- Consequence of sound
- Festival outlook
CoS Festival of the Decade: Bonnaroo Music Festival
By Drew Litowitz on December 23rd, 2009 in
You wake up sore, tired, and hot. Unzip the flap of your tent and a light breeze flows in. You lift yourself up from the ground and rise above what looks like a hazy sea of tents. More tents than you have ever seen in your entire life. Smoke bellows up through the air. The ground is wet with mud. Thousands are trudging by on an adjacent road to which there is no end in site. You throw some dirty clothes on and join in the precession. “Bonnaroo,” you hear a few people scream in response to one another. Everybody is walking towards something. It’s a big giant arch with the word Bonnaroo inscribed across the center, and it’s glorious.
When you experience it for the first time, it feels something like an exodus. But, at the moment, these people are evading nothing. The only thing they are escaping is the outside world. A world where none of this makes any sense. A world where a sight like this could only be found during the 1930’s Dustbowl in a Hooverville. But, this is a different universe entirely. In this world this mass movement of people from tents to muddy pastures only means one thing. They’re ready to start the day. These people are about to enter Centeroo at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN. And though the image may seem grim or post-apocalyptic, this isn’t The Road. No, this is something else entirely. This is, Bonnaroo, hands down, the best damn musical festival to emerge this decade.
Bonnaroo is not just a music festival. It is a community of people who share a deep understanding with one another. Since 2002, people have been coming to this secluded farm in Manchester, TN for the sheer appreciation of live music. Sure, there are those who make the trek because of another type of appreciation (I’m talking about drugs, people), but for the most part, this is a group of people so obsessed with music that they’ll endure the heat, the tired nights, and the stench of dirty bodies to see as many bands as they can in a few days. For four days every June, a large field in the middle of Tennessee becomes a sort of music haven that we thought was long forgotten. In many ways it is a modern day Woodstock. It’s a well-organized, relatively safe replica of free-love era music festivals. Though, I’d still recommend avoiding the brown acid.
But Bonnaroo isn’t just for the hippies. That’s what makes it so great. Though it is rooted in the Jam Band scene, over time the lineup has grown progressively diverse, thus yielding an equally diverse crowd. At this point, any music enthusiast can find dozens of bands to see at each Bonnaroo. This being said, Bonnaroo makes most other festivals look officially segregated. Festivals like Coachella and Pitchfork are mostly just hipster-lovechild breeding grounds, without a Birkenstock in sight. And Rothbury and High Sierra mainly attract people who love the color green. Bonnaroo, however, is melting pot of music scenes. It’s a place where we can all just get along. At Bonnaroo you’ll get no stares. Everyone belongs to the Bonnaroo community. At Bonnaroo, you can find a Deadhead with Raybans passing a joint to a skinnyjeaned dude with a set of dreadlocks and a PBR in hand. Somehow, people at Bonnaroo just seem to get a long well. Everybody is in good spirits and accepting of each other’s tastes, no matter how bad those tastes may be. You’ll find a diverse group of music fans at Bonnaroo, people you can talk to for hours about what they have seen so far and what they plan to see while you wait for the next set to start. And the continually all-encompassing lineups make such diversity so prevalent.
Bonnaroo seems to one-up itself every year as far as the lineup goes. In 2006, they nabbed Radiohead to headline. But even when some of the headliners may be a little bit more commercial (recent years saw Metallica and Bruce Springsteen), Bonnaroo manages to balance itself out. Say the headliners are too mainstream for more alternative music fans, then they load up on high quality lower tier acts. 2009 saw Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, Bon Iver, and Okkervil River beside headliners like Phish and Springsteen, for example. You simply can’t go wrong with a Bonnaroo lineup. Superfly Productions always goes all out with the talent.
Not only are the lineups well balanced and stacked, but the scheduling is equally superb. Stages are organized by the types of fans the bands attract, so that people can see as many bands as they want with minimal overlaps or sacrifices. Most of the time you can camp out at one tent or stage and stay there all day without missing any bands you want to see. This isn’t always the case, but due to great scheduling, it happens quite a bit. And that’s a testament to great organization. Then there are the legendary late night performances. Want to see My Morning Jacket play for four hours straight from midnight to four o’clock in the morning? You got it. Go from an E Street Band show to a 1 a.m. Nine Inch Nails performance? Yup. A Police reunion show followed up by a midnight Flaming Lips mindfuck? Okay. Bonnaroo late night shows are the cream of the crop. The music almost never stops and it comes at all the right times.
