Bonnaroo 2008 Sunday (Day 4 And Wrap-Up): We 'Roo Victoriously

After only a few hours of sleep in the hot sun in my van, I was exhausted both in body and spirit. But no matter how much heat, how many beers, how little sleep, or how bad my body aches, there is no slowing down at a party this serious. So it was time to finish this thing with a win.

I barely made it in time to see Broken Social Scene's first set at the Sonic Stage. They did three songs from You Forgot It In People and their pro-Obama rally song in both pro- and anti-bong forms. You can download the show here.



After that we headed to The Other Tent to see Ladytron. I had very little familiarity with this band prior to seeing them, but I thought they were pretty cool. This is definitely not a style of music I could get into deep, but very much something worth seeing.



Most of that set, the downtime in between sets, and Aimee Mann's following set I spent laying down in the shade of the tent trying to gather my energy for the last surge of the weekend. Aimee Mann's set was good for resting, but not really anything to get excited about. By the end, I gathered enough strength to run by the Troo Music Lounge and see some of Rotary Downs. We had tried to catch this New Orleans indie outfit at Voodoo Fest last year before being delayed by getting kicked out of our place, so I made sure not to miss them this time. It was well worth the effort as they were really good. Sort of in the Neutral Milk Hotel vein of sound but a flavour all its own.







After that it was time for Broken Social Scene's full set. As others around here have already talked about it, I won't go on at length, but it was the highlight of the day for me. These guys kick ass.





I went by and caught a little bit of Death Cab after BSS and thought that was really cool too, but with the end of their set, the music of the weekend was over for me since I didn't plan on withstanding WSP. The final day of a festival is always a weird thing to me because I can never shake the depressing feeling that the weekend of fun is just about done. I stuck around Bonnaroo for the final night to hang out at camp and get crunk, but everyone was tired and those who stuck around didn't stay awake long, including myself. A few jagerbombs and some cocktails and my seventh Bonnaroo was now just a notch on my belt.



Overall the festival had more than 70,000 attendees, but was not a sellout this year. I felt like the crowd was noticeably smaller than previous years. The folks there were also a very different breed than previous years. It felt like the majority of folks attending the fest were not from the diehard fest-following jamband wooks that used to populate the festival, and not really the music-centric indie kids that flooded this place two years ago when Radiohead stopped by, but rather normal, average sort of people that were coming to enjoy a big popular music festival. The campground scene was very calm and almost quiet late night compared to times of the past. I'm sure this experience would vary depending on who your neighbors were, but I think as a whole, chaos was at a relative minimum. That's not to say there wasn't craziness abounding. The party favour scene seemed as potent as ever, despite starting out slow on Thursday. The phrase "Who's got my headies?" was a rallying battle-cry for the weekend.

For me personally I feel like this year would rank somewhere in the middle of my Bonnaroo experiences. Musically, I felt like I was catching more stuff I really enjoyed than average. Attending the festival for the first time as press also helped provide some new, enjoyable experiences for myself. I probably spent the least amount of time partying at the campsite ever, though, which is always one of the things that make a festival like this standout above others, but that's mostly because there were so many good shows to catch. Anyways, I achieved grand heights of intoxication inside the festival area (like when I was shouting "Bjork is my third favourite member of Sigur Ros" to annoyed kids before the show).

Things we learned this year: Kanye West doesn't care about 'roo people. Despite all of the truly epic sets from the weekend, and even Kanye's own explanation, Bonnaroo 2008 will probably always be remembered most by the "Fuck Kanye West" theme. While Bonnaroo has shoved Widespread Panic down our throats way too much, It's hard not to argue that My Morning Jacket is the band that probably represents this festival more than any, and despite so many other triumphant sets at this festival, they seemed to have outdone themselves again. Many have referred to this year's incarnation as "Obamaroo" due to the heavy political references made across the board from artists like Pearl Jam, BSS, Chris Rock, Willie Nelson and others, but honestly I felt like Coachella in 2004 was much more overtly an anti-Bush rally than this one. While all of the mainstream media outlets have created a mirage making it seem that Metallica had some amazing show, I think it will be a forgettable blip in the 'roo history in a couple of years. What was more interesting to me is how that crowd experiment turned out. There was no excessive violence or bad vibes from this crew as some had worried, but the crowd was heavy in "Brosefs" and there seemed to be a bit of magic missing because of this. But the right line-up next year could easily repair the vibe, and I'm eager to see what that will look like (Phish reunion rumours are already gaining legs again).

