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Ben Harper and The Decemberists Sound Off on Bonnaroo
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival offered a taste of what is to come today, via a press conference with Bonnaroo virgin Colin Meloy of The Decemberists and Bonnaroo veteran Ben Harper. Both take different approaches to the festival yet were equally excited about performing there.
"I have a profound respect for all music, and it's a real community of which I don't think we've been a part...those boundaries are being erased," said Meloy. "I have no idea what the festival will be like, but we'll reach out and hopefully make (the connection)."
Harper, when asked for his advice for new Bonnaroo bands, pointed out something simple and subtle that can be used at any show. "Give a nod to the front row. Let them know 'I know you've been here all day.' That energy will work its way back." Meloy stated that "the best thing to do is be ourselves...that's why we're invited."
Both mentioned how excited they were to see other acts at the festival. "Our drummer will have just had a baby, but we're going to see as many acts as we can that day," said Meloy. "Gillian Welch is a new friend of ours." Harper mentioned The Police, Panic, Wilco, The White Stripes, and that "you always have to see the Flaming Lips when they're around." Harper said that one of his favorite Bonnaroo memories was hanging off a pair of speakers during Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Harper mentioned that he would love to shred with Jack White and along with Meloy raised the possibility of bringing others onstage.
"This festival brings the US into creative balance with the rest of the world. They run smoothly, they feed the musicians, they have a great crowd, they keep Europe from kicking the ass of the US at these things," said Harper, who performed solo at the first Bonnaroo and with his band in 2003. "It's the best musical Southern hospitality."
The festival will return to Manchester, TN on June 14-17. Report by Taylor Hill
Post by greecianlover on Apr 25, 2007 16:39:11 GMT -5
dudewhersmyinforoo said:
Harper said that one of his favorite Bonnaroo memories was hanging off a pair of speakers during Neil Young & Crazy Horse.
F#cking Awesome! In a post of mine awhile back, in the Ben Harper thread I posted about this exact thing. It was one of my highlights to see one Musician rocking so hard to another. Here's the link to that thread, for you non-believers:
I really want to see Ben again this year. He was one of my highlights from the first Bonnaroo I attended (2003). He was also part of one of my fondest Bonnaroo memories. We watched Jack Johnson, Harper, and Neil Young all consecutive on the main stage that year. After Jack Johnson we bolted for water, and then got as close, without being assholes as we could for Harper. After he finished his set, a bunch of people exited to get water/food/etc. before Neil. We headed the opposite direction, directly toward the stage. We ended up second row! Anyway, later in Neil's set while he is playing Rocking in the Free World I look up to the rafters/scafolding left of the stage, and I see a guy, in a rasta hat, rocking HARD. He was just hanging on the side of the scafolding nodding/banging his head away. I had a huge smile on my face and turn to my friends and said, "Hey, that's Ben Harper up there just rocking away!" Awesome to see one musician digging another's set so much.
I'll be including parts of the interview (I participated in that press conference) in my pre-Roo podcast. I'm still working on the production aspect of the podcast, so it will def be released a while before the days of reckoning.
