Bonnaroo’s Musical Evolution

Over the past nine years, Bonnaroo has notably evolved from a jam band fest to an all encompassing music experience.  Was it difficult for Bonnaroo to stray from its jammy roots, or was it a prudent business decision to move in the new direction?  MTT has been to the past four Bonnaroos in a row, and we’ve certainly witnessed firsthand the progression that the festival has made.

Personally, I embrace the changes in band bookings.  Admittedly, I’m not the largest jam band fan in the world (I can only take so much noodling!), so the evolution in booking has been welcomed in my book.  With the noticeable increase in attendees this year, many others must also embrace the changes.  However, in the past few years, we’ve spoken to many jam band purists who feel that Bonnaroo has “sold out” when they turned their back on keeping it jam-centric.

Stagnation of music on a huge festival level is a killer.  I like Widespread Panic, but just how many times can they close a festival?  Phish closing Bonnaroo out in 09 was excellent booking.  They may have played two nights, but their lasting energy helped the burnt out Bonnaroonians to power through the last night.  This past year, Dave Matthews Band closed it out on Sunday night.  Talk about a college kid magnet…  Bonnaroo has successfully avoided musical stagnation by smart and diverse booking.

From The Dead, to Phish, to Panic, then to Jay-Z.  Is this a strong progression?  I feel  that it is.  Actually, I feel as though Mr. Carter’s (Jay-Z) performance at Bonnaroo was one of the best performances (visually and sonically) that I’d ever seen over the years at the festival.

People may argue that 2010 was the least strong headlining roster yet, but how can one ignore the very strong number of supporting acts on the bill!  The dilemma for most people is whether a festival should have amazing headliners, and the rest would just fall into place, or if the fest should have many good undercard bands.  What are your thoughts on the situation?

Sorry Hippies. Bonnaroo Isn’t Just For You Anymore.

With a change in music, a festival will also see their crowds differ greatly from year to year.  Bonnaroo 2007’s crowd was significantly different than 2010’s crowd.  In my opinion, I feel that gone are the days of calling Bonnaroo a purely “hippie festival.”  Sure, there are plenty of “hippie” types, but being a trust-fund hippie does not count as living the “hippie” lifestyle or wearing the “hippie” styles.

On Sunday evening, there was a man who looked very hippie-ish (dreads, a beard, very haggard looking) and was holding a sign saying that he had to bike back home a few hundred miles after the festival.  The sign said that “anything would help.”  One cannot avoid the very nomadic lifestyle that many true hippies decide to involve immerse themselves in, but he looked as though he had partaken in quite a few “recreational” activities throughout his weekend.  Those activities don’t come for free!  Is it really worth biking a few hundred miles to a festival where they spend more money being in an altered state than knowing how they’ll be getting home?  Those choices never made any sense to me.  Many would say that I’d understand if I lived that lifestyle, but I don’t.

As time progressed in the life of Bonnaroo, the bookers have brought in a more eclectic roster of bands, including a very heavy dose of college/indie rock.  Thus, Roo has been inundated with a flood of people that wouldn’t have necessarily attended the inaugural Bonnaroo.  Bands like Dave Matthews Band, Jay-Z, Kings of Leon, The Police, and even Metallica have headlined over the past few years.  There have been smatterings of jamminess with the likes of Phish, The Disco Biscuits, The Mars Volta, Widespread Panic and more, but they are becoming fewer and farther between these days.

“Recreational” activities have certainly made an about term with more and more college drinking games sprouting up all over the farm.  (We’re guilty as well.  We rock our pro beer pong setup every year.)  As a result, the General Stores at Roo have been charging 8 dollars for a pack of ping pong balls.  (Come the hell on.)  As we walked around the farm, we saw some great games and activities being enjoyed by walks of all life.  This fortified the fact that Roo is not just a music festival, but it is a living experience of what each person makes of it.

So what’s my verdict?

