If you do not want to take the time to read this whole article, there are two ways for you to read the most relevant information. First, I broke down each day by the individual performances. While I focused primarily on the musical aspects of the festival, I did try to include most of the major experiences from the event. I thought that you would find it interesting, whether you have been to Bonnaroo in the past or not. Having just returned from my first trip to Manchester, I can say that everyone’s experience will be unique.

Second, I included some great features in another segment of the article that sum up my feelings of the festival. If you are short on time, you might want to check that out first and get a quick feel of my general observations and then pop back up to hit the most relevant sections.

You’ll notice the playlist above. I tried to do something different with this piece – a sort of multimedia project. Consider the playlist a soundtrack, an audio component to help you through the visual component below. It should help you get a better feel for what I’m talking about. Hopefully, you will also discover a musician that you were not previously familiar with.

Ok, so let’s get on with it…

Thursday

As I was saying, I did not concentrate on the non-musical aspects of Bonnaroo. My lovely wife, Diana, has taken it upon herself to write a full article about the wonderful other things to do at Bonnaroo - and there are many. Nevertheless, it’s very difficult to write about my experience in Manchester, TN without mentioning any of them. For instance, it didn’t take long for me to experience the community environment of Bonnaroo. I arrived down in Nashville on my own, a few hours ahead of Diana, with most of the luggage, including the tent, our 10×10 canopy, our tarp, our sleeping bag and most of the other equipment that we had collected in preparation for our first festival camping experience.

To say this all added up to a heavy load is an understatement. I was carrying a heavy backpack, a huge duffle that was overweight and I had to pay extra to get on the plane, as well as a box packed with our new tent.

When I arrived to the airport, I hustled down to the rental car company and got my car, drove over to the radio station where I was picking up my ticket, and then got to the traffic line, which was grossly overestimated by the Bonnaroo message boards. I found the traffic to be annoying, but I was not in traffic for very long. Maybe people feel like they wait in line for an excessive amount of time, but I have to imagine that I was coming more or less in primetime on Thursday afternoon. It was just as bands had started playing and I can’t imagine a busier time when people would come, maybe a little earlier or Friday morning - I don’t know. I think they do a pretty good job considering the types of streets that are there.

I asked everyone who worked there about the camping only section, because I’d heard all about the BFE (Bum F**k Egypt) and I wanted our campgrounds to be close to Centeroo, so I could get to and from my campsite easily to get equipment throughout the days, as well to have the freedom of accessibility. I arrived at the campground and, while waiting in line for a while, asked about the tent-only section. The Bonnaroo staff did not seem to know anything useful to tell me and did not give me many helpful answers. I didn’t know what to do, so I parked the car. I saw everyone pulling out his or her tents and I smelt horse manure. I quickly realized this was not going to be the place for us to camp. Looking to the left, there were horses less than 50 yards away, the grass was about two feet high and I already heard that ticks at Bonnaroo could be a problem.

I piled everything up and started pulling. And it was hot. It was extremely hot and humid. If there’s one type of weather that I do not like it is hot and humid weather. I could live in cold snow forever, but hot humidity is not for me. And I was sweating - I was sweating a lot. And I was pulling my suitcase with the tent twisted under the handles, and the suitcase kept tumbling over and it was not pulling well in the gravel.

After asking numerous staff members where I should go, one directed me to an info booth. Someone there told me that, although he wasn’t supposed to do this, I could leave my stuff and walk over to the camp-only section to see if there was open space and then walk back to get my stuff. I asked if they could radio over, but their walkie-talkies were registered only to communicate with other walkie-talkie in that zone, otherwise the lines cross. After asking if there was some sort of shuttle, someone mentioned that golf cart taxis drive around and if I could afford the $5 fare, it is a very good option.

When the cab dropped me off, I looked around for a spot. I did not want a spot too close to the outside because I didn’t want to tempt any lurkers. I found a nice empty spot, inside a little, where there was a nice patch. As soon as I threw down my stuff and started to unload my gear, two girls walked over to say “hi.” This was a new tent, so I wasn’t exactly 100% sure that I knew what I was doing. I had a tent when I was younger and I’ve spent summers camping, but it’s been a long time. I think I have everything figured out and I’m now onto my stakes. I was using this imitation Leatherman that I bought off a guy on the street in NYC for (I believe) $1, so it is not exactly the most durable piece of equipment to hammer in my stakes. One of the girls came over and offered me some water and a mallet. She quickly helped me finish the set up. I thought I was done, as I was planning to set up the canopy when Diana arrived down there later at night.

Next thing I know, I’m the foreman, reading out instructions to three other people (the two girls and one guy, who I met when I first walked into the area), who were helping me build my canopy. There were literally, at least, fifty individual rods and joints. We had a great system going on and we had the whole thing set up within ten or fifteen minutes. I was able to set up the inside of the tent, get the sleeping bag out along the bottom, take out the blanket and the pillows, so everything was finished when Di arrived later in the evening. It was just great. I couldn’t believe they were there to help me like that.

Ten minutes later, that guy, Jeremy, offered me a beer, which I gratefully accepted. A short time later, I walked into Centeroo with Jeremy and his girlfriend Nicole. We became good friends over the weekend and I’m already looking forward to the next opportunity to hit up a festival together. I am actually hoping to crash on Jeremy’s couch some time when I visit San Diego.

I learned within my first few minutes that the spirit of Bonnaroo is all about working together, helping each other, following in what’s been successful in other people’s endeavors … This applies to the artists and musicians, but also to the fans and festivalgoers. What makes Bonnaroo special is that not only do we have the opportunity to see amazing collaborations, guest appearances, covers and other once-in-a-lifetime musical pieces but as an attendee, you also experience an environment very different from your normal concert.

I can see that people have changed over the years. This is my first time attending Bonnaroo, and I witnessed some things that, to be honest, made me feel sorry for people. But overall I had a sense of community and a sense, of caring that I found was very unique to the Bonnaroo community and something that really doesn’t exist elsewhere.

MGMT:

I have to say that MGMT surprised me in that their sound was not what I was expecting. Based on the singles “Time to Pretend” and “Kids”, I was thinking that I was going to see an electro-rock or some sort of dance-party rock band. I had also heard a few of the other songs, including “Electric Feel,” so I should have known better. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised with the band’s blend of new wave, classic and psychedelic rock.

Overall, MGMT live is much more dramatic than I expected. I even felt a touch of Led Zeppelin (or other ‘60s rock) in the mix. On Thursday, the two biggest stages do not carry acts, so this was the main stage for the evening and the crowd was huge. MGMT carried the “headlining” This Tent, like they belonged there. The highlights of the show for me were the aforementioned songs, particularly “Time to Pretend” and the immediately succeeding “Electric Feel.”

They finished off the set with the climactic “Kids.” It was a bit strange that only two of them were on stage, singing over an instrumental version of the song. The majority of the crowd was into it and going off. People bounced around with their arms in the air and, for the first time, I really felt a party vibe. The set ended with the throng of people clapping in thunderous unison to the beat, before a giant eruption of applause.

Personally, I think “Kids” could have been even more powerful with the full band. I think those who are particularly into music and are familiar with MGMT were somewhat put-off by this move. For example, a member of a band that I spoke with later in the weekend mentioned how arrogant this came off to him.

Battles:

After such a raucous ending to MGMT, the crowd was hungry for more music. This crowd built to an even larger size than for MGMT and my guess is that it is the largest for which they’ve ever played. It is a real shame that Battles took their time getting started, finally playing their first notes over 20 minutes later than scheduled. The sound check (which also began late) must have lasted 15 minutes.

Battles’ sound may redefine what we know as experimental music. It sounded as if they were messing around onstage with their instruments, playing with knobs on the keyboards and the amplifiers, but they turned these noises into a grooving tune, which finally almost 30 minutes after the scheduled set time, set the crowd off.

I did my best to get into the set and, for the most part, I succeeded. Unfortunately, at times they sounded a bit messy and all over the place. Too often a song seemed anticlimactic, as it would build and build, until we were all waiting for the release and then it just would not go off. Strangely, after we all felt deflated, there would be a twist and the song would pick up, becoming more fun.

Battles is definitely a bit different live than on record. I sensed way more freeform jazz influences than I was expecting. In one song in particular, the drummer kept a super tight jazz beat, but the tune was heavy. In fact, I might even go so far as to say that the band is heavy rock. That might be partially due to the drummer’s past work with the classic hard rock band Helmet.

Overall, I did enjoy the set (though I think it is difficult to find sets at a festival like Bonnaroo that I wouldn’t). I just felt that it was sloppy at places. I think they had some serious technical issues as well, which might also help explain the late start. I took off a bit early, although it was only to see someone else and not because I was not into the music – and, in the end, I have to say that I’m confident that I made the right decision.

K’Naan:

I wish that if I was to simply say “wow” and “check this dude out,” it would sufficiently express how I feel about K’Naan because I feel like anything else I write just won’t do this performance justice. I can’t say that I was well versed in K’Naan’s material before heading down to Manchester. I had heard a couple of his songs on the net and was aware of his basic background (e.g., the fact that K’Naan is originally from Somalia, but resides in Toronto) and that he won the Juno last year (for those of you unversed in Canadian awards, the Juno is equivalent to what we call a Grammy).

I felt a bit awkward bringing my new friends over to the Troo Music Lounge, because I just did not know what to expect and we were going to be leaving the performance of Battles, a hot band (although giving a not-so-hot performance). You know what they say: “You only have once chance to make a good impression with your music picking skills” and I didn’t want to lose all decision-making power for the weekend before my wife even arrived! Regardless, they thought the description I gave of the man sounded up their alley and were down to join me.

Wow!!! (There I said it anyway.) Did he have the Troo Music Lounge bumping?! He turned the Lounge into a straight-up party. K’Naan’s performance was as impressive as any other artist’s that I witnessed during all of Bonnaroo. All of you who were there know what I’m talking about and I’m sure for you, he was also one of your top artists of the fest (if not your #1 overall). Those of you who were at Bonnaroo, but did not get to the Lounge Friday night, try to imagine the tiny tent packed in like a basement house party. The standing room was thin and folks were dancing on top of chairs, tables and anything else they could find. No matter how you look at it, everyone in the room was having a blast.

However, don’t get me wrong. K’Naan is a serious musician and his musical skills on showcase were extremely impressive. While we were in the midst of a party, the live show unquestionably had an incredibly positive vibe. K’Naan’s voice is smooth, yet powerful. Musically, he is somewhat comparable to K-Os (a better known Toronto hip hop artist), although he doesn’t sing as much, has less of a funk and reggae influence and more frequently shows off his poetry proficiency.

