RIP Matt Sloan aka Carpedm01...

^I'm there with ya, brother.

I'm not someone who meets online people in three dimensions. I can see that I've missed out on meeting a great guy who has given to our community and the other communities that he's come in contact with. RIP.

this is exactly what is on the site right now as allowable

Factory sealed bottles water (non-glass containers)

I could swear it was officially, though rarely enforced, 1 (or 2) Factory sealed bottles water (non-glass containers)

But maybe that's wrong, I apologize for saying it if it is.


In any case, the more cases the better.

...a most excellent thought.

yeah, if I'm bearing a buttload of kazoos you all will have to make sure I find everyone...

superawesomeandrew, PM sent............answer it if you can.

I think these guys know the answer to your question:

That article probably shouldn't have been posted here. But as someone who knows Andrew in real life, and as my former editor, I can say with all honesty he is not one to make things up for the sake of a better story.

He's also a very good guy for what it's worth, not that any of you want to hear that at this point it seems like.

No, I want to hear that. I sent him a PM asking for an explanation. I have not jumped on the, he needs to die bandwagon, yet.
But I was with Matt's parents when they came to Nashville to pick up the ashes. I saw their grief first hand.
I want to know why he felt the need to add to that grief. And to ours.

I'm not saying the article wasn't written poorly. But it's press. We read and watch the news everyday. It was an article based on one person's experience and opinion. It happens all of the time. Maybe it's not right or in poor taste but it happens. To everyone. Every article written is going to rub a group of people the wrong way.

I'm pretty sure he did nothing but express gratitude from Matthew Sloan, and sorrow at the end of the weekend.

so because he didn't tip toe around the elephant in the room that no one else is even mentioning, doesn't make him a disgusting person.

That's all I'm saying. So what if he witnessed something different than you. He's not allowed to do his job? He was sent to bonnaroo to write an article. He did and it was published. Maybe he pissed some people off but I'm sure that wasn't the intent.


As far as the water issue goes. Yes there should be more water stations. But really there is accessible water every twenty feet in Centeroo. Sometimes you have to pay for it sometimes not. My group went through the whole weekend without paying a dime for water and never waited more than a few minutes. We never used the filtered stations unless there wasn't a line but even the trucks water was cold and clean. And the lines were much more organized and moved faster.

I don't think that water should be used as a scapegoat. There are a lot of other issues here that people aren't even talking about.

I have so much respect for the people here and what they are doing with this situation. But that doesn't mean that freedom of speech should only be such when it agrees with you.

What should be done is sending the author of the article all of the information regarding Sanuks and the foundation. Who knows. They do print that paper every week. It's a very popular paper in Buffalo.



p.s. I don't know the author. I don't know Matthew. I didn't post the article to get him stoned. I posted it because what I got out of it was compassion. I got the story of him helping set up the tents of neighbors and being a nice guy.

Why do people think that drugs shouldn't be talked about. They exist. Whether or not you do them or have friends that do them is irrelevant. But to shy away from talking about them all together isn't being truthful. And I have gone to Bonnaroo sober too. Hell I've brought my kids. But I'm still aware of what goes on there.


But yeah sorry to Andrew. I didn't mean to turn this a bash fest towards you.

Here's the thing, nodepression. I don't believe Andrew made things up for the sake of a better story. I'm sure the story is largely factual. My problem with the story is that he chose to make it slanted and sensationalized in such a way that Matt came out looking like nothing more than a drunk looking to score NO NO WORD!!! and that's not who Matt was.

"Maybe Matt broke into the vodka the night before and got too wordy with him at the Jay-Z show." Really? Is this what passes for journalism?

"On the internet, people are rallying on the same message board where Matt found me for more water fill-up stations and better first aid to avoid another incident next year. They weren’t there after the sheriffs had left on Sunday to hear from his friends how Matt had done three heavy rolls of ecstasy and another dose of molly, pure MDMA, and that he was shaking, sweating, and grabbing people while at a show in Centeroo." I think this was the most appalling quote of all.

