gabedouglas

So get your favorite sundress, your favorite case of beer, sit down next to a computer and enjoy the 2007 version of story time from bonnaroo.

We got in Thursday night and set up camp. We went and checked out Clutch, who actually put on a good show. I only know one Clutch song I like (’Careful with that Mic’), but they were energetic rock. Then we headed over to Rodrigo y Gabriela who put on a dazzling display of classical guitar thump, smack, and precision. I recognized about 75% of their set as covers and assumed the rest of the set was as well, but I couldn’t figure out what songs they were. They did a great version of Stairway (only a hint of all the Zeppelin to come).

Friday rolled out and I was ready to see some music. Started with a glimps of RX Bandits on the way to Brazilian Girls, who started the afternoon dance party. They brought up on stage a kid who had a stop sign painted on his chest, except guess what it said instead… it said ‘don’t stop’ LIKE THE SONG. GET IT?!?! So anyways, this kid was a lot more laidback and chill then I would have been after being brought onstage. He Europeanly kissed the lead singer and started to get off the stage, when they told him to stay up there and dance and smoke with them. I would have personally gone for the grandoise of a ballroom dip with the singer, but that kid was too classy. Great set. They were followed by a brief run over near Paolo Nutini, who had a TIGHT band, they were great live and the stuff sounded just as catchy as the stuff I’ve heard before. Went and heard a 1/2 song of Kings of Leon, it was that horrible new song that sounds like someone is getting murdered. We ventured over Hot Chip. Hot Chip continued the dance party and played great great stuff. Then I proceeded over to the Roots to watch them. Great show as well. They played all their hits as well as a 20 minute medley of ever popular hip hop song from 1985 until now, including JT, Naughty by Nature, Blackstreet, Jay-Z, and the infamous “Oooohh Baby I Like it Raw” song. We headed out and caught some tunes from Manu Chao, the Black Keys, and Lily Allen as we went back to the site to gear up for the night.
And did we ever. I stayed in from Tool and went to the overnight stages, starting with SuperJam, where John Paul Jones, Ben Harper, and ?uestlove played a good deal of Zeppelin songs. I was very excited about this, but headed over to the Hip Hop tent to check out sets from Aesop Rock, El-P, and DJ Shadow. Between El-P and DJ Shadow I checked out STS9 and more of the SuperJam, as they played songs I didn’t really care for. DJ Shadow was cool, but uses all original samples and material.. which is cool, but sometimes it does not work at all. He also had a video playing in the background that sometimes looked like a 3-D grad project from 1993. Very Cheese. Great Night.
After that I wondered around and found some street musicians, got back to camp as the sun came up. (A continuing theme for Bonnaroo)

Saturday rolled out to cries of revolution in the forms of beer bongs, beer pong, and our kind neighbors from Chicago taking requests like James Brown and the mighty Led Zeppelin. I proceeded to have quite the good time and made my way to concerts finding the end of Regina Spektor and Gogol Bordello. Walked passed Xavier Rudd and Damien Rice (both were having alright sets, but nothing SPECTACULAR) enroute to the Hold Steady.
Please sit up and alert and pay attention now.
I was with Matt and Anne at this point, and we were dancing (and stumbling) towards the front, about halfway there I turn around to see no Matt, which is weird, BECAUSE HE IS LIKE 6′ 6″. I find that odd, but continue on my trek. At about the 10th row there is a guy in TC hat (Twins cap for those who are not in the know). I think that’s cool and continue to dance, shake my fist, and scream along with Mr. Craig Finn. He turns around and gives me an evil eye.

I seethe.
I become infuriated that this man is not even tapping his foot. Craig, Tad, and company are putting their songs out there and this man is standing like a statue and giving people the evil eye. He could have even said a sneer comment, I am unsure.
But anways, ‘Massive Nights’ starts and he turns around AGAIN to do some mundane jeering (at least I believe it to be.)
I yell, “WHERE ARE YOU FROM?”
He says something inaudible or completely forgettable.
I say, “I’M FROM UPTOWN. DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE SCORE OF THE TWINS GAME TODAY?!?”
He proceeds to look shocked, horrified, and a complete puddle. Because I called him out for being a fan who doesn’t even know the score. It does not matter whether I knew the score or not because I had won this war. He sheepishly steps aside, allowing me to pass in front of him and rock out in bliss.
‘Southtown Girls’ starts and as soon as he croons ‘Take Penn Ave. out to the four ninety foooo oouuuuuuurrr.” I become taken over with this sudden urge that Craig Finn must have the shirt I have on. ( A red shirt I got at a thrift store, it’s about some French or Italian festival in minneapolis. It has some foreign language crap on the front, but has MINNEAPOLIS emblazoned on the back of it in block letters.)
If you have ever seen a drunk guy try to take off a shirt in a crowd while shaking his fist and screaming along, I am sure it was a sight to see. Anyways, I finally get it off and wait for the perfect moment where I know there will be no singing or guitar playing for a good 20 seconds and fling it at the stage. Somehow it goes right over Craig’s left shoulder. He steps away from the mic takes a look and has a hearty laugh.
Totally worth it.

