BONNAROO: The Weekend in Review: The Final Day

DAY FOUR-The Final Day



10:00am - Holy shit am I still...tired. If you thought I was going to say hungover...that wore off about 5:30am during moe.'s encore. But it's cool...because you know what today is, right? Today is COHEED DAY! I wake up bursting with energy because of this. Yes...it is the last day. Yes...I am sad to leave tomorrow morning. Yes...it is depressing to see people leaving early throughout the day. Yes...I am sad tonights 1$ garlic grilled cheeses will be last until June 2010. BUT FUCK IT! One of my favorite bands is playing at 6:30pm and I could not be any more excited. Rob is 100% with me on this...we've been talking about this concert since the day the line-up was released.





10:30am - Rob rolls out of his tent...ready to thrash! Today is also Metal Day here at Bonnaroo (another true showing of the festival's diversity...which is what makes it the best festival in the world...a true music lovers fest)! Rob and I have made a pact to stay at That Tent all day long so that we can be in the front row for Coheed & Cambria. We are going to miss a couple cool acts today, but it will be worth the sacrifice. Among the list of bands I will be missing are Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg, Andrew Bird, and Band of Horses...but, like I said...it will all be worth it in the end. Trust me!





11:45am - I contemplate drinking some beers to get "metal-ed" up since there is the possibility of mosh pits at Bonnaroo (If you don't believe me you should've seen the pits last year for Mastodon). However, to drink all day means buying beers inside and Saturday drained my wallet quite a bit. So we enhale some jerky and head to the gates.





12:30pm-1:15pm - We all grab some lunch while listening to the end of Cage the Elephant's set. They're a pretty awesome band (you may know their single "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked")! At one point during this show the lead singer jumps into the crowd. The crowd puts him down on the ground and then lift him up into a standing position as he continues to sing...what fucking showmanship, right? Cool band...wish I would've seen more of them...definitely going to download more of their shit. It's time to part ways with Bob, who is going to check out Citizen Cope, Erykah Badu, and all those other bands I said I was going to miss out on.

[Here's the showmanship...]



1:30pm-2:45pm - The crowd clears out after CtE and Rob and I push up to the gate for Dillinger Escape Plan. The only thing I know of this band is that their former drummer is now the current drummer for Coheed, so they must be pretty sweet. We wait around and meet some of the peeps around us. Rob tells me, "I sawthese guys at GiganTour a couple years ago and they totally kicked ass (have to say that in a Carl voice)!"These guys take the stage and immediately start the thrashing. They are really like nothing I've ever heard. A lot of screaming that's for sure. The pits opened up behind us and the crowd surfing began. These guys are totally trashing the stage. Kicking over amps, jumping off of the amps, throwing ENTIRE CASES of water into the crowd. Towards the end of the show the lead singer stage dives into the crowd and then the guitarist follows...STILL HOLDING THE GUITAR (and playing it!)! It's pretty sweet...the crowd loves it. Their music isn't really my thing, but they put on one hell of an entertaining stage show.

[Here's Dillinger Escape Plan...lots of screaming...but decent stage show.]



2:45pm - 4:15pm - Rob tells me to go grab some waters for the rest of the day because we're already sweating our asses off from the mass amounts of thrashing. I oblige and we wait around for the next show...High on Fire. No one has ever heard of these guys. So they take the stage and Rob says to me, "Their lead singer looks like Dell Preston (from Wayne's World 2!)." It was incredible...he really did. I thought it was a stage hand, but nope...he was the lead singer/guitarist ("So Ozzy wanted 5,000 brown m&m's or he wouldn't go on stage the night..."). The band starts playing and it is straight speed metal. The pits grow large. No one knows the music, but it doesn't matter. Dell Preston pulls off some impressive solo's, but all in all I was not too impressed by them ("We got past the bengal tiger...but the shop keeper and his son...well that was a different story altogether...we had to beat them to death with their own shoes.")





4:15pm - 6:00pm - Now I'm starting to get pumped. I at least know these next guys. Shadows Fall is up next. They are from Springfield, Massachusetts (45 minutes from where I live now) and apparently their lead guitarist is dating one of my best friend's friends (shout out to Ro!)...so you know...there's at least some small connection there...not! Regardless...Rob and I are ready to go. We've got front row seats for this show...wait...NOPE! All of a sudden some 15 year old kid in an electronic wheelchair drives up behind us wanting to get front row for this show! Are you kidding me?! A wheelchair!? In the pits of a metal show!?!?! This kid could get killed! They specifically have sections directly NEXT TO THE STAGE for these individuals. Props to the kid, but still...this pushes me out of my place and I am not pleased at this point. However, this just fuels me up for the show.



Shadows Fall takes the stage to great applause...the crowd fucking loves these guys...they really have a great fan base here. The lead singer (who has 8 FOOT LONG DREADLOCKS!) grabs the mic and says the best line of the weekend, "We are Shadows Fall! And we bring you thrash metal!". They immediately start off with their most popular song (of Guitar Hero 2 fame) "The Light That Blinds". The crowd surfing begins...as do the biggest pits I've ever seen in my life! It was AWESOME! I don't know a lot of their songs by heart, but it doesn't matter...this music is fucking great! Their lead singer is a great frontman and knows how to give the crowd what they want. He gets on the mic and says, "Alright we're gonna set a Bonnaroo record here today. We're gonna set the record for the most crowd surfers ever in one song. So get your asses up here! That's right I'm talking to all of you back there! Get the fuck up here!" To this the already sweating security guards (they have to catch all the people once the get up to the barriers) say in unison "FUCK!" Excuse the capitalized profanity, but it was hilarious. Rob and I later said there had to have been at least 40 people who surfed up to the front...several of them receiving "high-fives" from the lead singer as they got up to the front. All in all...the show was incredible, but nothing compared to what came next. Oh and by the way...the wheelchair kid survived...barely. He almost got kicked in the head by several crowd surfers because there was a gap...again not being mean...it just wasn't a smart idea to begin with.

[Couldn't find all the stage diving...sorry. I'll keep looking.]



