"Do you live in Arkansas?"
Bonnaroo is one of those things that you can't really understand until you have lived it, but I'll do my best to describe it.
After driving all night we arrived in Manchester at about 8:30 a.m.Thursday morning(6/9) and waited in line in our cars along the freeway for about two and a half hours. Moving slow enough that Christina was able to get out and walk along side Lances car. Once we got to our camp site (camp "Ed Rooney")and set up Thursday was spent sleeping (after being awake for over 24hours I was out almost as soon as I sat down) and walking around in "centerroo" (where all of the stages and big tents are set up) and "shakedown ally" (thats where most of the vendors set up to sell, food,tee shirts, posters, drug paraphernalia, ect..) our camp site was right along there. Shakedown is very crowed and very loud but probably the most interesting place out side of centerroo.
FRIDAY
The morning was spent laying around in the shade tent dozing here and there and watching Gwen apply her sunscreen cocktail (something else you can't really understand until you have lived it). At 2p.m. it was out to centerroo for some music.
JOSS STONE: Better then I expected, she didn't deserve to have her name spelled wrong on that guys tee-shirt.
Lunch where Gwen and I had the first of many Mozzadillas (a quasdailla, with mozzarella cheese, spinach and pesto) to be eaten that weekend.Then the girls went back to camp to rest and we got our first rain for the weekend. 5p.m. Meet Lance at the "what" stage, still raining.
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND: I kinda felt like I should have been there with my dad. "I want to have your baby! Oh wait I am your baby!" (rain)
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND(special guest appearances by Warren Hayes and Robert Randolph): Without a doubt the best Dave Matthews show I'v ever seen (and I'v been to five others) It more then made up for last year and proved once again that Dave Matthews is much better with his band. (rain stopped mid way through)
I learned that it's cool to be up really close but if it means I have to fight my way through the crowd I'm fine with sitting in the back. During the show I almost pushed a drunk guy over, he asked for the way out of the crowd and I just gave him a shove in the right direction. Two girls passed out, people move out of the way quickly when someones carrying a limp body in their arms. Afterward I was ready for the next show but everybody wanted to head back. Back at camp Lance and Christina went to bed and after some coxing from Allison our neighbor and me Gwen headed out with us to see the parade and go to a mardigra party in the comedy tent. Allison turned out to be really annoying and spent the whole time complaining about how her friends ditched her, so the first chance we got we ditched her. After loosing Allison we went over to "This" tent to see the second half of Galactic's show, Gwen got tired while we were waiting for them to come on and went back to camp.
GALATIC: Very good probably my favorite of the weekend. Boyd from DMB came out for one song, the dirty dozen brass band did a song and Bo Bice from American Idol (say what you will about that show and the people on it, but this guy can sing) did two songs. I'm very glad I stayed up late by myself to see this show.
3a.m. bed
SATURDAY
Rain and overcast all day and rain at Bonnaroo means mud and lots of it.
Lazy morning, the wash stations are starting to get pretty gross, we go to get breakfast at the place with the really yummy bagel sandwiches "Do you still have bagels?" " Yes, except now we have it all on toast." "Toast not bagels, then the answer to my question would be no." and they added a dollar to the price! Walking around we discovered a place with breakfast burritos and decided to go there on Sunday."My friend is in jail I need $5,ooo in two days to get him out can you help me?" More naps and then back out to centerroo. On the way I ate a brownie.
GOV'T MULE and THE BLACK CROWS: These shows are kinda of fuzzy to me, however I did learn that me high and crowds don't mix. "Gwen asked me how I was feeling and as I was listening to what I was telling her It sounded so ridiculous that I couldn't stop laughing at myself."
TREY ANASTASIO: Glow sticks galore. Dan I spoke with Trey and explained why you couldn't make it, I held him while he cried and after he calmed down and the hiccups subsided he got out on stage and did his best. But you could tell there was something missing, a little piece of his heart that just wasn't in it. At one point I looked over at the guy standing next to me and with a truly confused look on his face and he said "Is this really happening? Are we really listening to this? Are we really here?" I know how you feel buddy.
The rest of the night was spent wandering around being jack asses and amusing ourselves, a stop at the cinema tent for some blue flashy things, a walk around shakedown(honey pops "Where did this guys come from?" "I saw him this morning." "Well why didn't you say anything!?" "Holy glow sticks in your hair." "What do they call people from Arkansas?" "Are you from Arkansas?" nobody was from Arkansas.
