My Bonnaroo Experience (Bonnaroo I)
I guess it all started when we hit the exit ramp for Manchester around 11:30
on Thursday morning. We sat in traffic for about 2.5 hours before eventually
ending up at Camp Drummond, which wasn't really that far from the stages.
Our neighbors seemed very uninterested in anyone outside of their "clan" or
"clique" or "crew" or whatever they call it. You see, I just came down with
one other person, so I would say that we were certainly in the minority. It
was obvious that most people came down in small groups.Anyway, it was
uneventful and boring as hell all day Thursday, except that I met a magic
reggae Leprechaun selling mushroom-laced chocolates.
On Friday, we woke up in the searing Tennesee sun on the first day of
summer. Friday's shows started off pretty cool right away. The first band
that I saw was the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. These dudes had the funk. They
rocked out, and the trombone player kicked some ass. After that, we checked
out Les Claypool's Frogs. You could tell that Les was definitely excited. He
explained that the second microphone he uses was a gift from the late Mark
Sandman of Morphine. I would see Les at many shows over the next two days.
The frogs had Tim "Herb" Alexander from Primus at drums and of course Skerik
on saxophone. They opened up with a really jammed-out version of King
Crimson's Thela Hun Ginjeet. Overall though, I was a bit disappointed that
they stuck mostly to their standard covers that were on their live album
(though every one was expanded). However, it was a great show, and after
they played Simon Says at the end, people wanted more. I was standing pretty
close so I got a look at the bastard instrument that Les plays for that
song. Very interesting, it doesn't have any strings! Anyway, as with all but
the late night bands, they stuck to their allotted time (as it was
necessary).
After Les, I checked out some Gov't Mule. I never saw them before, and I
wasn't really into the very little I saw. The highlight was when Les
Claypool came out for a guest appearance. Later, I saw the Widespread Panic
for the first time also. I wasn't in to their show either, and left after
the first set. I went back and ate some dinner and they guy I came with went
to bed as I headed out to Karl Denson's Tiny Universe set to start at
midnight.
I showed up at the venue for Karl before Panic was finished and got a good
spot. I lit up a joint and passed it to the random guy next to me. His name
was Robbie and he introduced me to his sister, LaLonna? LaLonnie?, and their
friend Nate (along with about 7 or 8 others whose names I can't remember).
They were from California, and a very friendly bunch. I had finally met some
people that weren't all about their clique and were willing to hang out with
me. So anyway, KDTU started about a half-hour late (as expected), and then
they rocked the house the rest of the night. It was the best show I'd seen
that day. Their percussionist was a crazy motherfucker! At about 3:30, sleep
deprivation stepped in and I walked back with the "crew" from California
that happened to be camped just 20 yards from my tent. I passed out at about
4 and woke up to the blazing Tennessee sun no later than 9am. I asked the
California folks if they were gonna check out Galactic Saturday night, but
due to the fact that Nate was a big moe. fan, they (of course) all had to go
see moe.
Saturday started for me with Col. Bruce Hampton. Overall, I found them to be
pretty solid. However, when the dude started singing about his grandmother,
I decided to cut out. It was interesting that at this festival there were
all types of jam bands from the heavy funk of New Orleans to the bluegrass
and borderline modern-day country bands (as I found WSP to be at times).
After Col. Bruce, we checked out Ben Harper. It was just him and a
percussionist. That was all that was needed. We saw him play "Burn One Down"
as we burned in the sun.
We'd had enough sun so we went to see the Lil Rascals Brass Band. They were
definitely funky. I started to learn that I really like the funk. After
that, we stopped over and caught the tail-end of Particle. They were really
trippy, not trippy to the point of just playing space music, but more like
hard-core trippy. I wish I was able to see more of them. I really showed up
in that tent so I could see Les's latest project with Bernie Worrell and
Buckethead.
I'd heard so much great stuff about Buckethead, but I found Col Claypool's
Bucket of Bernie Brains to be quite lacking. Les was trying to stretch the
songs, but the bass lines were rather simple and repetitive. Les would take
a lesson later that night from Bobbie Mercurio of Galactic. I can't really
blame Buckethead for not shining through because he must have been hot as
hell in the KFC bucket and Halloween mask he was wearing. I left the show
early to grab some dinner and catch a nap during the second WSP show (which
I could hear from my tent anyway) so I could rest up for Galactic.