As this was my first time at Bonnaroo, every time I approached a different stage area, it was a first. Thus, this was my first time in the Lounge. As crazy of a party as K’Naan threw, I naturally thought that the tent was always that packed. It wasn’t until later in the festival (the next afternoon) that I realized just how insane it was for the set. It turned out that many of those getting down were fans from Canada, who I assume were already well versed in K’Naan’s music. Still, it was readily apparent that everyone else in the tent was utterly impressed.

K’Naan performed alongside three other musicians, including a guitarist and a DJ/vocalist, although they used other instruments throughout the night. Then he presented some of the songs with only the crowd as his backing instrument, singing a cappella over the screaming crowd, to the clapping hands as his beat.

K’Naan’s performance absolutely blew my mind. He definitely deserved an opportunity to showcase his skills on a bigger stage. I have no doubt that the next time he performs in Manchester, he will have it.

I am not sure if there was one song that stood out as better than the others. However, he did pull out a song that he wrote at 4:00 am the previous morning, two hours before leaving for the airport to head down to the festival. This Bonnaroo exclusive was still untitled and raw. Regardless, he had the entire place singing along to the hook. They are not exactly the easiest lyrics to write or, certainly, to learn on the spot. Yet, the whole crowd was singing along with him within a couple of minutes.

If any man who knows a thing, knows he knows not a damn, damn thing at all.
And every time I felt the hurtin’, I felt the kick keeping me up off the wall.
I’m just gonna take a minute and let it ride.
I’m just gonna take a minute and let it be.
I’m just gonna take minute…

Vampire Weekend:

I can’t say that I’m the biggest Vampire Weekend fan at Consequence of Sound (I was not one of those who voted for their album as my #1 of the first half of 2008.) I think their music is catchy and I was very interested in catching their performance. However, soon after they started their set, my wife called to tell me that she was arriving to the grounds. Thus, I was off to meet her.

I thought the first couple of songs sounded great and the rest sounded good from afar. It was a bit odd trying to listen to the concert from a distance, as the poppy world beat rock was only slightly louder than the thousands of girls’ screams.

The shuttle dropped her off by the entrance to VIP camping and, of course, I thought that was right by our entrance – I mean, how big could this place really be? I told her to start walking towards the giant rainbow (the main entrance) and I would come find her. I waited for a good ten or fifteen minutes before growing a little concerned. I waved down a dude driving by on a golf cart and asked if he saw a 5’3” blonde, pulling a bag. Obviously, he was like, “I don’t know man. There are a lot of girls here.” Good point.

So I start walking to the right, real slowly, as the crowd has built up to quite a large size. I figure it shouldn’t be too difficult to find her, as she would be the one struggling with a large backpack. I stand to the side of the road as another golf cart taxi zooms by. Wait a second. There she is, sitting on the back, shooting the s**t with some guy. I start sprinting after her, waving my arms. At this point, I’m cracking up because she is caught up in a conversation and does not see me at all. I hop on the back of the cart, startling her and everyone else on board.

Lez Zeppelin:

After showing Di our fully set-up campsite (with canopy!) and dropping off her gear inside the tent, she quickly changed out of her airplane outfit. We set forth towards Centeroo together for the first time. First stop, food. Then we turned to head towards That Tent to check out Lez Zeppelin.

Their set was absolutely unforgettable. I had heard some good things about the group, but it is hard to take a cover band seriously without seeing them with my own eyes and ears. I did have a blast a few years ago at a Mr. Brownstone (fronted by Sean Greenhalgh, the drummer for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) show up in Boston (before the real Axl Rose started touring again), so I certainly knew the power of a good cover show. Nothing could have fully prepared me for what I was about to witness.

While I can only imagine, it genuinely seemed like we were watching Robert Plant & Co. reborn in the female form. Sarah McLellan’s far-reaching vocal chords blessed her with a fabulous voice and the wails, screams, and digs were right on. Her howl during “Communication Breakdown” gave me chills, straight down my spine. Not only did her voice sound impeccable, but as McLellan moved around the stage, her presence was reminiscent of a young Plant with the poses down and all. Of course, the band would not have been impressive if the music wasn’t so amazing as well. The songs sounded crisp and sharp, the covers pristine, with the jams and sound effects played at the exact spots that they should (e.g., “Whole Lotta Love”).

As you would expect with any great festival performance, the crowd grew as the set progressed, literally up until the final notes of the last song. This was my first time witnessing such a feat at Bonnaroo. K’Naan netted a crowd and if people walked into the tent, they would not leave. However, Lez Zeppelin’s music was so powerful, it could be heard from a great distance and collected stragglers walking around Centeroo.

The band had pumped the rambunctious crowd with adrenaline and there was a loud groan of disappointment when the ladies finished their set. Soon we were all chanting for more and, fortunately, they did not disappoint. They returned to the stage with a thunderous encore. I swear, we all forgot that we were not watching an iconic rock band. After the set, they came back out one more time for a bow and the crowd ate it up.

Sure, as I was saying above, a cover band might not impress some people, but this one sure had me on this particular evening. If anyone sounds similar to Zep it is incredibly impressive, but when it is a female singer? Then it is just outrageous! If you don’t believe me, then please go check them out for yourself…or check out some of the videos. I could be wrong, but I do not believe that I have ever seen an encore for a cover band…and, really, that should speak enough. This did not seem like a planned encore (which I think is one of the worst traditions in music today, but more on this on another occasion). Rather, the crowd would not let them leave without coming back out for more.

Like MGMT and Battles, my guess is this was the biggest crowd for which they ever rocked out. I felt like I was saying that a lot over the weekend and there is no way I could be right every time. Well, maybe…

This truly was a great way to end the evening. I can’t say that I wasn’t disappointed that Di did not have the opportunity to see K’Naan, but this was just the beginning of a long festival and there were plenty more performances to come.

Friday

Ah, the wonderful Tennessean weather. There is nothing like waking up to the rays of a humid sun, piercing through the thin walls of a tent. That alarm clock I picked up at Rite Aid – what a waste!

Before our trip, Di and I spent some time perusing the Bonnaroo and Inforoo message boards to get a feel for the scene. It seemed like the majority of the people skipped out on the showers for the whole festival, something that sounded absolutely nauseating to us. We did not want to pay $7 a day to shower, but if the alternative was not cleaning ourselves at all, it seemed well worth it.

Thus, we gathered our toiletries and trekked down to the showers. The line was already long enough that I decided to “bathe” in the sink. That line was much quicker and I could wash my hair, brush my teeth and, at least, clean some of my body. If I only knew, I was about to form a terrible habit and join a very stinky club.

Oh well, I had things to do and places to be. Media Orientation was at 11:30 and I was meeting up with the Postelles beforehand at the Troo Music Lounge for my first interview of the weekend. When I arrived at the Lounge, I met the guys, who were still setting up their equipment. I had the opportunity to chat with John, the group’s bassist. He’s a great guy and has one of the best laughs I have ever heard. Thankfully, he was not afraid to show it off during the interview. In fact, they are all incredibly friendly and funny guys, as you can tell from the clip. I’m looking forward to catching up with them whenever they come through my town.

Afterwards, thanks to some terrible directions, I spent a good 40 minutes trying to find the press area and missed most of the orientation. I did find complimentary food and water, so I piled some grub on a plate (to the disgust of some girl behind me) and shot back to the Lounge to watch the Postelles perform.

The Postelles:

This was the perfect way to start the day. The Postelles played an energized set and really rocked the tent, undoubtedly gaining new fans along the way. You know how the clean, crisp smell from a new bar of soap or the aroma from a freshly brewed pot of coffee can kick-start your day? Well, I did use a little soap, but I didn’t need any coffee on Friday. I replaced any caffeine that I needed with an early set of the Postelles.

There was a large crowd squeezed under the shelter, but most had been sitting and clapping along with the music. As the set progressed, the cozy Troo Music Lounge woke up and was hopping. The set went off. They built the tempo of the set up to a climactic, dancing finale with “Stella” and “123 Stop”, the single produced by the Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. Everyone, now standing and grooving to the music, was smiling and having a great time. People who never heard the band were definitely into the set.

Afterwards, the Postelles seemed proud of the show with good reason. I think they originally would have preferred to have a later set time, but were really pleased with the way it went. Besides, less competition certainly couldn’t have hurt them. Later in the weekend, I stopped by the Lala Music Store in Centeroo and there was only one copy Postelles’ EP left. I am sure it didn’t last long.

Once again, I thought the Lounge always brought the party. It was not until later in the day when I stopped in quickly to see who was playing, that I saw people chilling out and listening to music. In fact, I think the idea behind the lounge was to give people a sheltered area with an opportunity to check out some music, while relaxing with a drink. The Postelles and K’Naan had other ideas.

José González:

Next, we walked over to This Tent to catch José González, who played a wonderful, laid-back set. This chill vibe was a perfect way for our bodies relax and adjust to the brutal Tennessee heat. The sounds emanated from González’s voice box is so unique and soothing – so different from any other voice than I’ve ever heard. His voice reminded me why it was so perfect with the trip hop group, Zero 7. They could produce an eclectic range of beats, varying from danceable to completely laid-back, while José smoothly glided over the rhythms, gently touching the music with harmonies. He fully relaxed us and this was probably the best place at Bonnaroo to take a nap, but we did not want to miss any of the beautiful music.

I had forgotten how proficient of a guitar player we were going witness. He must have had some heavy training in classical guitar because his fingers move so eloquently that the music seems to flow effortlessly. His guitar work in the song “Crosses” truly impressed me and this is when I started to understand how gifted of a musician and performer José González truly is on his own.

The highlight of the set was hands-down, José’s rendition of “Teardrops,” a cover of Massive Attack’s classic tune (featured on his 2007 album In Our Nature). I love how different from the original it sounds, while keeping the overall feel and melodies. We were very impressed.

Well, I suppose every musical festival will take the devoted music fan and leave him or her with some seriously hefty decisions. While I can spend an endless amount of time, tediously working on a schedule to try to squeeze in all of the “must-sees,” sometimes there is just not much I can do but compromise. I have serious issues with how the Bonnaroo organizers plan the schedule, but I will save that for later in a more appropriate section.

For now, suffice it to say, this point on Friday was probably the biggest conflict time of the festival for me. This left me with the choice between Tegan & Sara or Stephen Marley. While I didn’t come to Bonnaroo for any single artist and there were many on the bill that I would pay to see on their own, there are few that I would see over either of these acts (I’d put Against Me!, Sigur Rós, Talib Kweli, and a couple of others up in those ranks). I decided that I would try to do both, catch the beginning of Tegan & Sara, before hustling over to see most of Marley.

