"Walking along this dusty trail..."

The main entrance to Centeroo...where the music magic happens

And dusty it was.  Ask anyone who was at Bonnaroo 2012 what the first 3 days were like, and dusty would probably be one of the top adjetives used.  The other top adjetives would probably be fun, exciting, awesome, spectacular, amazing and DUDE!!  As the second leg of our two-weekend music festival trip we were excited ourselves to say the least.

After meeting up with some friends in Nashville on Wednesday afternoon, we made our way to Manchester to hop in line with hundreds of other cars to make our way into the festival.  Last year we waited for over 8 hours on the side of the interstate before we got in, so we were pleasantly surprised to get in with only about an hour and a half wait once we actually hit the line.  And it really worked out to our favor as we got a great camping spot yet again.  We ended up being straight out from the What Stage (the main stage at Bonnaroo) and we only had about a 10 minute walk to get to the main gate.

Tennessee hadn't gotten much rain before our arrival, so there were some very dry conditions, and as the weekend wore on, the dust really began to become a nuisance.  As we would walk to Centeroo, the golf cart taxis would drive by knocking up large clouds of dust.  For those of you who have driven down a dusty gravel road in the summer, you know how large those dust clouds can be.  It got bad enough by Saturday afternoon that when a taxi would pass, if you breathed through your mouth you would end up chewing on some dust.  Gross, I know.

I feel it's only fair to explain a little about the eccentricities of Bonnaroo before we get too in depth into shows.  For the uninitiated, some of the names for the stages can be confusing.  Often times it sounds like someone is trying poorly quote an Abbott & Costello sketch.  The 5 largest stages are as follows: The What Stage, The Which Stage, That Tent, The Other Tent, and This Tent.  Just imagine walking around the festival and hearing the following conversation:

"What stage will Foster the People be on?"
"Which Stage."
"That's what I asked...which stage will Foster the People be on?"
"Yes."
"There is no Yes Stage.  Lemme try again.  What stage will Foster the People be on?"
"They're on Which Stage."
"THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING YOU!"


All in all though it does make for a good bit of fun.

The What Stage

THE WHAT STAGE:


The What Stage is the largest stage at Bonnaroo.  Massive is a good word to describe the sheer size of this monstrosity, but I use monstrosity in the mostly loving of ways.  The What Stage has played host to bands the likes of The Beastie Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Phish (a few times), Radiohead (a few times as well), Eminem, Arcade Fire, and the Rev. Al Green just to name a few.  I think the sprawl area for this stage is roughly equal to half of Centeroo (more or less), or basically the rest of Centeroo is almost as big as the What Stage area.

The Which Stage (in the distance)

THE WHICH STAGE:


The Which Stage is the second largest stage at 'Roo.  Much like the What Stage, the Which Stage doesn't open until Friday, but when it does, it hosts some large crowds and great bands.  Skrillex, Mumford & Sons, Buffalo Springfield, The Flaming Lips, 'Lil Wayne, Weezer, and Phoenix have all graced the stage at various points during 'Roo's history.  The Which Stage also has the distinction of being the largest stage open for late night shows, and the crowds bear witness to the need for a large stage like the Which to be open at night.

That Tent

THAT TENT:


The tents are probably where you're going to spend a lot of your time when you're attending shows at Bonnaroo.  The names can be a bit confusing sometimes, but you're gonna see some great shows on these stages nonetheless.  That Tent is the largest of the covered stage areas, when you enter Centeroo from the main arch, this will be the first tent you come to as you roam around the grounds.  I've seen Steve Martin, STS9, Flogging Molly, Pretty Lights, Fun., and Big Gigantic here over the last couple of years.

Who let that bear into The Other Tent?  

THE OTHER TENT: 

The Other Tent is tucked away into a corner, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.  The sprawl outside of the covered area of the tent has plenty of room for a crowd.  The stage area is kind of in a bowl so if you get too far out in the crowd it's impossible to see the stage even though you can hear it just fine.  If you venture back this way you can catch some really great shows, that generally have very manageable crowds.  Manchester Orchestra, Daryl Hall & Chromeo, OK Go, Sleigh Bells, and Trampled By Turtles are just a few of the acts at The Other Tent.

This Tent

THIS TENT: 


This Tent is in an interesting location because it's kind of a the central crossroads of Centeroo.  In the picture you can see part of the fountain to the right, and the sprawl from The Which Stage can push against the sprawl from This Tent from the left.  Despite all that though, This Tent holds its own for atmosphere and quality of show.  Umphrey's McGee, Alabama Shakes, Bassnectar, Matt & Kim, Girl Talk, Childish Gambino, Passion Pit, and Bon Iver have all taken their time in the spotlight at This Tent and have put on great shows in the process.


This Tent also had the honor of hosting the Super Jam curated by ?uestlove of the Roots.  Super Jam is where some of the most talented, famous, and legendary artists that are at 'Roo every year get together and, as the name suggests, jam.  I'm not sure who all was part of the Super Jam beyond ?uestlove and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers [CORRECTION - I was informed that Flea was not in fact part of the Super Jam...my apologies for the confusion], but it was a good show nonetheless.

