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!!
I'm always fascinated by people's stories about their first time at Bonnaroo and I'd really like to hear the shenanigans/screw ups/ love at first sight and sound/etc that's happend to the Inforoosters on here.
Fire away
Edit: Changed thread title to eradicate the creepiness
I have only been to two Roos, so my first one still isn't too far off It certainly had some interesting memories though. So, for starters, I met some people in Manchester to drive in with that I had never met before, which was a totally new experience for me. They were very nice and I'm super glad that we were able to roll in to the farm together. On our way in, we saw two guys with back packs walking the line, so we asked if they wanted a ride. They said okay, and we ended up rolling in with two new members to the group. They were from bay area in California, and they taught us all the interesting bay area lingo (their slang is SO different!) and were really nice and awesome as well. Before I even got into the farm I was already feeling that Bonnaroovian sense of community! We ended up getting into Pod 1, which my newbie mind thought was a good thing at the time (we got their early!). The walk killed me, but Pod 1 also has a really good atmosphere and there was no fear of theft or anything like that (I was in Pod 3 last year - less walk, but didn't have as much of a secluded feeling like Pod 1 did). We had Bonnaroo vet neighbors who had an entire set up with a living room type area and tons of food and chairs that they welcomed us to. I've never felt such a hospitable environment - totally blew my mind. Anyway, one fuck up that happened was that after reading about all the posts on how to stay cool at Bonnaroo I had forgotten how to stay WARM! I brought only sheets for blankets because I wasn't thinking about the change in temperature at night. Roo 2012 was notably cool too, so that added to it. I couldn't sleep the first night because it was so cold (also.. excitement ;P) and ended up using towels to stay warm. Also - the nights there were torture! I didn't bring a sweater and because of the walk, usually what I wore was what I wore into the night in Centeroo. OH! Another fuck up - one I thought I was prepared for - was WATER! I had tons of bottled water at the campsite, but what I didn't think about was how that wouldn't translate into Centeroo water. Luckily, I got a Camelbak last year so this year's Roo was MUCH more hydrated. But I did suffer from some unhappiness my first year over something I thought i was prepared for
Screw ups and all, it was one of the best experiences of my life, along with last year. Can't wait to add this year to the list!
edit: OH! NOW I REALIZE WHY Y'ALL SAY QUACK SO MUCH! I re-read my post and was a little confused. Okay, I get it now.
Last year was my first Bonnaroo. I did a ton of research as to what you should bring and what to prepare for. In my research, I read a lot of people's posts saying that Bonnaroo changed their life and had this huge lasting effect on them. I thought they were overreacting. Then I went to Bonnaroo and realized that they were 100% right! It was amazing. I came home and completely redirected my future to give myself the chance to be happy. It's an experience everyone should have. There is an endless amount of stories to be told but here are the highlights based on the first post...
Shenanigans:
The wristband for the giant water slide is a must get. It definitely gets hot and it's nice to have a fun way to quickly cool off. Same goes for the slip and slides. The fact that there is a place where as a young adult can repeatedly go crazy on a slip and slide is just a wonderful thing.
Screw Ups:
I have to say, being that it was our first Bonnaroo, we did a good job bringing what we need. The big mistake was not bringing an air mattress. We had a big closed off canopy to sleep in but the ground where we were parked was so rocky that we ended sleeping in the van. It was a great spot though. At the most, 10 minutes from the arch. We used the canopy as our shaded hang out area so it all worked out.
Sound/Etc:
There are sooooo many. Here are the highlights!
The first show we saw was twenty one pilots. It was my friends first concert ever. I had only just started listening to them and told him that they were pretty good and we could stay through their set to get a better spot for Walk The Moon. It ended up being one of the best shows of the week! I instantly became a huge fan of their. They did every concert trick in the book. Absolutely amazing.
Walk The Moon was incredible as well. My friend and I were saying how much we wanted to hear Next In Line and they played it first! They closed with an awesome speech about leaving your worries at the door and having an amazing week that led into I Can Lift A Car. Great way to put the week into perspective.