One thing is for sure, though, regardless of what you think about Bonnaroo being "too maintream" or whatever, it is still a perfect reflection of what it going on in the world of music. Kids these days are listening to things across genres and this crowd and line-up represented this trend to the fullest. People are no longer identifying with one style or one sound anymore. While I didn't like Metallica being on the bill for my own personal enjoyment reasons, Bonnaroo including them, Mastodon, and The Sword was somewhat visionary as I would cite that Metal is probably the only scene right now that is still vibrant and wholly outside of the indie music revolution. Even Pitchfork is just starting to pay attention to that scene and "The Borg" that independent music has become is ready to swallow it up too. In every way, what was once considered underground music is now popular and while many will backlash against that trend, I see it as victory and Bonnaroo as its greatest celebration.

Largehearted Boy has kept track of all Bonnaroo 2008 streams and downloads.

Torrent of the Day: My Morning Jacket - Bonnaroo 2008

One of the biggest surprises of Bonnaroo for me was My Morning Jacket. I have enjoyed their last two albums “Z” and “Evil Urges”. However, I certainly wasn’t aware of what a staggering live show these guys can put on. With the help of saxophonist Jeff Coffin, the Nashville Horns, and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, My Morning Jacket put on a nearly four hour long party. The band played a majority of the songs from their last two albums and a couple songs from their older albums. They also spiced things up a bit with a diverse sprinkling of covers from Sly & the Family Stone, Funkadelic, Erykah Badu, Kool and the Gang, Bobby Womack & Peace, and Velvet Underground. They closed out their late night set covering Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home” with comedian Zach Galifianakis dressed as little orphan Annie. Enjoy.



My Morning Jacket – Live at Bonnaroo 2008 (FLAC)

Set list:
Evil Urges
Off the Record
Gideon
Hot Fun(Sly & the Family Stone) with Jeff Coffin on saxophone and the Nashville/Louisville Horns
Highly Suspicious
What a Wonderful Man
I'm Amazed
Thank You Too
Touch Me Pt 1
Sec Walkin
Golden
Two Halves
Laylow
Hit it and Quit it(Funkadelic)
Tyrone(Erykah Badu)
Steam Engine
Anytime
Aluminum Park
Easy Morning Rebel with Jeff Coffin and the Nashville/Louisville Horns
Dancefloors with Jeff Coffin and the Nashville/Louisville Horns
One Big Holiday featuring Kirk Hammett of Metallica
Set 2:Cold Sweat with Jeff Coffin and the Nashville/Louisville Horns
Get Down On It(Kool and the Gang) with Jeff Coffin and the Nashville/Louisville Horns
Across 110th Street(Bobby Womack & Peace) with Jeff Coffin and the Nashville/Louisville Horns
Wordless Chorus
Phone Went West
Mahgeetah
Oh Sweet Nuthin(Velvet Underground)
Librarian
Bermuda Highway
Dondante
Run Thru
Smokin from Shootin
Touch Me Pt 2
Home Sweet Home(Mötley Crüe) featuring Zach Galifianakis as Annie

Live Review: Death Cab for Cutie - Bonnaroo 2008

I think the most disappointing thing I experienced at Bonnaroo (other than Kanye totally disrespecting not only the entire Bonnaroo community but the entire music community) was the major conflict on Sunday. As I mentioned in my review of Narrow Stairs, Broken Social Scene’s main set and Death Cab for Cutie’s only set overlapped by 30 minutes. To make matters worse, the “Other” tent (where BSS was playing their main set) was running about 30 minutes behind.

Panic sets in! On one hand, Broken Social Scene was putting on an incredible show, and was promising to play until they were dragged off stage. On the other hand, I didn’t want to chance missing any of the new Death Cab songs I knew they would break out early in their set.

And then there was a sign… About an hour into their incredible set Broken Social Scene played "Anthem for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl", one of my favorite songs. This was icing on the cake which was already iced, so BiggieC and I made a break for Death Cab for Cutie.

We made it to the “What” stage while they were finishing up their fourth song of their set, “Crooked Teeth” from Plans. This was just in time to catch my favorite song (so far) of Narrow Stairs “Long Division”. While they didn’t break out into the uber-jam I was hoping for, Chris Walla let it hang out just a little bit on the synth for those who wanted to squeeze every last ounce of party out of the waning festival.



Death Cab split their set between their two most recent albums Narrow Stairs and Plans with older songs (but nothing pre- We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes). Throughout the set the band stayed tight and preformed at the level their fans have come expect night after night. Highlights for me included “Cath..”, “Company Calls”, and “I Will Possess Your Heart”.







As my first Bonnaroo experience drew to a close my bitterness toward Bonnaroo’s for overlapping Broken Social Scene and Death Cab for Cutie faded. What did I really have complain about? I had been treated to two of my favorite bands in just a manner of hours. As the sun set over Manchester, TN Death Cab closed out an epic 4 days of music with their most epic song, “Transatlanticism”. It was indeed a "Movie Script Ending".

