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One of my favorite posters here is beachbob. He is usually pretty manifest in his reasoning for attending The Hangout. There is sun, a beach, beers, and maybe some music. Many posters summarily dismiss him for these views.
Yet...for those people defending Bonnaroo... what is left? Honestly. Is Ellie Goulding going to be some kind of transcendent "only at the farm!!!" experience?
Let's call it what it is - Bonnaroo is Livenation's late spring regional southern festival.
The outlook of diehard "Rooers" is dying rapidly and becoming a 2nd tier fest. However, the general consensus is still climbing along with the festival scene in general. There are more people going to festivals simply because "it's the cool thing to do" each year.
Yeah I'll be honest, I think they dropped the ball kinda this year - all of the talk I was hearing from my old friends I keep in touch with kind of feels silly in retrospect. I think a lot of it is due to the big ramp up in competition and going rates to these kinds of acts. When so many NA festivals are cropping up and trying to put together attractive lineups, they're kind of at the mercy of attention getting acts that can ramp up their asking rates. I suspect this is how we'll see most fests from now on - big first line with average to mediocre support acts and lots of recycled and fresh undercards. I think the bubble is starting to pop.
Yeah I'll be honest, I think they dropped the ball kinda this year - all of the talk I was hearing from my old friends I keep in touch with kind of feels silly in retrospect. I think a lot of it is due to the big ramp up in competition and going rates to these kinds of acts. When so many NA festivals are cropping up and trying to put together attractive lineups, they're kind of at the mercy of attention getting acts that can ramp up their asking rates. I suspect this is how we'll see most fests from now on - big first line with average to mediocre support acts and lots of recycled and fresh undercards. I think the bubble is starting to pop.
Also I think in a year or two time there won't really be any more "destination" type fests anymore that people drive 10+ hours to. Coachella will serve CA / Southwest, Bonnaroo serves Southeast, Firefly / Gov Ball serves Northeast, etc. Lots of other smaller tier fests like Shaky Knees and Sloss Fest will become big periphery events as well. I think the era of huge span fests is about over.
Right now, I am really debating whether to buy tickets friday or buy on ebay or stubhub later. The prices are steep this year.....and then they tack on the vehicle pass........oh well.
Right now, I am really debating whether to buy tickets friday or buy on ebay or stubhub later. The prices are steep this year.....and then they tack on the vehicle pass........oh well.
I've managed to snag tix for sub $250 the past 6 or 7 years. This year is even more of a buyers market.
Also I think in a year or two time there won't really be any more "destination" type fests anymore that people drive 10+ hours to. Coachella will serve CA / Southwest, Bonnaroo serves Southeast, Firefly / Gov Ball serves Northeast, etc. Lots of other smaller tier fests like Shaky Knees and Sloss Fest will become big periphery events as well. I think the era of huge span fests is about over.
I live in New York and Governor's Ball will never, ever replace Coachella. Worth all the added travel expenses without question.
No, it is not a second tier fest. The overreaction on this board has been mind-numbing. If you're look for a Euro-style camping fest in the US you're options are essentially Bonnaroo...and nothing else. There is no other festival that allows access to their ground 24hrs for the entire duration of the fest. Gov Ball, Hangout, Shaky Knees, (even Coachella to an extent) are all noon-midnight fest where when it's done you enter back out into the real world and prepare for the next day.
Roo still has that ability to completely immerse you for 4/5 days. No other fest will be able to deliver on that, also when you look at the other amenities that Roo offers (that many take for granted) like the Comedy Theater, Cinema, Kalliope, Xmas Barn, Brooers, etc. no other US fest has gone to the extent they have to offer non-music programming during the fest. At Coachella if you don't like what bands are playing at a certain time, you don;t have many other options beyond....ummmm the ferris wheel or go look at some art? While the lineup is dissapointing this year, the setup and idea behind Bonnaroo are what keep me coming back.
We should start a few more threads about how bad the lineup is. Just so everyone knows for sure.
I don't know that we have any threads "about" how bad the lineup is. We have threads about the lineup, which have devolved into bitching about/making fun of the lineup.