And if, for some unfathomable reason, you come to Bonnaroo but don’t much care for the tunes, there’s plenty more to be done in the sun (or out of it). Recently a comedy tent has been thrown into the mix. And the comedy lineup alone is impressive. Aziz Ansari, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and Demitri Martin have all graced the Bonnaroo comedy tent stage. It’s air conditioned, and a good place to cool off. There’s an equally cool (air conditioned and awesome) cinema tent that plays movies and playoff basketball and hockey games. There are video games to be played, Silent Discos to be danced at, and pretty much anything else you can dream up. Additionally, all sorts of shops and boutiques populate Centeroo. And then there’s the food. Oh, the food. Fried alligator? Why not? Clam strips? Sure. Fried candy bars, milkshakes, frozen lemonade, smoothies, burgers, pizza, burritos, Greek, Cajun, Bonnaroo has it all. Sound like there’s anything missing? Didn’t think so.
But, as easy and logical as the Bonnaroo organizers try to make things for attendees, they also have a sense of humor about the place. They are aware of the stigmas associated with these types of summer festivals, the level of drug and alcohol consumption facilitated by these things. So, just to screw with high and drunk folk, the stages are labeled in the most hilariously infuriating manner imaginable. They might as well not even have names. If you plan on meeting somebody at a stage or tent, you may want to make sure you’ve got the site map in hand. There are the tents: This Tent, That Tent, and The Other Tent. Then there are the stages: The What Stage (The main stage) and the Which Stage. That’s a good way to confuse the cracked out hippies. But, it’s also a good indicator as to the kind of vibe Bonnaroo gives off. You’re supposed to have a good time here. You’re supposed to relax with your friends while watching the best music around. And, with all that Bonnaroo has to offer, it’s almost impossible not to. Perhaps this is part of why you’ll never run into someone with a negative attitude at Bonnaroo and why mean people do not exist there. Quite frankly, it’s paradise.
When it’s all over, the real world feels like a prison. If there’s a downside to Bonnaroo, it’s that it sucks the joy out of everything else for a while. It’s that good. You can even go through Bonnaroo withdrawal after a while, but luckily it’s an annual event. If you go, you won’t forget it. And if you go, you won’t regret it. As a personal four-year Bonnaroo patron, I can attest to its power. Once you put the tent up, march through the gates, and drink it all in, there’s no going back. You’ll be sure to join in the migration next time around, and move south for the start of the summer. Bonnaroo takes you in and makes you feel at home. When you step onto the farm, something just clicks. A rough French translation of the word Bonnaroo results in “the best on the streets.” The name says it all. This is what every festival should aspire to be like. The others are working on it, but until then Bonnaroo reigns supreme. All hail to the ‘Roo.
CoS Select Picks:
Radiohead (Live @ Bonnaroo 2006)
The White Stripes (Live @ Bonnaroo 2007)
The Police (Live @ Bonnaroo 2007)
Andrew Bird (Live @ Bonnaroo 2009)
Girl Talk (Live @ Bonnaroo 2009)
TAGGED AS: Bonnaroo Music Festival, CoS Top of the Decade, Festival of the Decade
comments (80)
went to cochella , lolla, and ACL in 2008
went to bonnaroo and voodoo in 2009Lolla B-
Headliners A+
Variety C+
Location D+(City)/B+(Park) = C+
of the festivals i’ve been to lolla undeniably had the best group of headliners Radiohead, Rage/Racontuers, NIN/Kanye
I thought the park was beautiful, provided good shade and FREE WATER. I did not like the hassel of getting to the fest as it turns out travel by anything other than public transportation in chicago is impossible.
I prefer to camp when it comes to festivals as it saves money. Going to Chicago, camping on Lake Michigan at the Illinois Beach State Park was a great experience. I’d wake up every morning to the expansive lake and go fishing in some of the small ponds. Mosquitos are a problem at the camp, but not at the festival.
