How can Bonnaroo improve in 2013?

TREES. Please make trees happen. Shade is such a beautiful, precious thing at Bonnaroo.

And. I went to a brand-new festival in the state of Delaware last July called Firefly and I MUST rave about their showers. Who all has tried the showers at Bonnaroo? I mean, they're kind of laughably torturous. So freezing cold it knocks the breath out of you. Discarded Garnier Fructis sample packages EVERYWHERE, clogging the drains so that half of your shower is spent wading through dirty water. You're desperately trying to get clean but it's hard to feel very clean when you're finding someone else's hair stuck to your leg....

I used to laugh at all this. It's a part of Bonnaroo, I said. But now I know, and unfortunately I can't erase that knowledge. Bonnaroo, you can do better! So much more is possible!

I should have figured out who ran the shower stations at Firefly. But I didn't. I was too busy taking blissfully warm showers in *clean* stalls. How did they do it? Was it magic? No. I'm pretty sure just not having a bunch of Garnier Fructis trash all over the place solved a large part of the problem. Can we fire them, please? Also, DOUBLE shower curtain doors. One for you to change out of your clothes and hang them in a dry place. The other for your shower. Wow, I thought. And then: so many places to put my own things! Everyone before me had either taken their belongings with them or staff had kept up with the mess. Amazing. The water temp - not cold. Slightly warm, even. The girl in the stall beside me shrieked. "This is the coldest shower I've ever taken!" she screamed. I giggled to myself. She had no idea.

Oh, Bonnaroo. You've made me quite the tough old bird.

And in response to the piss concern: I assume everything I touch or sit on at Bonnaroo is covered in piss, or worse. Anywhere else, piss would bother me. At Bonnaroo, I embrace it. Get dirty, ya'll. And then take freezing cold showers.

I care where people pee. I don't mind when people pee on the walls or out of the way locations such as on the side of the tents but I think it's gross to pee where other people sit such as in the middle of the Which field (I saw a guy peeing on a girl who was sleeping in the middle of the field during MMJ in 2008) or on trees that people lean against. It's also gross to pee in the fountain where other people swim (I have never stepped foot in the fountain - the water always looks nasty). No matter how many disinfectant wipes I use, I always get sick for at least a week after the festival. I was sick for a month after 2010's festival and ended up with bronchitis. I'm always really excited to see the bands and to meet so many great people but when I start to think about all the gross stuff that goes on (puke in the middle of the fields that I could accidentally sit or step on, trash strewn everywhere (look at What field after a headliner), portos with poop piled to the rim, guys peeing everywhere), it makes me not want to go. I skipped Bonnaroo this year because I couldn't take another year of getting sick. At least the lineup wasn't very good so I didn't feel bad about missing any of the bands (except for the Beach Boys - I'm kind of bummed about missing them). I'm waiting for the next year's lineup before I decide if it is worth getting sick for. I'm not going to get sick for a lineup that doesn't impress me. I hope it's so amazing that I can't pass it up because I really miss Roo (minus the gross stuff).

I try to pee on people

This might be the insomnia talking, but "how Bonnaroo can improve" doesn't just mean how Superfly etc. can improve the festival for us...it's also about how we can improve the festival for ourselves. And that trash thing is a huge part of it.

I'm proud to say that since my first Roo in 2008 I've picked up and properly disposed of every single piece of trash I've generated while on the farm. It's easy...if we're ready to switch stages the last thing we always do is police our little area and make sure we've gotten everything. Even when we're quacked up. When we're with new people they're pretty quick to pick up the habit. We don't make a big fascist deal out of it, but it's definitely part of the ethic we try to share with first-timers.

This is a great point. Id be lying if I said I wasnt guilty of just dropping a beer can or water bottle at my feet during a show and leaving it there.

One of the best posts I have read in a long time.

Definitely agree with the picking up your trash. They have garbage cans everywhere....if you're leaving a spot just carry it for a minute and then toss it out.

Dam right! This is Merica' we outsource everything!

Stock up on things like airborne nd vitamins weeks be4 Roo. I always where my bandana especially when on golf carts nd vehicles it helps especially dry years last year was insanely beautiful weather nd dust from all thevehcles nd foot trafficwas still a factor.

Important note regarding pee, what do u think is in the big water trucks used to dampen the ground to avoid said dust....next time u see a hipster frollic in the sprinkler know that would be "recycled" water

This. or CD's at the gate

I like this idea. I also loved the Bonnaroo radio station you could listen to as you got near Manchester. While it played great music, I'd have prefered if it played music of artists playing the festival that weekend.

Then again, I listened to cd's the entire 10 hour drive up of bands performing the festival, in the order I was going to see them so I guess I already had that covered.

I second the cleaner showers thing, but really Im alright with it.

But they should DEFINITELY play some music in the showers. Not only would it be nice to hear some tunes in there, it would somewhat drown out the sounds and whatnot of the other 5 people showering next to where I am.

Move the festival back to the original weekend so it doesnt coincide with Father's Day. Makes it a tough place for those of us with young kids.

Wow never realized this thats a bummer man but a properly exaggerated story of you being selected by the world committee of super dads to attend the World Dads Fair in Manchester should do for this year.

Side note: At least its not Mother's Day id see tantrums being tossed in Rooster households everywhere while my dads content with a case of beer ill buy him for that weekend.