Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
^that's the non-camping fest vs camping fest thing though. WHOLE other issue. City fests just aren't the same as camping fests. You really can't compare them
your full of it if you actually believe what your saying. We had a community like atmosphere around us, I went with my brother and 7 of his friends, and 3 of my friends. We were really good friends with our neighbors and want to meet up and be neighbors again next year, maybe its just the luck of the draw and you didnt get paired next to good people because I met tons of awesome people. I have learned so far in life that its not where you are, or who your with, its doing what makes you happy. If your always complaining about how its better over there and that your not having as much fun as them then you will always be complaining and you will never have fun. If you go to Bonnaroo and expect Bonnaroo to make you have fun (as amazing as Bonnaroo is) you probably wont have fun unless you do it yourself.
I guess its hard to explain but if you want something that will make you have fun your on the wrong planet, its all about the mindset you have.
First of all, just because someone has an opinion that you disagree with does not mean they are automatically "full of it", and by saying that, you clearly showed the exact vibe lakai was talking about and proved his point. AND if you were only at '07 and/or '08, which is what your post sounds like, you have no comparison to past years, so how can you form an opinion stating that lakai's comparison is wrong? Your harshness is exactly what everyone here is talking about.
It was an expression, I don't think he was trying to demean<sp?> anyone there. Oh, and BTW, you just showed the exact vibe that I was talking about earlier, the "I've been to Bonnaroo before you" attitude. I don't think he was being harsh, to me it just seems you placed that attitude on that guy. Honestly, what was harsh about that beyond the "full of it" comment? Nothing, but automatically you know he's only been to the past two Roos? Well excuse me if this is harsh, but that just sounds snobbish. Have I only been to the past two Roos as well? The rest of his post I totally agreed with, but I did not once assume that he "must have only come in '07 and '08."
Life is what you make it, and just because new people are coming to Roo, doesn't mean the whole vibe was/is different. You can't deny that at least some of the blame falls on the indivual's perception when they say the vibe is different and "harsh." Want proof of that? Well look at what your all saying to Roo newbs, that "you weren't here before." Well if we can all have a good time at Roo without this magical vibe you speak of, what the hell is wrong with you?
First of all, just because someone has an opinion that you disagree with does not mean they are automatically "full of it", and by saying that, you clearly showed the exact vibe lakai was talking about and proved his point. AND if you were only at '07 and/or '08, which is what your post sounds like, you have no comparison to past years, so how can you form an opinion stating that lakai's comparison is wrong? Your harshness is exactly what everyone here is talking about.
; Well if we can all have a good time at Roo without this magical vibe you speak of, what the hell is wrong with you?
I know your not talking to me - but im going to answer anyway. nothing is wrong with me - (well thats not entirely true ) - or any of the MANY other people who feel this way. I personally have just tried new things - and have had my eyes opened waaaaaay wider since 2005, and learned that im happier elsewhere, and have moved on. I personally think that some (not all) people put bonnaroo on a pedestal - WITHOUT experiencing other festivals...(runs away from angry posts that will probably appear after mine) my feelings of bonnaroo 'chaging' or 'jumping the shark' didnt really come until AFTER i went to other festies..and saw how it can be. ;D that being said...people are going to think what they want no matter what...
; Well if we can all have a good time at Roo without this magical vibe you speak of, what the hell is wrong with you?
I know your not talking to me - but im going to answer anyway. nothing is wrong with me - (well thats not entirely true ) - or any of the MANY other people who feel this way. I personally have just tried new things - and have had my eyes opened waaaaaay wider since 2005, and learned that im happier elsewhere, and have moved on. I personally think that some (not all) people put bonnaroo on a pedestal - WITHOUT experiences other festivals...(runs away from angry posts that will probably appear after mine)
"You know what your problem is your putting that bonnaroo on a pedestal". lol ;D
Post by areyoukind on Oct 27, 2008 14:31:46 GMT -5
bonnaroo was magical when i was 18 and ran away from home and went in 2005 with my 2 best friends. i had never experienced anything like it, no rules, just right to quote an outback commercial. the crowds of beautiful people all doing whatever they wanted, but nobody doing anything to upset anyone else (well, not entirely)
the next year i went with two different best friends (my girlfriend and a guy i had known since middle school) and we had better neighbors, and met up with other people i knew, and had a BLAST
in 2007 i took yet another 2 friends (as well as my girlfriend again) and we saw fun shows, boogied down with the best of them, but the VIBE was different.