We showed up at 11:30 to Galactic and hung around smoking pot until 12:30.
My buddy had been drinking the entire evening. He left at some point during
the first set; not sure when. Anyway, at about 12:30, this parade float
drove by the outside of the tent. I didn't really see it (I was standing by
the stage), but I could hear Stanton Moore on snare drum and people cheering
on the right side of the building.
The band made it around behind the tent backstage. As the snare drum grew
louder and louder, we all got more and more excited. Then, there was an
announcement. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Galactic and the Lil
Rascals Brass Band!!"
Suddenly, 20 people were on stage (including dancing women throwing out
beads). These New Orleans folks sure know how to get a party started right!
You could just tell that every person on stage and every person in that tent
were having a blast. After a couple songs with the Lil Rascals, out came Les
Claypool and the Houseman. Les didn't know the song he was about to play,
but that was cool because Bobby Mercurio (Bassist from Galactic) would yell
out the root before every change. Les was getting it until the chorus, when
he'd throw his hands in the air and smile. Eventually they made it to the
soloing, and Bobby asks Les "You wanna go in D?" Les shook his head with
ardor and went CRAZY!!!
After the song, Bobby attempted to bow down to Les, but Les, obviously
humbled by the experience, shook Bobby's hand. After that, Galactic kept
bringing guest musicians out one by one. DJ Logic, the violin player from
String Cheese, Robert Randolph, North Mississippi Allstars guitarist, the
list went on. It didn't matter who was out there, Galactic made them sound
like they were always part of the band. It was clearly obvious that the
rhythm section (Stanton Moore on drums and Rob Mercurio on Bass) were
definitely ON. The funk was alive and well.
At one point a guest percussionist (from SCI??) was playing a solo. He
started playing a bunch of 16th notes. Suddenly, Stanton Moore started
playing 16th notes right along with him. They were wailing for about 8
measures and Stanton dropped one at the end to let the percussionist know it
was ending and the entire band came in at once! The percussionist started
jumping up and down with delight and he tried giving Stanton a high-five.
Stanton tried to oblige by playing with one hand, but they didn't actually
make contact. It was indeed an unbelievable set. No matter where the jam
went, Galactic would always bring everyone together to end it with something
that was pre-composed.
Another cool thing about the first set was that they didn't play any album
songs. I personally can't stand when I go to a show of a band that I don't
really know and they start with a standard tune and everyone starts going
crazy, and I am like "what the fuck just happened?" I am pretty sure
Galactic made some new fans after that night.
The second set started with just the band and they did play one of their
flagship songs, Crazyhorse Mongoose. By this point, the dude I came to
Bonnaroo with was in the tent sleeping, so I hung out with some more people
I'd just met, which was cool. The second set was fucking awesome also. The
band still kept bring people out. At one point, Ben (the sax player) asked
the crowd "Is it OK if we bring more people out?" The crowd cheered with
delight. This was indeed the show to be at! These guys are so good at
jamming, it didn't matter what they were playing or who they were playing
with. It all just clicked.
Appropriately, for the encore they did "Everybody must get stoned." After
the show, I went behind the tent and met the Houseman. I told him I was glad
to see he was dressed comfortably (he usually wears a big shiny suit). He
said that people were there to hear his voice, not see the suit. I agreed.
Then, I met Stanton Moore and congratulated him on a great show. I asked him
if he would be at SuperJam the next day and he said he wasn't sure. He did
end up there though. I arrived back at my tent as the sun rose at 5am.
Sunday was the least sunny day of all, but the sun still glared between the
clouds.
One thing that I found amusing about Bonnaroo was the excessive drug use.
People were indeed friendly and mellow. Also, they were usually willing to
share pot (especially when I shared first). The funny thing was that
EVERYONE was smoking pot. People were smoking freely, openly, and
excessively. I mean, shit, there is a point when you don't really get any
higher. I was careful to smoke more at opportune times. I find that I can't
get as high as the first time I smoke in a day, so I tried not to indulge
too early.
Anyway, after the late night galactic show, I knew this would be a
worthwhile trip no matter what happened on Sunday.
