This past weekend, approximately 75,000 music enthusiasts ventured onto a beautiful, seven-hundred acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee for one of the premier music festivals in the United States.  Bonnaroo, a word that translates to ‘a really good time,’ is just that; a diverse journey filled with some of the most incredible musical and personal moments a person will ever experience.  Within a four-day span Bonnaroo delivered The Boss, two Phish shows, the last ever Nine Inch Nails show in the United States, dance parties until dawn, and so many more memories that appear as a blur until you look back at the big picture.

Cars from all over the country braved traffic that lasted three to five hours for entry into Bonnaroo.  Torrential downpours swooped in and out as campers raced to set up their tents (a few teepees were also sighted).  Bonnaroo is an entity that bleeds joyous vibes, and unites strangers seemingly by force of proximity.  Thursday at Bonnaroo is partially meant as a day to explore and meet your neighbors for the next four days.  With friendly, jubilant neighbors from Texas and Illinois, on the left and right respectively, we quickly acclimated and assisted each other setting up camp.  This begun a weekend-long synergy between festival-goers in what was definitely the calmest and friendliest environments that I have ever been apart of.  It is all an untold step in the Bonnaroo formula that makes this festival so unique.

Thursday

Thursday’s lineup proved to be somewhat underwhelming, and it appeared as if a vast majority skipped going to Centeroo (main festival area) altogether and stay at camp (in the rain, mind you).  However, there was hope in the lineup as White Rabbits, Portugal. The Man, and Passion Pit were three of the more renowned and talked about acts showcased Thursday.  But if that did fill your pallet, you could graze the mud and grass to find a slew of other attractions to keep anyone going, whether it was to watch the fourth game of the NBA playoffs in the Cinema, enjoy a laugh at the Comedy Tent, or play music trivia in the Fuse Barn.  But the biggest attention grabber was the Silent Disco tent; a tent where anyone outsider could not hear a snip of music.  Once inside the area, every person wore cordless headphones that were on the same channel as the DJ playing, and it was a wild sight and a refreshing experience. 

As far as the performers were concerned, White Rabbits drew an awfully large crowd at This Tent (Yes, they did the old What Stage, Which Stage, That Tent, This Tent, Other Tent, all in descending order of size).  With two enthusiastic drummers, White Rabbits blasted listeners with their mellow indie-rock persona and managing to overcome a few minor technical difficulties.  The crowd was mixed with first-time listeners and fans, and everyone showed their overwhelming support.  In fact, every band I had the chance of seeing had crowds that were exceptionally respectful.  White Rabbits presented a perfect compliment to the varying genres showcased.  After, Portugal. The Man took stage performing at That Tent.  Portugal. The Man has a rather mixed opinion here on Sputnikmusic and their set gave me more insight.  With their electronic-indie rock sound, they were rather soothing and enjoyable, but as they played, their performance became overly flat.  Halfway through their set, they were quickly losing people’s interest.  I wish I had stayed at Silent Disco.

As mentioned before, the Cinema tent was an escape from the music with popcorn ready to go.  Over the weekend they featured movies such as The Dark Knight, live feeds of professional sports like game four of the Lakers-Magic series, and question and answer sessions with Rejected’s very own Don Hertzfeld.  But more importantly than watching the end of a basketball game was catching Passion Pit’s vivaciously joyous electropop.  Passion Pit was Thursday’s headliner at This Tent and they lit up the night along with accompanying lightning and fire (contained flames shooting into the sky next to the stage).  Playing hits like “Little Secrets,” “Make Light,” and “Sleepyhead,” they successfully transformed their distinct album sound into an amazing live show.  At times you would almost think you were playing Sonic the Hedgehog again in the Star Light Zone, but on speed.  Seriously though, Passion Pit were excellent performers and amped the crowd for the weekend ahead, pending rain.