06:00pm-08:30pm - It's Coheed time! The chants start as soon as Shadows Fall leaves the stage. Coheed has a LARGE underground fan base...which includes Rob and I. The chants are off and on for a good 20 minutes while the stage set up continues. "Claudio (Sanchez...the lead singer/guitarist), Claudio!" "Coheed, Coheed!"



Finally the time comes. Claudio leads the band onto the stage and they belt out their epic first song off of In Keeping Secrets... the song shares the title. I've never seen anything like this...almost the entire crowd (including me) is singing the lyrics to the song word for word with Claudio. This is heard of at say, a Neil Diamond concert (right Braband?)...but at a metal show like this?! UNREAL!

["In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth"...webcast rips...good quality]


The band then jumps into some stuff of their most recent album, No World for Tomorrow including "Ten Speed" and the title track. In between these two songs they play my favorite song, "Apollo I: The Writing Writer".

["Apollo I: The Writing Writer"!!!!!]


Then they jump into a couple cover songs (which were also awesome before immediately jumping into some of their more popular sing-a-long songs including "A Favor House Atlantic", "Blood Red Summer", and "Welcome Home".

["A Favor House Atlantic"...another personal favorite!]


Finally they've come to their final song. (All of their albums tell a story and they all end with epic songs. And for this concert they end with the final track off of Good Apollo I entitled "The Final Cut". ) The original album version of this song is 7:42 in length...this version turns out to be a bit longer...well over 30 minutes in length!!!!!!!!! The song starts off then Claudio and Travis Stever break into some dueling guitar solos, then just Claudio solos (then he leaves the stage), then Travis solos (then he leaves the stage) then Michael Todd breaks into a bass solo (then leaves the stage). Finally it's just Chris Pennie up on the drums...and he breaks out into a 10-15 minute long drum solo! It was MIND BLOWINGLY AWESOME! Then they all join back up on stage and finish the song! The crowd went fucking nuts! One of the best shows I've ever seen and it wasn't even a headlining show (but then again...neither was My Morning Jacket last year). I wish they wouldv'e played an encore...but Phish was about to play and the sun was down already.

[The last part of "The Final Cut" (it's split in 3 lol)...drum solo and finale!]


08:30pm - 11:30pm - Alright...my heart is still pumping after a day full of metal. I've sweated through my outer layer of clothing...so I decide now is the best time to buy my festival shirt. Last year I bought one for $15 off a illegal shirt vendor on the last day, but the writing is starting to fade from the shit-ily made t-shirt. So this time I decide it's time to support the festival for all it's done for me and I buy an official t-shirt (the money goes to charity...instead of some crackhead).

Anyway it's time to grab a bite to eat and relax for a Phish concert. I am ready for this concert. I passed their Friday show up because there was so much else going on, but I am pumped to see them this time. Bob, Rob and I pick out our "groove" zone in the stage right-center of the field. This is unreal! I've never seen fans like this. People are just grooving. You can tell just by looking around the amount of psychadelics that some of these peeps are on. I don't mind it though....as long as they're havin a good time and not stealin my beers that's all that matters. Glow sticks are flying and the mood in the crowd is happy! Phish concerts really are quite peaceful. Their fans are incredibly nice. No rudeness or nothing...just fun loving people hula hooping, jam dancing, and grooving. We begin to lay back and enjoy the light show (seriously...their light show was SICK! Best I've ever seen...hands down!). We get about halfway through the show when Rob gets up to leave. He doesn't explain why...he just leaves his stuff and goes. Bob and I have no idea whats going on. Anyway...about halfway through, Trey starts telling a story about his childhood hero and brings him out...Bruce Springsteen! The weekend's big draws combine and play 3 songs together including "Mustang Sally" (which Bruce KILLED! It was great!) and "Glory Days"! It was really cool. Then they took a break.

["Glory Days"...Phish and Bruce!]


It's been like an hour since we've seen Rob (yes...their songs are really long...they're a JAM band...they JAM). We start to get worried so we send him a text. Turns out Rob's phone must've dropped out of his pocket at some point when we were lying down in the field. Some guy picked up his phone and turned it in (God bless you whoever you are nice Phish-head!). They turned it into the beer tent and Bob gets the text "Lost Phone...Center Beer Tent...Tell Owner". Who does this?! This is a festival with over 75,000 people! At any other smaller show some asshole would've taken the phone and run. This just tells you how great the people at this festival are. Bob and I collaborate on a search party for the phone...we take turns. Bob goes first and I stay put to look for Rob in case he comes back. Bob comes up empty handed. I went a little further left and finally found it at the wayyyy center beer tent (turns out my bearings were way off...that field is much bigger than I thought). OH and by the way...weaving in and out of people tripping their balls off in the dark is not a good idea...I can't tell you how many hipsters I must've stepped on or ruined their jamming (sorry dudes!).

Anyway...Bob and I decide to leave the show a couple songs early since we figure Rob must be upset because he thinks he lost his phone. We get to the tent and wake him up (he was pissed so he drank a couple beers and passed out...I wouldve done the same). He is very gracious. We stay up for a few hours drinking in celebration of a weekend well spent. We've all seen some great shows and there is much to talk about. We pass out about 3:00am...Phish phinished around 1:00am. Tomorrow we get up, pack up the tents and head back to Erie. What an amazing weekend!

And so ends Bonnaroo 2009...what will Bonnaroo 2010 have in store for us? Keep tuning in to O-Nation to find out! Same O-time! Same O-channel! Till next year....BONNAROOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Michael Jackson died Thursday at age 50. I decided to let a couple days pass so that all the media hype could fizzle out a bit, but apparently the horrific Iran protests and the escalating North Korean crisis have been put on the back burner as Americans mourn the passing of a pop icon. So it would not be fair to be a music blog and not pay tribute.

From his early days with the Jackson 5...to one of the most acclaimed albums of all-time (Thriller)...to his last studio album (Invincible)...Michael could easily be called the most popular solo entertainer of all time (move over Elvis). Although much of his good music was popular in my older brother's generation...those of us born in the early 80's were fortunate enough to catch the end of his era. We caught the tail end of his popularity when he left his "cool" phase and quickly drifted into his "weird" phase (much like Elvis with his "young, skinny" phase to his "old, fat" phase). Awesome beats like "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" paved way for crappy songs like "Heal the World" and "You Are Not Alone" (despite setting the world record for the only song to debut at #1 on the Billboard charts...it still sucks).

