Bonnaroo is an annual music festival held in Manchester, Tennessee. The origins of the festival are in jam bands and folk rock, but it's popularity has grown the festival to one of the premier summer music festivals in the world, drawing much larger acts such as Eminem, Metallica, the Black Keys, Jay-Z, Arcade Fire, Red Hot Chili Peppers and this year - Jack White, Kanye West and Elton John. The festival got its name from New Orleans musician Dr. John and his album "Desitively Bonnaroo". It started as a festival dedicated to honoring the rich music tradition of Louisiana - shown today through performances such as a 'Superjam', performed by many different artists of different genres. My first journey was in 2013 (before this blog began) and here is my account of Bonnaroo 2014! Enjoy!
With hopeful anticipation from my readers, IT'S HERE!! THE BONNAROO POST IS FINALLY HERE! IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!! It took much longer than I originally expected with most of my summer being taken up with other travels. But never fear. Bonnaroo 2014's adventures and happenings are still fresh in my mind and I'm stoked to share the funk with y'all!
This year got off to a bit of a rough start but in only the comical way that I could. I needed to go across town to pick up the rental car for the cheap price we got for a week. Anyone in DC knows going from Capitol Hill to Cleveland Park on the Metro at rush hour AIN'T NO JOKE. I needed to get the car by 7pm or else the place would be closed and I would need to go back the next day. There was no time for that since we were leaving for 'Roo the next day. I left work a bit late, was wearing high heels, and ended up sprinting up the Van Ness Metro station escalator, past a Golds Gym and to the Days Inn where I needed to pick up the car. I arrived just as the person at Budget Rent-a-Car was getting in his car (and he wasn't exactly friendly on the phone when I told him I was running a bit late). Sweating profusely and all my breath gone, I asked him if he would help me. What a mess. At the end of the day...WE GOT OUR JEEP! Unlike last year, there were 4 of us going in the DC car to Bonnaroo - me, Becca, her boyfriend Clint and Becca's business partner (and new Bonna-friend) Kate! Figured we needed more than an Elantra this year...
The crew from DC was otherwise pretty similar - Kevin and Aubrie met us at Becca's, along with Kevin's roommate at the time, Tra'Don. I'm not sure where to start when describing Tra'Don - artist, character, legging aficionado sums it up. When I first met Tra'Don, I thought he was joking with me - I can understand since I have a generally humorous demeanor. However, I soon learned that this is Tra'Don 24/7 - perfect Bonnaroo companion.
From the photo above, you can see the Bonna-crew from 2013's Bonnaroo adventure. 2014's adventure was based much upon this group. Kevin and Becca had ventured to Bonnaroo in 2011 and I was convinced that next time the opportunity came around, I would tag along. In 2011, it was just Kevin, his sister Michelle and Becca. 2013 would mean a much bigger crew of about 12. Fellow musical soulmate, Jordan, (a friend from South Carolina) is also an avid Bonnaroo attendee, so he was part of the 2013 crew, along with hometown friend Michael. They invited some friends from Florida, the Engler sisters, whom I would bond with and become besties (honorary Engler sister, Nora). Another South Carolina friend, Steven, joined with his friend Jeff. Bonnaroo 2013 vets Megan and Jeff couldn't make it this year, and more friends Kim and Kate joined.
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| Bonnacrew 2014! |
Bonnaroo 2014 was both an epic music festival and friend reunion - one of my favorite parts about Bonnaroo. It is a time for friends to come together and enjoy great live music, while making memories at the campsite, Silent Disco, among other things. We arrived Wednesday night, as the campsites open Wednesday and the festival begins on Thursday and ends Sunday night. Thursday acts as a day to get your bearings in Centeroo, see some good acts and wander into the wee hours of the morning. I was reunited with my soul sisters, the Englers, and we caught up on life, as I haven't seen either of them since I visited Erika in San Francisco earlier this year. One of the Bonna-crew's favorite bands, The Wild Feathers, were opening the festival so we had to get a move on.