Sorry hippies… (or “hippies”)  Your scene has been overrun by a different generation of concert goers, and I definitely welcome the change.  If Bonnaroo would remain musically the same over the years, if would have no plan of growth.  I do feel as though Roo can use a bit of a Centeroo Facelift (the addition of the Lunar Stage was both genius and needed), but musically, Bonnaroo is making the right steps to a continuous musical progression.

Keep your fans on their toes, and they’ll be even more intrigued year after year;  no matter what social status they may fall within.  However, if there’s one thing for certain, the farm will always be saturated with the scent combination of patchouli, B.O. and dirt.

Friday at Bonnaroo

Kings of Leon.  Daryl Hall and Chromeo.  Tenacious D.  The Flaming Lips performing Dark Side of the Moon.  Kid Cudi.  The Crystal Method.  Steve Martin.  Conan O’Brian…. Are you kidding me?  Bonnaroo’s Friday was super jam packed with amazing acts throughout the day.

Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of Kings of Leon.  I do like their newest album, and a few other tracks, but had never gotten into them like B has.  “Kings of Leon is going to melt my face,” B said.  Hey, at least they’re not Dave Matthews… Oh.  Wait, they’re here too.  Oi.  On the other hand, I’ve been very intrigued by the odd pairing of Daryl Hall and Chromeo.  Hall and Oates is a band that you tend to forget about the legion of hits that they had put out over the years, until you hear them and think, ‘oh yeah… they wrote that too!’

So, back to the festival…  The heat has been brutal, the people have been crazy, and the music has been superb.  Friday’s action was non-stop with Conan O’Brian kicking off the day to thousands of people.  No, not just the lucky ones who made it into the tent, but to 10,000+ people watching him on the Lunar Stage screen.  It didn’t make any sense that he didn’t perform on the main stage.  His crowd would have been larger than Chris Rock’s.  Conan’s show was a mix of music and standup, which would have gone very well on a large stage.  Oh well.  The Train isn’t the show promoter.

Nas and Damian Marley tore it up midday.  They had a solid balance of solo songs as well as tracks off of their album.  We then swung over to She and Him, which had an enormous crowd.  Zooey can definitely sing her ass off.  There was a great chill vibe flowing through the crowd. Maybe it was the huge green cloud surrounding the tent.

Later, we headed to the Tenacious D set.  I was a bit skeptical about how they’d sound live, but they certainly proved me wrong.  The Kage Man and Jack Black can tear it up.  The show was extremely high energy, and the whole crowd was very into it.  Jack can sing much better than I had originally remembered.  I was extremely impressed with the entire show.

Next up were B’s boys, Kings of Leon…. (To be Continued)

The Tracks’ Thursday at Bonnaroo

Yo!  After some serious internet issues, we’re back up and running!  Thursday and Friday…  Bonnaroo mania is running wild on the farm.  People came to the fest with guns blazin’ and have been going balls to the wall since many had arrived on Wednesday night.  The party started at the Manchester Walmart, then spilled out to the traffic line (yeah, a ton of people party in their cars), then continues through setting up their and throughout the weekend.

The first night at Roo seemed fairly tame in comparison to years in the past.  The early Thursday lineup seemed weak, until Neon Indian at 8:30.  The crowds seemed very excited to be at any set on Thursday night, as their Bonnaroo dreams finally have been realized.

We checked out The Dodos at 9, and they had a great vibe going.  They give off a sense of being European, but they’re a “domestic product” of the good ol’ US of A.  The crowd was packed, and the side stage area was mobbed.  (I think the press and musicians had a bit of Bonnaroo Fever as well!)

The Dodos made us thirsty.  No, it wasn’t the steamy weather of Tennessee, but it made us want to pour some heavy libations.  So we did.  Quite a few.  As Excelsior chilled at our front row spot (again!) in front of the Bonnaroo Arch, we met and hung out with our neighbors and locals of Manchester.  Apparently, they have been camping next to us for the past few years, and one of the fine gentlemen offered us a few drinks of this fine “shine.”  We had a great conversation about the different types of “shine,” and how much it still paralleled the early days of prohibition.   From what I hear, we’ll be having another sampling this weekend!

