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!!
Last year was my first Bonnaroo, so it's tough to forget. I remember walking into the Roots show at the main stage, and taking a deep breath before dancing. That was when I had a realization that this is where I want to be every June ;D So what was it for everyone else's first 'Roo trip?
As we were driving in to park, there was a lady with a shirt that said "they're real" and my friend, being a smart ass was like "what's real" and she was like "my tits, but our pee isnt! we sell fake pee" hahha it was great and i think it was right about then that i realized i was in love with bonnarooooo. or possibly at the magnificent mute math show
I have to admit - my first 'roo moment actually happened at the Wal-mart in 2006 - I had never in my life seen so many people from all walks of life in one place - all I could do was keep grabbing Boz arm and saying "look - look at that - look - look over there"
My second 'roo moment came not long after - we get in and get the tents set up - 1 a.m. - sitting down for a break before we tackle the shade tent - Lucy made an appearance - that was the coldest damn night of my life but we had more fun - the shade tent did not get put up until around 11 a.m. the next morning
Let's see my first roo was 02, I remember Drums and Tuba, Galactic and the sulfur water. No fountain but free Ben and Jerry's clean port-o-pots and Phil and Bob on Sunday and I've been every year sense then. It's not just the music it's the people I meet there that keeps me going back each year but my very first roo moment was watching Les and thinking to myself f**k it's hot on this farm.
2006, carrying all our gear on foot down Bushy Branch(?)...and it was a MUCH longer walk than I had anticipated. A couple dudes in a van invited us in to share the ride to the gates...
We open the back slider door and out falls a disco ball. We climb in behind a huge wooden trunk full of costumes and take a seat next to a life-size Yoda doll wearing a purple sparkly boa. With 'The Best of The Doors' playing on the miniature TV, we all begin sharing party favors almost immediately.
It was at that moment that I fell in love with Bonnaroo. And we hadn't even reached the gate yet.
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The Walmart was our first real Roo experience (besides the hellacious drive down from Philly). We immediately got out of the car and started banging shots and drinking some celebratory wine (which I mostly got all over my shirt). We interviewed some very interesting characters in the parking lot, including a girl who sold corn brownies there every year to pay for her ticket.
On site, the first few memorable events were:
- Being half-drunk dumbasses trying to set up our tents while drinking steaming hot beer that we put on top of our car (went from cold to boiling hot in about 2 min). King B and I are admittedly more of "hotel" guys, so setting up our tent was a bit of a chore. However, we did set up camp next to some great people from this board (respect to the peeps from Camp Bob Saget!).
- Making our way through Centeroo for the first time and being a bit underwhelmed... That was until we decided to see where our press passes would take us, and we stumbled into the empty main stage area which was still being set up. Centeroo wasn't so underwhelming any more.
- Interview with Neil Fallon of Clutch to start off the weekend of interviews (Ziggy Marley, Bobby Weir/Jack Casady, Girl Talk)
- Moments later, meeting up with people in the radio press tent, and enjoying a bunch of key beverages, then getting escorted by golf cart (at about 500 MPH) to see the Cold War Kids with beer bottles in our hands. I remember looking at B and saying, "is this nuts really happening??" Then we got back and had a tequila tasting with all of the radio people... Which turned into a pure sh!tfest. Afterwards, we hit the scene in Centeroo and B got his backpack stolen (with his car keys, only camera, wallet, etc) when he went diving headfirst through the shroom fountain. Watch your stuff if or when you put it down at the fountain. Unfortunately, there are still a-holes out there at Roo.
Our first Roo was filled with tons of moments. Top moment was a tie for us... Either it was our half hour interview with Ziggy Marley (The Marleys are my fav of all time. It was a nearly religious experience) in his tour bus, or doing "interview in the pit"/getting shitfaced with Gregg/Girl Talk at the Tool show (we had a LOT of vodka contraband with us), or dancing onstage for Girl Talk's amazing set.
Can't wait to see what this coming year's festival will bring!
not being able to take the wait to get into Centeroo on Thursday night 2007. I was altered and I didn't think the line had moved and I thought it had been an hour, so I just freaked and ran to the back of the line, fell down and poured water all over my head. i was so anxious to get in
Post by bamadancer on Dec 28, 2007 14:07:52 GMT -5
Bonnaroo 2006...getting into our campsite, finally getting all the camping supplies set up (after realizing that we were under-supplied). I stood on the roof of my friends car to see everything and get a picture. That's when I looked around at ALL the tents and all the people...I could see the buzz of shakedown from where I was standing...and I just realized that it was going to be a hell of a time
Post by steveternal on Dec 28, 2007 14:36:47 GMT -5
So no one's gonna say THE LINE?? Ok, I won't either.