Bear in mind that these aren't the only stages areas at Bonnaroo.  There's also the Sonic Stage, Solar Stage, Cafe Where, the Great Taste Lounge (sponsored by Miller Lite), and the Silent Disco.

The Solar Stage

Sometimes if you miss an artist at one of the larger stages you can catch them during a more intimate show on a smaller stage.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. played The Other Tent Thursday afternoon, and then put on a smaller show Friday afternoon on the Sonic Stage.  Sometimes (if you're lucky) the artists will make themselves available for autographs and high-fives after performing on one of the smaller stages.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. on the Sonic Stage

The Silent Disco is an amusing area to watch.  You can see people of all different shapes and sizes dancing away to a live DJ set, but you have no idea what they're dancing to.  As the name suggests, from the outside this dance area appears to be completely silent.  Those inside dancing are all wearing headphones, so they can hear the music, but you're left wondering how good the DJ really is.  It's a lot of fun to merely watch the crowd, let alone getting inside and dancing up a storm.   And if all that music isn't enough excitement for you, there's always the Cinema Tent and the Comedy Tent, where you can see movies, NBA finals games, and some of your favorite comedians such as Aziz Ansari, Conan O'Brien, Rob Riggle, and more.

And now, without further ado....the shows:


#1 Phish: 


This wasn't Phish's first rodeo, or even their first 'Roo, and you could tell once they took the stage.  As the Sunday night headliner Phish got the distinct privilege of closing the festival down.  Once their second set was done Sunday night Centeroo was closed for the first time in nearly 4 days.  As bittersweet as the end of the festival can be, this was definitely a set for the books.

Phish always travels with a crowd of fans.  If you know someone who's a Phish-head you know how dedicated they are at travelling.  If Phish was a college football team, they'd always get first bid for a bowl game because their fan base travels very well.  And if Phish fans love one thing about a Phish show, it's having a great time.  Dancing, glowsticks, lights, costumes, and music from their favorite band puts Phish's fans into a party frenzy that I'm not sure I've ever seen duplicated by another fan base.

The lights in the audience weren't the only lights happening either.  Usually when you think of the members of a band, you think of the guys/gals that sing and play the instruments.  Using that definition, Phish has 4 band members, but that's not the right number.  Ask a Phish fan how many members of the band there are and you'll probably hear them say 5.

Why 5?  Chris Kuroda is the lighting designer for Phish and his specialty is improvisation and syncing with the music.  When you're doing lights for a jam band like Phish those are good specialties to have.  He has designed what is probably the most intricate light show I've seen at a concert and it really adds to the overall ascetic of the show when the lights are going crazy.  If you don't believe me, check out the video to the right. Watch that and tell me those lights aren't impressive. 

During the first set of Phish's 4-hour time block, there was a large crowd on the right side of the crowd engaging in a glowstick war of epic proportions.  I watched for no less than five minutes of solid glowstick explosions happening in rapid-fire succession.  It was like watching the grand finale of a 4th of July fireworks display, except it was all plastic tubes of glowing light instead of incandescent chemicals.  For those not familiar with a glowstick war, it's taking a handful of lit glowsticks, and throwing them up in the air in cohesion with those around you.  It's a sight to behold and Phish shows have the best glowstick wars of any artist I've seen.

As if the crowd wasn't getting into the show enough as it was Phish had a surprise up their sleeve.  In the middle of Set 1 they brought Kenny Rogers onto the stage to sing "The Gambler".  I'm not a huge Kenny Rogers fan, but it was still a unique experience to see him on stage signing while Phish provided the backing track.  And as if to make the night a little more magical there was a drizzling of rain that threw the crowd into a rain-soaked frenzy of fun.

The second set of Phish was a little longer, and I actually missed the start of it because we had gone back to camp to do a little preliminary packing and recruit more people to come back in with us.  The most notable feature of the second set was the number of covers they did.  Over 1/2 of the songs performed in the second set were covers, and I can only assume part of that was in response to the fact it was a festival crowd, and not a completely Phish crowd.  For a festival closing show though, it had all the elements to be a legendary performance complete with full fireworks show when it was all done.  It kind of got me in the mood for the 4th of July.



#2 The Beach Boys:

Sunday was a busy day at 'Roo with the Fun., Ben Folds, Phish, The Shins, Bon Iver, and of course The Beach Boys. playing throughout the day.  The weather cooperated fairly well for the day as we were worried we'd get rained out of Bonnaroo the same way we did Wakarusa.  A couple of light sprinkles were all we saw until Phish, which was fine by me.  The overcast day was welcome as the sun was extremely oppressive during the day Saturday, and it kept temperatures cool.  Although it did make for a unique setting in which to see the Beach Boys.

Normally when you think of the Beach Boys you think of California, surfing, summer, sun, the beach, and fast hot rods, and all those things were present, if only in the lyrics and in spirit.  I was really excited for this show, because let's face it: everybody knows the Beach Boys and they've produced a lot of great hits.  Also factored into the equation is the fact that they're not getting any younger, and I might not get another chance to see them live.  When I was about 8 years old or so my favorite song was "Kokomo", so the kid in me was jumping for joy at the chance to see the Beach Boys.