4a.m. bed
SUNDAY
Black clouds and rain all day. Wash stations are really, really gross. We go to get our breakfast burritos.
THE WORD: I enjoy Robert Randolph he makes me happy. But what really made me laugh was the Tubbo Ballerina(not Lance) this guy dancing around like one of the hippos from Fantasia all he needed was the pink too-too
WIDESPERAD PANIC: I danced with a guy in a chicken suit! This show for me was more about watching the people around us like chicken suit guy, high five guy (I got three high fives and a "Low five" on my foot)and topless chick and her bikini clad boyfriend.
I have to say that the whole mooing when your in a large crowd just never gets old, except that it dose and people need to stop doing it. "Yes that's very funny we'r corralled in here like cattle, thats very original that you mooed nobody has ever done that. Oh and look your friends were watching, thats a moment, that is a memory to be cherished. you have just made a memory here sir!" ugh, rolls eyes
That night because some of our neighbors had left early leaving a big open spot in the field our campsite became nitrous central. There are certain things that I never need to do and sitting in a muddy field sucking nitrous oxide out of a balloon is one of them. I saw a guy my dads age doing it I really just wanted to tell him to get a life.
MONDAY
We pack up and just in time for us to leave the sun comes out.
On the way out there was a nice man standing on the side of the road with a sign informing all of us evil sinners that if we didn't find Jesus we were going to Hell just like Jim Morrison, John Lennon and Jerry Garcia and I figured it sounds like they have pretty good music in Hell so I guess I'll just stay on my evil, sining path.
We all stopped at the Jack Daniels distillery and did the tour then headed into Lynchburg to get our free(cheap-ass plastic) shot glasses. Then we walked around the WHOLE town it took us at least four minutes, maybe even five. Then after some ice cream and checking out the local park we went our separate ways. Lance and Christina home to Michigan, but not before stopping to see the caves.
Gwen and I too Nashville
Monday night we went to the Opryland hotel, took a boat ride on the river inside the hotel and then got lost in the jungle, drank some bug juice and did a reenactment of that scene in Labyrinth where Jennifer Connelly is running up and down the stairs and she can see where she wants to go but cant get to it. The place is frigging huge. Then we went to bed at 9p.m. intending to nap for only an hour and then go out to the bars. When we woke up at 8a.m. we decide it was a little to early to be drinking so we got breakfast instead.
Tuesday we took a tour of Nashville, we saw the capitol, The Parthenon(they have an exact replica of the one in Greece) The Ryman theater and the country music hall of fame (where we met a couple from K-zoo who had been at bonnaroo). I'm not a big country music fan but it was still interesting(Billy Ray Crius is in the hall of fame?!) That night we went to every bar that was open.
Some of the highlights
WannaB's: a karoke bar, think Crunchys but instead of the drunken idiots you have people who can really sing. Like Jim who looks like an insurance salesmen and Neil Diamond fan and then got up and did "Enter Sandman", "White Wedding" and "Ballroom Blitz".
Coyote Ugly: we danced on the bar and I got sprayed even though it was Gwen who ordered water!
Bar Nashville: it was eighteen and over night and we got hit on by a guy with gray hair. We didn't stay long.
Sam and Ryan: very cute, very drunk and Sam very gay. Oh and they had been at Bonnaroo
Larry, Mo and Curly: we never did get their names but thats ok it's more fun to call them this. They tried to give us lessons on how to talk like a southerner.
The guys from Michigan: they were there on business, they sell silicone and really wanted us to come back to their hotel if only they could remember where it was. Ummm no thanks.
The guy in the white cowboy hat: cute, less cute without the hat.
Bars in Nashville close at 3a.m. but Tuesday night is not the best night to go.
WEDNESDAY
Spent in the car, Gwen decided she wanted to drive the whole way so I entertained her by watching the clouds through the sun roof, and getting a bit loopy from being in the car for so long. "want to play yellow car?" "Sure, parking lot full of buses!"
It was a great trip, lots of memories(like the guys mooing in the crowd I won't forget the millions of times that happened *rolls eyes*)I didnt get as tan as last year (maybe because there was no sun) and I didn't get as dirty as last year (there was less mud)and not for lack of trying Nashville did not turn out like D.C. but it was still fun.
