Bonnaroo 2009

I specifically remember Bonnaroo being one of the biggest festivals in the early 00's. I spent a considerable amount of time around the turn of the century going to shows and basking in the echoes of the 60's. Festivals, for me, were gathering of free spirits to celebrate music and open thinking. I was in community college at this time and convinced that the music of the jam band scene constituted a second wave of counter cultural activity. I wanted to major in philosophy at this time and engaged in discussions on existentialism in barefeet. I had long hair and I wore a green crystal wrapped in a net of hemp around my neck. I found the archetype of the genius pothead to be incredibly appealing. I carried incredibly ethereal books around with me and tried to read them after my morning rides. Notes on Relativity. Victorian Poetry. Being and Nothingness. I never finished any of them despite me carrying them in my backpack everyday. My unread philosophy books piled up on my shelves. I had terrible attention deficit which prevented me from fully understanding my books. I wanted to be cultured and subvert the stereotype of the slow deadhead. I was also perscribed medication for ADD which I sold and overused for a period. It would just be for tests and days when I could sit on the college lawn for hours talking about things which were important to me. Eventually my stomach hurt from lack of eating and cigarette smoke. I would still be up some mornings furiously sketching out ideas for new Grateful Dead shirts. In the morning I would ride to school and spend my time with other free thinkers. They would also be philosophy students on their 5th year associates. We would all sit together and talk about things we thought were important. My friends would make plans for upcoming shows and we would all talk about the possibility of going to Bonnaroo, Burning Man or Amsterdamn. Five years later, I came home for Christmas and went to a party filled with the very people who I described. They were my alternate selves if I never stopped and left. If I stayed in that college graduated and moved down the street, I would be here right now. Not tallking to myself. I met me in the kitchen with dreads who got into a violent discussion on legalization and psychology. My other self was freindly and helped bring in empty beer bottles with a sense of determination. However, when others refused to hear my point of view, I got fustrated. How could others not see what I think. Could that of been me? Could I of stayed and had stories of finally going to Bonnaroo? Bonnaroo always seemed like an odessey for people willing to invest the time and money into seeing an unbelievable line up. Right now, Cochella and Bonnaroo battle for who can have the more unbelievable act. I still wont be going to Bonnaroo despite an amazing line up. That was another time for me. I threw away my tent ages ago.


2009:
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Phish
Beastie Boys
Nine Inch Nails
David Byrne
Wilco
Al Green
Snoop Dogg
Elvis Costello Solo
Erykah Badu
Paul Oakenfold
Ben Harper and Relentless7
The Mars Volta
TV on the Radio
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Gov’t Mule
Andrew Bird
Merle Haggard
MGMT
moe.
The Decemberists
Girl Talk
Bon Iver
Béla Fleck & Toumani Diabate
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Galactic
The Del McCoury Band
Of Montreal
Allen Toussaint
Coheed and Cambria
Booker T & the DBTs
David Grisman Quintet
Lucinda Williams
Animal Collective
Gomez
Neko Case
Down
Jenny Lewis
Santogold
Band of Horses
Robert Earl Keen
Citizen Cope
Femi Kuti and the Positive Force
The Ting Tings
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Kaki King
Grizzly Bear
King Sunny Adé
Okkervil River
St. Vincent
Zac Brown Band
Raphael Saadiq
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Crystal Castles
Tift Merritt
Brett Dennen
Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue
Toubab Krewe
People Under the Stairs
Alejandro Escovedo
Vieux Farka Touré
Elvis Perkins In Dearland
Cherryholmes
Yeasayer
Todd Snider
Chairlift
Portugal. The Man.
The SteelDrivers
Midnite
The Knux
The Low Anthem
Delta Spirit
A.A. Bondy
The Lovell Sisters
Alberta Cross