Paul McCartney's show was so surreal. He's one of the Beatles. They are so legendary it almost doesn't register as being real. I still look back on that and can't believe I was there.
Right after that we hit The xx and they blew past any expectations I had. They have their show down to a science. From the amazing opening to Crystallized where they fade into view through the smoke to playing Intro beneath two giant X's made with lasers, it was just perfect.
I'm not a big electronic guy, but Pretty Lights playing until the Sun rose the next morning was unforgettable. Non stop amazing moments.
Just when I think it can't get any better, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls leave me speechless. I didn't even know what hit me after the show ended. They were so amazing that when I found out they were coming to my area in November I immediately got tickets, making them the first artists I ever saw a second time. It was too good of an experience to pass up going a second time!
Jack Johnson, replacing Mumford and Sons, was so impressive. Within 24 hours he had his band fly in, learned to play The Cave, put on a 2 hour show for 80,000 people, and wrote a song about the whole experience. Definitely a true musician.
Empire of the Sun marked my first time ever crowd surfing! Never thought in my life that I would do that. Unforgettable.
Walking to the stage to see Macklemore and Ryan Lewis while they played Thrift Shop was an awesome visual. Everyone was singing and dancing on their way there. It was really nice to see how worry free everyone was.
Then Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros go ahead and pull someone on stage who just had a life saving surgery that they visited in the hospital last year. It was an amazing moment. Just when we thought the set was over, they paraded by us and we followed them to a smaller stage where they performed more songs. They brought someone who's birthday it was on stage and a girl who had a drum with her. Someone had a harmonica but they were too shy to come on stage. They put a microphone in the crowd so they could still play and changed the key of the song to one that they could do on the harmonica. It was amazing. A real journey through music.
This was unquestionably the best week of my life. The best part is I get to do it every year!
10/19/14-Phantogram
11/29/14-New Politics, Bad Suns
4/17/15-Hippo Campus, Night Riots, The Mowglis
5/1/15-Penn State Movin' On Music Festival-New Politics, Passion Pit, Big Gigantic, Big Sean
6/11/15-6/14/15-Bonnaroo!
6/21/15 - Paul McCartney
6/27/15-Halsey, Imagine Dragons
Me and my now wife's first year was 2006. We saw Radiohead on the lineup and put tickets on the credit card as broke and not too bright college students. Since we new we would be paying for it forever anyway we even went VIP. We did very little research other than some light reading here and came totally unprepared. In total we had a old Volvo, a all season rental tent, and small cooler full of booze and water and a few snacks. We were not prepared for the heat or even the need for shade and water. However, We were lucky and ended up camping near some inforoo'ers (shout out to Ticktrix) who helped us with some shade and some solid advice. That year was amazing and kicked off a yearly ritual for us. This year makes the 9th Bonnaroo.
Biggest moments of 2006:
Radiohead in 2006 is the show i still compare all concerts too. Radiohead hasn't even been able to top that show in the several times I have saw them since.
Seeing a wook dive off a set of portos into the muddy poo muck, belly flop, and just lay there then get up laughing and running off.
Seeing a couple wooks copulate on a trashcan along shakedown
The Parade with Mr.T and the Dragon
Art of Such and Such and everyone trying to figure out what the huge smoke ring was all day.
My first year in '07 we had almost no shade. We were totally unprepared fer the unrelentin' heat and dust! But the shear joy we felt upon gettin' outta the car from Raleigh, NC powered us fer a solid two days. I stil love lookin' back on those photos, and I only wish I had more! Lifelong friendships were solidified between me and two of my best friends (who before that weekend really didn't like each other). Even with the heat we wandered around everywhere that year. I think we spent a good three hours each day just checkin' out campgrounds and PODs! I really wish I could repeat that amazin', miserable, fantastic weekend again like a newcomer sometimes. But I equally love the feelin' of familiarity and sense of home every year I return.
