2011

[jeffx]

time to start talking about potential bonnaroo 2011 acts yet?

coachella's lineup is sorta yawn-inspiring. lotta stuff i'd enjoy, but nothing i'm just dying to see.

[bird jam]

AC has already debunked it, but this fake lineup from Paste.com is interesting as a conversation starter:

http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/fake-bonnaroo-poster.jpg

I wonder if this Greg Allman fellow is related to Gregg?

[jeffx]

oh man, black star would make my year.

who the hell is furthur?

[bird jam]

oh man, black star would make my year.

who the hell is furthur?

I believe that is the latest iteration of the Grateful Dead's surviving members.

[Blogmudgeon]

I wonder if this Greg Allman fellow is related to Gregg?

The two g's were not there until one night in 1973 when out in the parking lot of the Oar House on Bradenton Beach he was sitting on the hood of an Impala, trying to finish twisting a bone with one hand, and grope Candy Mason with the other and slid off on the ground. Not pretty. The fall, not Candy. It was one of the high points of her life. The grope, not the fall. The joint was a total loss. Not a big deal though at $10 an oz.

He actually lost the second g in 1988 while hunting shrooms on Dickey's farm off Moccasin Wallow Road in Rubonia, FL. He tried to blame it on that weird ex-wife of his--but we all knew better.

True story, bro...

[jeffx]

so, black star confirmed (http://www.examiner.com/festivals-in-nashville/bonnaroo-2011-rumors-kweli-confirms-black-star-more-roo-clues) via examiner. very rad. curious about the rumors of buffalo springfield reunion. i'd rather it be crazy horse, honestly, but that would still be pretty cool.

[skirob]

So Black Star and Allman confirmed. I don't really care about Gregg, but Black Star would be pretty cool. Looking forward to some more leaking soon.

[mgdrum]

What about Daft Punk? They are touring in 2011/2012, but no announcements yet. I bet Buffalo Springfield is a go. Crosby has been rumoring they are getting back together.

[madameRoyali]

Eminem
Arcade Fire
Widespread Panic
The Black Keys
Buffalo Springfield feat Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Rick Rosas, Joe Vitale
My Morning Jacket
Lil Wayne
String Cheese Incident
Robert Plant & Band of Joy
Mumford & Sons
The Strokes
The Decemberists Ray Lamontagne
Bassnectar
Iron & Wine
Girl Talk
Primus
Dr. John and The Original Meters performing Desitively Bonnaroo
Alison Krauss and Union Station
Pretty Lights
Florence & the Machine
Superjam ft. Dan Auerbach and Dr. John
Explosions in the Sky
STS9
Gogol Bordello Beirut
Big Boi
Scissor Sisters
Gregg Allman
Ratatat
Global Gypsy Punk Revue curated by Eugene Hütz
Robyn
Warren Haynes Band Deerhunter
Opeth
Atmosphere
Old Crow Medicine Show
Bootsy Collins & the Funk University
Wiz Khalifa
Matt & Kim
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
The Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Mavis Staples
Béla Fleck & the Flecktones
Chiddy Bang
Javanotti Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers
Loretta Lynn
Cold War Kids
The Walkmen
Devotchka
Wanda Jackson
Neon Trees
Portugal. The Man Sleigh Bells
Amos Lee
Best Coast
Dãm-Funk
The Sword
The Drums The Black Angels
School of Seven Bells
J. Cole
Nicole Atkins & the Black Sea
Wavves
!!!
Junip
Freelance Whales
Justin Townes Earle Ryan Bingham
Deer Tick
Band of Skulls
Sharon Van Etten
Abigail Washburn
Omar Souleyman
Twin Shadow
Kylesa
Man Man
The Low Anthem
Alberta Cross
Railroad Earth
Jessica Lea Mayfield
Smith Westerns
The Head and the Heart
Karen Elson
Beats Antique
22-20s
Phosphorescent
Clare MaGuire
Hayes Carl

[Rocky Hillian]

I would really like to go.

I haven't really wanted to the last couple of years, but this lineup looks nice.

Hmmm... I wonder if I could get a ticket through MP again?

[The Pullet Surprise]

You had me at Dr. John and the Original Meters.

Excellent work, AC.

[jeffx]

did i miss blackstar on that list?

[AC]

did i miss blackstar on that list?


No Blackstar...I know that Talib or someone allegedly tweeted that they were playing, but this was never seriously in the mix this year so I'm not sure where it came from.

[relentless1]

So, I'm considering going this year, with the payment plan option being available and all. It will essentially be our vacation and we'll be spending every spare dime to go.

