On Saturday I went to the All Points West festival in Liberty State Park, NJ. Arriving slightly buzzed from a bar in Hoboken, I was eagerly anticipating the line-up of some of my favorite bands/artists. The day shaped up to be one of impressive musical performances, but underwhelming event organization.

Liberty State Park is HUGE. The walk from the train station alone was almost half an hour. This is no mean feat, but in 85ºF heat it definitely leaves you feeling a little parched and irritable. Upon reaching the entrance, there was a ridiculous line which seemed totally unnecessary. Unfortunately this would be the first of many.

Simply put, the event organizers hadn’t allowed for the sheer numbers of people in this place.

Beer - this was a joke. To get a beer you had to queue up for 30 minutes to show ID and get a wristband. Once you had your wristband and purple cross marked on your hand, you then had to join another crowd, almost like cattle, to be let through a gate into the ‘beer pen’ - this was the only place you were allowed to drink alcohol, it was cramped and ridiculous. Another queue then lead you to the bar, where you were only allowed to purchase two beers and a total of FIVE for the whole event…

I understand keeping alcohol abuse at a minimum creates a safe event for all, but come on! Surely if you limit the number of beers people can have, you at least can give them easy access to it?

On the plus side - the location was stunning. It was the most amazing place I have ever seen live music. As night descended, Manhattan’s lights illuminated a majestic backdrop of stars, a half-moon, and Lady Liberty. Very impressive. Radiohead’s set was incredible, the trippy visuals seemed to compete with the glow from Manhattan. They played most of their new album IN RAINBOWS, and a selection of classics. Thankfully this awe-inspiring performance combined with the amazing scenery helped to alleviate the bad feelings from the day of queuing. My message to the organizers: double your amenities and widen the entrance, or reduce the number of peaceful music lovers substantially.

Diana is an extremeley talented friend of mine who once worked as the designer for Boston Magazine, but has now decided to go solo and concentrate on her amazing photography work. You will probably bump into her at one of the many parties in Boston. Her photography portfolio is excellent, and definitely worth a look:

http://www.dianalevine.com