(what 100,000 people look like)When I was thinking how to condense my experience at Bonnaroo down into a blog entry I was super overwhelmed, so I decided to go ahead with the ever-popular Top 10 format to parse out the excellent from the mind-blowing, which actually proved to be a big task at this year’s festival. Ready? Go!
10. Late night shows. I’m going to lump a couple bands together that I really enjoyed, but as my sister scorned, “You hate them compared to how much I love them!” These bands are The Disco Biscuits and Deadmau5. Don’t get me wrong, they were obviously fun and memorable enough to make it into my Top 10, but I don’t do uppers or roll E, so I didn’t enjoy them to their full potential. One thing’s for sure, if you’re into visuals and light shows, this is your jam. The Disco Biscuits are a paradoxical variation on the jam band, psychedelic but not in the 60s sense. Some of the jams were a bit too extended in length for my taste, but I really enjoyed the show overall. Dead Mau5 was essentially a giant rave. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many glow sticks in one place. Fun, but maybe too aesthetically/viscerally based for my taste.
9. Dropkick Murphys. My friend, Sarah, and I stumbled upon this show without really planning to go, and I am SO glad. Mosh. Pit. People were going nuts! I’m not kidding, guys were emerging from the pit bloodied up and looking like hell with huge, stupid smiles across their faces. Front man, Al Barr, admitted that he’d been warned to expect a crowd of hippies, but assured us that we seemed “pretty fucking all right!” to him. In any case, it was a super epic set and gave us a welcomed break from all the chill indie rock everywhere.
8. Blitzen Trapper. Less than I expected live, but still a great show. They won my heart over opening with “Black River Killer,” a song about a serial killer I’m sometimes afraid to call my favorite song of theirs. Blitzen Trapper does put on a kickass show, but I have to say that it felt a little contrived. After they did “Wild Mountain Nation,” which ROCKED, they sort of switched over to songs from their new record and fizzled out a bit. When I heard the new lyric, “like a shooting star,” the cheesiness sort of disengaged me, but I love the band enough for forgive the slip-up.
7. The Dodos. Awesome. Just awesome. Live, The Dodos remind me of My Morning Jacket, with airy vocals, a strong lead guitar and drop-outs that change the scenery and really keep you engaged. At times, the rhythm was so unique that the audience struggled to clap along with the beat, but did so anyway because the tunes were so irresistible and energetic. I would love to see The Dodos again, perhaps even in a more intimate space.
6. Weezer. It’s sort of hard to write about a band like this- they played all the hits and never missed a note. As a musician, it’s actually breath-taking to watch a show like this that’s just so perfect. And of course we got to witness some good olf fashioned Rivers Cuomo tomfoolery; for the encore, he came out in a Lady Gaga wig just to show how her songs have the same chord progressions as multiple other radio hits right now, which they played also, of course. It was hard to tell if it was mockery or some sort of twisted reverence, but nevertheless, it was entertaining as hell. Definitely one of those shows you have to make it to at some point in your life.
5. Thievery Corporation. Who knew?!? I was sort of that girl who likes “Lebanese Blonde” but doesn’t know all the songs intimately, but after seeing this band in Tennessee I’m officially convinced. Thievery Corporation played into the early morning and we danced the entire time. Talk about a Rhythm Section that HOLDS IT DOWN. With three female vocalists, three reggae singers/rappers and a belly dancer, there’s really something for everyone at a Thievery Corporation show. I really enjoyed their horn section as well, if that’s something you get into.
4. The Avett Brothers. This is a band I would love to see again and again. I was a little late getting to the show, but I arrived just in time for “January Wedding,” which I had just proclaimed to be the song I wanted to hear, so everything worked out. The day was extremely hot and muggy, but regardless, everyone was on their feet and dancing, which apparently paid off because the rain started. They finished out the set with the entire audience doing a massive rain dance, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. The guys of The Avett Brothers really have a fun time making music, and it transfers to the audience for sure.
3. Dr. Dog. Let me explain by saying that I took notes at all the shows I saw, and all I have down from this set is: “Dr. God. Rock.” The Freudian slip (or horrific dyslexia) might have been reflective of my somewhat inebriated state at the time, but it’s actually perfectly fitting for what went down at the Dr. Dog show. I wished that they’d played some more stuff from “Easy Beat,” but I got my fill of “Fate” and “We All Belong,” happily. They also played a few tracks from the new album, and I was floored. This band really lived up to my expectations, and I feel bad for all the people who opted for seeing Damian Marley and Nas instead. Dr. Dog has definitely secured its place in my top ten favorite bands EVER.
(http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/music/files/2010/02/DR-DOG-3.jpg)2. The Flaming Lips. Everyone arrived so early for The Flaming Lips that front man, Wayne Coyne, decided to actually start early, squeezing in a Flaming Lips set before doing Dark Side of the Moon. Coyne makes it very apparent that everything is for the fans, and in return we gave him every bit of energy we had, regardless of the 3 hours we'd spent standing while we waited. It’s the first time I’ve seen this band, and when they opened with “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” I was completely blown away. It was beautifully overwhelming, every sense at full tilt. At a Flaming Lips show, it’s easy to pick out the veterans because I didn't fully realize, but it’s actually kind of cultish, in the best sense of the word. We were encouraged as first-timers and officially initiated when we supported Coyne in his plastic ball with our arms uplifted. Dark Side of the Moon was equally mind-blowing. I'm at a loss for words- I loved it.
(http://www.extendedply.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/happycoyne.jpeg)1. The National. If you have not managed to see The National live, put it at the top of your To-Do List, my friends. I knew that the show would be great, but I really underestimated the extent of the mind-blowing that would ensue. Matt Berninger has a poet soul that just explodes on stage. The National opened with “Start a War,” and it actually brought tears; seeing this band is a divine experience. Berninger shared a glass of white wine with someone in the audience before starting “Squalor Victoria,” and by the end of the song the sound guy was having to reel him in by his mic cable because he’d joined the audience. If I had to pick a single favorite moment from all of Bonnaroo, it was when Matt Berninger was standing in the audience within an arm’s length of me, screaming, “I’m Mr. November, I won’t fuck us over!” I can officially die happily.
(http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/19568979/The+National+live.jpg)
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