The initial lineup for 2009 is here! (And it rocks.) This incredible camping and music festival will be held from June 11-14th this year. The party takes place on a beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. This will be an amazing 4-day weekend of over 100 bands, comedians, art, activities, workshops, vendors and much more! If you can go, by all means treat yourself to a music experience unlike any other!
I’ve had the opportunity to experience Bonnaroo twice so far, and it trumps any festival I’ve been to in super-fun-ness. There’s music 24/7. While the main acts take place in the center of the venue, or “Center-Roo”, you’ll find smaller acts and dance parties popping up round-the-clock throughout the campgrounds. But, these aren’t ordinary campgrounds… venture out and you’ll find what seems to be miles of tents, hippies, turkey legs, sno-cones, tie-dye, green endeavors and recycling, drum circles, ferris wheels, art installations, port-a-johns (and those fancy pink port-a-janes), dancers, vendors, free spirits, party favors, nakedness, you name it. In fact, “Shakedown Lane” is the place to find just about anything you want at Bonnaroo. Mention that to any glassy-eyed kid in the whole place, and they’ll direct you. One thing that sets Bonnaroo apart from highly-regulated festivals like Coachella, and even ACL, is its lack of folks patrolling the place in badges. Snoop Dogg, one of this year’s performers, will we pleased to know there are no cops here – unless they pay for a ticket like everyone else (which is not likely at “five easy payments of $50″). You’re generally alright rockin’ out in whatever fashion you please, as long as you don’t have a seven-foot bong attached to your face. After all, glass can be dangerous, and suffocating in your tent due to a leaky nitrous tank is a major festival buzzkill as well. Just be careful. The good news is, people really look out for each other at this festival. There’s a huge sense of community that is shared each year, as the venue is transformed into a nifty subculture of folks all gathered for the love of music. So, pack well, wear lots of sunscreen, and take care of yourself and your friends if you find yourself in Manchester this June for Bonnaroo’s eighth run! You’re guaranteed to have the time of your life. Seeing Sigur Ros perform last year until 3AM was one of the highlights of my concert-going experiences to date. And I lied, I actually did see some police at Bonnaroo – THE Police! Twenty years past their prime, and they were incredible. Larger than life acts like The Police, Pearl Jam, Metallica and Tool become surreal somehow on Bonnaroo’s enormously large and infinitely loud middle-of-nowhere, million-dollar farm stages?! It’s nuts. So sell some plasma now and get tickets on Saturday at “ROO“. You’ll be glad you did. Just check out this lineup! Nine Inch Nails
Santogold
Beastie Boys
David Byrne
Snoop Dogg
Paul Oakenfold
Ben Harper and Relentless7
The Mars Volta
TV On The Radio
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Andrew Bird
Band Of Horses
MGMT
The Decemberists
Of Montreal
Animal Collective
The Ting Tings
St. Vincent
Crystal Castles
and many more to come!