Friday

Early on Friday, the campground was chirping.  Everyone awoke to a blue sky, an optimistic sign for the day ahead.  Dirty Projectors began a slew bands curated by David Byrne whom played on That Stage.   Due to their recent partnership during the Dark Was The Night compilation, it came to no surprise that Dirty Projectors were selected.  Standing tall and confident, Dave Longstreth and Angel Deradoorian took the stage opening with the ever graceful “Two Doves,” fresh off their new album Bitte Orca.  The crowd ate every harmony and riff the Dirty Projectors threw at them, and it helps when Longstreth had the most badass, sinister gaze in his eyes while he shredded.  The way that each member pieced together guitar and vocal sections was quite a sight and they were definitely one of the best performers I had seen all weekend.  After all, when David Byrne joins you to play “Knotty Pine” to close your set, there is something special going on.

Which brings me back to the original mantra from Bonnaroo.  Each step you took in Centeroo you would pass a person with their own unique way of expressing themselves whether it be child-sized wings, war paint, tattoos, or outrageous hats.  Every head turn would be a new face, possibly your Bonnaroo crush or your new friend to bullshit with during any given set.  However, music trumps friends for some, especially for one of the more decorated bands this year, Animal Collective.  Fresh off their critically acclaimed album Merriweather Post Pavilion they wasted no time to bounce into “Lion In A Coma” followed by arguably the two other pristine tracks from MPP, “My Girls” and “Summertime Clothes.”  Their performance can rub off as rather misleading to new listeners as they often strip down essential effects that may take away from the overall sound.  However, St. Vincent hardly had the same problem as she rocked her small crowd with hits such as “Now Now” and “Marrow.”  

And of course St. Vincent showed a little portion of her downright adorable side stating, ‘my secret name is Annie’ as she went along the line introducing each member.  It was the kind of thing that made you warm and fuzzy, just like Grizzly Bear’s boisterous sound.  The Brooklyn-based quartet started what became a trend of late starting times, and for a festival so large with an abundant amount of bands playing so closely together, it later took its toll.  As for Grizzly Bear’s chamber-pop performance, well, it was perfect under the humid, dense air that was bearing down on the This Tent.  They made “Fix It” harder and louder than ever imaginable, while “Fine For Now” and “Ready, Able” were perfectly atoned.  If there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is that Grizzly Bear sound phenomenal live.

Moseying over to the Which Stage, TV On The Radio brought their bombastic sound to life in dramatic fashion.  With a gorgeous tapestry backdrop, which featured what look like a cherry Italian ice with a rainbow stripe on what would be the ‘cup’ (I was drooling at the time), they catered towards a sound that was removed of their heavy album layering.  Playing a solid mix from “Dear Science” and their older albums in what was a pretty well-rounded set including tracks like “Staring At The Sun,” “Wolf Like Me,” “Dancing Choose,” and “Family Tree” standing out.  The lack of true layering from their albums left out an all important detail that became undeniably noticeable.  This set led to the competing acts of the hip-hop/funk Beastie Boys whom rivaled the legendary David Byrne.  The ever-aging Beastie Boys (no offense) held their ground at What Stage, catering to the few thousand that were staking their claim for Phish by playing instrumental tracks.  But it hardly compares to when they play hits like “Sure Shot,” “No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn,” and “Sabotage” or when they brought special guest Nas on stage to perform two tracks off their new album, Hot Sauce Committee.  Unfortunately, the Beastie Boys were hypnotizing enough that I was unable to catch any of David Byrne’s set.  Sorry Dave, maybe next time.

Late night Friday was dynamic.  There were so many options and I stand by my choices.  Walking around people who were passed out next to garbage cans and picnic tables, I made my way over to see Phoenix, who started the dance party that would last until dawn.  Their tracks were the definition of catchy and undeniably enjoyable; the crowd ate up every second of their set.  Whether most of the crowd was running off ecstasy was a distinct possibility, but surely bliss and general euphoria were the causes for this upbringing.  And from there, Public Enemy were about to begin their classic It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, an album Chuck D. and Flavor Flav were not shy about talking about hyping up its greatness.  As the preaching turned to verbal vomit, and “Bring the Noise” and “Don’t Believe the Hype” were already played, I found myself at the worst set of the weekend.  Crystal Castles. 

