Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Just a comment for those who say Superfly should be revealing what exactly happened behind the scenes. They would be insanely stupid to reveal what bands dropped out, as it looks like they are trying to blame a band or bands for a weaker lineup. That might rub artists the wrong way and keep them away from Bonnaroo. Why would artists want to incur thousands of angry letters or whatever from festival-goers if they have a legitimate reason for dropping out? If the artist wants to reveal this, let them do it. Superfly is wise to just let it be.
yeah, i agree with that. i thought of that, but the thing is - they could say things such as "we've had some setbacks", etc
Post by itrainmonkeys on Feb 10, 2010 20:47:44 GMT -5
below is from Jambands.com. It's a really good article about Bonnaroo lineup with interesting insights towards the top 4 names on the bill. I found a lot of what they said to be pretty cool and the way they broke down some of the acts they like was worth reading. Sorry if this was posted anywhere else:
Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z will headline the 2010 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. As previously reported, the 9th annual festival will return to Manchester, TN from June 10-13, 2010. The festival’s complete lineup will feature over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing throughout 13 stages over four days. Other marquee acts scheduled to appear include Weezer, The Flaming Lips, The Dead Weather, Phoenix, John Fogerty, Jimmy Cliff, Tenacious D, The National and The Avett Brothers.
“The process for booking Bonnaroo is almost year round at this point,” festival co-founder Ashley Capps says. “We first broached the subject of Stevie Wonder several years ago and certainly Jay-Z has been on our list for a long, long time as well. Especially on the headliner end of things, there’s conversation that gets started, and in a few instances it might take three or four years before it really happens.”
Many of this year’s biggest acts are no strangers to Bonnaroo. Dave Matthews Band headlined Bonnaroo in 2005 and the band’s namesake anchored the festival with his Dave Matthews & Friends group in 2004. In 2004, Kings of Leon debuted at the festival in That Tent, graduated to the Which Stage in 2005 and, finally, the What Stage in 2007 (drummer Nathan Followill met his future wife, singer Jessie Baylin, while attending the festival as a guest in 2006). Headlining was the next step.
“Kings of Leon are the first act to ever work their way up the ranks from a tent to the headline position,” Capps says. “We talked to the Kings of Leon about playing last year, and I think everyone jointly decided that it would be better to wait. I know that was certainly the band’s perspective, so that conversation was going on for quite some time. This is going to be one of their only shows this year.”
The Flaming Lips, who plan to cover Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety with the help of Stardeath and White Dwarfs, played late-night shows at Bonnaroo in 2003 and 2007. The group’s 2003 set helped introduce the band to an entirely new audience and make the alt-rock vets favorites on the jamband festival circuit. The performance also included a few Dark Sidesongs. “We did that as an encore—that was the first time we played Bonnaroo,” Coyne recently told Relix/Jambands.com about the Lips’ Pink Floyd covers at Bonnaroo in 2003. “The way we played those songs at Bonnaroo in 2003 sounded more like Pink Floyd than our interpretation of Pink Floyd. I think you have a dilemma when you play a song in front of people that they don’t recognize—it is hard for them to really get into it. The way we’re doing Dark Side of the Moon now is more us doing our own take on it.”
Capps says the band’s decision to play Dark Side this year, “evolved from a discussion about what they wanted to do at the festival. Ultimately it was Wayne who came to us saying, ‘I want to do Dark Side of the Moon at midnight.’ And we’re like, ‘We can’t argue with that.’”
This year’s lineup also boasts Norah Jones’ first Bonnaroo appearance since the festival’s inaugural year, debut appearances by such diverse names as LCD Soundsystem, Tori Amos and Jeff Beck and the return of festival mainstay Michael Franti & Spearhead (on the heels of his first Top 40 hit). In addition, The National will play the festival for the first time since its Thursday showcase in 2007. Capps is particularly excited about the group’s return, having spent time curating his upcoming Big Ears festival with National guitarist Bryce Dessner.
“The National are truly fantastic—I’ve been lucky enough to hear the early stages of some songs off their new album, which will be released this May,” Capps says. “They are really adept at mixing all these different styles.”
Several past performers will return with new bands. Having played Bonnaroo with The White Stripes in 2007 and The Raconteurs in 2008, Nashville resident Jack White will bring his current project The Dead Weather to Bonnaroo this year. New festival-circuit favorite Chromeo returns this year with a seemingly strange-bedfellow: Daryl Hall.
“Daryl does the Live from Daryl’s House program on his website,” Capps explains. “He did this one episode with Chromeo so we thought, ‘Let’s see if we can get them to do it live at Bonnaroo and they were both extremely enthusiastic about it.”
Also trekking to Coffee Country this summer: indie sensations The xx, Miike Snow, Dan Deacon Ensemble, Tokyo Police Club and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros; hip-hop star Wale; electronic music wiz Deadmau5 and geek-rockers They Might Be Giants. Weezer, whose drummer Brian Bell lives near Capps in Knoxville, is one of the first arena-size ‘90s American alternative bands to appear at the festival since it began in 2002.
In addition to Dave Matthews Band and Spearhead, Bonnaroo will also honor its roots in live, improvisational music with appearances by Les Claypool (past performances: 2002, 2004-2006, 2008), The Disco Biscuits (2002, 2006, 2008), Medeski, Martin & Wood (2003-2004, 2006), Blues Traveler (2006), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (2008), Lotus, Bassnectar and recent Grammy winners Zac Brown Band (2006, 2009). The latter band, in particular, has grown with Bonnaroo over the years: the country-jam outfit debuted at Bonnaroo in the intimate Troo Music Lounge in 2006 and moved to That Tent in 2009.
