Checking in from Bonnaroo, part 4: surprises make it special
by Jade
June 15, 2015
Greetings from the road!
As we sail back northwest in the van, I thought I could catch you up on our last day being "true 'roo." As Minnesotans, we weren't totally used to the mid-90-degree swelter that was daytime Bonnaroo. Most of the concertgoers seemed to be the same as Team Current, wandering around in the harsh light of day chugging water, finding shade and trying to stay cool. By the time Sunday rolled around, the crowds were mostly wearing swimsuits and showing off their burnt flesh as a badge of honor (note to self, keep sunscreen on hand all day at Rock the Garden next weekend).
Bonnaroo doesn't have the celebrity appeal of Coachella, but we did spy a few famous faces in the crowd. While we were in the radio commune behind the stage, we saw a rumpled guy who looked a little like Mad Men's Don Draper; turns out it was indeed Jon Hamm, who took the stage alongside Zack Galifianakis during the hyped "SuperJam" and later popped onstage during Belle and Sebastian's set to throw gummy bears at the band. Funny actor (and decent banjo player) Ed Helms showed up on stage with Mumford and Sons, and he led the Bluegrass SuperJam on Sunday, which also featured Trampled by Turtles. And for a weird blast from the past, Corey Feldman (yes, the guy from Goonies and Stand By Me) who now has a band with four hot blondes.
We caught a bunch of great sets of music, but it's the weird surprises that make Bonnaroo something special. Spoon put on a solid set, Florence killed it with an emotional and dramatic set that proved her star power (featuring a barefoot run through the crowd and a stage hug from a super fan), and Robert Plant impressed with his star power. However, I think Matt Perkins and David Safar would agree that a midnight rave at Kalliope will be a memory that sticks with us for a while. The moveable rave visits festivals all across the United States and is a crazy spectacular. We saw the flashing lights, smoke and flames from across the field as we were heading to D'Angelo, and we were drawn like moths to the techno flame.
And now as we slice through the nation's breadbasket, we are a little sleep deprived and chugging energy drinks to get back to you guys shortly. And although we are enjoying looking back on our time at Bonnaroo, we are pretty excited to catch up on some sleep and get ready to rock out with you this weekend at Rock The Garden.
See you soon!