Of course Sunday started out great when I stopped by the camp of my
California friends and asked one guy if he enjoyed moe. He said he only saw
part of it then he went to Galactic. A huge grin came across my face and I
asked him what he thought. He said it rocked out! I told him I was on my way
to Galactic at the stadium and he said he'd see me there perhaps.
Once again, I got a good spot for Galactic. This time, on a tarp belonging
to some other folks I'd just smoked out. Galactic put on what I felt was a
really solid show, but one that paled in comparison to the night before.
Nonetheless, the people around me seemed very impressed. My buddy couldn't
take the sun so he took off. I stuck around for Ween.
Ween was pretty cool as expected. They played lots of standards, including
several songs from the only album I've got, "Chocolate and Cheese." They did
Buenos Tardes Amigos as the encore. I was actually a bit surprised because
the show was so tight and coherent.
After Ween, I took off to go get prepared to leave after Trey. We packed up
our stuff and pulled our truck near the exit. Then, we walked down to the
Arena for SuperJam. When I saw that Stanton Moore was starting out on drums,
I knew it was going to be fun. They played some simple jams, most of which
eventually just died out, but they all got together and managed not to step
on each other's feet too much. I only recognized Stanton, Rob, and Rich
(keyboards) from Galactic, as well as DJ Logic, Robert Randolph, Bela Fleck,
and the dude from String Cheese. The funk/country chasm was clearly evident
during the show. You could tell who was in the Funk camp and who was into
Country. It was cool when at one point a new drummer came in to switch with
Stanton, and they did it mid song. Another highlight was DJ Logic scratching
to a flat-out country tune. I was really happy with the super jam. I
personally am not into the Dead or Phil Lesh or Bob Weird (no flames,
pleeze, just a joke.. Ever see that show where Cheech plays a straight dude
with Don Johnson. The deadhead cop asked him about Bob Weir, and Cheech is
like, "Who is Bob Weird??")
After SuperJam, I headed back to the tarp to see the first set of Trey. It
was definitely good stuff, but by the end of the first set, I'd had enough.
I danced my way back to our car as we headed out between sets. There was
very little traffic and we ended up at a hotel north of Nashville by 1am for
a shower and a good night sleep in the air-conditioning. I was definitely
glad we left when we did. It was a LONG weekend, but it was one of the
greatest weekends of my life!
russ
on Thursday morning. We sat in traffic for about 2.5 hours before eventually
ending up at Camp Drummond, which wasn't really that far from the stages.
Our neighbors seemed very uninterested in anyone outside of their "clan" or
"clique" or "crew" or whatever they call it. You see, I just came down with
one other person, so I would say that we were certainly in the minority. It
was obvious that most people came down in small groups.Anyway, it was
uneventful and boring as hell all day Thursday, except that I met a magic
reggae Leprechaun selling mushroom-laced chocolates.
On Friday, we woke up in the searing Tennesee sun on the first day of
summer. Friday's shows started off pretty cool right away. The first band
that I saw was the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. These dudes had the funk. They
rocked out, and the trombone player kicked some ass. After that, we checked
out Les Claypool's Frogs. You could tell that Les was definitely excited. He
explained that the second microphone he uses was a gift from the late Mark
Sandman of Morphine. I would see Les at many shows over the next two days.
The frogs had Tim "Herb" Alexander from Primus at drums and of course Skerik
on saxophone. They opened up with a really jammed-out version of King
Crimson's Thela Hun Ginjeet. Overall though, I was a bit disappointed that
they stuck mostly to their standard covers that were on their live album
(though every one was expanded). However, it was a great show, and after
they played Simon Says at the end, people wanted more. I was standing pretty
close so I got a look at the bastard instrument that Les plays for that
song. Very interesting, it doesn't have any strings! Anyway, as with all but
the late night bands, they stuck to their allotted time (as it was
necessary).
After Les, I checked out some Gov't Mule. I never saw them before, and I
wasn't really into the very little I saw. The highlight was when Les
Claypool came out for a guest appearance. Later, I saw the Widespread Panic
for the first time also. I wasn't in to their show either, and left after
the first set. I went back and ate some dinner and they guy I came with went
to bed as I headed out to Karl Denson's Tiny Universe set to start at
midnight.
I showed up at the venue for Karl before Panic was finished and got a good
spot. I lit up a joint and passed it to the random guy next to me. His name
was Robbie and he introduced me to his sister, LaLonna? LaLonnie?, and their
friend Nate (along with about 7 or 8 others whose names I can't remember).
