We’re less than five months from the start of Bonnaroo 2012, which is set to take place in Manchester, Tenn. between June 7 and 10. Last year’s lineup was announced on February 14, the 2010 lineup was announced on February 9 of that year, while the lineup for the 2009 edition of the country’s biggest and most prestigious music festival was revealed on February 2, 2009. In about a month we should officially know who will perform at the 11th Bonnaroo. ’Roo Lineup Rumor Season is in full swing and for those who haven’t been paying attention, or didn’t want to sort through 100s of pages of posts, we’ve combed through the posts by the Bonnaroo diehards that swap info on the Inforoo.com message board to compile what they’ve figured out.

The Inforooster (@TheInforooster), who runs Inforoo.com and has a strong past track record, feels this year’s headliners will be Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Fleet Foxes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Eagles, Phish, Radiohead and Prince.  Fleet Foxes is a long shot considering the band responded with a blunt “no” to a fan who asked whether they would play any summer festivals in ’12. McCartney doesn’t have any dates currently planned but will be putting out an album next month that you’d think he’ll support. Gaga is said to have a major tour in the works and would fit the mainstream superstar slot filled by Eminem and Jay-Z the last two years. The Red Hot Chili Peppers kick off a European Tour on June 23, so a Bonnaroo headlining slot might be a nice warm-up. Meanwhile, both Radiohead and Phish seem to be in the discussion every year lately, though each act will be on the road this summer.

Another potential headliner would be The Black Keys, who Billboard reports are already confirmed for “headlining slots at major U.S. and European festivals this summer.” We’ll also point out that Van Halen has a gap in their tour between June 5 and June 12, just sayin’.

READ ON

A number of great clips from last weekend’s festival have been uploaded to the official Bonnaroo YouTube channel over the past few days including this video of Dr. John performing the song that inspired the name of the event along with The Original Meters and Allen Toussaint…

Dr. John and The Original Meters – Desitively Bonnaroo

As the dust settles – and by all accounts there was a lot of it – and the last of the cars pull out of the parking lots from the tenth installment of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, we thought we’d take a look at a couple of the big stories that dominated the coverage of what went down in Manchester over the last four days. While hip-hop acts have always been a part of the fest dating back to year one with Jurassic 5, this was the year that had many declaring that the genre finally broke out at the ‘roo with Lil Wayne, Big Boi, Whiz Khalifa and  Saturday night’s headliner Eminem all delivering much buzzed about sets.

The other big story of the weekend was the amount of people who turned out to take in Mumford & Son’s early evening set on Saturday night at the Which Stage. The U.K. folk-rockers, whose popularity has exploded since they played the much smaller That Tent at last year’s fest, drew hoards of fans with an overflowing crowd that saw people watching from atop ATMs and seemingly cemented them a main stage slot for their next Bonnaroo appearance. The band’s hour and a half set leaned heavily on tunes from their full length debut, but also included a handful of new songs, and a rousing set ten-minute closing take on Amazing Grace, which saw Mumford & Sons joined by members of Old Crow, David Mayfield Parade and Union Station.

The majority of the clips that have surfaced so far on YouTube are pretty rough at best, so in lieu of one song here’s the band’s entire performance…

Originally only scheduled to play a mid-afternoon set on Saturday at That Tent, Deer Tick made the most of their first ever trip to Bonnaroo. Getting behind the freewheeling ethos of the festival, the band announced late on Friday afternoon that they would play a surprise late-night set of Nirvana covers at the Sonic Stage under the moniker of Deervana. The rowdy and rocking set included takes on Scentless Apprentice, Molly’s Lips, My Girl and Aneurysm as well as the Nevermind track In Bloom…

Deervana – In Bloom

After the set was over, Deer Tick front man John McCauley tweeted this – “we did deervana and sonically battled lil wayne (and lost), so we fucked the stage up and got yelled at (come on, man! we were being nirvana!)… and now i can’t walk straight.” Deervana’s only other scheduled show comes this Sunday when they take the stage at Brooklyn Bowl.