wanna know what really drove it home? BEER. in years past i could go out in the morning and on almost every corner was a couple folks with a cooler selling DANK BEER! 2 for 5! sammy smith oatmeal stouts, newcastle bombers, rogues, and all kinds of dark beer for breakfast.
this was always against the rules, but they started actually enforcing it... i found one group selling 12 oz beers 1 for 5, 3 for 10 on sunday in 2007... and that was it. sure, people had $1 bud lights, but so did I. I really wanted to get some good beer in the campgrounds, but (IMO) bonnaroo started enforcing it to promote sales inside centeroo.
then, this year, i skipped ROO for AllGood, and it was the greatest fest ever. beautiful weather, people, music, and beer! even the beer in the venue was a better deal; magic hats pints for $5! hell yeah!
*i like coconuts, you can break them open they smell like ladies lyin in the sun** *Hell I don't even know where I am** *for now I must sit here and ponder the yonder: The herbivores did well cause their food didn't never run** *We listen, if it feels good We shake** *You made a big impression for a girl of your size, Now I can't get by without you and your big brown eyes.**
First of all, just because someone has an opinion that you disagree with does not mean they are automatically "full of it", and by saying that, you clearly showed the exact vibe lakai was talking about and proved his point. AND if you were only at '07 and/or '08, which is what your post sounds like, you have no comparison to past years, so how can you form an opinion stating that lakai's comparison is wrong? Your harshness is exactly what everyone here is talking about.
It was an expression, I don't think he was trying to demean<sp?> anyone there. Oh, and BTW, you just showed the exact vibe that I was talking about earlier, the "I've been to Bonnaroo before you" attitude. I don't think he was being harsh, to me it just seems you placed that attitude on that guy. Honestly, what was harsh about that beyond the "full of it" comment?
and also, i thought the full of it thing was harsh, because actually lakai is far from full of it - even tho he's a trouble maker. kthnks ;D
I agree I liked the atmosphere better in '06 and '07. This year there seemed to be a different, more college-oriented "let's-get-fucked-up" crowd who seemed to want to catch some of the more major acts, but not check out anything else (and who will be one time Bonnaroovians). Don't get me wrong, though, not all college kids are like this. I'm a college kid and I go for the great music, and I think there's a lot of other college-aged kids who are the same. There just seemed to be a different typical type of college crowd there this year
EDIT: Not to say I didn't have a great time. I had a great weekend with my dad and am going again next year. Also, not to say that the overall crowd are just party-kids. There's still a lot of genuine music lovers at Bonnaroo. There was just a slightly higher influx of the "get-fucked-up" crowd.
I also don't think anyone on here is holding anything against newcomers to Bonnaroo. If you are on this board, chances are, it is highly unlikely they are talking about you when they're talking about certain crowds of people. One of my best friends is coming next year for the first time and I can't wait to show her around and have her experience the completely surreal world that is the second weekend in June
Last Edit: Oct 27, 2008 17:55:59 GMT -5 by Deleted - Back to Top
; Well if we can all have a good time at Roo without this magical vibe you speak of, what the hell is wrong with you?
I know your not talking to me - but im going to answer anyway. nothing is wrong with me - (well thats not entirely true ) - or any of the MANY other people who feel this way. I personally have just tried new things - and have had my eyes opened waaaaaay wider since 2005, and learned that im happier elsewhere, and have moved on. I personally think that some (not all) people put bonnaroo on a pedestal - WITHOUT experiencing other festivals...(runs away from angry posts that will probably appear after mine) my feelings of bonnaroo 'chaging' or 'jumping the shark' didnt really come until AFTER i went to other festies..and saw how it can be. ;D that being said...people are going to think what they want no matter what...
1. I agree with everything Becca said
2. aruawhere - I've only bee to Roo once - 07. So I was not pulling the "holier than thou, I've been to Roo long than you" crap. My whole point clearly got lost, which was that if you have not been to Roo for years (or been to other fests as Becca pointed out) you can't compare vibes because you have nothing to compare too. AND he was being harsh! Lakai is a rad dude. I'm going to say something when someone talks crap about someone I really enjoy
My whole point clearly got lost, which was that if you have not been to Roo for years (or been to other fests as Becca pointed out) you can't compare vibes because you have nothing to compare too.