The problem with camping at the park is that it takes 2 hours to get to the festival. You can drive into the city and pay $20 to park, or park(free) at the end of the red line ($1) and take it into town. Either way it takes 2 hours to make it to the fest.
If i go again, i’ll probably get a hotel by the airport and only camp one night. It only takes 1 hour to get to the fest from the airport via thpublic transport.ACL B-
Headliners B+
Variety B-
Location B-
Austin has a beautiful although very dusty park. It’s maybe a little smaller than grant park for those who have been. Springs that you can swim in are within walking distance, which is really cool for a break. Also FREE WATER. I found the fest to be a good time, and 2008 had really good acts. Traffic is not nearly as bad, and parking is cheap (under $10). Expect to walk 1-2mi after you park however. The atmosphere is very laid back and the locals are good people. Austin is a fun city with plenty to do once the music at the fest ends.
The music at ACL has a bit more variety than Lolla, but not much more. Alot is added by local acts from Austin’s great music scene. Headliners are usually on par with Lolla, but i feel Lolla gets top billing (C3 runs both shows)
If you are the camping sort Mc Kinney Falls State Park? is near by and the drive to the festival is less than an hour. This park has a small set of waterfalls and plenty of places to swim and have fun.Voodoo B-
Headliners B-
Variety C+
Location B+
Voodoo is a much smaller fest but it has alot to offer. The fest is in late October and so the weather is much cooler. No free water, but you can buy drinks and take them anywhere. I’ve brought water in my cammel pack and the gate security didn’t hassel me about it either. The fest is cheaper than most which is good because you’ll have to get a hotel (you can get ~$50/night near the FQ at 3+* if you priceline negotiate). Public busses ($1.50) run right by the fest and close to the major local hotels so transportation isn’t a problem. This year I took a greyhoud to the city and walked to my hotel from the station. The park is the smallest of all the fests i’ve been to and less acts play due to the proximity of the stages. However there are less schedule conflicts due to this. Being New Orleans and near or on Halloween, there are tons of costumes, and the city never disapoints.
Voodoo feels less like a fest and more like something to do during the day while you recover from partying all night in the city. That said, there are some great acts that come through here and the people are easy to get along with.Coachella A-
Headliners A-
Variety A-
Location B+
I had a blast at Coachella. The place is one of a kind. I’m not a fan of the desert heat or the pay for water policy in the desert heat, but the fest itself makes up for all that. The doo lab is something every festival needs as it is a great place to cool off while seeing a variety of shows/music.
I am not a fan of their entry policy. Coachella needs wristbands. Music is top notch and the size and variety is perfect. Coachella is expensive, tickets cost more than any other festival (~$350). Its this price + the cost of travel that makes me a little sour on Coachella. A trip for 2 can run $1000 easily.Bonnaroo A+
Headliners A-
Variety A-
Location A+
CoS has it correct. Bonnaroo is a step above. Not because of the music or the location or the atmosphere, but all of the above. You may not be able to catch some of the great acts that Coachella will always have, but overal you have a better time. Bonnaroo is another world where everyday experience, good vibes, and music collide like no place else. I may not make it back every year, but I know that going to Bonnaroo isn’t so much about going to see a great headliner as it is about going to Bonnaroo itself.This year i’m hoping to make it to Ultra, APW, and either Roth or Bonnaroo.
That’s just not really true what Airline said about Bonnaroo having “more diverse lineups always.” They’ve recently taken a note from Coachella and added more hip-hop, indie and electronic stuff, but that’s in the last couple of years. Like I said before, I am not gonna diss Bonnaroo based on stuff I don’t know, but Coachella has always been more diverse and creative with their lineups. Some of the acts Bonnaroo books seem to be there just to stay competitive – which doesn’t make them any worse, but there’s less creativity involved so you’re not gonna get stuff like Throbbing Gristle reuniting after 30 years.
Never been to Coachella (live in Toronto) always wanted to and it will happen.
Been to Lolla twice in its most recent incarnation.(The past 2 years)
Been to ‘Roo 4 times.
Every festival has entirely different environment and attracts different types of people which is why you’ll see people defend one another so vehemently.
Aside from the regular differences that are to be expected there is one factor that differentiates ‘Roo entirely from other North American festivals and that is the late night sets.