My question for you folks who have been: is it worth the extra dough for VIP? We'll be camping in a van (not big enough to be considered an RV). Are the viewing sections for VIP alot better than the General Admission sections? Are the lines for the VIP showers too long to even bother with?
The hubby is disabled and I'm wondering if VIP will make accessibility easier. He doesn't have to ride a scooter or anything, but walking distances, especially if the ground is uneven presents a challenge for him. Advice/info appreciated. Thanks!

[jeffx]

So, I'm considering going this year, with the payment plan option being available and all. It will essentially be our vacation and we'll be spending every spare dime to go.

My question for you folks who have been: is it worth the extra dough for VIP? We'll be camping in a van (not big enough to be considered an RV). Are the viewing sections for VIP alot better than the General Admission sections? Are the lines for the VIP showers too long to even bother with?
The hubby is disabled and I'm wondering if VIP will make accessibility easier. He doesn't have to ride a scooter or anything, but walking distances, especially if the ground is uneven presents a challenge for him. Advice/info appreciated. Thanks!

i've never done true vip, so i can't really comment on cost vs. benefit. but we were in the artist section with vip access, so i can tell you: the vip showers are absolutely worth the minimal wait, accessibility is a lot easier (although we usually go with some disabled folks and stay in the handicapped section, and that walk is as short or shorter for them than the vip walk), and i think the vip viewing sections are nice every now and then, just because the crowd is thinner, but actually not as good for maximum show engagement.

my advice: if your husband is disabled, and you don't mind roughing it a bit (i.e. hooker showers), i'd recommend getting a handicap pass and staying there. if the cost of vip is prohibitive to you (as it sure as hell is to me), save the dough.

[relentless1]

Cool. Thanks. That answers alot.
Ok, the food thing. I understand no outside food is allowed in the "venue", but is the camping area considered the venue? It's ok to have our own food and drink at the campsite, right?
He's diabetic, I can't eat gluten, and I'm a major planner.

[AC]

Cool. Thanks. That answers alot.
Ok, the food thing. I understand no outside food is allowed in the "venue", but is the camping area considered the venue? It's ok to have our own food and drink at the campsite, right?
He's diabetic, I can't eat gluten, and I'm a major planner.


You can, of course, bring your own food and supplies for camping. We just don't allow people to bring it into Centeroo and main performance venue.

[relentless1]

Got it. Thanks!

[AC]

A reminder:

Bonnaroo tickets go on sale in one hour at noon eastern...at bonnaroo.com.

Don't be shy!

[jeffx]

man, to hell with that ticket purchasing site. i was on at 11:55 and just now (12:30) got my order processed, after 3 attempts. the first tier tickets must have sold out in 30 seconds, btw, to people with supercomputers capable of processing address and credit card information faster than the site asks for it.

but hey, mission (finally) accomplished. now i need a beer.

[AC]

man, to hell with that ticket purchasing site. i was on at 11:55 and just now (12:30) got my order processed, after 3 attempts. the first tier tickets must have sold out in 30 seconds, btw, to people with supercomputers capable of processing address and credit card information faster than the site asks for it.

but hey, mission (finally) accomplished. now i need a beer.

Yeah...wow...sorry about that Jeff. Servers were hopelessly slammed. This is the biggest first of hour of ticket sales in Bonnaroo history...by far. Sorry it was so stressful. Enjoy the beer!

[jeffx]

hey, all's well that ends well. cheers to big sales. nothing left but to look forward to another great year.

[RTR]

This will be my first year at Bonaroo. I've always wanted to go - kept hoping for a roadie job with Quartjar (fingers still crossed) but I sprang for the Black Friday tickets. I got an RV pass too, hoping that the parents will lend the "Travelling Mercies" for a week. I'd love some advice for doing it this way, I'm too old and soft to camp.

[mar]

Okay, Blabbers, who's in? We're leaving K-town early Thursday morning!

[madameRoyali]

This will be the third Bonnaroo in 10 years I am missing.
Manchester and the surrounding areas really need to build a few more hotels!
Not gonna risk the heat stroke this year in my "condition".

Y'all have fun for me!

[mar]

This will be the third Bonnaroo in 10 years I am missing.
Manchester and the surrounding areas really need to build a few more hotels!
Not gonna risk the heat stroke this year in my "condition".

Y'all have fun for me!

Didn't think y'all would be coming. You stay home and take it easy, love :) Camp Monkey will miss you!

[Hi Top]

Leila (wifey) has decided she indeed wants to go to Bonnaroo. If anyone happens to know of a trustworthy source to buy a ticket it would be appreciated. This whole RFID thing has me a little freaked out for several reasons, but one is buying a ticket and getting screwed over by the seller. I tried to tell her she should get one when I bought mine but....well, obviously she does not have a ticket. Any help would rule but I'm not holding my breath.

[The Pullet Surprise]

This will be the third Bonnaroo in 10 years I am missing.
Manchester and the surrounding areas really need to build a few more hotels!
Not gonna risk the heat stroke this year in my "condition".

