Country USA/ Rock USA

Rock USA is a new festival being promted by our employer, Starshow Presents. The shows take place on July 14 -16, with some setup and tear-down work happening before and after those dates. As usual, the Business Agent will be contacting those he needs for these shows as the calls require.

The grounds for both Country USA and Rock USA is located south of Oshkosh, WI, on the west side of US Highway 41, more or less across from the EAA campgrounds. The audience enters the event grounds from the Hwy 41 side (the East side). BUT if you are a stagehand, working the main stage with IATSE Local 470, then you will need to enter via the "stage door", which in this case means entering the grounds from the west, via Clay and Ripple Roads.

The directions for stagehands working the festivals are much like last year. For reasons of traffic control, we have been instructed to follow these directions:

Click map for printable version

From the North or South:

Take Hwy 41 North or South to the Hwy 26 exit (Exit 113). Go West on Hwy 26 to the access road, and turn right onto Planeview Dr. Turn west onto Fisk Ave. Continue approx 1 mile to Clay Road. Turn right and go north 1 mile on Clay Rd. to Ripple Ave. From the intersection of Clay and Ripple Ave. you can probably see the Country USA grounds to your left about a third of a mile away.

Turn right onto Ripple Ave. 1/2 mile to Gates 1 and 2. On Ripple Avenue stay in the RIGHT LANE. The Left lane is for Campers Only. ARTISTS use GATE 1, EMPLOYEES/VENDORS use GATE 2. Use Gate 1 onto the gravel road leading to the backstage areas. The Main Stage is located along the wooden fence on the west side of the grounds, directly opposite the headquarters building on the other side of the audience grounds.

In general, try to get there early: fifteen to thirty min. is good. Traffic can be ridiculous, and sometimes is re-routed, so allow time for surprises. Police may re-route traffic patterns to handle the unusual loads, especially as showtime approaches. Heavy traffic means traffic jams. We still expect you to be ON TIME. If it seems you might be late, call the cell phone number for the Steward, which also means it makes sense to get the cell phone numbers BEFORE you leave home!

WHAT TO BRING:

You will be working outside most of the time, and it can be hot, dry and dusty, or else cool and rainy. There is usually at least one severe storm sometime during the week. Hey, it's Wisconsin! Plan accordingly! Check weather in case raingear is in order. Bring a change of clothes and spare footwear in case you get wet. Bring shorts in case it gets hot, but also bring a warm jacket. It often gets cool after dark or after a rain. Layers are good!

It's a good idea to bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent! A hat is also a good idea. Bring the usual tools; gloves, a multi-tool or screwdriver and pliers, crescent wrench, hammer, and maybe other tools needed to get the job done. Lunch is usually provided, as is water and sometimes soda. Lunch is about a half-hour long, taken in the catering tent. We don't have time to leave the site.

There is more available in the Basic Information pamphlet:
Basic Info Pamphlet

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