Live Review: Broken Social Scene @ Bonnaroo

One of my favorite bands making music right now, Broken Social Scene, played two awesome sets at Bonnaroo. I could not have been more psyched about their second set closer, the bombastic, three-fake-endings jam out, It's All Gonna Break.

Part 1:



Part 2:



I particularly love the ending because it is, in my mind, a bit of a shout out to Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" (if you like the comparison or not, these boys know their rock and roll history and that is respectable).

Both of the sets were a solid array of favorites from the entire Broken Social Scene catalog, including some of the newer "BSS presents" numbers. Although this kind of soapbox behavior usually annoys me at concerts, the most surreal moment of both sets came when Kevin Drew decided to get a little political:



"Put down the bong and vote for Obama..."

Obamaroo '08

This was one of my favorite performances of the weekend along with the Sigur Ros late night and My Morning Jacket nearly four hour set.

A Second Opinion... - Sigur Ros @ Bonnaroo

(pic)
Sigur Ros was the personal pinnacle of the fest this last weekend. Their set spanned all of their various albums and I came to find out post-Bonnaroo that the band had a scare the night before at their show in Kansas City.

Here's some Bonnaroo vids of these guys...

Sigur Ros - Bonnaroo - All alright



Sigur Ros - Bonnaroo - Gobbledigook



Sigur Ros - Bonnaroo - Við spilum endalaust



And here's a copy of the seemingly cryptic setlist...


(pic)

Their yet to be released album is streaming at their website too, so go here to check it out!

Bonnaroo 2008 Saturday (Day 3): Thirty Epic Hours

Bonnaroo always has a momentum all its own and no matter how you imagine your weekend to go, it ends up being a completely different experience. Saturday morning I woke up around 4am in the morning after sleeping through crazy thunderstorms that wrecked our camp. Most of the people in my crew were coming back from seeing late night shows and we hung out and talked about our Friday experiences. The rain continued on and off for the rest of the morning, so I had some beers for breakfast and chilled out under our shelters that hadn't been destroyed. I caught an hour power nap around 9am, and then headed out for the day. I walked around the campgrounds for a while taking in the atmosphere. The rain had died out mostly by then, and people were out and about in the muddy conditions.







I headed to the press area and did some blogging. This time I caught one the press conferences going on, with a couple guys from Ozomatli, comedian Brian Posehn, some people I didn't really know, and Phil Lesh and Jackie Greene came in halfway through. The questions the moderator was asking were sort of lame, but there was a funny part where one of the dudes was talking about how scared he was of someone dosing him with LSD, and how he freaked out when someone in the crowd sprayed him with a water gun.



The rain that had started this day off had yielded to hot sun by the time I emerged from the media tent. Before leaving the press area, I interviewed Dead Confederate. Their debut full-length is finished and coming out September 16th so I'm pretty excited. I'll have that interview video up soon, but they were really cool.





After that I went to see Atlanta's Mastodon. They put on a typical killer show, unveiling some new material. There wasn't really a mosh pit, but the 'roo metalhead contigent crowd was pumped up for it.







I went back to the press area for a minute to see what was shaking, and I had just missed another press conference with Ben Folds and Jack Johnson:



After that I caught the very last song from nu-Cat Power, and it sucked as is typical now. She hung out on the stage for about 5 minutes or so after her set throwing flowers to the audience and doing silly looney tunes style poses. Seeing her now is like seeing an ex-girlfriend.

Iron & Wine came on next doing his 8-piece that sound like a two-piece underwhelming stuff. The more somber stuff I like best of his was limited or converted into more upbeat, hippie-friendlier stuff and while it was still very enjoyable, it just wasn't as good as listening to his albums. I really want to just see him by himself instead of all this other junk distracting the listener from the pure beautiful songwriting he creates.





After once again stopping by the press area and seeing very little going on, I decided to go brave the Jack Johnson show to get a good spot for Pearl Jam and go ahead and give the dude who I've been trashing all year a fair shake. It was more awful then I had anticipated. His lameness was so potent that it made Eddie Vedder seem lame during his guest appearance. "Double J" is just amazingly terrible.

The horrors of that show drove me to get working on some liquor drinks fast and I was properly buzzed again for what I think was my favourite show of the weekend from Pearl Jam. I'm so glad Bonnaroo finally convinced them to play there, because they are just the perfect sort of band for this festival. I'll take Mike McCready over almost any jamband wanker. Their song selection was probably my least favourite of the 3 times I've seen them, and they still blew me away. They are just so damn good.



By the time I made it over to Sigur Ros I was blotto for the second time in one day and listened to the show while napping. While I can barely remember much of it, I do remember having a really crazy dream with Sigur Ros as the soundtrack. Being that everyone else at the festival is on drugs that keep you awake, and alcohol is a depressant, keeping up with all the kids at an intense party atmosphere like this is a constant war for me, and unfortunately this year I lost a couple of key battles.