Tegan & Sara:

The crowd erupted with noise when the sisters arrived on the stage. As they started into the first song, it was clear that the crowd knew more words to these songs than any other artist that I’d seen yet at the festival. In fact, I would even go as far to say that the crowd knew more of the words to the songs than for any other similar-sized artists at Bonnaroo.

Unfortunately, there were major technical issues that put a damper on the vibe of the set. Tegan (I think) could not hear her voice through the monitor. Even worse (from the crowd’s point of view), something was off with the amp settings. As a result, I think the levels were not balanced correctly and the music did not sound quite as rich as it should. Something just didn’t sound “right”. The music was still catchy as hell and the four of us (Jeremy and Nicole met us for the set) sang along with the rest of the crowd. There is something so unique about the Quins’ blend of pop, folk and rock (with a tinge of punk) music that results in an ultra-satisfying combination of music bliss.

Finally, after about three or four songs into the set, the sound technician seemed to fix some of the issues and everything started to come together. The twins charmed the crowd with their usual witty banter, even bringing up the time that their mom chased Sara (who was “under the influence” at the time) around with a broom.

I was very tempted to stay and enjoy the rest of the set, but I also wanted to see Marley – so we took off and hustled down to the What Stage. I felt satisfied in that we stayed for 30-35 minutes and heard a number of great songs, including “Walking With a Ghost” (the song the White Stripes covered a few years back on an EP), “Back In Your Head” and “The Con.” They really are just so good.

Stephen Marley:

When we arrived at the main stage area, we each picked up a beer and quickly discovered the convenient pit-access point. Bonnaroo developed a rather nice pit that keeps it as a separated area from the rest of the lawn. For the headliners, fans form a line and then before the artist takes the stage, security lets a certain number of people into the fenced in zone. This allows the front from becoming overly crowded and dangerous, yet gives those dedicated enough to wait for a spot an opportunity to see their favorite acts up close. However, early in the day, the front actually remains relatively roomy and there is never a line, which is great for people like us. The four of us entered the pit area, giving us a better view of the show and more space to dance.

In my opinion, there is not much better music to get down to on a steamy day than some smooth reggae and I was amped up for Stephen Marley. I had already seen him a couple of times since his solo debut, Mind Control, dropped last spring and I was well aware of the great show that I was about to witness. It was certainly going to be interesting to see it on such a large stage.

Personally, I love his album – even more than the excellent and much more popular Damian Marley album (of course, that is mostly due to the mega-hit single, “Welcome to Jamrock”), which I also rather enjoy. It is extremely chill and the songs deal with protestation and fighting for your rights, reminding me much of another Marley’s music – Stephen’s father, the great Bob Marley. Yet, at the same time, the album is in no way a throwback. It is a piece of modern music, encapsulating this era’s beats and hip hop feel. It is one of those albums that is good on just about any occasion. More importantly, it translates over extremely well to the live show.

We heard most of my favorite songs off the album (only missing out on “Inna da Red” and maybe one other track). If I had one complaint, it was only that Marley’s set was extremely cover heavy. Of course, you can’t argue with an artist playing to the crowd – and the crowd was definitely getting down to the songs of Bob. As far as wanting Stephen to focus on his own music, it was quite apparent that I was in the minority. I’m sure most of the people were not even familiar with Mind Control. They should all do themselves favors and pick it up.

Regardless, Marley’s voice sounded wonderful. Stirring up a party off What Stage, he handled his fathers’ tunes flawlessly. I swear that if you didn’t know any better (or had something to help you not know any better), it wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world to confuse Stephen for his father. His voice is so perfect and he clearly has a physical resemblance – not identical by any means, but close enough to dupe some of the hippies.

Marley is a great performer and, overall, this was a very enjoyable set. Each member of his band seemed like a great musician, although the set did not feature any crazy, technical solos and none had the opportunity to show off super skills. His son, Jeremiah, joined him on the stage, waving his flag. This was Stephen’s job with his father back in the day, so it is only appropriate he passes it on. As always, it was fun to watch the Marley backup singers dance. They break it down like no other backup singers that I have ever seen.

As I already stated, the covers were wonderful. My personal favorite of these was his moving take on “Redemption Song,” which was not the full song, but a modern update mixed in with modern beats and rhythms. It is hard to pick out the crowd’s favorite, but it might have been “Buffalo Soldier.” Stephen’s rendition forced even the laziest of the fans to stand up, sing along and dance. Of course, the highlights of his set for me were without doubt the tracks off Mind Control. “Hey Baby” (a song that features Mos Def on the album) was amazing, as was “Traffic Jam.” Marley impressively handled Mos Def’s rhymes as if it was his own verse. It was also remarkable to watch him handle Damian’s role in “Traffic Jam.”

I suppose I should have expected Marley to do so many impressive things. He has won the most (six) Grammy awards in the history of reggae music! His most recent win was for his Best Reggae Album of 2007, Mind Control. While anytime an artist wins a Grammy it is obviously an impressive feat, he beat out some of the genre’s biggest stars – Burning Spear, Sly and Robbie, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Toots and the Maytals.

The Swell Season:

At this point, Di and I left Jeremy and Nicole (who were going to wait at the What Stage to see the Raconteurs) to check out the Swell Season. My plan was to check them out for a bit and then return for the second half of the Raconteurs. The Swell Season is an interesting group – technically the duo of Glen Hansard (the front man for the Irish folk-rock band, the Frames) and Marketa Irglova (a Czech pianist and singer.) The two costarred in the film “Once” and produced the Oscar-winning soundtrack to go with it.

Neither one of us was overly familiar with the music, but we had heard quite a bit of it in the past and enjoyed it. We were shocked when we arrived at the tent and heard the crowd singing along with the band, as the film was just released last year. Another nice surprise was that various members of the Frames accompanied Hansard and Irglova for the set.

Harmonizing melodies and diverse instruments led the way for the band. Many of the songs put the violin in the forefront of the musical arrangement, resulting in a very chill atmosphere. A few songs came off as much harder-based rock than what I was expecting. I assume these were songs originally found on the Frames’ albums, yet they still sounded harder than any that I’ve heard by them as well.

The stars of the show may have been the audience members. Hansard pulled a few people from the crowd up on stage to recite poetry. Each of the individuals acted like pros and I could swear that they had prepared poems for the occasion. After each finished, the audience rewarded them with huge applauses. This scene was one of the cooler things that I saw over the entire length of the festival.

Unfortunately, not everything went so smoothly for the band. For the first time, sound bled over from other stages, causing major problems to the set. In fact, Hansard actually stopped the band in the middle of a song to figure out where a note was coming from. I think he thought someone in the crowd was messing with them, but when he realized it was just another band, he picked the song right back up. They also chose not to play certain, quieter songs at particular times, opting to wait until the other stages died down a bit.

At this point, it was time to meet up with Stephen Marley. When I arrived to the press area, Stephen was still busy with a photo shoot, so I had some time to relax, which I needed. While the media tent is incredible difficult to find, Bonnaroo positioned it in a great spot. It is very easy to hear both the What and Which Stages. At this point, only the Raconteurs were playing, so I sat down on a chair and listened to some of the set.

My break didn’t last for long and my interview was underway. Stephen is a very friendly person and extremely easy to talk with, so our conversation went well. Soon I was back in the tent, organizing some of my notes and listening to the end of the Raconteurs set.

The Raconteurs:

I could hear Jack White and Brendan Benson trading off on the mic, often sharing duties. Both men were absolutely killing it on their guitars. One song that stood out was “Store Bought Bones,” which sounded GnR’esque (granted with a very different singer, but there is a large chunk in the middle of the song, where the blues-tinged rock n’ roll melody sounds like it could fit perfectly on Use Your Illusion III.)

Rilo Kiley:

Rilo Kiley’s set was fun, but did not stick out as a particularly special experience. If you are not familiar with them, they are a group fronted by the venerable Jenny Lewis. At one point, they had a reputation as an alt-indie-punk band, but I never felt that “punk” was really an appropriate title. I would say their sound is kind of like a folkier, not as edgy Tegan & Sara…somewhat at least. All in all, I guess I was expecting a bit more. Lewis’ voice simply sounded shaky on some of the songs.

We did not stay for the whole set, but it seemed like they were running through all of their biggest songs, reaching way back in their books for a couple. In the end, I would be happy to see them again. Well, it is more as if I would be excited if they were playing with other bands that I like. They have an emphatic fan base though, so even though they were not high on my list, others certainly loved the show.

The Art of Such n’ Such:

The reason we left Rilo Kiley is that we wanted to check out M.I.A. As we were about to leave, the fire folk in the area known as the “Art of Such n’ Such” started shooting off this torch-thing that sent this nasty, black ring into the air. We wandered over to check out this area of the grounds, which is virtually a big empty area that the organizers filled in with random stuff. There is still plenty of room in the coming years for them to add more attractions.

First, we came up to some hula-hoopers, spinning their hips, gliding their rings around their bodies. Some of them were doing things that I’ve never seen before – all sorts of crazy tricks. Next, we walked up to a gated area and watched the fire guys shoot up the torch. Nothing too exciting, unless you are a pyromaniac – in which case, it might be the highlight of your Bonnaroo experience. Finally, we walked around a bit, checking out some of the sculptures, my favorite being the two-headed donkey.

We headed over towards That Tent to see M.I.A., stopping at the Fuse Barn. Every day, various western-themed events were run outside the barn for an hour or two at a time. As we approached, we noticed that a couple was learning how to use a lasso. Di always had a yearning to be a cowgirl (just kidding, of course), so she jumped right in. Amazingly, she nailed it on her first try.

M.I.A.:

At this point, we had missed some of M.I.A.’s set and when we finally arrived, the party was well underway. Like K’Naan tore the house down on Thursday, M.I.A. was the clear fan favorite of Friday (at least until the afterhours). That Tent was so overcrowded that the crowd flowed out of every crack, with individuals standing on their tiptoes, trying to get a peak of the songstress. She turned the tent into a midday club with an electric atmosphere.

You have to love how M.I.A. gets the audience to participate in her performance. She pulled a large portion of the crowd onto the stage to dance with her. This fully let the party loose and sent the rest of the people jumping. I think this was the loudest crowd of the festival with kids screaming at every chance they could find.

The end of her set was incredible, finishing up with some favorites, including “Galang.” M.I.A. must have worn herself out though. As her performance came to a close, security ushered the crowd from the stage. She thanked everyone and took off. We waited, expecting an encore. The people chanted “M I A!” Ten minutes later, some of her people came back to the stage. Finally, she made her way back up and the music started again. Unfortunately, it just didn’t feel the same. The crowd had lost much of its energy and the music did not sound as good. During the encore, the vibe fizzled and it was a bit of a letdown after such a crazy performance.