“Every now and then we break our little rule about not having bands two years in a row, just because of what happened the year before was so exceptional,” Capps admits. “Zac Brown is one of those bands.”
Phoenix is another band that will return to the festival for the second year in a row. “Their show last year was one of the big surprises of the festival,” Capps continues. “They just took Bonnaroo by storm so we wanted to have them back.”
In many ways, Bonnaroo paved the way for retro and roots-oriented indie rock bands that appeal to hipsters, hippies and folkies alike. Past performers like The Black Keys (2004, 2007), Dr. Dog (2005, 2007), The Avett Brothers (2006, 2008) and Calexico (2004) should all receive welcome homecomings. M. Ward, who performed in 2005, will return with She & Him, his project with Zoey Deschanel
“About 1,000 people were there and 30 to 40% knew the words to our songs,” Seth Avetts said of his band’s first appearance at the festival. “But for a few months after that show people everywhere told us that they saw us there. We were definitely building towards that place.”
Likewise, the festival will continue to pay tribute to bluegrass, country and American roots music with the likes of comedian-turned-banjo player Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers, Kris Kristofferson, Hot Rize, Jamey Johnson and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Chris Thile, who first played Bonnaroo in 2003 as a member of Nickel Creek, will perform with The Punch Brothers, while John Prine will return after a five-year absence. Having played the festival in 2004 and 2007—and a surprise appearance with Bright Eyes in 2006—David Rawlings and Gillian Welch return to perform as Dave Rawlings Machine.
“Though we don’t have a bluegrass tent like we did last year, we do have something of a bluegrass theme with Steve Martin and Hot Rize,” Capps says. “We will also be announcing an additional theme tent in the coming weeks.”
Building on a tradition that has included performances by prog rock and metal titans Tool, Metallica and Mastadon, GWAR will perform at Bonnaroo for the first time. Clutch returns with its unique brand of psychedelic blues and hard rock having played what they felt was one their biggest shows ever 2007. “When I got up there and I saw how many people were out there, I just about shit myself,” lead singer Neil Fallon told Relix this past October. “That was one of the most memorable and greatest shows of all our 20 years.” Hard rock and punk outfits like The Melvins, Dropkick Murphys and Against Me! should also appeal to fans with harder edged music.
Bonnaroo will announce the lineup for its comedy tent, guest speakers and other themed areas in the coming weeks. Past comedians include: Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Lewis Black, Aziz Ansari, John Oliver, Flight of the Concords, David Cross and Fred Armisen to Jim Norton and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Post by concertjunkie on Feb 10, 2010 20:47:55 GMT -5
I personally don't think any big name artists pulled out of the festival. I think most are just grasping at straws. Someone posted on here 2 months ago that those were the headliners. So exactly when would they have pulled out?
4. i wasn't at '04, but didn't dave and friends pull in the biggest crowd ever at bonnaroo? again, not sure but i thought i heard or read that somewhere. maybe the promoters were thinking along those lines when they nabbed dmb to headline.
it was def the biggest crowd but the lineup was superb that year. dave and friends, the dead, and TAB headlined. Dylan, Willie, Ani, etc.... I think a lot of people snuck in that year.
A Thieve's Parade 2/24 Conspirator 2/26 Kevin Smith 3/11 Keller 3/17 Papadosio 3/18 JJ Grey 3/25 Bela Fleck/Edgar Meyer 3/26 Toubab Krewe 3/27 O'Death 4/11 Budos Band 4/22 EOTO 4/28 Summer Camp 5/6-29 All Good
This lineup is unoriginal, and lacks any real creativity in comparison to past lineups. Now please someone tell me where im incorrect and I will address this in greater detail. I dont even see how they could have possibly spent as much money as last year or even close for that matter.
Jeff Beck, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Cliff, the Melvins, John Prine, Darryl Hall & Chromeo, Mayer Hawthorne, They Might Be Giants, LCD Soundsystem, Neon Indian, and Flaming Lips doing Darkside for the second and maybe last time are all very creative acts imo.
showerless - thanks for the correction/clarification
stanky - thanks for posting the article. i found it interesting and insightful as well.
fountain wader - you're not going to the festival. the lineup is disappointing and the headliners suck. got it. then why do you keep wasting your time posting on inforoo? if you're not going, why keep an interest? either you have no life, or you like to complain. or both.
This lineup is unoriginal, and lacks any real creativity in comparison to past lineups. Now please someone tell me where im incorrect and I will address this in greater detail. I dont even see how they could have possibly spent as much money as last year or even close for that matter.
Also originality, which i feel it has plenty of as you can see, isn't as important as good music. Would My Morning Jacket have pissed you off? How about Neil for the second or third time?
For really real though, The dick-contest between festivals should really be left to the production companies that are competing for outbilling each other, and fighting for our money. I'm not gonna say "blah blah Coachella sucks blah blah Roo is better" because I've never been to Coachella. I don't plan on going either, because I live in the eastern U.S. and Roo is basically in my backyard and I save lots of money by not flying to California. I have this delusion that it's superior because of what some entertainment writers have written and what some artists have said. Whoop-de-freakin'-doo! I'm done complaining about not getting what I expected to get for Roostmas. There will be enough presents under the tree on the farm to keep me happy for one weekend.
so basically, you're saying you are fine settling for mediocrity when you know good and well you could have (and should have) better?
