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So this guy is pissed that he lost his respect and credibility for his wife for not standing ankle deep in poo this year and is calling us racists for buying a Bonnaroo ticket, a festival having mostly non white workers and volunteers? Or he just really hates Country music stars that like to go to non country music festivals. I think we almost have this figured out.
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It was worth it in that my wife is 5 months pregnant and it was easier on her not to have to walk as much and being able to sit in some A/C when needed but that is it. The vibe in VIP sucks plain and simple.
I am 39 years old and this my fourth Bonnaroo and half of the fun is the wild vibe of GA. Being hot, sweaty, and tired as hell bonds everybody like nothing else. Having to suffer a bit and risk things a bit makes the good times even better. Last year when setting up in GA it started pissing rain and that is when the 'Bonnarroooooo!' yells were the loudest all weekend. That to me sums up the Bonnaroo spirit.
In VIP it could be Suburbia in Anywhereville, USA. That is the one thing I come to Bonnaroo to get away from. Corporate types and Soccer Moms who would never get close to a Porta Pot <eeeek> or mingle with 'Them' <wince> in GA. Then they go back to their offices and brag about 'having been to Bonnaroo'.
I didn't come to Bonnaroo to sip light beer and talk about stock options in the VIP Lounge all day and stare at the telecasts like they were from another planet.
Come on Fireman - Your neighbors rocked... Maureen, the older gal with sons....
Maybe I expressed my thoughts a bit too fervently.
Just a tad
Maybe I didn't realize just how many folks liked Amy Grant.
ugh............no
Maybe I threw the whole lot in the same boat and I may have been just as wrong.
Yes, because I clean my own shitter at the house. And I used a few port a potties that even some men refused to go into.
I called like I saw it. Maybe I was just as wrong, just as judgmental but I got it off my chest.
You basically called us a bunch of racist snobs. That tends to get us ticked. The VIP Inforoo group are not elitist, Amy Grant loving, Wook hating, line jumping people.
'The hit dogs hollers' is a Southern expression and I am from the Deep South. So forgive me if the use was seen as insulting. It was not intended as such.
'You called us a bunch of racist snobs'. Snobs, I will confess to so I apologize to the non-snobs.
Racists. Not directly, but I did use the allusion. I apologize for that. But when 'Wook' was used in this thread I saw it being used as a pejorative. The attitude behind it is what stung.
Hi Chris - I agree with the superior attitude thing on the part of some people... Personally for me, I just get too hot and tired to camp anywhere but close by! Hope all is well and that you enjoy that new baby in a few months. I'm sending Karma your way for that really good Boston accent you carried off!
Maybe you can be a witness that I can be a nice guy sometimes. Ha! The outrageous side of my personality that you saw is not always used the best of ways unfortunately. I must confess that I got carried away with this subject. My stubborn streak that doesn't always know when to cool it. You brought me back to Earth.
Thanks again, Chris
p.s. Maybe next year we can meet up in Centeroo somewhere. I will be back in GA howlin' at the moon once again.
"Can I get a witness?" You bet!!! Rock on Rooster!
John: We don't even understand our own music Spider: It doesn't, does it matter whether we understand it? At least it'll give us . . . strength John: I know but maybe we could get into it more if we understood it
Post by popsicle sarah on Jun 16, 2011 23:19:56 GMT -5
To me, wook isn't how you look, it's how you act. I have lots of friends who look like "wooks" and are some of the most badasss people ever. My talk of "no wooks" in VIP means there's no one there bumming beers and smokes all day then stealing my Leno when I'm at a show.
I also have paid my GA dues 4 times. I work my ass off, make good money with little financial responsibility (no children) so I choose to spend thousands of dollars on making my vacation time (that I use for Roo) more like a vacation.
It's not for everyone, but neither is Bonnaroo in general. I'm glad you stopped being such a dick, Elrooster.
My friends & I were first-timers in VIP this year, and one of them had a story which pretty accurately described the difference between GA & VIP.
He was walking back to camp, saw he was about to step on a brown cylindrical object on the ground, freaked out and sidestepped it... and was relieved to discover it was merely a cigar butt.
Several times I would try to strike up a conversation with people in line at the showers or in the Lounge. I would get blank stares like I was asking them for money.
To me, wook isn't how you look, it's how you act. I have lots of friends who look like "wooks" and are some of the most badasss people ever. My talk of "no wooks" in VIP means there's no one there bumming beers and smokes all day then stealing my Leno when I'm at a show.
I also have paid my GA dues 4 times. I work my ass off, make good money with little financial responsibility (no children) so I choose to spend thousands of dollars on making my vacation time (that I use for Roo) more like a vacation.