Y'all have fun for me!

God love the Executive Inn of Tullahoma, but my wife & I widened the circle and now commute to/from Murfreesboro.

I think some of the capital that's come into some of these properties has allowed them to spruce up a little, but I doubt that the local economy really supports bunches of new beds for much other than a few weeks a year.

[mar]

Hi Top, check your cubes!

[Hi Top]

Thanks, mar! I emailed him. Crossing my fangers.
Cheers!

[jfm]

So right now the forecast is for it to barely get above 90. Dang near temperate.

(I'm a little afraid of my tent, btw. I'm pretty sure that the post-Bonnaroo airing-out I intended last year never actually happened...)

[mar]

hahahahaha...you believe that forcast? :)

[jfm]

hahahahaha...you believe that forcast? :)

Hush. By the time I find out otherwise, it'll be too late anyway.

[skirob]

I'm in. Caravan pulls out in the wee hours Thursday. Cannot wait. My only hope is that I don't spend 9 hours on the shoulder of I-24 this year.
First show on the agenda? Futurebirds or Hayes Carll at 4:15. Already a conflict.

[mar]

Hooray! See ya there!

[JMG]

Y'all have fun. Drink lots.

[jfm]

My report from the first da (http://blogs.metropulse.com/the_daily_pulse/2011/06/roo-report-2-a-dusty-start.html)y, such as it is.

[trancendyce]

don't forget to drink plenty of water!
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/10/us-bonnaroo-death-idUSTRE7596NW20110610

[The Pullet Surprise]

90 minute load in and soundcheck for Bootsy was brutal.

Still, best of the fest so far.

What am I saying... It has to be the Original Meters with Dr. John. Myo what a fiyo.

[skirob]

I've camped all over the farm except BFE. That was until this year. We were a 1.5 mile walk from the arch. It was brutal.

[Hi Top]

I've camped all over the farm except BFE. That was until this year. We were a 1.5 mile walk from the arch. It was brutal.

Sure as hell seemed further than that! And yes, we were at the furthest point from Centeroo. Still, had a blast. Loved The Black Angels, MMJ, Eminem, Black Joe Lewis, Loretta and The Sword. those were prob. my faves. What I saw of Wiz Khalifa was great too. Thinking about hitting Hang Out Festival if they have it next year. Something about hanging on the beach and staying at a house, condo or hotel is appealing. I like camping but this year was a little too refugee-ish! ;) Great time all in all. Luck of the draw on the camping sucked.

[skirob]

Had another killer time, minus the insane hike to Centeroo, which I understand is luck of the draw. I'll go back, but I heard a lot of folks who'll probably think twice before attending another Bonnaroo. The music was stellar, but I was wondering about a few infrastructure issues.

-Lines to get in Centeroo. This stretched 3 blocks on Thursday and Friday. Improved dramatically later on so it seems some adjustments were made.

-Bathrooms. Great idea to cover all portalets and have someone point out openings, but the lines were longer. Most people just whipped it out or dropped trou along the fence.

-Water trucks on road. Where were these this year? Dust was ridiculous in general camping.

-Taxi, gator, golf cart, 4-wheelers. Appreciate the taxi concept, but overall an insane amount of traffic zooming around. Saw a number of people almost get plowed over by carts, myself included.

-Amount of people. Just how many more people were there this year? I've been 6 times and have never felt as cramped at shows as I was this year. It changed from a "we're all in this together" vibe to a "get the hell out of my way" vibe. It also seemed like a lot more folks scrambling for water and shade. I don't think I've ever seen that many folks that looked like they were at deaths door due to heat.

[Hi Top]

-Water trucks on road. Where were these this year? Dust was ridiculous in general camping.

-Taxi, gator, golf cart, 4-wheelers. Appreciate the taxi concept, but overall an insane amount of traffic zooming around. Saw a number of people almost get plowed over by carts, myself included.

-Amount of people. Just how many more people were there this year? I've been 6 times and have never felt as cramped at shows as I was this year. It changed from a "we're all in this together" vibe to a "get the hell out of my way" vibe. It also seemed like a lot more folks scrambling for water and shade. I don't think I've ever seen that many folks that looked like they were at deaths door due to heat.

Ditto n 4-wheelers. Seemed like there were a shitload cruising around at the main stage dodging people stretched out on blankets. Surprised someone didn't actually get drilled by one. I know I played Frogger once or twice.

[The Pullet Surprise]

Had another killer time, minus the insane hike to Centeroo, which I understand is luck of the draw. I'll go back, but I heard a lot of folks who'll probably think twice before attending another Bonnaroo. The music was stellar, but I was wondering about a few infrastructure issues.

-Lines to get in Centeroo. This stretched 3 blocks on Thursday and Friday. Improved dramatically later on so it seems some adjustments were made.