No, it's just a roundabout way of telling people to stop freaking whining. If you don't like the lineup, and you like another one better, go to that one instead. Or maybe you don't like one of the headliners but you like the undercard? Okay, skip it. I'm not a huge fan of DMB, Jay-Z or Kings of Leon. I guarantee I will be having fun doing something else while I'm there. This ain't my first rodeo, kid. If I can wait in traffic 16 hours to get to the first bonnaroo to see half as many acts as they announced yesterday, it's not a big deal to go check out the silent disco or grab dinner while someone I don't care for is playing on the What.
good call hibouxdufromage. this will be my 4th consecutive year and i've yet to do the silent disco, ride the ferris wheel, or try a beer at the brooers fest (or whatever it's called). there's always something going on.
fountain wader - you're not going to the festival. the lineup is disappointing and the headliners suck. got it. then why do you keep wasting your time posting on inforoo? if you're not going, why keep an interest? either you have no life, or you like to complain. or both.
Got to agree with you here shelbdogg. I normally don't call people out, but shut up topofthemorning. You sound like my friggin 1 year old daughter for Christ's sake...
Great post monkey trainer. I was just going through my old roo programs to see if the top 4 are really a million times worse than the last few years. It looks like they really aren't that much worse. I'm no big fan of kol or dmb, but I skipped the majority of Bruce and all of the police show. I could still go for some mmj or monsters of folk, but mmj is coming to my backyard in May. I'm still absolutely stoked about what we ate getting. Again great post monkey trainer. I don't know how you have so much time to dedicate to this festival. You should get free tix. Lol.
below is from Jambands.com. It's a really good article about Bonnaroo lineup with interesting insights towards the top 4 names on the bill. I found a lot of what they said to be pretty cool and the way they broke down some of the acts they like was worth reading. Sorry if this was posted anywhere else:
Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z will headline the 2010 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. As previously reported, the 9th annual festival will return to Manchester, TN from June 10-13, 2010. The festival’s complete lineup will feature over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing throughout 13 stages over four days. Other marquee acts scheduled to appear include Weezer, The Flaming Lips, The Dead Weather, Phoenix, John Fogerty, Jimmy Cliff, Tenacious D, The National and The Avett Brothers.
“The process for booking Bonnaroo is almost year round at this point,” festival co-founder Ashley Capps says. “We first broached the subject of Stevie Wonder several years ago and certainly Jay-Z has been on our list for a long, long time as well. Especially on the headliner end of things, there’s conversation that gets started, and in a few instances it might take three or four years before it really happens.”
Many of this year’s biggest acts are no strangers to Bonnaroo. Dave Matthews Band headlined Bonnaroo in 2005 and the band’s namesake anchored the festival with his Dave Matthews & Friends group in 2004. In 2004, Kings of Leon debuted at the festival in That Tent, graduated to the Which Stage in 2005 and, finally, the What Stage in 2007 (drummer Nathan Followill met his future wife, singer Jessie Baylin, while attending the festival as a guest in 2006). Headlining was the next step.
“Kings of Leon are the first act to ever work their way up the ranks from a tent to the headline position,” Capps says. “We talked to the Kings of Leon about playing last year, and I think everyone jointly decided that it would be better to wait. I know that was certainly the band’s perspective, so that conversation was going on for quite some time. This is going to be one of their only shows this year.”
The Flaming Lips, who plan to cover Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety with the help of Stardeath and White Dwarfs, played late-night shows at Bonnaroo in 2003 and 2007. The group’s 2003 set helped introduce the band to an entirely new audience and make the alt-rock vets favorites on the jamband festival circuit. The performance also included a few Dark Sidesongs. “We did that as an encore—that was the first time we played Bonnaroo,” Coyne recently told Relix/Jambands.com about the Lips’ Pink Floyd covers at Bonnaroo in 2003. “The way we played those songs at Bonnaroo in 2003 sounded more like Pink Floyd than our interpretation of Pink Floyd. I think you have a dilemma when you play a song in front of people that they don’t recognize—it is hard for them to really get into it. The way we’re doing Dark Side of the Moon now is more us doing our own take on it.”
Capps says the band’s decision to play Dark Side this year, “evolved from a discussion about what they wanted to do at the festival. Ultimately it was Wayne who came to us saying, ‘I want to do Dark Side of the Moon at midnight.’ And we’re like, ‘We can’t argue with that.’”
This year’s lineup also boasts Norah Jones’ first Bonnaroo appearance since the festival’s inaugural year, debut appearances by such diverse names as LCD Soundsystem, Tori Amos and Jeff Beck and the return of festival mainstay Michael Franti & Spearhead (on the heels of his first Top 40 hit). In addition, The National will play the festival for the first time since its Thursday showcase in 2007. Capps is particularly excited about the group’s return, having spent time curating his upcoming Big Ears festival with National guitarist Bryce Dessner.
“The National are truly fantastic—I’ve been lucky enough to hear the early stages of some songs off their new album, which will be released this May,” Capps says. “They are really adept at mixing all these different styles.”
Several past performers will return with new bands. Having played Bonnaroo with The White Stripes in 2007 and The Raconteurs in 2008, Nashville resident Jack White will bring his current project The Dead Weather to Bonnaroo this year. New festival-circuit favorite Chromeo returns this year with a seemingly strange-bedfellow: Daryl Hall.
“Daryl does the Live from Daryl’s House program on his website,” Capps explains. “He did this one episode with Chromeo so we thought, ‘Let’s see if we can get them to do it live at Bonnaroo and they were both extremely enthusiastic about it.”