It's not for everyone, but neither is Bonnaroo in general. I'm glad you stopped being such a dick, Elrooster.
Yes to the wook description, yes to the financials, and yes to him simmering down a bit.
Elrooster - I didn't even go this year, so I'm really butting in. That said, I have done the last 5 years and 4 of them were with the VIP inforoo crowd. I'm sure you could get some bad neighbors and the vibe is going to be different when the average age is not 20 - but I've met nothing but great people in this little community.
If you get bad neighbors in GA, they might be dealing, selling gas, stealing your stuff, drum circle until 8 am - in VIP, bad neighbors are more likely to just not do anything. I'd rather have that than the former - at least you can just avoid them. That said, my neighbors have always been from this board and most I've gotten to know a fair bit about over the last few years.
Several times I would try to strike up a conversation with people in line at the showers or in the Lounge. I would get blank stares like I was asking them for money.
So what, are you saying that anyone who goes VIP and just blank stares has Asperger's? Cause um... I'm an Aspie myself and would talk to people when they said hi. Though sometimes it was tough if the person who struck up the convo was quacked out their minds. I was at the Brunch being somewhat socialable. For my standards I wasn't too bad, though I wonder what others there might have thought.
As for me... the two times I've been now I've gone with a GA ticket but stayed at a hotel in Murfreesboro. (I realize I'll get a lot of hate on that admission.) However I like having air conditioning, a place to store my shit without worrying about it getting stolen, showers, and a comfy spot to sleep in at night. Plus clean bathrooms. Plus I've always hated camping.
The last two years I will take "the afternoon break", which is essentially me leaving the farm to go to Walmart or Wendy's or somewhere - get in air conditioning for a couple hours midday, get supplies or eat, use the bathroom, and recharge a bit before returning back.
Some of you might call me a spoiled brat or a wannabe yuppie or some bull like that. I just wanna come down, listen to music and have a good time. It's my one vacation of the year, and I wanna make the most of it. I'm tired of missing shows in mid afternoon (like most of Grace Potter, The Decemberists, and Black Uhuru this year) because I ran off to get out of the sun/heat and to take a piss at Walmart rather than in those atrocious portos.
So what, are you saying that anyone who goes VIP and just blank stares has Asperger's? Cause um... I'm an Aspie myself and would talk to people when they said hi. Though sometimes it was tough if the person who struck up the convo was quacked out their minds. I was at the Brunch being somewhat socialable. For my standards I wasn't too bad, though I wonder what others there might have thought.
No I was actually saying the opposite. Given Elrooster's choice of when and how to approach people I would say that he shows signs of Aspergers.
Specifically, the fact that he is approaching people in line for a shower implies it is early morning. He's walking up to people who probably just woke up from a long night, they are hot, tired, hungover, and standing in line for a shower in a same-sex shower trailer which could also be causing anxiety for some of them. He walks up and expects to be able to engage these people in conversation and feels that their inability to reciprocate is THEIR fault and not his own social awkwardness. In his own descriptions of his actions, as well as his posts in this thread, he shows signs that he lacks empathy which is one of the symptoms of AS.
Although given his egotism and arrogance it is probably more likely that he's simply a douche-bag.
My apologies for putting someone like him in the same category as you.
I'm tired of missing shows in mid afternoon (like most of Grace Potter, The Decemberists, and Black Uhuru this year) because I ran off to get out of the sun/heat and to take a piss at Walmart rather than in those atrocious portos.
So um... VIP worth it for me? Maybe? Advice?
Lowerdeck, yes, it would probably be worth it for you. I only used a porto twice the entire Roo weekend (and that was because the lines weren't bad and I didn't feel like hiking it to the VIP lounge bathrooms). And if you do need to head back to camp for some down time during the day, you can hear the What stage. But there are A/C lounges in Centeroo and in VIP that you can chill in if you're feeling too hot.
I say give it a chance in 2012. Everyone's VIP experience will be different but if you are using a hotel just for A/C and bathrooms, you can get that in VIP.
It'd certainly be a lot better than having to drive back to M'boro. Or wait up there too long and finally come down after.
EDIT: I was freaking out because it was 1400 bucks for a VIP ticket. Then I realized it was two, not one. At least I can split it, so it's not too costly for me.
