live: Bonnaroo

"It's too f*ckin' hot for Santa Claus!"

Midway through Bruce Springsteen's 3.5 hr marathon set Saturday night at Bonnaroo, he descended into the crowd and grabbed posters from fans with song requests scrawled on them. One fan offered a full size picture of Santa Claus to which Bruce responded with the quote above, before he finally relented and busted out a truly inspired rendition of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". This was just one unexpected and incredible moment in a weekend that was jam packed with them.

Simply put, the 8th Bonnaroo festival was a marvel in every respect. From the huge and diverse lineup, to the smart stage and vendor layout in Centeroo, to the meticulous organization of the campgrounds and the frequent porta-potty cleanings, it is obvious that the Bonnaroo team is a group of seasoned veterans.

And let's not forget the music! Aside from the epic headlining sets by Phish and Bruce (including an instantly legendary collaboration during Phish's set on Sunday), there was enough music to satiate even the most voracious live music fan. In fact, there was almost too much music, to the point where we had to miss a few acts we really wanted to see or else risk succumbing to exhaustion. Of the acts that we did catch, a few really stood out from the rest: Dirty Projectors, Amadou & Miriam, Santigold, Gomez, Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate, Jessica Lee Mayfield, Elivs Perkins in Dearland, David Byrne were among the highlights. We also really enjoyed the different atmospheres throughout the festival. For example, on Friday, The Other Tent was African themed; on Saturday it transformed into a Bluegrass hoedown. It's also really neat to be able to see an intimate show with 70 other people in a tent (Where Cafe) and then walk a few steps and be in a field with 60,000+ people watching Snoop Dogg!

The only negative thing I have to say about the festival was that I fear that Bonnaroo may have outdone themselves -- who on earth could they possibly put on the bill next year to top this year's lineup?!?

-MORT

preview: Bonnaroo

"There ain't no place I'd rather be"

In 2006, Rick Farman of Superfly Presents--the fine folks who put together Bonnaroo every year--told the New York Times that he had ambitions to turn the festival into "an iconic event...like Glastonbury or New Orleans Jazz Fest." It seems they're well on their way.

The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, TN, now in its eighth incarnation, takes place June 11-14. Boasting well over 100 performers (many of which have been discussed here on Bobka) covering every genre imaginable, the fest will welcome 80,000 revelers from around the globe to an environment of controlled chaos. Aside from the diverse top-notch musical talent that will be playing throughout the weekend (two nights of Phish and The Boss are this year's headliners), Bonnaroo has also become known for its alternative activities that seem designed to ensure sensory overload, including a comedy tent, cinema tent, arcade, batting cages, and let's not forget the Silent Disco--the surreal club environment in which headphones, not a PA system, are responsible for pumping the music to your brain.

All of this takes place on a huge piece of farmland that is situated perfectly so that it is easily accessible yet still feels like the middle of nowhere. The fantasy-land atmosphere is furthered by the large-scale, visually arresting art installations which often encourage, nay require, audience participation.

And herein lies the secret to Rick Farman and Superfly's success: Bonnaroo is all about the fans. It was started by a group of music lovers and it shows. It is an event/experience rather than just another concert in a big field and it offers tremendous value for the customer.

The Chocolate Bobka team will be in the trenches next week reporting live from the festival ground. Be sure to keep an eye on our Twitter feed for updates throughout the weekend. In the meantime, check the official Bonnaroo site for more information.

A few of the bands playing Bonnaroo this weekend:

Delta Spirit
Passion Pit
Tobacco
Animal Collective
The Dirty Projectors
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Santigold
Grizzly Bear
Al Green
TV On the Radio
Lucinda Williams
Amadou & Mariam
David Byrne
Beastie Boys
Phish
Public Enemy
Girl Talk
The Hood Internet
Femi Kuti and the Positive Force
Phoenix
Cotton Jones
Justin Townes Earle
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Allen Toussaint
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3
Rodqigo y Gabriela
Bon Iver
Wilco
Of Montreal
Jenny Lewis
The Decemberists
BRUUUUUUUUUUUUCE
Nine Inch Nails
MGMT
Yeasayer
Elvis Costello
The Mars Volta
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Erykah Badu
Andrew Bird
Jessica Lee Mayfield
Merle Haggard
Okkervil River
Snoop Dogg
Band of Horses
Neko Case

Aziz Ansari
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
Jimmy Fallon
Todd Barry
Rob Riggle
Michael Showalter
Michael Ian Black
Janeane Garofalo

live: Justin Townes Earle

"Black-eyed Suzy she's still losing ground to the heat"

Justin Townes Earle took a break from his 6-month-long tour on Sunday to play a solo acoustic performance to an energetic crowd of about 50 at Drew's in Ringwood, NJ. After opening for his father the night before, JTE's set slowly morphed into a 90-minute storytellers performance covering everything from his water soaked apartment in Crown Heights to picking up chicks outside methadone clinics. He treated the audience to album standards, new songs, covers, and a few ditties he said he was scared to play until now. Justin's knack for storytelling was heightened by his charisma and overall likability. He'll be touring through August in support of his new album, Midnight at the Movies, including two sets at Bonnaroo next weekend.

Justin Townes Earle - Can't Hardly Wait [Replacements cover from 2009's Midnight at the Movies]