Chris Rock:

I have to admit that I am a Chris Rock fan. I have been for a long time now. I’m sure it is partially due to the fact that I met him at a Knicks game many years ago, but regardless, I knew that this show was something that I had to check out. I had never heard of a comedian performing on the main stage at a festival and figured that this had to be one of (if not THE) largest comedy shows in history.

Rock put on an hour-long show of comedic bliss, riffing on most segments of the population. His jokes focused on a wide-range of current hot topics, including politics, gender and race relations, and the economy (gas prices). It seemed like the majority of the festival attendees made their way over for the show (although, after I saw the crowd for Pearl Jam, I realize that I underestimated how many people attended the festival) and we all laughed for the majority of the hour.

As always, some of Rock’s humor bordered the obscene, including a segment on Hilary Clinton. Personally, none of it bothered me, until much later on. He did a whole segment on the “N” word and the bit was funny. However, I didn’t feel as if he cut it at the appropriate time and continued until it he crossed that thin line between hilarious and sort of messed up. He went on and on about it, when it seemed like he was just repeating himself. Bonnaroo is an extremely white festival and it takes place in the south. I believe at that point, I had seen only one or two Asian people (although there were a few African-Americans around). Then again, he was only playing to his audience and the crowd certainly enjoyed it. Of course, a kid standing near us apparently could not resist and had to yell out a few inappropriate things in response to the subject.

As soon as Rock finished, I had to book it over to the press area to grab my phone and call Tiësto’s people. I met him over behind This Tent, where he was scheduled to perform a few hours later.

Now that my last interview of the day was over, I had to get to my laptop and send the audio files of my interview back north, so Alex or Mike could post them on the site. I hustled back to my tent to meet up with Di. I figured there was a chance I could find a wireless connection right in the camping area, as we were so close to Centeroo.

As I turned up the road towards our site, I started to hear my first notes of Metallica. The band sounded rich and powerful. I am not and never have been a huge fan, but I was planning to see at least a couple of songs and was hoping it would be “Enter Sandman.” I popped open the laptop and connected to a network. At this point, I was sitting towards the back of my tent. I didn’t want anyone to notice the light of my laptop, tempting some evil urges in someone to come out and force him or her into doing a naughty thing. While I couldn’t see anything from inside the tent, I could hear the Metallica show extremely well.

Metallica:

The rock veterans surely proved to many of the doubters that they could still rock. In an attempt to please the fans there to see them and the traditional Bonnaroo kids, the band mostly hit songs from their classic, metal days and a few from the more jammed out, slower era. I did not hear many (if any at all) from the short-hair mainstream days and I’m sure everyone watching was happy (if not relieved) with that.

James Hetfield is a funny guy. I know he is supposed to be all badass and, trust me, I think he is one of the great rock stars of our generation. However, he spoke to the crowd quite a bit and it often came out awkwardly. Perhaps it is only that I imagine him as this monster from back in the day and he came off as, well, like a nice person.

Di and I were planning to use some of this time as a break and really rest. “Eastern Promises” was playing in the Cinema Tent, so we thought that it be nice to chill out in the cool, dark tent for a while. The film ended at 1:00, which would give us about 30 minutes to make our way over to Tiësto’s set, starting at 1:30. Unfortunately, my internet connection was terrible. The time I wasted trying to connect to the internet at the tent seriously cut into our break time, so we decided to cut our losses and head to the media area to send of my CoS stuff. I packed up my computer in my backpack and we were off.

On the dirt road into Centeroo, a little hill gives a very nice view into the main stage area. We could see the fireworks and pyrotechnics clearly from my tent. I was impressed that Metallica used such elaborate pyros, particularly with the band’s history with them.

Not surprisingly, the media tent was empty. It seems that this Metallica band has built quite a following over the years. My biggest complaint with Bonnaroo is the way the organizers schedule the lineup. I will save the details for later, but let’s just say that I found that the headliners were usually the easiest time to take a break and try to get work done. They play for an extremely long time and there is generally very little competition, so I wouldn’t be missing more than the main stage.

It had started to rain, so our clothes were just a bit damp. We were not in the media tent long before we heard the rain picking up outside. I finished my Bonnaroo update and sent if off just in time for the downpour. And, boy, did that rain pour down! The air conditioning that is so nice during the day was having an inverse effect now. We were absolutely freezing, but it was either we freeze inside or head back outside to the torrential storm.

My Morning Jacket:

Fortunately, we had some fantastic music to listen to while we were sitting inside. My Morning Jacket was on Which Stage and sounded fantastic. Admittedly, I had always brushed them off as just another jam band and did not pay them much mind. I know people claimed they put on epic performances and reviewed their albums with the upmost esteem. Still, friends had once finally convinced me to check out a Phish show, which turned out exactly how I was expecting. Needless to say, I was wrong about MMJ.

With a three-hour set scheduled, Bonnaroo attendees expected many surprises from MMJ. Those who braved it through the torrential downpour (and, as I explained, it was absolutely wicked for a while) were treated to probably My Morning Jacket’s largest gig to date. While we were in the press area, I heard the band play a few dramatic songs. The band’s sound was rich and layered. Jim James’ voice ranged multiple octaves, acting like one of the band’s most important instruments. The high notes he hit on “Evil Urges” were mind-blowing. Speaking with people later in the evening, I learned that the set featured numerous covers, including a song by Erykah Badu and Parliament-Funkadelic. Other surprises integrated into the concert were collaborations with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Zach Galifiankis in an Annie costume. I’m glad I heard some of the set and we did make sure to stop by on our way to This Tent for Tiësto’s performance. However, next time I have the opportunity to catch My Morning Jacket, it will take a lot for me to miss them.

Tiësto:

When we arrived at This Tent, Tiësto was already behind his decks, headphones on, fist pumping and head bobbing along to his own mixes. The crowd was eating it up, hollering at every chance they found. While it was still raining outside, the downpour was long passed. Still, everyone squeezed to find his or her way under the shelter, while maintaining a personal space to dance and jump around.

As always, Di and I hopped around to the side of the tent and found a nice-sized area, well under the roof of the tent, yet still giving me easy access to hop out of the crowd for photos. I am not huge into trance or house at this point of my life, but I can still appreciate a good DJ and Tiësto is about as good as it gets. He was named “The World’s Number One DJ” on three separate occasions. Although he was still warming up, the party he was throwing at Bonnaroo was already turning into an epic set. I knew he had some surprises waiting for the audience and I kept an eye out Mr. José González.

In preparation for my interview, Tiësto sent me a press release revealing that he was going to share his spotlight with three separate groups of artists during his set. These guests were going to sing over Tiësto’s remixes of their originals, which is something that nobody has ever tried to do during a live concert before. Earlier in the day, I ran into González in the media area and I introduced myself. We chatted for a while; I told him how great he was earlier in the day and asked him if he had any idea what time Tiësto would be bringing him up on stage. Fortunately, José had no problem letting me know that it would be around 2:00, which allowed me to plan my evening a little more without really taking any risks in missing Tiësto’s guests.

Just as planned, at a bit before 2 am, Cary Brothers walked onto the stage to sing along with the superstar DJ. Brothers’ song was electric. His yodeling during “Ride” sent shivers through the crowd. I could see the other collaborators (all fellow Bonnaroo artists) waiting by the side of the stage, dancing along to the music. After Brothers left the stage, Tiësto spun another song and then it was González’s turn. He looked a bit stiff on stage, but his song “Crosses” sounded flawless and I swear it could have been a recording. José’s smooth vocals glided over the heavy dance beats, just like in the deeper Zero 7 tracks. The two styles are so distinct, yet work together extremely well. After another buffer song, it was time for Tegan and Sara, the final guest artists. They performed “Back in Your Head,” really setting the place off. The crowd screamed in delight. While the Quin sisters sounded absolutely stunning over Tiësto’s music, it was easy to tell that it is rather difficult to sing over a remix. While singing and dancing along to the music, I couldn’t help but watch them count the beats and dutifully hold their hands up against the sides of their heads to listen to the ear monitors. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for these artists to sing over a remix, reciting the lyrics on offbeats and in a completely different arrangement than how they wrote the originals.

As I figured, these collaborations were the highlight of Tiësto’s set. I mean, how could it get better than that? Still, the DJ megastar pulled in the party, collecting an enormous amount of people and kept the crowd dancing “in search of sunrise.” He helped the entire campground find it, as he rocked his tables into Saturday’s daylight, making many people extremely happy. We would have most definitely stayed for the entire set, but so many people told me that I had to check out the Super Jam, as it is a Bonnaroo staple.

Super Jam:

When we arrived at the Other Tent (for our first time ever) for the traditional, late-night Super Jam, I was shocked with how small the crowd was. Either (1) everyone watching the performance recommended that I check out the show; (2) people who advised me to go decided that My Morning Jacket or Tiësto was more worthwhile; or (3) the Super Jam did not hold the audience’s interest and most of it dispersed. Regardless, we were there and I was down to make the most of it.

There were a whole slew of people up on stage. The easiest to pick out was Les Claypool, who was wearing his helmet-mask and shades. There were also at least two members of Gogol Bordello (the accordionist and the fiddler), which was particularly interesting because they were scheduled to perform on the Which Stage in about 12 hours and it was getting very late. They were certainly jamming, although the songs had some structure. Soon, Eugene Hütz (the front man of Gogol), guitar in hand, cavorted his way onto the stage to join the crew.

Throughout the show, individuals took turns on the microphone, and I recognized some of the lyrics. I later found out that this was a tribute to Tom Waits. Of course, I heard rumors that Waits was going to be a part of the Jam, but that did not happen – at least while we watched. The set was fairly tame for a couple of songs, but then Claypool introduced a guitarist as “Eddie Van Halen” and I heard many of the kids around me wowing at the fact that Van Halen made it down to Manchester for the ‘Roo. It was not Van Halen, but Kirk Hammett (of Metallica), a guitarist with somewhat of a reputation in his own right. Hammett emphatically made his rounds Friday night, rocking the main stage for 2 ½ hours, playing a song with My Morning Jacket and now, he was up on stage at the Super Jam. He certainly got into the Bonnaroo spirit.

Overall, the Super Jam was a bit dull. We hung out to watch Hammett play for what seemed like a ridiculously long song, but decided it was about that time. We took the long way back to our tent, stopping by to catch a bit more of Tiësto. We were actually a bit concerned for our tent and everything inside. You see, we purchased and lugged the canopy down to Manchester to cover our tent in case of a bad rainstorm. However, as I was setting it up on Thursday, my overly nice neighbors convinced me that it would better serve as a sun shelter and so we left it hanging out over the edge of the tent.

