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!!
Damn, I'd have to have a really positive attitude to not be salty all weekend if I paid all that money to travel/attend, and THAT was the "surprise" lineup.
Damn, I'd have to have a really positive attitude to not be salty all weekend if I paid all that money to travel/attend, and THAT was the "surprise" lineup.
It’s gokd for the locals, but I’d be peeved if I came from Florida. I’m seconding the theory they didn’t reveal the lineup due to it being subpar.
Post by Fitter Happier on Jul 8, 2018 9:11:57 GMT -5
Sharon played her whole new album, and she was the main reason I came out here. Bon Iver played with Tu Dance, including 89, with tons of guests. Big Red Machine played their whole new album. Jlin and ho99o9 completely murdered it and were two of the best sets of the weekend. The National played a solid set, with a bunch of unreleased songs. Moses played his most inspired set out of the three I've seen by him. Plus great installations and endless collaborations. I was certainly bummed with no Sufjan/Planetarium, but the four of us enjoyed the fest and the trip. I definitely enjoyed this a lot more than festivals I've spent much more money on -- Day 2 was as good as any non-Radiohead, Frank Ocean, or LCD Soundsystem festival day I've ever had. Day 1 was lacking but Julien, Serpentwithfeet, Big Red Machine, Mouse on Mars, and Marijuana Deathsquads were all great. Just my take, totally get that the lineup wasn't flashy, but that wasn't what this was about and the festival itself in two days was on par with a lot of other fests I've been to.
Sharon played her whole new album, and she was the main reason I came out here. Bon Iver played with Tu Dance, including 89, with tons of guests. Big Red Machine played their whole new album. Jlin and ho99o9 completely murdered it and were two of the best sets of the weekend. The National played a solid set, with a bunch of unreleased songs. Moses played his most inspired set out of the three I've seen by him. Plus great installations and endless collaborations. I was certainly bummed with no Sufjan/Planetarium, but the four of us enjoyed the fest and the trip. I definitely enjoyed this a lot more than festivals I've spent much more money on -- Day 2 was as good as any non-Radiohead, Frank Ocean, or LCD Soundsystem festival day I've ever had. Day 1 was lacking but Julien, Serpentwithfeet, Big Red Machine, Mouse on Mars, and Marijuana Deathsquads were all great. Just my take, totally get that the lineup wasn't flashy, but that wasn't what this was about and the festival itself in two days was on par with a lot of other fests I've been to.
How did Sharon's new album and the new National songs sound?
Sharon played her whole new album, and she was the main reason I came out here. Bon Iver played with Tu Dance, including 89, with tons of guests. Big Red Machine played their whole new album. Jlin and ho99o9 completely murdered it and were two of the best sets of the weekend. The National played a solid set, with a bunch of unreleased songs. Moses played his most inspired set out of the three I've seen by him. Plus great installations and endless collaborations. I was certainly bummed with no Sufjan/Planetarium, but the four of us enjoyed the fest and the trip. I definitely enjoyed this a lot more than festivals I've spent much more money on -- Day 2 was as good as any non-Radiohead, Frank Ocean, or LCD Soundsystem festival day I've ever had. Day 1 was lacking but Julien, Serpentwithfeet, Big Red Machine, Mouse on Mars, and Marijuana Deathsquads were all great. Just my take, totally get that the lineup wasn't flashy, but that wasn't what this was about and the festival itself in two days was on par with a lot of other fests I've been to.
How did Sharon's new album and the new National songs sound?
Sharon played on Flambeaux and it was incredibly intimate, but she did have some technically difficulties due to it being the first time she played these songs, and sonically they were a departure from Are We There. I love her voice, so I'm biased, but very heavy on keys and piano and electro bass and drums. No guitar at at all. Just her and another woman on keys, whose name I just forgot...
The new National stuff sounded great and was really lifted by the satellite stages at Flambeaux, Josh Kaufman on guitar and friends. I didn't recognize the second or third song, but in the vein of Sleep Well Beast. I'm more of a fan of Alligator and Boxer, but I enjoyed what I heard. I'd probably put this as third out of the seven times I've seen them -- those two Homecoming sets were untouchable. But the guests and the three satellite stages at Flambeaux made for a very full sound.
Post by Fitter Happier on Jul 8, 2018 9:50:48 GMT -5
I love the National when accompanied by female vocalists too, so Phoebe Bridgers, Gordi, Chastity Brown, Julien Baker all helped that set. The new stuff was definitely solid though, wondering if they're going to release something, was surprised they had two more even since Homecoming.
This was definitely a fun festival. Seems like a lot of the kinks from day one were worked out for day two. Had a chippewa pass and met and hung out with a lot of very cool and nice people. Bathroom situation was a mess, beer lines were a disaster day one.
The forest stages are so confusing at first, but once you figure it out it's a nice touch - but there are such awful sight lines (obviously).
For me the lineup left a lot to be desired, but I had just as much fun wandering around and chatting with people, etc. Also, Thursday night events and downtown Eau Claire was very fun and well put together.
