BONNA-MUTHERFUCKIN-ROO
A vote has been taken, and it is decided. Best. Weekend. Ever. Ever. Ever.
I owe Earl mad sexual favors.
So here's the breakdown! We'll do this chronologically.
Thursday, June 15
Depart from New Orleans around 1030AM after two restless hours of sleep and a lagging contingent of co-partiers. Alphagabe and myself represented the boys' team, while Kat, Katie, and Mokey were the girls' team riding behind. After a few issues with preferred driving speeds/styles, we were *somewhat* quickly on our way. Then, potential disaster struck.
OH NOOOS! GABE'S GOT A FLAT TIRE!
Somewhere in the cultural mecca of Purvis, MS, we managed to pick up a nail, but luckily there was a tire shop nearby. Why are there always 252398273 tire stores in tiny towns like that? More tire shops than cars. Anyway, I digress. The tire was patched, and we were quickly on our way again.
A word to the wise: never buy a UniversalMap brand map. Even the 2006 edition had severe flaws, highways that have changed names or no longer exist, and will cause you to drive down winding country roads, see deer on the side of said roads, and really trick you into thinking you are one lost motherfucker. All map issues aside, we managed to make it to Manchester, TN, safely. TWELVE HOURS AFTER WE LEFT.
So here we are at Bonnaroo! Traffic was a lot lighter than my previous attendance, and we managed to set up Camp Muffin in no time at all. Off to the Discoteque! Dancing in an arcade was a good time. Lots of old school games in there, but most of them were out of commission. They did, however, have the classic pinball machine known as Pinbot. I was in love, but there was far too much else going on to waste time playing video games. Off to Shakedown Street for my selection of 'fun'.
Dry? WTF? The first night included a lot of sketchy characters out there, a couple of potential bunks, and a few good scores. Kept it simple the first night, drank a ton, and went to bed at a semi-reasonable hour. On to day two!!!
Friday, June 16
Got an EARLY start (around 730AM), and ventured into the concert grounds flying solo. I got some pinball time in, did some shopping, and attempted to make contact with some people who didn't come with us. Caught up with Diane and Megan from Monroe, met the Muffins at the Preservation Hall tent (which wound up being our base of operations for the whole weekend, and the reason I had the BEST. WEEKEND. EVER.) We shared our plans, I confirmed a meet with Alphagabe for Oysterhead at 530PM, and we went our separate ways.
My first can't-miss show was Seu Jorge, a Brazilian artist widely known for his role in The Life Aquatic. I stayed for about half the show, but I was compelled to go see Ben Folds on "Which Stage". FYI: The music areas were as follows - What Stage, Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent, and The Other Tent. Confusing, yes, but so so clever. Anyway, so Ben Folds really has a knack for working a crowd. Incredible talent, mostly lousy songs though. He did manage to get the entire crowd to sing in three part harmony. Impressive. Anyway, on with the show.
This is about the time I found the free cigarettes tent in the vending area. An air-conditioned smokers' lounge with free packs of American Spirits? Oh, hey there heaven.
I met up with Alphagabe after a couple of hours of traipsing about the grounds, and we got our spot for Oysterhead. Excellent show! They played a couple of new songs, which could hint that they're working on a new album. One can only hope. We ran into Mokey during the show, and she had Earl's Artist pass and one of her own. She asked me to come to the VIP area with her, and I happily obliged. We returned to 'Which Stage', where I got to watch Death Cab For Cutie from the wings of the stage. Ben Gibbard is an amazing musician. He was all over the place, sweating bullets, playing guitar, keys, drums, whatever. Quite nice.
This is where things got a little silly. As the sun descended and Tom Petty prepared for his set on What Stage, I met up with Kat and Katie fo a little consumption junction. A few pills later I'm wandering the concert grounds again, calling people late at night, and staying up way too long. No sleep Friday night. Good times for sure though. And now, Saturday.
Saturday, June 17
Made the morning meet at Preservation Hall in rough shape. No sleep + 90 degrees + no shade + narcotics = haggard Caleb with a big day ahead. I tried resting in the tent for a bit, but the heat was too much. I wound up back in the air-conditioned smokers' lounge again, meeting people and wasting time before my two big shows of the weekend: Beck and Radiohead. Cooling off was the best idea. Otherwise, I never would have made it for the big show.