The walk back was a scary experience. There were no tornadoes (a la Wakarusa), mind you, yet we did stumble across many tents washed out of the flooded campsites now that the storm had settled a bit. I did not want to think about the chances whether our tent would still be standing. Fortunately, it was and we both felt a wave of relief wash over us. I touched the outside of the tent and the side sticking out from the canopy was soaked. We slowly unzipped the flap and turned on the flashlight. A few small puddles, but most of our stuff was as dry as we left it. Phew! I don’t know what would have happened, if everyone didn’t help me on Thursday setting the tent and canopy up. We probably would have ended up like all those poor souls we saw knocking on others’ tents and asking if there was a little extra room to crash for the night.

Saturday

I am so glad that we brought foam earplugs. They helped us sleep until 10:30 on Saturday morning, which was well needed. I had another interview before the shows began, so I hustled off to the media tent to meet up with the buzz band Your Vegas. True rockstars, two out of the three members that I chatted with did not make it back to the hotel room on Friday night. One woke up outside the A&R tent. The other opened his eyes to see the bottom of a table. He still is not 100% sure which building he passed out in, but based on his descriptions, it sounds like it could be the karaoke tent. Who knows? It doesn’t really matter!

Soul Rebel Brass Band:

After thanking the band, I went back out to the main festival grounds to meet up with Di. A last minute shift in Which Stage schedule (thanks to good ol’ Kanye West), changed around our plans quite a bit. We were hoping to catch Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings while we grabbed some breakfast. Instead, we caught another fun band, the Soul Rebel Brass Band.

Well, it was a good thing I was hungry because funk toast was for breakfast, as the Soul Rebel Brass Band welcomed in the crowd. Pumping up the crowd was not a problem for the large crew of musicians. These guys are entertaining. I don’t quite remember how many guys were up on stage, but there were definitely a lot of horns playing an eclectic range of upbeat soul, funk and jazz. The mass of people in front of the stage continued to build, as more and more people walked nearby and heard the party music. The tubas or French horns had some vacuum magic power or something, as it seemed like anyone that came within earshot got sucked into the crowd.

We took a couple of minutes to stop by one of the vendor stands and pick up some hushpuppies with jambalaya at $4 a place. Some of the food in Centeroo bordered on the generic with normal, expensive concert prices, but there were some great buys if you were willing to skip the pizza and hot dogs. The hushpuppies were so filling and dense, I couldn’t even finish my plate.

We chilled out in front of the stage and danced some of the extra weight off for a couple of more songs. Up to this point, we had not spent any time shopping and I wanted to check out the music store to see if they had the new K’Naan for sale. On the walk over, we spent some time admiring the graffiti on the walls to Centeroo. It was getting better and better by the day. The graff started out as mostly stencils or basic tags, but artists had started to fill in the designs bit by bit, adding a little more paint everyday. Some of the artwork already looked…well, like art.

The music store was all sold out of K’Naan. That or it didn’t carry his CDs to begin with. I was led to believe that the store would have every artist at Bonnaroo and there was a section for him. Oh well. It was already getting late. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings were now on Which Stage and Against Me! would be starting on That Tent soon. They were one of my top acts at the festival, so I ran back to the press area to get some of my things, stopping to hear Sharon Jones as she made her entrance.

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings:

Sharon Jones is a true show woman. She looked so natural up on the stage, as if she owned the place. Her music is genuine old school, traditional soul, bringing it way back to the roots. It sounds like it could be right out of the 1950s or ‘60s era. I closed my eyes and half expected her voice to have some scratches or skips on it, as if I was listening to a dusty, old vinyl record.

On my way back from the media tent, I stopped for another quick listen. I wish she went on at 1:30 as planned, which would have given me a good 30 minutes to enjoy her set. I thoroughly enjoyed the Soul Rebels, but there is no reason why they couldn’t have gone on at noon, instead of 12:45. Now that Kanye moved himself to 2:45 and from Which Stage to What Stage, there would be no act on Which Stage from 7:15 until 12:15. Since this is technically the second stage, that is terribly inefficient. Thus, the organizers bumped everything up by 30 minutes, allowing for more music on Which Stage, but causing more conflicts with This Tent, That Tent and the Other Tent. It was all a mess. Thanks Kanye. I blame you for making me miss Miss Jones!

I spent a little more time watching than expected and I was cutting it kind of close, so I started to hustle back to That Tent for Against Me!. That is when I saw the mist tent. I was surprised that it did not even look that gross. It was virtually just people standing under showers in a tent. It actually looked refreshing.

Against Me!:

I am well aware that Against Me! has gained quite a fan base over the past year, especially with all of the great press on their 2007 album New Wave. However, I was certainly not prepared to run into the huge horde that had already built under That Tent. Against Me! packed in the tent as thick as M.I.A., which would not have shocked me at a heavier rock-based festival, but it was extremely surprising at such a jam and dance infused festival like the ‘Roo. Not that it was a problem! I was excited to have all of these people to rock out with, while the band did their thing up on stage.

Di and I went around to the left to try to get a better angle to the stage. The crowd really managed to squeeze themselves in, but I noticed a small opening a bit further up. I went ahead and checked it out. Of course as I was about to turn around, the band emerged from the side of the stage and immediately kicked into their set.

Holy cow! The boys were loud! Hands down, the loudest band I heard at Bonnaroo. If anyone was still groggy, it did not last long into this show. The music coming out of the amplifiers was so loud that, I swear, the folks standing around me must still be having hearing issues. Fortunately, I had my custom plugs (that Di bought me for my birthday – thank you baby!), but I still felt it. Seriously, I have been to a ridiculous number of concerts throughout my life and I have never felt the power of sound like that at a show before. If you look at my photos, you can see how far away I am (not extremely far, but not right up against them, by any means) and the air was still so strong, that the breeze gave me a chill. I actually felt cold during the set and, as I tried to explain, it was very crowded. At some point, people cleared out a bit (and I don’t blame them) because the sound hurt their ears so much. Personally, it just added to my fun. By the time I fully noticed that I could feel the breeze from the sound, I turned around to get Di and she had just found me in the crowd. She had her foam plugs in and we were able to enjoy the set together!

As the Gainesville, FL natives progressed through the songs, the crowd grew more rowdy. Each member of the band was soon drenched in passion and sweat. They played an intense set for the raucous audience, consisting primarily of songs off New Wave, although they threw in a grip of songs off the first couple of albums. Personally, my favorite record is Searching for a Former Clarity, but for whatever reason, they decided not to play some of the best off of it, only hitting a couple.

The crowd’s favorite was easily “Pints of Guinness Make You Stronger,” their punk-folk version of an Irish drinking song. This is one of the staple songs they perform in concert and I’ve seen it before. Still, I don’t think I have ever been a witness to a sing-a-long with such force. This song was probably the most fun I had at Bonnaroo up to this point, until a few songs later. My personal favorite was “Don’t Lose Touch,” which really had the crowd pumped up and jumping around. All of us sang along in a very Against Me! technique – you know that hoarse, scream/sing thing.

Unfortunately, the set was over too soon. The whole show only lasted for a mere 45 to 50 minutes. The crowd chanted “Against Me!” in hopes that they would come back out for another song, but it was no use. The set was over. With such an intense performance, I was really expecting an encore. I was also disappointed that the band did not play two songs that I thought for sure that it would play, “Problems” and “Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart.” The former is a standout track on Searching…, while the latter is a wonderful song, featuring Tegan Quin (of Tegan & Sara) from New Wave. Not only did they not bring Tegan out, which I was almost expecting them to do (although she might have already left the area), they didn’t even play it.

Seriously, I could not figure out all the crazy gushing over New Wave last year. It is just bizarre for the press to finally recognize Against Me!, like it should have for years (the band deserved it), after an album that is clearly not one of their best. “Borne on the FM Waves” is a standout track, so for the band to play over half the album and leave that song out is strange. Why did the band choose not to perform the song with another female artist performing at the ‘Roo? This really surprised me because I was looking forward to seeing whom they found special enough at the festival to bring out for this collaboration.

Please do not misinterpret my comments. Against Me! was great on this day. Despite the fact that I was ravagely upset that their set was significantly shorter than the listed duration (they were scheduled to play for 75 minutes), in reality, I could not imagine them playing for much longer at the pace they were heading. Some bands at Bonnaroo prove annually that they can hang for three to four hours and jam, but they cannot play with the intensity of Against Me! for a fraction of the time. At the same time, I imagine that an encore would not have pushed the band too far. With an encore of “Problems” and the Tegan song, this would have probably been the best set of the entire festival.

Ozomatli:

This is what I love about a festival like Bonnaroo: If after watching an amazing performance, I start to feel even the slightest bit of disappointment creep in because it is over, I can release a sigh of relief, pull out my schedule and check out whom I will see next. On this occasion, it was a long-time favorite of mine, the brilliantly eclectic group Ozomatli. Hailing from Los Angeles, this crew of musicians manages to draw influences from the best genres of music in the area – hip hop, funk, jazz, soul, rock and a heavy, healthy dose of Latino blend (i.e., salsa, meringue, etc.).

I was surprised when Bonnaroo released the schedule, to see Ozo’s name under the “What Stage” column. While they have been around for just over a decade, I did not think that they have had much mainstream success. At least I know most people in the northeast are not familiar with them and I’ve only seen them perform at local shows, whether they were the main act or opening for a much larger act at a nice, outside summer concert (which is such an ideal setting for their type of party). I figured they built quite a following out in the SoCal/Orange County area, as they’ve released a fantastic live album and many notable musicians have been part of the band at one point. Those names include the versatile DJ/turntablist/faucet-player/make-music-out-of-any-object-guy Cut Chemist (formerly of Jurassic 5, but also well known for his Hard Sell act with DJ Shadow and his 2006 solo debut The Audience’s Listening), Chali 2na (still a member of Jurassic 5 and fellow 2008 ‘Roo artist), and Tre Hardson (of the classic hip hop heavyweights, the Pharcyde). As excited as I was to check out Ozomatli, I might have been equally as pumped to find out who showed up.

As we approached the area in front of What Stage, the congestion on the field seemed relatively sparse compared to the evening shows. However, people were still flowing in and soon there was a good-sized crowd waiting for Ozo. Those in attendance all seemed extremely excited, spending virtually the entire time dancing. They came out blazing and did not let up until the set’s conclusion.