Not only was Michael a pop icon, but he was also a great philantrophist. Michael gave a lot back to the public by donating to over 3 dozen charitable organizations...more than any other musician or entertainer of his time.

Whether he was a child molestor or not...in passing it's always best to remember the good side of people.

Here's to Michael Jackson the musician. A boy who was forced to give up his entire childhood to entertain the American public. The world may never hear another voice like his. His music made us all want to learn how to dance. It enlightened the human soul and made us all remember that the human voice is the most beautiful of all instruments.

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Still his best in my opinion...(that picture at the beginning is terrible though)

BONNAROO: The Weekend in Review: Day Three

DAY THREE

09:30am - Well going to bed early last night was a great decision. I feel rested and ready to go after once again being sweated out of bed. Apparently Paul Oakenfold was spinning records until 6 this morning....that's some endurance (but nothing compared to what you'll hear about later). A lot of talk around Tent City this morning is about last night's late night shows and how dissappointing they were compared to last year's Friday (My Morning Jacket's historic set, MSTRKRFT, Super Jam, Disco Biscuits).

But enough of that...it's time to pre-game for JIMMY BUFFETT! Bob is up and ready to go...Rob takes a moment to get his ass out of bed, and then the drinking begins. This mornings breakfast menu includes a hearty dose of Yuengling (for Pennsylvania!), Jagermeister (for manhood!), Red Bull (for wings), and beef jerky (for...protein and salt?). We continue the morning ritual of mapping out the days events and discussing the previous night.

11:30am - Our stomachs full of wheat, barley, and beef we begin our stupor towards Centeroo. Bob was in a lot better shape than Rob and I. We drank a good amount (when I say a good amount...a mean a generous amount) of Jager and the Bull so we're balls to the wall at this point. We're keeping a steady pace until we get towards the gate and begin to hear "Cheeseburger in Paradise"...Jimmy started early, WTF!?!?!? As we stand in line to get in we begin to get upset we're missing the show. Then (by the grace of God himself) the security at the front gate blows the whistle and they let EVERYBODY thru the gates (this is a rarity at the Roo...it happens only once a day and it is a real treat if you get it)! We walk as fast as we can over to Which Stage and push our way as far up as we can.

Jimmy played an awesome set for such a short time...he only had an hour (plus fifteen cause he started early...jerk...he coulda told me at least). He played pretty much his greatest hits, "Pirate Looks at 40", "Fins", "Cheeseburger in Paradise", "Son of a Son of a Sailor", "Get Drunk and Screw", and "Margaritaville" as an encore. Rob and I tried to get a "salt! salt! mother f*ckin salt!" chant, but no one joined...looking back now...probably because we were wasted. The crowd was very into his show...a lot of people still had no idea he was playing that day because it was so last minute and were later severly dissappointed when they found out. Sucks to be those guys.

[This is a really good video of "Fins"! A Parrothead favorite!]

1:30pm-2:30pm - The sun is beating down...best day so far...90 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. This is not the best time to be drinking heavily (don't wanna get dehydrated), but this doesn't stop Rob and I. We grab a quick slice of pizza (I Love Spicy Pie!) and continue to pound beers for an hour while watching the Wailing Souls...a true Jamaican Reggae band...on the main stage. Not bad...they did a cool cover of "Casey Jones" which got the crowd rockin.

["Casey Jones" by the Wailing Souls]

2:30pm-5:00pm - Beers keep on coming (it really is amazing I remember so much of this)...Rob and I spend the next hour standing in line for the pit on the main stage. We want to be as close as possible for Rodrigo y Gabriella.

(If you don't know who they are you must check them out. They are a man/woman duo that play nothing but acoustic guitar...no singing...no drums...no bass...just acoustic guitar and slapping guitar. It is AMAZING how good they are.)

So Rob and I befriend some people behind us and pass the time away bullshitting about music for a while. I have no idea where Bob went during this time period...I really don't...maybe Bon Iver? I know he came back and saw some of the show, but I seriously have no idea what happened to him. Finally the time comes to open the pit...Rob and I end up two rows back against the railing...sweet! They start the show off with their version of Metallica's "Orion"...which is intense to hear on an acoustic Mexican guitar. Then Rodrigo gets on the mic and says that Gabriella's birthday was yesterday and the ENTIRE crowd sings "Happy Birthday" to her...never seen that one before. The show is very crowd interactive...lots of clapping and what not...definitely what you need to be doing while intoxicated. Great show...Rob and I are pleased...time to meet up with Bob and check out some rock shows. All in all a good afternoon though...Tropical/Country music followed by Reggae beats followed by Mexican guitar...very diverse, gotta love Bonnarooooo!

[Rodrigo y Gabriela jam...this shit takes serious skill...trust me!]

5:00pm-6:30pm - Very diverse acts playing over the next hour and a half. On the Which Stage is Gov't Mule (headed by the infamous Warren Haynes...of Allman Bros. fame), on This Tent is Of Montreal (probably the strangest band out there), and on That Tent is Jenny Lewis (sooooo hot). We decide it's time to take a break from the sun and head to the beer tent to grab some shade (and more beer) and listen to Gov't Mule rock for a while. Warren Haynes was belting out some sweeeet solos...however, it was time to roam by myself for a few and check out Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley fame). Jenny Lewis' music is not bad at all. The crowd (mostly chicks) loved it and I pushed my way up front to get a good look at her...smokin as always. I thought about going to check out Of Montreal, but then I decided that I should probably go meet up with Bob and Rob because it was almost Mars Volta time.

07:15pm-08:45pm - This show kicked major ass. I was very excited to see this group, however I don't push my way up front due to the fact that it's packed and the beer tent is not easily accessible in the field. But I can hear them loud and clear. Omar Rodriguez Lopez is a SICK guitarist...maybe the best to have played at this point in the weekend (sorry Trey and Warren, but this guy has the need for speed!) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala sings like no other man I've heard.

