Bonnaroo: a shit filled journed to the depths of hell or a dusty romp to musical bliss??

i guess its really both. aside from avoiding the perils of the port -o- potties, (honey buckets they are not), there are many hurdles great and small that make this extended weekend less of a festival than a dehydrated yet grimy test of survival skills. i apologize for the run-on. As awesome as this sounds the prospect of phish playing three sets including one late night is making the 95+ heat and no shade seem all that much more enticing. everyone i have talked to seems to have these mixed feelings about this festival. for starters its a 17 hour drive from NJ into the deep and dirty south. this is the no joke south, maryland it is not. on the upside there is a cracker barrel around every bend and in nearby knoxville there is one of those machines where you launch quarters and win big. so basically what i'm saying is that with bittersweet memories and a ticket stub almost in my hand i begin the countdown. oh and although i fundamentally object to seeing The Boss outside of the garden state, i must admit it will be worth it to see the e street band share the same stage as phish. so three cheers to coffee county and cowgirls!!

dude, every year at bonnaroo is a new journey. it's all about your crew and your purpose. keep your eye on the prize. if it's music, pack good shoes, low chairs, some flasks, and a camp shower. if it's vendng, get there early and stake your claim. bottom line, you're there and there's no leaving so be ready to ride it out. set the tone the first day and let it ride.

It's defniatly a good question.

It's getting more commercial, so now there are all types in attendance, not just those of us with psychadelic dreams.

I mean, last year Kanye West played, so there were cryps and bloods mulling about, throwing up gang signs that we almost certainly misundertood as calls for LSD.

Pearl Jam also played, so the grunge team came out, but their torn and tatttered rags fit right in.

Then there was Metallica, bringing their 40-year old fan base of head-bangers with back problems, but with them they brought the expendable income that helped all of our merch and vendor buddies break-even.

Especially with this year's line-up, our tie-dyed troupes will feel the most comfortable, but rest assured there will be those of every kind joining in the fun, giving us dirty looks and scrunching their nose at the smell of insense and body odor.

So, I guess it depends if you're a hippie or not. Plenty will come home rejuvinated, while others will regret it as time wasted, say they will never return, and then do it all again next year.

I think this summer with phish, the "hippie crowd" will be back in full force. they will bring their own multitude of fans, who make up much of the bonaroo crowd as is. i think this year (despite the E Street Band) will be a return to the festival's roots as well as a journey to uncharted waters with having phish on their summer reunion tour. I'm going and i think its gonna be amazing yet difficult. it takes dedication to party at the worldclass level and at bonnaroo 2009 I will do just that. and i don't care how many phish fans are disappointed they are playing such a huge festival, they are going to tear it up. come on headlining two nights plus a latenight set, its gonna be amazing.