Imagine the same scenario, but replace the cold beer with a warm beer, keep the grass but instead of a cool breeze, how about 99 degrees with no wind at all, no tree or any shade for that matter in site – in fact the sun doesn’t seem to ever set. It seems to stay up in that noon-position 24 hours a day, burning the skin off your back. You’re with 80,000 of your closest friends and instead of seeing your favorite band, your seeing 15 of your favorite bands, with another 30 you’ve never heard of before…and then some. You’re at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and it’s a fucking blast.
Without a doubt in my mind, the summer I attended the Manchester, TN-based Bonnaroo Festival forever changed my opinion on the best summer concert I had ever been to. How many other opportunities do you have to camp out on a 700-acre farm and bounce back and forth between over 6 different stages almost 24 hours a day for 3 days? With the wide open space and amazing stage setups, it’s hard find a bad seat and you never quite feel over crowded. Whether you choose to stand up close and throw your hands in the air like you just don’t care or sit further back on a blanket, you can make the experience has intense or relaxing as you want. For those who need a bit of a break from the music every now and then, there’s an endless supply of food vendors, sponsor tents (with a ton of fun activities), shops, and artisan tents to roam through and get out of the sun.
Having started primarily has a festival for jam bands, they’ve since expanded their pallet to include almost every genre. I dare you to find another festival where Chris Rock opens up for Metallica. A glimpse into the artists I saw in 2008 (besides Chris Rock and Metallica) include Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson, B.B. King, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Umphrey’s McGee, MGMT, Bela Fleck, Ben Folds, Kanye West, Widespread Panic, O.A.R., Lupe Fiasco, Adele, and about 50 other’s.
There are no words to describe the feeling other than a true experience. Live shows are always a blast to go to, but a 3 day event, camping out on 700 acres with more bands than you know what to do with…well that’s just special.
Got a favorite summer festival? Leave it in the comments or tweet it to us @Sonicbids.