They were from California, and a very friendly bunch. I had finally met some
people that weren't all about their clique and were willing to hang out with
me. So anyway, KDTU started about a half-hour late (as expected), and then
they rocked the house the rest of the night. It was the best show I'd seen
that day. Their percussionist was a crazy motherfucker! At about 3:30, sleep
deprivation stepped in and I walked back with the "crew" from California
that happened to be camped just 20 yards from my tent. I passed out at about
4 and woke up to the blazing Tennessee sun no later than 9am. I asked the
California folks if they were gonna check out Galactic Saturday night, but
due to the fact that Nate was a big moe. fan, they (of course) all had to go
see moe.
Saturday started for me with Col. Bruce Hampton. Overall, I found them to be
pretty solid. However, when the dude started singing about his grandmother,
I decided to cut out. It was interesting that at this festival there were
all types of jam bands from the heavy funk of New Orleans to the bluegrass
and borderline modern-day country bands (as I found WSP to be at times).
After Col. Bruce, we checked out Ben Harper. It was just him and a
percussionist. That was all that was needed. We saw him play "Burn One Down"
as we burned in the sun.
We'd had enough sun so we went to see the Lil Rascals Brass Band. They were
definitely funky. I started to learn that I really like the funk. After
that, we stopped over and caught the tail-end of Particle. They were really
trippy, not trippy to the point of just playing space music, but more like
hard-core trippy. I wish I was able to see more of them. I really showed up
in that tent so I could see Les's latest project with Bernie Worrell and
Buckethead.
I'd heard so much great stuff about Buckethead, but I found Col Claypool's
Bucket of Bernie Brains to be quite lacking. Les was trying to stretch the
songs, but the bass lines were rather simple and repetitive. Les would take
a lesson later that night from Bobbie Mercurio of Galactic. I can't really
blame Buckethead for not shining through because he must have been hot as
hell in the KFC bucket and Halloween mask he was wearing. I left the show
early to grab some dinner and catch a nap during the second WSP show (which
I could hear from my tent anyway) so I could rest up for Galactic.
We showed up at 11:30 to Galactic and hung around smoking pot until 12:30.
My buddy had been drinking the entire evening. He left at some point during
the first set; not sure when. Anyway, at about 12:30, this parade float
drove by the outside of the tent. I didn't really see it (I was standing by
the stage), but I could hear Stanton Moore on snare drum and people cheering
on the right side of the building.
The band made it around behind the tent backstage. As the snare drum grew
louder and louder, we all got more and more excited. Then, there was an
announcement. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Galactic and the Lil
Rascals Brass Band!!"
Suddenly, 20 people were on stage (including dancing women throwing out
beads). These New Orleans folks sure know how to get a party started right!
You could just tell that every person on stage and every person in that tent
were having a blast. After a couple songs with the Lil Rascals, out came Les
Claypool and the Houseman. Les didn't know the song he was about to play,
but that was cool because Bobby Mercurio (Bassist from Galactic) would yell
out the root before every change. Les was getting it until the chorus, when
he'd throw his hands in the air and smile. Eventually they made it to the
soloing, and Bobby asks Les "You wanna go in D?" Les shook his head with
ardor and went CRAZY!!!
After the song, Bobby attempted to bow down to Les, but Les, obviously
humbled by the experience, shook Bobby's hand. After that, Galactic kept
bringing guest musicians out one by one. DJ Logic, the violin player from
String Cheese, Robert Randolph, North Mississippi Allstars guitarist, the
list went on. It didn't matter who was out there, Galactic made them sound
like they were always part of the band. It was clearly obvious that the
rhythm section (Stanton Moore on drums and Rob Mercurio on Bass) were
definitely ON. The funk was alive and well.
At one point a guest percussionist (from SCI??) was playing a solo. He
started playing a bunch of 16th notes. Suddenly, Stanton Moore started
playing 16th notes right along with him. They were wailing for about 8
measures and Stanton dropped one at the end to let the percussionist know it
was ending and the entire band came in at once! The percussionist started
jumping up and down with delight and he tried giving Stanton a high-five.
Stanton tried to oblige by playing with one hand, but they didn't actually
make contact. It was indeed an unbelievable set. No matter where the jam
went, Galactic would always bring everyone together to end it with something
that was pre-composed.