So quite a few Moe-jitos later, we head off to The xx’s set.  MTT was slated to interview The xx, but unfortunately they had to cancel.  If you haven’t heard their album yet, I highly suggest that you get it immediately.  It’s a bit more chill than the tunes I usually listen to, but the album is top notch.  It’s a very stripped down and simplified sound, but the intimacy of the set was astounding.  They have replicated the sound of their album perfectly, and in the live setting, the sentiment of their music is magnified tenfold.  They are a must see if they swing through your area.

B and I finished up the night with Wale’s hip hop fiesta.  I just got into his music, and that guy can seriously throw down.  Great crowd command and high energy ran through his crew onstage.  His set was proof that you don’t necessarily need to be familiar with someone’s music to thoroughly enjoy their set.  I’ll definitely be adding Wale to my playlist when I get home.

By the end of the night’s music and mayhem, it was time to crash back at our tent.  The vodka induced slumber was poor, but at least we were getting a bit of rest.  If there’s one thing for certain, Bonnaroo is not for the weary or faint of heart.

Bonnaroo is a true test of will and strength.  Plain and simple, if you’re not a fan of the heat, roughing it, or mud, you shouldn’t be here.  It’s been steamy hot since we arrived, and mud is everywhere.  On Wednesday night, a monsoon hit Manchester, so we’re dealing with pretty harsh conditions.  I’m not complaining, but since there are a ton of first timer here this year, I’m just informing people to make the appropriate decisions when choosing festivals.

Tracks’ Thursday Bonnaroo Traffic Woes

Damn it, it is great to be back on the farm!  We finally made it down to Manchester, TN after a long ass drive from Philly.  Although I despise driving in cars for a long time, King B and I made the best of the trip.  The weather was a bit gloomy, but it was nice and cool out… Therefore highly raising our comfort levels.

We figured that we’d “fly” to Manchester, and find a bar to watch game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  Our boys, the Orange Crush aka the Philadelphia Flyers, were playing in game six.  Well, we underestimated our arrival time, and ended up streaming the game on my iPhone.  (No, I wasn’t watching the game while I was driving… Just listening)  The Flyers ended up losing on a shitty goal, which ended in one of the most sloppy ends to a season ever.  (Shit happens.  We’re Philly after all)

Finally, we got to our yearly destination of the Manchester Walmart, and it was MOBBED.  Beyond mobbed.  I haven’t seen the parking lot that packed in the four consecutive years that we’ve been here.  Usually, we’d crack open a few beverages and join in on the festivities, but we decided to skip that part, and just go shopping for our supplies then pass out for a few hours by the Bonnaroo Radio Station (Fantasy 101).

Mobs of people were already in line at 6am for Will Call and to pick up their credential.  Again, there was a much larger amount of people in line than I’d ever seen.  Was this a portent of things to come?  Did Dave Matthews and Kings of Leon triple the attendance for Bonnaroo 2010?  We’ll see very soon.

After we headed out on the road towards the farm, we were excited to see that traffic was flowing very quickly.  Maybe the Manchester Police finally had their shit together so the line of people would flow much more smoothly.  As soon as we got to the point where we’d start filing into the farm, we were directed down I-24 and away from the farm.

‘Maybe we’re just going to a different entrance this year.’

We could feel ourselves getting inside of the Bonnaroo gates in record time.  Looking around, there was an enormous line to the left of us.  ‘Maybe there’s an alternate entrance on our side of the road.  There’s no way that we could be part of that line.’ Finally, we arrived at the back of the line.  An hour later, we moved maybe a mile.  ‘Oh shit.  We’re low on gas!’ Eventually, we decided to get out of line so we wouldn’t be stranded.  Flying down the road, we were amazed to see that the line kept going, and going, and going, and going… FOR EIGHTEEN MILES!  Yes. 18.  On the wrong side of the road. 

Was the Manchester Police sending people totally away from the festival?  After all, the one officer told us that they had such traffic problems that they were forced to start a different pattern.  Finally, we fueled up and hit Subway for key eats.  There were several Bonnaroonians there who looked pissed off and confused.  They told us that the line on our side of the road was doing a huge loop around to the other side.  ‘What the fuck is going on??’ If we didn’t get out of line when we did, we definitely would have ran out of gas.  As a matter of fact, we saw at least 3 cars being pushed in line.  I wonder where those people are now!