Apparently they allowed a tone deaf, dying cat to hold a microphone while appearing in mysterious poses on the stage all while crafty, abrasive beats thump in the background.  The singer was just overwhelmingly bad.  Thankfully, the party was not over, as Girl Talk took the stage at 2:30 A.M.  For the next two hours, Gillis managed to mash “Forgot About Dre” and “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” find a place for Aphex Twin’s most badass moment in “Windowlicker” (you know, that last minute of electronic glory), and the classics that he always uses from Daft Punk to Weezer.  Unfortunately, the crowd was having too much fun and unplugged Girl Talk’s laptop on three separate occasions, but that hardly hindered the crowd’s willingness to sing to every downright nasty lyric or ability to dance for two hours straight.  Heading back to camp at 5:00 A.M. Paul Oakenfold apparently went to work overtime until past dawn, which I wish knew happened since I was wired after Girl Talk’s set.  Saturday was strenuous, and Phish and David Byrne were substituted for five other bands, even so, I would still take those five bands over Phish and Byrne any day, even if it included the worst band of the weekend.

Saturday

Opening up Saturday were the Ilo and the Coral Reefer Allstars, which was essentially Jimmy Buffet.  Anytime a crowd starts the day with Jimmy Buffet singing “Brown Eye Girl” and “Margaritaville,” it’s going to be a beautiful day.  But before that set, media were treated to an intimate set by the Low Anthem, a three-member folk/experimental band from Rhode Island that were retro as far as instruments were concerned from a Eb horn to a upright bass.  They were interesting, quiet, and appeared rather shy, but they are also a band who is bound to do something huge in the future.  The Wailing Souls continued the relaxing Saturday vibe at What Stage with their timeless reggae that has been around for nearly thirty years.  As for someone who has been around for less than three years, Bon Iver took the stage at 3:30 to put on a hell of a show.  Not only was the set list perfectly picked, but the dynamics within his set were perfect.  Starting with “Creature Fear” and finishing with Bon Iver including the entire crowd to slowly crescendo the lyrics, ‘what might’ve been lost’ from the second part of “The Wolves (Acts I & II).”  It sent chills down my spine. 

Next, the sight that was Of Montreal came on stage dressed in costumes for their oh-so-bizarre set, which is becoming common, complete with varying masks and dancers.  They sounded fairly good, but the show was not enough to exactly keep me from watching the gregarious Mars Volta.  They started on awkwardly, as ten seconds into “Goliath” the guitar and bass were out of tune with each other.  Cedric essentially made fun of the band the entire time between the issues when a member was off or came in early, or when he quipped ‘This next song is from our first album. According to you guys, we killed it for our first two albums, but all of our other albums suck, so we're going to play this one for you guys. Because we really care what our fans think. You know, we are DJ’s and we take requests.’  The backhanded comment was waived since the song they played was “Drunkship of Lanterns.”  Overall, I think the Mars Volta absolutely slayed, among the set list, their high-octane energy, and blaring sound, they had the crowd glued for an hour and change. 

As the sun set on the Mars Volta set, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were about to get their three hour set ready.  The Boss is a Jersey legend, and his voice is so distinct and powerful backed by outrageously poppy guitar and synth hooks.  After waiting thirty minutes for The Boss to get rolling, Springsteen strolled out defiantly and macho; in fact it was a little ridiculous how much he knew he ruled.  They opened with “Badlands,” and from their good times rolled as Springsteen’s charisma flowed through the crowd.  While there were an abundant amount of filler tracks within the three hour set, he did manage to play “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”?  That’s right, he walked down his personalized set to find members of the crowd with requests written on cardboard and “Santa Claus…” was one of the fortunate ones picked.  This wasn’t to be outdone by his final two songs hits, “Glory Days” and “Dancing in the Dark.”  But after Bruce, many declined to dance in the dark, rather watch what the last show ever in the United States for Nine Inch Nails.  Had more people known, they probably would have stuck around to watch an incredible display of light and pure intensity.  The thing about Nine Inch Nails is their simplicity, yet their ability to sound interesting with every single power chord played.   Trent Reznor was absolutely wired.  They played “Wish” with Sunday’s showstoppers, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and closed with the ever somber “Hurt” at 3:00 A.M.  The walk back to the campsite after Nine Inch Nails' set became the longest walk of my life, but it was worth every step.