Two songs stuck out as the big crowd pleasers. The first was “Cumbia de los Muertos,” a Latino funk song that not only is one of their classics, but I believe is representative of the band’s sound. Uli started out with an incredible solo on his clarinet that eventually turned into the beginning notes of the song. The clarinet actually leads the way on some of Ozomatli’s best songs. I find it interesting how this woodwind is such a common instrument in school bands, but is nowhere to be found in most popular music. Although the song puts the clarinet out in the forefront of the music, halfway through, the rhythms twist allowing hip hop to work its way into the song. Tre (from Pharcyde) maneuvered himself up as an MC, spitting out rhymes over the melodies and beat.

Uli also plays the saxophone live, as well as many other instruments. In a couple of songs, he switched over to this funky keyboard thing with a hose and mouthpiece. I have no idea what you call this thing, but it is one crazy-looking instrument. I love hearing stories from musicians about how they find these things.

The way the band shifts from one sound to another is just one more of the many facets that make Ozo special. The folks in attendance were particularly pumped when Tre and crew worked the other highlight, “Passin’ Me By.” I love how Tre revved up the crowd, “If you all know this f**kin’ song, I want you all to sing along. If you all don’t know this song, I want everybody else to represent.” Maybe I was just enthralled in the scene, but I remember feeling like everyone around me knew the words to the timeless jam. Now that the Pharcyde has reunited, it will be interesting to see if Hardson remains a touring member of Ozomatli.

Ozo sounded as good as always up on the big stage, but I’m used to feeling more involved in the show. I love how they usually come down and march through the crowd with a snare drum, starting conga lines and dance parties. I figured that the show less than an hour later on the tiny Sonic Stage might be more what I was expecting.

The show ended with all of us wanting more. Still, much of the crowd was left wondering where was Chali 2na?

No 2na…yet. Nevertheless, I did get to watch Beatle Bob dance on stage, which was truly a memorable experience. I saw this dude all over the place during the festival and could not figure out how the hell he was down with all of these bands. I figured he was a producer or a musician with one of the groups, except his name was familiar. Back in Philadelphia, when I was listening to some Ozo CDs to find a good live song for the playlist, I stuck in Street Signs. Low and behold, track 10 is “Ya Viene El Sol (the Beatle Bob Remix.) Anyway, he dances funny and once I googled him, I became a fan.

You should check out this video about Beatle Bob…seriously. If you think you go to a lot of concerts…well, just check this out.

Gogol Bordello:

I had decided to skip out on Gogol Bordello, but Di, Jeremy and Nicole left Ozomatli early to catch them. I have actually seen them a couple times (the first being a few years ago at the New England Kingdom Music Festival in Vermont) and I knew I would have the chance to catch them at the Popped! Festival the next week. I also wanted to check out the Avett Brothers. I stayed to the very end of Ozo and started my trek across the festival grounds towards the Other Tent. I was planning to stop by the Troo Music Lounge to see a bit of Jessie Baylin, but as I crossed the area in front of Which Stage, Gogol completely distracted me. For some reason, I thought they were performing in This Tent.

I was fairly far away, but the music sounded clear and I’ve always thought they were a particularly fun live band. Even from that distance, I could see that Gogol’s accordion and wine continued their tear through the festival circuit with this performance at Bonnaroo. Once Ozo finished their set, Which Stage was the largest platform with an artist and the videographers simultaneously aired the show in all of the lounges and areas with screens.

Di is a bigger Gogol fan, so she found a spot up close to get a good view of the band. Apparently, keeping with their circus vibe, people on stilts walked around the sides of the audience. She said that out of the three or four times that she has seen them, this was her least favorite. The crowd’s energy did not compare well to those from her previous experiences and she didn’t feel as involved in the music.

I find this part of day (mid to late afternoon) to be the best time to be at a festival. It is more or less primetime, unless of course you are there to see the headliners. It is almost like concerts are going off on every stage. Since the main stage is clear, all of the attendees are exploring other acts and each of the other stages has solid bands.

Before I knew it, a few Gogol songs started and finished and I had to hustle over to the Other Tent. I suddenly remembered Jessie Baylin and looked down at my watch. It was 4:43, so I thought I might be able to catch her final song or two. I picked up the speed, but it was no use. When I arrived at the Lounge a minute or so later, a roadie was already taking apart the drums. I suppose I will just have to check out Ms. Baylin at some other time.

The Avett Brothers:

The Avett Bros. really are a great band. Their set was chock full of sing-a-longs (and even a few scream-a-longs) and this crowd liked to join in. The group worked their way through their catalog, while the audience dangled out the sides of the tent, leaving an extraordinary amount of people sitting around the outskirts on blankets, lawn chairs or anything else they could find.

The show was full of opportunities for crowd participation. During the song “Salina,” the band called out, “New York, quit calling! New York, leave me be!” (which got a big cheer.) However, when they gave props to and shouted out their home state of North Carolina, the raucous crowd went nuts.

I did not know about the Avett Brothers before I began looking into Bonnaroo artists a couple of months before the show. I first got into their song “Die Die Die” and then some of their live tracks, before hearing more of the studio recordings. I noticed even before seeing them in person that they sounded amazing live, yet different – almost harsher, but in a good way.

This held true when they performed in Manchester. Their sound was a bit discordant in the way that they sing harmonies. This was particularly the case when it came to the hooks. One guy would sing and another would join in and sing a completely different part, while the third screamed something over the first two. Finally, all of the singers merged their voices together, blending smoothly into a ridiculous harmonizing section.

I was not sure what to expect regarding the overall feel from their show. The Postelles and K’Naan were finds of which I came to the ‘Roo with a basic knowledge about the sound, genre and/or scene. However, I would say that the Avett Brothers was my biggest discovery at Bonnaroo, in the sense that I really did not know anything about the scene coming in, yet I will be a fan of the genre in the future. I believe I will be entering a completely different music world with this crowd. Overall, they are somewhat of a hippy band, but with a cool, unique feel. Their music has a country-hybrid sound that I like, reminiscent of some of the post-punk/hardcore stuff that I have found myself listening to frequently over the past four or five years. Element of the music remind me of the more folk-based Grateful Dead or Allman Brothers songs, but a lot of their stuff is borderline punk in a way.

They use a big cello, a banjo, guitar and standup bass. I also spotted at least one kick-drum under one of the brothers. They use these instruments to “jam,” in the sense that they will showcase an instrument and play exceptional solos. Yet they do not “jam,” as in wandering off aimlessly for a long stretch of time. I was very impressed with their live show and will certainly be seeing them again in the near future.

I wish I could have stayed for the rest of the set, but Ozomatli was about to play on the Sonic Stage and I just couldn’t miss that. I was yet to watch a full set on this stage, but I walked past it a number of times. It is hardly a stage by Bonnaroo standards. Right in the middle of the Centeroo marketplace, there is a small nook, almost an alley, called the Sonic Village with a tiny performance platform. Seeing Ozo on that was an opportunity I could not pass up.

Ozomatli (on the Sonic Stage):

Seeing a band on the Sonic Stage is essentially like watching them put on your own, personal concert in your backyard. As a music fan, it is truly a remarkable experience to watch a band on this platform after standing in front of the same act, as they played on the oversized main stage about an hour before. However, Ozomatli’s second set was not brilliant solely due to this fact. This time around, the Los Angeles crew brought the funk, jamming out and dancing, showing that the artists can have equally as much fun as the attendees at festivals like Bonnaroo and, when they do, it will translate over to the other side.

Ozomatli performed for approximately 30 minutes. They jammed for at least 20 minutes of the set, yet always revealed hints of their songs underneath the impromptu presentation. My favorite aspect of this set was not the music itself, but rather the band members taking turns busting out some extremely wild moves on stage. I can now tell you from personal experience how it is virtually impossible to keep oneself from dancing after witnessing both a large trombone player (Big Sam of Big Sam’s Funky Nation, who seemed to be everywhere throughout the fest, including on stage for both Ozo shows) and a little percussionist kicking their legs out to the side, in a loosey-goosey manner, jumping around like little kids on a grape soda sugar-high.

After the final note, Di and I needed to cool down a bit, so we sat down in the “Afraid of the Light” room to get out of the sun. This is a little area next to the Sonic Stage that most of the festivalgoers seemed to ignore for whatever reason. It’s nice and dark and super relaxed with a couple of large couches and chairs. It was almost time for me to head back to the press area, so I could meet up with someone. Di left to go to our tent to trade off some of our things and pick up my laptop. She returned and met up with me in the media area, where we chilled out in the air-conditioned tent. Before we knew it, an hour disappeared on us since the end of Ozomatli. Suddenly I realized that we forgot about De Novo Dahl, the first band that we were interested in catching that was playing in the Blue Room Café. I did not even know the location of this venue, but the band was only scheduled to play for another twenty minutes.

Looking at the map, we established that the Café was located across from What Stage, up the hill and adjacent to the fence. We thought that it was going to be a quick walk, as we hustled out of the press area, up the road that works as a nice little shortcut to the main stage area. Once we emerged from behind the scenes and onto the field, we abruptly realized that we still had a long way to go and not much time. Left with no other choice, I was ghost, literally sprinting across the entire grounds area, through the mass of Jack Johnson and Pearl Jam fans. Keep in mind that these fans consist of most people at Bonnaroo. At one point, I leaped over a group of five kids’ legs and heard one of them laughing, “Dude, slow down!” Realizing that I surely did need to slow down (as much to mind my concert etiquette, as to make sure I did not hurt anyone), I kept my pace to a brisk walk.

De Novo Dahl:

We arrived at the Blue Room Café just as the band played the final notes of a song. I was devastated to hear people chanting for more as we walked in, realizing that we missed De Novo Dahl finishing their set. Fortunately, after a brief discussion, they decided to play one more song as an encore (for us, of course).

Each member of the band wore the same crazy uniform – a yellow and red striped thing, resembling some old school, swim-trunk outfit. This was not only the most bizarre “band costume” at Bonnaroo (by far), but probably that I have ever seen. The one song we heard was great though. Their sound is unique, yet oddly familiar. I might describe them as similar to the Polyphonic Spree, but with fewer members and a more colorful sound (and look!)

I had seen photos of them wearing this costume, but did not expect them to show up to perform at the festival in this sort of dress. Di could not believe her eyes. She spotted the band sporadically throughout our long weekend, walking around the grounds. She then realized that the members of De Novo Dahl must have been promoting themselves and making new friends along the way.

Jack Johnson:

When De Novo Dahl finished, we sat down in some open seats around a table and decided that we were hungry enough to eat soon. The sun was starting to set and it was a good time in the schedule. It was nice to just sit and relax for a minute, especially with Jack Johnson now playing on What Stage. At first, I thought that some of his songs sounded similar to each other, but perhaps it was because I was not familiar with all of them. The Café is in a nice location that gives a nice view of the main stage. It is a simple rectangular tent and, thus, the shelter blocks the sun and rain. The Café hosts a grip of round tables, each surrounded by many chairs.

