The boys from The Weight returned to Bonnaroo once again this year, and Dave filed this report shortly after regaining use of his brain…

Last night, after returning home from another Bonnaroo festival, I was thinking about how to best capture my experience in words. I started by listing some bullet points that I planned to weave into my review. As the list got longer, I realized that it stood on its own. This was my sixth trip to Manchester, so obviously I’ve had some positive experiences there. This year was no exception.

  • When I see Eddie Vedder truly moved by the endless sea of people holding flickering lighters above their heads during Better Man, I know that he gets it. When I hear that Kanye West did not apologize to the crowd for his lateness, or even address it, I know that he does not.
  • Instead of considering Bonnaroo as an escape from reality for three days a year, I should really be viewing the other 362 days as getting in the way of reality.
  • How can the same man be dumb enough to try and sneak in a nitrous tank, yet smart enough to hide it covertly in a covered recycling bin?
  • I will never tire of hearing Tennessee Jed played at Bonnaroo. Thank you Dark Star Orchestra for being the ones to play it this year.

READ ON for more of Dave’s thoughts on Bonnaroo 2008…

  • It is remarkable how the same 60,000 people can be throwing devil horns at Metallica, then dancing to Phil Lesh and Friends, then rapping Dr. Dre lyrics with Ben Folds, then throwing their hands up in adulation to the electronic beats of Tiesto.  You get the sense that each band is busing their own fans in.  This is the essence of Bonnaroo.
  • The festival has come a long way since 2002 in terms of lineup diversity, but the spirit of the first one is still there.
  • What is it about Bonnaroo that produces legendary sets from artists who collectively play hundreds of shows a year? From Neil Young to My Morning Jacket to Radiohead to Pearl Jam, fans of these bands consider their Bonnaroo sets to be of the best that they have ever performed.
  • When I see a man of about 70 years of age, with a full head of white hair, closer than me to the Metallica stage, despite my being only about 10 rows back, I know that at 29 I am far from too old to be there.
  • While you’re at Bonnaroo, a slice of pizza for $5 doesn’t sound like such a bad deal.
  • It gets really bright really fast at 5:15 AM. And shit no longer glows in the dark. Right Kanye?
  • No one should decide whether or not to attend Bonnaroo based on the lineup. You should go because it is Bonnaroo.
  • Before the festival, 95% of the people who I tell that I am staying in a hotel rather than camping think that I’m making a mistake. While at the festival, 95% of the people who I tell that I am staying in a hotel are jealous.
  • For making the die-hard Metallica fans around me in the pit forget, if only for a few minutes, that they were about to see Metallica, Chris Rock is a comedic genius.
  • After waiting in line for over five hours and then almost being crushed against a barricade, I will never forget the feeling of elation after finally being let into the front pit area for Pearl Jam’s set. It was so worth it. [Note: There are two gated pens directly in front of the main stage where 750 people are allowed into each and it is cleared when that act is done.]
  • I now know what gypsy punk sounds like. And I like it.

HT Staff

Hidden Track was started in October of 2006 and features a team of dedicated contributors from across the country. This article was written by one of the newest members of our team or was a collaboration by more than one contributor. Want to contribute to Hidden Track? Send us a pitch to scott at glidemagazine dot com.

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