Oh, sorry...your thread about how Bonnaroo's lineup being so bad that it killed Alan Rickman made me think that was a thread about how bad the lineup was. I didn't realize it was just a loving tribute to a great actor.
This is a thread dedicated to exploring the idea of whether Bonnaroo is no longer a "first tier" U.S. festival along the lines of Lollapalooza, Coachella, ACL.
I think it's a bit premature to really say. The festival hasn't even happened yet. The lineup is underwhelming but I think there's a lot of overraaction happening. I'm hoping the festival grounds see a huge improvement this year and next year Bonnaroo bounces back with a better lineup. We keep making jokes about "Yea....but Flush Toilets this year instead lolol" but complaints about Bonnaroo's infrastructure have gone on for years and I'm glad they'll finally be addressed.
I may be clinging onto something here out of love for the festival, but bonnaroo still offers longer sets (including full "unopposed" headliner sets) than most mainstream festivals. It's the one thing they've kinda hung on to from the days of being predominantly a jam festival (although sets were noticeably shorter last year)
I don't know that we have any threads "about" how bad the lineup is. We have threads about the lineup, which have devolved into bitching about/making fun of the lineup.
Oh, sorry...your thread about how Bonnaroo's lineup being so bad that it killed Alan Rickman made me think that was a thread about how bad the lineup was. I didn't realize it was just a loving tribute to a great actor.
This is a thread dedicated to exploring the idea of whether Bonnaroo is no longer a "first tier" U.S. festival along the lines of Lollapalooza, Coachella, ACL.
I think it's a bit premature to really say. The festival hasn't even happened yet. The lineup is underwhelming but I think there's a lot of overraaction happening. I'm hoping the festival grounds see a huge improvement this year and next year Bonnaroo bounces back with a better lineup. We keep making jokes about "Yea....but Flush Toilets this year instead lolol" but complaints about Bonnaroo's infrastructure have gone on for years and I'm glad they'll finally be addressed.
ITM - I agree with you on a few points here, but the celebration of diversity and uniqueness in the roo lineup is all but gone this year. We have all wanted flushing toilets, but how many people asked roo to sign a contract with an even bigger devil, then the following year roll back the quality in the lineup in exchange for toilets that were probably paid for in revenue at least 6 years ago. There is lots of overreaction occurring. I feel strange in my group of roughly 50, because the overwhelming majority of them are elated at the lineup. Am I crazy? Did I get old? The lineup was so bad that they put flushing toilets as an attraction. We were banned from going under the arch last year, and when they allow people to go under it again this year people are going to celebrate like they finally got something new.
Didn't a festival get cancelled last year because of the lack of available porto's? Roo isn't doing us any favors by installing shitters, it's protecting it's ability to continue to put on a show every year.
Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm going to Levitation. The farm isn't gonna miss me, I'm sure some candy kid will scoop my ticket up with daddys amex but I'll certainly miss it.
No, it is not a second tier fest. The overreaction on this board has been mind-numbing. If you're look for a Euro-style camping fest in the US you're options are essentially Bonnaroo...and nothing else. There is no other festival that allows access to their ground 24hrs for the entire duration of the fest. Gov Ball, Hangout, Shaky Knees, (even Coachella to an extent) are all noon-midnight fest where when it's done you enter back out into the real world and prepare for the next day.
Roo still has that ability to completely immerse you for 4/5 days. No other fest will be able to deliver on that, also when you look at the other amenities that Roo offers (that many take for granted) like the Comedy Theater, Cinema, Kalliope, Xmas Barn, Brooers, etc. no other US fest has gone to the extent they have to offer non-music programming during the fest. At Coachella if you don't like what bands are playing at a certain time, you don;t have many other options beyond....ummmm the ferris wheel or go look at some art? While the lineup is dissapointing this year, the setup and idea behind Bonnaroo are what keep me coming back.