After the Hold Steady, I was starting to gear down, so went to check out Ben Harper and his band, followed by Ween. Both pretty good sets. I caught bit of Spoon in between the two, but wasn’t that into their live show for some reason.

Fast foward to 2:30 am and Matt Perkins going off the deep end.
It seems that I had slept through the Police. I didn’t really care, but it would have been nice to say that I’ve seen them. Oh well. I guess Sting had an entourage of 25 state patrol officers that escorted him hallway-style onto and off of the stage.
What a lame-ass.

Sunday started off with a great set by John Butler Trio. I caught 1/2 a song of Pete Yorn on the way there, but I’ve seen him enough, so I decided to go see John Butler Trio. GOOD CHOICE. Because he played my favorite live song of all time, ‘the Ocean’. I’ve heard it 3 different times and each time it is a little different, but the themes remain the same and you can tell when the next parts are coming. Really really love that song.
He always has a great call-out for peace before the song as well.

Next up was Wolfmother. Now many of you know I saw the Darkness the first time they came to headline the US. Wolfmother had a lot of the same buzz. AND IT WAS TOTALLY DEAD-ON. Except Wolfmother is a trio. Which, if you listen to the record is insane. The lead guitarist sings and the bass player plays organ as well. I thought they were a six piece band, but they brought it out the entire set. Just great rock.
Quotes from this concert include:
(People are leaving the Wolfmother show through our group)
“Hey, Have a great time at Tori Amos!”
*FACEMELT THE HELL OUT OF UNKNOWING FRAT BOY*
“No, they have at least 4 songs left! They are don’t done yet, it’s okay, you can stay!”

Classic.
I went back to the RV to gear up for a bit before:
Wilco. Amazing. Decemberists were EH. Feist was incredible. Great horn players, great stage presence, great everything.
White Stripes were absolutely horrendous. After 5 songs, I was happy to leave knowing that the set was only going to get more sloppy, wreckless, and un-noteworthy.
BUT GABE, you LOVE sloppy rock and roll.
That is true, but hearing someone play power chords while trying to play blasts of organ and make out with is sister all at the same time is not rock and roll, that’s masturbatory grunge crap.

Hail, hail rock and roll.

so there’s a doldrum life hits sometimes. like when you realize you’re not really sure if you want to use your college degree to make lame brochures or someone’s coffee or identity’s for the latest craze. you’re not really sure if minneapolis is all it’s cracked up to be, especially coming into year number two.
but it’s life. it’s the journey. and i’m still glad to be on it.
the vars is getting long-winded and bloated. i didn’t work any days this week and i’m working all weekend. and missing two festivals IN MPLS because i didn’t work at all this week, so I didn’t make any money doing nothing all these nights, so I feel compelled to work some Rooney show instead of seeing bands I want to see.
I now have to sign some form that tells me how to do my job (the way I currently do it). I’m not sure if it’s a spit in the face or a kick in the teeth or a procedural red-taped bureaucracy, but I am sure it’s something that’s completely unwarranted and it disheartens me. I would like to think i’m an above average sound engineer and an excellent lighting guy, but I’m not getting anything on that account. I’m getting stepped over again and again and again.
I still love music.
Romantica had a good set. I liked all their new stuff better than their old stuff. I also enjoyed the acoustic strip downs. Although he sang songs of places I’ve never been. Sang of girls that aren’t even a reality to me. These figments of imagination that manifest themselves daily in glances and grins. I couldn’t relate to it at all. Because I’m in Minnesota. I’m in America.
I’m going to Tennessee next week to get a rejuvenation. Speaking of, Sean McPherson has a band called Big Trouble that does jazz covers and is amazing. Saw them at the Kitty and it was great. If I were to make a movie and have tons of night driving scenes with long exposures and blurred light lines, they’d be the soundtrack hands down for every single driving scene.
Maybe I’m not pushing these snowballs of momentum hard enough. Maybe I should just get out the paddles and quit waiting for these breezes that are supposed to be coming. Maybe these are more corners I’m too timid to turn, instead of the rolling hills that I think life is made of. Maybe it’s all corners and angles. Maybe enough with the maybes and start making the happenings happen.
This was just a gut-check and check-up from the neck-up brought to myself digitally.