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First-Years and Last Temptations
Issue 24.1: October 2008
Posted: October 7, 2008

‘Roo 08: The Fed Reports

“Kanye’s a Dick,” says Fan

Rachel Katz

JTS Represent!
Carney from Los Angeles, CA at Bonnaroo 2008

While I cannot yet call myself an extremely seasoned Bonnaroosian, I would like to think that my experience at Bonnaroo '07 has given me some insight into the festival workings. After a year, one remembers the layout of the grounds (or tries to), knows how to schedule shows, meet people, and hopefully knows exactly what to bring in order to have a successful Bonnaroo. Unfortunately, last year's festival left me ill-prepared for ‘Roo 08, as this year's show proved to be much different.

When it comes to festivals, there is some sort of symbiosis between the people and the concert itself. The people feed on the energy of being at the concert, which makes the concert an unforgettable experience, provided that it is a good concert. That said: every concert is different because of what bands are performing. In my article about Bonnaroo ‘07, I said that some people come to Bonnaroo merely for the atmosphere. This was true for Bonnaroo ‘08 as well. However, because of the very eclectic choice of performers this year, the overall atmosphere of Bonnaroo had changed, and in my opinion, was more hostile. When one thinks of Bonnaroo, the images that come to mind are of hippies frolicking in the muddied Tennessee grasses, people dropping acid, and free love.

This year, thousands of people joined in the chant of "FUCK KANYE" to an empty stage. Kanye West arrived over two hours late to his performance, which was originally scheduled to begin at 2:45 AM. Rumors were spread that he refused to go on until Phil Lesh & Friends had finished their set. Another rumor speculated that because Bonnaroo had originally scheduled him on the Which Stage, the second main stage, (as opposed to the What Stage), he was upset and therefore refused to adhere to the already packed schedule. Fans left in droves during the unwelcome hiatus because they assumed he wasn't even going to show up. One fan told Spin magazine, "I think that every other artist I've seen at Bonnaroo has had a lot of respect for their fans and Kanye just didn't seem to have any." Another fan, when asked what she would say to Kanye right now, merely said, "S my D, Kanye."

And when one thinks of Bonnaroo, does moshing come to mind? People pushing and shoving and perhaps even potential injury? This year at Bonnaroo, Metallica was one of the headliners. How many people came to this southern hippie festival just to see Metallica? I couldn't tell you, however, being in the Metallica mosh pit reminded me of the Puddle of Mudd and System of a Down show I went to with my dad in 2001 and ended up with a concussion. Not the chill Bonnaroo that I was familiar with.

In its first six years, this type of hostility was unprecedented at Bonnaroo. But was the impact so strong that it changed the festival forever? No. Probably not. Bonnaroo still had Phil Lesh and Widespread Panic and the Bluegrass All-Stars to give the Bonnaroosians their fill of that good-old ‘Roo jam. The latter group was a conglomerate of six of the world's finest musicians (Luke Bulla, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton) that came on stage saying "Good afternoon, music lovers. Can you hang awhile?" which I believe encompasses the Bonnaroo spirit of both camaraderie and true appreciation for music. The festival had new and rising bands like Carney (Mark my words, they will be big!) whom the Bonnaroo guide book describes as "a swaggering bluesy rock groove reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and the Yardbirds." But however good they sounded, they gave themselves away as a rookie band by wearing long sleeved pirate blouses and vests to a concert in Tennessee in 105 degree heat. By the end of their set, they had all but stripped naked, not that any of the women in the audience were complaining.

These bands were Bonnaroo '08's saving grace. That special symbiosis between festival and fan was not wrecked on account of the Kanye debacle, which was merely a blip on the radar in the long run. No one died during Metallica, which was only loud and moshy, but not terribly harmful. In previous years, people have died due to drug overdoses or being run over by a tour bus (Ricky Scaggs' Bus' 06). But surprisingly, nobody fared nearly as badly during Bonnaroo ‘08, making it the first death-free ‘Roo in years.

So while there were new experiences, like Chris Rock, the first comedian to perform on the What stage, followed directly by Metallica, Bonnaroo didn't really change so much on the whole. The number of people who come for one specific band could never top the masses who come just for the festival itself. The conglomeration of this diverse group of artists in one big festival really shows what Bonnaroo is all about; Bonnaroo means acceptance. It's a place where it's okay to dance with all that excessive arm flailing, and wear a bandana and aviators without feeling like too much of an asshole, and show strangers intimate parts of your body (because let's face it, there are girls who walk around in only body paint), and to rock the farmers tan. It's a place where it's okay to know and loudly sing the words to both Metallica AND Death Cab for Cutie, followed by Ben Folds and then M.I.A...You can be yourself without anyone judging you, or at least judging you lucidly.

I will say that I had a better time at Bonnaroo '07, but that was mainly because it was a new world for me, kind of like the first time going to Disney World before you realize that it sucks to wait in lines for three hours for rides, and that the soft pretzels are kind of cold and stale. I still love Bonnaroo despite all of its faults and even though the "new relationship" magic has worn off. It's still amazing to hear a crowd of thousands of people from the most diverse backgrounds singing in unison to their favorite song and dance with strangers just because you at least have the love of music in common. Seeing the mushroom fountain, while the water is still clear and not yet brown, is as majestic as seeing Cinderella's castle as a five year old. It's the joy the Bonnaroo experience brings to people that should be remembered, not prissy divas like Kanye, who don't even deserve the appreciation of the nitrous-addled-hippies-behind-the-porta-potties crowd.