When business is slow, bartenders stand near the taps and draw beers for customers. I found it fun to converse with people about where they were from or what bands they were going to see. When things get hectic -- and business seems to come in waves between bands or around meal times -- there is no time for conversation. At peak times, a few bartenders work at an "island" pouring multiple beers that counter folks grab and sell.

"When you have a good band that draws a big crowd on a warm night, we barely have to turn the taps off," a manager told me, pointing to the island.

The cash register isn't complicated. It's a point of sale (POS) system that has a button for each item sold. To sell two tap beers, you punch the "tap beer" button twice and then hit "cash," which opens the register. You put the money inside, grab your change, close the register and go to the next customer.

After a few repetitions, the arithmetic for making change becomes ingrained and transactions go quickly. Busy periods leave little time for reflection, but a few slow periods allowed enough time to make a few observations about my shift:

• When you aren't used to being on your feet for six or eight hours at a time, you feel it in your legs and hips.
• People who come to Summerfest are generally pretty happy. They look forward to it all year and they want to have a good time. They seem especially festive when it's their first beer of the day (or of the year).
• The crowd near the Rock Stage skews a bit younger than those on the rest of the grounds (which makes checking IDs a bit more prevalent).
• More people at my stand ordered Lite than Genuine Draft, and it wasn't even close. Maybe everyone is calorie-conscious these days. A few people asked for MGD 64, the 64-calorie beer, but we didn't have it at my stand.
• A lot of people who ordered Blue Moon asked for orange slices. We don't do those.
• Some people, mostly women, asked for ice cubes to put in their beer. We couldn't do that, though, because the ice is used to keep bottled water and Sparks cold.
• On warm days, many people ask for bottled beer because they fear that tap beer will get warm faster. My advice to them is to drink faster.
• Only a few people complained about the "pour to the line" edict. One man did so a heavy French accent. When I calmly explained that it was "policy" he got really agitated and yelled at me while walking away. His friend was embarrassed enough by the action that he tipped me an extra dollar.
• Summerfest draws a lot of customers from Illinois, some of whom referred to the prices as "cheap," which is something you don't hear often from locals.
• Most Summerfest patrons do leave tips for bartenders. Tips are pooled and bartenders can walk away with $40 to $100 or more after a shift, depending on how busy the tent gets.
• Heavy wind can actually make it tougher to tap a decent beer. "It's a two-club difference today," one co-worker said, using a golf analogy.
• The beer haulers wear orange shirts and aren't permitted to sell beer. They just change barrels. Many at my stand were former high school football players.
• Beer haulers get a lot of attention from the ladies.
• The people-watching from behind the bar is often more interesting than it is from in front. It's especially interesting as you see people lose inhibitions after a few hours of imbibing.
• Bartender breaks are 15 minutes long. After four hours of steady pouring, the respite is nice.
• Each beer stand develops its own personality, which is often a reflection of the people in charge. Thankfully, mine was loose and fun with a strong sense of teamwork. As I walked away with a little money in my pocket, I understood why people want to do it year after year.