So, your contention is that it's not the level of music on display, but the other things about Bonnaroo which keep it first tier? Interesting. A nice sideways dive into the "vibes" argument. Also, it's odd that you cite things like the Cinema, Kalliope (lol) Xmas Barn (also lol), the Brooers tent, etc. as things that make Bonnaroo unique. You do know that Coachella also has smaller/side stages, right? Do Lab, Heineken House, and this year Despacio (which is freaking amazing, btw). They also have great food trucks and a craft beer area (OH NOES BEER JAIL), so I don't know how Bonnaroo really stands out in that department.
It seems like your argument is basically that Bonnaroo has stuff to do other than music. Which is fine, but I would expect that the first priority for any music festival would be, you know, the music. I can go to the amusement park to ride waterslides and eat shitty pizza in the sun.
Well, I think that's his point, first tier fests have these extra attractions that second-tier festivals don't bother with.
Bonnaroo: First tier attraction with a second tier lineup.
but bonnaroo still offers longer sets (including full "unopposed" headliner sets) than most mainstream festivals. It's the one thing they've kinda hung on to from the days of being predominantly a jam festival (although sets were noticeably shorter last year)
That is no longer the case. Look at the schedule from last year.
yeah, last year really marked the dawn of the 50 minute "Show up and throw up" style sets.
No, it is not a second tier fest. The overreaction on this board has been mind-numbing. If you're look for a Euro-style camping fest in the US you're options are essentially Bonnaroo...and nothing else. There is no other festival that allows access to their ground 24hrs for the entire duration of the fest. Gov Ball, Hangout, Shaky Knees, (even Coachella to an extent) are all noon-midnight fest where when it's done you enter back out into the real world and prepare for the next day.
Roo still has that ability to completely immerse you for 4/5 days. No other fest will be able to deliver on that, also when you look at the other amenities that Roo offers (that many take for granted) like the Comedy Theater, Cinema, Kalliope, Xmas Barn, Brooers, etc. no other US fest has gone to the extent they have to offer non-music programming during the fest. At Coachella if you don't like what bands are playing at a certain time, you don;t have many other options beyond....ummmm the ferris wheel or go look at some art? While the lineup is dissapointing this year, the setup and idea behind Bonnaroo are what keep me coming back.
So, your contention is that it's not the level of music on display, but the other things about Bonnaroo which keep it first tier? Interesting. A nice sideways dive into the "vibes" argument.
Also, it's odd that you cite things like the Cinema, Kalliope (lol) Xmas Barn (also lol), the Brooers tent, etc. as things that make Bonnaroo unique. You do know that Coachella also has smaller/side stages, right? Do Lab, Heineken House, and this year Despacio (which is freaking amazing, btw). They also have great food trucks and a craft beer area (OH NOES BEER JAIL), so I don't know how Bonnaroo really stands out in that department.
It seems like your argument is basically that Bonnaroo has stuff to do other than music. Which is fine, but I would expect that the first priority for any music festival would be, you know, the music. I can go to the amusement park to ride waterslides and eat shitty pizza in the sun.
Essentially anything that someone says you're just going to rip apart because you don't like the lineup. Sorry that you don't find the Kalliope or Xmas barn fun but I've had a blast in there the last 2 years with the secret Chromeo/Cherub shows and the Skrillex/Mija sunrise set. You're ripping on Kalliope but mentioning Do Lab...ummm a stage where they spend 85% of the day spraying people with hoses and squirt guns? If you're that against Kalliope I can't see how you can mention the Do Lab here? You fail to mention the ONE THING that keeps Bonnaroo unique, the 24hr access, where essentially there is always something going on. Most nights at Coachella I was in bed in the campground by 2ish? I can't tell you how many times I've seen the sunrise at Roo.
I honestly hope that you, along with everyone else bitching decides not to go this year, I'd love to have 50% less people at Roo and allow me to get rail for PJ, LCD, Tame, and Miguel. Why are all these arguments becoming a competition between fests, who the fuck cares? Pick whichever lineup you feel, and sorry but also whatever VIBE you feel suits you best. You can rip on it all you want but every fest has a different vibe, none of which are bad, just find which one you connect with most.
Your second part gets into what I was saying above - if we have to get into things like "hey, they have toilets and water and stuff now" to justify why it's still a first-tier festival, doesn't that undermine the whole thing?