Making a long story a bit shorter… We got back on the road doing 80 and flew towards the gates.  Team Excelsior doesn’t fucking lose, so we got in.  Quite quickly.  Honestly, I’d be very surprised if the people in the back of line (where we started) had made it into the grounds by 3am.  It was THAT long.

Once we got into the traffic checkpoint on the grounds, everything went very fast and smoothly.  Honestly, it was even better than years past.  At least Bonnaroo had their shit together!

So to everyone that sat in line for hours and hours and hours… Our hearts truly go out to you. Next year, the Manchester Police has to have a much better plan, or else Bonnaroo is going to suffer.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Roo loses a few thousand people next year because of this debacle.  You can’t blame Bonnaroo for this major organizational mishap, but heads have to roll somewhere.  The festival dumps tons of money into the local task forces and communities, so they need to treat all aspects of the festival like gold..

Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments on the site.  We’re looking forward to reading them!

Next:  On to better things… Thursday AT Bonnaroo!

King B’s Bonnaroo Court

King B hails all of the Tracks’ followers and invites them to follow B’s daily Bonnaroo updates! Come with us as we take you on a journey.. of epic proportions!!

Weds

2:00- We’ve been on the road for about three hours and we’re not making good time. I’ve contemplated throwing some of Moe’s shit out of the window to lighten the car. I’ve been listening to The xx for the past half hour, very chilled out (maybe a little too chilled out). It’s almost my turn to drive.

8:09- So my driving shift lasted a little longer than anticipated (finally back in shotgun). For some reason, even though we’ve made this journey three other times, I thought it was supposed to take 8 hours. I thought we’d miss the Flyers game but instead we’re streaming it from the phone!!

Live Coverage of Bonnaroo 2010 on MoeTrainsTracks.com by Moe and B!

It’s that time of year again, and Moe Train’s Tracks is headed to Manchester, TN for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival!  King B and The Train will be bringing you a totally new Tracks experience with this year’s coverage.  We’ll be blogging on the site as all of the action unfolds over the weekend, as well as getting great interviews with the fest’s top musicians, concert photos and more!

We embark on our trip from Philadelphia and will be arriving in Manchester, TN about 12 (ugh!) hours later.  Who knows what the road will hold for us, besides a ridiculously long time on Route 81 (that road SUCKS!), and pure Excelsior insanity!  Keep connected to the Tracks by following on Twitter (@MoeTrainsTracks), and watching the site for lots of great updates…

We’ll be camped out by the front of the Bonnaroo arch, so if you see us, come say hi!  If we’re not there, we’ll be bouncing around the grounds doing our artist interviews, taking in a ton of shows, and interviewing people in the crowds.  We plan on checking out as much of the festival as possible, and we hope to meet as many of you as possible!  If you have any great tips  about what’s going on at the festival, or just want us to come stop by and hang out.. Message us on Twitter, and we’ll try to stop by!

Bonnaroo has always been one of our favorite festivals to cover and we’re especially looking forward to spreading our Global Domination Tour to Manchester, Tennessee and Bonnaroo!

WE’LL SEE YOU ON THE FARM!!!  BONNNNARRRROOOOOOOOOOOO!

Related articles:

• Bonnaroo Live Webcasts (jambase.com)
• Why They Call It… Bonnaroo (spin.com)
• FREE ALBUM! SPIN’s Picks for Bonnaroo 2010 (spin.com)

B.o.B. – The Adventures of Bobby Ray (7.7/10)

Instead of dwelling on all the things Bobby Ray isn’t, I’ve decided to embrace what the album really is all about… Elementary good times with hip-hop.  Sometimes you’ve just got to let go of the musical snobbery and in B.o.B’s own words, “toast to the good life and take a sip.”