Post by wakeupjohnny on Jan 9, 2014 7:04:23 GMT -5
Last year was my first. My buddy decided to run the car for the AC to the point of running out of gas. Luckily, when the weekend was over, some new friends we made went through the trouble of leaving and returning with gas for us. Also, I neglected to bring sunblock and got fried to a crisp as well. No misfortunes or discomforts experienced mattered though. Everything was too amazing for me to care.
Post by sourgirl155 on Jan 10, 2014 2:49:52 GMT -5
2011 was my first Roo. I didn't sleep for two nights before from excitement! As soon as we drove onto the farm I knew I felt different! This was where I was meant to be. My friend and I met up with some of her friends and rode in together since they'd been before. We set up the perfect camp side and met some neighbors and after a drink I figured I would brave the port a potty. Now or never, right? I had convinced myself that even though I had never been camping, I could handle being on the farm for the weekend. That's why I thought nothing of it when I slipped in some mud walking out of the port a potty... Until someone yelled, "That's not mud!" For the rest of the weekend one of my new friends called me Shit Toe.
So, other than that, and that being the hottest year in history (So I've been told), I had the time of my life. Girl Talk, Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Sons, Big Boi, Buffalo Springfield!!! Warren Haynes. Oh man, during Warren Hayes, I almost passed out from the heat. It was in the middle if the afternoon at the What Stage (I think) and I had stupidly chugged a few beers before going through the lines for Centeroo. I just lay flat on the ground with a wet scarf on my head and listening, and when he played Soulshine it was so perfect! I felt great afterward and I was able to enjoy the rest of the day.
I went back the next year, missed last year, and am hoping I can find someone to come with me this year because I have to go back!
I've enjoyed reading everyone's stories and I hope there are more to come! ??
It was my first fest/large trip outside of North Dakota without parents and was definitely a mindblower of an experience.
"We danced to bands in crowds composed of tens of thousands. Sang along to songs we knew and more we didn’t. In the darkness hundreds of glowsticks streaked the air like tracer shots in war. Giant inflatables bounced over dozens of light sabers pointed skyward. Stuffed animals impaled on sticks danced above the hot crowds, puppeted by someone just given ecstasy by a friend made seconds before. A man wore a dildo helmet wrapped in Christmas lights. Bass drops threw the earth off its axis. There was noise everywhere and at all times."
Post by lettheidiotspeak on Jan 11, 2014 4:16:24 GMT -5
You guys made me come out of hiding for this question. So many great memories...
So I've only been to roo once, in 2009. It's still something I talk about weekly. Unfortunately, after that one experience life and growing up got in the way. This year, I'll finally be going back. Thanks to my real job I even plan on going VIP. ;-)
So we show up in my buddy's Camry. Three brand new Roovians. We had our crappy little Wal-Mart tent, a crappy little Wal-Mart canopy, and coolers full of beer, sandwich meat, water and bacon. Yea, we planned really well...
The first night, there was a torrential downpour. easily 2-3 inches of water in the tent that I hadn't waterproofed. I took my buddy's ShamWow that he had drunkenly purchased at the Wal-Mart in town right before we came in (and we mocked him ruthlessly for) and used it to dry out the floor of the tent. As I sat there puffing and drinking after my midnight chore, I heard someone else crack a beer. I shouted out "Hey, I know that sound!" I quickly heard back from the void "You know it!" Then a quick smattering of cracking beers followed by a call of "Bonnaroo!" brought a smile to my face after what had previously been a pretty miserable first night.
That weekend quickly became unforgettable. The next morning we properly met our neighbors. The one that always sticks out is Hippy-Man. Out comes this long-haired bearded guy with a tie-dye shirt and he ties a Grateful Dead flag around his neck. He introduces himself as Hippy-Man and the very next words out of his mouth are "By the way, if you got shrooms I'm gonna eat 'em." Priceless. He was a stand up guy, too. Easily one of the coolest people throughout the whole weekend.
Quick highlights - LN moe. with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Elvis Costello bringing out Allen Toussaint and Jenny Lewis as well as the whole Imposters to play his show after opening with a solo acoustic set. Fishman joining Del McCoury for some impromptu bluegrass jammin' Todd Snider. 'nuff said.