Well I have been to lots of festivals, 3 major ones this year and 3 smaller counting this weekend . They all have different things that make me like them. All Good was my favorite by far, a lot of which was due to the company I kept. Bonnaroo had the best tunes however by a pretty wide margin, and Trinumeral had the best chillest vibe. As far as Bonnaroo goes it has gotten to be a pain to get in and out of centeroo, campsite vendors are shut down, and "Glass" has moved to the back part of Shakedown. I can live with it, I still have a blast and there is not another festival close to me with the quality/quantity mix of music that Bonnaroo brings to the table. As long as I can look at a schedule and really want to see 1 band per timeslot every day and night, I will continue to go.
So that being said I would actually encourage folks who have only been to Bonnaroo to branch out, and try a new festival or two, because at this point it is not really representative of most music fests, of course they are not really represenative of Bonnaroo either .
Oh crap, I thought I was just supposed to answer the question... !
I've found that Roo can be completely defined by who you go with and who you discover there. I've had less-than-stellar years that were entirely defined by circumstances Roo didn't naturally create. Each year tho, something positive and new happens to my experience, which at the very least shows me that Roo and I always have unfinished business. The wider music genres have helped me personally, but that's also because I dig the variety. Seeing BB King and Charli2na and Adele (just to pick 3 at random) in the same 24 hours is pretty cool in my book, but I can see how others wouldn't like it.
But then again, and I'm sure I'll get knocked for this, I have found just as many completely uncool jam-band fans as I have any other genre (perhaps more). So those who like to point at, say, the fringe Metallica types who normally wouldn't come to Roo, I can think of just as many heady types that were total jerk-offs in the early days of Roo. An A-hole is an A-hole, regardless of what music they like; but some tolerate certain kinds more than others. Giving a pass to one type of jerk in my book isn't very fair (but it is amusing to me how jam band hippies and jam band frat boys can come together in harmony and distaste for others). Anyway, just being honest.
I'm with most here in saying: go to all the festivals you can. I personally feel that Bonnaroo is still very, very relevant in the music scene and the festival scene and InfoRoo'ers are like family. I may not always agree on certain variables at our annual family reunion, but I'll always have a good time regardless...
I've only been to three festivals thus far....Coachella,Bonnaroo, and festival that draws a few big artists but lacks camping and isn't worth mentioning.. So far bonnaroo owns coachella in every aspect. I hope to attend Wakrusa,10klf, and Rothbury before long. But so far in the states I can't imagine anything beating Bonnaroo. Rothbury might have this year but it was its first year. Let the word get out and it'll go more in the direction of what bonnaroo has I suspect. What festival in the states that is legit....that has been going on for more that a few years is better than the Roo???? I'm drunk and rambling...so forgive me. But seriously????
I mean its all personal pref but I had more fun at camp bisco 07 than roo 07 and for me thats what fests are really all about. I can pretty much see any of the bands that play roo or any other fest all thruought the year so when I'm deciding what fests I'm gonna hit it really comes down to which ones will have the highest fun factor and all over good vibes and which ones have bands that will contribute to that but of course if I see a name on a lineup that is a must see I will be there no doubt regardless of anything.
Alright, so I am relatively a child not only on these boards, but in my Bonnaroo experience...and this is the conclusion I have come to after reading three pages about this.
Bonnaroo is an escape from reality...and I'm not talking about a self-inflicted escape. My first year was '06, and it completely opened my mind and changed my scope and perspective on the world. Before coming to this I was a cinical a$$hole who thought the worst in all people (and don't get me wrong, I'm still an a$$, just in a funnier way). Meeting so many new and different people who were unconditionally nice made me realize that there is an overseeing good in the world.
That being said, if there's a change in the vibe at Bonnaroo, it's completely on you. Yes, there are going to be people out there that do outlandish, ridiculous, and uncalled for things, but if you focus on the bad it's your vibe that's coming down. I gaurentee any situation can be alleviated if you turn to your neighbor, laugh it off, and move on with your day. Everyone has to keep the good vibes flowing and everything will be all good.