After driving all night we arrived in Manchester at about 8:30 a.m.Thursday morning(6/9) and waited in line in our cars along the freeway for about two and a half hours. Moving slow enough that Christina was able to get out and walk along side Lances car. Once we got to our camp site (camp "Ed Rooney")and set up Thursday was spent sleeping (after being awake for over 24hours I was out almost as soon as I sat down) and walking around in "centerroo" (where all of the stages and big tents are set up) and "shakedown ally" (thats where most of the vendors set up to sell, food,tee shirts, posters, drug paraphernalia, ect..) our camp site was right along there. Shakedown is very crowed and very loud but probably the most interesting place out side of centerroo.
FRIDAY
The morning was spent laying around in the shade tent dozing here and there and watching Gwen apply her sunscreen cocktail (something else you can't really understand until you have lived it). At 2p.m. it was out to centerroo for some music.
JOSS STONE: Better then I expected, she didn't deserve to have her name spelled wrong on that guys tee-shirt.
Lunch where Gwen and I had the first of many Mozzadillas (a quasdailla, with mozzarella cheese, spinach and pesto) to be eaten that weekend.Then the girls went back to camp to rest and we got our first rain for the weekend. 5p.m. Meet Lance at the "what" stage, still raining.
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND: I kinda felt like I should have been there with my dad. "I want to have your baby! Oh wait I am your baby!" (rain)
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND(special guest appearances by Warren Hayes and Robert Randolph): Without a doubt the best Dave Matthews show I'v ever seen (and I'v been to five others) It more then made up for last year and proved once again that Dave Matthews is much better with his band. (rain stopped mid way through)
I learned that it's cool to be up really close but if it means I have to fight my way through the crowd I'm fine with sitting in the back. During the show I almost pushed a drunk guy over, he asked for the way out of the crowd and I just gave him a shove in the right direction. Two girls passed out, people move out of the way quickly when someones carrying a limp body in their arms. Afterward I was ready for the next show but everybody wanted to head back. Back at camp Lance and Christina went to bed and after some coxing from Allison our neighbor and me Gwen headed out with us to see the parade and go to a mardigra party in the comedy tent. Allison turned out to be really annoying and spent the whole time complaining about how her friends ditched her, so the first chance we got we ditched her. After loosing Allison we went over to "This" tent to see the second half of Galactic's show, Gwen got tired while we were waiting for them to come on and went back to camp.
GALATIC: Very good probably my favorite of the weekend. Boyd from DMB came out for one song, the dirty dozen brass band did a song and Bo Bice from American Idol (say what you will about that show and the people on it, but this guy can sing) did two songs. I'm very glad I stayed up late by myself to see this show.
3a.m. bed
SATURDAY
Rain and overcast all day and rain at Bonnaroo means mud and lots of it.
Lazy morning, the wash stations are starting to get pretty gross, we go to get breakfast at the place with the really yummy bagel sandwiches "Do you still have bagels?" " Yes, except now we have it all on toast." "Toast not bagels, then the answer to my question would be no." and they added a dollar to the price! Walking around we discovered a place with breakfast burritos and decided to go there on Sunday."My friend is in jail I need $5,ooo in two days to get him out can you help me?" More naps and then back out to centerroo. On the way I ate a brownie.
GOV'T MULE and THE BLACK CROWS: These shows are kinda of fuzzy to me, however I did learn that me high and crowds don't mix. "Gwen asked me how I was feeling and as I was listening to what I was telling her It sounded so ridiculous that I couldn't stop laughing at myself."
TREY ANASTASIO: Glow sticks galore. Dan I spoke with Trey and explained why you couldn't make it, I held him while he cried and after he calmed down and the hiccups subsided he got out on stage and did his best. But you could tell there was something missing, a little piece of his heart that just wasn't in it. At one point I looked over at the guy standing next to me and with a truly confused look on his face and he said "Is this really happening? Are we really listening to this? Are we really here?" I know how you feel buddy.
The rest of the night was spent wandering around being jack asses and amusing ourselves, a stop at the cinema tent for some blue flashy things, a walk around shakedown(honey pops "Where did this guys come from?" "I saw him this morning." "Well why didn't you say anything!?" "Holy glow sticks in your hair." "What do they call people from Arkansas?" "Are you from Arkansas?" nobody was from Arkansas.