SIDENOTE: I first became a fan of this band thanks to my old roomate, Sherman, who got me into At the Drive-In...a small indie band that later became Mars Volta. So to see this band grow over the years from a southwest college bar band into a Bonnaroo main act was quite exciting. Props to Sherm and his good musical tastes.

So Volta plays a bunch of their older stuff off of DeLoused in the Comatorioum including one of the greatest guitar songs off all time (according to Rolling Stone...who is wrong most of the time except in this case), "Drunkship of Lanterns". I was waiting to hear this song and am now pleased...which is good because I need to go check out Wilco and Elvis Costello.

[Here's a decent vid of TMV...no good Drunkship videos...hard to get close at Which Stage apparently.]

Wilco is playing on the main stage so I'm heading there first...alone. I've already missed most of their show thanks to beer forcing me to break the seal, the long wait for the portos, and an awesome Mars Volta performance. I catch one song and head over to catch a living legend, Elvis Costello. I stay for two songs this time and then go meet up the other dudes and head over to the main stage to get ready for "The Boss".

09:00pm-01:00am - The crowd is enormous for Springsteen! Bigger than any I saw last year...even for acts like Pearl Jam and Metallica. I think a lot of Nashville came down to see this one. Cool to see Max Weinberg made the trip down after being in L.A. for Conan the night before. Silvio Dante (Van Zandt) was also at the show ready to bust heads if anyone got out of control. Bruce was pretty sweet...he basically played anything the audience asked him to. Literally people are writing on the back of signs and holding them up. It's like karaoke out there...until some moron writes "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on their sign around 11:30pm. Bruce says "it's too fucking hot for Santa," which was sweet...until he actually ACTUALLY played the song. This was our cue to get up and leave...screw the rest of the concert. The Boss is cool, but not cool enough to play christmas songs in early June.

[The Boss and his best song ever "Born to Run"...the guitar has got to be just for looks.]

So the next decision took me all weekend to decide. The night shows on Saturday were all acts I would love to see, but I had to pick one. It was between Nine Inch Nails (Which Stage), moe. (That Tent), MGMT (This Tent), and Ben Harper (The Other Tent). All of these shows were getting big hype, but the guitar jammer inside of me needed moe.. Bob and Rob decided that Nine Inch Nails was the act they wanted to see weeks ago...wasn't a big decision for either of them. I like all of these acts so this was a hard decision, but in the end I made the right one. So we parted our separate ways for the night(literally...I didn't see the two of them again until after I woke up on Sunday).

So it's 11:45pm and I'm standing in line for moe...alone...front/second row with the other hardcore fans (they all agreed...it's better than seeing the rest of Springsteen). I meet some really cool people at this show. Two people in front of me are from Massachusetts so we talk New England for a while, and then these two dudes next to me are huge moe. fans and we just started sharing stories from the weekend. Then we all become part of a shared story from this show. Just 20 minutes before the show starts some dude clearly rolling on X rushes towards the stage and face plants on the ground before our eyes. His eyes are rolling and he's shaking. New England guy screams "Medic!". The security guard in front of the stage hands us a bottle of water to give the guy, and thankfully he gets up on his own two feet and walks away. Scary, but at least he was okay. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief as the show gets ready to begin.

01:00am-06:00am - Shortly after 1:00am moe. takes the stage. The show starts off great for me. Right as Chuck comes out on stage he picks up a guitar pick on the ground and "chucks" (oh!) it into the audience. It hits me right in the chest, and being as drunk as I am at the time, I look around thinking that somebody threw something at me. To my surprise I look on the floor and pick up the signature Chuck Garvey pick...I immediately look at the stoned guy next to me who just says "No fucking way mannnn!" My sentiments exactly! Im bouncing off the walls at this point and moe. starts to jam. When I say jam I really mean JAM! Chuck and Al (Schnier) are pretty much going back and forth on the guitars for the first two hours of the show. They're playing a lot of songs from their newer albums The Conch and Sticks and Stones. I love both these albums so I'm doing my jammy dance (not many people get to see this...if you ever do you must be a very good friend and I must be verrry drunk).

[Great vid of moe. playing "Seat of My Pants"]

Around 3:00am something strange happens. Vinnie (Amico...the drummer) is playing a beat when all of a sudden a long haired drummer comes onto the stage and takes his place. Then Chuck, Al, Rob, and Jim all leave and are replaced...by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Clearly moe. needed a break after how hard they jammed in the first two hours (but they were far from done). Grace Potter (super hot) and the Nocturnals jammed for a good 45 minutes before moe. comes back on stage (to much applause...not that GP&N were bad, but moe. fans wanted more).

[Here's Grace Potter (HOT!)takin the stage over!]

So it's like 4:00am when moe. comes back on stage. All the other acts are just about finished for the night and they're just getting started for their second set...awesome! As they continue it truly becomes an endurance test for me. 1. I've been up for about 19 hours straight now. 2. I'm dancing around between dirt and the steel rail (part of the barrier) and my feet are killing me. 3. I've been drinking for 14 hours. 4. I havent had a beer in 3 hours and I'm starting to get hungover. HOWEVER...nothing can stop me at this point. I've made it this far and I'm not going anywhere. moe. finishes with a double encore of "Rebubula" (personal favorite) and "The Pit". As the 400 or so survivors all leave the tent we all exchange "Holy Shit!"'s and "That was fucking incredible!"'s... completely satisfied with a historic show. The walk to the tent in the morning fog as the sun was coming up was my "magical" moment of this years Bonnaroo (last years was during My Morning Jacket when Kirk Hammett and them played "One Big Holiday" in a slow rain). I treat myself to two 1$ garlic grilled cheeses on the way back after truly one of the best days ever...

[The "survivors" jammin to "Rebubula" at 5:45am as the sun comes up!]

Stay tuned for the final day...I'll tell you all about the other night shows and how they went...

BONNAROO: The Weekend in Review: Day Two

DAY TWO

10:00am - After Thursday night's torrential downpours I wake up to the hot, and humid Tennessee sun. It's so hot you can't sleep in your tent past 10:00am...unless you literally want to bake like a burrito in your sleeping bag...mmm...burrito.