As soon as that was over, I regained consciousness to the wild scene that is Centeroo late night. After boncing around with my intoxicated crew, we finally got to the main stage again to catch the Kanye West "Glow In The Dark" late night set. Originally schedued for 2:45 am, it wasn't until about 4:30 am tha he finally came out on stage. People waiting were booing intermittently while everyone lost their buzz and got angrier and the crowd got smaller and smaller. I had heard that Phil Lesh got shutdown an hour earlier than scheduled due to Kanye West, so even the hippies were pissed off.

I'm not sure exactly why I had high expectations about this show, but it was not very impressive. I mean Kanye's stage presence was fine and the songs sounded much better than your average hip-hop show, but the "Glow In The Dark" show appeared to just be a small video screen behind him showing some cliche' sorts of video imagery. Then he had some silly science-fiction theme where he was talking to his spaceship named Jane between songs. It was like the worst episode of Battlestar Galactica I've ever seen. And for being such a baller, he sure had a broke-ass spaceship. So finally, I headed back to camp and hung out with everyone else who made it through the entire night, and even had some nightcaps with the folks waking up for the last day. It was a long, hard day of booze and bands, but it is crazy and intense days like these that make me come back to this festival again and again.

Bonnaroo Update: I Ain't Saying He's A Gold Digger, But Kanye West Pissed Off The Roo

The fest is almost over, and it has been incredible as per usual. Last night Kanye West's performance that was originally slated for 2:45 am didn't actually happen until 4:30am, so my schedule has been thrown off entirely. I'll have more on his badly received show tomorrow when I get home and finish my Day 3 post. And then later this week I'll have the Day 4/Wrap-Up super post. It looks like my experiment with live video streaming didn't work out so well due to some technical difficulties, but I have lots of video to share with you soon. Time to run and milk the final seconds for all they're worth!

Bonnaroo 2008 Friday (Day 2): The Sun, The Fiery Furnaces, The Free Beer Tent; This Is Why I'm Hott

Friday morning started about 4 hours after Thursday night ended for me with the sun making things too uncomfortable for me to sleep late. I grabbed some breakfast and got an early start on the day. I got to the media area to do some blogging and listen to the media orientation speech. They laid out everything we could and couldn't do, and none of it really seemed to effect what I'm doing. I don't have all access, but it seems like there are lots of artists in the media area doing interviews and such, so that has been really cool. I gave the guitarist from Minus The Bear some daps before catching some shows.

First up was The Fiery Furnaces. They did a set that was very similar to the set they did at The Variety Playhouse earlier this year, except this time they had a thimble player to make it a 5 piece. It was extremely tight and heavily weighted by Widow City songs, which I love. At some point a cardboard cutout of Eleanor made its way into the crowd, followed by other cardboard cutouts that I thought at first were the rest of the band, but then I saw one of them was Bradford Cox and realized they were from the Converse ad.



After that I stuck around for the first half of Minus The Bear's set and they were pretty good but I felt like the Langerado set I caught earlier this year had a little more energy or something. Next I went to see Tegan And Sara. I watched them butcher one of their own songs about 5 different ways and decided that I wouldn't waste any more of my time with them. Instead I set up earlier at the Sonic Stage to catch the second Fiery Furnaces set of the day. This time they were a 4-piece with Matthew playing a guitar instead of keyboards for the entire set. They dug deeper in this completely different set even taking requests at the end. This band is just so phenomenal and I can't get enough of them. Bonus to this set, Beatle Bob was there doing his crazy dancing backstage. I really need to find him and interview him.











After that I went backstage to interview Royal Bangs. They were chilling out in the hidden free beer and liquor tent backstage, which was a festival changing discovery. I hung out with the Royal Bangs dudes for a little while and video taped it, so expect to see that very soon. They seemed really cool, and probably the thing that I enjoyed most about the interview was their answer to my "What do you think about the state of music and the music industry?" question, which almost word for word reflected my own opinions.

When they left to catch the very end of !!!, I stuck around and started abusing the keg back there. I spent a few hours chugging beers and stalking the Fiery Furnaces as they did interviews for more reputable journalists. After getting properly "festivalized", I met up with my ATLiens and watched some of Willie Nelson. I guess it is cool to say I have seen him now, but that was about all I enjoyed about it. Along with the Bonnaroo masses, we headed to the What Stage next to see Chris Rock. I lost my entire group on the way there and caught his routine stranded by myself. Chris Rock is one of my favourite comedians, but the set seemed lacking. I feel like ever since he started doing Everybody Hates Chris, which I like, he has gotten a lot more restrained and sort of falling back on his typical sorts of jokes. But even a lackluster Chris Rock routine is pretty damn funny.




