This year a group of my good friends and I decided to man up, shell out a fairly hefty chunk of change and take an RV down to the mecca of all music festivals: Bonnaroo. It began as a fleeting dream back in winter; a seemingly unattainable goal that would only come to fruition if the planets aligned or hell froze over. Despite a bounty of planes, trains and automobiles, Tennessee seemed hopelessly out of reach. However, after months of careful consideration our minds were made up. Destination: Manchester, TN.
The days passed slowly... really slowly. I was convinced June would never come. But, it eventually did, and the excitement was palpable. Clothes, food, beer, a homemade flagpole, a cheap pair of sunglasses, a straw hat and OH MY GOD DID I REMEMBER MY WRISTBAND?! Whew, thank God it didn't get up and walk away in the 20 minutes since I last checked to make sure it was there for the 15th time.
We drove from Kenvil, NJ to Manchester, TN. 821 miles. It's a long way but if I had the opportunity to fly I would turn it down without a doubt in my mind. The experience of Bonnaroo extends beyond the Farm. Driving down Interstate 81 with great friends, the windows down and the warm sun on your face has an intoxicating and profound effect on you. I'll admit I'm pretty sure it will, even if only in a small way, stick with me for a very long time to come.
The drive there went down without a hitch (except for when we left the cargo door of the RV open and almost lost a ton of stuff). About 19 hours and 100-plus games of pusoy dos later we made it safe and sound and set up camp, a Scranton flag serving as our signpost. Not many things can easily erase the wear and tear that an RV drive of that length has on your mind, but the lure of endless music and activities sure does help you muster up the strength to soldier on even in the face of no sleep.
So at about 1PM I slipped on my sandals, threw on some sunblock, filled my backpack with Clif bars and trekked off. It was about a 10 minute walk to Centeroo from our campsite and one of the best walks you'll ever take in your life. Seeing all the different people that congregate for the weekend is staggering and comforting at the same time. Its a little (is 80,000 little?) community of people who want to do nothing other than have a good time. It is a lot of fun to watch the campsites change as the days go on. A group near us brought a blank, tan teepee and by the end of the weekend it was covered in glyphs, witty remarks and humorous graffiti. Another sight to see is the stark orange wall separating the campsites from Centeroo. Over the course of the weekend, patrons are allowed and encouraged to paint artwork onto the wall, and some of the murals are out of this world.
I arrived at the gate, got my bag checked, scanned my wristband and walked through. The energy is awesome. People shuffling to and fro, stages and tents as far as the eye can see, dust (adds a surreal aura to Centeroo when the sun starts to set) and music. Finally, the reason I took the grueling trip to Tennessee was upon me! In the next few days I'd be traveling from (in order of size) What Stage, Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent and The Other Tent seeing some of the best music acts I've ever laid eyes on. I like to think that when a band plays Bonnaroo they pull out all the stops and, it seems to me at least, that every band I watched put on the best show possible.
The first band I saw was Hayes Carll and The Poor Decisions at The Other Tent. They are a "Texas country" band from Austin, TX and they certainly don't disappoint. Songs about playing seedy bars, drinking whiskey and scribbling down philosophical mumbo-jumbo fit in perfectly with the warm Tennessee afternoon and the crowd supported the band with all their might. Being the first relatively main act of the weekend, Carll sauntered up to the microphone and proclaimed "Bonnaroo." The place erupted. "BONNAROO!" the crowd joyously yelled back. It was one of the greatest moments of the weekend.
Later on that evening I saw a spectacular show courtesy of the Band of Skulls. Now, I had never listened to any of their music before (except for the I wanna see you in the mornin' song on some car commercial) but as soon as I got back home I bought their album. Their opening song (watch it here, its so worth it) blew me away and I was grinning ear to ear for the rest of their set. I tried catching some of Sleigh Bells later that night but I'm not a huge fan and the exhaustion of 19 hours on the road finally caught up to me. I fell asleep in the cool grass and dreamt of break lights and card games.
Friday morning at Bonnaroo is a great day. You're a little more comfortable with your surroundings and you still have 3 full days of music ahead of you. I'm currently on a My Morning Jacket binge thanks to their show on Friday night. It was indescribable but I'll do my best a little later. First up on Friday was Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. A truly talented group of musicians playing jazzy bluegrass instrumentals for the soul. If you haven't heard the song Big Country yet then I highly recommend it... its enough to pull at the heartstrings of the coldest of individuals. Between the harmonica, banjo and Vic Wooten's bass, my ears were overwhelmed in the best possible way.
I missed most of Warren Haynes Band because I was on a journey to the "Food Truck Oasis" for lunch. Florence & the Machine was good. Very energetic, and the crowd adored them. When they ended I took the long walk from This Tent to What Stage to catch a band that I tried desperately to become a fan of in the months before Bonnaroo; "My Morning Jacket." I had heard so many good things about this band, energetic, psychedelic, jammy, rocky, you name it. Its like they possess all of the qualities I like in a band. But, for whatever reason I could not for the life of me get into their music. I tried. I tried so hard but all I came away with was a love for "One Big Holiday" and "Easy Morning Rebel." They began playing before I had made my way across Centeroo and I heard Jim James' big, reverby voice from afar. I knew that their live show would be different than their albums so I had hope.
I picked a patch of grass set pretty far back from the stage and I opened my ears and my mind to My Morning Jacket. Then it happened. They played the song that would force me to buy their latest album which would in turn make me absolutely fall in love with every single one of their songs. The song, "Outta My System" hit me like a ton of bricks (watch it here). That song, coupled with the dusty, muggy air and the green lighted "Bonnaroo" above the stage have been some of the first things that I recall when I look back on the weekend. I solemnly realized during the MMJ show that my friends and I were in the midst of forming some of the happiest memories of our lives so far. Looking back on the rest of the show, I know it was amazing but, seeing as I didn't know most of the songs, I can much more easily recall it as a whole rather than specific moments. And, although I would love to have had my affinity for MMJ that I do now back then I can confidently say that it did not detract much from the experience.
End part one. Look for part two coming in the next week or so.
Enjoy!
-Tommy
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