You'd think with as old as the "Boys" are, they'd be hard pressed to rock a stage yet.  You'd be wrong in that assumption.  When you've got the catalogue of hits the Beach Boys do, and you've got a consumate performer and musical genius in Brian Wilson a bad show is borderline impossible.  Fans of all ages were compelled to sing along with favorites such as "Barbara Ann", "Good Vibrations", "California Girls", "Help Me, Rhonda", "409" and more.  Every time the group would end a song there was an anticipation that ran through the crowd about what would be played next.  That anticipation created an electric atmosphere that fueled the crowd's energy throughout the entire show.  By far one of the best shows I've seen live...EVER.


#3 Fun.:


As mentioned earlier, Sunday was a great day for music at Bonnaroo.  Fun. played That Tent right before Phish took the stage for their first set on Sunday.  With the crowd that was there, I think they probably could've played the Which Stage and the crowd still would've been a bit packed.  Personally I think Fun. was more deserving of a Which Stage set than Foster the People, because at least Fun. has a couple of albums out, and the lead singer Nate Ruess (formerly of the Format), has lots of experience playing shows.  But that's neither here nor there.  


One of my friends from work made the comment once that "Fun. is the Queen of our generation."  I'm not 100% in agreement with that statement, but I do feel that Fun. has the potential to be a very influential band.  "Some Nights" might be the the most complete album I've heard from a band since Cartel released "Chroma."  I was really excited to see/hear that Fun. sounds as good live as they do on the album, which isn't always the case with an alternative group.  


As the crowd shifted and morphed around me during the show everyone's focus was on making sure that they hadn't missed "We Are Young" which at that time most of them hadn't.  Personally I think that "Some Nights" is a better song, but pretty much every song on the album could be a hit.  I enjoyed the way the group played a nice balance between "Aim and Ignite" (their first album) and "Some Nights" with a few extra songs thrown in for good measure.  Altogether it was a great set, and I was a little sad I left the show just before it was over, but I had to get a good place for Phish, so it was a sacrifice that needed to be made.  That's the unique thing about festivals, is the sacrifices you make to see all the groups you want to see.  




#4 Radiohead:


Radiohead last visited Bonnaroo was in 2006 and it's been widely reviewed as one of Radiohead's most epic performances.  Even Thom Yorke has been quoted as saying that the 2006 'Roo performance was one of his personal favorites.  In 2006 Radiohead played something like a 4 hour set which was the longest of their tour at that point in time.  Bonnaroo fans were hoping for something as equally epic from Radiohead this time around.  


Whether Thom's decision or the festival's decision, Radiohead only played their allotted time.  Another interesting twist is that they didn't play the usual encore set that they've played at other shows on their tour.  My buddy saw Radiohead in Kansas City early this year and told me that they'd played a double encore at that show.  


Amazing light shows were the theme for the weekend on the Farm.  At least they were if you were on the What Stage as a headliner.  Phish is obviously known for their light show, but Radiohead?  Yep.  Radiohead.  Radiohead easily had the second best light show at Bonnaroo this year.  


Strung from the top of the stage were 6 LCD or plasma panel screens that added a wrinkle to the normal stage lights you'd see.  What was really cool about these screens was that they weren't locked into place.  They would rise, fall, and spin to add depth to the show, and just basically amaze anyone watching them from the crowd.  While I wasn't actually in Centeroo for the Radiohead show (we were grabbing food and drink back at camp to fuel up for the late night performances) I can say that the lights were still amazing, and the performance put on by Radiohead was the kind of marquee performance you'd expect from a group like Radiohead.  




#5 Skrillex:


Whether you're into dubstep or not you have to hand it to a DJ like Skrillex.  Watching the man perform live is a thing of beauty.  He's got something like 4 turntables in front of him and he's up there rocking the crowd by syncing all the sounds together.  I was impressed at the very least.  


The lights were fairly routine, and what you'd expect from a DJ set.  That said, I did enjoy some of the dancing graphics that he had on the screens behind him.  At one point during some of the bigger drops he had a Godzilla like lizard dancing around and it just seemed to fit the music perfectly.  You probably had to be there to fully understand it.  


The crowd was really into the show, which was awesome given the threat of rain Saturday night.  It did sprinkle a bit, but it even lighter than the rains Sunday afternoon.  I think the rain made for denser air, or cooler air because the flying lanterns that normally get set off during a show like that were having problems getting going.  


One lantern floated a mere 3 ft. above my head even though it came from 20 yards in front of me.  Unfortunately, that lantern ended up crashing and didn't get off the ground.  One of our group went and tried to resurrect the fallen light, but it had a huge tear in the side, so after stomping the flame out, he kept the lantern for memories.  


While he was attending to the fallen lantern, another one wafted lazily over our heads right toward a tree.  I was certain that it was going to crash, and the tree was going to start on fire, but a small Bonnaroo miracle happened: the lantern caught a great up-draft and floated about 20-30ft. straight up in the air and managed to avoid the tree.  As the lantern looped slightly to it's left it began to fly toward another tree, and then casually listed the right and floated off into the distance.  




http
Honorable Mentions: 


I can't think of another show that stands out more than the rest to put a #6 on the list.  There was a lot of great music, and if I've learned anything over the last 4 years of Bonnaroo weekends it's that there's too much great music to really be able to see it all.  And the performers that show up on the Farm for that weekend in June put their all into their performances because they truly love the fans that brave the sun, heat, and dust to listen to their favorite artists jam some good tunes.  