As the rain that had been looming all day finally broke loose, I opted to go back to camp instead of catching Metallica. It seemed like that was a fairly popular sentiment as the line getting out of the stage area was longer than the one to get in. As I extended my drunk rally, sleep deprivation finally caught up with me and I passed out early. I would have really liked to catch some of the My Morning Jacket set, but I didn't wake up in time.

Now well rested, It's time for an intense day and a long night of music.

Bonnaroo 2008 Thursday (Day 1): Festies Ain't Easy, But They Sure Are Fun

Going to a festival is not all fun and games. The live concert experience is never assured bliss. There are so many external factors that could go sour. A huge fest like Bonnaroo has an army of these possible setbacks. But sometimes overcoming the odds and the elements can be the recipe for an unforgettable weekend.

So after hanging out in Manchester a little bit Wednesday night, I rode back into town in the morning to pick up my press credentials. I then went to my hotel to await the arrival of my caravan of ATLiens. One of the cars in our group had a road cone fly up and crack their windshield in Chattanooga, forcing them to abandon their vehicle to repair and then squeeze their gear and bodies in other folks' already tightly packed rides. The slight travel delay here would seem insignificant compared to the traffic jam we would wait in shortly after.

Now I'm from Atlanta so traffic isn't new to me, but sitting still on the side of the interstate for 5+ hours is just never that fun. This would actually be the longest I've ever waited to get into the 'roo. As is typical, everyone gets out of their cars and socializes on the side of the road to pass the time, and then as soon as the line starts moving a bit, everyone scrambles into their rides to grab another 50 feet.









After getting through the gate, and then still waiting in line to get a campsite that wasn't too far but wasn't too close, the inevitable, unbridled, and unrelenting blitz of setting up camp and partying begins. There is nothing like a cold beer after sitting in your car all day. Well, maybe like 10 cold beers.





Suddenly it is late afternoon and time to check out Centeroo. The nice stroll across the campgrounds leads to waiting in line to go through security, and going inside to search out a schedule. They had ran out of guide books when we came through the gates and the only ones I have even seen so far are a horde back in the press area. I tested my credentials and took a look backstage. Things were a little different then last time I had been back here, but still pretty similar. It was at this time the partying, heat, and lack of sleep this week struck me like a punch to the face, and after cooling off in the press tent, I went back to camp.

After regrouping and recouping, our crew made its way back to Centeroo, and this time had to wait in a ridiculously slow moving line to get in. We made it to MGMT a song or two into the set and the tent was packed out. The crowd reactions to the songs seemed very surprising to me, everyone was going crazy. It seemed like everyone at the fest knew and loved these songs, so I guess these guys are pretty big now. Just like last time I saw them, at times I really enjoyed it, and at other times I lost interest.

I made my way up closer for Battles, and they put on a hell of a show. When I saw them last year at Pitchfork Fest, I was really far away and couldn't tell how fun they are to watch live. Everyone who saw it was raving about it. With my second wind dying down, I decided I was in no mood to stick around for Vampire Weekend, and went back to camp yet again. Tired, intoxicated, and with everyone else at my camp slowly fading into the night, I sucked it up and took a few brave souls back to Centeroo again to catch the late night Royal Bangs show. It was a wise decision and the grueling day ended with a pleasant reward. The Troo Music Lounge is about the smallest venue in the fest, so the setting was more up my alley, and the band exploited its almost nonexistent barrier between the crowd and themselves. The crowd wasn't huge, but they were all going wild for this one. Seeing them live just reinforced everything I liked about them and I can't wait to have them again at our show next week.







Well, It's time to catch more music, so keep it here for total coverage.

Live At Bonnaroo!!!

Ohmpark total coverage of Bonnaroo 2008 begins. We'll be webcasting, blogging, and phlogging all weekend long. You'll notice some new stuff on the right sidebar. In the justin.tv widget, we'll be broadcasting videos from the 'roo. Right now you can watch what the walmart parking lot was like last night and look at the long line to get this morning. Below that, you'll see our camura.com widget, where all of Ohmpark's various crew at the 'roo will be taking photos from their camera phones and posting them. Also, I'll be blogging each day like I normally do at festivals. So keep checking back here for the most ridiculous Bonnaroo coverage on the web.

Ohmpark Justin.tv channel

Ohmpark Camura stream

Ohmpark Twitter

It's about time to go wait in the really long line, so see you on the other side!

