a Roo vet's thoughts on the scene...

How’s it going every one? I had a lot of fun with you all this last weekend. I hope you are all decompressing nicely. This was my 6th ‘roo, the first being in 2003. I’ve also been to scores of other festivals across the US, Europe, and Australia. I’ve been to Burning Man 5 times and have hit several regionals. For 5 of 6 ‘roos I’ve volunteered with a food vendor. I started doing it for the free ticket, but now it is more for a sense of purpose out there and a good credential.

The change started in 2006 with the first Radiohead show and at some point developed into a full on sea change. It used to be nothing but jam bands and we know what the lineups are like now. By and large I like this change as I’m not much of a jammer. When I was there in 2003 it was all hippies, heads as far as the eye can see. Those people just don’t come any more. Each year since 2006 the crowd has gotten younger and cleaner. I don’t see this as a good or bad thing, it is simply a thing.


But there is one part of this that bothers me. This new crowd seems to be lacking a value that was innately present with the hippies. They don’t know how to share.


This last Friday night I was at Radiohead with a lot of old friends. We realized that we were uncharacteristically without corn. We had a lot of beers though. I did what comes naturally, I yelled out beers for corn. A girl 20 feet in front of us put her hand up. I thought the problem was solved until someone else in her group whispered to her and she stopped looking at us. I asked if she changed her mind… yes. 10 minutes later when we were still in the same position I walked up to them. I explained our situation to her, told them I had a backpack full of beers, red bulls, 5 hours, waters, cash if preferred just needed a tiny bit of help. Sorry, we can’t do it. I thanked them and gave them a beer any way. Probably just an isolated incident… I proceeded to have almost the identical experience with a group of boys 20 feet behind us.

At late night that night I was near Black Star. I always hand out bottled water late night. I saw a mixed gender group that didn’t have any water. I went up to them and asked if they wanted a water. A sealed and cold bottle of water, mind you. The guy took it but the girls all asked why I would do that as in I was slipping them something. I understand safety, but come on. They clearly didn’t get it but what they did get from me was bottle of water and an earful about how they didn’t have water, about how people have a tendency to die at bonnaroo, and about a culture of sharing that appeared to be dying. It was at that point on Friday night that I knew I would be posting this.

Three different times on Sunday night people asked me to leave them alone. I approach people at random at Bonnaroo and talk to them. All the time. Talk about anything. It’s one of my favorite parts of the experience. I left them alone when asked though. And granted, I was pretty drunk, but I’m a friendly and non-threatening drunk. Kind of hurt my feelings to be honest. Eh.

We took a Fest Taxi from Pod 1 to Radiohead and cut up and acted the fool for the entire trip. We paid the fare for the entire cart upon arrival, most of whom we had just met. My point with that is that I’m not out here freeloading. I am giving and putting in. You don’t have to match me. I can also afford VIP at this point in my life for which I am thankful. If you are next to me at a show, you WILL be offered what I have. You don’t have to do give away stuff that costs money, just give of yourself. Help out, tell a joke, just share something. We can’t lose this part of our culture. I feel like when the hippies stopped coming our tribe lost its elders. I guess that makes us the elders now. Show these youngsters what love is.


A little long-winded, right? Thanks for reading. I’m not really a writer. Please chip in your two cents. I’m probably gonna talk about how I’m not going back for the next 11 months. But I’ll be there in 2013. And we’re gonna get down!