Also trekking to Coffee Country this summer: indie sensations The xx, Miike Snow, Dan Deacon Ensemble, Tokyo Police Club and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros; hip-hop star Wale; electronic music wiz Deadmau5 and geek-rockers They Might Be Giants. Weezer, whose drummer Brian Bell lives near Capps in Knoxville, is one of the first arena-size ‘90s American alternative bands to appear at the festival since it began in 2002.
In addition to Dave Matthews Band and Spearhead, Bonnaroo will also honor its roots in live, improvisational music with appearances by Les Claypool (past performances: 2002, 2004-2006, 2008), The Disco Biscuits (2002, 2006, 2008), Medeski, Martin & Wood (2003-2004, 2006), Blues Traveler (2006), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (2008), Lotus, Bassnectar and recent Grammy winners Zac Brown Band (2006, 2009). The latter band, in particular, has grown with Bonnaroo over the years: the country-jam outfit debuted at Bonnaroo in the intimate Troo Music Lounge in 2006 and moved to That Tent in 2009.
“Every now and then we break our little rule about not having bands two years in a row, just because of what happened the year before was so exceptional,” Capps admits. “Zac Brown is one of those bands.”
Phoenix is another band that will return to the festival for the second year in a row. “Their show last year was one of the big surprises of the festival,” Capps continues. “They just took Bonnaroo by storm so we wanted to have them back.”
In many ways, Bonnaroo paved the way for retro and roots-oriented indie rock bands that appeal to hipsters, hippies and folkies alike. Past performers like The Black Keys (2004, 2007), Dr. Dog (2005, 2007), The Avett Brothers (2006, 2008) and Calexico (2004) should all receive welcome homecomings. M. Ward, who performed in 2005, will return with She & Him, his project with Zoey Deschanel
“About 1,000 people were there and 30 to 40% knew the words to our songs,” Seth Avetts said of his band’s first appearance at the festival. “But for a few months after that show people everywhere told us that they saw us there. We were definitely building towards that place.”
Likewise, the festival will continue to pay tribute to bluegrass, country and American roots music with the likes of comedian-turned-banjo player Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers, Kris Kristofferson, Hot Rize, Jamey Johnson and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Chris Thile, who first played Bonnaroo in 2003 as a member of Nickel Creek, will perform with The Punch Brothers, while John Prine will return after a five-year absence. Having played the festival in 2004 and 2007—and a surprise appearance with Bright Eyes in 2006—David Rawlings and Gillian Welch return to perform as Dave Rawlings Machine.
“Though we don’t have a bluegrass tent like we did last year, we do have something of a bluegrass theme with Steve Martin and Hot Rize,” Capps says. “We will also be announcing an additional theme tent in the coming weeks.”
Building on a tradition that has included performances by prog rock and metal titans Tool, Metallica and Mastadon, GWAR will perform at Bonnaroo for the first time. Clutch returns with its unique brand of psychedelic blues and hard rock having played what they felt was one their biggest shows ever 2007. “When I got up there and I saw how many people were out there, I just about nuts myself,” lead singer Neil Fallon told Relix this past October. “That was one of the most memorable and greatest shows of all our 20 years.” Hard rock and punk outfits like The Melvins, Dropkick Murphys and Against Me! should also appeal to fans with harder edged music.
Bonnaroo will announce the lineup for its comedy tent, guest speakers and other themed areas in the coming weeks. Past comedians include: Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Lewis Black, Aziz Ansari, John Oliver, Flight of the Concords, David Cross and Fred Armisen to Jim Norton and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Why can't people just respect differing opinions, regardless which side of the aisle they're on? You aren't incorrect, Airline...an opinion is never incorrect. Neither is the opinion of someone who is happy with the lineup.
No one should try to convince anyone the lineup should or shouldn't be to their liking. It either is or it isn't...people aren't going to be sold by others either way.
good call hibouxdufromage. this will be my 4th consecutive year and i've yet to do the silent disco, ride the ferris wheel, or try a beer at the brooers fest (or whatever it's called). there's always something going on.
4th year and no silent disco still? You gotta. You just gotta. Even if only for 5 mins or so. I've come close to riding the ferris wheel, and by close I mean I get near it, get out the 7 or 8 bucks or whatever it costs, and then I go to the b'rooer's tent and spend it there instead. It's like magnetism or something else... that ends in -ism.
Here's something that a lot of people are dealing with that hasn't really been talked about too much.
For a lot of people, getting to Bonnaroo is a big hassle. A hassle that is made easier (and more fun) by going with other people. A lot of people that may really want to go to Roo may not be able to because friends that they planned on going with, people less dedicated to Bonnaroo, so to speak, aren't going to shell out hundreds upon hundreds of dollars and endure to trip to see this lineup. Because of this, that single person may not be able to go.
So even if the one person is okay with the lineup, their friends may not be. And it's not exactly an optimal situation to drive 10, 15, 20 hours all alone, etc.
This is a common situation where the truly lackluster lineup actually does make it nearly impossible to attend Bonnaroo.
Dig?
Last Edit: Feb 10, 2010 21:26:46 GMT -5 by jmk - Back to Top
Here's something that a lot of people are dealing with that hasn't really been talked about too much.
For a lot of people, getting to Bonnaroo is a big hassle. A hassle that is made easier (and more fun) by going with other people. A lot of people that may really want to go to Roo may not be able to because friends that they planned on going with, people less dedicated to Bonnaroo, so to speak, aren't going to shell out hundreds upon hundreds of dollars and endure to trip to see this lineup. Because of this, that single person may not be able to go.