Videos Of The Day: Bonnaroo Classics

Hey, so, I heard there is this music festival going on in a couple of days. Here's a video playlist for more constant hype:

Kanye West Moves Bonnaroo Set To Late Night

He's gonna "Glow In The Dark". Now slated for 2:45am on the What Stage, spun out kids are going to have another great choice for the late late. Unless I'm forgetting something, this will be the first time they have ever done a late night show on the main stage. How about "Flashing Lights":

Ohmpark Mixtape #4: Bonnaroo 2008

We haven't done enough mixtapes around here since this thing started, so I'm going to try and do them more often. Here's a nice hour mix of classics from artists on this year's line-up to get you to the 'roo. You can jam these out online at Muxtape, or you can download the entire mix as one mp3 to listen to on your way there.

Ohmpark Mixtape #4: Bonnaroo 2008

1. "Off He Goes" Pearl Jam
2. "7/4 (Shoreline)" Broken Social Scene
3. "Touch Of Grey" The Grateful Dead
4. "Jezebel" Iron & Wine
5. "Super Bowl Sundae" Ozomatli
6. "Staralfur" Sigur Ros
7. "Pony Up!" Minus The Bear
8. "Brick" Ben Folds Five
9. "Tropical Ice-Land" The Fiery Furnaces
10. "We Laugh Indoors" Death Cab For Cutie
11. "Maybe Not" Cat Power
12. "Crazy Mary" Pearl Jam

Listen to Mixtape here

Download Mixtape here

Ohmpark's Guide To Bonnaroo 2008

Less than a week away and I'm ready to go! If you're going to Bonnaroo this year, the following post will give you what I think is the crucial info and best acts. If you're not going, you might want to rethink that and buy a ticket. You can read up on some of my stories from the first 5 Bonnaroos here. You can read my review of last year's fest here. If you want to really obsess about Bonnaroo for endless hours, I highly recommend checking out Inforoo, the Bonnaroo message board. You can get pretty much every single bit of information you could ever imagine about the fest there. I'm going to give you a couple of nuggets that I think are particularly educational for first timers:

Currently, the Weather.com forecast calls for scattered t-storms all weekend right now (up to 60% chance of rain Saturday) and highs in the '80s. I recommend you get some good mud boots just in case, because even a little bit of rain is going to make that place a big muddy mess. The mud will literally eat flip flops off of your feet, so beware. All my hippier friends swear by wearing crocs during regular conditions, but I always feel more comfortable in socks and tennis shoes. Also on the rainy weather tip, I've seen the thunderstorms decimate some campsites, so prepare accordingly. Put tarps under/over your tents. Bring a poncho.

The gates usually open early Wednesday night, but ever since the 3rd 'roo (when they finally found the best way to deal with traffic), they send all of the first arrivals to the very, very far away Southeastern camping outpost. I've been the victim of this several times, and it was annoying. The more you walk, the more energy you're going to exert, and this will hinder your ability to all out party for 4 days. And don't expect to get a bunch of sleep, because usually by 8am it is too hot to sleep in your tent. It seems like if you get there late Thursday morning or early Thursday afternoon you can get a spot closer to Centeroo (the area where the stages are), especially if you are coming from the east (like us ATLiens). The downside, less time at the party and longer waits in the line to get in. Think about it.

Speaking of the party, this is a big-ass music fest with circa 75,000 people, so there is gonna be some craziness going on. BUT, this is not the Bonnaroo of your older cousin's. There will be police sparsely around inside the fest grounds looking to bust folks for illegal activities. The ban on unofficial vendors is heavily enforced now, so "Skakedown Street" is not what it used to be. If you're smart and just a tad bit careful, you are almost assured have a fun-filled week, just don't be too stupid.

Ok, so let's dig into the line-up. The first night has me really excited:

Thursday:

6:00 PM Troo Music Lounge: The Big Sleep

This brooklyn trio caught my ear when I was checking myspace pages of bands I didn't recognize, so I'm planning on checking this out:

THE BIG SLEEP - Slow Race
by lablogotheque

6:25 Pm Cinema Tent: Sigur Ros' Heima

Get yourself prepared for what I am already calling the best show of the fest, with a spectacular documentary on the band.


8:30PM This Tent: MGMT

While I thought their live show was a little lackluster when I saw them with Yeasayer earlier this year, now that I know and really enjoy their album, I'm excited to catch them again:




10:00 PM This Tent: Battles

This is my pick for Thursday's "can't miss show". Listen to the live show i posted recently here.


10:30 PM That Tent: The Sword

Black Sabbath-esque stoner metal/rock that is really good:




11:30 PM This Tent: Vampire Weekend

I'm glad I'll finally get to catch 2008's super hype band, if only to talk smack about them. Really, I don't think they are bad or anything, but their stuff just doesn't really hold my interest long enough. But maybe their live show will change my mind:




11:45 PM The Other Tent: Darkstar Orchestra

This is what I consider to be the best cover band to ever exist, so go get your artificial dose of The Grateful Dead.