B.o.B – The Adventures of Bobby Ray (7.7 out of 10)

When I first started writing my review for Bobby Ray it was every bit as analytical and overbearing all the other reviews that I had encountered.  And to be truthful, B.o.B. is 1. not lyrically gifted (pretty clichéd), 2. the type of “unconventional” hip-hop artist that is rapidly becoming the rule rather than the exception (see Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Kid Cudi, Wale, et al.), and 3. relatively unoriginal (i.e. the track, Kids, is such a flagrant Vampire Weekend rip that it’s damn-near a cover, and several times throughout the record he claims to be an alien, a la Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Outkast,…)  Yet, I came to a realization today as I was walking my dog around the city giving the album a fourth and final listen.

Against what I thought was my better judgement, I found myself singing along, putting some bounce in my step, and totally nodding my head; I realized I was completely feelin B.o.B.  Although most of his songs are contrived, they’re still incredibly catchy.  Magic, a track which features River Cuomo of Weezer fame, is undeniable fun.  Nothin’ On You is fashioned to be a number one single.  And with the support of cameos from Hayley Williams of Paramore, Eminem, Janelle Monae, T.I., Cuomo, and Lupe Fiasco, the album never ceases to keep you interested.

So, instead of dwelling on all the things Bobby Ray isn’t, I’ve decided to embrace what the album really is all about, elementary good times with hip-hop.  Sometimes you’ve just got to let go of the musical snobbery and in B.o.B’s own words, “toast to the good life and take a sip.”

- B

LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening (8.5/10)

LCD’s third album is nothing unforeseen, another laser-inscribed lamentation from the reigning analog-meets-digital maestro.  Murphy once again transcends the dance-punk genre, a style in which he is now a perennial figurehead.

LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening (8.5 out of 10)

LCD’s third album is nothing unforeseen, another laser-inscribed lamentation from the reigning analog-meets-digital maestro.  Murphy once again transcends the dance-punk genre, a style in which he is now a perennial figurehead.

What to listen for:

-major Talking Heads influences, check out Pow Pow

-Dance Yrself Clean- one of 2010’s best songs to date

-my only caveat- some of the songs drag-on a smidge (the average track is 7 minutes), not something that has worked well with my unrelenting ADD

- B

Rhythm Devils ft. Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann Announce Summer Tour

For nearly three decades they were the two-headed, eight-limbed, polyrhythmic engine that drove the Grateful Dead. Now, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart are the Rhythm Devils, and when the veteran percussionists take to the road this summer, even the most Deadicated of fans will be in for some big surprises.

“The music is quite different,” says Kreutzmann. “It’s real groove-based. It has lots of percussion and electronics. It’s very danceable. It’s gonna be quite a mix up there.” Hart says, “This music will take you to a very special place, I think. It’s like a super friendly rhythm snake that has wrapped itself around the world a few times and now it’s coming our way. It’s electric; it’s got rhythm, has words and flies. It’s the Rhythm Devils.” Joining Hart and Kreutzmann in the Rhythm Devils for this tour will be Nigerian talking drum master Sikiru Adepoju, returning from the last RD tour in 2006, Back Door Slam’s Davy Knowles (guitar, vocals) and Andy Hess (bass). Plus one-man-band Keller Williams (guitar, vocals) makes his first run as a Devil, joining the band on select dates, as does The Mother Hips’ Tim Bluhm (guitar, vocals).

The Rhythm Devils name has its origins in the late ’70s. As Hart explains, “I remember Jerry looking at Bill and I one time. He shook his head and just said, ‘You guys are Rhythm Devils.’” But the 2010 incarnation of the Rhythm Devils is guaranteed to be unlike anything that’s come before—the dynamic mix of the musicians’ individual but complementary styles and approaches is sure to lead to some serious sparks. “It’s a great combination,” says Hart. “You have the deep trance music from Nigeria and West Africa that Sikiru brings to us and there’s Davy who at any moment just might rip the sky apart with his guitar and Andy Hess is a real gem of a bass player. Joining us for the first part of the tour is the ‘one man band’ Keller Williams and on the second part of our tour is Tim Bluhm, who will bring his ferocious California guitar style and beautiful vocals to the mix.”

