What an incredible, amazing, super duper fun time at Bonnaroo. The Koontz family showed once again that we can have a great time in ANY circumstances. Shoe-horned like sardines into our campsite so we couldn't move our car, surrounded by all night smokers (not cigarettes), shroomers, nitrous oxide sucking, acid dropping, crazy but nice people in hot and humid, rainy and muddy conditions, we spent more time laughing than doing anything else. Even though we were dirty (didn't shower between Wednesday afternoon and 3AM Sunday morning), tired from the all night partying by our neighbors and the 12-hour drive, we had sooooo much fun.
Our level of fun was confirmed when we hear from the next campsite, "Sounds like they're having more fun over there" from this gravely, Wolfman Jack sounding voice. Around the corner comes this classic burnout, stoner--bleached bonde hair, four piercings in his lip, faraway look in his eyes--holding a nitrous balloon in his hand. He sits down in the open chair, takes a hit of nitrous and says, "Sounds like you guys are having more fun over here so I came to visit."
He told us that "Acid helped me kick drugs. I would never have been able to get off heroin without acid." His clothes were impounded when the car he was traveling in was impounded because the cops found three nitrous tanks in it. But, "God provides," he said as he pulled a pair of shorts from his pocket. "See, someone gave me a pair of clean shorts. God takes care of me, just like he does the birds and the bees and the flowers."
He told us that he sneaked into Bonnaroo but, "I got a wristband", he said holding up his arm to show his Bonnaroo admittance wristband, "so I'm good now." I asked his name and he says he goes by Hugh and is from St. Louis. We gave Hugh some beer and wine (he wasn't hungry) and he hung out with us for about 30 minutes We really enjoyed meeting Hugh.
Three days, 5 stages, 80,000 people--including Hugh!
Here's some of the news reports--
USA Today Article
This one from Billboard is really good--
Billboard story part 1
Billboard story part 2
We saw the guys climbing this big tree during Jack Johnson. The second scampered up like a cat. Amy said the third guy looked like Mowgli from Jungle Book cause his butt was sticking out and he had long, stringy hair.
Here's the link to my photo album.
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2125265474&code=16587802&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite
Shows I saw were Kings of Leon, Josh Ritter (love my man Josh!!!), Jack Johnson, Gov't Mule, Old 97s, Allman Brothers, Dave Mathews Band (did a great version of "All Along the Watchtower" with Robert Randolph on steel guitar), Drive-by Truckers, Rilo Kiley, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Yonder Mountain String Band, John Prine and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. I'm sorry I missed Heartless Bastards (listen to this great song--"Onions" by Heartless Bastards), Legendary Shack Shakers and The Word (features Robert Randolph.)
We are DEFINITELY going back next year.
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