Those of us not heading to Manchester this weekend for Bonnaroo X can keep tabs on the action from Manchester thanks to broadcasts from Vevo. The schedule for Vevo’s webcast has been released and thankfully will feature performances by such HT faves as My Morning Jacket, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Warren Haynes Band, Arcade Fire and Widespread Panic. Even The Strokes were wooed by Vevo to participate in this year’s webcast.

Here’s a look at the complete Vevo Bonnaroo webcast schedule:

Friday, June 10th:

12:00pm – The Drums
01:00pm – School of Seven Bells
02:00pm – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
03:15pm – Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
04:30pm – The Walkmen
05:00pm – Best Coast
05:45pm – J. Cole
06:45pm – Florence & The Machine
08:15pm – My Morning Jacket

Saturday, June 11th:

11:30am – Del Mcoury & Preservation Hall Jazz Band
01:00pm – Primus
02:30pm – Ray LaMontagne
04:00pm – Alison Krauss & Union Station
05:30pm – Kylesa
05:50pm – Wiz Khalifa
07:00pm – Big Boi
08:00pm – Mumford & Sons
09:30pm – Arcade Fire

Sunday, June 12th:

12:30pm – Smith Westerns
01:30pm – Mavis Staples
02:30pm – Neon Trees
03:00pm – Bootsy Collins
03:30pm – Chiddy Bang
04:15pm – Galactic
05:00pm – Cold War Kids
06:15pm – Warren Haynes Band
06:45pm – The Strokes
08:15pm – Explosions in the Sky
08:45pm – Widespread Panic

[via CoS]

Bonnaroo Week continues on HT with a look at a song from LCD Soundsystem’s much buzzed ‘roo ’10 late-night set. Thanks to the official Bonnaroo channel on YouTube, we get this pro-shot clip of I Can Change…

LCD Soundsystem – I Can Change

While LCD Soundsystem is currently broken up, those looking for a late-night dance party at Bonnaroo X are encouraged to check out HT faves Pretty Lights at 2:15AM on Friday night in That Tent.

Later this week some 80,000 music fans will descend into Manchester, TN to see scores of bands, comedians, DJs and more at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which will be celebrating its tenth anniversary. The fest humbly began back in 2002 by hosting around 50 mostly jam-oriented bands across four stages. Over the past decade Bonnaroo has grown exponentially and will see nearly as many acts perform on its first day alone this year as at the whole event in 2002. For Bonnaroo X the promoters have put together a lineup that is once again stacked from top to bottom with a little bit of something for nearly every type of music lover. As has become the norm around these parts, we will once again be dedicating a number of posts this week exclusively to all things ‘Roo.

As the story goes, back in 2001 when trying to come up for a name for their new fest, Superfly Presents co-founder Jonathan Mayers was looking up old records online when he stumbled upon Dr. John’s 1974 album Destively Bonnaroo. After thinking the word looked cool, and finding out it was the Creole term for “good stuff,” a brand was born.

To help celebrate their tenth edition and to honor the album that gave them their name, fest organizers have invited ‘roo veteran Dr. John to perform the record in its entirety during a special late-night set on Saturday night at That Tent beginning at 12:30 AM. To make this performance even more unique, Mac will be joined by not only by The Original Meters, who appear on a majority of the record, but also Allen Toussaint, who both appears on the LP and produced it.

Let’s check out this vintage live performance of the album’s lead track, Quitters Never Win…

Following his late-night appearance Dr. John will stick around and return to That Tent the following afternoon, where he will co-host the Superjam with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

As we’ve repeatedly touted, Bonnaroo isn’t just about all the great bands that are playing amongst the tents and stages. There are a plethora of activities to keep you busy while you wait to see your favorite act. For all those cinephiles out there the Cinema Tent will once again be offering up 24 hours a day of  programming running from Thursday afternoon through Sunday night. This year’s highlights include special screenings of 30 Minutes Or Less and Garden State, which will feature a Q&A session with Aziz Ansari and Zach Braff afterwords, respectively.

Also of note will be a special performance by members of My Morning Jacket and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band following the screening of the documentary Live From Preservation Hall: A Louisiana Fairytale. Plus, the late Sidney Lumet will be honored with the Long Live Lumet series as folks will be able to enjoy three of the Oscar-winning director’s classic movies: Network, Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico. Check out the full schedule of events here.