Here's a list of shows that impressed me, even if they didn't necessarily stand out as "special":
-The Roots (good show, but it's expected)
-Tune Yards
-Flogging Molly
-Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. 
-The Shins
-Ben Folds 
-Punch Brothers
-Rodrigo y Gabriella and C.U.B.A


Here's some shows that I didn't get to see, but I was told were solid performances, so if you get a chance, check these artists out live as well: 
-Foster the People
-Little Dragons
-Feist
-Ludacris 
-Santigold
-Childish Gambino
-Grouplove


Someone I'm sure will be quick to point out that RHCP isn't on my list of great shows.  It's not that I'm biased against RHCP, I'm just not a huge fan.  Yes they've made some great music over the last 20 years and I'm sure they've got some more left in them, but they're not a group I'm going to get overly excited to see at this point in my life.  I may regret that decision later in life, but part of the festival experience is picking and choosing who you see, and when you see them.  It's my choice, and I'm stuck with it now, so let's leave it at that.  


So that's the story of Bonnaroo 2012.  At least from my perspective.  Summer's still going strong, and while there are no more major festivals on my radar there are plenty of shows still to be seen.  I'll be tagging along to Alpine Valley in Wisconsin the last weekend in June to see Phish again on their summer tour.  The weekend after that will be Des Moines' own 80/35 Music Festival, and there will be some great shows at the Iowa State Fair as well.  I'm also sure I'll be catching lots of music all over the Des Moines area this summer at various venues so stay tuned for updates and reviews as I get around to seeing those shows.  


*BONUS BONUS BONUS*


Bonnaroo is so popular that you stumble across the occasional celebrity taking in the sights and sounds of the festival.  Last year Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin' from "Superbad") was spotted in the crowd, and I've heard of other celebrities stopping by and hanging out with the crowds.  I've never been lucky enough to see a celebrity in the crowd....until this year.  So who is this mystery celebrity that I got to bump elbows with?

I'll give you a few clues:
-Pop star
-Canadian
-You'll get a fever

Give up?  Scroll down for a picture of the mystery celebrity:





















It's.....JUSTIN BIEBER

Baby, oh, baby....It's Justin Bieber !

"The World is a Stage..."

At a festival this can seem extremely true.  When you're in the main festival area you're surrounded by stages with an assortment of talented musicians peddling their musical wares to your eagerly awaiting ears.  The crowds at these shows are shows unto themselves, especially during the headlining and late-night performances.  You'll see Jesus, glowsticks, battery powered lights, party sticks, super heroes, angels, and the occasional clown all dancing together and having a party.  Even the atmosphere outside of the main festival grounds (out where everyone is camping) is one of performance.  Vendors are trying to solicit your attention to what they're selling, amateur guitar players and drum circles can be heard all over the campgrounds, and the people heading into the festival are always a source of levity.  You've got Ferris Wheels, fire-dancers and interactive art display provided by the festival that also vie for your attention.

Ferris Wheel through the trees

Interactive Art Display at Wakarusa

As entertaining as all the activity around you can be (and it is entertaining), it's probably not the main reason you're going to a festival.  If you're like me, you're going to see the paid artists.  The ones who get their names printed on the posters, set times neatly curated, and stages set up by legions of schleppers, known as "roadies."  The artists who when they get warmed up can lead a throng of 10,000 festival goers in an intense dance party.  The artists who can soothe you to sleep as you lie in the only open bit of shade you can find in the afternoon.  The artists whose music moves you emotionally, whether it's to tears, to smiles, to feelings of hope and redemption, and all back again.

These boards were washed daily, and the chalk was
provided to allow the festivalers to add to the work

If you've been to more than one festival in your life you know that many artists come back again and again, and there are performances that go down in history.  Many repeat festival goers will recount shows they've seen that were some of the most epic performances by artists such as the 2006 Bonnaroo performance by Radiohead.  Or you get years where the lineup is awe-inspiring to music fans such as Bonnaroo's 2011 lineup for their 10th Anniversary.  Not every show is epic, and some are downright disappointing (Dave Matthews Band at Bonnaroo 2010), but at every festival there's some performances that stand out against the rest either for the way the artist performed, the crowd, or a memorable tid-bit of the show (Steve Martin doing a bluegrass cover of "King Tut" as an encore to his 2010 Bonnaroo performance).  Here's the shows that piqued my interest at Wakarusa this last weekend and why I thought the performances were some of the best of the weekend:


#1 Pretty Lights: 

Pretty Lights getting the show started 

This was the show that everyone was at Wakarusa for.  As the Thursday night headliner, the talk all day was about Pretty Lights and what a great show it was going to be.  I'd seen PL at a Bonnaroo late-night last year, and again in Des Moines at the Val Air Ballroom in October.  I knew there was potential for a great performance, but being on the Main Stage, this was the largest staging area I'd seen for an act like Pretty Lights.  Plenty of room for dancing, but if people didn't show up, it'd be noticeable.  Fortunately it seemed like the entire festival came out to party.

Here you can see the giant beach balls.  To give you an idea of scale,
these beach balls were probably about 10 ft. in diameter.  You can
also see all the party masts and standards people party with.  

