I’m so done with webcasts. As fun as festivals are to watch from afar, Bonnaroo 2010 beckons and I can’t wait to get out among the speakers and freakers next weekend. Last year, I got a little misty recalling my top ten moments from the Bonnaroo festivals I’ve attended. In anticipation of the big event and more memorable moments, here are the ten happenings my crew and I are most excited about seeing at Bonnaroo 2010, in no particular order.
The Entrance Band – This LA band is the first act we’ll see this year, and therefore one of our most anticipated. We know little about them – we basically took their name as a sign that they should be first. Plus, they seem to be the wierdest of the first wave of bands that play, and that’s always a plus in our world.
Medeski Martin and Wood – It’s been almost three years since I’ve seen my beloved MMW. The promise of two sets in one day has our crew chomping at the bit to get to the Sonic Stage and The Other Tent on Sunday. An awful lot has changed in MMW land since we last saw them, but we’re diehards here and we won’t miss this one-two punch.
B.O.B. – Whether I’ll fend off sleep long enough to see his 3 AM set remains a mystery. Here’s hoping I can hang in there to see if Bobby Ray’s upbeat, hook-laden hip-hop stands up in the surreal wee-hours live setting.
Jay-Z – One of the touchstones of the Bonnaroo experience is checking out bands you’d probably never get a chance to see otherwise. As much as I love Jay-Z, I’m probably never going to make it to one of his arena shows, so this is my chance and I couldn’t be more hyped about this show.
Dave Matthews Band – This will likely be many of the campers’ first and last DMB show, and it’ll be our last for a good long while since the band is taking at least the whole of 2011 off. To “Say Goodbye” with a little DMB on a Sunday to close things out sounds great.
World Cup Soccer – England VS. USA – I can’t wait to see what the scene at the Lunar Stage is going to be like for this afternoon broadcast of one of the country’s most anticipated soccer clashes ever. I’m hoping for a wild mass of people dressed in red, white and blue cheering like hell for our boys.
Weezer – They’re another band that I’ve loved for years and have never managed to see live, though missing Jeff Beck, who plays in exactly the same time slot, is a tough call. Something tells me my mood is going to be tuned more for open-air Weezer than tented Jeff Beck on what will likely be a sultry Saturday evening.
The Flaming Lips featuring Stardeath and White Dwarfs – After their 2007 performance, Lips leader Wayne Coyne said they wouldn’t come back to Bonnaroo until they had something new for the event, and boy do they have it. The band’s planned late-night reading of Dark Side of the Moon is one of the most talked-about shows in the festival’s history, and the Which Stage is going to be simply mad for this one.
Umphrey’s McGee – Not even Damian Marley and Nas, performing opposite Umphrey’s and just one stage over, can tear us away from our boys. The time slot, which is basically the same one they had in 2008, is somewhat regrettable. I was hoping for some UM after dark, but alas, the afternoon will have to do. The bonus Sonic Stage set doesn’t hurt the situation.
Stevie Wonder – I’ve always been jealous of my mom for having seen Stevie Wonder in the early 1970’s. This show will dampen my envy a bit, though I’m not expecting anything at the level of what she must have seen. Still, it’s one of those shows that come around once in a lifetime, and seeing such a legend is a notch on the belt of any serious music fan.
Don’t forget to go ahead and follow us on Twitter so you can experience a nonstop barrage of setlists, info, and observations from all four days of Bonnaroo 2010! Also, check out these other useful links for the vicarious fest-goer:
NPR Streaming Bonnaroo Sets All Weekend!
YouTube.com/bonnaroo is also streaming
BonnarooNews Twitter
Inforoo Message Boards
The Wounded Messenger 