Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2015: Fourth Time’s the Charm!

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has a very special place in my heart. It’s much more than a music festival; it’s life’s refilling station. The event has a way of finding you wherever you are in life and helping you to grow in ways that you never thought possible. I’ve seen introverted friends break out of their shells and share hugs and tears of joy with complete strangers. There’s something special about roughing it for four days in 95-degree weather on a 700-acre farm while listening to some of the best acts from both past and present generations. The thing that I’ve found to be the most true about Roo is that whatever you put into it is what you’ll get out of the experience. There was a lot of speculation that Bonnaroo would be just another music festival with no soul run by corporate America now that LiveNation has bought a controlling stake. Truthfully, I didn’t know what to expect. I looked at the lineup and saw fewer acts and slightly shorter sets but still… I had faith that the festival’s organizers knew what they were doing. This was my first year on the farm as media which had it’s perks. My week-long break from reality turned out to be everything I wanted from my visit to the farm and more; it was perfect.

I’m sure many can relate to this, but there’s this one specific moment on the farm when you realize and feel that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. It’s almost spiritual even. I had this moment somewhere on the ride to Bonnaroo. I made the 14-hour trip from Miami, FL to Manchester, TN with two Roo virgins with excellent taste in music whom I had finally convinced to join the fun. The plan was to meet several friends in Atlanta, GA who were also going to the festival. Wednesday morning we drove the rest of the way, admiring Tennessee’s beautiful landscape. I met with my MFN team and picked up our media passes, then made our way to the festival gates. The high fives had already started, and we hadn’t even gotten out of the car yet! We managed to get the best camping spot I’ve ever had since I started attending Bonnaroo 3 years ago. I don’t think that words will do it justice, so instead here is a picture taken at our campsite.

That’s right! We were camped right in front of that glorious multi-colored arch. Our neighbors, Camp Church Boners, were a welcoming group of people. Kyle from Canada was the first from their group to get there and had reserved space for his friends. He was nice enough to move his tarps over to accommodate our group to which we responded by sharing a beer with him. Once the rest of his crew got there, “Church Boners” was screamed at by passersby and responded in the same manner by whoever was at the campsite. It was the new “Butt Scratcha!” and worked like a charm.

At Bonnaroo 2014, a group of strangers gathered on a Facebook page to camp together, creating SooperGroop in Groop Camping; my friends and I were a part of it. Although we did not camp with them this year, my good friend Carlos Castro (Soundcloud) continued the tradition we started by DJing a Wednesday night dance party hosted by SooperGroop. The large tent was jam-packed as Carlos took the crowd on a musical journey. Soopergroop went on to win best group this year and was mentioned in Rolling Stone. After his set, we walked around the campgrounds for a bit and saw a super-cool-looking area with colored lighting, but as we got closer we realized it was just Porta Pottys! Turns out the Porta’s were fake and actually lead to a secret lounge. We ended the night with one of my favorite places to eat, Peace Love Tacos, where I had a “Summer Taco,” a super-secret and super-delicious off-menu taco made with sweet potato. Wednesday night already exceeded previous years, and I had yet to see a musical act.

Thursday morning I was greeted with a beer by my camp mates as I got out of my tent. The shade we set up helped me sleep a full seven hours. Some of our stuff had dirt on it from cars driving by, but that’s the price you pay when you’re camped in front of the arch where cars are constantly going to and fro. It felt great to sit at our campsite in the mornings since it was the best spot on the farm to peoplewatch. After showering and brushing my teeth with a water bottle to rinse, I made my way into Centeroo. One of my biggest gripes was the way that we entered Centeroo. The days of the arch being a gateway to this enchanting place that only exists for four days a year are done. Instead, security guards are strategically placed to ensure that you don’t go near the arch with the middle pathway instead being used for golf carts. My first year at Bonnaroo, the most memorable part was walking through the arch for the first time after high-fiving everyone in line. It saddens me that they’ve taken that away from Bonnaroovians.

Since it was my fourth Bonnaroo, it was finally time to try the Spicy Pie that I’ve heard so much about. It lived up to the hype. Ultimately, it’s just a huge pepperoni and jalapeño pizza, but for $6 it hits the spot. Every. Single. Time. Maybe it’s the seasoning on the crust? Maybe it’s because it’s actually made with love? Who knows? Why was there a wobbly dildo on a stick being held up as a totem? Bonnaroo… that’s why.