Earlier in the day we'd visited the Backwoods Stage to catch a bit of DangerMuffin and on the way into the staging area we passed by the RV camping area.  One of the campsites was busy inflating all manner of inflatable objects from oversize beach balls, to inflatable ducks, fish, dolphins, pool floats and more.  We were a little curious why someone had brought all that, until the PL show was getting started.  About 10 minutes before PL took the stage, there were inflatables being tossed over our heads into the thick of the crowd starting with the giant beach balls and scaling down from there.


Once PL hit the stage, it was on.  The party started in full-force and I was bumped several times over by a group of sorority girls dancing like there was no tomorrow.  Because of their flailing dancing, several of my pictures were ruined because the camera moved and blurred the final picture.  I'd be upset, but I know they were just enjoying themselves and great show PL was putting on.

Being that I'd traveled from Kentucky on Wednesday morning, spent all night Wednesday traveling to Wakarusa, and only napped intermittently during the day, I was not fully energetic for the dance party.  We weren't quite ready to leave yet, so we moved toward the back of the crowd and really started to get a feel for the crowd and the got to really check out the light show on stage.  All in all, I'd have to say this show might be the highlight show from the weekend.

The stage lights for Pretty Lights

Pretty Lights, from afar

#2 Girl Talk:

Girl Talk's light setup, before the show started

Girl Talk is one of my favorite artists out there right now.  I've managed to see GT live twice at Bonnaroo, in Iowa City, and now at Wakarusa.  GT isn't your usual run-of-the-mill DJ.  Actually, during his show he'll often put the words "I am not a DJ" on the light screens behind him.  What GT is though, is a great mash-up artists blending some of the most memorable bits from pop, rock, hip-hop, and more to produce a fresh new party sound.

I was really excited for this show because GT typically releases a new studio album about every 2 years, and his last album "All Day" was released in 2010, so we should be due for a new one soon.  My hope was that he'd either drop the new album before I left for vacation, or that I'd get to hear some of the new stuff he's working on for an upcoming album.  The album hasn't been released yet, but I wasn't disappointed by what I heard.

Taking a fresh look at some of the samples he's used in his shows in the past he re-mixed some of them together in an exciting way.  As good as the albums are, and as much as I love the mixes on there, hearing new mixes of old favorites is still a thing of beauty.  Toward the end of the show GT really got down to business and started mixing together some of the radio favorites from the last few years.  Adele got some play time, and all in all I'm excited to hear what comes out on a new record.

Girl Talk stage lights in action

The crowd was a bit sparse at the start of the show, but it definitely became a jumping place by the end.  GT's show was a Friday night late-night on the Sanctum Stage.  The Sanctum Stage is the festival's main stage that they deck out specially for a late night headliner.  Friday was also the first day we had to deal with rain (it drizzled pretty much all day) and chill, so a sparse starting crowd was to be a bit expected.  And since GT hit the stage about 5 hours later than PL did, the smaller crowd didn't seem so bad.





#3 Railroad Earth


What's the point of going to a bluegrass/electronica themed festival if you're not going to check out some of the bluegrass artists?  There really isn't much of one.  Railroad Earth is a band that can soothe your soul, or bring you to your feet to stomp around with your friends.  We saw them in the afternoon on Thursday, and it was a relaxing show to see.  The sun was shining, and everyone around us was in good spirits, so that made the show even better.

Railroad Earth jamming the afternoon away

This wasn't the most energetic show I've seen from theses guys, but it matched the mood of the afternoon for me, which gave it a boost in brownie points.  Wakarusa 2010 saw Railroad playing at the Revival Tent (second biggest stage at Wakarusa) for a late-night performance.  The only word I have to describe that show is "phenomenal."  They were jamming away with the lights going strong, and really amping the crowd into a frenzy.  Wakarusa 2012 saw Railroad holding down the Main Stage with a precision you'd expect from festival veterans.  This was a great start to the weekend, and really made me excited to be on the mountain again.

Railroad Earth and the Wakarusa Main Stage

#4 Umphrey's McGee


Umphrey's is a festival veteran group that travels the festival circuit annually.  Don't take this to mean that they have nothing going on and can't book shows elsewhere.  Quite the opposite actually.  I've managed to see Umphrey's in Des Moines before, and at both Bonnaroo and Wakarusa and they never disappoint.  My only complaint with this year's performance was that I still have yet to be in a show when they perform one of their famous covers.  I always seem to pick the wrong shows to attend.  Just my luck.

This year's Waka performances seemed to be a bit more on the metal themed side of the music world.  This shows the versatility that Umphrey's works with, that they can pull off a metal themed show and still keep the crowd energized.  Amazingly talented, and if you ever get a chance to see them, I'd highly recommend it.

#5 The Avett Brothers 

The Avett Brothers putting on a great show Friday night

For those of you in the Des Moines area, make sure you get your tickets to the 80/35 Music Fest.  The Avett Brothers are one of the headliners, and they do have a great stage performance.  This was the first show that I caught on Friday due to the weather and such, but it was definitely worth getting out of camp for.