Post by chewtheangels on Nov 5, 2008 10:24:27 GMT -5
Bonnaroo needs an overhaul. Ive been enough to where its lost alot of is luster. I was really surprised last year by just how little had been updated. A change of events and scenery and a little less mainstream, and cut tix by 20 thousand or so and Bonnaroo will be king again.
Bah, this topic isn't worth debating, but I'll do it anyway.
All I'm trying to say is the idea of Bonnaroo going downhill is a perception thing. I have a good time doing anything, even if the general consensus is bad, I see the positive in everything I do. I go to Bonnaroo knowing one thing, that I will have a great time. If there's some a-holes starting trouble, I'll just smile because I know karma will bring those egos down somewhere along the line. You can't let a-holes like that ruin your good time. YOU have to make it a good time.
Let's take an experience I had last year at the Superjam. I took a friend of mine's little brother to Roo, and he and I were convinced we would see Jack White in the SuperJam. So we waited, for over 2 hours (someone was an hour late), in the pouring rain, freezing, and surrounded by the type of people you speak of. I left that show in 5 mins, completely angry at the circumstances that had just unfolded. I realized then, that I was letting my emotions get the best of me, so I started to remember I was at one of the greatest places in the world. I calmed myself a bit, and I then stumbled upon MMJ completely jamming out to One Big Holiday. I immediatly ran to the closest beer tent, and danced for the rest of the night. It ended up being one of my greatest Roo experiences.
So all in all, Roo is what you make it. If your letting a-holes ruin your fun, that's your problem as much as theirs. The majority (if not all) the people I meet at Roo are great, and I've yet to meet anyone that can ruin my experience. Oh and I'm agreeing with everything skew said, couldn't of put that any better.
"Why when I was your age, Bonnaroo was a big tye-dyed, non-commercial love fest! Kittens and puppies romped under foot, all the corn was free, rainbows covered the sky and evil wookies didn't exist."
Sorry...I went to 'Roo right after it's inception, and I've been several years since. The major changes I've seen have been more people, better (or at least more diverse) line-ups, a bit more regulating as far as food vending goes and the festival just being better ORGANIZED in general. (i.e. people not having to sh*t on the ground because of overflowing ports-potties) This is also partly why prices have gone up, but i think it's a fair trade.
I think the "vibe" is just as great as it ever was...there is just a wider variety of vibes to partake in.
Bonnaroo is heading into its 7th year of existence. To think that it shouldn't and couldn't have changed in that time is naive. Of course it's changed. Just look at the changes to VIP, as well as the increase in ticket prices in 7 years time.
However, I can tell you that I've changed in 7 years. Many people I know have changed. Hell, music has as well. Musicians have died, Bands have quit. Some gone on hiatus, and returned. Others reunited, and since retired. Fans of bands, too, have grown older, moved on.
Nothing ever stays the same. The ultimate consequence of the passage of time is change.
So, for me to head into my 8th trip to Bonnaroo feeling that I need to feel what I felt at Bonnaroo 2002 is something I can't ever expect. My experience at past Bonnaroos was every bit as affected by the people and music, as it was my age and inexperience with the festival, and the space and time in which those festivals existed.
I expect new experiences every time. I expect to meet new people, some who will have never been to Bonnaroo. I expect to see new bands play new music. I expect change on every level. Change is an essential part of Bonnaroo. It has been since its inception.
What I find when people say Bonnaroo has changed, and I am not insinuating that you are saying this, is that they are really saying it has become more corporate and less hippie-friendly. And that is true. That is 100% true. Bonnaroo started as a hippie festival, and has moved into this grey area where they cater to all forms of music, still trying to please the hippies.
The thing that the hippies miss, however, is that Bonnaroo is a business. They are in it to make money. Festivals fail every year, and Bonnaroo has broken that mold. There will be 100 Rothbury's and Allgoods and SummerCamps and Langerados and Gathering of the Vibes, etc etc to cater to the hippies. But there is only one ROO that has drawn the most people in the US to a single festival 7 years in a row. Roo has to compete on a national level with festivals who are competing on regional levels. That means that to thrive as a business, they have to embrace change. They can't just market to hippies anymore. They can't turn down corporate sponsorship to favor hippie idealism. It just doesn't make smart business sense.