'04, Thursday night around 11pm, finally getting into Centeroo for the first of many, many times, and realizing there were unannounced acts already playing. We walked to the nearest tent, and it was Peelander-Z. Anyone who saw them play that night know what a first Bonnaroo experience that can be! It solidified in my mind that ANYTHING can happen here, and you don't want to miss a second of it.
My first Roo was '04. We got there Wednesday evening around 6:30 right as they opened the gates. We were inside and all set up by 8:00. In '04 there was really nothing going on Thursday. At this point I realized that I still had a day and a half until the fest actually started. It was so much fun just camping and hanging out with everyone without feeling like I was missing something.
Post by roolacksreality on Dec 28, 2007 16:32:44 GMT -5
Here's a little story about my first day at Bonnaroo in 2005.
My friends Jon and Justin and I were walking to check out Herbie Hancock, whilst munching on some dry, bald-headed fungus we purchased from a odd-looking fellow wearing a shirt with a Ralph Steadman design.
By the time we got through security we were already heading towards a downward spiral of confusion and hysteria.
"What do we see? What do we do? (Oh, how uncomfortable those questions can feel at times). In fear of making a mockery of ourselves, we cautiously approached the information tent.
"Herbie Hancock", Jon muttered.
Thinking back to the classic Tommy Boy line I said aloud "Jon, it's not John Hancock. It's Herbie Hancock." This simple remark arroused meager laughter from the female volunteers at the tent; however, this friendly chuckle turned our giddyness into a cackle similar to that of a hyena. This uncontrolable laughter was soon interupted by a monotone voice.
"Are you guys alright? I was just being polite. It's not that funny", she solemnly said.
"Am I alright?", I pondered. "No, don't overthink anything. Just go with the flow. Herbie Hancock starts at 6:00. Just move on and get out of there before you further embarass yourselves." The different options were racing through my thoughts.
I turned to my perplexed accomplices and then to the woman sitting near the schedule.
"No....errr...ummm I mean yes. Yes we are alright. We're going to Herbie Hancock."
"Congradulations", she said with a condescending smile. "He's playing at the Which Stage."
"Which Stage." I thought for a moment. "Don't fall for it. These venue names can be just as thought-provoking as your visual and auditory hallucinations. Or, perhaps it only seems this way because you ingested psilocybin mushrooms."
I had to fight all of the thoughts racing through my head. "Stop thinking! The Which Stage is the smaller outdoor venue next to the main stage."
"Josh, which stage are we going to?", said Jon.
"Yeah, Josh. What stage are we going to?", chuckled Justin.
"It's that stage over there. Next to the comedy tent." I struggled to maintain one clear, direct tone of voice.
"Oh so you mean that tent?", asked Jon in a sarcastic tone.
"Go #@$% yourself, man. Let's go; we only have like 15 minutes, or something."
Just then Justin's girl friend Courtney arrived out of what seemed to be nowhere; however, she said she had been following us for a while. I couldn't confirm this.
"Where are you guys headed?"
"Where are we headed? Ummm Herbie Hancock he starts really soon. We can't be late."
Upon noticing our wide eyes and plastic smiles, she asked the classic question: "Are y'all tripping, or something?"
To what may have been a simple question for her came accross as a Guestapo interogation tactic. "She's not tripping. She doesn't know what it's like. What the hell do I say?"
I tried to be casual about it, (I'm usually the responsible one who has his head on his shoulders, regardless if my friends have theirs up their asses.) "Yeah we are tripping." I laughed in the middle of this strangely difficult, four-word sentence.
"How much did you guys eat?" Her inquiry had a sense of smug satisfaction, despite that she would end up in our state of mind during late night.
I looked for the mental support from my friends but their minds were way ahead of my own, most likely nearing (If not already at) their "peak". As the effects grew stronger, my self-control was all but non-existant.
"How much did I eat? An eigth if my memory serves me correct", (Which it still does not.).
"Who are you going to see again?", she asked us.