This was a comprable show to the Railroad Earth performance the day before.  Nothing to glamourous, or glitzy, just some solid musicians doing what they do best.  Beautifully arranged show and they did get the crowd into it.

The Avett Brothers headlining the Main Stage

Personal story from the show: I had decorated my camel pack with a few glowsticks for the show, so there'd be less work to do before the Girl Talk set after the Avett Brothers.  Someone must have been a fan of the decorations, because when I got back to camp, I discovered a string of purple beads had been attached to one of my glowstick loops.  I tried to smoke the person out by wearing the beads on my bag the rest of the weekend, but nobody claimed them.  This wasn't the only instance of someone being attracted to my glowsticks.  No less than 3 females grabbed at my glowsticks, all in the presence of their significant other.  Just my luck.


Honorable mentions: 


This is a short list of some of the other artists that we saw whose shows I really appreciated:
-Big Gigantic (One of the best party performances out there. Check out the light show at the bottom!)
-The Motets
-Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros
-The Bright Light Social Hour
-The Travelin' McCoury's featuring Keller Williams
-12th Planet
-Adventure Club
-Gary Clark Jr.

And here's the shows that I've seen before, and if you can you should see:
-That 1 Guy (He built his own instrument and it's....unique)
-Beats Antique
-Tea Leaf Green
-EOTO (Always a party)
-Hot Buttered Rum

That should give you a taste of what you missed out on at Wakarusa this year.  Even though the weather made a mess of things, the artists were consumate performers and the crowds still responded by showing up to shows.  One of the benefits of attending Wakarusa is that it's a very well managed festival.  They're organized with their parking, they keep festival goers abreast of what's going on, and the staff is all friendly and knowledgeable.  If you've got about $250 dollars and you'd like a smaller festival to go to and test out the waters, this would be it.  Don't feel bad if you only know 1 or 2 of the artists on the lineup, as Waka is a great festival for finding new music.  It's how I found the band "The Pimps of Joytime" which is an awesome band from Brooklyn, New York.  If you haven't heard of them, or any of the other artists I've listed above, check them out on Google Music and see what you like.


*BONUS BONUS BONUS*

Here's a couple of videos of some fire dancers performing before The Avett Brothers took to the Main Stage:

And the lights from the Big Gigantic show: 

"Deluge" is the word of the day at FVB...

Deluge n. a: an overflowing of the land with water
               b: a drenching rain

Deluge still might not be the best word to describe the rainy weather we experienced.  In 4 years of festival travels this year's Wakarusa trip has seen more rain than all of them combined making it far too wet to pen updates to the blog.  We decided it was far too wet for camping in a state park today, so we changed our plans to stay in our hotel in Memphis for an extra night.  To cover some of the finer points of the trip thus far I'll spend the next couple of days going back over the shows and working up reviews of my top 5 or 6 shows.  But since the last update ended with a promise to go over some packing tips, I'll start there.

Having all the right gear before the festival starts is great, but it doesn't do you much good sitting in your front yard.  You've got to get it all down to the festival with you, and properly packing your vehicle can be the difference between an awesome weekend, and the time of your life.  You can try the "shove it all in and hope it fits" method if you'd like, but you'll spend most of your weekend looking for the things you'll need.

Packing Tip #1: KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED

This should seem pretty basic, because it is.  It's also very important so that no matter the situation you know where to find your gear you (or a neighbor) needs.  You'll want to keep all of your dry snack foods together, your beverages, your sleeping gear, and your party gear.  You can organize in whatever manner works the best for you, but you've got to keep it together.  We've found that using some plastic tubs with lids keeps things organized, easily loadable in vehicles, and most importantly it keeps your stuff dry (very important as we found out this weekend).  Keeping the tubs closed means that in the case of in-climate weather you can load your gear into the dry safety of your vehicle.

We've got tubs for: Snacks (beef jerky, chips, cookies, etc.), Dry Food (pancake mix, noodle mixes, hashbrowns, etc.), Party Gear (glowsticks, glow-in-the-dark paint, hats, etc.), and another box that houses the cooking equipment, paper towels, and bathroom tissue.

Packing Tip #2: PACK FOR AS MANY EVENTUALITIES AS POSSIBLE


It's impossible to know exactly what's going to happen while you're on a trip like this and roughing it a bit, but you can prepare for some likely scenarios.  As a force of habit, I always pack a pair of jeans, and a hooded sweatshirt.  Some nights can be chilly and shorts just won't cut it.  I also bring about 3-4 pairs of shoes so if something happens to one pair, I've got replacements.  As it turns out, this bit of preparedness came in handy this past weekend.  With all the rain on Friday came cooler temps, and muddy conditions, so I stayed warm, and dry (for the most part).  The point is, you can be prepared, without overpacking and the more prepared you are, the better your experience will probably be.

Packing Tip #3: PACK IN REVERSE


Following the usual rules of packing, you want your larger, heavier items on the bottom.  No sense in smashing your hamburger buns underneath a large cooler.  First off, it makes it hard to find the buns, and second, nobody likes flat buns (just as Sir Mix-a-lot).  So once you've got your fist layer down, make sure the stuff you're going to use first, goes in last.  Keep your tarps, tent, canopy, and lighter coolers on the top, or near the door to make it faster to get them out when you get to your site.  You can use the coolers, and tarps to block off your camping space while you set up your tent and canopy.  If you have to unload all of your stuff before that stuff comes out, you won't have much space for camp, or anywhere to set your tent up.

