I'm going to Bonnaroo.

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I'm about 95% certain I'm going to Bonnaroo this year. I'm buying my ticket later this week, when I get paid, provided I get final confirmation on the crowd of people I'm going with. Agreed, I'd rather sit in a bathtub full of thumbtacks than deal with Moe. or G. Love and Special Sauce, but regardless, the lineup is pretty badass. Any chance I get to see Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Elvis Costello, Beck, Dungen, the Dresden Dolls, Andrew Bird, Devendra Banhart, Cat Power, MMW and Stephen Malkmus in the same place is fine with me.

My question: has anyone ever been? If you have, what's your impression? I imagine I'd still have fun whether or not it was just a bunch of jam band-lovin' pot smokin' hippies. I'm an open-minded sort and don't have any problem with that sort of thing, per se. I'm just curious as to what it's really like. I only know jam-band lovin' pot smokin' hippies who have gone, who of course have had amazing experiences, so I'd like a perspective from someone who is not that.

A shot in the dark, I'm sure, but speak up if you've been.

― Emily B (Emily B), Monday, 20 March 2006 22:35 (twenty years ago)

i've known jam-band hatin' pot smokin' hippies who loved it.

― lf (lfam), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 00:35 (twenty years ago)

That lineup isn't bonnaroo. It's stinkaroo. PU. Yuck Foo. Fooey. Blech.Corny indie fuxor with your listless minor chords and inverted experimental yawnfest. That's what it is, it's Yawnfest.

― Bonnarno!, Tuesday, 21 March 2006 01:07 (twenty years ago)

You more of a G. Love man?

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 02:29 (twenty years ago)

Uh, waste of time and money. You could buy a lot of records with your money and get better performances, too. I mean, who the fuck talks about Sonic Youth's set at Bonnaroo?

But, like lf, i've known jam band hatin, drug-crazy individuals who have had great times. I even knew one kid who ended up hanging out with Toots, which is something I'd pay money to do. So...

― trees (treesessplode), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 03:16 (twenty years ago)

Well, I do have these things called friends that I like to spend time with and even see live music with, and part of the fun will be driving there and back. I heard people talking about RJD2 and De La Soul at Bonnaroo last year and how it was amazing - I doubt Sonic Youth is just going to phone it in. Maybe they will? I would be disappointed, I haven't seen them live yet.

And to be honest, part of the appeal is that I probably wouldn't have to deal with stiff, self-conscious, fun-hating, judgemental hipsters. But by the same token, I'm curious if the average Bonnaroo-goer is actually a Sonic Youth fan, or even a Common or Buddy Guy fan. Not that that's a deal breaker, really - I'm a fan of more than half of the bands on the bill and I personally will enjoy it, even if not everyone gets it on the level that I do, har har har.

― Emily B (Emily B), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 03:39 (twenty years ago)

Your average Bonnaroo-goer is a fan of mushrooms and shell necklaces.

― adam (adam), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 03:41 (twenty years ago)

point?

― William Aikmeyeeturkunt, Tuesday, 21 March 2006 04:04 (twenty years ago)

Sonic Youth practically is a jam band.

― meth lab for doug flutie (sanskrit), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 04:12 (twenty years ago)

i'm biased on this because i'm friends with one of the guys who started and runs the thing (a serious music geek, btw, who would put most of ilm to shame). i've never gone, but i've heard nothing but good reports from other friends who have. it's supposed to be a well-organized and user-friendly festival. obviously it draws a jammy crowd, but there's always been a lot of other stuff there. but anyway, the people i know who go are all good folx, and hardly just pot-smokin' hippies. (not that i have anything particular against pot-smokin' hippies.) i kind of doubt i'll make it this year either, although having amadou & mariam on the bill makes it tempting.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 05:14 (twenty years ago)

i don't really have anything against them either. good to know, thanks for the info.

― Emily B (Emily B), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 05:16 (twenty years ago)

i'm going stictly on the prospect of drugs in food form.

― travis randy (travis randy), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 05:59 (twenty years ago)

nine years pass...