So even if the one person is okay with the lineup, their friends may not be. And it's not exactly an optimal situation to drive 10, 15, 20 hours all alone, etc.
This is a common situation where the truly lackluster lineup actually does make it nearly impossible to attend Bonnaroo.
Dig?
totally. the trip from south texas is about 17hrs one way. that's a lot of extra money for gas/food, as well as time away from work/school. for a better lineup, i'd find a way to make it happen.
so basically, you're saying you are fine settling for mediocrity when you know good and well you could have (and should have) better?
No, it's just a roundabout way of telling people to stop freaking whining. If you don't like the lineup, and you like another one better, go to that one instead. Or maybe you don't like one of the headliners but you like the undercard? Okay, skip it. I'm not a huge fan of DMB, Jay-Z or Kings of Leon. I guarantee I will be having fun doing something else while I'm there. This ain't my first rodeo, kid. If I can wait in traffic 16 hours to get to the first bonnaroo to see half as many acts as they announced yesterday, it's not a big deal to go check out the silent disco or grab dinner while someone I don't care for is playing on the What.
i believe this is a message board and everyone is stating their opinions on the line-up. some more than others. some are upset with it. just like you being able to go check out the silent disco or grab dinner you can skip over posts as well.
below is from Jambands.com. It's a really good article about Bonnaroo lineup with interesting insights towards the top 4 names on the bill. I found a lot of what they said to be pretty cool and the way they broke down some of the acts they like was worth reading. Sorry if this was posted anywhere else:
Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z will headline the 2010 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. As previously reported, the 9th annual festival will return to Manchester, TN from June 10-13, 2010. The festival’s complete lineup will feature over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing throughout 13 stages over four days. Other marquee acts scheduled to appear include Weezer, The Flaming Lips, The Dead Weather, Phoenix, John Fogerty, Jimmy Cliff, Tenacious D, The National and The Avett Brothers.
“The process for booking Bonnaroo is almost year round at this point,” festival co-founder Ashley Capps says. “We first broached the subject of Stevie Wonder several years ago and certainly Jay-Z has been on our list for a long, long time as well. Especially on the headliner end of things, there’s conversation that gets started, and in a few instances it might take three or four years before it really happens.”
Many of this year’s biggest acts are no strangers to Bonnaroo. Dave Matthews Band headlined Bonnaroo in 2005 and the band’s namesake anchored the festival with his Dave Matthews & Friends group in 2004. In 2004, Kings of Leon debuted at the festival in That Tent, graduated to the Which Stage in 2005 and, finally, the What Stage in 2007 (drummer Nathan Followill met his future wife, singer Jessie Baylin, while attending the festival as a guest in 2006). Headlining was the next step.
“Kings of Leon are the first act to ever work their way up the ranks from a tent to the headline position,” Capps says. “We talked to the Kings of Leon about playing last year, and I think everyone jointly decided that it would be better to wait. I know that was certainly the band’s perspective, so that conversation was going on for quite some time. This is going to be one of their only shows this year.”
The Flaming Lips, who plan to cover Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety with the help of Stardeath and White Dwarfs, played late-night shows at Bonnaroo in 2003 and 2007. The group’s 2003 set helped introduce the band to an entirely new audience and make the alt-rock vets favorites on the jamband festival circuit. The performance also included a few Dark Sidesongs. “We did that as an encore—that was the first time we played Bonnaroo,” Coyne recently told Relix/Jambands.com about the Lips’ Pink Floyd covers at Bonnaroo in 2003. “The way we played those songs at Bonnaroo in 2003 sounded more like Pink Floyd than our interpretation of Pink Floyd. I think you have a dilemma when you play a song in front of people that they don’t recognize—it is hard for them to really get into it. The way we’re doing Dark Side of the Moon now is more us doing our own take on it.”
Capps says the band’s decision to play Dark Side this year, “evolved from a discussion about what they wanted to do at the festival. Ultimately it was Wayne who came to us saying, ‘I want to do Dark Side of the Moon at midnight.’ And we’re like, ‘We can’t argue with that.’”
This year’s lineup also boasts Norah Jones’ first Bonnaroo appearance since the festival’s inaugural year, debut appearances by such diverse names as LCD Soundsystem, Tori Amos and Jeff Beck and the return of festival mainstay Michael Franti & Spearhead (on the heels of his first Top 40 hit). In addition, The National will play the festival for the first time since its Thursday showcase in 2007. Capps is particularly excited about the group’s return, having spent time curating his upcoming Big Ears festival with National guitarist Bryce Dessner.
“The National are truly fantastic—I’ve been lucky enough to hear the early stages of some songs off their new album, which will be released this May,” Capps says. “They are really adept at mixing all these different styles.”
Several past performers will return with new bands. Having played Bonnaroo with The White Stripes in 2007 and The Raconteurs in 2008, Nashville resident Jack White will bring his current project The Dead Weather to Bonnaroo this year. New festival-circuit favorite Chromeo returns this year with a seemingly strange-bedfellow: Daryl Hall.
“Daryl does the Live from Daryl’s House program on his website,” Capps explains. “He did this one episode with Chromeo so we thought, ‘Let’s see if we can get them to do it live at Bonnaroo and they were both extremely enthusiastic about it.”
Also trekking to Coffee Country this summer: indie sensations The xx, Miike Snow, Dan Deacon Ensemble, Tokyo Police Club and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros; hip-hop star Wale; electronic music wiz Deadmau5 and geek-rockers They Might Be Giants. Weezer, whose drummer Brian Bell lives near Capps in Knoxville, is one of the first arena-size ‘90s American alternative bands to appear at the festival since it began in 2002.