11:00am - Wash the mud off from last night at the tent then proceed to pre-game with Rob and Bob with a few beers while mapping out the days activities. HUGE NEWS...Bob gets a text that Jimmy Buffett has been signed on to make an appearance on Saturday with ILO and the Coral Reefer Band. I immediately send a text to my everyday multimedia mastermind, my roomate Pat, who (within minutes) confirms the alleged rumor. Rob and I text all of our friends who are Jimmy Buffett fans in our sudden rush of excitement. However, a long day ahead of us before Jimmy tomorrow.



01:00pm-01:45pm - We gather our belongings and head into Centeroo. It's a bit overcast, but the temperatures are scorching...the humidity is insane...it feels like 95. First show we check out is a band named Gomez, who has played on stage with moe. before so I figured they must be pretty jammy. By the time we get over to Which Tent (the big stages are open now) we only catch the encore, but it was pretty damn good. Wish I could've seen more of them, but no regrets at Bonnaroo...there's always next year.



02:45pm - 03:30pm - I am anxiously awaiting moe.'s acoustic set...it's all I can talk about, but they don't play until 4:00pm so we decide to float for a while. First stop was the Which Stage for Animal Collective, an electronic band that is getting pretty big (they put on an awesome performance on Letterman back in May). AC is an awesome band, but a 2:45pm set time did not fit them. Their music would've been better for a night show under a tent with lasers and shit. Their loops and beats were off a bit, I think the sun may have gotten to them. Decent though bad timing.

We decide to split up for the first time. Bob goes to the main stage to see Galactic, Rob goes to get a cup of coffee cause he's still feeling the lack of sleep from Thursday, I head over to see St. Vincent on That Tent. I heard a lot about her in a recent issue of Spin Magazine, but I was not too impressed. Annie Clark's vocals were great, but the crowd just didn't seem into it. This time I'll blame conflict of interest. A lot of her crowd was probably at Animal Collective or Galactic.



03:30pm-05:00pm - I left St. Vincent early to get a good spot for moe. I end up two rows back. They're playing on the Sonic Stage...which is very small...and reserved for artists who want to play more than just their normal set. moe. requests to play there everytime they play Bonnaroo...cause they rock. An acoustic moe. set is something I've always dreamed of, because those who know me know I love music unplugged. I believe it shows an artists true raw potential. Rob meets me with his cup of coffee.

The show begins with moe. fans everywhere chanting "we want moe.!" The band suffers from some early set up problems from their roadie who had the monitors up to loud...the feedback was heard in a couple songs. However, their set list was phenomenal and the feedback only came through when Al got too close to the mic. Couldn't have picked any better songs from their catalog to play acoustically. The fans sang along word by word until the last song ("McBain") where the feedback was too much and they played it without vocals. Despite feedback, the best show I've seen so far. Left me wanting more...can't wait for Saturday's late night set.

[No video, but slideshow is from show...one of my favs, "New York City"]



05:00pm - 06:45pm - I leave moe. full of energy after an amazing show. It's time to check out the afternoon shows...Yeah Yeah Yeahs are up next!!! We meet back up with Bob back at the Brooers Tent and grab some beers before the show. Bob had only great things to say about Galactic's show.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs come out to great applause...people are pumped for this show. Their stage consists of a giant eyeball directly behind Karen O. I can't see her too well from where I am sitting, but I can tell she's wearing something strange (I saw pictures later...not as bad as I thought, but still her typical weird garb). They play a lot of songs off their new album (which is fantastic) including "Zero" and "Heads Will Roll". I like what I see, but have to leave to go check out a new interest of mine...the NYC indie-rockers Grizzly Bear. I arrive just in time to hear some of their new songs off of Veckatimest...a CD I had downloaded just weeks before the concert. Their music is strange, but catchy. I really don't have a better way to describe it. They'd be huge in 1986, but then again they say the 80's are back. Anyway, Grizzly Bear ends after a very good set and I head back over to meet Bob and Rob. I missed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs play "Maps" acoustic...total bummer....what a great tune.

[I may have missed it, but you can check it out below]



06:45pm - 08:30pm - Time for the last set of shows before the Friday dual headliners of Beasties and Phish. On the slate is Al Green, TV on the Radio, Lucinda Williams, and Ani DiFranco...a lot of soul going on. Kind of dehydrated...staying put at the beer tent where we can here TV on the Radio and chill for a bit. Crowd isn't as big as for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but then again the Reverend is playing 100 yards away. Not a big Al Green fan myself...maybe if I ever bring a girl to this thing I'll go check out the classy soulful acts, but for now I'm gonna keep rockin. I decide to part ways with Rob and Bob again. I leave and check out Ani DiFranco for a little bit. She is a great acoustic guitarist and I've never seen her before. I head over to That Tent and stay for a couple songs, but her music isn't really getting me going. Very talented, but wasn't feeling it after hearing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I'm pretty drunk at this point and am ready for a big act. Bring it on Beasties.

08:30pm - 10:45pm - Nice to see the main lawn completely packed. People are pumped. Beasties have been gettin slack lately by the press because the media says that Mix Master Mike plays their records in the background and they don't play their own instruments. Beasties make it a point to address this in their show. They get the crowd going with "Super Disco Breakin" a couple songs in and then just go off...they barely took time in between songs to appease the crowd. Then they bring out a special guest...Nas. All I heard from people around me was, "No f*cking way!" Pretty sweet...they all do some freestylin' back and forth, but it seemed like Nas couldn't keep up with the grey-ing (literally they all have grey hair now...gettin up there) Beastie Boys. It was quite entertaining. Anyway, they play all the hits and then finish off with "Sabotage" (as expected), but unexpectedly they purposely screw up the beginning to show the crowd that they do play their own instruments and the critics once again have no idea what they're talking about. Awesome show...Beasties finish shortly before 10:00pm and the crowd flocks over to David Byrne.

Byrne...if you don't know...is the former frontman for the Talking Heads. Not a big fan myself, but we did get to hear "Burning Down the House" which is a great song. All anyone is talking about is the upcoming Phish show...

[Listen to Mike D tell the critics whats up before "Sabotage"..."There is no tape...this is LIVE MUSIC!"...awesome.]