I'd consider going back, but I'm not flying across the country blind again. Now off to Milwaukee for Arcade Fire/Manchester Orchestra at summerfest.
That's not what I said, but sure, understand however you want.
No, I just think it’s ironic that most people that post here were huge fans of Bonnaroo because it was the weird, eccentric festival in the middle of nowhere. Now, in an age of generic festivals located just about everywhere, your insinuation is basically give me an inexpensive, generic festival with artists I recognize. Rinse and Repeat. No wonder Bonnaroo brings in Borgore and Getter nowadays.
I've been thinking about your comparison of this "weirdness" to Bonnaroo. I think there is a pretty large difference between the weird that Roo 07-13 was bringing compared to what Eaux Claires is bringing.
Eaux Claires is a festival strictly for hardcore music fans to wet their appetite with a lineup of critically acclaimed, modern artists where they can go to take in collaborations, unreleased music, b-sides and rarities to go along with the standard sets. This is clearly for a certain type of person. I think this is unique, but not necessarily weird.
Bonnaroo was a festival for hardcore music fans, casual radio listeners and everyone in between. Upon arriving at the farm, the hardcore music fans left their judgements at the door and the casual radio listeners were interested in learning about new music. Everyone just ready to rough it and party through 4 days of brutal conditions. The hardcore music fan can catch Four Tet, Byrne and St Vincent, Bjork, Swans, Animal Collective while the casual listener is seeing Passion Pit, Of Monsters and Men, The XX, and R Kelly. And both groups converged in a scene of beauty at Paul McCartney, Wu Tang, Tom Petty, Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Weird Al, Billy Idol. All the while you never knew if William Hung would end up leading a parade or if you'd miss something like the Polyphonic Spree doing a secret fountain set. So you'd swing by the fountain on your way to a Wu-Tang Superjam (backed by Lettuce, Chad Hugo and DJ Jazzy Jeff) only to find a wacked out naked fat dude dancing in the filthy water by himself.
I've never been to Eaux Claires. So if I'm wrong about it not being weird, let me know and I'll go next year. Because the paragraph above is what I love(d) about Roo.
Post by Fitter Happier on Jul 12, 2018 7:58:02 GMT -5
I don't want to be this fests endless defender, but I went had a great time and did not think it was expensive compared to other festival experiences where I had to fly or tickets were very expensive.
On the comparison to Roo's weirdness, I've been to Roo 2012-2017, so certainly not all the years you mentioned, but I do not think Eaux Claires has the same oddity/absurd vibe that Roo at it's best has. On the other hand, it did have the level of spontaneity and surprise and a diverse booking that Roo has. The People's Mixtape was a Justin Vernon superjam with pretty much every artist there, Phoebe Bridgers, Moses Sumney, Spank Rock, Sharon Van Etten, Iron Boy, etc. Similarly, Mouse on Mars set featured Swamp Dogg and Bon Iver and a bunch of other artists, so the superjam feel and the collaborations were very reminiscent of Roo and maybe even inspired by Roo, but definitely not the weirdness of the crowd. The crowd was pretty plain and lacking diversity and energy, in my opinion. On that note, I was crushed by the lack of attendance at Jlin's set and just confused.
There were also art installations all through the woods, pop up raves/dj sets in there too, a giant music fort with collaborations, an opening and closing ceremony with Iron Boy. There was a lot at this fest that was weird and beautiful and awe-inspiring,the poets and authors come to mind to, that one can't get at Roo or maybe any other fest in the US. Not saying that makes it desirable or better, but definitely unique.
We took a risk going out to Wisconsin and doing something different versus our usual fests and felt like it was weird and unique and that Day Two was as good as a lot of festival days I've had elsewhere, but I also get why people would be disappointed or unhappy with the experience and don't know if the Roo comparison holds up outside of the spontaneity, the collaborations, and superjam qualities. As a music nerd, watching Serpentwithfeet duet with Moses Sumney while standing a person away from Julien Baker, seeing Justin Vernon come out at 12:30am with Marijuana Deathsquad, and then stumbling upon Moses the next day in the ho99o9 pit were priceless, unforgettable memories, on par with many I've made at Roo.
But I get what ZIG was saying: for me to complain about this lineup and experience, although unflashy and lacking headliners, while simultaneously damning Livenation for destroying my favorite qualities of Lolla and Roo and seeing other festivals, that I can drive to, continue to churn out uninteresting and homogenized lineups would be a bit hypocritical. I know this is long as hell, but I just wanted to say I had a hell of a time at the fest for some of these reasons and more and loved the ideas behind it, but totally get all the heat it's taken recently. It's not Roo, but had some of the qualities I really loved about Roo the 6 years I went.
Bummed but not surprised. I had a great time the 3 years I went but seeing the crowd size and reaction to the no lineup announcement this year, it seemed inevitable that 2019 would be unlikely. If this does happen in 2020 and beyond, it seems like camping will probably be less likely now.
