Greetings all! This was my first year attending the Bonnaroo festival, as well as my first attempt to cover a music festival. Therefore, this weekend was definitely a case of baptism by fire. First off, while driving from Massachusetts to Tennessee, the hard drive on my computer failed. And once I reached the festival, I discovered there were no free computers to be found with which to access the Internet, which is why this coverage is a couple days late. I apologize to the readers out there.
I have been trying to figure out what would be the most useful coverage of the Bonnaroo festival. It’s like another world—one where strangers become neighbors within minutes, beer flows like water and weed is encountered so frequently and openly it might as well grow on trees. If you are suddenly handed a media pass and told to park your car in camp Mr. Miagi next to complete strangers, like I was, you might want to know a couple things in advance:
1) Be open. People are extremely friendly and everyone will talk to you. It is awesome.
2) Bring these items:
Weed (although if you sneeze, someone will pass you grass)
Beer (in cans—no glass allowed)
Tent
Sleeping bag
Sunscreen
Food (also bring a grill or a camping stove if you want to prepare any of it)
Water (there is actually water in Centeroo but sometimes it runs out)
Ice (you can refill it but it is price-y)
A cooler (that beer gets warm!)
Something to sit on, like a chair or a blanket
Something caffeinated (more on this in a second)
Baby wipes (showers are few and far between)
Hand sanitizer (those porta potties get dirty)
Toilet paper (those porta potties also run out of T.P. fast!)
Lighter (this is the best way to make friends quickly)
Camelbak backpack (not essential but it sure makes hydration easier)
Camera (you can get close to those artists you love)
Rain poncho and boots (it starts to look like Woodstock after awhile)
Full tank of gas (you will idle in line to get in)
3) Buy your food beforehand.Unlike Burning Man, you can buy many of the above essential items once at the festival, including delicious food. However, like most concert events, the price of everything is way more expensive than stopping at the local Walmart beforehand.
4) Be prepared to get exhausted. Bonnaroo has a grueling schedule. Each day is jam packed with thirty or so amazing musicians and comedians performing sets that last anywhere from one hour to three-and-a-half hours (Bruce Springsteen can really rock out when he wants to) at seven or so different tents. This does not include the Bonnaroo cinema (which plays gems like Teen Wolf and hosts Lebowski Fests), the Silent Disco, the Ferris wheel or the assorted eco-friendly stands and merchandise geared to becoming a hippy on the spot. This is why, if you want to do and see everything at Bonnaroo, you might have to do drugs. Or take caffeine pills. Or power nap. I tried to go the Red Bull route but unfortunately this made me sick right before the 2:15am act I was most looking forward to (MGMT) and I had to pass out in a sea of nausea in my tent instead. I'm not really sure what the best solution is to this insane schedule but it is definitely something to ponder strategically beforehand.
5) Be prepared for security checks. Luckily, the good people of Bonnaroo realize that the success of their festival largely depends upon the intake of substances, so the pat downs are more performative than functional, but you will have your backpack searched every time you enter Centeroo.
Okay, that's it for the practical advice. Now for the musical coverage (please be forgiving to a novice journalist). I thought I would divide the coverage up into days. This is what I managed to see in between Red Bull fiascoes, heat sickness, unfortunate boxed wine and frequent trips to the Johnny-on-the-spots:
THURSDAY:
I arrived late in the day. By the time I made my way into camp and set up my tent, I only had time for one act:
1) The Low Anthem. This guy is very mellow with a folk edge. And a good way to ease into the festival vibe.
FRIDAY:
1) St. Vincent. She is lovely. She's like a tiny Sigourney Weaver dishing out sweet melodies and complex arrangements. She also has amazing hair.
2) Comedy set with Janeane Garofalo and Arj Barker. Unfortunately, I don't think comedy works as well as music at Bonnaroo. This is because some of the comics come off as bitter in an environment that is trying to promote free love, man.
3) TV on the Radio. Amazing. These guys know how to rock it. Bonus points to the lead singer for some stylin’ white linen pants, serious dance moves and a blouse that got completely soaked in the sweat he poured during his mission to deliver mind blowing tunes.
4) David Byrne. Outstanding. For two solid hours it was like being in the Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" video. There were dancers doing crazy choreography. David Byrne's voice is as good as it was in the eighties and he played tons of old hits. During the encore, he performed "Burning Down the House" in a white tutu! It was genius.
5) Phish. I never got into the Phish scene during my youth. I was surprised at how stripped down the sound was. However, "Possum" was great, the crowd was fully into it and my concert mate described it best when he said, "Now I can check off getting high at a Phish concert from my list of life goals."
SATURDAY:
1) Jimmy Buffet. I will never forget the experience of waking and baking with Tennessee locals to the sound of the man himself. A surprise guest, Buffet rocked out the hits at noon, including "Cheeseburger in Paradise," a cover of "Brown Eyed Girl," and "Margaritaville."
2) Robin Hitchcock. This Brit is hilarious. He is the epitome of dry, cracked out humor. During a press conference, his response to a line of questioning was "I'm here to eat babies." Dressed in a fluorescent pink shirt, Hitchcock told the crowd that he was glad we were still "young and unhappy" and delivered a set that can best be described as a sliver of the most hallucinogenic parts of the film "Velvet Goldmine."
3) Bon Iver. High pitched and poignant, Bon Iver captured the crowd with falsetto-driven songs that resonated with an emotional core.
4) Jenny Lewis. One of the best examples of indie girl sex appeal, Lewis oozed cool with her sunglasses and thick bangs, delivering relaxed songs with thoughtful lyrics.
5) Wilco. A truly awesome set. Wilco played at the headlining tent and the giant video monitors revealed that Jeff Tweedy has somehow become a man who smiles. It was shocking. The band's musicianship was in top shape as they churned out classics like "Jesus, etc.," “Misunderstood" and "I'm the Man Who Loves You."
6) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I am honestly not sure how Springsteen has the physical capacity to rock as hard as he does. The man knows how to put on a show and truly is the Boss. He also gave my favorite quote of the festival. After heading into the ecstatic crowd, he pulled all of the fans' signs onto the stage, and displayed the weirdest one, a human sized picture of Santa Claus. The Boss looked at the sign and opined, "It's too fucking hot for Santa." The band then began performing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and the sweaty thousands of concertgoers happily sang along even though it was a June night in the middle of sweltering Tennessee.
SUNDAY:
1) A.A. Bondy. After waking up from the aforementioned Red Bull induced loss of consciousness that caused me to miss MGMT, I stumbled over to what might have been my favorite set. Not quite as famous as the other performers, A.A. Bondy had a sort of greenness to him that made all of his songs more raw and personable. When the crowd cheered, you could see on this folk singer's face that he was genuinely shocked to be so well received. It was the most stripped down and human performance that I saw at Bonnaroo.
Well, that's it for Bonnaroo 2009. I had a truly amazing experience that I won't soon forget. I can't wait for next year. I might, however, leave the Red Bull behind.
-Michelle Koh
