The Big Gig kicked off with one of the most popular ground acts in its history, Imagine Dragons.
It was a sold-out show this year. It had some super fans waiting before the Summerfest gates even opened.
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In 2013, Imagine Dragons played a ground Summerfest stage and people were waiting for hours at the gates.
“We booked them when they were just starting to take off and they were on a small stage. Then we moved them to a bigger stage. Then we moved them to a bigger stage. Then we moved them to the biggest stage that we had besides the amphitheater,” said Bob Babisch, the vice president of entertainment for Summerfest.
Imagine Dragons was so popular five years ago massive crowds showed up at the gates. At one point, Summerfest started to let people in for free to try to get people inside faster.
“It became the biggest show in the history of the grounds and we are excited to have them back this year,” said Babisch.
Excited is an understatement for one super fan. Jerry Ratliff got front pit tickets but still made sure he was first in line to get in there.
“We’ve been in the parking lot since 9:30 a.m. and once the gates opened at 12 [noon] then we came in,” said Ratliff.
He wants the front row center spot. So does Hazel Escamilla who is just 10-years-old. She came with a special sign for band telling them she is a drummer.
“So they bring me up on stage,” said Escamilla.
Luckily, the whole group of super fans is from one big family so they will all plan to be front row center together.