In addition to Dave Matthews Band and Spearhead, Bonnaroo will also honor its roots in live, improvisational music with appearances by Les Claypool (past performances: 2002, 2004-2006, 2008), The Disco Biscuits (2002, 2006, 2008), Medeski, Martin & Wood (2003-2004, 2006), Blues Traveler (2006), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (2008), Lotus, Bassnectar and recent Grammy winners Zac Brown Band (2006, 2009). The latter band, in particular, has grown with Bonnaroo over the years: the country-jam outfit debuted at Bonnaroo in the intimate Troo Music Lounge in 2006 and moved to That Tent in 2009.
“Every now and then we break our little rule about not having bands two years in a row, just because of what happened the year before was so exceptional,” Capps admits. “Zac Brown is one of those bands.”
Phoenix is another band that will return to the festival for the second year in a row. “Their show last year was one of the big surprises of the festival,” Capps continues. “They just took Bonnaroo by storm so we wanted to have them back.”
In many ways, Bonnaroo paved the way for retro and roots-oriented indie rock bands that appeal to hipsters, hippies and folkies alike. Past performers like The Black Keys (2004, 2007), Dr. Dog (2005, 2007), The Avett Brothers (2006, 2008) and Calexico (2004) should all receive welcome homecomings. M. Ward, who performed in 2005, will return with She & Him, his project with Zoey Deschanel
“About 1,000 people were there and 30 to 40% knew the words to our songs,” Seth Avetts said of his band’s first appearance at the festival. “But for a few months after that show people everywhere told us that they saw us there. We were definitely building towards that place.”
Likewise, the festival will continue to pay tribute to bluegrass, country and American roots music with the likes of comedian-turned-banjo player Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers, Kris Kristofferson, Hot Rize, Jamey Johnson and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Chris Thile, who first played Bonnaroo in 2003 as a member of Nickel Creek, will perform with The Punch Brothers, while John Prine will return after a five-year absence. Having played the festival in 2004 and 2007—and a surprise appearance with Bright Eyes in 2006—David Rawlings and Gillian Welch return to perform as Dave Rawlings Machine.
“Though we don’t have a bluegrass tent like we did last year, we do have something of a bluegrass theme with Steve Martin and Hot Rize,” Capps says. “We will also be announcing an additional theme tent in the coming weeks.”
Building on a tradition that has included performances by prog rock and metal titans Tool, Metallica and Mastadon, GWAR will perform at Bonnaroo for the first time. Clutch returns with its unique brand of psychedelic blues and hard rock having played what they felt was one their biggest shows ever 2007. “When I got up there and I saw how many people were out there, I just about nuts myself,” lead singer Neil Fallon told Relix this past October. “That was one of the most memorable and greatest shows of all our 20 years.” Hard rock and punk outfits like The Melvins, Dropkick Murphys and Against Me! should also appeal to fans with harder edged music.
Bonnaroo will announce the lineup for its comedy tent, guest speakers and other themed areas in the coming weeks. Past comedians include: Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Lewis Black, Aziz Ansari, John Oliver, Flight of the Concords, David Cross and Fred Armisen to Jim Norton and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
fountain wader - you're not going to the festival. the lineup is disappointing and the headliners suck. got it. then why do you keep wasting your time posting on inforoo? if you're not going, why keep an interest? either you have no life, or you like to complain. or both.
haha i get it. well, i'm not wasting my time. i'm talking. i'm keeping an interest because i love bonnaroo. i have the time of my life there and i'm let down. you are right about me not having much to do today. i do tomorrow. should i judge you too?
Here's something that a lot of people are dealing with that hasn't really been talked about too much.
For a lot of people, getting to Bonnaroo is a big hassle. A hassle that is made easier (and more fun) by going with other people. A lot of people that may really want to go to Roo may not be able to because friends that they planned on going with, people less dedicated to Bonnaroo, so to speak, aren't going to shell out hundreds upon hundreds of dollars and endure to trip to see this lineup. Because of this, that single person may not be able to go.
So even if the one person is okay with the lineup, their friends may not be. And it's not exactly an optimal situation to drive 10, 15, 20 hours all alone, etc.
This is a common situation where the truly lackluster lineup actually does make it nearly impossible to attend Bonnaroo.
Dig?
Isn't it even more common for die-hard Roo fans to be frustrated that most of their friends aren't into the usual Roo lineups? So this is your chance to bring your ignorant musically unsophisticated friends to Roo with the lure of a disgustingly commercial lineup. Get them hooked this year, then next year we go back to good bands, bring them back, and they're on they're on their way to enlightenment, and you've built up your pool of potential festival camp mates.
Here's something that a lot of people are dealing with that hasn't really been talked about too much.
For a lot of people, getting to Bonnaroo is a big hassle. A hassle that is made easier (and more fun) by going with other people. A lot of people that may really want to go to Roo may not be able to because friends that they planned on going with, people less dedicated to Bonnaroo, so to speak, aren't going to shell out hundreds upon hundreds of dollars and endure to trip to see this lineup. Because of this, that single person may not be able to go.
So even if the one person is okay with the lineup, their friends may not be. And it's not exactly an optimal situation to drive 10, 15, 20 hours all alone, etc.
This is a common situation where the truly lackluster lineup actually does make it nearly impossible to attend Bonnaroo.
Dig?
