Music Festivals 2010: The Season Starts Now!

Followers of this site know that music festivals – particularly those that occur in the fruitful period between May and September – are a favorite topic of ours. With tickets on sale and performers being speculated on or announced for our favorite events like Bonnaroo, Coachella, and Lollapalooza, we couldn’t wait to start our coverage [...]

The Beers of (My) Bonnaroo

I made a concerted effort to make this year’s Bonnaroo an experience loaded not only with music, but beer. I used the opportunity of 4 days of music to get more familiar with some of the nation’s more popular craft beers and a few local favorites. Here’s a list of all the varieties I managed [...]

Live Review: Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, June 11 – 14, 2009

It’s hard to convey everything that happens at Bonnaroo. So much is missed, and so many different experiences occur that it’s futile to try and capture it all. At the same time, so much is seen and so many experiences had. For me, Bonnaroo has been all about the music since the very first year, [...]

Bonnaroo Bound: Coverage Update and Weekend Links

As you can see from the photo above – which was taken yesterday by my friend Annabel Lukins Stelling – the Roo is ready for us.
The car is loaded to the hilt, I’ve spent 48 hours in various states of readiness and non-readiness, and now I can’t wait to get over the hills and into [...]

Tennessee Shines at Bonnaroo

Saturday, June 13, from 12-8 p.m. at Bonnaroo’s The Other Tent, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale hosts the Tennessee Shines stage with eight hours of bluegrass from The SteelDrivers, Cherryholmes, the Del McCoury Band and the David Grisman Quintet. Lauderdale will introduce the bands, sit in for some songs and welcome special guests to the stage [...]

Follow Me to Bonnaroo – Setlists, Observations, and Other Tweets

Follow me to Bonnaroo by visiting the Wounded Messenger Twitter feed – The Wounded Tweeter. I’ll be providing updates on my whole experience at the festival this year, such as what music I’m seeing at the time, set lists from the performances, notes on the poster exhibit and other attractions, food reports, weather observations, crowd [...]

Bonnaroo Preview: Phish

When the first Bonnaroo took place in 2002, Phish had been “on hiatus” for nearly 2 years, and there was relentless speculation that Trey Anastasio’s festival-closing set would transmogrify into the band’s comeback. The rumors never panned out, but the possibility electrified the weekend. You could feel the excitement in the stiff Tennessee air for [...]

Bonnaroo Preview: Ben Sollee

Ben Sollee is quickly gaining fame for his social involvement as well as his sophisticated music. The 24-year-old cellist and vocalist is perhaps best known for his work in the Sparrow Quartet with Bela Fleck, Casey Driessen, and Abigail Washburn. But this summer he’s coming firmly into his own, musically and socially. Once again, Bonnaroo [...]

Bonnaroo Preview: Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

Nothing is more certain than change. Oh, and that people who see Vermont’s Grace Potter and The Nocturnals (GPN) in concert don’t soon forget the occasion. Potter is a firecracker of sensual and playful energy, and a righteous vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist. She leaves her mark on everyone who catches her in the act, and [...]

Bonnaroo Preview: Okkervil River

Bonnaroo has done Okkervil River no favors.
The Austin-based band will perform at the festival’s geographically-challenged Other Tent on Sunday afternoon, when exhausted fans will be doing more hunkering than walking. Other bands have fallen victim to the sinister stage and schedule spot – even an increasingly rare stateside Broken Social Scene performance couldn’t lure the [...]