A unique thing about this year's Bonnaroo was that the 2014 World Cup was just getting started as the festival itself began. Bonnaroo had set up a viewing area for people to go watch the games whenever a game of their choice was on - basically a huge projection screen with a field for people to sit out and watch the games. Live music and soccer? IS THIS UTOPIA!? So my USA gear game had to be ON POINT.
Thursday was a chill day of music - The Wild Feathers followed by ZZ Ward. Wild Feathers was the perfect way to start off the festival, with raw alt-country music that a good majority of our group knew. ZZ Ward gave us girls, especially the 'YANGLER' sisters (myself, Krista and Erika) somethin' to jam out about. ZZ Ward has a fabulous soulful voice that goes perfectly with girl power rock songs - perfect for post breakups and such. So we did as any strong women would do and rocked our socks off.
ZZ Ward
Wild Feathers
The rest of the day didn't have any shows I was really into so I took the day to wander aimlessly around Centeroo. Kevin, Tra'Don, Aubrie and I wandered and got a little drunk along the way. Turned out that later in the day, a band named High & Mighty Brass Band was playing at the Christmas Club Barn, which was the only air-conditioned place in Centeroo and Christmas-themed. It had a Brooklyn theme as well, with all Brooklyn beers. High and Mighty Brass Band also happened to be from Brooklyn, and since Tra'Don was the sacred prince of Brooklyn, of course he knew a few of the band members. As you can imagine, the only air-conditioned spot at Bonnaroo proved to be quite a popular place. After a few drinks, I was bold (and annoying) enough to tell the Bonnaroo event staff how I really felt about not letting us in: "YOU JUST LET A WHOLE MESS OF PEOPLE IN AND CAN'T LET US IN?!" Not sure I'll ever live that little number now - Kevin and I still joke about that proclamation of frustration. We finally got in and it was one of the funkiest moments of Bonnaroo. High & Mighty were a New Orleans brass band with a ton of interactive call-and-response. They definitely have the hipster qualities of a Brooklyn band, which gave them a cool twist. And of course, after a long day (nevermind a long weekend) of watching music in the hot sun, air conditioning was a nice change of pace.
High & Mighty Brass Band
Next was some Pusha T for the hip-hop component of the day. They had some good anthem type stuff (THAT'S THAT SHIT I DON'T LIKE!). Afterwards, we made it back to the campsite for some low-key jams. Kevin had his guitar so we had some sing-alongs - we even had some passers-by join the fun. The best was when our campsite neighbor, Sammy Rogers, joined the jam as a musician and it became THE BROKEN COMPASS SOCIETY-SAMMY ROGERS PROJECT.
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| Kevin & I - musical soulmates |
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| Aubrie & I - hippie soulsisters |
Friday was a semi-busy day, and also a big day for USA in soccer. This was USA's first game of the World Cup so the whole crew wore their best USA gear. Unfortunately, I missed the first show of the day that I wanted to see - St. Paul & the Broken Bones - but that's OK since I got to see Vintage Trouble. This rock-and-soul outfit from Los Angeles has a flamboyant singer with a hipster band with a country blues sound. I wrote about them in a previous post, so you have an idea of their fun, bluesy sound - but seeing them at the Bonnaroo Which stage was the unique part. They were one of the earliest shows of the day and they still had everyone jumping - this is quite the feat. Next for me had to be Big Sam's Funky Nation - obviously, anything with the word 'funky' in it had me sold. Turns out Big Sam also plays in New Orleans brass band Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Although muddy and rainy, this was the closest I was able to get to the What stage my entire time at Bonnaroo. Big Sam definitely brought the funk, especially with an encore of Purple Haze. I joined Kevin for a bit of the Wood Brothers and then folks broke off for different shows. Erika, Krista and I went back to the campsite for a bit to eat, rest and prep for Kanye. Later on, the rest of the crew met back at the campsite to get ready to go to Kanye together. The grounds where Bonnaroo is held are in the mountains of southeastern Tennessee. That being said, it can be pretty cold at night, which in 2013 I was completely unprepared for. For the night shows we knew we would need to be prepped with jackets, pants, etc.