Isn't it even more common for die-hard Roo fans to be frustrated that most of their friends aren't into the usual Roo lineups? So this is your chance to bring your ignorant musically unsophisticated friends to Roo with the lure of a disgustingly commercial lineup. Get them hooked this year, then next year we go back to good bands, bring them back, and they're on they're on their way to enlightenment, and you've built up your pool of potential festival camp mates.
I wasn't even speaking about my own case.
In my case, I was planning on doing the whole thing by myself if no one else wanted to go. I was going to drive the 15+ hours each way by myself, so on and so forth. Then the lineup came out. I can't really commit myself to all of that with the abortion of a lineup that AC released.
Really, though, all that needs to be done is to add Neil Young and MMJ and EVERYONE will be happy.
fountain wader - you're not going to the festival. the lineup is disappointing and the headliners suck. got it. then why do you keep wasting your time posting on inforoo? if you're not going, why keep an interest? either you have no life, or you like to complain. or both.
Got to agree with you here shelbdogg. I normally don't call people out, but shut up topofthemorning. You sound like my friggin 1 year old daughter for Christ's sake...
apologies. i guess i've said my piece more than enough. here's to hoping it gets better guys
Post by jumpinjamesbrown on Feb 10, 2010 21:45:05 GMT -5
local h just announced a tour where they are letting a fan in the crowd pick one of their albums out of a hat and they will then play that album start to finish. i think this is an excellent idea and it should be brought to manchester.
Just a comment for those who say Superfly should be revealing what exactly happened behind the scenes. They would be insanely stupid to reveal what bands dropped out, as it looks like they are trying to blame a band or bands for a weaker lineup. That might rub artists the wrong way and keep them away from Bonnaroo. Why would artists want to incur thousands of angry letters or whatever from festival-goers if they have a legitimate reason for dropping out? If the artist wants to reveal this, let them do it. Superfly is wise to just let it be.
yeah, i agree with that. i thought of that, but the thing is - they could say things such as "we've had some setbacks", etc
I totally agree, but then they toe the line of looking incompetent. It also might be viewed as them not standing fully behind the lineup. I totally get what you and the others are saying and agree it would be nice to know what happened behind the scenes, but it really can be a lose-lose situation for festival promoters. I don't know what the right answer is. But I believe naming the big names that dropped (like a couple of people suggested) would be wrong.
below is from Jambands.com. It's a really good article about Bonnaroo lineup with interesting insights towards the top 4 names on the bill. I found a lot of what they said to be pretty cool and the way they broke down some of the acts they like was worth reading. Sorry if this was posted anywhere else:
Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z will headline the 2010 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. As previously reported, the 9th annual festival will return to Manchester, TN from June 10-13, 2010. The festival’s complete lineup will feature over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing throughout 13 stages over four days. Other marquee acts scheduled to appear include Weezer, The Flaming Lips, The Dead Weather, Phoenix, John Fogerty, Jimmy Cliff, Tenacious D, The National and The Avett Brothers.
“The process for booking Bonnaroo is almost year round at this point,” festival co-founder Ashley Capps says. “We first broached the subject of Stevie Wonder several years ago and certainly Jay-Z has been on our list for a long, long time as well. Especially on the headliner end of things, there’s conversation that gets started, and in a few instances it might take three or four years before it really happens.”
Many of this year’s biggest acts are no strangers to Bonnaroo. Dave Matthews Band headlined Bonnaroo in 2005 and the band’s namesake anchored the festival with his Dave Matthews & Friends group in 2004. In 2004, Kings of Leon debuted at the festival in That Tent, graduated to the Which Stage in 2005 and, finally, the What Stage in 2007 (drummer Nathan Followill met his future wife, singer Jessie Baylin, while attending the festival as a guest in 2006). Headlining was the next step.
“Kings of Leon are the first act to ever work their way up the ranks from a tent to the headline position,” Capps says. “We talked to the Kings of Leon about playing last year, and I think everyone jointly decided that it would be better to wait. I know that was certainly the band’s perspective, so that conversation was going on for quite some time. This is going to be one of their only shows this year.”
The Flaming Lips, who plan to cover Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety with the help of Stardeath and White Dwarfs, played late-night shows at Bonnaroo in 2003 and 2007. The group’s 2003 set helped introduce the band to an entirely new audience and make the alt-rock vets favorites on the jamband festival circuit. The performance also included a few Dark Sidesongs. “We did that as an encore—that was the first time we played Bonnaroo,” Coyne recently told Relix/Jambands.com about the Lips’ Pink Floyd covers at Bonnaroo in 2003. “The way we played those songs at Bonnaroo in 2003 sounded more like Pink Floyd than our interpretation of Pink Floyd. I think you have a dilemma when you play a song in front of people that they don’t recognize—it is hard for them to really get into it. The way we’re doing Dark Side of the Moon now is more us doing our own take on it.”
Capps says the band’s decision to play Dark Side this year, “evolved from a discussion about what they wanted to do at the festival. Ultimately it was Wayne who came to us saying, ‘I want to do Dark Side of the Moon at midnight.’ And we’re like, ‘We can’t argue with that.’”
This year’s lineup also boasts Norah Jones’ first Bonnaroo appearance since the festival’s inaugural year, debut appearances by such diverse names as LCD Soundsystem, Tori Amos and Jeff Beck and the return of festival mainstay Michael Franti & Spearhead (on the heels of his first Top 40 hit). In addition, The National will play the festival for the first time since its Thursday showcase in 2007. Capps is particularly excited about the group’s return, having spent time curating his upcoming Big Ears festival with National guitarist Bryce Dessner.