We walked out of the Café and started to walk towards some of the food vendors. I must say that, while I may not be a huge Jack Johnson fan, his music is extremely pleasant and I was feeling quite lucky to be able to have such quality tunes in the background as we browsed our options for dinner. Then I heard him mention that someone gave him Jimi Hendrix’s wah-wah pedal for the show. Seriously? That is just badass. This was right before he introduced Money Mark (yeah, the same one from the Beastie Boys), who helped him out on the keys with a song that faded into “Whole Lotta Love” at a couple of times, which I thought was cool. If there was one song that represents my time at the ‘Roo, it has to be this classic Zeppelin jam. It just kept popping up at unpredictable times, during random sets. Money Mark then set off to prepare for his 12:15 set in This Tent.

We decided upon the short ribs, which looked damn tasty, and went back to the Café to chill out to Johnson. As we sat and ate, we listened to more of the set. Without any doubt, his pop-folk is extremely pleasurable music. Yet, some of the songs again started to run together a bit. In the end, I felt that his music is what it is. Discussing it with Di, I concluded that this is how I would describe Jack Johnson: If someone told me he listened to Jack Johnson and put it on when I was in his or her car, I certainly would be happy. His band was an ideal sunset band, in that I was completely relaxed and could fade out into my own world. I do wish that I noticed the sunset more…instead, it just kind of happened.

After we finished eating, we walked out of the tent and saw Eddie Vedder walk out on the stage. It must be cool to be able to ask someone like Vedder to come out for a duet. They performed the song “Constellations” together and it most certainly was a beautiful rendition.

Di and I decided to try fried pickles and, as we started to eat them, Johnson kicked off the next tune. It took me a second to figure out how I knew it so well and then it occurred to me that it was “Breakdown.” This is a track that Johnson sang on one of Handsome Boy Modeling School’s albums (White People.) I am a big fan of Handsome Boy (Dan the Automator and Prince Paul) and I’ve seen them live (they put on a hell of a show), so I knew this song well. I obviously prefer the funky, hip hop-influenced version with scratches and strange sound effects to Johnson’s solo folk rendition. Then again, it sounded great live and it was nice to be able to sing along to something fully as we started to head for one of the transition exits. We walked slowly, so I could hear the whole song and watch as we walked. Then we picked the pace back up, as I wanted to get to the media area and send off my update to Consequence of Sound before Pearl Jam started and we still had a couple of quick errands to run, so it was now or never.

Honestly, I have no idea why so many people criticize Jack Johnson and/or his music. It baffles me. I think he is a bit of a strange pick for headliner at certain festivals known for being edgy and independent-based, like perhaps Coachella. He seemed to fit right in at Bonnaroo, with both his music styles and the overall ambience of the festival. I think this is particularly the case before a massive band like Pearl Jam. In reality, I think he was probably the artist at ‘Roo that is most accessible, meaning that more people could enjoy or not mind hearing him than any other artist. His music is extremely easy to listen to without being cheesy or watered down to fit onto mainstream radio. It is not overproduced to sound like pop star crap. He may not be revolutionary or artsy, so big deal. All this leads me to believe that he seems like a strange artist to target.

Can someone out there explain it to me? Anyway, where was I going with this thing…?

We took the long way to the press tent. Di was talking to someone in the marketplace when I heard Guns n’ Roses. I didn’t think showing up as a surprise guest at a place like Bonnaroo was in Axl Rose and company’s playbook, but I could get down to some recorded GnR and, so, I followed the music. My ears led me into some sort of DJ room or dance club thing, where some dude was spinning some tracks into a nice, little mash-up mix. The DJ was scratching and blending songs into crazy combinations. I think it was just CD scratching (which is not overly difficult), but it was cool enough and everyone there was clearly having a blast. He put together quite a setlist, hitting everything from Guns n’ Roses to Jay-Z to the Bee Gees to Montell Jordan. When I first stepped in, not many people had discovered the space, but every single person inside was busting it down and breaking out some intense dance moves. It was interesting to say the least. Within three minutes, kids flowed in through the door and packed up the place. I spent a total of just over five minutes in the room/club and watched it transform. It was time for me to move on and start on my work.

Pearl Jam:

I was still working on my updates for the website when we heard the first notes from Pearl Jam. Unfortunately, I was also still working on my updates for the website when my battery ran out of juice and computer faded into hibernation mode. Di did not think I needed my power cord, but I had yet to charge my laptop since leaving Philly. Thus, I had a tough choice to make. Either I could run back to the tent, grab the cord and come back to the press area (the only place with outlets) to finish my work or, alternatively, head straight to watch Pearl Jam. Getting my power cord would probably take at least half-an-hour, meaning I would miss upwards to an hour of Pearl Jam, the biggest and, arguably, the most important set for me to cover at the festival. If I did not get my cord, I would not have a chance to finish my work until I arrived at the Nashville airport later in the afternoon or after we entered our apartment back in Philly. I decided that it was important to see Pearl Jam, so we packed up and headed out.

I could not believe how many people were on the lawn of What Stage. We entered way on the right side and it was so crowded, I felt like I was walking up the Magic Kingdom’s main street area (during a parade) at Disney World. We decided that the only chance we had of finding a spot with a decent view was to head back, way back behind the horde and then figure out a plan. In the end, we walked straight across the back of the crowd, which went so much farther back than for any artist who performed the entire festival. We walked through the Blue Room Café, which just a couple of hours earlier was well behind any mass of people. We found an area that gave us just a little elbowroom and watched the band from afar.

They sounded much better than I was anticipating. To be fair, I’m not sure what I was expecting. Like most others of my generation, I was into Ten when it first came out. I remember when Pearl Jam was small enough that it was the new buzz band coming out of Seattle. Then I fell in love with Vs. (I think “Dissident” was my favorite track.) I also bought Vitalogy, as well, but at that point, my tastes were already changing and I was moving away. In high school, my tastes were diverse, but I mostly listened to punk, indie and a ton of hardcore. Hearing that Pearl Jam was playing at Bonnaroo excited me, but I did not think much of the fact that I would be seeing the classic band (as known for their live performances as for their recorded albums) for the first time. Early on in the set, Di and I had a good time singing along with songs, such as “Corduroy” (which the band started as we walked onto the field) and “Even Flow.” Such a good time, in fact, that we decided that we had to get into that crowd.

I have always admired the giant European festivals and dreamed of making my way across the Atlantic to one of them. I want to get in the middle of one of the obscenely large crowds and immerse myself into the concert. As we gazed over the tens of thousands of people, catching glimpses of waving flags, I realized that I did not have to go anywhere. This was my first chance. What I saw had a closer resemblance to a festival near the Manchester across the pond, rather than one in Manchester, TN.

We cut down the left side of the crowd, sauntering against the grain, as hundreds of individuals trudged up the hill. We saw an opening, slashed to the right and positioned ourselves with a reasonable view. It was good, but we both wanted better. We discussed our intensions to get closer and agreed on a plan to move deeper into this throng. We jumped back out and continued down the hill. At this point, the band finished the initial set and more people started to depart, as if it was time for a mass exodus. When we reached the bottom, we found a gap carved out and were able to move closer than I originally had hoped.

While I could not be certain, one would have to think that Pearl Jam was performing in front of the largest modern U.S. festival crowds. Keeping the Bonnaroo vibe going strong, Pearl Jam’s set featured collaborations with other festival artists, mega-jams and, of course, covers. Rocking three encores (lasting at least as long as the initial show), the rock veterans played a three-hour concert chockfull of favorites, including the essentials “Daughter,” “Better Man,” “Black,” “Alive,” etc. (only leaving out “Jeremy” and the aforementioned “Dissident.”)

As expected, Eddie Vedder took the time to speak to the crowd, in what were often sad and droning, dramatic protestations. These remarks were often followed by powerful ballads, leaving the crowd with conflicted feelings over whether they were there, at that very moment, to enjoy some music or to literally set forth to make a difference in the world. At times, it felt a bit awkward. The front of the crowd cheered anything Vedder spat out of his mouth, while those further away did not seem to care at all. Thus, he left me wondering, whom he was trying to convince.

One comment that didn’t bother me at all was when Vedder referred to the tragedy during a Pearl Jam set at a European Festival a few years back. Some fans were crushed to death in the crowd and Pearl Jam has not made many (if any) major festival appearances since. Vedder mentioned that there was a period when the band didn’t think that they would ever play a show like this again, but seeing everyone there made them realize that festivals can actually work. Looking around, I thought to myself that it seemed almost obvious that under the appropriate circumstances, festivals are wonderful. Still, it was certainly refreshing to hear this come from a band that experienced the worst that large concerts offered.

Either way, it was evident that the band enjoyed their time on stage. They continuously thanked the crowd and sounded amazed with how many people stood in attendance. Vedder took a page out of Gogol’s show, knocking down what looked like a couple bottles of wine during the set. By the end of the show, he grew somewhat incoherent and I could not be sure if that was due to his exhaustion alone or if intoxication bolstered the fatigue.

There were countless highlights during the show. My personal favorite, and the moment that I will remember for a long, long time, was the band’s performance of “Better Man” or, perhaps, the crowd’s participation. The audience ignited lighters and shouted along to the words, drowning out the band. Vedder noticeably affected by the view, exclaimed, “That’s f**king beautiful, man!” And it truthfully was. I have never seen anything like it – a sea of flames appearing to flow for countless miles. However, there were many other unforgettable instances. For example, during “Crazy Mary,” Pearl Jam’s now classic tribute to Victoria Williams, Vedder jumped off the stage and poured some of his wine into the awaiting mouths of thirsty fans. Of course, this was only appropriate, as the song goes, “Take a bottle, drink it down, pass it around.” Other covers included renditions of the Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me” and Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” (which we unfortunately missed because they saved it for the third encore.)

Soon after the Victoria Williams cover (which the band played at around 12:15 – the scheduled finish time), the band kicked off the timeless “Alive.” At this point, we headed for the exits, diagonally across the field. We stayed for as long as we could, but started to feel pressure from the time ticking away. Pearl Jam was running into our Sigur Rós time and we had already agreed to sacrifice the Coup and Lupe Fiasco, so it was time to bounce. Our original plan was actually to only stay and watch Pearl Jam until 12:00 and then hustle back to the tent, drop of my computer and try to make it to the Coup by 12:30, before heading to Sigur Rós. At some point, we decided it was better to enjoy the show and we would catch the Coup on the Sonic Stage on Sunday.

