Return of the Bonnaroo Brigade

© Jamptopia.com, Jeff Volckhausen, 2009

Phish Jamtopia

More than a decade ago, topping the list of reasons to visit the hearty state of Tennessee included Graceland, the Grand Ole Opry and the Jack Daniels Distillery. But, as Generation X and The Grunge Age grew up, Generations Y and Z (for clarity’s sake: people born in the ‘80s and beyond) found new reason to trek the Southern state: Bonnaroo, the granddaddy of music festivals. The fest, which borrows its name from a Cajun slang translating to “a really good time,” has taken on enriched meaning at its home base in Manchester, TN.

Revisiting the 700-acre farm 60 miles southeast of Nashville for its eighth annual year, the renowned Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has added in several temptations to convince festies to park RVs at this summer’s four-day extravaganza. Taking place June 11 through 14, the ‘Roo final lineup will feature performances from more than 120 bands and 20 comedians spread throughout 13 stages. Beloved Phisheads that have been following the band from March’s Hampton reunion and onto three nights in Jones Beach, NY (June 2, 4, 5) will make a pit stop for a double dose of debauchery at Bonnaroo. Noted as one of the leading inspirations for the birth of Bonnaroo back in ’02, Phish takes to their only fest appearance this summer with two full-set performances and an additional after-hours set for the late-night owls. It’s no wonder Rolling Stone coined Bonnaroo “one of the 50 moments to change the history of rock and roll.”

Along with Phish, musical headliners making noise include Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Wilco, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Ani DiFranco, Elvis Costello, Al Green, Public Enemy, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Merle Haggard, The Decemberists, Santigold, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Animal Collective, Girl Talk, Brett Dennen, TV on the Radio, Gov’t Mule, and the list goes on and on… As for standup buffs, get in a few laughs at comics including Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Todd Barry, Kristen Schaal, Michael Ian Black and Janeane Garofalo (here’s to hoping Garofalo returns to her mic platform and ends her stint on 24 for good).

While some fests are featuring round table discussions (ROTHBURY) and late-night disco tents (Camp Bisco), Bonnaroo plans to treat ticketholders to around-the-clock entertainment and amenities with a comedy theater, cinema festival, jazz club, silent disco, arcade, Internet cafés, restaurants, yoga classes and hundreds of high-quality craft vendors. Philanthropists, grab two handfuls of canned goods and take part in the 6th Annual Bonnaroo Food Drive benefitting the Good Samaritan Food Pantry of Manchester TN, a team effort between Bonnaroo and nonprofit Conscious Alliance. The first 2,000 people to donate 10 non-perishable food items can snag a limited-edition Bonnaroo poster – Ramen noodles not included – seriously, so save ‘em for munchies.

Oh, and if you’ve got a couple of extra hours to kill on your road trip to ‘Roo, might as well hit up that famous distillery over in Lynchburg. After all, it ain’t a party without your favorite ‘ol American bourbon buddy Jack D.