4a.m. bed
SUNDAY
Black clouds and rain all day. Wash stations are really, really gross. We go to get our breakfast burritos.
THE WORD: I enjoy Robert Randolph he makes me happy. But what really made me laugh was the Tubbo Ballerina(not Lance) this guy dancing around like one of the hippos from Fantasia all he needed was the pink too-too
WIDESPERAD PANIC: I danced with a guy in a chicken suit! This show for me was more about watching the people around us like chicken suit guy, high five guy (I got three high fives and a "Low five" on my foot)and topless chick and her bikini clad boyfriend.
I have to say that the whole mooing when your in a large crowd just never gets old, except that it dose and people need to stop doing it. "Yes that's very funny we'r corralled in here like cattle, thats very original that you mooed nobody has ever done that. Oh and look your friends were watching, thats a moment, that is a memory to be cherished. you have just made a memory here sir!" ugh, rolls eyes
That night because some of our neighbors had left early leaving a big open spot in the field our campsite became nitrous central. There are certain things that I never need to do and sitting in a muddy field sucking nitrous oxide out of a balloon is one of them. I saw a guy my dads age doing it I really just wanted to tell him to get a life.
MONDAY
We pack up and just in time for us to leave the sun comes out.
On the way out there was a nice man standing on the side of the road with a sign informing all of us evil sinners that if we didn't find Jesus we were going to Hell just like Jim Morrison, John Lennon and Jerry Garcia and I figured it sounds like they have pretty good music in Hell so I guess I'll just stay on my evil, sining path.
We all stopped at the Jack Daniels distillery and did the tour then headed into Lynchburg to get our free(cheap-ass plastic) shot glasses. Then we walked around the WHOLE town it took us at least four minutes, maybe even five. Then after some ice cream and checking out the local park we went our separate ways. Lance and Christina home to Michigan, but not before stopping to see the caves.
Gwen and I too Nashville
Monday night we went to the Opryland hotel, took a boat ride on the river inside the hotel and then got lost in the jungle, drank some bug juice and did a reenactment of that scene in Labyrinth where Jennifer Connelly is running up and down the stairs and she can see where she wants to go but cant get to it. The place is frigging huge. Then we went to bed at 9p.m. intending to nap for only an hour and then go out to the bars. When we woke up at 8a.m. we decide it was a little to early to be drinking so we got breakfast instead.
Tuesday we took a tour of Nashville, we saw the capitol, The Parthenon(they have an exact replica of the one in Greece) The Ryman theater and the country music hall of fame (where we met a couple from K-zoo who had been at bonnaroo). I'm not a big country music fan but it was still interesting(Billy Ray Crius is in the hall of fame?!) That night we went to every bar that was open.
Some of the highlights
WannaB's: a karoke bar, think Crunchys but instead of the drunken idiots you have people who can really sing. Like Jim who looks like an insurance salesmen and Neil Diamond fan and then got up and did "Enter Sandman", "White Wedding" and "Ballroom Blitz".
Coyote Ugly: we danced on the bar and I got sprayed even though it was Gwen who ordered water!
Bar Nashville: it was eighteen and over night and we got hit on by a guy with gray hair. We didn't stay long.
Sam and Ryan: very cute, very drunk and Sam very gay. Oh and they had been at Bonnaroo
Larry, Mo and Curly: we never did get their names but thats ok it's more fun to call them this. They tried to give us lessons on how to talk like a southerner.
The guys from Michigan: they were there on business, they sell silicone and really wanted us to come back to their hotel if only they could remember where it was. Ummm no thanks.
The guy in the white cowboy hat: cute, less cute without the hat.
Bars in Nashville close at 3a.m. but Tuesday night is not the best night to go.
WEDNESDAY
Spent in the car, Gwen decided she wanted to drive the whole way so I entertained her by watching the clouds through the sun roof, and getting a bit loopy from being in the car for so long. "want to play yellow car?" "Sure, parking lot full of buses!"
It was a great trip, lots of memories(like the guys mooing in the crowd I won't forget the millions of times that happened *rolls eyes*)I didnt get as tan as last year (maybe because there was no sun) and I didn't get as dirty as last year (there was less mud)and not for lack of trying Nashville did not turn out like D.C. but it was still fun.