Stepping lively from the mobile showers back into the mud and the mire of the campground, I was careful not to splash stagnant puddle water onto anything other than my polka dotted galoshes. As the fresh Tennessee air filled my lungs, I noticed a light fog weaving between the stretches of tents and cars. Everything was a strange shade of gray and blue and I wondered, “why is it so light outside?” This thought manifested itself verbally and from within the showers someone called out, “the sun is coming up”.
I could hear the melodic sounds of moe., hundreds of yards away, but weren’t they set to leave the stage at 3? Was it really this late, or rather, this early? I began the sleepy, stumbling journey to my sleeping bag and accepted the elements at work. The fatigue my body was experiencing bore no weight on my mind as I continued to take in the uncounted sensory details of Bonnaroo.
The swirling creative Mecca known as Bonnaroo began in 2002 as a festival catering to the jam band set. Now, wrapping up its eighth year with a diverse line up featuring soul singer Al Green, industrial band Nine Inch Nails, country legend Merle Haggard and topped off with rock superstar Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as headlining acts, Bonnaroo has grown to appeal to an audience that spans cultures and generations.
If you get tired of drifting from tent to stage trying to catch a glimpse of an up and coming act or a full set by an old favorite, there’s an air conditioned, 24-hour, theatre tent, Ferris wheel, hair salon and a “silent disco” where everyone listens to the same music via headphones and dances in what appears to be total silence. If that’s not enough, there’s also a plethora of shops and booths to indulge in.
Aside from the attractions, I found myself thoroughly entertained simply watching the crowds. I envied the confidence of a few young women strolling around topless, covered in paint. I enjoyed playing Frisbee with total strangers whose names I would never catch and taking a nap on the lawn of the What stage only to wake up and find a less than sober individual helping themselves to my extra blanket space. I laughed when I saw the Canadian flag featuring a pot leaf instead of the usual maple along with an endless array of khaki shorts, bathing suits, aviator sunglasses and various hat styles people sported. There were no specific cliques or posses, but in a crowd of thousands every individual had their own piece of the scene.
It was extremely difficult to pinpoint a favorite band. Among the lesser known musicians, I found Katzenjammer and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals to be two incredibly talented groups. Prior to my Bonnaroo experience, I had never heard of Katzenjammer, an all-girl folk band from Norway. You couldn’t say they had a “chick singer” or a “chick drummer” as every girl rotated vocals, drums, mandolin, banjo, kazoo, keys, balalaika bass and trumpet between songs. I’m not entirely sure how folk singers from Norway wound up in Manchester, Tennessee but I took in every note.
This wasn’t the first time Grace Potter and the Nocturnals rocked my world. I saw them open for Government Mule at the Tabernacle in Atlanta in 2007. I’ve seen them several times since and they have become a staple at festivals around the country.
Whether Grace is behind her Hammond B-3 organ, strumming her Flying V or shaking the tambourine while belting out phenomenal bluesy lyrics, she’s undoubtedly on top of every performance. Matt Burr is a charismatic drummer, and Scott Tournet is an unstoppable force on lead guitar. Catherine Popper and Benny Yurco, the two newest additions to the Nocturnals, also put on a soulful performance without missing a beat. From the first track of their first album, to the tracks played during live sets off their forthcoming third album, this band has never ceased to amaze me.
Sandwiched somewhere between up and coming acts and long time major performers, I feel an honorable mention should go out to thrash band Shadows Fall. Vocalist Brian Fair was by far the most unique person I laid eyes on, with dread locks dangling a mere three inches from the ground. Not to mention the enthralling force of metal they so awesomely bestowed upon my ears. I was blown away.
Of the more mainstream acts I saw, my favorite acts were David Byrne, former Taking Heads front man on Friday night and Nine Inch Nails on Saturday night.
David Byrne is one of my biggest influences. I was excited that his set was a mix of Talking Heads favorites and his solo work. Byrne, his band and his dancers captivated the audience in an all white ensemble. I was surprised that every dancer, including David Byrne, adorned white tutus for the last song, which was appropriately enough, “Burning Down The House”.
The following evening my senses were conquered by the cutting edge sounds and non-stop strobe lighting of Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor is a huge voice for digital file sharing and has worked with artists ranging from Notorious B.I.G to Marilyn Manson. Every song was bursting with energy and at one point during the show my eyes were able to focus long enough to see an older woman with flowing white hair dancing to the beat. Later on in the set, Dillinger Escape Plan joined them, sharing the stage and sounded fantastic doing it.
It’s impossible to drink in every facet of Bonnaroo. Every June on a 500 acre farm in central Tennessee a small city is set up and taken down in a week. Never sleeping, it’s a constant stream of movers, shakers and comedians, old and young, artists and vendors alike.
Walking back to my campsite on the second to last row by the last shady tree, I was 200 miles from my real bed in the normal house which contains my real life, but as I made my way through the morning fog past the sea of tents, I felt strangely at home in the bustling metropolis of Bonnaroo.