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| USA Day!! |
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| Becca, Aubrie and I at Kanye! |
Many of us weren't too psyched for Kanye, as he had a certain reputation at Bonnaroo. In 2008, Kanye was following Pearl Jam at the Which stage. There were a few issues with this - 1. Kanye was NOT on the main stage - second biggest, but that's obviously not good enough for Kanye, and 2. the Bonnaroo crowd is historically more of a Pearl Jam crowd than a Kanye one. When Pearl Jam went over on their set time by half an hour, this displeased Kanye very much. So much so that he delayed his set start time several hours. With so many shows to plan around when attending Bonnaroo, 2008 Bonnaroovians were not happy about this change in schedule. All of this in mind, I was shocked that Bonnaroo had invited him back and moreover, I was surprised he accepted. The accepting, loving hippie crowd at Bonnaroo was not so accepting of this lineup decision. There were more "F**K KANYE" posters than I could count.
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| Well done, sir. Some 'F**K Kanye' swag. |
Nevertheless, we were willing to give him a shot. We weren't expecting much because of the aforementioned so this was our chance to relive our college years with some old school Kanye hits and let loose. Despite his weird Yeezus persona, we were able to do just that. Then Kanye showed his true colors. There was some speculation that Kanye would retaliate against those hatin' on his 2008 antics. And he did. In the middle of one of his '808s and Heartbeats" numbers, he stopped dead and started yelling "WHERE DA PRESS AT?!", inferring that the press had been talking shit about him. As this had absolutely nothing to do with his performance, the audience was rightfully confused. But since everyone was having a good time reliving their college days, they let this one slide. Then came the big one: Kanye proclaiming that he was the "#1 muthaf**ckin' rock star on the planet!" Music fans at Bonnaroo were NOT havin' this. The "F**K KANYE" chants began and the crowd quickly thinned out. I was happy to leave early since the Superjam with Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi and Chaka Khan was next :)
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| Some of the Bonnacrew Silent Discoing - (from left) me, Clint, Becca & Kevin |
This Superjam was the show I was most excited for at Bonnaroo. I knew it would be packed and I knew I would be committing a cardinal sin of concertgoers - pushing to the front of the stage in front of people who had been waiting for hours - but I didn't care. This was the Funk-and-Soul Superjam and I wasn't missing it. The Superjam is a concept started at Bonnaroo, with a group of diverse musicians playing a one-time-only collaborative performance. Often, it is so spontaneous, the artists and audience don't know where the show is going. It is the most anticipated performance at Bonnaroo. This year, the Funk-and-Soul Superjam featured Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi of Tedeschi Trucks Band, Chaka Khan, Eric Krasno of Soulive, Karl Denson, bluesman Taj Mahal, and funkster Nigel Hall. I definitely got some dirty looks as I made my way to the front, but I didn't care - I was on cloud nine. I was among my people - baby boomers. Ready to hear some Sly & the Family Stone covers. I was not disappointed as they played I Want to Take you Higher and Respect Yourself. Chaka Khan stunned everyone with a Led Zeppelin cover. I can't even describe how utopic this show was.
Superjam - Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Saturday was a VERY busy day for everyone - Kevin, Aubrie and I had essentially the same schedule for Saturday so we stuck together most of the day. Since High & Mighty was so awesome on Thursday, we started our day with them. It was extra hot and sunny today - just as Bonnaroo should be. There was a show we were attending just about every hour on Saturday. New Orleans brass sounds were followed by the southern rock of Blackberry Smoke. They all looked like members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and was like the Allman Brothers reincarnated.
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| Besties reunited - Erika and me! |
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| Yangler sisters! - Erika, Krista and me! |
Tedeschi Trucks Band was one of my favorite shows of the day. It was on the large stage and it was another lovely sunny day. A great day for jam band music. We made our way to the What stage and setup, ready to get down. Kevin and I were immediately blown away with Derek Trucks' guitar playing. His wife, Susan Tedeschi, has a wonderful voice reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt and the remainder of the band are fantastic musicians - they are a large but necessarily so band. Simultaneously, I was getting tanner and tanner and my face was sufficiently melted.
