Bonnaroo 2003: The South To The Shore

Over the past few summers, not only has the number of festivals increased exponentially, but the diverse level of talent they are attracting is bringing the entire scene to the forefront of contemporary rock. Smaller acts with regional success are rubbing elbows and sitting in with major players and national draws. While not every fest gets a five star roster, with names like Trey Anastasio Widespread Panic Phil Lesh and Bob Weir on the bill, last years Bonnaroo Festival was destined to become the event of the summer; though ironically it wasn’t necessarily the main stage that solidified the first time festival a place in rock history. An unknown act named Particle saw their newly formed career skyrocket after they blew a predominately uninitiated crowd away, and a tightly packed, late night tent for moe. witnessed what was eventually deemed the live set of the year at the 2002 Jammy awards. This past February, the event was awarded Festival of the Year at the Pollstar concert industry awards, and Rolling Stone honored Bonnaroo as, "the most ambitious festival of the summer." The overwhelming recognition is well deserved, though perhaps most notable was the unassuming midday performance by some girl named Norah Jones that truly demonstrated that this scene thrives on new talent, pushes artists to new levels and with an open-minded audience, magic can happen where you least expect it.

This year, selling all 80,000 Tennessee tickets in just 17 days, Bonnaroo promoters Superfly Productions, in association with A.C. Entertainment, announced the addition of a second Bonnaroo Festival to take place on Long Island, New York later this summer. As fans scrambled to plan out their vacation itineraries, it quickly became noticeable that most intended to make both events. In the spirit of last years Roo, each one is certainly a plentiful feast of rock veterans, and fresh new jamband faces, but most exciting this year is the addition of so many sounds not necessarily associated with the over-used "neo-hippie" label. Aside from the highly anticipated performances by The Dead The Allman Brothers Tom Petty, Dylan and Widespread, explosive sets by rock pioneers Sonic Youth, The Flaming Lips, and Neil Young are sure to satisfy both their longtime fans and the many who will inevitably see them for the first time. Add the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, the legendary Steve Winwood, and contemporary talents such as Nickel Creek and O.A.R. to the mix, and the colorful range of styles and influence have the makings of an even more remarkable event than last year. Not to mention you can bookend your summer with Bonnaroos.

In order to celebrate what we anticipate to be two of the best weekends of the summer, we have compiled an assortment of Glide pieces which cover many of the artists playing at this years events. The diverse collection fully showcases the eclectic lineup, and truly embraces the progressive development of the scene as a whole. Who knows who will be the breakout story this year, so get in early and stay up late.

Glide will be covering both events, and we’re looking forward to seeing old friends and getting to meet many new ones, so keep an eye out.

Safe travels, and have a great festival season!

The Year of The Flaming Lips: Beck, Bonnaroo and Fake Blood As the strobe lights flash and the confetti rains down on the crowd, singer Wayne Coyne pushes the audience into a full chorus sing-a-long exclaiming, 'humiliation is nothing to fear!' He should know, leading the house along with a hand puppet of a nun, while he dons a classic white suit stained with fake blood. And this isn't New Years, or a Halloween show...it's a Wednesday night in April where a packed house dances and cheers along side frogs and cows and every costume imaginable. Read More...		Rusted Root It's been nearly ten years since Rusted Root came onto the scene with their breakthrough, multi-platinum album When I Woke. Over the past decade, the Pittsburgh based sextet has carved out a unique sound combining soulful percussion based jams with powerful vocals and complex arrangements. Glide Magazine recently had a chance to talk to Michael Glabicki, the lead vocalist and co-founder of Rusted Root. Read More...

Slipping out Solo The Slip is coming off a huge year. Between constant touring which brought the trio across the United States, into Canada, and as far as Japan, they also managed to release arguably one of the best albums of the year. Now Brad Barr will venture out on his own to play his first ever solo gig. Read More...

The Soul of ekoostik hookah Ohio based ekoostik hookah, have been playing their magical style of music since 1991. By relentless touring and a flair for the unexpected, they have come to represent more than just the music. Keyboardist/Vocalist Dave Katz reveals what make his band and festival, oh so special. Read More...

Particle: A Passion for the Ride Without releasing an album, Particle has managed to earn a huge following throughout the country, providing a powerful source of inspiration and satiation for fans who crave experimental, high energy dance music. It’s astounding, but the most admirable thing about Particle is the way they approach their never ending pursuit of new musical territory — with a passion for the ride, more than the destination. Read More...		Performance Artist - Frenchy In New Orleans, the Crescent City on the banks of the Mississippi River Delta, burgeons a marvelous place that rings with spontaneous energy, life and music that is truly "Naw'lins." Most people heading down there later this month for the cultural odyssey known as Jazz Fest will most likely stumble across a fresh player in the live music scene, Performance Painter Frenchy. Read More...