"So what are you looking forward to the most?"
That is apparently the default question to ask somebody on their way to Bonnaroo, a way of making polite conversation, feigning interest, or possibly (but not probably) expressing actual curiosity about the four-day festival.
The answer I've settled on for this year is My Morning Jacket. I'm only sort of a moderate fan of the Kentucky rockers, but I've never seen them play, I like their new album pretty well, and I know they are supposed to put on a pretty great show. (I'll probably stick around after MMJ's Friday night set on the main stage to watch Arcade Fire, even though their indie pomp doesn't do much for me. I'm hoping their penchant for big choruses--which I find overearnest and overdriven on the albums--will be more appealing at live arena scale.) I'm also really looking forward to the late-night Thursday set by California neo-funk groove man Dam-Funk--if I can stay awake that long. (We're heading out eeeaaaarrrrly Thursday morning to try to beat the crowds, so I might or might not make to the 1 a.m. show.)
Of course, there are an awful lot of other potential highlights to choose from on the packed schedule, in many realms: indie (Deerhunter, Sleigh Bells), metal (Kylesa, Opeth), country (Loretta Lynn, Alison Krauss), Swedish pop (Robyn, Junip), reggae (Anthony B, Black Uhuru) grizzled vets still rocking out (Robert Plant, Dr. John, Gregg Allman), and who knows what all unexpected surprises. Part of the fun is wandering the grounds from tent to tent, sampling people you've never heard of. If you don't like one, there's always another act playing a few minutes away. And it is worth noting that this is the first year that hip-hop feels really fully integrated into the line-up, from headliners like Eminem and Lil Wayne on down through Big Boi, Wiz Khalifa, and the indie-rap staple Atmosphere.
But even if music is the reason for the season, there's a lot more to Bonnaroo. Everybody has their own way of doing the festival. I have friends who go the luxury route, staying in buses or RVs (or even in nearby motels). I know other friends (and/or friends' kids) who happily roost in the vast outback of general camping, where tents can be as much as a 45-minute hike from the stages. Personally, I'm lucky enough to stay with some friends in the Guest Camping areas, which are close to the stages and typically include some relatively spartan but very welcome shower facilities. We generally bring more food, wine, and beer than we can possibly consume in a weekend, and divide our time between actually seeing music and lolling around in the shade, hiding from the hot afternoons and enjoying each other's company. There are many worse ways to spend a working day. (And I will be working -- promise, boss. Watch for further updates right here.)
So, really, what am I looking forward to the most? Being there.
More TK, as we say in the trade...
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