Deciding to go to Bonnaroo is not a light hearted choice. Especially when you are heading down from the great white north (even though in June, there is nothing cold about Ottawa, Canada). It shall be stated that Bonnaroo is not like the other (also awesome) music festivals out there. Bonnaroo kicks your ass, and somehow leaves you wanting more. Roo is the Christian Grey to your Anna Steele.
There are some things you should know about Bonnaroo.
1.) This is not some "vacation". OK, OK I guess yeah, it is a vacation but it's not going to be like a summertime concert on a beach under the stars. No no. There is heat. Scolding heat from that mean Tennessee sunshine, that will ruin your day if you do not take the proper precautions. Meaning, stay hydrated, find shade between shows, sunscreen up, and equip yourself with a hat and sunglasses. As explained on the website when thinking of Bonnaroo think "Survivorman rather than Sandals" (the resort).
2.) Bonnaroo is dirty. You are camping but no, it's not like your regular camping experience in the woods where you can go swimming and canoeing and make s'mores. No sir. If you are lucky you will get a spot under a tree (we were so happy to have that tree last time), but this is a long shot. Camping at Bonnaroo means you need to accept being sweaty, and covered in dust and dirt for four days. You will wake up with a spider crawling over your body, but you will be too exhausted to care. This is the level of acceptance you need to be on from day one. Bring baby wipes! They were my best friend (and water, my mistress). Don't try to stay perfectly clean because your efforts will be futile.
3.) It is the most fun you will ever have (probably). In the course of the four days on the farm you will feel uncomfortable, tired, dirty, and sore. To offset the bad, you will witness some of the best performances the musicians will ever perform. It is clear that every musician playing is honored to be at Roo, and wants to show you just how much. It is worth everything you are putting your body through and more. Bonnaroo is the best! Not to mention the very cool people you will meet there. Everyone is there for the music. Bonnaroo is just one massive love fest. People are too dehydrated and sun stroked to be mean.
Being that step one of Bonnaroo preparation is complete (buying the ticket) onto the next steps of prep. The first includes making a Bonnaroo playlist!
Sure, you have bought a ticket to Bonnaroo to see some of your favorite artists perform. But there are a lot (!!) of other fantastic musicians, comedians, and artists who show up on the Bonnaroo roster, who you might not know. It is worth checking them out. This is how I found out about the Head and the Heart, who are one of my favorites. You don't want to miss an opportunity to see someone great because you didn't feel like doing some research pre-Roo.
The artist claims the album is "not a time machine record" but I wholly beg to differ. It is. And it is fantastic! JD says he draws inspiration from a slew of varying genres though, including Wu-Tang Clan and Led Zeppelin making for an interesting mix.
JD McPherson seems not to want to pigeonhole himself to the "retro" identifier. S&S does portray his onslaught of stimuli and how he has made it his own. Given that the heat can handle JC McPherson, he is one act I so don't want to miss. What a great start to my Roolist (Bonnaroo playlist).
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