Last Edit: Jun 17, 2011 10:45:24 GMT -5 by LD - Back to Top
^^Yep.. and there's a way to "upgrade" to a VIP ticket if you purchase a single GA ticket. (It's mentioned in its own thread in this section.) And a $700 ticket/camping experience would probably be cheaper than a Roo ticket and hotel. My understanding is that VIP also gets driving in and out privileges (starting Friday) but I never took advantage of it.
lowerdeck - keep in mind, you are still camping and its still hot as hell. so it's not like vip is some magical fairlyland where it's always 75 degrees and partly cloudy.
the AC tents go a long way, but they are also not as good as people are describing. in the full heat of the day, they are maybe 15 degrees cooler than outside. you have to find a vent and plop yourself in front of it to really feel the AC. i dont tend to use them that much since camp inforoo has free water and beer.
my approach for bonnaroo is to not even consider going to a show before 5 pm. you can hear the main stage from vip and could even go over the the mound and watch the show from under the tent if that was your thing...
the AC tents go a long way, but they are also not as good as people are describing. in the full heat of the day, they are maybe 15 degrees cooler than outside. you have to find a vent and plop yourself in front of it to really feel the AC. i dont tend to use them that much since camp inforoo has free water and beer.
Idio, you missed out on the AC tents this year. They were about 1000x better than the year before.
In the VIP camping area they separated the catering tent from the AC lounge so the lounge itself was nearly twice as large. The AC was also more than adequate.
Inside centeroo the lounge was night&day different from last year. Certain areas of the lounge near the blowers were down-right chilly. There was also more room, although it seemed like maybe less seating than last year.
The free fruit was also stocked every single time I went into either lounge the entire weekend which was nice.
I took showers in afternoons, not in the mornings. My 'awkward' conversation skills have always worked fine in the past.
'Lacks empathy' I have been a Firefighter/Paramedic for over 10 years now. When you have seen the things that I have seen then you can talk to me about empathy.
I should have waited a few days before I commented on this subject. Fatigue and post-Roo blues don't exactly lead to polite and intelligent discussion.
To everyone, I was an ass and I am truly sorry.
Does it suck when people make baseless assumptions about you?
Apology accepted and consider this my apology to you for turning things around on you like that.
Post by klimfactor on Jun 17, 2011 11:46:08 GMT -5
Agreed on the AC this year. My guess is they received some complaints/concerns from patrons and set about improving it. I remember sweating in the VIP tent behind the bleachers by Which last year. This year, I had goosebumps, even when there was a ton of people in there. It was a perfect refuge from the heat during the day in Centeroo.
This was my third Bonnaroo and first in the VIP - for me it was definitely worth it and I'd have difficulty going back in GA.
First, camping close to centreroo allowed me to get to bed earlier when I finally had to pack it in - no risking a 30 minute+ walk like the year prior.
On the other side, waking up at 7:30 b/c of the heat sucks when you're going to bed after 3, but being able to move to a large shaded tent, even if only for a few hours was a real saviour. Also, being able to duck into the A/C or large shaded tents for an hour here and there to escape the heat was vital.
I remember in '10 being totally exhausted and tired of the sun, but having trouble finding shade. It ruins the experience and makes it difficult to stay awake for the late night.
However I like having air conditioning, a place to store my Leno without worrying about it getting stolen, showers, and a comfy spot to sleep in at night. Plus clean bathrooms. Plus I've always hated camping.
So um... VIP worth it for me? Maybe? Advice?
My friend, you just described me, pre-Roo. I'd camped MAYBE three times in my life and usually in cooler locations/seasons. For me to forego plumbing, A/C and creature comforts is a BIG DEAL. Now that I've done GA 2x and VIP 2x, I can vouch for the latter in its ability to KEEP YOU SANE and LET YOU SEE MORE SHOWS.
It's not that I'm too prissy to use a porto (have to at other festivals) but damn, it's a nice luxury to have pristine, flushing toilets and sinks with running water to use - and never have to wait in line or plug your nose to use them! Here's what the typical VIP porto looked like --- on SATURDAY AFTERNOON, no less!
Some portos had sinks inside each stall, but most of them have sinks like this, with plenty of soap and air fresheners, too:
So yes, this is a major perk.
The other perk is sleeping comfortably. Last year, I sweated a bit because I didn't have an EZup over my tent. Thanks to this board & the advice I got from other veteran VIPers (like idio - thanks dude, missed y'all this year!), I was well-prepared. With an EZup over the tent, silver tarps hung on the eastern side, and several fans inside the tent, I slept VERY COMFORTABLY until 8am with no interruptions.
Hopefully you'll consider splurging on VIP next year, man. I can assure you that you will NOT regret it. Not only that, we're Aspie-friendly...some of us are ADD/OCD, so you'll fit right in!