Lolla ends at 10. I believe Coachella ends at midnight. At Roo’ the headliners aren’t even done by midnight and when they do wrap up there’s still another 15-20 odd shows to see between midnight and 4AM. This is what does it for me.
After SURVIVING through the long, hot days in Tennessee in the middle of June there is nothing I’ve ever experienced that is quite like nightfall at Bonnaroo. Everyone comes alive again, not just the folks on drugs, and the party kicks in.
To those who defend Coachella, I hear ya. I’m dying to go and have missed legendary performances that broke my heart (Daft Punk and Rage come to mind) but just think about the sheer awesomeness that would be a Coachella or Lolla or any other festival in North America where the music didn’t end because of some civic bylaw.
At ‘Roo its loud as fuck! No sound laws in the middle of nowhere. And they play till the wee hours of the morning. Dunno bout you but I hate when rock shows end about the time my little cousins go to bed.
See some of you down at the farm!
Bonnaroo has late nights, Coachella ends it’s nights with headliners. Bonnaroo has a more diverse line up ALWAYS, yet Coachella gets super rare acts ALWAYS. However the clincher for Roo is Centeroo, Coach doesn’t have anything like it.
Coachella boardies can get their panties in a twist but when it comes down to it you can see more music with longer set’s at Roo, and until that changes Coachella will always feel like caviar to Roo’s full course.
For the record, I also got a distinct “up-Bonnaroo’s-ass” vibe from this article. I have no problem with picking Bonnaroo, because it’s one of the undisputed big-3 American festivals but there’s a bit of bias in this article.
Musically, Bonnaroo doesn’t hold a candle to Coachella – the diversity point is one I can fully disagree with. I go to Coachella every year and have never been to Bonnaroo but I check the Bonnaroo lineup every year.
The rest of the points I obviously can’t comment on, but Bonnaroo is something I very much look forward to going to whenever I get some money and a hardcore friend or two. It sounds like a blast. I have never been to England but when I do it will probably coincide with Glastonbury – another must-see.
who cares which festival is better or worse. it’s all about having a good time. you have to find which festival is going to do that for you!!
Clearly anyone who says Bonnaroo isn’t it has never been there. It is hands down the most diverse experience, music and everything else, that anyone in this country can offer. You get it all there. Even if some other place, like Coachella FOR EXAMPLE, does it first, ROO does it longer ang better. I enjoy the 2+ hour set times instead of the under an hour ones. Also – it’s a great atmosphere – anyone would help out anyone there, and anyone would share anything to make sure everyone has fun there. I would say the largest difference is the people.
I don’t go to Coachella because I don’t like hipster assholes and I don’t go to Bonnaroo because I don’t like smelly hippies. So I’ll stick with Lolla.
(Also its nice to take a quick trip home to my bed each night rather than a tent)
I’ve been to Lolla in Chicago twice and can tell you that the experience is nowhere near what Bonnaroo is. Aside from the short time frame of the festival and often abbreviated set-times, there is no atmosphere. It’s pretty much just about the music, which is fine except that they don’t take care of their concert goers. It seems like it’s in the upper 90’s every year with no shade and little water. Also, the sound-bleed can be pretty attrocious. Lolla can be a fine place to see some music but it’s not the best festival expericence around by far.
Selling out dosent make it better, there were around 70,000 in 08. I think Roo 04 had closer to 90,000. There are a lot of people at Lola who wouldnt think about camping.
Another thing you get with Bonaroo that you get know where else are the kickass collaborations! Last year I saw Phish and Springsteen close out the fest! Then there was David Byrne with the Dirty Projectors.
How is a near riot a good thing? yeah i like Rage but i wouldnt brag about a riot.
And how are you making that “Metallica isnt a festival band” statement? They have player more festivals around the world than nearly any other band. There was talk of them bringing a shitty crowd and ruining Bonnaroo, but they rock they rocked the place and changed many minds.
