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By: Wesley
Hodges
Bonnaroo 2009 by Snyder
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Like the festivals that helped inspire its unique existence (Jazz Fest and Glastonbury),
the Bonnaroo Music
& Arts Festival has so much more to offer than just the music. This year's 9th annual
event takes place
from June 10-13 in Manchester, TN in Great Stage Park, and will once again draw 70-80,000
of the biggest music
fiends you'll find anywhere. Hell, you have to be half-crazy to pay money to endure this
kind of heat, but
coming from someone who's been to all but one Bonnaroo, I can tell you that this year's
king of American music
festivals, like all previous editions, will be well worth the trip. Let JamBase tell you
why with our list of
12 Must-See-Daytime-Bands, a run-down of late-night suggestions, and a few hints as to who
to see and what to
do in many of Centeroo's smaller cafes and activity centers.
As in 2006, the event promoters have shaken things up with the event's first real
rap headliner (Jay-Z), the
youngest band to ever
headline (Kings of
Leon), as
well as a certain well-coiffed red-headed (unemployed) comedy icon MC'ing one of the main
stages and the
welcome addition of an all-night Lunar Stage devoted entirely to electronic
music.
On paper, the 2010 edition reads like a synthesis of the last eight years with no musical
styling or amenity
unturned. Although one might not exactly be boiling over with excitement about some of
the bands at the top of
the bill, as always, there are infinitely more bands and activities than one could
physically be there to
enjoy. That right there is what makes a festival on the scale of Bonnaroo so enjoyable.
The phrase "to each
his own" captures the pioneering spirit of the Bonnaroo fan, and this festival is every
bit as much about
that person who makes it down to the front row to join the ruckus at The Melvins as it
is for that dude
hundreds of feet away getting chills at his first Stevie Wonder show or the girl who drags her boyfriend kicking and
screaming out of the
tent to catch the early Ingrid
Michaelson show (and that guy then tells his girl, off-the-record, of course, that
he kinda dug it).
The beauty of it all is that these people all get to coexist in a bizarro escapist utopia
and live out their
musical dreams amongst friends. So, saddle up and take our suggestions at face value,
because after all, as a
wise spray painter once tagged, "The Roo You Take = The Roo You Make."
Thursday, June 10
Over the course of four days and some very late nights on two big stages, three decent
size tents, and several
smaller café like settings, a movie theatre and a comedy tent, Bonnaroo will feature
around 160 artists. This
list can't even begin to cover a fraction of the talent on display this weekend, but it is
our hope that
artists highlighted here help you uncover a lesser-known, an up-and-comer, or perhaps help
you make a tough
decision at a certain time slot. Instead of giving love to well known headliners we adore
like Stevie
Wonder, Jeff Beck or The Flaming Lips, we're going to direct your
attention to a few bands
you weren't perhaps planning to see. You can check out the entire Bonnaroo schedule here.
1. Baroness ::
5:45-6:45 pm :: The
Other Tent
For those set up to get down early, these ferociously sharp South Georgia metal warriors
might just blow your
mind wide open right from the first licks of "A Horse Called Golgotha". The band's highly
acclaimed Blue
Record has brought them into the limelight, and with a stop at Coachella this year
already under their
belt, you'll be seeing a lot of these guys on the festival circuit for years to come.
2. Local
Natives :: 7:00-8:00 pm ::
That Tent
Gorilla Manor may be the strongest, most accessible indie rock album to come out in
the last year, and
these guys made a name for themselves after wowing the masses at this year's SXSW. Local
Natives should be a
nice change of pace for those who check out Baroness, and the lustrous vocal harmonizing
should beam out nicely
under the setting Tennessee sun. Those not familiar with the band should check out their
cover of the Talking
Heads "Warning Sign" that made it on the band's debut album, along with the excellent "Sun
Hands".
3. Miike Snow
:: 7:30-8:30 pm. ::
This Tent
A little baffled that this one didn't get a slot after sunset, but nonetheless the DJ duo
has made a name for
themselves under the moniker of Miike Snow and this one will likely be the first of
several hot, raucous and
youthful get-downs at this year's festival.
Other Suggestions
If you arrive before the music gets cracking in the main tents, don't miss dexterously-
gifted Australian guitar
wunderkind Joe
Robinson (age
19), who is playing as well as attending his first Bonnaroo. Robinson told JamBase, "I
can't wait for the
always fun challenge of winning over a new audience." Having already wowed over the likes
of Steve Vai and the
late great Les Paul with his uniquely outstanding talent, we can confidently say that a
trip down to the
Troo Music Lounge at 1:00 p.m. would be the perfect way to start the weekend. For
those who can't make
it, Robinson told us he'd be picking with his buddies, the Nashville jam band Elmwood on
Saturday in the Troo Music
Lounge.
Also, Thursday night has always been the best night to go exploring all this ephemeral
Tennessee utopian
acreage has to offer. So, spread your wings, grab a comfortable chair, meet your
neighbors, and set up shop
for a big weekend.
Continue reading for JamBase's recommendations for Friday...
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