Regardless, this was the end of the second encore and Pearl Jam was playing “Alive,” a great song to play for the finale. We watched the final notes from the top of the hill and then proceeded to traverse crossways to the other side. I thought that the show was over, but just as we were about to walk out of the main stage zone, Vedder spoke into the microphone. I could not believe Pearl Jam was coming back on for a third encore. While we did not stay for the music, we could hear Vedder talking. His proclamation turned out to be an overly ironic statement. “I still think there’s time before it all gets glow-in-the-dark out here, so…the people who put on this beautiful festival have asked me to tell you that now is the time to take the…I’m not going to say it. I mean, if you want to come on right at the beginning of Kanye.”

Phil Lesh:

Fortunately, we did not have to walk far to reach Sigur Rós. They were playing in That Tent. Looking at the grounds as a circle, it’s the next stage to the right and about the midpoint to the Other Tent, which would be my final stop for the night. Just as Di and I arrived at That Tent, a festival staff member cruised by in a golf cart. Spitefully, he called out a bunch of us around Sigur Rós (and there must have been more than he expected), “Haven’t you people ever heard of Phil Lesh?!”

For those into Phil, and most folk at Bonnaroo seem to think highly of him, the original member of the Grateful Dead jammed on the Which Stage for a late night set with his buddies. While I have never been into the Dead, I have no problem with the music or others who choose it over my preferences. Some people just don’t get it.

The next golf cart that drove past was a little more exciting. We were still standing well behind the back of the tent, discussing whether we should pull out our mats to chill on the hill or figure something else out. I noticed a cart sitting about fifteen feet away from us with a familiar looking cat riding shotgun. “That dude looks familiar,” I said to Di. “He looks a little like the Flaming Lips singer…Wayne…what’s his face?” We didn’t think much of it. A couple of minutes later, someone jumped in the backseat and the golf cart took off. Turns out, I must have been right. Wayne Coyne was there to introduce his new film, “Christmas on Mars” at the Cinema Tent.

Sigur Rós:

If one sought relaxation on Saturday night, I don’t think he or she could have done better than find a spot to chill for Sigur Rós. As expected, the Icelandic band put on an awe-inspiring show. The beautiful melodies evoking from the band sent shivers of emotions into the crowd, slowly moving through each individual and causing a natural reaction that seemed to calm the mind and body. While showcasing some of the new songs, they made sure to hit most of the fan favorites during their two hour set. Even Sigur Rós took the time to get down with the spirit of the ‘Roo, bringing out (what looked like) guest musicians for the performance.

For what Sigur Rós does, I do not think there is another act that surpasses them. There is no better band at performing this type of symphonic rock. The way Jónsi Birgisson plays his guitar like a cello, stroking his bow against the strings, while crooning the made-up language featured in the majority of the songs, will never cease to impress me. I have long thought that people often misunderstand Sigur Rós, similar to how others do the same with their home country of Iceland. The average individual, at least on first listen, probably hears glacial productions – large-scale, slow-moving and possibly cold music that is difficult to identify with. In reality, the band creates rich, dense and warm pieces. Sure, songs are often expansive and free-ranging, but at the same time, these tracks are fresh and crisp – much like Iceland (remember, its Greenland that is the icy one).

The current set list is amazing, spanning the entire career of the outfit. We made it just in time for the second half of one of my favorite songs, Svefn-G-Englar, an epic tune that tears through orchestral highs and lows. What really balanced out the set though, was the addition of the new songs, which I find bring a new element to the band’s sound.

I believe that the first of the new songs debuted at Bonnaroo was the fourth in the set (although we did miss the very beginning and the set I downloaded is missing at least the first song we heard, which had to be at least the second of the show.) The new tunes bring a bouncier feel and a powerful horn section that enlivens the crowd, without awakening it from the (almost) hypnotic state. I was still in the process of getting to know the new album, so I can’t be certain, but I believe the song that caught my ear was “Vid spilum endalaust.” Since the show, this track has quickly become one of my favorites on the new album. It is also the song I feel that captures the essence of the record. It definitely has a slightly poppier feel, without losing any of the great Sigur Rós spirit that I have come to love.

Another that I recognized is “Festival,” coming just a couple of songs later into the set. This is one of the tracks that Sigur Rós released in advance via their website. I lost count after that, but I knew the band played at least a couple of other new ones before they ended with “Gobbledigook”, in a triumphant fashion. The stage filled with musicians and instruments (singers, trombones, tubas, etc.), the lights brightened and confetti rained from the tent roof. I did not wait around for the encore, so I might have missed an even better surprise, but I certainly felt that I witnessed an outstanding show.

While all of the new songs are very good on CD (at this point, I think I might prefer the older albums, but I have not made up my mind), they make for incredible live performances. In fact, the new album improves the live show immensely. Yet, one of the highlights for me was hearing the older “Olsen Olsen.” This is another of my favorites (it is possible that this is partially because my wife’s maiden name is Olsen), primarily due to the pure beauty of the track. I must say that I was disappointed that I had to leave before hearing “Starálfur”, but alas, I will see Sigur Rós again.

I brought my wife to see them a few years ago and Sigur Rós almost put her to sleep with their surreal melodies. This time, the lullabies were a blessing and she opted to skip out on Lupe Fiasco, an artist that she was extremely excited to catch, in order to rest up and relax to the beautiful colors of the music.

On the other hand, if there were negatives to the set, they were all things completely out of the band’s control. To start with, the band’s music and performance are just so much more suitable for a theater atmosphere, where the audience can sit back and relax in comfortable seats – completely drifting off at times into their own thoughts, only to be brought back by the thunderous crescendos of the drums, tubas and other heavier bass instruments. I remember being awestruck by the astounding aptitude that Jónsi used when caressing his guitar with a bow, something that far too many of the Bonnaroo attendees missed out upon. The crowd was immense and everyone was standing, packed in tightly, except for those who found a spot outside the tent to sit down and relax. Unless you were up front, the likelihood of you fully enjoying the lights and vivid imagery that the band uses throughout the set had to be minimal. In addition, the porta-potties to the right of the tent were in rough shape and emanated a horrific stench that was practically unbearable. The odor of other’s wastes and beautiful, artsy, yet soothing music just do not go well together.

In addition, the band definitely had some sound problems. Yet, most people did not seem to notice the static interference. I got the sense that most of the audience didn’t recognize (or care) when there were troubles during other act’s performances as well. Regardless, Sigur Rós’ set is always a special experience and one I felt almost honored to be witnessing.

It was time to catch the next act, but Di was done for the day. Within a few minutes of standing up from our spot on the hill, she would be back in our tent and asleep for the night. On the other hand, I still felt good (enough to continue with my day/night). Thus, I prolonged the evening and headed to catch a couple of stellar late-night hip hop shows.

The hip hop stage (a.k.a. the Other Tent) was a magical place to spend Saturday night, with the Ferris wheel spinning its beautiful multihued pods in the background. Unfortunately, the tent lost a few when some folks set forth to catch some of Kanye West’s set on the completely other side of the festival grounds (ummm…who scheduled the best hip hop acts of the weekend at the same time, all extremely late at night [starting at 12:15], clashing against each other on the far-flung edges of Centeroo?) This certainly was not convenient if one wanted to check out the other stage or changed his/her mind for whatever reason (e.g., someone went on a little late).

Talib Kweli:

Soon after I arrived at the Other Tent, Talib Kweli’s crew entered the stage. Nice timing. I hooked around to the right side of the tent to get up front, but the ground was terribly muddy and the crowd was dense. I opted to hop back around to the other side, just as Kweli kicked off his set. I knew that he was going for something a bit different when he called for all the B-Boys to come up front and show him some moves. I mean, calling for B-Boys at Bonnaroo? That was cool. I was maneuvering my way around the tent at this point and witnessed a tall, lanky hippy trying to breakdance. He really was not too bad and I got a real boost of confidence that this was going to be a great show.

As always, Kweli’s presence commanded the stage. He easily held down one of the tightest hip hop sets that Bonnaroovians have ever witnessed. His flow is impeccable and few lyricists have come that can touch his skill or tongue. He traveled to Tennessee with an unassuming crew (a DJ and two singers) backing him. That’s all he needed. While I usually prefer to see hip hop performed in front of a live band, with Kweli one would have only been ignored, as we were all there to hear him and him alone.

Giving the fans a true ‘Roo experience, Kweli rolled up to Manchester primed and determined to keep things interesting. His boy, who emerged to warm up the crowd, conducted an animated sing-a-long to Bob Marley’s “Jammin’,” among other well-known tracks. I don’t think there was a single person under the shelter, who was not singing. Within a couple of minutes, the audience roared with approval, as Kweli emerged up front, succeeding the warm-up man as MC. Early on in the set, Kweli and his crew performed “Get ‘Em High” (off Kanye West’s The College Dropout), and he called for the audience to throw their hands high. Folks were soon jumping around, waving their arms in the air. Another memorable moment started out with the DJ spinning Al Green’s original “Simply Beautiful.” The soulful jam produced quite a stir and we all demonstrated our approval by grooving to the slightly accelerated classic. Just when we were completely accustomed to the superstar’s mellow vibe, the sounds blended smoothly into Kweli’s funkier “Good to You” (a standout track off Quality that sampled Green’s song.)

The best song of his tremendous set might have been Black Star’s “Definition,” although the crowd seemed to be most excited for “Get By,” a track produced by none other than Kanye West, the man thought to be rocking the main stage at the time. I would have liked to hear Kweli kick some heavy freestyle, but I can’t complain. Kweli transported a little New York City to Tennessee. I felt like I was back home (I am originally from NY), watching him at S.O.B.s or Irving Plaza, which was a nice feeling to have at almost 3 am on the third day of Bonnaroo. I may have been lost in my thoughts when I heard the first drumbeats of “The Blast” (a phenomenal Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek, a.k.a. Reflection Eternal track off Train of Thought) kick in. I just about lost it.

Ghostland Observatory:

After Kweli finished his set, I ran into Jeremy and Nicolle, who had been standing so close to me, I have no idea how we did not see each other earlier. We had some time before the next act, Chali 2na, so we took a short walk. We were flabbergasted with what we saw happening at This Tent. The mass of people extended out of through back to a span double that of the actual exhibition area. It was the largest crowd that I saw the whole festival at one of the tents. Clearly, Ghostland Observatory pulled a heavy crowd from Kanye West’s show and held it down. Even more surprising was the magnitude of the light show consisting of purple and green lasers flashing all over the place.

The music sounded powerful and fantastically impressive enough that our cu