Bonnaroo 2004 - Should I go?
So my brother in Mass. called me this afternoon and asked if I want to go to Bonnaroo 2004 with him. I've never heard of the thing but he praises it up and down. From what I've seen on their web site it looks REALLY cool.
His boss got them VIP tickets and they have one left over, and that's why my brother could ask me to go. The ticket would be $500 USD plus travel expenses to meet my brother in Mass. and then drive to and from Tennessee where the event is (June 11-13). All in all, he's guessing it'll be about $1000 USD.
What do you know about it? Should I go? I'm thinking right now that I need to come up with the money because I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to do this again in my lifetime. The prospect of spending a week with my brother at an oustanding event seems like it's totally worth the money.
Do any of you have stories of when you went? Recommendations either way? Thanks in advance for the info.
His boss got them VIP tickets and they have one left over, and that's why my brother could ask me to go. The ticket would be $500 USD plus travel expenses to meet my brother in Mass. and then drive to and from Tennessee where the event is (June 11-13). All in all, he's guessing it'll be about $1000 USD.
What do you know about it? Should I go? I'm thinking right now that I need to come up with the money because I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to do this again in my lifetime. The prospect of spending a week with my brother at an oustanding event seems like it's totally worth the money.
Do any of you have stories of when you went? Recommendations either way? Thanks in advance for the info.
Comments
PLUSSES:
- I'll get to spend a week with my brother, who I only see about once a year.
- I'll be able to go to an outstanding event with VIP seating and have an excellent time.
- I'll be able to do something that most people never get to do, and that I'll probably not have an opportunity to do again.
- I'll get to see Dave Matthews, who's my favorite artist.
MINUSES:- I'll spend $1000 that I really shouldn't. I have this very Powerbook I'm typing on to pay off by the end of the year and it won't be easy even without the extra expense of this event.
- I'll burn up all of my vacation time, and I won't be able to be staff at the week-long youth camp I was planning to do this summer. I do this camp every year and it's extremely rewarding for me, but I wouldn't be able to do it if I went to Bonnaroo.
Those two minuses are REALLY BIG deals to me, and so I'm actually now leaning away from going to Bonnaroo. My financial stability is more important than Bonnaroo, and I need to go to camp as much as the kids do.\
VIP pass to the best musical event on the planet?
A no-brainer in my book.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Do you see your lifestyle being more conducive to doing something like this, say, 10 years from now?
The negatives, OTOH, are one-shot-only, or temporary at worst. In other words - the camp will be there next summer - when will you get another shot at this opportunity?
The Dead - Sugar Magnolia
The Allman Brothers Band - High Cost of Low Living
Jack Johnson - Wasting Time
The Flaming Lips - A Spoonful Weighs a Ton
Galactic - Space Headz March
My Morning Jacket - Dancefloors
Sonic Youth - She's Not Alone
Warren Haynes - The Real Thing
Jason Mraz - You & I Both (Bonnaroo Style)
Ben Kweller - Walk On Me
The Polyphonic Spree - It's The Sun
Widespread Panic - Papa Johnny Road
James Brown - I Feel Good
Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals - Sexual Healing
The Roots - The Seed
Medeski Martin & Wood - Macha
Emmylou Harris - Red Dirt Girl
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - Sleeper
Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon - Rings
Nickel Creek - I Should've Known Better
O.A.R. - Risen
Keller Williams - Love Handles
Buddahead - Invisible
I know most of them...I wouldn't say they are no bodies.
This year...
The Dead
Dave Matthews & Friends
Bob Dylan
Trey Anastasio
Willie Nelson
David Byrne
Primus
Wilco
Burning Spear
String Cheese Incident
Ani Difranco
moe.
Gov't Mule
Los Lobos
Galactic
Yo La Tengo
Femi Kuti
Medeski Martin & Wood
Gomez
Yonger Mountain String Band
Damien Rice
North Mississippi Allstars Hill Country Review
Beth Orton
My Morning Jacket
Gillian Wlch
The Del McCoury Band
Taj Mahal
Sam Bush Band
Vida Blue feat. The Spam Allstars
Los Lonely Boys
Grandaddy
Kinds of Leon
Bill Laswell's Material
Soulive
Neko Case
Leftover Salmon
Cut Chemist
Chris Robinson & New Earth Mid
Umphrey's McGee
Maroon5
The Black Keys
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
The Bad Plus
Marc Broussard
Donavan Frankenriter
Blue Merle
WOW...I didn't know this years setup was this good, I may have to try and grab some tickets. I was planning on just going to the Grass Roots Festival or the All Good Festival, but it may be worth it to hit up bonnaroo!
I wish I saw the recipe at one of these places though...or perhaps Keller Williams again would be nice.
If you don't want to go, I'll take it and meet your brother
Cheers.
Here's a video i dug up
Bucket playing a decent little solo(by his standards) during a Guns N' Roses concert from 2002.
One of those just happens to be The Radiators, which as many of you know, is the World's Greatest Live Rock Band That You've Never Seen.
Seems the chances of finding myself there this summer just went up quite a bit.