“The National are truly fantastic—I’ve been lucky enough to hear the early stages of some songs off their new album, which will be released this May,” Capps says. “They are really adept at mixing all these different styles.”
Several past performers will return with new bands. Having played Bonnaroo with The White Stripes in 2007 and The Raconteurs in 2008, Nashville resident Jack White will bring his current project The Dead Weather to Bonnaroo this year. New festival-circuit favorite Chromeo returns this year with a seemingly strange-bedfellow: Daryl Hall.
“Daryl does the Live from Daryl’s House program on his website,” Capps explains. “He did this one episode with Chromeo so we thought, ‘Let’s see if we can get them to do it live at Bonnaroo and they were both extremely enthusiastic about it.”
Also trekking to Coffee Country this summer: indie sensations The xx, Miike Snow, Dan Deacon Ensemble, Tokyo Police Club and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros; hip-hop star Wale; electronic music wiz Deadmau5 and geek-rockers They Might Be Giants. Weezer, whose drummer Brian Bell lives near Capps in Knoxville, is one of the first arena-size ‘90s American alternative bands to appear at the festival since it began in 2002.
In addition to Dave Matthews Band and Spearhead, Bonnaroo will also honor its roots in live, improvisational music with appearances by Les Claypool (past performances: 2002, 2004-2006, 2008), The Disco Biscuits (2002, 2006, 2008), Medeski, Martin & Wood (2003-2004, 2006), Blues Traveler (2006), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (2008), Lotus, Bassnectar and recent Grammy winners Zac Brown Band (2006, 2009). The latter band, in particular, has grown with Bonnaroo over the years: the country-jam outfit debuted at Bonnaroo in the intimate Troo Music Lounge in 2006 and moved to That Tent in 2009.
“Every now and then we break our little rule about not having bands two years in a row, just because of what happened the year before was so exceptional,” Capps admits. “Zac Brown is one of those bands.”
Phoenix is another band that will return to the festival for the second year in a row. “Their show last year was one of the big surprises of the festival,” Capps continues. “They just took Bonnaroo by storm so we wanted to have them back.”
In many ways, Bonnaroo paved the way for retro and roots-oriented indie rock bands that appeal to hipsters, hippies and folkies alike. Past performers like The Black Keys (2004, 2007), Dr. Dog (2005, 2007), The Avett Brothers (2006, 2008) and Calexico (2004) should all receive welcome homecomings. M. Ward, who performed in 2005, will return with She & Him, his project with Zoey Deschanel
“About 1,000 people were there and 30 to 40% knew the words to our songs,” Seth Avetts said of his band’s first appearance at the festival. “But for a few months after that show people everywhere told us that they saw us there. We were definitely building towards that place.”
Likewise, the festival will continue to pay tribute to bluegrass, country and American roots music with the likes of comedian-turned-banjo player Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers, Kris Kristofferson, Hot Rize, Jamey Johnson and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Chris Thile, who first played Bonnaroo in 2003 as a member of Nickel Creek, will perform with The Punch Brothers, while John Prine will return after a five-year absence. Having played the festival in 2004 and 2007—and a surprise appearance with Bright Eyes in 2006—David Rawlings and Gillian Welch return to perform as Dave Rawlings Machine.
“Though we don’t have a bluegrass tent like we did last year, we do have something of a bluegrass theme with Steve Martin and Hot Rize,” Capps says. “We will also be announcing an additional theme tent in the coming weeks.”
Building on a tradition that has included performances by prog rock and metal titans Tool, Metallica and Mastadon, GWAR will perform at Bonnaroo for the first time. Clutch returns with its unique brand of psychedelic blues and hard rock having played what they felt was one their biggest shows ever 2007. “When I got up there and I saw how many people were out there, I just about nuts myself,” lead singer Neil Fallon told Relix this past October. “That was one of the most memorable and greatest shows of all our 20 years.” Hard rock and punk outfits like The Melvins, Dropkick Murphys and Against Me! should also appeal to fans with harder edged music.
Bonnaroo will announce the lineup for its comedy tent, guest speakers and other themed areas in the coming weeks. Past comedians include: Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Lewis Black, Aziz Ansari, John Oliver, Flight of the Concords, David Cross and Fred Armisen to Jim Norton and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Somehow this entirely re-invigorated my enthusiasm for 2010. It'll be a damn good time. Thanks for helping me put things in perspective.
It's cool. The article does put things into perspective. The way they break down the lineup really makes you appreciate it more IMO. It was a very good read. Well written article. It reminded me that Superfly are filled with huge music fans and they picked a bunch of music acts they think will put on a great show.
Isn't it even more common for die-hard Roo fans to be frustrated that most of their friends aren't into the usual Roo lineups? So this is your chance to bring your ignorant musically unsophisticated friends to Roo with the lure of a disgustingly commercial lineup. Get them hooked this year, then next year we go back to good bands, bring them back, and they're on they're on their way to enlightenment, and you've built up your pool of potential festival camp mates.
I wasn't even speaking about my own case.
In my case, I was planning on doing the whole thing by myself if no one else wanted to go. I was going to drive the 15+ hours each way by myself, so on and so forth. Then the lineup came out. I can't really commit myself to all of that with the abortion of a lineup that AC released.
Really, though, all that needs to be done is to add Neil Young and MMJ and EVERYONE will be happy.
I know I'll be, but what about the NY and MMJ haters? Trust me they're out there, I can smell'em.