Derek Trucks solo
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| Crew at Tedeschi Trucks - (from left) Kevin, Clint, me, Becca, Aubrie |
We had about an hour or so to kill, so we kicked back and rested for a bit. There were lots of bands that our crew were interested in - Cake, Cage the Elephant, Chromeo - but this Bonnaroo had an 'old soul' theme for me. I could not deviate.
The next show I was amped about was John Butler Trio. Kevin had really talked up this show. I liked John Butler Trio fine, but thought he was just a hippie playing acoustic guitar singing about peace and protecting mother earth. Where these things are present in his songs, I had no idea what a talented musician he is. I looked on stage and saw a drumset, a bassist and John Butler with his guitar. The way he manipulated the sound with his pedals, it sounded like there were 3 guitarists on stage - I was looking around, curious where the other guitarists were. Kevin knew exactly what I was doing and just looked at me and nodded his head, as if saying "I KNOW." John Butler starts every show by thanking the native owners of the land the show is taking place upon - a practice that began in his native land of Australia. Every song he played was powerful and fun, but none was more impressive than 'Ocean'. This is a song in which he plays each part of the song by himself - the percussion, the guitar, the change in tempo and volume. The song is so complex it's amazing that he plays it by himself without the assistance of a looper. I left that show with my mouth open in amazement.
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| John Butler Trio |
Ms. Lauryn Hill postponed her show, so we went over to see the Black Cadillacs (and a little of Lionel Richie) as we waited for Jack White. The crew would be meeting up again for Jack White - I liked Jack White from his White Stripes days, but didn't know much of his solo stuff. I had heard great things about his live shows, so I was interested. Started out a bit strange, with Jack White summoning us to look at the moon and how big it was that night, but then it played out to be one of the best shows I saw at 'Roo. Jack White's guitar playing is good, but a little shrill sometimes. His drummer was fantastic and he had some awesome chick musicians in his band, which I'm always game for.
Sunday was a relatively light day for me, so it was just nice to hang out with some of the crew and get my merch shopping done. Got to see a little bit of Lake Street Dive, with their funky country sound. Erika and I even got to do a little sun bathing and watch a little bit of the World Cup - a vacation from an already awesome vacation. We went to see a bit of Capital Cities - I'm normally not a huge fan, but live they are fantastic (obviously - they have a horns section). Kevin even got to play a Broken Compass Society song so he could win some new guitar strings - got himself some new fans. Next up were the Arctic Monkeys on the big stage and scoping out a spot for the final show of 'Roo - Elton freakin' John!
The Yangler (i.e., Engler) sisters and I were going to meet up with the rest of the crew later, as we wanted to catch Amos Lee. We killed some time in the fountain where Krista drew the attention of Vance Joy with her modelesque curves (don't hate me Krista). Of course we would make friends with one of the bands while frolicking in a fountain. I can't hear Vance Joy on the radio without thinking of Bonnaroo.
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| Erika & me at the fountain! |
Amos Lee was playing one of the final shows before Elton John - I thought this might mean he would play an abbreviated show, but this was definitely not the case. Amos Lee has a great band behind him and a great arsenal of songs to choose from. He allowed his band to shine, with the female bassist Annie Clements playing a bluegrass version of 'Single Ladies' and the rhythm guitarist singing a flawless version of 'Thinkin' Bout You' by Frank Ocean. He played the song that always makes me cry, "Keep It Loose, Keep it Tight", and even gave me the best hashtag ever, #sweatyasfuck.
Amos Lee- Windows are Rolled Down
Elton John is a little fuzzy, as by the last show of Bonnaroo, I'm usually half-asleep for most of the set. From the songs I did see, he rocked it as I expected he would.
Overall, a VERY successful and memorable 'Roo. As 2014 was my second year, it was as much about the reunion with friends as it is about the music. I think this is important for me to remember about 'Roo (as well as life in general). I love live music and festivals such as Bonnaroo, but the friends that you share these things with are what really make them special. I won't be attending Bonnaroo 2015 due to some international travel to Paris in April (anyone who knows of any venues in Paris I shouldn't miss, hit me up!) but I am going to do my best to be back on the farm in 2016! Here's to Bonnaroo and the best Bonnacrew I could ask for! :)
