2008 Woodie Awards
"Oh, oh - listen to the music"
By Peter Rizzo, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: Arts & Living
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MANCHESTER, Tenn. - The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is one of the most visited music festivals in the United States. Since its inception in 2002 it has been steadily expanding its offerings in an ongoing effort to broaden the traditional ideas of what a festival can offer.
Over the past few years, Bonnaroo has grown in prestige from word of mouth publicity and growing media attention, blossoming into what now resembles the myths and legends of the '60s rock 'n' roll era.
For four days a sleepy patch of grass in the foothills of Tennessee becomes a whirling circus of media attention and star power, where, amidst the tents and brightly clad attendants, are the likes of the rich and famous, mixed in with seas of average Joe campers.
By 2006, the festival's lineup had almost doubled from its original size. It had grown to encompass some of the biggest names in music. Bonnaroo's later lineups would go on to feature such mainstream music icons like recent Superbowl halftime alum Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and icons like The Police and Elvis Costello.
Not just content on capturing a mainstream perspective, the festival continues to dig even deeper into the alternative spectrum offering traditionally media shy artists such as M.I.A, Radiohead and Beck chances to play to full fledged stadium-sized crowds.
The term "Bonnaroo" is not mere gibberish, but rather a fitting moniker derived from a Cajun slang term which means simply "a really good time." Something that festival organizers no doubt will have little trouble in realizing, as the 2008 festival lineup promises to be one of their most diverse and exciting events yet.
By mid afternoon on July 12, this former vacant grassland has become a dizzying array of cars and tents in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some sport eccentric trappings like a 20 foot flag pole, or are littered with balloons. These odd decorations ensure that after the music, campers will navigate safely to their site.
Aside from the occasional chain-link fence, this unending cluster of cars, tents and human beings is uninterrupted as far as one can see, even with the aid of standing on the nearest motor vehicle.
With so much excitement in the air, the environment is extraordinarily conducive to casual interaction. Neighbors assist strangers with tent setups, even offering those nearby the opportunity to make cozy common rooms with tent poles and spare tarp.
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