Sunday

By Sunday, the graffiti walls were covered with a steady balance of intricate artwork and anti-Kanye West messages (from his ridiculous stint at last years Bonnaroo).  The grass was brown and the mud kept memories of the brave or unfortunate that happened to walk in it.  People were covered in filth and dirt from previous days, avoiding paying five dollars to shower.  The porto potties were ripe (they did clean them every day) and people began packing to head out later that night.  But first, there were a few bands to take care of, the first being perhaps the best showmen all weekend, The Dillinger Escape Plan.  Having dealt with them in years past, they bring more energy and high flying stunts that you can stomach.  Whether it is lead man Greg Puciato walking on your head or Ben Weinman jumping off a stack of amps, there is always a sight to see.  Playing nearly five songs off Calculating Infinity, mix of the two newer albums, and a rare play of Aphex Twin’s “Come To Daddy,” the set was perfectly orchestrated.  Of course there was a little time for a mini-cover of “What Is Love” by Puciato, but other than that, he was usually busy dumping water over the crowds head or even a whole case of water.  They were an unexpected twist to Bonnaroo, but they did their duties as That Tent was strictly metal bands all day, which included but was not limited to Shadows Fall and Coheed and Cambria.

By now, everyone who has heard of Andrew Bird knows his act of looping whistling, violin, guitar, and glockenspiel.  Starting from scratch for each song, he appeared a little distraught as he needed multiple attempts for certain tracks to get the right loops, but it was worthwhile for the mere fact he played “Fake Palindromes,” “Tables and Chairs,” and “Why?”  Lastly, the Coheed and Cambria faithful were out, per usual, to witness an abomination of a set.  They opened strongly with the spine-tingling anthem “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3” but from there it was hardly remarkable.  Playing three covers (two covers made one song) and finishing with a thirty minute jam session of “The Final Cut,” made it a taxing set.  Maybe I’m just bitter that they did not play a single track from Second Stage Turbine Blade yet had the nerve to play “Mother Superior.”  From their set, they left a bad enough taste in my mouth that I completely skipped watching Phish.  But as the sun set, my time at Bonnaroo had ended.  It was time to say my goodbyes and head back to my lovely abode and take the most glorious shower of my life.

Bonnaroo is more than your ordinary music festival.  You live on site; there is no hotel to go back to at a days end, only a tent or car.  It is the type of festival that joins people together from all stretches, backgrounds, and unites them for four days.  Bonnaroo was one of the greatest experiences of my life.  The things that were witnessed, the people met, and the lessons learned were worth the world to me.  One a final note, if any one artist mistakenly described Bonnaroo in a song it would be Andrew Bird in “Tables and Chairs.”

I know we're going to meet some day

in the crumble financial institutions of this land

there will be tables and chairs

there'll be pony rides and dancing bears

there'll even be a band

cause listen, after the fall there will be no more countries

no currencies at all, we're gonna live on our wits

we're gonna throw away survival kits,

trade butterfly-knives for adderal

and that's not all

ooh ooh there will be snacks there will

there will be snacks, there will be snacks

Yes Mr. Bird, there were plenty snacks.

Grizzly Bear, Which Stage, and Bruce Springsteen photos are courtesy of Amber Roussel (link)

Coheed and Cambria and The Dillinger Escape Plan photos are courtesy of Brian Stowell (link)

Special thanks to my partner in crime, Lindsay Sanchez; neighbors Armando, Lisa, Milton, Katherine; four kids from Tallahassee Danny, Mary, Alicia, Kevin; Drew and Pete for the best Bonnaroo ever.

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