11:00pm-04:00am - Phish time...the vibe has gotten very happy, very friendly. The hula hoopers are out in the field and glow sticks are everywhere. When Trey speaks his first words of "Chalkdust Torture" the crowd goes nuts! Rob, Bob and I are enjoying the sights...Phish-heads are crazy peeps...like you gotta see it for yourself. There's not a sober person there. Anyway...we stay for about half of the show until about 12:15pm...it's time to see the legends...Public Enemy.

[Check out the glow stick war when Phish took the stage...]



P.E. comes out...with FLAVA FLAV!!!!!! He's sportin a new mini-fro, but still has the clock around his neck...what a freak...hahaha. Still he's a legend and he's hilarious. Chuck D announces they have a special treat for the audience tonight...they're gonna play the entire It Takes a Nation of Millions... album from beginning to end. The fans are on their feet...these guys are totally working the crowd...and the crowd loves it. Awesome show (from what I remember).

So it's like 1:30am...Rob heads to bed anticipating we'll be up at 8:00am to start drinking for Jimmy Buffett. Bob and I stay up for a bit and check out Crystal Castles. I'm about 99% certain that at LEAST 3/4 of this audience was on some serious hallucinogens. The laser light show had to seriously make them all trip hardcore because I had a few beers in me and I was getting dizzy watchin the lights. Straight electronic/techno music...not bad, but not my scene...Bob and I decide to adventure back to camp and drink until we pass out...not before stopping to get some $1 garlic grilled cheeses (a Bonnaroo staple)...delicious, but not as good as last year (smaller, less cheese...another sign of an economy in shambles).

The beer and Jager is on ice...we're ready for Jimmy...just wish we had some Heinz 57...stay tuned to hear the debachle that ensues Saturday...

BONNAROO: The Weekend in Review: Day One

Well kids...here we go. It was a great trip with a lot of great memories. I was definitely not let down and it was worth every penny spent. I had a lot of time in the car to think about how to format this post, but I eventually decided to do this journal style in honor of my favorite summer book (soon to be a major motion picture starring Michael Cera), Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne. I will do each day of the trip as a separate post, and then at the end I will give away the 2009 Best of Bonnaroo Awards! A special thanks to Rob who helped me out with the brainstorming behind this. So let's get started...

DISCLOSURE: I apologize for the lack of personal pictures...I do not have a digital camera or a blackberry so all my pics are locked inside my phone.

DAY ONE

10:00pm Wednesday: The car is packed and we're ready to go. All provisions accounted for. Tons of beer, Clif Bars, and beef jerky. A quick stop to Country Fair to gas up and then it's on the road. We decide to take shifts this year...I'm up first.

4:00am: I can't believe I drove this long, especially after the 8 hour trip back to Erie on Monday. Either way, I drove through the entire state of Ohio, thru Columbus and Cincinnatti, and took us a little bit past Lexington, Kentucky. Rob's turn.

9:00am: Rob just drove through the storm of the century (we later found out after we got home that there were tornado warnings throughout the area when we were driving)! Amazingly we survived after hydroplaning several times in Bob's Monte Carlo. I manned the defrosters and Rob must've gone through half a pack of cigs as we held on for dear life. I swear the only thing that got us through was Dream Theater. Bob's turn.

10:30am: We are officially in the Bonnaroo line!!! We are excited. Last year it took us 2 hours to get in the gate. Time to start the jams.

04:30pm: You've got to be f$#king kidding me!!!! 6 hours to get in the gate?! The worst thing was it was raining off and on the whole time in line so you couldn't just stand outside the car. Saw a couple people run out of gas while waiting...sucks to be them. We passed the time playing Six Degrees...Rob proves again that he knows all the best B-movies to find major actors in and single handedly crushed Bob and I.

05:30pm: Our campground is super far away...named Camp David Wooderson (after Matthew McConnaughey's character in Dazed and Confused...thanks Brandon). Definitely a 15 minute walk to and from Centeroo (the concert area). We set up our tent in record time. Our neighbors were amazed. We took a couple minutes to relax then could no longer stand the anticipation. We decide to do some quick shopping and head into Centeroo to get some food and see the first concerts.

05:45pm: First stop food...the Samosa tent...we all decided to try them last year and they were awesome...been craving them for a year. They're like hot pockets, but a million times better. After satisfying the hunger we decide to head over to the first shows.



BONNAROO FUN FACT: Thursday night is usually reserved for more Indie bands. This is usually because a lot of the crowd doesn't come until Friday because of work. Thursday is truly for the Bonnaroo elite. The main stages are still closed down as the staff sets up for the weekend. It's a magnificent day to just relax with a much smaller and more chill crowd.


06:00pm-06:30pm: The three of us decide to stick together for most of the day due to the fact that we know little of the bands on Thursday, with the exception of a few. We decided to grab a few beers and check out Alberta Cross (That Tent) and Janelle Monae (The Other Tent). Alberta Cross was not bad...we stayed for a couple songs...they sounded very folky, but with more electic guitar...I would compare them to Kings of Leon. Not bad.

Janelle Monae had some interesting music. She was a great singer, but what made her act special was that during the one song she painted on canvas as the music played, and then showed the painting to the crowd at the end of the song. Kind of a cool gimic, but not my type of music.


06:45pm-07:45pm: We left Janelle Monae a bit early to drink some more beers. Then the rain started again...not just a little bit. It was like a good 10-15 minutes of solid downpour. The weekend was looking muddy. We sucked down a few brews and headed over to see the White Rabbits (This Tent). I heard about this band the day before when I was researching some bands to see on Thursday. I like what I heard from them. Solid sound, lots of energy. They're a New York Indie band. If I had the chance to see them again in this area I would.


08:00pm-11:15pm: The rains continue. We decide to hang out in the Brooers Festival (The Microbrew Tent...awesome!) for a few hours until the rain subsides. We hear most of Hockey's set on This Tent from inside the beer tent. I liked what I heard from Hockey...they're supposedly the next big thing in music. I don't know if I'd go that far, but it was very energetic. Chairlift followed them up, but we were too busy drinking exotic beers and bullshittin. Missed that one. We decide that tonight is the best night to see a comedy show so we grab tickets in advance to go see Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.


