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It's so hard to gauge who they'll book next year. They've sent out a lot of emails/surveys about fixing things people are upset with and appear to be making an effort to get past attendees to return, but I have no idea if it's just lip service or if they're really going to make changes.
What specifically are you hoping will change?
1. Bring back late night / ensure a rock alternative for late night 2. Book better legacy acts 3. Book better one-off acts and not just acts that are on tour / playing every other festival 4. Fix the Superjam 5. Extend the sets / limit the break between sets 6. Continue to build up the infrastructure of the Farm 7. Book acts that have a longer career / can handle longer sets 8. Book acts that generally don't suck
1. Bring back late night / ensure a rock alternative for late night 2. Book better legacy acts 3. Book better one-off acts and not just acts that are on tour / playing every other festival 4. Fix the Superjam 5. Extend the sets / limit the break between sets 6. Continue to build up the infrastructure of the Farm 7. Book acts that have a longer career / can handle longer sets 8. Book acts that generally don't suck
1. Bring back late night / ensure a rock alternative for late night 2. Book better legacy acts 3. Book better one-off acts and not just acts that are on tour / playing every other festival 4. Fix the Superjam 5. Extend the sets / limit the break between sets 6. Continue to build up the infrastructure of the Farm 7. Book acts that have a longer career / can handle longer sets 8. Book acts that generally don't suck
Yeah, you won't be back to roo
And if you think they won't fix all those things, I'm surprised anyone who's just not into viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiibes and mollymunching would
And if you think they won't fix all those things, I'm surprised anyone who's just not into viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiibes and mollymunching would
I think they'll continue to upgrade infrastructure/stages.
Late night doesn't bother me as it currently stands: I'm almost always back at camp by ~2am and have always been able to find something great for the one post-headliner show I typically see.
As for the lineup pieces, I would indeed like legacy acts to be back in a real way. The rest of it is just a difference of opinion on the lineups - I've been pretty happy with what they've put together. That's not to say they are the best lineups ever... but they work more than fine for what I want for me and my crew.
And if you think they won't fix all those things, I'm surprised anyone who's just not into viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiibes and mollymunching would
I think they'll continue to upgrade infrastructure/stages.
Late night doesn't bother me as it currently stands: I'm almost always back at camp by ~2am and have always been able to find something great for the one post-headliner show I typically see.
As for the lineup pieces, I would indeed like legacy acts to be back in a real way. The rest of it is just a difference of opinion on the lineups - I've been pretty happy with what they've put together. That's not to say they are the best lineups ever... but they work more than fine for what I want for me and my crew.
I don't doubt I'd have fun at any Bonnaroo. It's just been a pretty precipitous fall, imo.
And if you think they won't fix all those things, I'm surprised anyone who's just not into viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiibes and mollymunching would
I think they'll continue to upgrade infrastructure/stages.
Late night doesn't bother me as it currently stands: I'm almost always back at camp by ~2am and have always been able to find something great for the one post-headliner show I typically see.
As for the lineup pieces, I would indeed like legacy acts to be back in a real way. The rest of it is just a difference of opinion on the lineups - I've been pretty happy with what they've put together. That's not to say they are the best lineups ever... but they work more than fine for what I want for me and my crew.
Late night is the one thing I'm hoping gets fixed tbh. There's been enough on the lineup to keep me having a good time the past three years, but the limited LN options this past year and absence of Kalliope was a total bummer. I usually stay up til sunrise at Roo so it's nice to have something to do after the tents are done. I hope they at least go back to booking 2 acts per tent to provide more options.
I think they'll continue to upgrade infrastructure/stages.
Late night doesn't bother me as it currently stands: I'm almost always back at camp by ~2am and have always been able to find something great for the one post-headliner show I typically see.
As for the lineup pieces, I would indeed like legacy acts to be back in a real way. The rest of it is just a difference of opinion on the lineups - I've been pretty happy with what they've put together. That's not to say they are the best lineups ever... but they work more than fine for what I want for me and my crew.
I don't doubt I'd have fun at any Bonnaroo. It's just been a pretty precipitous fall, imo.
Yeah, I think everyone who was at Roo back in the golden years would agree that there's been some kind of drop in lineup quality post-2014.
Do I wish that they'd come back in 2018 with a 2012-2014 era lineup? Fuck yeah... that'd be awesome.
Bonnaroo is still a top 2-3 weekend of the year for me.... just like it was in 2014. The lineup certainly can help make it extra special, but in looking back at my 4 years... the dynamics of my croo usually have a bigger impact in my overall enjoyment of the weekend than the actual lineup quality as compared to other Roos.