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Unlocking The Truth was the first show I planned to attend. I first discovered these teens rocking out on that YouTube video that had gone viral and refused to miss the chance to witness this in person. These three teens performed with a ferocious energy that the crowd responded so well to. A mosh pit started almost immediately and continued throughout their entire set. This genre isn’t normally my cup of tea, but they were a great way to open Centeroo. Seeing this band of young kids perform with such a passion for what they were doing was really inspiring and made me feel hopeful for the future of music. I’ve been following their attempt to severe ties with Sony and hope that they find success and continue to grow as musicians.

After the show, we walked around for a bit before heading to Dopapod‘s set at That Tent. It was my second time seeing this jam band, the first being at AURA. If this show proved anything, it’s that Bonnaroo still has a strong love for jam bands. This was the first show where I was able to enjoy the new screens that Bonnaroo had invested in for the tents. It was a much-needed improvement that Bonnaroovians have suggested for years. Being able to watch Dopapod comfortably and not missing any of the action made for a very pleasant experience. My favorite part of the set was when Rob Compa shared that the band had performed in the campgrounds three years prior and now got the opportunity to actually play Bonnaroo, to which the crowd cheered to show them love.

I separated from my group to refill my CamelBak and get food, but I lost them somewhere along the way. I was rolling solo to the Glass Animals show at The Other Tent and almost settled for a spot in front of the screen. It wasn’t until after the band came on that I realized how weak the sound was and tried to get closer. A $7 mister from Wal-mart sprayed at a hot crowd goes a long way: all the way to the front apparently. Living up to my expectations, Glass Animals played a great set rocking hits from their debut album Zaba. The crowd went wild as they kicked off their set with “Psylla.” Dave Baley embraces the screaming crowd, “Bonnaroo! I heard Thursday was the best day!” which was met with cheers and screams. They played everything you could have wanted them to play, including “Walla Walla”, “Black Mambo“, their single “Gooey” and even covering KanYe West’s “Love Lockdown.” They ended their set on a very high note by closing out with their song “Pools.”

Shortly after they ended, the two people standing between me and the bar left, and I found a comfortable spot front and center. Gramatik, a bucket list artist of mine, was closing out the Other Tent so there was no way I was leaving. Benjamin Booker was on before Gramatik and had a very gentle and kind spirit. He played with so much soul and impressed me with how well he shredded on the guitar. I particularly liked his cover of Otis Redding’s “Shout Bamalama” that he played before getting into the song “Violent Shiver.” Booker and his band members who’ve been performing together for two years now seemed to be having a great time. To close out the show, the crowd sang along with Ben as he performed a rendition of “Li’l Liza Jane.”

Gramatik graced the stage next, accompanied by Gibbz on the guitar and Russ Liquid on the keyboard and horn for one of the funkiest parties the farm saw all weekend. The big LED behind the artists showed a mouth with a tongue that looked like it rolled out of the screen over the crowd with red fabric. Everyone went wild with each song that the DJ/producer dropped on them. The music was really loud, but Dubs hooked us up with some acoustic filter earplugs which worked wonders for my hearing, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for affordable earplugs. Although Gramatik relies on samples heavily, the live element was present with both people playing instruments having their time to shine with a solo. Cherub made their first appearance on the farm during the set to perform the collaboration “Obviously.”

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I didn’t stay for the entire set because I wanted to catch Quickie Mart at the Silent Disco. If I learned anything from his set at Kalliope last year, it’s that this DJ knows what’s up! There was only so much power you can get in those little headphones, but he threw down a phenomenal set. I could literally hear people screaming even with my own headphones on at full blast. Quickie Mart played three times at Bonnaroo with a set at the Silent Disco, MTV Summer Jam, and Kalliope again on Sunday. What makes the Silent Disco at Bonnaroo so special is the production. I remember my first year it was under a tent with a few lights; now the tent is much bigger and has night club-caliber production.

It was around two in the morning that I turned on my phone hoping to reach one of my friends before the phone died. I met up with Brian Hensley, the founder of this blog, at Kalliope and actually got to get on the amazing 75,000,000 watt car, which is a memory that will live with me forever. Norwegian DJ Matamo, was playing tropical house for a huge crowd still full of energy. Bonnaroo is beautiful in that way. If you are a creature of the night, you will always have a place to dance and people to hang out with regardless of the time. There is no cut-off time for music.

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After accepting offers of pizza and shots of fireball whiskey, I retreated to my tent to rest. The first official day of Bonnaroo was over. If some freak accident happened and Bonnaroo had to be shut down after the Thursday that I had, I would have gone home more than satisfied. So far, the experience had already been more than I ever could have anticipated.