500PM rolls around, and it's time to find Kat and Alphagabe. I meander around the What Stage area looking for the two of them, but it never works out. I wind up watching Beck all by my lonesome, but I managed to find a nice shady spot to sit by the sound stage where I had a lovely view of the performance. He was fantastic. The puppet show was almost as good as the music! Puppets cast in exact likenesses of Beck and his band members. Too funny. They mimicked Beck's entire performance, and the show was played over the jumbotrons. They even made a little skit with the puppets wandering around the Bonnaroo grounds and making fun of hippies. Gold.
After Beck, I headed over to Preservation Hall to attempt another meet. I managed to find Katie, so I went with her to see Radiohead. Tried and tried again to find Kat and Gabe, but it never worked out. Radiohead was amazing. I really don't want to elaborate. I fear I would cheapen the moment by talking too much about it. Beautiful.
Then BACK to Preservation Hall! The Bingo! Show was on at midnight, and The Dresden Dolls came out for a song or two. Megan and Diane also showed up, plus Gabe's friend Sara(h?) from Virginia. Finally, most of the people I knew were all in the same place, all basking in the afterglow of Radiohead, and all enjoying a local favorite. Great show, guys.
This is where things get REALLY interesting.
Saturday night was the last show for the Preservation Hall guys, and since Earl and company were heading out that night, they no longer had any use for their artist passes. Earl brings us THREE FUCKING ALMOST-ALL-ACCESS PASSES. O SHIT. I'M A BONNAROO VIP. TYPING IN CAPS FOR EMPHASIS.
So Gabe, Kat, Sara(h?), and myself went to the remaining moments of the superjam (Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, and Benevito-Russo Duo), then the last bit of The Dresden Dolls with Birkenstaff Family Cirkus. Sasha was on next, but I was still without sleep, so I stayed idle for the entire set. It was a good time listening, but no dancing for a Caleb who had been up for nearly 48 hours. Went back to camp around 500AM, and passed out in a chair outside my tent.
Sunday, June 18
Woke around 100PM and felt like a million bucks. Thank you 5htp!!!! I drank a few beers and went to meet Alphagabe. He had given my pass to Sara(h?) for the morning, so I had to go retrieve it. Spent most of Sunday with Gabe. It was definitely the best day of the festival, even without the passes. We caught Bela Fleck and the Flecktones from the VIP balcony on What Stage, then over to the beer tent for some cool beverages. We relaxed there for a little too long with Katie and Mokey, but managed to peel ourselves out of the comfort zone to meet Kat and see Sonic Youth.
Excellent show. Classic tunes, new shit, all superclean and perfect. Amazing wonderful goodtime performance.
Oh, and I met Mike Gordon from Phish while backstage.
Oh, and Stephen Malkmus.
Then the show ended. And I met THURSTON MOORE AND KIM GORDON. HOLYFUCKBALLS.
I can't say I've ever been this starstruck. I met a LOT of famous musicians this weekend. Bonnie Raitt, Mike Gordon, saw Elvis Costello but wasn't bold enough to approach him, the bassist from My Morning Jacket, Sonic Youth, Mike Gordon, Stephen Malkmus, fucking fuck fuck!!!!
Then on to Phil and Friends. Perfect end to the weekend. Best version of Shakedown Street I've ever heard. John Scofield sat in on guitar for the whole show, and Joan Osbourne sang most of the time. What an unbelievable sight. 90,000 people. I was on a balcony overlooking the stage with no more than 50 other people. I must've done something very right somewhere along the way.
Aside from a few tiny clashes that could never steal my thunder, this weekend was perfect. I really wish Elizabeth could have shared this experience with me. She would've had a great time.
I feel a change. Definitely a good one. I really bonded deeply with some people this weekend, and for that I am grateful. I'm glad to have had such wonderful people with me for this. I really feel unstoppable now. With school on the horizon and my wavering confidence once again solidified, I feel ready to achieve every bit of success I deserve. Kind of funny that a music festival has done this for me, but I guess you never know where you'll find inspiration.