CT….correct me if i’m wrong but i seem to recall the Bonnaroo ‘08 festival not even coming close to selling out. Lollapalooza ‘08 came within a breathe of a riot when fans started storming the gates from outside when Rage Against the Machine came on
Plus Lolla ‘07 was even better than Bonnaroo ‘08….practically all the ones you named ANNNND DAFT PUNK (minus Metallica, which i believe if you ask anyone on here is not festival material). Bonnaroo’s best festival lineup they have mustered to date has been ‘07, but that still falls short of Lollapalooza ‘08
Sorry man, but its true
Hey-Anonymous on Dec 25th, 2009 at 9:38 am
“best festival line-up of the decade: LOLLAPALOOZA ‘08…..RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, radiohead, NIN on their Lights tour, Kanye West (from Chicago) on his Glow in the Dark tour, the Raconteurs….need i say more??”
Bonnaroo ‘08 Had My Morning Jacket from 12-4am in the pouring rain, Pearl Jam, Sigur Ros, Metallica, Ghostland Observatory, Raconteurs, Widespread Panic, Kanye(asshole, roo’ers know why), M.I.A., Mastadon, Lupe Fiasco, and many many more.
Gotta be coachella
Not that it’s the most important statistic but Bonnaroo has also hosted at least twenty-two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, too. I’m not as familiar with Coachella’s history but it looks to be about a third of that. My point is that they manage to do a good job of both looking back and looking forward even if they don’t book a ton of 80’s and 90’s reunion acts.
All I know is that last year at Bonnaroo I went from seeing Merle haggard to snoop dogg and then followed that up with Phish.
If thats not diversity, I dont know what is.
yeah it was oysterhead’s only show in the world
best festival line-up of the decade: LOLLAPALOOZA ‘08…..RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, radiohead, NIN on their Lights tour, Kanye West (from Chicago) on his Glow in the Dark tour, the Raconteurs….need i say more??
Yes you can compare them actually considering Coachella was Portishead’s ONLY US stop for that tour.
CoS had their feelings hurt. Enjoy your ferris wheel.
you want to talk about rare i said oysterhead earlier… can we even compare portishead to oysterhead ummmm. no sorry.
Eric – you are right – the food choices determine which is the best music festival. The music comes second.
Coachella has the Sahara tent. That tent is an experience in itself.
also, the rare acts that coachella get are experiences in themselves. Anyone who saw Portishead in 08 knows what I’m talking about.
its amazing how everyone who likes coachella more just simply points to the acts there. when i went to my first bonnaroo in 05 i didnt know more then 10 bands there total and it was the best weekend ever. its the whole experience overall that makes bonnaroo the best fest out there (well camping fest anyway, SXSW is the best actual music festival in this country). you can argue bands and sets and performances all you want, its gonna stalemate in the end, but EXPERIENCE wise, try beating 4pm-4amThur noon-6amFri,noon-6amSat, and noon-midnightSun. show me a silent disco, show me the most amazing food chocies ever… show me more then band names if you wanna argue for coachella
DOESN’T COS GET SPONSORED BY BONNAROO? Or am I wrong? These guys started their site because of Coachella. Hahahaha, Coachella 1, bonnaroo number 2 MAYBE.
i think he was being sarcastic because he he played roo he would have had a nice long 4 hour set
Ummmm…Mudflappper…didn’t you get the memo that Prince played a 2-hour set for us? Just a slight correction…
Coachella has more diversity? That is one of the funniest things I have ever heard. Maybe it is true if you want to call it a diverse amount of indie/pop, and bad electronica going untz all night with maybe one or two legends like Cohen, or Prince who will get to play a 35 minute show for you. At Bonnaroo last year we had a indie stage curated by David Byrne, an African Stage curated by Bela Flek, and a stage just for Tennessee legends.
This award is well deserved. Bonnaroo is amazing. I go every year. The people who are posting who attended coachella is exactly why it was not voted best festival. Everyone at Bonnaroo is there to have a good time. It’s not a bunch of music snobs. No one got tazed at Bonnaroo because there were no police there at all. Best performances include radiohead, tiesto, crystal castles, animal collective, the yyy, pearl jam, mars volta. The music is soo diverse. Theres everything. Everyday is a new experience. One day im tripping the next im at an all night rave and the next im watching artists like springsting tear down the house. Ill be at the roo next year for sure!!
Pretty dumb to bring up things like that. Someone died at Roo this year. Would you want to use that to compare the festivals?
