth checking out.

Blues On the Green happens in the same park where ACL (Austin City Limits) music festival is held.
You are probably thinking less crowds than on a headlining night of ACL, right? Wrong.
I stood in the mud for 8 hours to get close to the stage for Pearl Jam at ACL in 2009 and the other night at Black Joe Lewis during Blues On the Green I’m pretty sure there was about the same 50,000 people in attendance. Okay, okay so maybe not quite that many but it sure feels like it. If you have images of you and your honey-​pie sipping a sparking wine on a breezy picnic blanket while taking in the lovely sounds of free music think again. It will be very crowed, and very hot, and the music will be difficult to hear thanks to the massive distance you will have to sit from the stage (unless you want to camp out a spot up close hours in advance). It blows my mind how many people come to Blues On the Green. But of course this event is FREE.
Parking is a nightmare, and riding the bus doesn’t help since Barton Springs Road is a massive traffic jam. Your best bet on getting here is a bicycle, unless you have the hook-​up for somebody to drop you in from the sky.
Here’s a good idea: Put a bathing suit on under your clothes and bring a cooler with beer. Drink beer with sweaty friends while pretending to be able to hear the music. Grab food from one of the food vendors since all you have room to carry is beer. The music usually ends around 9PM. Walk across the street to Barton Springs Pool and take a refreshing swim (Barton Springs is open until 10PM and the last hour is free). By the time you are done swimming you are much cooler, refreshed and the massive traffic is gone.

This is a truly authentic Austin experience! Everyone out in the grass hanging out, drinking and being friendly! You can feel the Austin neighbor vibe!
I didn’t care much for the music but loved the atmosphere and vibe! I didn’t even care that it was super hot and I was sweating buckets. If you haven’t had a chance to go, I would make time! Definitely get dropped off and picked up though to avoid the cluster of traffic! I also think the flag idea is a must to find your friends!
I will go again and again!

Parking is terrible. It’s ridiculously hot. It’s crowded. Bathrooms are disgusting. It will take you an hour to get in, and longer to get out.
Alas, this should go on your bucket list. Sweating and jamming and picnicking with friends can’t be beat, and the people-​watching and second-​hand smoke is worth the hassle.
Bring a cooler, and bring loads of water. *rumor has it* you can bring booze as well… just be discrete about it, there are cops walking around. If you don’t want to haul a cooler, plenty of sponsors to hydrate and feed you.
Good times.

We always have a great time when we come! The bands have been consistently good and folks are all in a good mood, what’s not to love? Oh I’ll tell you what’s not to love and the reason it doesn’t earn 5 stars from me. The horrible parking situation, traffic is okay, but the limited parking places a strain on the event. I would be more than happy to take a bus, but I refuse to haul chairs and a cooler on a bus. Besides, CapMetro doesn’t allow dogs on buses, not that we bring our dogs every time, just when the weather is conducive to pets. Because the concert is on a work night it which makes for a very long workday the following day, but I won’t let that stop me. My comments aren’t to be misconstrued as negative they are meant to forewarn you of what is in store if you want to attend. The negative aspects of this revue won’t keep me from returning every year, just from not attending every concert.
PSA, if you do attend one of these concerts and plan to bring you dog, please keep in mind that most of the dogs that attend the event are stressed out. Why you might ask, 1) many of the pet owners forget to bring water; 2) it is hot as hell during the summer and dogs don’t do well on concrete/​asphalt, too much time on the HOT hard surface can induce heat strokes, to prevent burns and blisters, avoid walking your dog on the HOT pavement; 3) many of the dogs aren’t used to or are not comfortable walking in crowds during the high heat. If you love your dog’s make sure you stop and give them breaks to drink water while walking to the concert. Try keeping them on grass as much as possible during the walk. Place yourself between moving vehicles and your pet, cars stress most dogs out.
On the rare occasion that we attend one of these concerts with our dogs we always go early to avoid the crowd which enables us to get a better parking spot. We always bring a blanket for them to lie on, yes they are dogs but the blanket is familiar to them and helps them to know their boundary. We bring plenty of water because for some reason their bowl always gets tipped over. It usually happens by someone not paying attention when they are walking. Treats, bones and a toy are also good distractions for the dogs. Oh yeah, I also bring two small towels, one to wipe their faces and the other to dip in water and cool off their pads. In case you didn’t know, your dog’s paws feel heat extremes, imagine stepping barefoot onto hot pavement.
Now that I have warned you of the negative you are well prepared to go and enjoy yourself. And, if you do bring your dog (s), please take my advice, your dog will be much happier.

Worth the experience if you are cool with crowds and figuring out the crazy parking situation. Free music and a beautiful outdoor setting makes it all worth it!

One of the things you have to love about Austin is the music scene. The amount of FREE live music in this town can afford anyone who partakes, hearing loss over time priming them for a hearing aid in their golden years… but what a way to go.
Every other Wednesday evening during the Summer, KGSR hosts Blues on the Green in Zilker Park. What is not to love? Well, OK, the parking and schlepping is not to love. Other than that, where else can you enjoy a FREE evening of great music on the velvet grass over Dillo dirt known as Zilker Park.
And with lineups this year like Bob Schneider, Old 97’s and Los Lonely Boys (to name a few) how can you go wrong? You really can’t.
You can expect a dog and kid friendly venue where you can pack a picnic and enjoy an evening under the stars as the sun goes down over Lake Austin with the down town skyline as a back drop for the stage.
If you want one of those good «hearing loss» locations, get there early, as it fills up fast. More into the whole social aspect, sit toward the back and hang with your peeps. Don’t feel up to packing a picnic, you can purchase food and non alcoholic beverages from various vendors.
Go, enjoy, and don’t bring any glass containers.

ACL is probably unanimously one of the best things about being from Austin… many would agree. I’ve been in Austin for one year and though ACL made me sweat my metaphorical cojones off in the 9098 degree sweltering heat, it’s definitely still kickass in my book.
However, there’s something to be said for Blue on the Green. The 7 – 9:30 shows happening every other week in the beginning summer months in Austin is perhaps the junior varsity version of ACL and is, simply speaking a less crowded, less intense, less hot, less stressful version of ACL.
The crowd at Blues on the Green is varied, definitely more family oriented than ACL and with half the vendors (this year: Salt Lick, Bananarchy, Zen, Amy’s, Kerby Lane and other vendors have popped up). It’s supposedly a dry event, but police have bigger fish to fry and don’t really patrol the area much. The city of Austin truly does a wonderful job with this tradition pushing 22 years and the crowd seems to be equally pleased every time. Parking isn’t even really a big deal and traffic is congested but not headache causing.
Blues on the Green evokes a similar feeling to that of the farmers market downtown… Austiny, simple and grounding. A wonderful evening everytime!