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I'm going to Bonnaroo.

I'm doing it alone, just getting a general admission ticket and going guerilla style with no idea of who I'm with or what the fuck will happen, but I'm going. Here by the grace of Corri go I.

NIN + BONNAROO = DEAN.


That is all.

Roo 2008.

This is mostly a music post... We had a great time in our crew, and of course Jamie and I had a fabulous partners-in-crime time running about destroying (drinking) everything in our path.

A few non-music points just to get out there:

- Sweetwater's "Hummer" beer, despite the horrible name, is a delicious Hef variation

- Bonnaroo is seriously one of the most incredible annual communities; it constantly proves to me things can be all right with such a diverse group; Cor & I ate lunch with a 60+ couple, I pogo'd with a cavalcade of tweens, we saw democrats, republicans, every race and every fashion represented

- I consider my Roo-casting a success; over 300 people followed my Roo experience through Twitter or BrightKite and over twenty wrote me directly to thank me or comment through the weekend

- Can't wait to take Addy next year

I could go through every set I saw, complete or otherwise, but it'd take too long and I just don't feel very articulate. I've documented my being there enough I feel through the Brightkite (http://brightkite.com/people/dbrowell) & Twitter-casting (http://twitter.com/dbrowell), so I'll just hit some significant points...


B.B. King was fabulous, hilarious, and if I'm even half as coherent at 82 I'll be doing fine.

Ozomatli was so much fun I nearly passed out from dancing in 90 degree heat. Always a treat, Corri got me a father's day present of a drum head used during that show that was signed by all the band members!

Charli2na, who was incredibly humbled by the size of his 3:30am crowd (this being the first solo tour away from Jurassic 5) gave a slick performance with the band Galactic as his backing band. With Charli's voice, I could listen to that guy read the back of a cereal box. I nabbed a setlist and actually a chance to speak with the guy after the show. Oh did anything else happen of note? Sure. I was three feet from the Olson twins, who were there at his show, just beyond a simple metal gate to stage left. Not sure if I care or not, but it was a funny thing to witness at 5am, still slightly drunk, as Charli's set ended and the sun was peaking around the corner.

The Raconteurs stole my soul. Seriously. I was on the rail for this and I was happy to read that my immediately-twittered assessment was echoed by media outlets like Rolling Stone and others: this Bonnaroo performance was nothing short of a career-high for this band. Moreover, I've begun to really try and parse the weird charisma Jack White exudes. He may very well be the Elvis that bridges the low-X'ers and the Millenials from a music standpoint-- he has the chops and draw and both try to claim him (despite his cherubic expressions, he's firmly in Gen X-- but don't tell the legion of 15-something girls in the pit with the 30 year olds that). And he makes an even stranger appeal-play to widely divergent categories of fans like awkward goth girls, cock-rocking fratguys, slightly countryfied classic rock mavens and more. There's some more thought and maybe an essay to come of this yet.

My Morning Jacket deserve some sort of medal. I'm not sure what it should be for, but they should get it. In the sometimes torrential rain they managed to make believers out of any skeptics of the new material and play old favorite "One Big Holiday" with Kirk Hammett of Metallica (foreshadowed in Jim James' interview in that day's Bonnaroo Beacon, the festival daily newspaper). After an entire set of their work they returned to play James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and even a Motley Crue cover.

Pearl Jam's set was an emotional mess of good vibes and an urgency for social change. From Daughter played among a sea of actual lighters (not the now-common cell-phones in lighterless arenas), to an ernest plea for change after relayed news that the young veteran in the Body of War documentary has taken a turn for the worse health-wise. If you're a Pearl Jam song/bean-counter, their 3-hour performance was like a bizarre circus-of-the-stars ranging from most of the album Ten to the first time one B-Side had ever been played live, the first time in 13 years W.M.A. had been played and several other relatively rare live cuts.