11:15pm-01:45am: Passion Pit takes the stage on This Tent, which is 30 yards away from where we're waiting in line to get into the comedy tent. Passion Pit was by far the best show of the day. Their music was very energetic...mostly electronic with some electric guitars. If I could compare them to any other band of the weekend I'd say they had an MGMT kinda feel...more on that later. Either way...Passion Pit was very good. I'd love to see them again.



Anyway, before the show ends we're in the comedy tent. Triumph (of Conan fame) brings along with him a few guest comedians tonight...Kumail Nanjiani and Amy Schumer. Triumph himself is hilarious...lots of jokes on hippies and smelly people in the audience. Kumail takes the stage and sucks it up. He got really nervous when he got heckled and reverted to making jokes about the signer (for the hearing impaired) standing up front. Forcing her to sign some VERY obscene things which was actually hilarious. Overall though his material was garbage and the signer jokes saved him. Amy Schumer was a lot better...and pretty cute. A lot of female jokes...reminded me of a young Kathy Griffin/Chelsea Handler (check her out Ro!). Overall a lot of laughs, but not the best stand up I've seen.

We've had enough by 1:45am and call it a night. It sucks to leave shows early, but we had been up for almost 36 hours...and the weekend was only just beginning...


STAY TUNED FOR FRIDAY'S RECAP...

BONNAROO WEEK 2009!

Well...it's officially Sunday morning. Sunday of Bonnaroo week!!!!! I can't believe that in 4 days from now Rob, Bob and I will be on the way down to Manchester.

I hear that nothing will ever compare to your first Bonnaroo...except for your second! From what I heard from the festival goers last year, they said that most people don't know what to expect the first time around, and that the second year is the best because now you know exactly what it's all about.

I find this to be pretty true so far. I'm already a lot more confident than I was last year...I know where everything is (bathrooms, showers, tents, stages, food, the 1$ garlic grilled cheese stand), I know how to get around, and I'm a lot less concerned about the schedule this year. I love the bands that are on the schedule, but last year I tried too hard to see everybody. This year I've narrowed down the bands I can't miss, but besides that I'm just gonna take it easy and float around. All in all I'm pretty damn excited.

Now since the Bonnaroo '09 hasn't started yet...I'm going to take a moment and re-live some of the greatest moments of Bonnaroo '08:

Top 10 Moments of My Trip to Bonnaroo 2008

10. The trips down and back. On the way down getting pulled over by cops in Kentucky on the way down and getting a speeding ticket...not fun, but memorable. We were excited to get there and were definitely putting the pedal to the metal. On the way back we randomly met some dude from our hometown in a Cracker Barrel in Kentucky...it was very strange...especially since he was a local high school teacher...HA!

9. Missing two-thirds of the Jack Johnson concert. Somehow I came up with the idea that the 3 of us should each slam 4 beers before going to see this show...all in a row...one after the other. I did it...with ease. So we march in about halfway into the main stage (about a 5-10 minute walk thru straight people) to get good seats for the show. About 20 minutes into the show I realized I had to break the seal...real bad! I'm practically pushing people over on my way out...I get to the portos...and surprise...25 minute wait just to use the pisser! I heard most of the show standing in line to use a porto-potty, but hey...when ya gotta go, ya gotta go.

8. Mastodon. Rob and I sat for an hour waiting for them and were 1 row back from the stage. It wasn't until the concert started that I realized I was wayyyyyyyy undersized to be standing that close during a Mastodon concert. After getting sucked in by a massive whirlwinding mosh pit I told Rob, quote: "F*ck this! I'm out!". I then proceeded to go watch Gogol Bordello which was some crazy ass Hungarian punk show. I still have trouble describing how weird and cool this show was.

7. O.A.R. I came into this show knowing that I was going to see them a month later up in Hartford. The Hartford show was much better (AND I GOT TO HANG OUT WITH THEM ON THEIR TOUR BUS...thanks Mudd!), but the Hartford show didn't have crazy Ohio-ans who traveled 600 miles just to wave flags all over the place in support of their favorite band. Their set list was flawless at Bonnaroo last year and it got me really pumped to see them again. However (Pat will agree), nothing could ever compare with when we saw them in Hartford last summer.

6. Zach Galifankis' stand up comedy show = one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my entire life. Many of you probably know him now from "The Hangover", but I knew him from my old cameraman Larry who used to always show me his stand-up routines and told me I had to go to the show for him. I did and it was incredible. His "Man in the Mirror" sketch at the end is still saved on my cell phone and it still makes me laugh a year later.

5. Grupo Fantasma. Rob, Bob, and I had no agenda at all on Thursday night when we arrived. Thursday is usually the quitest night because alot of people don't arrive till Friday. So we're just walking around and we hear this awesome Latin music coming from one of the smaller stages. We heard them rock out for like an hour and they kicked major ass! So good in fact that we got up early the next morning to see them play an acoustic set at noon...which also kicked ass.

4. Death Cab for Cutie. Definitely one of the best shows of the weekend. I had only known a few of their songs going into this show, but as soon as I got home I downloaded their entire discography and listened to it straight for like a month! These guys have a lot of energy and were the perfect way to end the weekend. It sucks that they played on Sunday cause their music can be kind of a downer at times, but it fit the vibe of the day. Everyone was depressed they had to go home the next day...and they made it work for them.

3. I finally got to see Pearl Jam live, and it was one of the greatest concerts I've ever seen. NOT ONLY did they play for 4 hours, but they played so many great tunes, Eddie got VERY political (and drunk...off wine of course!), and they ALLEGEDLY forced Kanye West to miss his set at 4:00am...which got postponed till 5:00am...which got postponed till 5:30am...which caused people to throw things on stage and go to bed when he finally showed up around 6:00am...which caused his whole rant...and so on, and so on, and so on...

2. Metallica. Wow...I always wanted to see these guys when I was growing up. After the whole Napster thing and the horrible album (St. Anger) I lost a bit of respect...and so did America. They basically removed themselves from playing in the US for several years. They played only in Europe while working on their newest album (which kicks ass...I don't care what anybody says...totally old school). This was their comeback show and they came prepared. I remember at one point in the concert James Hetfield told the crowd how happy they were to be back in America and they wanted to make sure that their first concert back was in front of true music fans...the whole place exploded. It was awesome! They knew that their genre of music was not the most popular at a festival of Bonnaroo, but they were amazed by the reception. They played one song off of "Load", and the rest was all old school Metallica. Watching them play "Fade to Black" on the Bonnaroo DVD still gives me chills (they never play that song live).