"Herbie Hancock!", Jon screamed. For some reason this outburst seemed really funny. For some reason we all started laughing hysterically. Then I noticed the bizzare art work near by and I stopped laughing, gazing wonderously at a very large umbrella.
By this time I had caught up, so to speak, with my friends. Now, we were all equally lethargic.
"Herbie Hancock!?" She looked as confused as we were. "Are you sure you only ate an eigth?"
"Pretty sure", I said with a wide smile, trying to act somewhat confident about my remark.
"Oh my God, you guys are retarded."
The ensuing laughter came to a dead hault as all three of our heads listened in to what Courtney was about to say.
"You all must have been looking at the Friday schedule. Today is Thursday. Who are you planning on seeing?"
The three of us looked as if we had been betrayed.
"You're lying", said Jon. "Quit trying to mess with us."
I missed the next few words they exchanged. I simply lost focus. For how long, I do not remember. After some time I looked at my cell phone.
"Thursday, June Nineth. 6:00 p.m.", I read aloud. "How long have we been here?" I chuckled at the end of the sentence. "How many times in life can one ask his or her self that question and be dead serious?", I thought.
"We got here around two o'clock. Come back to the camp site before you make yourselves look even dumber than y'all already are. The Claypool and Gabby LaLa show you wanted to see doesn't start until midnight."
Then, the perpetual laughter ensued without warning.
"I thought it was today", said Jon in between his laughter.
"Whatever. Let's cruise Shakedown Street. We can keep ourselves occupied for a few hours."
[FIN]
Just a little story I thought I would share with you all for post number 1,500. I wanted to tell it with a Hunter S. Thompson style prose. Did it work out?
Hahaha while I was reading that story I was being reminded of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las vegas, so yes! you did a great job. haha funny story
Post by roolacksreality on Dec 28, 2007 17:55:00 GMT -5
bamadancer said:
karma for the nod to gonzo journalism, roolacksreality
But there are no drugs at Bonnaroo!
Thanks!
Yeah, I forgot to mention the odd-looking fellow wearing a shirt with a Ralph Steadman design was OUTSIDE the festival grouds on the interstate. Another example of how THERE ARE NO DRUGS AT BONNAROO.
being jacked up on caffeine on the drive north on i75 from north Florida. Coming down that hill on i24 into Chattanooga... and the scenery slowly becoming visible while on i24... Seeing some of the most beautiful mountains I had ever seen. Then, driving on the actual mountains... all the way into... THE LINE.!!!!
Post by rockisgroovy on Dec 28, 2007 19:11:57 GMT -5
man i remember my first roo. it was 2006 and i was with my two girlfriends. we were driving in that long "to get in" line and the people infront of us just got out and walked up to our car and just started talking with us.
that's how i knew bonnaroo was going to be great.
one car infront of us was awfully annoying at first and we were like oh man i really hope we don't camp next to those guys. turns out we did and those guys were the coolest ever.
we had bongo jam sessions at our campsite and shared drinks and food.
i'll never forget patrick, groover, and the other guy, haha.
Post by BrokenLight on Dec 28, 2007 20:44:54 GMT -5
...in 2005 as we were driving through the farm to get to our campsite, the second I layed eyes on the bonnaroo rainbow arc and the sign on top of the what stage, I knew I was home...
Post by OneCoolHippie on Dec 28, 2007 23:09:01 GMT -5
I remember asking someone if he wanted to smoke, and as luck would have it he was the only guy at Bonnaroo who didn't! More for me I guessed. Then I found my neighbors and this old couple moved in next to me, only for me to find a newer young couple already setup in the morning. I was at a concert later wondering if I would ever see them again since they were so cool, only to remember they lived right next to me!
my first roo moment was thursday. we got there. set up camp. and then went to explore. it was hot as hell. and my brother took off basically all his clothes and went under the fountain in just his underwear. now, for every one else this may seem semi normal. but for my brother, its not. he is never seen without long pants. socks. shoes. teeshirt. hoodie. and a snow cap. never. i live with him and i never see him in anything other than that. so when he started peeling off those layers and finally ran under the mushroom practically naked... thats when i knew we were at roo and it was going to be an amazing 4 days that changed peoples lives!