While both Hart and Kreutzmann promise that the music will be percussion-driven, another factor contributing to the Rhythm Devils’ special mojo is the troupe’s repertoire: Not only will they be reconstituting some familiar Grateful Dead tunes in their unique way, but the Devils will also be performing numerous tunes written exclusively for them by Robert Hunter, the legendary songwriter whose collaborations with the late Jerry Garcia provided the Dead with their most beloved and durable material. “Robert Hunter is a major force in all of this. He has written his heart out in these new songs,” says Hart. “There will also be enormous, exciting electronic sections of pulsing, throbbing, beautiful zones. There are places and sounds still unknown and unborn that we will no doubt visit.” Kreutzmann and Hart have been inextricably entwined as partners since they first met in 1967, two years after the formation of the Grateful Dead with Kreutzmann the sole drummer. On that first night, they literally “played the city,” walking around San Francisco with drumsticks banging on everything in sight. Hart joined them immediately and except for a brief hiatus in the ’70s, the pair remained with the Dead until 1995, when Garcia’s death signaled the end of an era. Since then, Kreutzmann and Hart have continued to make music both together (most recently in The Dead) and apart, but they both agree that a special chemistry takes place when their percussive minds are in sync. “When we get together and we’re in the groove it’s a tractor beam,” says Hart. “Anyone around that will be drawn in. But we always thought of the Grateful Dead, and anything that we did together, as a work in progress. This too is a work in progress and that’s the best thing you could say. We’re looking to the future with this kind of music. In the Grateful Dead we created a body of work that we’ll not leave behind. But we also have an identity as the Rhythm Devils, and that’s who we’ll be.”

When they’re not working together as the Rhythm Devils, both Hart and Kreutzmann are involved in other projects. Kreutzmann plans to release a new album later this year with his other band, 7 Walkers, which features singer-songwriter Papa Mali (who has also been collaborating with Hunter on new material), multi-instrumentalist Matt Hubbard, and George Porter Jr. on bass. Among Hart’s recent endeavors is the tentatively titled Rhythms of the Universe, a project of enormous scope. Hart is currently working with leading scientists to capture raw light waves from Space and then transform those light waves into sound waves. Hart then uses those sounds to compose Universal music. Hart’s goal is nothing less than exploring what the universe really sounds like, from the Big Bang to the galaxies, to the stars and planets and beyond. But for both Kreutzmann and Hart, it’s the upcoming Rhythm Devils tour that’s got them most excited. “It’s part of my lifelong partnership, my 40-year rhythmic experience, with Bill Kreutzmann,” says Hart. “It’s time for Bill and me to get together and explore new rhythms and take it to the next level. We share a unique rhythm and we’ve got some great guys with us who we’re going to explore what it sounds like on this planet…star date; 2010.”

Rhythm Devils current tour schedule is as follows:

Friday, July 16 Arcata Theatre Arcata CA with Keller Williams

Saturday, July 17 String Summit North Plains OR with Keller Williams

Sunday, July 18 Britt Festival Jacksonville OR with Keller Williams

Thursday, July 22 Ogden Theatre Denver CO with Keller Williams

Friday, July 23 Steamboat Springs Concert Series Steamboat Springs CO with Keller Williams

Saturday, July 24 Spud Drive In Driggs ID with Keller Williams

Sunday, July 25 Red Butte Garden Salt Lake City UT with Keller Williams

Tuesday, July 27 Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff AZ with Keller Williams

Wednesday, July 28 Rialto Theatre Tucson AZ with Keller Williams

Thursday, July 29 Soundwave San Diego CA with Keller Williams

Saturday, July 31 Gathering of the Vibes Bridgeport CT with Keller Williams

Tuesday, January 4 – Sunday, January 9 Jam Cruise 9 Fort Lauderdale FL with Tim Bluhm

Sunday, January 9 Revolution Fort Lauderdale FL with Tim Bluhm

Part two of the summer tour still to be announced.

www.rhythmdevils.net

www.billkreutzmann.com

http://www.mickeyhart.net

Next Page »