1. My Morning Jacket. The setting helped, but the music was where it was at. They had the historic Friday night 12am-4am spot (this year taken by Phish since they are currently taking some time off from touring). It was right after Metallica and the crowd was fired up still. It was still about 80 degrees outside and it was a steady warm rain off and on throughout the whole show. They played a lot of their new tracks off of "Evil Urges" (which was released 3 days prior to the show) plus they had several guest appearances. The moment of the whole weekend for me was when Jim James goes, "I'd like to introduce a very special friend who's gonna come out and play a song with us. Ladies and gentlemen...Kirk Hammett (the guitarist of Metallica)." And what song did they play...my favorite..."One Big Holiday"...in the pouring down rain. AND it was the final song of the first set! Watching 3 of the greatest guitarists in the world (Hammet, James, and Carl Broemmel) jam out for 10 minutes was incredible! I'm telling you...this performance is what made My Morning Jacket probably my favorite band in the world right now!

WATCH IT...the best part is right at the end of the whole thing...you'll hear what I mean...lol...my sentements exactly buddy!

So that's it...there's a look back at my favorite moments from last year. Being as I'm heading back home tomorrow I probably one be able to post again until after the festival. I'll be coming back with a full review and plenty of pictures. So wish me luck! Bonnarooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Also...a big thanks to Ashley for teaching me how to embed video!

Dave Matthews Band Week

Alright...I was originally planning for this week to be a Dave Matthews Band special week, due to the fact that they played a Live concert on Fuse on Monday, their new album was released Tuesday, they played Jimmy Fallon tonight, and on Friday their playing the Today Show before starting their tour Friday and Saturday night down the road in Hartford. HOWEVER...due to my new place not being hooked up with internet yet, and ongoing birthday festivities (i.e. - drinking, eating, drinking), things just weren't looking good. So let's take a look at the checklist:

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND WEEK CHECKLIST

1. Watch the live concert on Fuse - FAILED

I did not get to see the live concert on Fuse on Monday due to not having cable at my house until this morning, but it is available on Hulu and I will get there eventually. If you would like to watch the 3 hour show...here it is.

2. Buy the new album - FAILED

One, I'm saving money for Bonnaroo next week (!) so I gotta micro manage my money here. Gas is expensive AGAIN (wtf Obama?!).

3. Watch Dave on Jimmy Fallon - COMPLETED

Alrighty then...I CAN talk about this one. I wasn't happy that I had to sit through some of Jimmy Fallon's show to get this far. I find him to be a wanna-be Adam Sandler who created one of the worst movies of all time (see: "Fever Pitch") and who is totally un-deserving of a late night show...what have you done lately? Anyway...after his laughless monologue (thank God the master, Conan, is back!) , a decent interview with Kenny "Fucking" Powers (Danny McBride), and some interview with a NatGeo show host (they both hung from the ceiling, which was innovative, but not good for TV)...Dave Matthews finally took the stage with the NEW (see below) band.

SIDENOTE: For those of you who don't know...long time woodwind/brass player for Dave Matthews Band, LeRoi Moore, died last August following a tragic ATV accident. LeRoi was one of the founding members of the band who wrote and arranged a lot of the songs with Dave. He was a brilliant mind who arranged some of the coolest saxophone parts I've heard in modern music. Despite this talented musician tragically dying at age 46...this years Grammy Awards left him out of the montage of musicians lost in the last year. They claimed there wasn't enough time for everyone. Well that's just Hollywood jargin for saying he wasn't important enough...which is total bullshit...and that's all I have to say about that. Since his passing, Dave has hired along a brass player and another saxophonist to help fill the void. It takes 2 men to fill the void left by LeRoi...R.I.P buddy...you're already missed.

DMB played two songs off of their brand new album, "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King". The band took the stage with all the normal members of the band...PLUS the man...Timmy Reynolds (who will be touring with them all summer). The first song that they played was their first single of the album entitled, "Funny the Way It Is". I had heard this song on the radio before and honestly I'm not too impressed, but I've never been wowed by their first singles off previous albums ("I Did It", "American Baby", "Where Are You Going"...all not the best songs on their respective albums). Therefore I am passing on this song...I've heard it 4 or 5 times and it's not growing on me at all.

The second song they played (which is cool that Jimmy allowed that, but obviously its one of his favorite bands) was "Why I Am". I was impressed with this song. I find it to be a fusion of old DMB with new DMB. It mixes the jammy composition and instrumental solos of old Dave, with some new elements...particularly the electric guitar of Tim Reynolds. Tim is a fantastic guitarist and it's amazing how just his slight guitar fills in the background make Dave's music sound different...even a little bit harder. The song has a catchy chorus as well, and the weirdos dancing on the balcony in the background seemed like they enjoyed it...which means it has fan appeal as well.

All in all I'd say it was a pretty decent performance, but then again Dave usually doesn't let ya down when he's live. He's always been a great frontman and his band is as good as ever (especially Carter Beauford...still one of the best live drummers I've ever seen). I will definitely listen to the album now because of their performance of "Why I Am". However, I hope it doesn't dissappoint me like 2005's "Stand Up". I won't say that Dave is a sell-out by any means...I just enjoy his early works a lot better. Now check out this sweet photo of him with Julia Roberts which I found quite amusing yet uncomfortable...for both of them...

Moving on...

4. Watch Dave Matthews Band on the Today Show on 6/5 TBD

Not too excited for this one...they'll probably play the same set they did on Jimmy Fallon, but I'll DVR it for the hell of it.

5. See Dave Matthews Band play in Hartford on 6/5 and 6/6 - FAILED

Not gonna happen...he played the first weekend in June last year too and it pissed me off. As long as I'm goin to Roo...no way I can go see him unless he's playing later in the summer. Maybe next year. Have fun Kyle...apparently when he played at Fenway he played 7 songs off the new album the first night and 6 songs the second night. Let me know how it goes.