If I didn't know better I'd say that Andrew worked for AC/Superfly/Bonnaroo and was working on some PR spin. Please don't attempt to tell us that the lack of water & shade and the lack of properly trained first aid staff didn't contribute to Matt's death. And please don't act like fixing these problems wouldn't be a good thing that would save lives. Andrew's story makes it sound like Matt OD'd and that was all there was to it. Moreover, the story makes it sound like he just watched everything go down & took notes for a story while watching Matt die and that really pisses me off.

Andrew made no attempt to write a balanced story or to investigate. He didn't bother to interview anyone. He made no mention of what a wonderful person Matt was or all of the good works that he did. He made no mention of all the lives he touched or the massive grief caused by his death. He made no mention of how it has brought people together to honor Matt or help his dreams become a reality. Heaven forbid Andrew mention Matt's Trees. He made no mention of the 48 ambulance runs this year or the other 3000 people who had to get treated by medical staff at Roo. No mention of the lack of water or shade. No mention that the same thing happens every year and can be prevented if only Roo would attempt to provide adequate shade/water for its patrons. No none of that. Instead of investigating and writing an actual story, Andrew decided that he wanted to write an op-ed piece about NO NO WORD!!! and ran with it. That's why I'm upset and why some others are upset. I would LOVE to hear Andrew's explanation for why he went this route with the story. Feel free to ask him to come over and explain it to us. I'll be waiting....

BTW Andrew, I had to take a valium to prevent myself from having a coronary after reading your piece. Perhaps your next story should be about how I'm a junkie too.

With all due respect Karen, I think the fact that you didn't know Matt is why you aren't upset by the article. Those of us who knew him and were close to him are upset with good cause.

Mentioning drugs doesn't make Andrew a disgusting person but choosing to slant a story in true tabloid fashion to make Matt out to be something that he wasn't does.

I would love to know how you found water every 20 feet from the center of the What Stage considering that all of the concessions are at least 150 feet away. Your group was luckier than most. A lot of people were stuck in line for 20 minutes waiting for water, in the sun and heat. Also, not everyone can handle the taste of well water so they go with the filtered.

Do you honestly believe water is being used as a scapegoat? Matt's core body temp was 108. Surely you jest. The lack of water at Roo is a major problem and the number of heat exhaustion cases at the medical tents is a testament to that. Please don't act like it's not a major problem that needs to be fixed.

If you had known Matt then the last thing you would have gotten from that article was compassion. Andrew could have done a story about how wonderful Matt was and how he always helped people wherever he went but he didn't. That article was a slap in the face to those of us who are still grieving.

What isn't truthful is writing an article that makes it seem like the only reason Matt went to Roo was to get wasted which couldn't be further from the truth. He loved the music, the people and the spirit of Roo. He loved the sense of community. I have no problem with Andrew writing about drugs but he should at least write an honest and balanced piece of actual journalism instead of just an opinion piece.

I have been trying to stay calm but truly this article and the fact that some people don't understand why it's in such poor taste galls me.

I am deeply sorry that we have lost a beloved Roo family member. I did not have the honor of meeting him but my heart and prayers go out to his biological family. I do see good things from this tragedy though. You can see how much our Roo family means to each other through a very special bond and that he passed being in a place of great peace and love should be of great comfort to all who will miss him. I am sure that his spirit will be with us all when we return to the farm. He will be missed but not forgotten.

To Matt: Peace Be The Journey my friend.

I also thought that was very odd.

I don't think Andrew wrote a bad article, but is was extremely tacky and almost as if he wanted to put a bad taste in people's mouths about the festival. I find it hard to believe that the same person who ended a post in this thread with "Matt brought a lot of people together at Bonnaroo, even after he was gone," wrote that article. Having met him and spent a good amount of time with him over the weekend, how is it possible to throw away all thoughts of what a good guy he was to write an article that seems so cold. And even then, how is it possible to write an article portraying Bonnaroo in such a bad light when you've been for 4 years and seem to have reason to go back every year? It just doesn't make sense to me. It's articles like this that give Bonnaroo such a reputation to which parents sit home and worry about their kids the entire time they're gone.