1:30 AM Troo Music Lounge: Royal Bangs

I've just discovered these guys and I am totally into their album, We Breed Champions. I'll have more on these guys very soon, but I highly recommend checking them out:




Friday:

1:15 PM That Tent: Fiery Furnaces

We are big FF fans around here at Ohmpark, so even though I'd be interested in catching Jose Gonzalez, I can't miss another chance to catch the Friedbergers. I've got a bunch of Fiery Furnaces live videos I'm getting out of the vault soon, so I'll spare you for now.


2:30 PM This Tent: Tegan And Sara

While these ladies only fall in my "like but don't love" category, I really want to see them. Get ready for this song to be stuck in your head all weekend:




2:45 PM That Tent: Minus The Bear

Minus The Bear were outstanding at Langerado, so I can't wait to see them again:




4:30 PM That Tent: !!!

Another band that was at Langerado, another great live act I'm excited to see again:




Midnight Which Stage: My Morning Jacket

While i have still yet to listen to it, I'm hearing good things about Evil Urges. Their late night set at Bonnaroo 2006 was epic, so I expect them to up the ante:




1:30 AM Troo Music Lounge: Howlin Rain

Thsi is the new project from Comets On Fire's Ethan Miller. Comets On Fire were badass, so this should be good (they are at the Drunken Unicorn tonight!):




1:30 AM This Tent: Tiesto

While he's not my favourite DJ in the world, he's not too shabby either. Also, he's going to have guest appearance by Tegan And Sara, Jose Gonzalez, and Cary Brothers.


2:00 AM That Tent: Disco Biscuits

Yeah, they are a jamband, but they are really good.


Saturday:

4:00 PM That Tent: Mastodon

Atlanta's own spectacular metal outfit. If you haven't seen these guys yet, this is a must see:




6:30 PM This Tent: Iron & Wine

I thought his Bonnaroo set in 2006 seemed a bit underwhelming, but the set I caught later that year at Lollapalooza was phenomenal. I think his album from last year is Sam Beam's best work to date, so this show is gonna be sweet:




10:15 PM What Stage: Pearl Jam

I made my case for them last post, so check that out.


1:00 AM That Tent: Sigus Ros

Could be the best show all weekend:

Sigur Ros : Gobbledigook


1:30 AM Troo Music Lounge: Dead Confederate

If you read us regularly, you know we are fans. If you don't, go look into these guys:




Sunday:

2:30 PM The Other Tent: Ladytron

I've yet to listen to the new album yet, but I do plan to catch them and give them the live show test:




6:00 PM The Other Tent: Broken Social Scene

I'm really stoked about seeing these guys. Word on the street is that they are doing half older stuff, hald Drew/Canning solo stuff. Sounds Perfect:

Brendan Canning : Hit The Wall


7:00 PM Which Stage: Death Cab For Cutie

We just dropped a review of Narrow Stairs, so you know how we feel.


Alright, that's enough Bonnaroo hype for now. We will have plenty of more soon.

Bonnaroo Schedule Up!

Finally: http://bonnaroo.com/schedule/

I can't figure out how to share my picks because Jambase has changed how this system works, but it looks pretty good for me. This is easily the best Thursday night line-up they have ever had. Sigur Ros late night is ridiculous! Sunday is a little weak, but it's always the day you're most tired anyways, so that's cool. I wish Pearl Jam had a longer time slot (Jack Johnson continues to piss me off). I'm getting way excited. Just a few weeks away!

Bonnaroo Artist Additions!

About an hour ago the Bonnaroo site posted that these artists will also be playing the bill:


Tiësto (late night set)
Stephen Marley
Money Mark
The Coup
Wood Brothers
Rogue Wave
Newton Faulkner

Still hoping for a Mars Volta announcement, but Tiesto should be a fantastic late set!

Humpday Randomnimity

Bonnaroo made some line-up additions:

Cat Power
Zappa Plays Zappa
The Disco Biscuits
MSTRKRFT
Chromeo

Decent additions, but only the electronic acts get me excited. This is what we want.

Sasquatch Music Festival, the big daddy Memorial Day fest that goes down at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington state, just released a line-up:

R.E.M. / The Cure / The Flaming Lips U.F.O. Show / Death Cab For Cutie / Modest Mouse / M.I.A. / Flight Of The Conchords / Rodrigo Y Gabriela / Michael Franti & Spearhead / The Breeders / Built To Spill / The Hives / Tegan & Sara / Ghostland Observatory / Ozomatli / The New Pornographers / Blue Scholars / The National / The Kooks / Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks / Cold War Kids / Beirut / Rogue Wave / Okkervil River / Fleet Foxes / Kinski / Mates of State / Sera Cahoone / Crudo (featuring Mike Patton & Dan The Automator) / Battles / Destroyer / Dyme Def / The Blakes / Pela / Jamie Lidell / The Cops / Dengue Fever / Siberian / Say Hi / White Rabbits / David Bazan / The Little Ones / "Awesome" / Dead Confederate / The Heavenly States / 65daysofstatic / Grand Archives / Vince Mira with the Roy Kay Trio / Joshua Morrison / Throw Me The Statue / J. Tillman / The Shaky Hands / Thao Nguyen with the Get Down Stay Down / Matt Costa / The Cave Singers

That's a hell of a line-up and now I'm really considering going to this. The Gorge is considered by many as the coolest venue in the US. Tickets are reasonably priced and go on sale Saturday March 8th. More details on their website.