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Finally, after eight years the wait is over, as Gillian Welch will finally release her long-awaited fifth studio album, The Head & The Harrow, on June 28. Produced by her longtime musical partner David Rawlings, the ten-track album is being heralded as Welch’s “back to roots-country” record, and has gotten some advance praise courtesy of The Decemberists’ front man Colin Meloy, who calls it “a new Southern sound with the sort of songs you wouldn’t be surprised to here issuing from some verdant, widowed hollow in Appalachia.”

With a philosophy of “if you build it, they will come,” AC Entertainment and Superfly Presents launched the inaugural Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in June of 2002 with a jam-friendly lineup, inviting live music fans to join them for three days on a farm roughly an hour Southeast of Memphis, TN. Bonnaroo quickly cemented itself as arguably the premier destination music festival in the country by impressively serving up a diverse lineup of the biggest names in music, as well as offering everything from a full slate of comedians to a movie theater to a silent disco, even to a sports bar.

This year Bonnaroo reaches a major milestone moment as the fest turns the ripe old age of ten, and has once again booked a formidable roster of talent from the worlds of rock, folk, jam, hip-hop, country and more. Nodding to its jamband roots the tenth installment of Bonnaroo will be headlined by Widespread Panic, who will be joined at the top of the bill by Eminem, Arcade Fire and the recently reunited Buffalo Springfield.

So why are we telling you all this? Well for our second killer edition of the Everybody Wins When We Plug Something And In Return They Offer Us Free Shit To Give Away program this week we’ve got a pair of tickets to Bonnaroo X for one lucky HT reader. To enter, simply leave a comment below telling us what act are most excited to see at Bonnaroo this year.  You can enter a second time by leaving the your answer to that question on our Facebook wall. You must leave your comment on this page or our Facebook  page by Monday, May 23 at 11:59AM EDT. We’ll pick the winner at random shortly after the contest ends.

Here’s a rundown of the details for this contest…

• Grand Prize: One pair of tickets to Bonnaroo X
• To enter the contest leave a comment below telling us who you’re most excited to see at Bonnaroo this year
• You can enter a second time by posting your answer on our official Facebook page
• Your comment/Facebook wall posting must be left by 11:59AM EDT on Monday, May 23
• All entries will tallied at the end of the contest and we’ll determine the winners by using random.org

There’s no clearer sign that we’re closing in on the start of Bonnaroo X in Manchester, TN than the release of the festival’s schedule and today is the day we get to see which set(s) each ‘roo artist has been granted by the event’s organizers. With so many amazing bands on the schedule it’s hard to avoid conflicts and we see plenty of ‘em. If you don’t have your tickets yet be sure to enter our giveaway for a chance to win a pair.

READ ON for a look at this year’s schedule or head over to the official site for a chance to let Zoltaroo help you make the most of your experience…

Earlier this year String Cheese Incident keyboard player and accomplished homebrewer Kyle Hollingsworth previewed his collaborative beer with the Boulder Beer Company – Hoopla Pale Ale -  at the band’s Winter Carnival. The dry-hopped beer, which Hollingsworth specifically designed for drinking at summer music festivals, will get its official national release both on tap as well as in 22-ounce bottles on May 14, with a special launch party at the Boulder Beer Company’s brewpub in Boulder, CO.

Here’s the official description…

Hoopla Pale Ale is dry-hopped with generous amounts of Glacier hops for a fruity, floral hop aroma and flavor that will have your taste buds dancing! Its lively hop character is wonderfully balanced with a crisp, clean finish from the unique blend of US and German grains, making Hoopla the perfect companion to festival season.

“We wanted to make a beer that was hoppy, but still appetizing to non-hop-drinkers and drinkable on hot days at Summer festivals,” Kyle explains about the recipe.

Hollingsworth will also take Hoopla on the road to select music festivals around the country as part of The Brewu Experience, which will feature homebrew workshops, samples of hops, grains and additional brewing ingredients as well as limited edition tastings.

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Finally, each year the folks behind Bonnaroo seem to find another unique way to make the festival grounds seem a bit more like an actual city. This year they’ve teamed up with Stubhub to give sports loving ‘Roo attendees a place to hang out and not miss any of the action of their favorite teams. The Bonnaroo Sports Bar will feature HD TVs,  a live feed from the main stage, ping pong, darts, shuffle board and a fully stocked bar.