Then on the last night, after seeing Bruce Springsteen play with Phish, I was tuckered out and headed back to camp. We still had four lbs of bacon left in our cooler. My camp got invited to someone else's for an impromptu all night jam session (I brought my mandolin) and bacon cookout. We shared the remainder of our beer and liquor, they shared theirs, we jammed, ate, drank and were merry till the sunrise Monday morning. It was perfection.
Post by beavdog151 on Jan 11, 2014 11:52:41 GMT -5
iiI started dating my wife March of 2007. At the time She was going to grad school at SIU and I was living in Lebanon TN. She asked me if I would be interested in going to a music fest about an hour south of me, of course I said yes.
When that Thursday in June came around I had all my shit ready when they came to pick me up. At this point we had two vehicles, one had my wife, her friend Stacy, and me, the other had Stacy's college friend Dave and two girls that he knew, I forget their names. I did not have any idea what I was about to be a part of, lol.
When we got near around the Manchester area we met up with 4 more people, they were 4 middle aged guys that have been going to Bonnaroo every year since it started. My wife heard about Bonnaroo through one of these guys who works as the head of a forensic unit down in Southern Illinois, the other three were his friends.
Now that we had our entire caravan together we proceeded to the event. I'll never forget the excitement that we started to feel as we approached the long road into the gates. We were pretty much not moving at all so I decided to get out and persuaded my wife to join me Going up to this winery that was right off the road, Beans Creek Winery. We ran up to the winery and did a quick tasting, we each liked a wine so each bought a bottle. They had sports bottles made specifically for Bonnaroo goers because of the no glass rule. After we filled our bottles we ran down the road trying to catch up to our friends, it was pretty funny.
After what seemed like a very long wait, we finally get parked. I probably shouldn't have finished my bottle of wine so fast because I remember have a hard time erecting our tent, it was comical.
When we had our camp set up my wife and I decided to explore the grounds, this is where we made our first big mistake. By the time we started heading back to our tent it was pretty dark and everything looked the same, lol. We had no idea where the hell our tent was, I guess we were so excited that we didn't think of remembering any sort of marker. We finally got a hold of her friend who was back at camp, she couldn't really explain because she was shrooming pretty hard at this point so she gave the phone to Dave. After awhile we finally understood enough to find our way. This was a good lesson to learn.
The next day when we got up, the four older gentlemen were cooking breakfast, these guys definitely knew what they were doing. Eggs and bacon for everyone, an unexpected awesome treat. After eating these guys followed that up,with bloody Mary's, my second big mistake. After having a few Mary's, I decided to break out my bottle of vodka, triple sec, and roses lime juice. Don't ask me why I thought it would be a good idea to bring the ingredients for kamikazes. I started drinking glasses of these little bastards. Needless to say I was feeling pretty good, very early.
After a few hours of boozing and bullshitting, we decided to check out some music, first up was kings of Leon, at least I think they were first(I'm drunk at this point). At the time I didn't know who they were but I was enjoying the show. It wasn't long until the burning sun started to win its battle with me. I took off my shirt, balled it up and used it as a pillow. I laid down in the middle of thousands of people and passed out. After the show ended my wife got me up, at this point I needed some shade and water. I was disoriented so my wife got somebody driving one of those carts. He brought me to a water station where I began to rehydrate. After that we went back to our tent and met up with Stacy. I felt like shit so I took a Xanax and laid down. Stacy brought her portable DVD player. I'll never forget laying there watching Ghostbusters while trying to recover from my stupidity. This was definitely the best lesson I've learned. STAY HYDRATED! The last lesson I learned was to bring something for the dust. Always have some sort of a bandana to cover your mouth and nose. I was coughing up mud and crap for at least a week after Bonnaroo.
A fun side note, one of the girls that was there with us met a guy who she eventually married and started a family with.