Metallica played it safe by not playing any song newer than 1991 in their long set. They win points from me for playing my favorite song to play D&D to when I was 12, "Seek & Destroy" in a massive closing rendition. James Hetfield pioneered a new drinking game wherein one takes a drink for every time a headliner mentions their at Bonnaroo; you'd have been drunk by song 3 during their set. Hetfield was clearly trying to justify and fit in in an awkward way but it was sort-of cute of him to be trying so hard. But he shouldn't have worried. James should send Kanye West a check to thank him for distracting everyone from pondering whether it was appropriate they were at Roo. Kanye fucked up bad, was an asshole to those who waited until 4:30am for his set, and has been called on it by every major news org. including a lead AP story (proving once again that celebrity tantrums make the news-- war in Iraq, not so much anymore).

Jack Johnson was Jack Johnson. News at 11. Good, normal. Thankfully pianist Zach Gill, now a full member of the band and leader of ALO, (and one of my family's favorite musicians) was there to joke around with Jack, crack up during songs and generally make the rest of Jack's statuesque-studio-band-on-tour look even more lifeless. Then Eddie Vedder came on stage to sing a song with Jack, dedicating it to Jack's soundman (formerly Pearl Jam's). With Zach, Eddie and Jack on stage, Jack's drummer and bassist found now jumbotron camera time for the rest of the set.

SuperJam this year was gypsy band Gogol Bordello, Les Claypool (Primus) and Kirk Hammett (Metallica) playing Tom Waits songs. It was as fucked up as it sounds.

It was also a Roo for a crop of some of the more interesting up-and-coming bands I've been following. Vampire Weekend was outstanding and worth every drop of hype; they were so tight there was almost a Rush-like precision to their math-rock (and they're nice guys). What Made Milwaukee Famous, besides having the most difficult name to Twitter, played an average set but were also super-nice to meet. Newton Faulkner, who Corri liked more than I going into the day took away my "biggest surprise" award with a really fun set. Rogue Wave kicked fucking ass, being our "little Euro-Americans" and probably stealing this year's title of "band that if you didn't hear their banter you'd think were British and more popular somewhere else" award. Serena Ryder was also great to hear-- I advise Indigo Girls fans to give her a listen, but be prepared for her more husky voice.

Death Cab for Cutie closed the show with a truly beautiful, pitch-perfect performance that also showed a spontaneity and livelihood I hadn't seen in their previous Roo performance; a gorgeous set as the sun went down on the last day.

I saw far, far more than all I've mentioned here, and much of it is worth mentioning (Sigur Ros, Ghostland Observatory, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Tiesto...). Probably more later.

There is no last Roo, only the next Roo.

Proof the management at Roo knows their audience. Some balked at putting Regina on the Which Stage, but her "On The Radio" and the humbling and emotional performance of "Real Love", interspersed with shots of her simply overwhelming crowd, is proof she could have carried an even larger stage...






"Summer in the City" which somehow still seems appropriate for the last week of Spring in the country:




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The White Stripes drew a similarly ridiculous crowd on the Which Stage (about 50k) and played a few off their new album (which, for my money, is their best yet). "Rag & Bone" mixed with "Screwdriver":

I make no secret that one of my mecca's is the Arcade Tent at Roo. In fact, upon entering it for the first time in 2005, witnesses can attest to me dropping to my knees in awe. The Arcade Tent is, for the uninitiated, a giant tent filled with old video games. Sure, sprinkled here and there are some Microsoft X-Box pieces of shit, but the tent is 80% old games. They look like they were rescued from any given pizza parlor and are on their last leg, but they're there. The variety is actually a little stunning--- obscure cabinets of Baby Pac-Man, the sit-down Star Wars enclosure from 1978 (with headphone jack) and more. It's breezy, beautiful, 24 hours and every so often the attendants wander around and throw a few free quarters in the machines so they usually don't cost a thing to play (if you get there before 1pm you'll find all the machines pre-loaded with coins). The strange noises echoing in the tent from 40+ old arcade machines is a sweet discord.

Come 10pm the tent is also filled with the throbbing of an actual DJ-- the juxtaposition is strangely effective. At first glance it looks like a guerrilla DJ set up shop inside an old, fully functional arcade. People groove and slide for hours under strobe lights while people still casually play the cabinets. There will be a few hundred people in there during the ad-hoc dance club, but they leave anyone who wishes the place to play. Last year I saw a girl completely zone out playing Tempest while several people dressed as pirates undulated around her to a beat she wouldn't acknowledge.