Another cool thing about the first set was that they didn't play any album
songs. I personally can't stand when I go to a show of a band that I don't
really know and they start with a standard tune and everyone starts going
crazy, and I am like "what the fuck just happened?" I am pretty sure
Galactic made some new fans after that night.
The second set started with just the band and they did play one of their
flagship songs, Crazyhorse Mongoose. By this point, the dude I came to
Bonnaroo with was in the tent sleeping, so I hung out with some more people
I'd just met, which was cool. The second set was fucking awesome also. The
band still kept bring people out. At one point, Ben (the sax player) asked
the crowd "Is it OK if we bring more people out?" The crowd cheered with
delight. This was indeed the show to be at! These guys are so good at
jamming, it didn't matter what they were playing or who they were playing
with. It all just clicked.
Appropriately, for the encore they did "Everybody must get stoned." After
the show, I went behind the tent and met the Houseman. I told him I was glad
to see he was dressed comfortably (he usually wears a big shiny suit). He
said that people were there to hear his voice, not see the suit. I agreed.
Then, I met Stanton Moore and congratulated him on a great show. I asked him
if he would be at SuperJam the next day and he said he wasn't sure. He did
end up there though. I arrived back at my tent as the sun rose at 5am.
Sunday was the least sunny day of all, but the sun still glared between the
clouds.
One thing that I found amusing about Bonnaroo was the excessive drug use.
People were indeed friendly and mellow. Also, they were usually willing to
share pot (especially when I shared first). The funny thing was that
EVERYONE was smoking pot. People were smoking freely, openly, and
excessively. I mean, shit, there is a point when you don't really get any
higher. I was careful to smoke more at opportune times. I find that I can't
get as high as the first time I smoke in a day, so I tried not to indulge
too early.
Anyway, after the late night galactic show, I knew this would be a
worthwhile trip no matter what happened on Sunday.
Of course Sunday started out great when I stopped by the camp of my
California friends and asked one guy if he enjoyed moe. He said he only saw
part of it then he went to Galactic. A huge grin came across my face and I
asked him what he thought. He said it rocked out! I told him I was on my way
to Galactic at the stadium and he said he'd see me there perhaps.
Once again, I got a good spot for Galactic. This time, on a tarp belonging
to some other folks I'd just smoked out. Galactic put on what I felt was a
really solid show, but one that paled in comparison to the night before.
Nonetheless, the people around me seemed very impressed. My buddy couldn't
take the sun so he took off. I stuck around for Ween.
Ween was pretty cool as expected. They played lots of standards, including
several songs from the only album I've got, "Chocolate and Cheese." They did
Buenos Tardes Amigos as the encore. I was actually a bit surprised because
the show was so tight and coherent.
After Ween, I took off to go get prepared to leave after Trey. We packed up
our stuff and pulled our truck near the exit. Then, we walked down to the
Arena for SuperJam. When I saw that Stanton Moore was starting out on drums,
I knew it was going to be fun. They played some simple jams, most of which
eventually just died out, but they all got together and managed not to step
on each other's feet too much. I only recognized Stanton, Rob, and Rich
(keyboards) from Galactic, as well as DJ Logic, Robert Randolph, Bela Fleck,
and the dude from String Cheese. The funk/country chasm was clearly evident
during the show. You could tell who was in the Funk camp and who was into
Country. It was cool when at one point a new drummer came in to switch with
Stanton, and they did it mid song. Another highlight was DJ Logic scratching
to a flat-out country tune. I was really happy with the super jam. I
personally am not into the Dead or Phil Lesh or Bob Weird (no flames,
pleeze, just a joke.. Ever see that show where Cheech plays a straight dude
with Don Johnson. The deadhead cop asked him about Bob Weir, and Cheech is
like, "Who is Bob Weird??")
After SuperJam, I headed back to the tarp to see the first set of Trey. It
was definitely good stuff, but by the end of the first set, I'd had enough.
I danced my way back to our car as we headed out between sets. There was
very little traffic and we ended up at a hotel north of Nashville by 1am for
a shower and a good night sleep in the air-conditioning. I was definitely
glad we left when we did. It was a LONG weekend, but it was one of the
greatest weekends of my life!
russ
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