"Young people today have a much wider taste in music than people did when I was growing up. I think the Bonnaroo-thing kind of represents that," said Warren Haynes, guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band and founder of jam band Gov't Mule.

Haynes has played the biggest musical festivals to date, including Woodstock. He's watched the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival "turn into a worldwide thing" and said he's "still here from last year."

"Its been interesting to watch it grow... Everyone knows Bonnaroo."

The 12th annual Bacchanalia gathering was held on Manchester's farm June 13-16, continuing its expansion from strictly booking jam bands to hosting more than 200 acts from just about any music genre you can think of. That diversity attracts ninety-some-thousand music lovers to camp out for one weekend each summer. While covering the event my new friends asked the same question, "How do I explain this place to friends back home?"

Festivals have been around since the 1300's but with the rise of online piracy and websites like Spotify most people would rather listen to their favorite artists through headphones than face 90 degree heat, on a giant farm, beside all that humanity. Those compelled enough to leave their air conditioners experience a music event like no other.

In his New York Times article, music critic Ben Ratliff praised the attentiveness of Bonnaroo's audience. Ratliff said there is "more general attention and respect" given toward Bonnaroo's performances than any other "enormous pop festival" he's been to, including Roo's West Coast antithesis, Coachella.

That level of dedication excited Sam Margin, lead vocalist and guitarist of The Rubens, before his first time performing on the farm.

"We were working in bars not long ago, hating our lives. Just this last year we started playing festivals and I don't know, this happened out of nowhere. Now we're at Bonnaroo — what the fuck," Margin explained on Friday.

Greyhill Advisors, an economic consulting firm, would also measure Bonnaroo's success. Greyhill found that the festival generates more than $51.1 million for Manchester's Coffee County each year, making it the highest-earning music festival ever. Each attendant has the option to either work shifts during the fest or chalk up $260-$1,000 for entry wristbands. Those making the trip, meander across 750-acres of privately owned farmland with zero police officers on site.

"The security is the best there too. I've been to a couple festivals where the security is breathing down your neck the whole time like they're Hell's Angels or something," said Adam Sedlak, festival nomad from Pennsylvania. Sedlak has been to Chicago's Lollapalooza, California's Coachella, Delaware's Firefly and NYC's Governor's Ball.

But things aren't completely wild as you'd imagine. Security rides around on horseback and will confiscate flasks, glass bottles, bowls and drugs if you fail to conceal them properly. The following group of friends from Ohio did not have that problem.

"In a matter of 30 minutes we had consumed more drugs than I did the entire time we were there," said one tall hipster.

"One minute we were sitting in the grass throwing glow sticks at passersby, and the next we were in the middle of The Other Tent… We danced till the sun came up... I woke up covered in glitter, without my clothes, but somehow I managed to still have my beer tent tickets in my socks."