This year they're adding a giant-sized Guitar Hero 2 screen and they've announced the DJ's (Motion Potion back again, thankfully) that will play from 10pm to as late as 4am in the sacred church that is... The Arcade Tent.

http://www.bonnaroo.com/2007-arcade-discothque-powered-by-xbox-360

A decision has been made to see, in a row- preferably the first row since I'll have to stake it out:

The Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indians (!)
Ziggy Marley (?)
Ben Harper (!!)
The Police (!!!)

It'll be a long day, there's a group of us there so we can take breaks and stake out spots. Ziggy is the only one that I don't have much anticipation for, but I am curious to see him (anyone who would be more excited than I sound, please help recommend some listening). Ben was a must-see for me anyway, I'm a big fan and I've always wanted to see him. The Mardi Gras Indians are a huge band for me on the NOLA side and another group I just need to see. And the Police, well they'd be worth the effort anyway, but this lineup makes the day pretty special.

No wandering. It will limit my ability to see Regina Specktor and Damien Rice, which makes me sad (I'll still be able to steal away and see a few songs tho). All the other days of Roo I can wander, stake out smaller shows and relax. But this is my one big dedication day*. Deep breath. Roo.

* Like anyone cares, but in past Roo's I've made a mild but highly successful effort to meet bands at signings and other opportunities; some really cool things have happened such as meeting Herbie Hancock, getting to hang out with World Party and more. This one I might do some of that if it happens to fall into place, but I'm making this Saturday sit-in my real fan-in-residency moment that I take away.

Proving that we must have at least one more artist announcement, comedian Demetri Martin is coming back to Roo this year... I'm a fan, this is good news.

His take on Music Festivals is below from the recent Spin magazine.

The Flaming Lips have confirmed that they will be doing the giant-holy-shit-midnight-madness slot at Roo this year, starting at midnight Saturday night. What more is on tap? A Zaireeka radio party at some other point in the weekend (no announced time yet).

For my own partying knowledge: Lips' performance will be followed by the 3am start time of Sasha and Digweed. GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY.

Smaller, intimate tents with tables and chairs... often smaller acts, local acts and artists wanting a more club-like venue drop in here. The main focus is on those Roo taps as up-and-coming but often you'll see vets (like last year's Bare Jr.) tackling a cafe slot.


Angel and the Love Mongers
Bang Bang Bang
Dave Barnes
benzos
The Biscuit Burners
Pieta Brown
Cage the Elephant
Sam Champion
Christabel and the Jons
Rocco DeLuca (solo)
Dixie Dirt
Dubconscious
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Piers Faccini
Favourite Sons
Fiction Plane
Tim Fite
Haale
Jescoe
Alexa Ray Joel
Langhorne Slim
Manchester Orchestra
Jennifer Niceley
Brandy Robinson
Salvador Santana Band
Jonah Smith
Smokin’ Dave and the Premo Dopes
Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter
Tenderhooks
Tin Cup Prophette
The Westside Daredevils
The Whigs

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Dean's take: Some great stuff in here. I'm particularly happy for Dixie Dirt, a fabulous Knoxville band who I dubbed the reverse-Pixies (one guy, rest girls but just as talented and noisy) at 2005's Roo. I think it's very big of Fiction Plane to be in a cafe stage-- they could command a slot on a main, smaller tent but the lead singer is pretty hellbent on not taking handouts (on account of him being Sting's son); moreover, I actually like Fiction Plane's stuff. Speaking of progeny of established Billboard darlings- yes, that's Billy Joel's daughter up on that list too.

A few other neat names I know-- anyone recognize some must-sees for me?

Pete Yorn confirmed for Bonnaroo!

http://www.bonnaroo.com/2007/

June 14-17, 2007
Early Bird Tickets on sale Wednesday (just regular tickets for $125, no VIP yet). Remember, the night of June 13th will have music too...