No, not really IMO. The lineup is still appealing to a lot of people....just not a lot of the people on here. It's not my favorite lineup in many years, that's for sure, but there's still enough music and other stuff to bring me back. A lot of festivals have a down year and if this one is because more focus/money is being used to improve the grounds which has been something we've wanted for a long time then it may be a worthy trade-off.
As I said....it's still too early to say IMO. A crappy lineup (which I don't find to be terrible but just not as exciting in the undercard as most years) does not knock it down to a second tier festival for me. There's still going to be awesome sets (LCD, Tame Impala, Bluegrass tent, hopefully Superjam) that I'll have a great time at and if there is a noticeable improvement to the farm itself then I think that will just improve BOnnaroo's standing....not damage it. Again...I think there's a lot of overreaction to the lineup. It's not great and I totally understand people saying it's not worth the cost/travel like other years but I think the people that do go to the festival will still have an amazing time.
If they improve things around the farm and bounce back next year with a great lineup awesome. If they took the money from the extra fees and other sources (money from the town, money from livenation) and just put up a couple of toilets and change nothing else and come back with an equally underwhelming lineup next year then I'll probably be back in this thread saying how wrong I was.
No, it is not a second tier fest. The overreaction on this board has been mind-numbing. If you're look for a Euro-style camping fest in the US you're options are essentially Bonnaroo...and nothing else. There is no other festival that allows access to their ground 24hrs for the entire duration of the fest. Gov Ball, Hangout, Shaky Knees, (even Coachella to an extent) are all noon-midnight fest where when it's done you enter back out into the real world and prepare for the next day.
Roo still has that ability to completely immerse you for 4/5 days. No other fest will be able to deliver on that, also when you look at the other amenities that Roo offers (that many take for granted) like the Comedy Theater, Cinema, Kalliope, Xmas Barn, Brooers, etc. no other US fest has gone to the extent they have to offer non-music programming during the fest. At Coachella if you don't like what bands are playing at a certain time, you don;t have many other options beyond....ummmm the ferris wheel or go look at some art? While the lineup is dissapointing this year, the setup and idea behind Bonnaroo are what keep me coming back.
I agree that Bonnaroo has a great atmosphere, nearly nonstop music (yeah, but sometimes, you would actually rather that music stop while you lay in your tent dreaming of a way to incinerate that hellish kallipoe), and I have enjoyed the Comedy Tent and the Cinema Tent. In short, I do agree with you that Bonnaroo, overall, is my favorite festival experience for reasons not solely based on their music selections.
BUT, to say that people are overreacting about this lineup, I don't agree at all. This year is amazingly repetitive (I see a lot of repeat acts and also many bands that I've caught multiple times the past few years), not much for rap or good electronic, no legacy (except at the top), and no big surprises. Every year, I have watched BLAM or the lineup reveal and been like "holy shit! they got Billy Idol! Weird Al! Slayer! (you get the point)" Nothing like that at all this year. And, to me, overall, this year feels more white, retread, and dude oriented than ever.
but bonnaroo still offers longer sets (including full "unopposed" headliner sets) than most mainstream festivals. It's the one thing they've kinda hung on to from the days of being predominantly a jam festival (although sets were noticeably shorter last year)
That is no longer the case. Look at the schedule from last year.
Yea, that's going to be a big factor for me this year. I'm not expecting them to go in reverse and lengthen sets now that they've cut them the last few years but I'm hoping a few of the bands that can pull it off get longer sets this year. I don't need everyone getting 2-hour sets but a few bands could use it. Tame Impala is late night and if they get less than an hour and a half I'll be very disappointed.
Post by Murray The K on Jan 20, 2016 11:25:21 GMT -5
Yes it is, because they aren't fighting the other second tier fests for acts, they seem perfectly content with booking whatever acts are leftover to fill out the lineup. Shaky Knees and now Shaky Beats are putting together much better undercards. Govball and Boston Calling put together much stronger undercards as well this year, good acts are out there but Bonnaroo isn't booking them. I would have to imagine that Bonnaroo's size and booking budget would allow them to go after 4-8 acts that are exclusive to other festivals. I'd think they could win some bidding wars with the Shaky fests or Boston Calling, but that clearly isn't their plan, relegating them out of the first tier.