As the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival gets set to celebrate its 10th anniversary this June, the influential festie is taking a hybrid of what they do each year in Manchester, TN on the road with the inaugural Bonnaroo Buzz Tour. Headlined by fest alums Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, the tour, which takes its name from the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor that debuted last year, will also feature sets from the Futurebirds, Gary Clark Jr., The Black Box Revelation and comedian Julian McCullough. The 13-date tour kicks off on May 17 at the historic Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ and concludes on June 9 in West Virginia, the very same day Bonnaroo X gets underway.

If the Bonnaroo Buzz tour isn’t dropping by a town near you, then maybe you’ll be able to hit one of these recently announced tours…

• Gomez crosses the pond for a handful of northeast gigs
• Alison Krauss & Union Station line up a lengthy NA tour
• Dinosaur Jr. to play their 1990 album Bug in its entirety
• American Babies head out in support of Flawed Logic
• Gypsy-punk act Beirut mixes festival and headlining appearances
• Nostalgia Alert: Styx and Yes team up for a summer shed run

Finally, since we first wrote about Mumford & Sons a little over a year ago, the UK folk-rock act has been on a meteoric rise thanks in part to their high energy, foot stomping sounds. The four-piece act, who have already announced plans for the unique Railroad Revival Tour with Ed Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros  & Old Crow Medicine Show, have also recently revealed details for additional summer shows. The band will supplement their festival appearances with a number of headlining dates throughout the South and Midwest, which includes a stop at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 9 and a two-night run at the Fillmore in Denver, CO on June 15 and 16.

Shortly after the Bonnaroo lineup gets announced each year comes the debates about which acts will earn coveted late night slots from the festival’s organizers. In years past, these sets have included the Flaming Lips tackling Dark Side Of The Moon in its entirety, My Morning Jacket raging it for three-plus hours and the infamous Kanye West set that started as the sun came up. Well the wait is over for those who have been perusing the lineup over and over trying to figure out who it will be this year’s late night artists, as word came out today as to whose been selected.

As has become Bonnaroo’s trademark, there will be something for every kind of music fan to choose from when it comes to late night sets. You can pick from big name hip-hop acts (Lil Wayne, Big Boi), jambands (SCI, STS9), psychedelic rock (Black Angels), straight ahead dance music (Bassnectar, Girl Talk) and more.

Also joining the roster of special late night sets will be the previously announced performance of Desitively Bonnaroo in its entirety by Dr. John with the Original Meters and Allen Toussaint. The good Dr. is no stranger to the late night slot at the ‘roo, having previously revived his Night Tripper persona for a special set back in 2006.

Here’s the full list of Late Night performers…

Lil Wayne, String Cheese Incident, Bassnectar, Girl Talk, Dr. John with the Original Meters and Allen Toussaint performing Desitively Bonnaroo, Pretty Lights, STS9, Gogol Bordello, Big Boi, Scissor Sisters, Ratatat, Bootsy Collins & the Funk University, Shpongle Presents Shpongletron Experience,The Black Angels

The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will take place from June 9 – 12 in Manchester, TN, with a variety of ticket packages currently on-sale.

The first set of artist additions to the Bonnaroo X lineup have been announced and include a diverse group of acts such as NOFX, Galactic, G.Love and Special Sauce and Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. Of particular note is the additional of Allen Toussaint, who will perform with Dr. John and The Original Meters. Also announced today was the Comedy Lineup which features Lewis Black, Cheech Marin, John Waters and Henry Rollins.

Check out the video put out by the event’s promoters…

READ ON for a full list of artist additions…

Over the years, the producers of Bonnaroo have worked with a number of different providers to broadcast sets from Manchester. This year, video portal Vevo will provide live and on-demand broadcasts of select performances from Bonnaroo X as well as interviews and other features. Event organizers and Vevo will also team up to produce a web series about the festival.

You’ll be able to watch content on Vevo mobile products for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android, Vevo.com, and on devices like Google TV and Boxee. Vevo partners BET, AOL and CBS Interactive will also feature content from the ‘Roo. [via Mashable.com]