I think they'll continue to upgrade infrastructure/stages.
Late night doesn't bother me as it currently stands: I'm almost always back at camp by ~2am and have always been able to find something great for the one post-headliner show I typically see.
As for the lineup pieces, I would indeed like legacy acts to be back in a real way. The rest of it is just a difference of opinion on the lineups - I've been pretty happy with what they've put together. That's not to say they are the best lineups ever... but they work more than fine for what I want for me and my crew.
Late night is the one thing I'm hoping gets fixed tbh. There's been enough on the lineup to keep me having a good time the past three years, but the limited LN options this past year and absence of Kalliope was a total bummer. I usually stay up til sunrise at Roo so it's nice to have something to do after the tents are done. I hope they at least go back to booking 2 acts per tent to provide more options.
I think that you may be the only person I've heard lament the demise of Kalliope.
I don't doubt I'd have fun at any Bonnaroo. It's just been a pretty precipitous fall, imo.
Yeah, I think everyone who was at Roo back in the golden years would agree that there's been some kind of drop in lineup quality post-2014.
Do I wish that they'd come back in 2018 with a 2012-2014 era lineup? Fuck yeah... that'd be awesome.
Bonnaroo is still a top 2-3 weekend of the year for me.... just like it was in 2014. The lineup certainly can help make it extra special, but in looking back at my 4 years... the dynamics of my croo usually have a bigger impact in my overall enjoyment of the weekend than the actual lineup quality as compared to other Roos.
Yup! 2014 is by far my favorite lineup but my least favorite year. I wish I could go back in time and redo that year knowing what I know now.
The Superjam was pretty great this year, definitely better than the last two. It was only an hour and a half, but I'd take that over the three hour trainwreck that was the Pretty Lights Superjam in 2015.
Yeah, I think everyone who was at Roo back in the golden years would agree that there's been some kind of drop in lineup quality post-2014.
Do I wish that they'd come back in 2018 with a 2012-2014 era lineup? Fuck yeah... that'd be awesome.
Bonnaroo is still a top 2-3 weekend of the year for me.... just like it was in 2014. The lineup certainly can help make it extra special, but in looking back at my 4 years... the dynamics of my croo usually have a bigger impact in my overall enjoyment of the weekend than the actual lineup quality as compared to other Roos.
Yup! 2014 is by far my favorite lineup but my least favorite year. I wish I could go back in time and redo that year knowing what I know now.
Every year I feel like I have it all figured out and learn new tricks. I'm pretty sure that in 5 years I'll be laughing at how we did it in 2014-2017.
The Superjam was pretty great this year, definitely better than the last two. It was only an hour and a half, but I'd take that over the three hour trainwreck that was the Pretty Lights Superjam in 2015.
I'd love to know why they don't put it up on the What/Which instead... and possibly not during late night.
I'll tell you what would be a real fucking treat would be if they started putting on the Which Stage - 10pm Thursday night.
I've said this a few times but I think they underutilize the Superjam. I wish it were more of a supergroup type backing band (with bands that are higher level than what they have done the last few years). Every member of this get their chance to shine but are more there for support of the top tier guests that come out. It would follow a theme obviously. The special guests go unannounced. Then when you get a NYC themed Superjam feat members of mid card bands like Spoon and Cage the Elephant and surprise guest appearances of Julian Casablancas, Jay Z, Nas, and/or, James Murphy people are blown out of the water. Obviously they would sink a ton of money into this. But it is a happy medium between booking artists people actually like and getting exclusive bookings that people will go to Nowhere, TN for.
I've said this a few times but I think they underutilize the Superjam. I wish it were more of a supergroup type backing band (with bands that are higher level than what they have done the last few years). Every member of this get their chance to shine but are more there for support of the top tier guests that come out. It would follow a theme obviously. The special guests go unannounced. Then when you get a NYC themed Superjam feat members of mid card bands like Spoon and Cage the Elephant and surprise guest appearances of Julian Casablancas, Jay Z, Nas, and/or, James Murphy people are blown out of the water. Obviously they would sink a ton of money into this. But it is a happy medium between booking artists people actually like and getting exclusive bookings that people will go to Nowhere, TN for.
