Bonnaroo Recap

Best shows:
1. Bon Iver: Beautiful. absolutely perfect. couldn't have been better. played all the right songs in the best possible order with the best possible delivery; both beautiful and melodic as well as powerful and dancy occasionally. Slowed it down and sped it up at the right times. ended with an amazing sing along to Wolves that got the crowd more psyched than i saw at any other show.
2. Phoenix: this came out of right field. I've heard their stuff on XM and decided it was ok at best, but their live show killed. It was so energetic and the band members had excellent stage presence.
3. Dillinger Escape Plan: This show was so out of place at Bonnaroo but damnit, these guys are talented. Show was incredible, both in terms of their performance and the mere fact so many people were into it. Granted it probably had the smallest crowd of the entire festival.... but you can't expect much from a bunch of tweaked out hippies. the pit was intense. still nursing bruises and a cut.
4. Animal Collective: Amazingly well performed. With the exception of the random hippie shaman dude standing right in front of us doing arm spasms, the show was flawless.
5. Okkervil River: Didn't expect much from these guys going into the fest in terms of live show, but they proved me hardcore wrong. Beautiful, energetic, and clear. They need to take lessons from Dillinger about stage action though.....

Worst shows/ Biggest Dissapointments:

1. The Decemberists: Seriously? You're going to play your entire new, shitty album through before playing songs people know and care about? You aren't going to play your best hits? You're going to come on half an hour late and act like a whiney pretentious prick the entire set? You're going to further insult us by playing "your worst song ever" which didn't even compare to the pile of crap that is your new album. Colin Meloy, I hope you seriously get eaten by a whale or something... Wonder where I got that from... def. not from your set........
2. Erykah Badu: You're no whitney houston/ aritha franklin/ etc etc. Don't pretend you're such a prima-donna. Coming on half an hour late and making your band perform a 15 minutes intro before you come out is lame and disrespectful.
3. Phish: You suck. Nothing else need be said
4. Girl Talk: Learn to use a freaking drum machine! Damn bass was off for more than half the set. Duct tape would also work great so that some scuzzy bitch dancing on top of your mac book won't knock out the cable. Also, if you don't want people to get crushed, quit inviting them to jump the barrier and come on stage. Just plain stupid.
5. Of Montreal: We are all sick of your gimmicks. Go eat steak at Outback or something and shut the hell up and for all things holy, quit trying so hard to look like david bowie in labyrinth.

Biggest Regrets:
1. That I didn't see more of Mars Volta... Oh well. Saw 4 songs or so.
2. Didn't stick around for more of Beastie Boys. Freaking NAS showed up!
3. That I didn't pack better shoes. Feet are killing me.....
4. Didn't get water soluble body paint... All the peace symbols covering my junk kept running off with the sweat....



So yeah. Loved the music but hated the whole Bonnaroo Culture thing... These people are wastes of human space and seriously should grow the heck up. When i talk to a 42 year old guy that used his families welfare check to buy tickets to bonnaroo and left his kids with his parents so that he could "get fucked up" all weekend, I worry about the types of people in this world.... Pathetic.....
On another note, there were tons of really cute bonnaroo girls. The only question I have is: Its cloudy and chilly out early in the morning, why are you wearing a bikini around? I mean, I appreciate seeing you in it, but is it really necessary or comfortable in these cirumstances? Can't you just wait until its sunny before stripping down?

Alright.... Yip. I like Bonnaroo's lineup/ grounds/ extras. Disliked the people and the pseudo propaganda they kept shoving down everyone's throats about being environmentally friendly. I wonder what the festival's carbon footprint was?