Sonic Youth is headlining an Arkansas festival called Dickson Street Fest in April with Charlie Daniels, 38 Special, Shooter Jennings, Michael Franti and Spearhead, and Little Feat. Weird line-up.

North Korea has invited Eric Clapton to play a concert there confirming that he indeed sold his soul to play guitar.

Medeski, Martin, And Wood have three albums planned for this year.

John Mellencamp and horror writer Stephen King are collaberating on a musical set to debut in Atlanta.

You can stream the new Tilly And the Wall album here. Watch new video here.

Cloud Cult have released a new single for their forthcoming album in April:

Cloud Cult : Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) : When Water Comes To Life


Track down a Velvet Underground 1967 vinyl bootleg to download here.

Have You Heard did a session with Atlanta's Trances Arc. I had been hearing some noise about this band, but now that I've looked into them, they are so not our style.

Wilco will be on Saturday Night Live this weekend.

Dimmu Borgir will be streaming a live concert on April 5th.

Dr. Dre is getting in the alcohol business.

The Deftones are entering the studio next month to work on a new album.

Shearwater have a new single for their upcoming album due in June:

Shearwater : Rook : Rooks


Watch a Snowden rehearsal from their blog:


Snowden Rehearsing from nopayne on Vimeo.

New Boris:



Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings on Fox 5 news:



Smashing Pumpkins "SuperChrist":

Bonna-mation

Since tix for Bonnaroo finally go on sale at Noon today, here's a vid by acclaimed animator Bill Plympton entitled What Is Bonnaroo?



Bonnaroo Tickets Available After 12pm EST HERE

Humpday Randomnimity

So first, let's break down the Bonnaroo line-up:



First, I think it's hilarious that NME and the AP totally got punked and reported that Led Zeppelin is headlining. Since they deleted their mistake, here it is immortalized:



The weirdest thing is that NME had announced earlier in the day that they would be announcing a "surprise headliner" at midnight, so the conspiracy theorists out there are going to believe there is a chance that they will add Led Zeppelin late after tickets go on sale (because LZ would instantly sell out the fest), to give the 'roo loyalists a easy shot at tickets first. Considering everyone denied Metallica was playing when that rumour broke earlier, it is certainly possible but doubtful.

So, Metallica. Hmmmm. I'm just going to say that i think they are being a little risky with some of their line-up choices for a rare fest with an almost completely non-violent history. It will be an interesting experiment to see how that crowd does, but I'm a bit pessimistic on that front. Although, there have only been a handful of 'roo headliners over the years that have been really awesome in my opinion, so it's not the worst thing to me (plus now i can get a nap Friday night between the day acts and the late-night acts). It's the smaller acts that I always like best anyways. Plus, Pearl Jam is really great live. Also, I'm just gonna say, Jack Johnson isn't necessarily bad, but I can think of like 100 better headliners off the top of my head, and he has to headline both Coachellas and Bonnaroo? Coooooooooooome ooooooon.

Regardless of all that junk at the top of the list, there is a lot to be excited about. Sigur Ros is probably the biggest for me since I love them and have yet to see them. The other names I'm going to be excited to see include Iron & Wine, Broken Social Scene, Mastodon (ATL represent!), !!!, The Fiery Furnaces, Jose Gonzalez, Minus The Bear, Battles, and The Sword. Things I've seen a million times that are still pretty cool to catch again: Phil Lesh, My Morning Jacket, The Allman Brothers, Death Cab For Cutie, Ben Folds, and Dark Star Orchestra. Others I'll probably check out if nothing great is going on include Kanye, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Talib Kweli, Gogol Bordello, Rilo Kiley, Tegan & Sara, Vampire Weekend, and Black Kids.

Overall, its decent but not their best line-up. I'm still going cuz I love this fest. A Mars Volta addition would really set it off though.

Speaking of The Mars Volta, Pitchfork finally reviewed The Bedlam in Goliath, and while they still gave it a terrible score, they finally back-tracked a tad bit from the absolute hate they have for this band and moved to a more "well we don't like them, but I can see why others do and they are awesome in certain ways we don't put much value in" position (I'm paraphrasing here). While I appreciate