Here's a few photos of our last day together on the farm Above(Dave, Stacey, Joanna(wife), Patrick(Me))
2010 was my first year. I read every thing on this board for MONTHS!!! nothing could prepare me for that heat! there was an 8 hour wait to get in due to rain, there were heat advisories all weekend. my husband and I saw as many bands as we could and the music was AWESOME (Jay-Z even made me cry, although that could have just been heat stroke). did I mention we were past the church, second from last row EVER OF CAMPING??? by Sunday morning we were all so miserable we decided to pack up and head home. after 30 minutes on the road I looked at my husband and said "I'm sad". I was hooked. all that crap and misery and none of it mattered. I've been to 2 more and hoping this year will be my 4th roo.
It was my first fest/large trip outside of North Dakota without parents and was definitely a mindblower of an experience.
"We danced to bands in crowds composed of tens of thousands. Sang along to songs we knew and more we didn’t. In the darkness hundreds of glowsticks streaked the air like tracer shots in war. Giant inflatables bounced over dozens of light sabers pointed skyward. Stuffed animals impaled on sticks danced above the hot crowds, puppeted by someone just given ecstasy by a friend made seconds before. A man wore a dildo helmet wrapped in Christmas lights. Bass drops threw the earth off its axis. There was noise everywhere and at all times."
I can attest: I've read his blog and it is good stuff; the descriptions of the relationships forged on such a trip are powerful.
Post by purplefuzzystuff on Jan 14, 2014 0:28:16 GMT -5
My first roo was in 2006 and I can hardly remember some of the moments. They've all blended together over the years. But one thing is certain, in the end I only ever remember the best moment. Rain, mud, heat, jerks who push people around, I forget it and I'm flooded with just some of the best moments of my life.
What I do remember is the overwhelming sensation that I had just stepped into another country. I had been part of the boards since they were a list-serve type thing and I read all I could about roo. But nothing could have prepared me for the craziness I encountered.
A man in a long white robe called me his "Jedi master" on shakedown. (Proud moment in my life, thinking about putting it on my résumé) Listening to Radiohead on a blanket with five other people, using each other as pillows, closing our eyes and just listening. And the friends I made that year! So many people were ready and willing to chit chat. That one weekend restored my faith in humanity just a little.... Of all the shows I have seen over the years, some of my best shows are still from that year. But that might be the overall atmosphere creating an unforgettable experience. I think I could go on for a while, but this is already a bit long winded.
Nothing can compare to seeing roo for the first time.
I read every blog/post/checklist/1st timer expectation list/etc there was on the internet before going this past year. Usually if you hype something up so much it turns into a disappointment. It was not in any way shape or form.
I was not really prepared well. Didn't bring enough beat the heat items. Our tent was terrible. I slept on an "air mattress" that would deflate overnight so essentially I was sleeping on the ground with one pillow most of the time. We needed a fan or something, I couldn't sleep past sunrise. I did start going into the car and running A/C in the morning to grab another hour of sleep.
I also brought along a downer-type person. They aren't coming with us this year. Neighbors became our best friends. Couldn't find them online when we got home which was a real downer I saw and participated in some ridiculous shenanigans. I saw a guy jerking off with his pants at his ankles at the R. Kelly show. Then some guy donkey punched him in the back of the head after awhile. That's the only violence I saw. Besides this one guy who pushed me at the jack johnson show (and really? during a jack johnson set?) There were cats underneath my neighbors car when i got back from pretty lights at sunrise, except there werent actually any cats there....
The waterslide wristband was the best purchase I made. They took it down way too early though on sunday. I used it enough though. There were 3 or 4 little kids at the waterslide who told us there parents were off seeing a show somewhere else, they were hilarious. We always let them cut in front of us. They told us Bonnaroo was the greatest time they ever had.
I drank too much boxed wine while waiting for macklemore to play.
I still don't know where shakedown is? I really didnt spend much time out of centeroo anyway. Always went in when lines were short and stayed the day for the most part.
I didn't want to leave. The girl I was with had to leave early on sunday. That was the worst part.
Bonnaroo is different than any other place in the world and you don't understand until you're there. The people were amazing, the vibes were amazing, and the shows were amazing. The only thing that will ever top it is this year's venture
My first bonnaroo was in 2012 and it was pretty amazing. I decided to finally make the trip down when I saw phish was playing and it was my first festival. The group I went with was my two brothers and one of my best friends (all of whom went 4 or more times) so I didn't have to deal with the underprepared aspect. Hah funny thing about it though was I was the only one that had the camping supplies we needed.
