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!!
Post by fiveleavesleft on Feb 6, 2008 16:34:13 GMT -5
Last year I went to Bonnaroo for the first time with 3 other friends and on the first night 2 of us felt extreme depression. I'm not sure what caused us to be so depressed, it may have been that so many people were having a good time and we were not or I had a feeling of claustrophobia with being stuck in the heat and humidity without the ability to leave for another 4 days. I recovered Friday night and was able to enjoy the rest of 'roo and will be going back this year, was wondering if anyone else felt depressed at first? or throughout the entirety of the festival?
My first night I was not comfortable. I felt that I made a bad decision coming and guess was a bit depressed and lost. then I got out of it.
No matter what you have done before, what festivals you have attended or camping experiences you aren't prepared for Bonnaroo. There are unrealistic expectations that aren't met, and the sheer magnitude of the whole thing that is a bit heavy at first. I think of it as my first time at college. I grew up near the Univ of MD, knew the area well but that first day walking to classes and being in the dorms... it was a bit overwhelming and depressing. But then within a week it kicked major arse. ;D
well you're young. have you ever been away from home before for 5 days in an uncertain situation where there are so many things around you that you can't controll? it prolly just took you awhile to adapt to your environment. if you start freaking, talk to your neighbors. talking to your friends who all feel the same is just going to go in circles. jibbering with a stranger about some sweet bands you're about to see might take your mind off things. just a thought. hope you can relax and have a better time this time around!
Depression is often chemical and has little to do with your surroundings. So it could be just that you were off kilter and got back on track.
More likely Becs is right and, unless you suffer from depression, it was anxiety. Roo can be a huge culture shock your first time. The immediate immersion, crowded conditions, the heat and all the rest can all overwhelm you. Certain party favors can intensify the effect also. A little anxiety attack is probably more common than not.
Bonnaroo's not a good place for people that have social phobias... There's a true sensory overload, and it can really mess with people who can't deal with it. Hope you have a better time with it this year.
Depression sucks, but I'm thinking it's anxiety...
Post by AintNoFreedom on Feb 6, 2008 20:49:57 GMT -5
I kind had the same thing happen, and me and my girlfriend were both on edge the first day... I think it was the whole settling in thing, after months and months of dreams and fantasies of what it was like... here we were... actually at Bonnaroo... and had no idea what to do with ourselves. We ended up chilling out tho, and had a fantastic thursday night... and the rest of the weekend got even better.
Post by sparklybecca on Feb 6, 2008 20:51:08 GMT -5
I do think that being at roo is ALOT, especially for a first timer, my suggestion is to not put too much pressure on yourself, and take care of yourself first and foremost, and THEN enjoy all that surrounds you
Post by tweejomoker on Feb 6, 2008 23:53:40 GMT -5
Last year was my first roo too and I had a similar experience. I attribute a lot of it to couple of mistakes I made that got me off on the wrong foot:
1. I expected to get a decent night's sleep in the Walmart parking lot on Wednesday, not realizing that this was actually the first night of the festival, and some guy on bongos had the late night slot.
2. I made the extremely foolish mistake of bringing my laptop and checking my work email on Friday morning, only to find that a crisis had developed at the office. Spent the next hour on a remote desktop session from my sweltering car. Will not make that mistake again. No gadgets will be making the trip this year.
oh yeah, and I had no beef with the bongo guy, it made for some kickass walmart atmosphere, it's just that if I'd known, I'd have slept more on Tuesday
Post by masshysteria on Feb 7, 2008 0:58:17 GMT -5
I had this feeling too the first night of the fest because I am one of those people that likes to be in somewhat control most of the time (it is good in some cases, but bad in other cases). Just relax and dont force bonnaroo, let it come to you. I can still close my eyes right now and imagine all of the different experiences that had from last year.
"That's the big thing about education. People can be book smart, but not really intelligent about anything else. A lot of times they just taking in all this information and regurgitate it. It's much more important to process it and personalize it. To apply it to your world, to your life. You have to walk the walk, or you can't really report about it honestly."
Post by kaleidoscope kristen on Feb 7, 2008 1:02:44 GMT -5
I was suffering from some major depression on the way to roo because of all the UNBELIEVABLY shitty things that happened to us (car breaking down, boyfriend getting arrested, confiscated items)
But once we finally arrived at roo all the struggles made it so much sweeter.
But i agree if you have social phobias, or are clausterphobic, roo might not be the best route for you
Bonnaroo's not a good place for people that have social phobias... There's a true sensory overload, and it can really mess with people who can't deal with it. Hope you have a better time with it this year.