I think it's a matter of the work that needs to be put in to make it happen. You need somebody at AC to come up with an idea in the first place and start reaching out to artists to find a musician to lead the superjam. Then both AC and the lead musician have to put in a lot of hours communicating with each other and reaching out to other musicians to make it happen. I'm sure there is probably paperwork and contracts and what not, and I bet it isn't a big payday for anybody, so you gotta find people willing to be there just because its neat. It probably helps tremendously to have a lead musician that is incredibly passionate and willing to put in long hours and use their contacts to assemble all these musicians. Think Questlove, Hall/James, or Skrillex.
All this before you even can get a setlist together, make sure everybody knows how to play everything, determine what special guests will join the stage for what songs, etc. And hopefully you get a day to rehearse before having to do this thing at 1:30am in the morning.
Honestly the idea of a "superjam" made a lot more sense when Bonnaroo was a jamband festival, because back then they had a huge supply of musicians that could jam. You could get a handful of musicians together and they could just play some random covers and do some jamming, and who knows, maybe Phil Lesh or Warren Haynes will stop by. No need to assemble a roster of guest stars, or make sure Billy Idol knows the lyrics to "Bang a Gong". Generally jamband musicians are nerds with a deep knowledge of rock and roll history, already play a lot of covers, are actually really good musicians, and more importantly are comfortable playing without a net, and if they fuck up, no big deal. Furthermore jamband musicians came from a culture where sit-ins were standard, and since it was a small community most of them knew each other and were at least familiar with each other's music.
Anywho I guess all I'm saying is that when you are dealing with a more varied music scene, superjam is hard to do.
Late night is the one thing I'm hoping gets fixed tbh. There's been enough on the lineup to keep me having a good time the past three years, but the limited LN options this past year and absence of Kalliope was a total bummer. I usually stay up til sunrise at Roo so it's nice to have something to do after the tents are done. I hope they at least go back to booking 2 acts per tent to provide more options.
I think that you may be the only person I've heard lament the demise of Kalliope.
Eh, the Kalliope was never used to its full potential.
It honestly had a better sound system than all the stages except for the What.
The issue with it was they began to use it as a crutch instead of continuing to book engaging LN options past 2 am. With a few exceptions, the quality of the artists on the Kalliope left something to be desired.
The obvious solution was to continue the typical LN options Bonnaroo had become known for, while supplementing it with the Kalliope. And then put higher caliber DJ's on it to pla til sunrise for those looking for an all night electronic option.
I've said this a few times but I think they underutilize the Superjam. I wish it were more of a supergroup type backing band (with bands that are higher level than what they have done the last few years). Every member of this get their chance to shine but are more there for support of the top tier guests that come out. It would follow a theme obviously. The special guests go unannounced. Then when you get a NYC themed Superjam feat members of mid card bands like Spoon and Cage the Elephant and surprise guest appearances of Julian Casablancas, Jay Z, Nas, and/or, James Murphy people are blown out of the water. Obviously they would sink a ton of money into this. But it is a happy medium between booking artists people actually like and getting exclusive bookings that people will go to Nowhere, TN for.
I think it's a matter of the work that needs to be put in to make it happen. You need somebody at AC to come up with an idea in the first place and start reaching out to artists to find a musician to lead the superjam. Then both AC and the lead musician have to put in a lot of hours communicating with each other and reaching out to other musicians to make it happen. I'm sure there is probably paperwork and contracts and what not, and I bet it isn't a big payday for anybody, so you gotta find people willing to be there just because its neat. It probably helps tremendously to have a lead musician that is incredibly passionate and willing to put in long hours and use their contacts to assemble all these musicians. Think Questlove, Hall/James, or Skrillex.
All this before you even can get a setlist together, make sure everybody knows how to play everything, determine what special guests will join the stage for what songs, etc. And hopefully you get a day to rehearse before having to do this thing at 1:30am in the morning.
Honestly the idea of a "superjam" made a lot more sense when Bonnaroo was a jamband festival, because back then they had a huge supply of musicians that could jam. You could get a handful of musicians together and they could just play some random covers and do some jamming, and who knows, maybe Phil Lesh or Warren Haynes will stop by. No need to assemble a roster of guest stars, or make sure Billy Idol knows the lyrics to "Bang a Gong". Generally jamband musicians are nerds with a deep knowledge of rock and roll history, already play a lot of covers, are actually really good musicians, and more importantly are comfortable playing without a net, and if they fuck up, no big deal. Furthermore jamband musicians came from a culture where sit-ins were standard, and since it was a small community most of them knew each other and were at least familiar with each other's music.
Anywho I guess all I'm saying is that when you are dealing with a more varied music scene, superjam is hard to do.