So, your contention is that it's not the level of music on display, but the other things about Bonnaroo which keep it first tier? Interesting. A nice sideways dive into the "vibes" argument. Also, it's odd that you cite things like the Cinema, Kalliope (lol) Xmas Barn (also lol), the Brooers tent, etc. as things that make Bonnaroo unique. You do know that Coachella also has smaller/side stages, right? Do Lab, Heineken House, and this year Despacio (which is freaking amazing, btw). They also have great food trucks and a craft beer area (OH NOES BEER JAIL), so I don't know how Bonnaroo really stands out in that department.
It seems like your argument is basically that Bonnaroo has stuff to do other than music. Which is fine, but I would expect that the first priority for any music festival would be, you know, the music. I can go to the amusement park to ride waterslides and eat shitty pizza in the sun.
Well, I think that's his point, first tier fests have these extra attractions that second-tier festivals don't bother with.
Bonnaroo: First tier attraction with a second tier lineup.
Post by funkymunky on Jan 20, 2016 11:26:26 GMT -5
Music has and always will be decided by 15 to 25 year old kids. Elvis, The Beatles, Motown, Hair bands, grunge, boy bands, the hip-hop boom(Snoop/Dre, EM, and JayZ), and now electronic are trends we have seen; all decided by kids(their parents wallet/pop radio). It boils back to do ticket sells. We all realize that the headliners are dad rock/grand-dad rock to the max! There has to be a strong showing for the kids in the undercard. Hence the terrible second line!
Now could they have made better choices- Yes! But the fact that J-Cole and Mack have minimal festival appearances up to now is appealing to kids- the target demo. Plus Mack's album will be #1- sadly. The butt hurt about the line-up is hilarious because my 30 something self is agreeing with most of you! I live 70 miles away and own a RV so it's the best grouping of talent nearby. I'll always go for that reason, until Macklemore is the actual headliner!
Is it a regional festival- yes. I said so a week ago when the leak happened, but that is all festivals now. The difference between Lolla, ACL, Coach, Roo, FF, OSL(national festivals) and other festivals will be the occasional booking of Pearl Jam, Macca, Metallica, Radiohead, etc (the people we consider true #1s). Outside of that all festivals will be mostly the same except niche festivals that will create some variation.
Regular festival goers want rare bookings and Roo dropped the ball seriously on this one! Is it a sub-par line-up- yes! But has Bonnaroo slipped to the second tier- now that is just stupid!
May Tycho May Phoenix June Rooo July MMJ and Margo Price August Queen with Adam Lambert August Roger Waters (Bucket list #1) August Spoon and Portugal the man Sept Depeche Mode Sept Pilgrimage Fest
If they improve things around the farm and bounce back next year with a great lineup awesome. If they took the money from the extra fees and other sources (money from the town, money from livenation) and just put up a couple of toilets and change nothing else and come back with an equally underwhelming lineup next year then I'll probably be back in this thread saying how wrong I was.
My thoughts of what is happening this year as well! Hope we are right!
May Tycho May Phoenix June Rooo July MMJ and Margo Price August Queen with Adam Lambert August Roger Waters (Bucket list #1) August Spoon and Portugal the man Sept Depeche Mode Sept Pilgrimage Fest
Post by omgitsbonnaroo on Jan 20, 2016 11:42:50 GMT -5
I really just think people on the internet have become bitchier over the years. Also, people on here would've hated the original Bonnaroo lineps that were basically just filled with jam bands. Times change. Now, you're just old complainers.
I really just think people on the internet have become bitchier over the years. Also, people on here would've hated the original Bonnaroo lineps that were basically just filled with jam bands. Times change. Now, you're just old complainers.
You'd have a point if people were bitching about every festival lineup, but there are plenty of other fests doing it right this year.
Bonnaroo just managed to get some of the least desirable acts in music on this lineup, for god knows what reason.
Seriously I can't support giving my money to a festival that booked both Sam Hunt and The Chainsmokers. Let it settle in that those are two of Roo's most exclusive gets this year.