Depression sucks, but I'm thinking it's anxiety...
i know someone with exteme social phobia, and roo is the only time she leaves her house every year.
I had this depression last year, but mine happened on Monday morning because I was doing pre-festie volunteering. It made me depressed because I woke up at 7:30 in the a.m, yes this happens even when there are not a lot of crazies around you, and realized that I would have to go through that for 6 more mornings 4 of which I would have a lot less sleep.
Close your eyes. Picture a convict. What's he wearing? Nothing special, baseball cap on backwards, baggy pants... he says something ordinary like... 'yo, thats shizzle.' Okay. Now slowly open your eyes again. Who are you picturing? A black man? Wrong. That was a white woman. Surprised? Well, shame on you.
Post by surronohappo on Feb 7, 2008 11:25:20 GMT -5
Last year was my first Roo, and I had lots of anxiety/depression the first few hours we got there. I think it had everything to do with it being my first one - I didn't have the knowledge of how AWESOME it would be... so I was waiting in line for hours, worried about certain things in my car, the dust, the crowd, the grass in our camping area was brutal, so the first thing that happened when I stepped out of my car was that I sliced my angle open on a flipping blade of grass! I had this cold feet/run away sort of feeling, but then - when we made our first of many pilgrimages to Centeroo, and I could see how happy everyone was and I could hear all the "bonnaroooooooooooooooo" calls, it just melted away. And I predict that this year I won't feel that at all, because I know how special this is and I know I'll want to savor every millisecond of it, even stuff like waiting for hours to get in.
If you would stop and notice that we number every day But allow the many moments left uncounted slip away You don't have to count them, just enjoy them one by one Then things would take a different hue and sparkle in the sun - Phish
Post by littlebirdie on Feb 7, 2008 11:30:15 GMT -5
I totally felt depressed our first night last year (thursday) once we hit centeroo it was weird I think people were just too reved up and we saw some fights but once we sat down to watch mute math and had a drink I felt better...also I think the trip there tires you out...plus the 4 hours of sitting in line in your car to get in 120 degrees, setting up camp...etc.
"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has the power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive."
it can be EXHAUSTING preparing and getting to the roo, and your first time there can be overwhelming initially. A little rest, meeting some nice folk, and some kind supplements will help.
I didn't read the whole thread, but I can tell you that I had a full blown panic attack Saturday late night....I was alone, and a little drunk (okay...maybe more than a little) and someone had just tried to start a fight with me at Flips....I found myself standing by the fountain, taking deep breaths with my eyes closed trying real hard not to totally lose it...long story short, I found something familiar (I've seen Mule something like 20 times) and began to calm down....
I think it's just a combo of exhaustion, and unfamiliar surroundings....mix in your substance of choice, and you may lose it for a while.
If you get upset this year, find me, I'll buy ya a beer...
I had a little anxiety attack @ Mule last year... it took a few minutes of steady breathing and closing my eyes but it passed... there was NO WAY I was leaving... It was a mind over substance situation.
It was also my first roo. We went to see Black Angels and Clutch thursday night and I started asking myself if I really wanted to be stuck in a feilds with thousands of other people for four days. Then Clutch came on and the rest of the weekend was utterly amazing.
last year on thursday night, my friend and i had a little chill out with our neighbors and decided to head over to centeroo to walk around. they hadn't opened the gates yet for some reason, and after standing in the heat with all these pushing people we had to sit down against the fence on the side.
as we sat, we looked at all the people in line and realized 90% were really drunk and not the happy drunk but the obvious like "we're here to party!" but could barely stand drunk. we sat there for like 40 minutes and got increasingly more disheartened. it was just really bad, uncomfortable vibes. we eventually went back to our tent to sleep, completely depressed and convinced this year's bonnaroo was going to be a disaster.
but then we woke up friday morning and had an amazing weekend.
i'm not really sure what point i'm trying to make...but yea, it's best to take a step back, relax and trust that any bad feelings are probably going to pass
Initially it was anxiety for me. The whole "I forgot to bring a hammer" and "Why are there so many Canadians drinking all of my beer" thing got a bit ugly for a few. Then someone lent me a hammer, and the Canadians turned out to be really cool (fantastic company, they can have my beers anytime). And we went and saw Clutch Bring The Rock. The depression didn't kick in until I was approaching my front door the following Tuesday when I got home. I almost threw myself in the dumpster and called it a day.