*Bonus Tip* Pack your firmly shaped items in first as they'll probably take up more room, and then you can cram sleeping bags, blankets, and more around those items in the gaps.

Getting everything packed up securely, in an organized way will help you arrive less stressed and ready for fun when you get there.  The joy of packing is getting it all unpacked to use at the festival of your choice.  As more packing tips and ideas come to me, I'll add them to the "Packing Appendix" below.  Stay tuned for reviews of the Wakarusa shows we were able to catch, and hopefully I'll be able to post an update or two while Bonnaroo is happening.






Packing Appendix


A: Pick a vehicle big enough for your needs. If you can take a van or an SUV that'd be ideal.  If you can only take a car, make sure you're getting at least the essentials in.

B: Just because you've got multiple cars doesn't mean you'll have enough room. If you're taking more than one car, it probably means you've got a group larger than 3-4 people.  It also means you'll need more gear, and more space to store it.

Okay, here goes entry number two into the Festival Vacation Blog (heretofore known as "FVB" because it's a lot shorter and easier to type) and I'm actually writing from the backseat of an extremely stuffed Dodge Caravan.  The whole process of packing the van took about 2 hours or so, and there was a lot of wiggling, wrangling, and stuffing going on to make it all work.  You'd be surprised how much stuff you need to pack to stay on the festival trail for a couple of weeks.

What all do you need?  The basics are: a tent, sleeping gear (sleeping bag or blanket and pillow), clothes for 2 weeks (preferably ones you don't care about losing or ruining), comfortable shoes, food, and water, water, water.  If you're going to a festival and you're taking a Geo Metro with your friend, that's basically the minimum list of things you'll need to survive.  And that's about all you're gonna do is survive.

There's also a whole lot of stuff you'll need to make your trip a little nicer: a canopy, or at the very least some tent poles and a tarp, sunglasses & sunscreen (you'll be spending 4 days straight out in the hot summer sun, unless you enjoy being red as a lobster and miserable for 4 days I'd make sure to bring the sunscreen), some adult beverages (assuming you're of the legal drinking age), a battery powered radio, a mini propane grill, some cooking utensils and some spare spending money.

And then there's stuff you can bring to really make sure you're going to be set for the time of your life such as an air mattress, glowstick bracelets, light-up jewelry, glow-in-the-dark paint, a portable generator, a battery powered fan, a foldable table, playing cards, ping-pong balls and plastic cups, superhero masks, broom handles, and a flag.  I'll cover briefly why you'd want to consider each of these items and how we've used them in the past starting with the group that you absolutely shouldn't leave home without.

Take the tent for example.  Unless you've got a rich uncle paying for your trip you're probably on a budget and can't afford an RV for the weekend.  You're going to be camping at your car essentially.  It's not the Ritz-Carleton, but there have been some pretty amazing campsites in the tent villages in years past.  I've seen tee-pees, a jungle gym type structure covered in tarps, and one unfortunate group who got their van stuck in a mud puddle, and just roughed it in the van.  The tent offers you a place to change your clothes without flashing your newfound neighbors, gives you a place to keep your sleeping gear during the day, and you can even sleep inside it until about 8:00 in the morning.  By that time the sun is just high enough in the sky to be a real nuisance, blasting your tent with direct rays that turn that tent into an oven.

Depending on what kind of sleeping bag you use it might be a bit warm to sleep in during the night, but if you open the thing up and splay it on the floor of your tent it can act like a mattress.  If you can deal with waiting to air it up, an air mattress can come in handy in this department, too.  The pillow and blanket come in handy with either form of mattress and gives your tent that nice homely touch.  Walking from your campsite to the festival can be a long march if you're unfortunate enough to be be on the outskirts of the tent city, and you'll be walking/standing all over the festival, so you want shoes that are going to take care of your feet.  Something lightweight, with a good sole, and if it breathes, that's even better.  Dancing, walking, standing, jumping, hiking, and dancing (did I mention dancing?) will put the hurt on even the best shoes, so having a variety of footwear available is ideal.

All of that activity that can do a number on your shoes will also be pretty hard on your body.  Contrary to what your diet is probably telling you to eat, high calorie foods are totally festival-friendly.  You're going to be so busy having a good time that you're not going to want to stop to eat, even though you know you should.  High-calorie foods like hamburger, eggs, rice, and even some snack-food can keep your body going strong 20 hours a day (if you choose to be a rockstar).  And while you're burning all those calories in the sun, you're going to be sweating.  Which means you're going to need lots, and lots of water.  It's inefficient to bring all the water you're going to need with you, especially since the festivals have fountains and spigots available to refill your water containers inside the festival grounds.  Bring a large water bottle (empty to get through security), or a camel pack and use the free stuff.  Just remember to keep yourself hydrated at all costs.