Bonnaroo has definitely changed, and in some cases I would argue that it hasn't changed for the better (prices, size of VIP). In other ways, I'd say that it is wholly improved (lineup diversity, festival access, festival wait times). What I think the most important thing any fan of this festival needs to realize is that Bonnaroo continues to learn the lessons of each festival experience in a way that makes the experience better for the next round of fans. They continue to survey their attendees post-festival, and work to improv both the lineup, and the festival as a whole. They genuinely want to make an experience that people feel connected with and talk about on message boards 6 months, 12 months, even 7 years after the fact.
I really hate this crowd man...I'm a college kid and I feel like I'm not even college because this is what everyone does and I just don't want to, so I started commuting this semester I'm alot happier with my friends at home man. But that crowd...sheesh...
I really hate this crowd man...I'm a college kid and I feel like I'm not even college because this is what everyone does and I just don't want to, so I started commuting this semester I'm alot happier with my friends at home man. But that crowd...sheesh...
Amen. I can understand having a beer or two, but getting completely smashed every weekend? I just like to think there's more to life
depending on where you come from it may be for the better or for the worse. i know that each of the 3 years i went, i had an amazing time. each year i ended up meeting some great people and seeing great shows.
if anything made last year feel different it was an influx of new festival goers. i know that in 06 i felt entirely overwhelmed by everything that was going on around me and i wasn't entirely sure how to take it all in. by the next year i felt i had it figured out and i'm sure that if most of the new people that came in 08 were to return they would figure it out too.
my assumption is that the people that went the first couple years were already established within the festival scene and knew how to embrace everything that was going on around them.
Bonnaroo is heading into its 7th year of existence. To think that it shouldn't and couldn't have changed in that time is naive. Of course it's changed. Just look at the changes to VIP, as well as the increase in ticket prices in 7 years time.
However, I can tell you that I've changed in 7 years. Many people I know have changed. Hell, music has as well. Musicians have died, Bands have quit. Some gone on hiatus, and returned. Others reunited, and since retired. Fans of bands, too, have grown older, moved on.
Nothing ever stays the same. The ultimate consequence of the passage of time is change.
So, for me to head into my 8th trip to Bonnaroo feeling that I need to feel what I felt at Bonnaroo 2002 is something I can't ever expect. My experience at past Bonnaroos was every bit as affected by the people and music, as it was my age and inexperience with the festival, and the space and time in which those festivals existed.
I expect new experiences every time. I expect to meet new people, some who will have never been to Bonnaroo. I expect to see new bands play new music. I expect change on every level. Change is an essential part of Bonnaroo. It has been since its inception.
What I find when people say Bonnaroo has changed, and I am not insinuating that you are saying this, is that they are really saying it has become more corporate and less hippie-friendly. And that is true. That is 100% true. Bonnaroo started as a hippie festival, and has moved into this grey area where they cater to all forms of music, still trying to please the hippies.
The thing that the hippies miss, however, is that Bonnaroo is a business. They are in it to make money. Festivals fail every year, and Bonnaroo has broken that mold. There will be 100 Rothbury's and Allgoods and SummerCamps and Langerados and Gathering of the Vibes, etc etc to cater to the hippies. But there is only one ROO that has drawn the most people in the US to a single festival 7 years in a row. Roo has to compete on a national level with festivals who are competing on regional levels. That means that to thrive as a business, they have to embrace change. They can't just market to hippies anymore. They can't turn down corporate sponsorship to favor hippie idealism. It just doesn't make smart business sense.
Bonnaroo has definitely changed, and in some cases I would argue that it hasn't changed for the better (prices, size of VIP). In other ways, I'd say that it is wholly improved (lineup diversity, festival access, festival wait times). What I think the most important thing any fan of this festival needs to realize is that Bonnaroo continues to learn the lessons of each festival experience in a way that makes the experience better for the next round of fans. They continue to survey their attendees post-festival, and work to improv both the lineup, and the festival as a whole. They genuinely want to make an experience that people feel connected with and talk about on message boards 6 months, 12 months, even 7 years after the fact.
bravo!!! couldnt have said it better myself...ive only been to one roo (this past june), but i could not agree more with this statement...however, it does make me wish that i had gone when the fest was brand new