I owe Earl mad sexual favors.
So here's the breakdown! We'll do this chronologically.
Thursday, June 15
Depart from New Orleans around 1030AM after two restless hours of sleep and a lagging contingent of co-partiers. Alphagabe and myself represented the boys' team, while Kat, Katie, and Mokey were the girls' team riding behind. After a few issues with preferred driving speeds/styles, we were *somewhat* quickly on our way. Then, potential disaster struck.
OH NOOOS! GABE'S GOT A FLAT TIRE!
Somewhere in the cultural mecca of Purvis, MS, we managed to pick up a nail, but luckily there was a tire shop nearby. Why are there always 252398273 tire stores in tiny towns like that? More tire shops than cars. Anyway, I digress. The tire was patched, and we were quickly on our way again.
A word to the wise: never buy a UniversalMap brand map. Even the 2006 edition had severe flaws, highways that have changed names or no longer exist, and will cause you to drive down winding country roads, see deer on the side of said roads, and really trick you into thinking you are one lost motherfucker. All map issues aside, we managed to make it to Manchester, TN, safely. TWELVE HOURS AFTER WE LEFT.
So here we are at Bonnaroo! Traffic was a lot lighter than my previous attendance, and we managed to set up Camp Muffin in no time at all. Off to the Discoteque! Dancing in an arcade was a good time. Lots of old school games in there, but most of them were out of commission. They did, however, have the classic pinball machine known as Pinbot. I was in love, but there was far too much else going on to waste time playing video games. Off to Shakedown Street for my selection of 'fun'.
Dry? WTF? The first night included a lot of sketchy characters out there, a couple of potential bunks, and a few good scores. Kept it simple the first night, drank a ton, and went to bed at a semi-reasonable hour. On to day two!!!
Friday, June 16
Got an EARLY start (around 730AM), and ventured into the concert grounds flying solo. I got some pinball time in, did some shopping, and attempted to make contact with some people who didn't come with us. Caught up with Diane and Megan from Monroe, met the Muffins at the Preservation Hall tent (which wound up being our base of operations for the whole weekend, and the reason I had the BEST. WEEKEND. EVER.) We shared our plans, I confirmed a meet with Alphagabe for Oysterhead at 530PM, and we went our separate ways.
My first can't-miss show was Seu Jorge, a Brazilian artist widely known for his role in The Life Aquatic. I stayed for about half the show, but I was compelled to go see Ben Folds on "Which Stage". FYI: The music areas were as follows - What Stage, Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent, and The Other Tent. Confusing, yes, but so so clever. Anyway, so Ben Folds really has a knack for working a crowd. Incredible talent, mostly lousy songs though. He did manage to get the entire crowd to sing in three part harmony. Impressive. Anyway, on with the show.
This is about the time I found the free cigarettes tent in the vending area. An air-conditioned smokers' lounge with free packs of American Spirits? Oh, hey there heaven.
I met up with Alphagabe after a couple of hours of traipsing about the grounds, and we got our spot for Oysterhead. Excellent show! They played a couple of new songs, which could hint that they're working on a new album. One can only hope. We ran into Mokey during the show, and she had Earl's Artist pass and one of her own. She asked me to come to the VIP area with her, and I happily obliged. We returned to 'Which Stage', where I got to watch Death Cab For Cutie from the wings of the stage. Ben Gibbard is an amazing musician. He was all over the place, sweating bullets, playing guitar, keys, drums, whatever. Quite nice.
This is where things got a little silly. As the sun descended and Tom Petty prepared for his set on What Stage, I met up with Kat and Katie fo a little consumption junction. A few pills later I'm wandering the concert grounds again, calling people late at night, and staying up way too long. No sleep Friday night. Good times for sure though. And now, Saturday.
Saturday, June 17
Made the morning meet at Preservation Hall in rough shape. No sleep + 90 degrees + no shade + narcotics = haggard Caleb with a big day ahead. I tried resting in the tent for a bit, but the heat was too much. I wound up back in the air-conditioned smokers' lounge again, meeting people and wasting time before my two big shows of the weekend: Beck and Radiohead. Cooling off was the best idea. Otherwise, I never would have made it for the big show.