The canopy serves to make things a bit shadier around camp, but shadier in a good way.  You don't want to spend more time in the sun than necessary, and that little bit of shade at camp can be a life-saver in the comfort department.  It also can help keep the tent cool during the day, and protect your coolers from direct sun.  The sunscreen & sunglasses come in handy for the times you don't have shade available (some form of aloe lotion or gel is also recommended).  The grill allows you to actually cook so you don't have to spend all your money on food vendors.  I'm not saying to stay away from the food vendors, but don't eat at one for every meal of every day you're there.  They are tasty, but expensive.  Cooking also saves your money for other items like t-shirts, posters, jewelry, and ice.  Besides gas money to get there and home, ice is probably your second most important expenditure of the trip.  You'll have to buy ice daily to keep your beverages cool, and your food fresh.  And while you're cooking breakfast in the morning, the radio can provide you with some tunes before the bands get shows started at around noon.

Most of the third list is items that can help the crowd experience at the shows.  The glowsticks, jewelry and glow-in-the-dark paint are great for late night shows to party and keep track of your festival buddies.  Playing cards, ping-pong balls & cups, tables, and adult beverages should be self-explanatory (unless you've lived most of your life in a convent, at which point a "Kudos, Sister"is in order I think).  Superhero masks are fun to wear, or you attach them or a flag to the end of a broom handle to create a marker to identify your group in the festival so nobody gets lost in the sea of people.  Flags can also be hung at your campsite to help identify your site amongst all the rest of the tent city (PRO TIP: hang glowsticks on your camp flag to help you find your site after the sun has gone down), and they can serve as great navigational markers to give directions (turn left at the Elmo flag, go two rows over and look for the balloon shaped like a shark hanging from the boat flag).  The fan and generator can give you that last connection to modern civilization should you need it.

That pretty much covers the what you'll need and the why you'll need it.  This isn't an all-inclusive list because everybody likes to do things a little different, but you'll have a good starting off point to know what you'll need to get through a weekend.  Obviously the larger the crowd you're going with, the more stuff you'll need to bring (including multiple vehicles).  I'll try to throw some packing tips out in the next update.  In the meantime I'm going to be catching a quick nap so I'm ready to go when it's time to set up camp.

This is my Festival Vacation Blog.  This year I thought I'd try to blog about the shows that I'm going to get to see while attending the Wakarusa, and Bonnaroo music festivals over the next couple of weeks.  I'll do some show reviews, post some pictures, discuss what I really like about each festival's set-up, organization, and what the crowd is like.

I'll also try to throw in some tips that my friend and I have learned over the past 4 years while we've been traveling to festivals.  We've gone in groups as small as 3 people in one vehicle, and as many as 18 people in 6 vehicles.  I think I'll also try to keep up on line-up rumors going into future year's festivals.  I can do pretty well about picking one or two artists that will be at Bonnaroo based off my own conjecture, so we'll see how interesting I can make it.

A little about me: My name is Scrubs (my real name is John), and I hail from Des Moines, Iowa (DSM).  I've loved music since I was a little kid, and I discovered around Junior High that I loved seeing bands and artists perform live.  For me, I'm a bit of a cheapskate at times, so I always look for value in shows (artist, venue, when can I see them again, etc.) and for me festivals make a really valuable music experience.  I get the chance to see 40 different acts from several different genres doing what they do best.  It's my nirvana.  I also try to get into the local music scene in DSM and follow up-and-coming artists as well as supporting the live music venues in the area.

I've been attending Bonnaroo for the last 4 years and have loved it every year.  2009 was a great year for a first Bonnaroo as we got experience it all, rain/mud, blistering sun, lots of dust, and some amazing shows that I'll forever cherish (such as the Beastie Boys, and an afternoon Bon Iver set that made me go get the album ASAP).  It was a small group of 3 that inaugural year, myself, my buddy Chris, and his brother.  Chris was going to go and he and his brother wanted me to tag along (to help defer expenses), and I had a blast that year, so we've made it an annual trek.

The following year we took 2 cars, and a total of 7 people and added a new wrinkle in the vacation plan: Wakarusa.  Wakarusa always takes place the weekend before Bonnaroo, and it's great because the two festivals are markedly different.  Bonnaroo is much more mainstream and up-and-coming Indie artists with some great late night performances (including Girl Talk, Pretty Lights, The Flaming Lips, STS9 and more).  Headliners such as Phish, Kings of Leon, the Beach Boys, the Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, and Jay-Z always bring their "A" game and put on unforgettable performances.  Wakarusa tends to favor more of the bluegrass/folk music artists during the day and evening....but once the sun goes down you'll be treated to a night of some of the best electronic music your ears have ever heard.  There's a festival within a festival called the Interstellar Meltdown that provides a great range of electronic and fusion acts that will have you dancing until the sun comes up.  Starting in 2011 Wakarusa started opening up the mainstage for overnight headliners such as Bassnector, and Sphongle.

While Bonnaroo is much larger than Wakarusa (Bonnaroo becomes the fourth largest city in Tennessee during the festival), both have an amazing community of music lovers that come together to enjoy watching artists at the top of their game doing what they do best.  Both festivals have at your car camping, vendors, food, and fun.  But as alike as the communities can be, the festivals themselves are worlds apart.

By hitting both festivals each summer for the last 2 years I've really grown to love each one in it's own way.  I'm super-excited to be heading back this year, and I hope that you'll tag along in spirit even if you can't be there in person.  It's going to be a fun ride...ALL ABOARD!!