2015

Billy Joel •Mumford & Sons •Deadmau5 •Kendrick Lamar •Florence + The Machine Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters •My Morning Jacket •Bassnectar •Alabama Shakes Childish Gambino •Flume •Hozier •D'Angelo and The Vanguard •Slayer Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals •Belle & Sebastian •Spoon •The War on Drugs •STS9 Ben Folds & yMusic •THROWBACK SUPERJAM DANCE PARTY •Atmosphere •Chris Hardwick Atomic Bomb! Who is William Onyeabor? Feat. Jamie Lidell, Charles Lloyd, Luke Jenner, Money Mark, Pat Mahoney, Sinkane & Mike Floss Tears For Fears •Reggie Watts •Brandi Carlile •Twenty One Pilots The Bluegrass Situation SuperJam featuring Ed Helms and Special Guests •Jeff Ross •Flying Lotus Earth Wind & Fire •Caribou •Ralphie May •Gary Clark Jr. •SBTRKT •Kacey Musgraves Punch Brothers •Medeski, Scofield, Martin, & Wood •Tove Lo •Odesza •Run The Jewels •Dawes G-Eazy •Tycho •Nick Thune •Trampled By Turtles •Sturgill Simpson •Moon Taxi •AWOLNATION Sylvan Esso •Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn •Natasha Leggero •Guster •Jamie xx •Ron Funches Against Me! •SOJA •Jerry Douglas presents Earls Of Leicester •Bleachers •Rudimental Mac DeMarco •The Very Best •Freddie Gibbs & Madlib •Shakey Graves •Shabazz Palaces Ian Edwards •Gramatik •MØ •Unknown Mortal Orchestra •Jungle •Benjamin Booker •Ari Shaffir Houndmouth •The Growlers •Glass Animals •SZA •Kurt Braunohler •Courtney Barnett Rhiannon Giddens •Royal Blood •Tanya Tagaq •Woods •Hurray For the Riff Raff •Big Jay Oakerson Iceage •Temples •Between The Buried & Me •Dan Soder •Rustie •Ryn Weaver •Dopapod Pokey LaFarge •Priory •Jamie Lee •Bahamas •Strand of Oaks •Phox •Gregory Alan Isakov So Percussion •Brownout Presents BROWN SABBATH •The Districts •Cameron Esposito Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear •DMA's •Catfish & the Bottlemen Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen •The Lonesome Trio •Pallbearer •Songhoy Blues Matt McCarthy •Dej Loaf •Christopher Denny •Hiss Golden Messenger •Mark Normand King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard •Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas •Unlocking The Truth Michelle Wolf •April Richardson •New Breed Brass Band •Rubblebucket •Bear's Den •Raury Little May •Parlour Tricks •Matoma (Special Guest) •Alex Funk •Attom •DJ Ascension •DJ Logic DJ Prince Hakim •E.FELD •Full Service Party •Jai Wolf •Klü •Motion Potion •Quickie Mart Red Bull Music Academy Takeover •Robe Rage with Special Guest Band •Snicklefritz •The Unsheathed Tiki Disco •Birdman with Antonio Sánchez •Corey Feldman & The Angels •American Hotel A Thousand Horses •All Them Witches •Basecamp •BC Camplight •Betty Who •Boy Named Banjo Broncho •Chrome Pony •Clear Plastic Masks •Dark Waves •De Lux •Elle King •Falls •Fruition Future Thieves •Future Unlimited •Gabriel Garzón-Montano •Grey Season •Highly Suspect Homemade Wine •Hudson K •Jason McMillan Band •Jesse Terry •Joel Woods •Kaleo Kandace Springs •Kevin Garrett •Knox Hamilton •Mick Jenkins •Mini Mansions •Mispers Nothing More •Phoebe Ryan •RADIOLUCENT •Smooth Hound Smith •Sol Cat •Son Little •The Dø The Wind and the Wave •Tor Miller •Twiddle •Wild Adriatic •X Ambassadors •Ximena Sariñana

― scott seward, Friday, 26 June 2015 20:48 (ten years ago)

billy joel AND slayer. kudos...

― scott seward, Friday, 26 June 2015 20:49 (ten years ago)

two years pass...

Returning to Roo for the first time in a bit. Somebody tell me who beyond the obvious I should seek out: https://www.bonnaroo.com/news/2018-lineup/.

It's a sort of weird lineup. How is Muse a headliner? But I'm happy about Paramore, the Regrettes, Brockhampton, Thundercat, always glad to see Amadou and Mariam.

― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 2 April 2018 18:40 (eight years ago)

Bassnectar in a festival setting is really something you should experience once in your life

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 2 April 2018 19:08 (eight years ago)

If I were forced to go, I'd see Moses Sumney, Chic, and Anderson Paak.

― change display name (Jordan), Monday, 2 April 2018 19:17 (eight years ago)

Also, if the Amish Baking Company is still serving donuts, do not miss eating one

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 2 April 2018 19:29 (eight years ago)

Yeah Moses and Chic definitely on my list. I hadn't seriously considered Bassnectar, but maybe! Will look for the donuts.

― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Monday, 2 April 2018 20:33 (eight years ago)

co-sign anderson .paak, i've seen him in a festival setting and he brings the goods. from the smaller font, check out topaz jones.

― stormzy daniels (voodoo chili), Monday, 2 April 2018 20:36 (eight years ago)

eight years pass...

This is streaming on Disney+ Wet Leg are on and Geese is about to start on the other feed.

Didn't know which tread to post on.

― Bee OK, Saturday, 13 June 2026 01:19 (three days ago)

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