500PM rolls around, and it's time to find Kat and Alphagabe. I meander around the What Stage area looking for the two of them, but it never works out. I wind up watching Beck all by my lonesome, but I managed to find a nice shady spot to sit by the sound stage where I had a lovely view of the performance. He was fantastic. The puppet show was almost as good as the music! Puppets cast in exact likenesses of Beck and his band members. Too funny. They mimicked Beck's entire performance, and the show was played over the jumbotrons. They even made a little skit with the puppets wandering around the Bonnaroo grounds and making fun of hippies. Gold.
After Beck, I headed over to Preservation Hall to attempt another meet. I managed to find Katie, so I went with her to see Radiohead. Tried and tried again to find Kat and Gabe, but it never worked out. Radiohead was amazing. I really don't want to elaborate. I fear I would cheapen the moment by talking too much about it. Beautiful.
Then BACK to Preservation Hall! The Bingo! Show was on at midnight, and The Dresden Dolls came out for a song or two. Megan and Diane also showed up, plus Gabe's friend Sara(h?) from Virginia. Finally, most of the people I knew were all in the same place, all basking in the afterglow of Radiohead, and all enjoying a local favorite. Great show, guys.
This is where things get REALLY interesting.
Saturday night was the last show for the Preservation Hall guys, and since Earl and company were heading out that night, they no longer had any use for their artist passes. Earl brings us THREE FUCKING ALMOST-ALL-ACCESS PASSES. O SHIT. I'M A BONNAROO VIP. TYPING IN CAPS FOR EMPHASIS.
So Gabe, Kat, Sara(h?), and myself went to the remaining moments of the superjam (Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, and Benevito-Russo Duo), then the last bit of The Dresden Dolls with Birkenstaff Family Cirkus. Sasha was on next, but I was still without sleep, so I stayed idle for the entire set. It was a good time listening, but no dancing for a Caleb who had been up for nearly 48 hours. Went back to camp around 500AM, and passed out in a chair outside my tent.
Sunday, June 18
Woke around 100PM and felt like a million bucks. Thank you 5htp!!!! I drank a few beers and went to meet Alphagabe. He had given my pass to Sara(h?) for the morning, so I had to go retrieve it. Spent most of Sunday with Gabe. It was definitely the best day of the festival, even without the passes. We caught Bela Fleck and the Flecktones from the VIP balcony on What Stage, then over to the beer tent for some cool beverages. We relaxed there for a little too long with Katie and Mokey, but managed to peel ourselves out of the comfort zone to meet Kat and see Sonic Youth.
Excellent show. Classic tunes, new shit, all superclean and perfect. Amazing wonderful goodtime performance.
Oh, and I met Mike Gordon from Phish while backstage.
Oh, and Stephen Malkmus.
Then the show ended. And I met THURSTON MOORE AND KIM GORDON. HOLYFUCKBALLS.
I can't say I've ever been this starstruck. I met a LOT of famous musicians this weekend. Bonnie Raitt, Mike Gordon, saw Elvis Costello but wasn't bold enough to approach him, the bassist from My Morning Jacket, Sonic Youth, Mike Gordon, Stephen Malkmus, fucking fuck fuck!!!!
Then on to Phil and Friends. Perfect end to the weekend. Best version of Shakedown Street I've ever heard. John Scofield sat in on guitar for the whole show, and Joan Osbourne sang most of the time. What an unbelievable sight. 90,000 people. I was on a balcony overlooking the stage with no more than 50 other people. I must've done something very right somewhere along the way.
Aside from a few tiny clashes that could never steal my thunder, this weekend was perfect. I really wish Elizabeth could have shared this experience with me. She would've had a great time.
I feel a change. Definitely a good one. I really bonded deeply with some people this weekend, and for that I am grateful. I'm glad to have had such wonderful people with me for this. I really feel unstoppable now. With school on the horizon and my wavering confidence once again solidified, I feel ready to achieve every bit of success I deserve. Kind of funny that a music festival has done this for me, but I guess you never know where you'll find inspiration.