Well, I went last night. A friend had wristbands to get into a couple of the private tents. Ate a ton of cue, got trashed on beer & whiskey, watched the old folks two-step to Gary P. Nunn for a while. It fun, but.... It is so corporate now. I remember when I was a kid, you paid to get in, all the cooking teams were just groups of people, and you tent-hopped. I understand why the corporate sponsorship has moved in...it's gotten so big that cooking teams have to have corporate sponsorship to pay for everything. It's just that it makes it a corporate schmoozefest, and not worth going to unless you have passes to get into one or more of the private tents. Anyways...enough reminiscing and ranting. Any of you go last night? Any of you planning on going tonight or Saturday? I'm not going to the Rodeo this year (no music acts I want to see) so last night was my rodeo fix for the year....unless one of my bands plays the Pasadena Rodeo in October (looks like they might book us).
I have been recently. My buddy works for a liquor distributor here. I got into the Jack Daniels tent etc. It was ok. It will never top the greatness of the Nacogdoches Do Dat BBQ back when it had a troth of 20 taps of unlimited free beer and tent hopping the food in the country sun. The memories are so great it makes me want to cry.
Perhaps you remember the "Cheeseburger in Paradise" American Idol auditions? lol Those were good times.
Did my first cookoff with my cousin's BBQ team at the San Antonio Rodeo last month. Had a chance to walk around a couple of times, there were a *bunch* of tents just open to the public: walk in, grab a beer, grab some bbq. Seemed much more laid back & personal. Like you said, the Houston shindig "is fun, but...".
I remember when Houston was open to all, but not anymore...I've had many a great nights there, but it has changed, for the worse, IMHO... I may swing by, but that's only because I know someone...
It costs $6 to get in, and that gets you a plate of BBQ from "the chuckwagon". You still have to pay for beer. The real action though, is in the "private", aka corporate, party tents, where the food and liquor is free, but you have to have a wristband (i.e. know someone) to get in. If you don't have wristbands for a couple of the private tents, it isn't really worth going to.
So how can I procure said wristband? I've never been to one of these but have always wanted to go. Can I score one on Ebay????
Sweet. You ever been to the BBQ Cookoff in Conroe? I play in a "band" (ie. bunch of alcoholics I played with in college) that plays there every year. Hardly any pay, no rehearsals, bad versions of 60's R&B tunes, horrible soundman.....but all the free beer and Q we can muster! NO IDEA why they keep booking us, but I ain't complaining!
I like the cookout and during the rodeo the Hideout and Coral clubs but I only hit around 2-3 shows a year these days.
Wow.....I've actually cooked in the Nac Do Dat. My memories (like most of my nine years worth of Nac memories) are quite vague however. I actually have two separate invites for this year's rodeo BBQ......and I'm not going to be able to make it. Sucks.
had wristbands to channel 2's tent last night but passed on it to go to a bluegrass concert. don't regret it one bit... the show was amazing.
I'm still usually a bean judge there every year. We don't really do it up like we used to. The free beer, like my youth, is gone.
You basically have to know someone who works for one of the companies sponsoring one of the tents, or someone who has been given wristbands and has extras, or do business with a sponsor company yourself in the course of your job.
It's fun if you have a wristband. It was very crowded last night, and I'll bet it will freaking mobbed tonight and tomorrow night.
Went last night, my father-in-law helps sponsor a tent had a decent time. so It was a decent time, kept the drinking to a minimum, plenty of talent walking around in tight jeans and boots. Pretty sure we'll be back out on Sat., but everyone is right; unless you know people who have tents, it really isn't worth going.