-Bathrooms. Great idea to cover all portalets and have someone point out openings, but the lines were longer. Most people just whipped it out or dropped trou along the fence.

-Water trucks on road. Where were these this year? Dust was ridiculous in general camping.

-Taxi, gator, golf cart, 4-wheelers. Appreciate the taxi concept, but overall an insane amount of traffic zooming around. Saw a number of people almost get plowed over by carts, myself included.

-Amount of people. Just how many more people were there this year? I've been 6 times and have never felt as cramped at shows as I was this year. It changed from a "we're all in this together" vibe to a "get the hell out of my way" vibe. It also seemed like a lot more folks scrambling for water and shade. I don't think I've ever seen that many folks that looked like they were at deaths door due to heat.

Echoing & expanding...

The sand helped some with the dust but for the most part, the problem is the compacted soil doesn't allow the grass to grow very well. The whole area needs to be irrigated, aerated and overseeded. I don't know how practical that is given the state of the compaction and the coverage area. And the taxi service just made the issue all that much worse, since the wheeled vehicles would just churn all the grime into the air.

Permanent water facilities are nice and the water tastes better than it did a few years ago. But there were too many people trying to get to them and it seemed like every fill up was taking a long time.

The tents need screens. It's been past that point for a while. Which Stage finally has one, thankfully, but even then, the shows there are badly overrun and if you sit towards the back, you can sort of see the screen but you get drowned out by the music at On Tap Lounge. It really sucks too to get to a show early only to have some 6'7" jerkoff come stand directly in front of my 5'5" wife (and when asked to move, he refuses, saying "you can't expect to see at a festival." Pardon me, but fuck you, buddy. We arrived at 11:30 for the 12:30 Dr John show and you come at 1:00 and cram in front of us, and supposedly *we* are the problem? I want to hear and I want to see. Those things won't be possible without screens since the stages are at like a 3 or 4 foot elevation.

Load-in time for Bootsy was awful. If it was known that the show wouldn't kick off until 8:30, that should have been communicated. Every schedule I saw said 7:00. I understand that a set change with that many mics and that many instruments needs some time, but the start time needs to be revised accordingly.

Whoever was hired to do the merch tent on Sunday (Roc Star?) should be fired. They were inexcusably slow. They have no business hiring a woman with gout so bad she can hardly walk. And they need more than 2 staffers doing transactions per side of the tent.

Appreciated the porta-urinals, but someone should have noted that in some instances people threw stuff into them and they were backing up.

Lockers were a nice innovation. Hope they stay. As was the wi-fi, which was great if you knew what to look for. I found that in standing next to the antenna array at The Other Tent I never had a signal issue. 3G coverage, on the other hand, continues to be troublesome.

I don't know if it was the number of people or the dynamics of being in tents versus being on Centeroo, but from Friday-Sunday you could scarcely move anywhere in the perimeter area surrounding a stage. Worst by far was Which Stage. The addition of the screen was great, but the crowds were such that if you wanted to hang out towards the back and watch the show from the screen, you'd get hammered by sound from the On Tap Lounge. That was particularly bad during Union Station and Ray LaMontagne sets, which are more subtle and quieter than the BANG BANG BANG that you typically got from On Tap.

Numbers of people just seem to grow every year. I don't know if it's just more people going to watch shows instead of hanging in the tents, but goddamn was it hard getting around.

And the crowd dynamics have changed significantly. I don't know what can be done about that, but I did feel like there was a lot more shoving past and being elbowed and cut in front of than in years past. Part of the draw for Bonnaroo is the possibility to check something out as you're casually making your way around. There is no casual making-of-way possible. And with the possible exception of The Other Tent, there's no viable sight line from the stage to the outside, so without screens, you're SOL.

I've long had sort of dim expectations about the level of comfort available here, which is why I have never regretted once doing my day-park/commute thing. And there are still payoffs, such as seeing the Original Meters anywhere outside of Jazz Fest or watching Bootsy Collins on a 2.5 hour set as he walks through the crowd. Or catching something unexpected like Forro In The Dark, who is much better live than recorded. But the payoff-to-bullshit ratio is getting unfavorable.

And some of it can't be helped, as my wife and I ministered to some guy in the throes of heat stroke on the What Stage grounds (vomiting, babbling, pale, not sweating). Good luck finding a staffer with a talkie if you have a 911 situation like that. At least we stopped, as opposed to the other people that just walked by being grossed out by the sick. If there are evac plans, it'd be nice to know where to go if you do find someone near death (or at least visibly struggling). Maybe some posted red-phones. Luckily, this person came to no further harm after we handed over whatever water we had in our packs and got him under some shade (ETA: we gave up our plans and hovered over this guy for about a half hour until he came around).

[Apeville]

Lotsa music, lotsa people, lotsa dust.