I mean I agree with all of this, but like...they're putting on an enormous music festival, and can afford to put in the effort to make those sets the level they could be. And they have. I didn't have the privilege of seeing any of the superjams before 2014, but that year they had Skrillex AND Tedeschi Trucks Band curate very solid superjams with great guests, setlists, etc. Even 2016 had potential, but it ended up more like karaoke intercut with moments of incredible musicianship. Also Ring of Fire.
I mean I agree with all of this, but like...they're putting on an enormous music festival, and can afford to put in the effort to make those sets the level they could be. And they have. I didn't have the privilege of seeing any of the superjams before 2014, but that year they had Skrillex AND Tedeschi Trucks Band curate very solid superjams with great guests, setlists, etc. Even 2016 had potential, but it ended up more like karaoke intercut with moments of incredible musicianship. Also Ring of Fire.
For sure. I talked more shit about the 2016 superjam than anybody here, but it had potential. I think Kamasi just made some poor song choices, and then there was Ring of Fire, and when everything was summed up it was just kind of dull. But even then there were some people who enjoyed the set, and some people who enjoyed 2015 as well, which apparently was kind of a hot mess (I was at Bassnectar).
In my diatribe above I was trying to say that since the Superjams take time and money to put together, and since Bonnaroo since 2016 is clearly less interested in putting time and money into the festival, that the Superjams are going to suffer as a result of these overall cost-cutting measures. Having said that, while I was typing that post I forgot about the 2017 superjam, which apparently was pretty good.
Late night is the one thing I'm hoping gets fixed tbh. There's been enough on the lineup to keep me having a good time the past three years, but the limited LN options this past year and absence of Kalliope was a total bummer. I usually stay up til sunrise at Roo so it's nice to have something to do after the tents are done. I hope they at least go back to booking 2 acts per tent to provide more options.
I think that you may be the only person I've heard lament the demise of Kalliope.
It's not that I totally loved Kalliope, the sound bleed issues were definitely a pain, but it was cool to have something to do in Centeroo that didn't have a huge wait after the late night stuff ended. Trying to get into Silent Disco or the Christmas Barn this year after everyone was done playing was ridiculous.
Duran Duran Dolly Parton Cyndi Lauper Hall & Oates Cheap Trick Joan Jett Blondie Heart James The Kinks (there had been reunion talk in recent years) Counting Crows Living Colour Tracy Chapman Sinead O'Connor Pet Shop Boys Mark Knopfler Paul Westerberg
Apparently the Wilson sisters are currently feuding so Heart is out. Nancy is currently touring a band with some former members of Heart and Prince affiliated musicians called Roadcase Royale, mixing in Heart tunes, some covers and some originals. That might be an interesting get.
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know you realize that life goes fast - It's hard to make the good things last-you realize the sun doesn't go down - It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round
With that new Primus album, and claypool playing the farm as many times as he has. Hope we get some late night Primus.
Would they put primus in a tent now? I think if they played latenight then yes
I think they would but only for late night, which is what Roo should do but probably would end up booking them first thing in the morning on the what or during a shitty conflict area on the which. But they deserve a late night.
Would they put primus in a tent now? I think if they played latenight then yes
I think they would but only for late night, which is what Roo should do but probably would end up booking them first thing in the morning on the what or during a shitty conflict area on the which. But they deserve a late night.
Ummm. I'm pretty sure that they are not EDM-ey enough to play late night at Bonnaroo anymore.
I think they would but only for late night, which is what Roo should do but probably would end up booking them first thing in the morning on the what or during a shitty conflict area on the which. But they deserve a late night.
Ummm. I'm pretty sure that they are not EDM-ey enough to play late night at Bonnaroo anymore.
List of people who have new albums coming out that need to return to the farm or still need to play/I could see Roo booking.
Cut Copy The Killers Van Morrison Weezer Morrissey MGMT A Perfect Circle Violent Femmes Bruce Springsteen David Byrne Modest Mouse Django Django GZA My Morning Jacket Spiritualized Vampire Weekend King Krule St. Vincent
Obviously The Killers and Bruce are headliners, and Vampire Weekend and My Morning Jacket have a chance to be at that status as well or at least in due time.
I think they would but only for late night, which is what Roo should do but probably would end up booking them first thing in the morning on the what or during a shitty conflict area on the which. But they deserve a late night.
Ummm. I'm pretty sure that they are not EDM-ey enough to play late night at Bonnaroo anymore.
Portugal the Man and Umph played this year. Primus is at least as EDM-y as those.