I remember getting there on Wednesday in pod 1 and wondering ''what the hell I got myself into.'' It was dark, I was getting drunk, had no clue where I was, and just knew the pisser was about 100 yards from our camp. Hah after a few beers the group of girl's beside us asked us if we knew what camp we were in . I looked around and saw an ATM balloon and stated ''camp ATM '' to which everyone chuckled at the reference. I realized then that I was home.
Needless to say, Centeroo blew me away! I saw so many great acts, ate surprisingly good food, drank good beers, and enjoyed being surrounded by 80,000 ''new friends''. Hah there were a lot of highlights, but, one thing I will never forget was the Alice Cooper show. Six people back front/center, confetti/fight between Obama and Romney during ''elected'', and the dude beside me was smoking crack. Hell of a show even with the crack dude beside me! Loved every minute of the festival and knew I would be back every year!
The only bad experiences I had was when my hammock broke and I had to leave a tent behind that I had since I was 10 years old. I guess if there is a tent heaven it's bonnaroo. Oh yeah, watch out for your buddies spilling gold bond all over the place. I rolled over into a pile of it, didn't realize it until the next morning that my eyes were in it,and could barely see for half of that Sunday.
Post by klimfactor on Jan 15, 2014 22:26:39 GMT -5
My first 'roo was in 06, and we went in Wednesday so they parked us way back in BFE. The good news was we ended up next to the tree line, allowing me to pull my small tent into the shade-giving woods. The bad news was I had to watch where I walked coming to and from my tent the rest of the weekend because people used the woods as an open-air port-o-pot. Lesson learned.
I could write a novella about my experience, but, in short, it was so profoundly enjoyable I've gone every year since, even though I'm now in my early 40s. The music was sublime, Centeroo was mind-blowingly fun, and I met a ton of friendly, awesome people. Bonnaroo to me was, and continues to be, a magical place.
By the way, the Radiohead, My Morning Jacket and DeVotchka sets from that weekend might remain in my Top 10 of all time, even though I've seen countless shows at 'roo and elsewhere since then.
It certainly had some interesting memories though. So, for starters, I met some people in Manchester to drive in with that I had never met before, which was a totally new experience for me. They were very nice and I'm super glad that we were able to roll in to the farm together. On our way in, we saw two guys with back packs walking the line, so we asked if they wanted a ride. They said okay, and we ended up rolling in with two new members to the group. They were from bay area in California, and they taught us all the interesting bay area lingo (their slang is SO different!) and were really nice and awesome as well. Before I even got into the farm I was already feeling that Bonnaroovian sense of community! We ended up getting into Pod 1, which my newbie mind thought was a good thing at the time (we got their early!). The walk killed me, but Pod 1 also has a really good atmosphere and there was no fear of theft or anything like that (I was in Pod 3 last year - less walk, but didn't have as much of a secluded feeling like Pod 1 did). We had Bonnaroo vet neighbors who had an entire set up with a living room type area and tons of food and chairs that they welcomed us to. I've never felt such a hospitable environment - totally blew my mind. Anyway, one fuck up that happened was that after reading about all the posts on how to stay cool at Bonnaroo I had forgotten how to stay WARM! I brought only sheets for blankets because I wasn't thinking about the change in temperature at night. Roo 2012 was notably cool too, so that added to it. I couldn't sleep the first night because it was so cold (also.. excitement ;P) and ended up using towels to stay warm. Also - the nights there were torture! I didn't bring a sweater and because of the walk, usually what I wore was what I wore into the night in Centeroo. OH! Another fuck up - one I thought I was prepared for - was WATER! I had tons of bottled water at the campsite, but what I didn't think about was how that wouldn't translate into Centeroo water. Luckily, I got a Camelbak last year so this year's Roo was MUCH more hydrated. But I did suffer from some unhappiness my first year over something I thought i was prepared for 