Post by iridethecannibus on Dec 29, 2007 9:11:17 GMT -5
My first roo moment began with an injury. For those of you who know me, in real life or through this board, this should not come as a surprise. I've been to only two roos so far, 04 and 07. In 04 we got in line after leaving the walmart at approximately 7am. After enduring the tennesee heat for hours, in my car with no air conditioning, we made it to our campsite just after 1pm, when the sweltering sun was at it's worst. The line on the way in was cool, with everyone corning and crankin' the music and being crazy. At one point, my friends and I all decided that this would be a prime time to shave our legs (don't ask, i don't even know...). So there we are, creeping along at approximately 0.25 mph with all the doors wide open and our legs propped up on them, shaving. I was driving at the same time. (well, i was TECHNICALLY driving...it was more like just sitting there). Anyway, we had to stop abruptly as the line got going when we were closer to roo. we didn't really meet our neighbors when we were setting up because it was SOOOO f*ckin hot we just wanted some shade and a chance to cool down. After sweating our balls off we eventually got everything assembled, through we were all somewhat cranky from the long wait, brutal heat, and less than perfect setup. As we were getting some things from the trunk, i decided it was time to get the corn out and start nomming. I reached into my purse for the goods without looking and found.... the razor i had been shaving with earlier. it was just a cheap lil disposable one, but the angle that my thumb hit it at was no bueno. It was so shocking too, since i didn't even see it happen. I withdrew my hand from my purse and saw the blood just gushing out from the gash. Now, I am not normally a squeamish person whatsoever, blood doesn't freak me out, and i have a high pain tolerance. But given my current state of exhaustion, dehydration, and near heat stroke, i felt my vision blur immediately and thought i was going to pass out. One of my friends quickly got directions from our neighbors to the nearest medic tent and they quickly assisted me there. Once I was in the hands of roo's capable staff, i was fine. they sat me down in front of a HUGE fan and sprayed me with mist bottles. One person sprayed me while another got an ice cold bottle of water, while another applied some butterfly bandages to my wound (being so early on thursday, not too many people had gotten themselves into trouble yet). Merely ten minutes after i thought my roo might be ruined, i was livin' the good life and making new friends in the process. When we returned to camp we started talking with our neighbors, whose coolness we had initially questioned. They were two dudes probably in their middle 40s who lived on opposite sides of the country. One was a lawyer from New York and the other did something professional (don't remember what) in California. THey were friends in high school and college who only got to see each other once a year, if that. We busted out the aforementioned corn and all began having a good time. I remember sitting at my campsite nomming with "strangers" thinking how cool it was that bonnaroo could bring together such a diverse and friendly crowd of people. And from there, every moment i've spent at roo has just gotten better.
Post by iridethecannibus on Dec 29, 2007 11:26:33 GMT -5
i live in downtown historic roswell, near that shell station and the police department (duh duh DUH!). i went to roswell high school for a few years and have friends that go to UGA. Athens is a cool town for sure
Ah its cool to see some inforooers from the Roswell-Alpharetta area. I used to live in Roswell along Holcomb Bridge, then in Alpharetta along Jones Bridge (There alot of damn Bridges in that area), but now I live in Woodstock.
As for my Roo moment, my first Roo was in 2007. My Roo moment came when I was in line to get in. I got my wristband and maps and proceeded to exit the line and when I was being escorted to my campsite I could not stop being entralled at how big the place was and seeing so many people. At that moment I finally realized I made it. I was at Bonnaroo.
My first Roo moment was on Thursday night of '07. Our two friends were wandering around but I wanted to see Tea Leaf Green. My boyfriend bought me one of those blinking drink cups and told me to leave it on so he could find me after he got some food. It was the first night and I was the only person I saw with one of those cups and people kept coming up to me saying how cool it was ;D
I had finished my smoothie and it was just lying next to me and blinking. Some guy is running around and stops at my blanket when he sees my cup. Then he says something like, "WHOAAAAAAAAAA your cup is AWESOMMMMMEEEE" Then he asked me where I got it and I was trying to tell him where it was. Before I could finish, he goes "HEY YOU NEED ME TO FILL THAT UP???" I laugh and he pulls out a bottle of liquor from his bag and poured it in.
Now I don't drink at all, but that's when it hit me I'm at Bonnaroo!!!!!! How could I say no?
I ended up drinking all of it. I still don't know what kind of alcohol it was. LOL It was nice though. I was all by myself, surrounded by everything that is Bonnaroo. After I stopped laughing I took a deep breath and tried to take everything in.
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