Start looking for camping gear now – the 2008 Bonnaroo lineup has been released. The four-day music and arts festival started in 2002 and held annually in Manchester, Tenn., is known for its wide array of musical styles, and this year is no different. Bonnaroo will take place June 12-15. Headliners for the 2008 festival include Pearl Jam, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Kanye West and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. There will also be performances by B.B. King, Death Cab for Cutie, M.I.A. and Iron and Wine. Bonnaroo added a comedy tent in 2005, where many seeking refuge from the hot summer sun go to see big-name comedy acts. This year, the comedy tent will feature comedians David Cross, Janeane Garofalo and Brian Posehn, among others. The festival also features many arts and crafts and food vendors, an arcade, a cinema tent and many activities put on by the festival’s sponsors. Louisiana has unique ties to Bonnaroo. The company that puts on the festival, Superfly Productions, is based in New Orleans. The word “bonnaroo” is a Creole slang word that means “good time.” Although no Louisiana bands were included in this year’s initial lineup, local acts such as Rebirth Brass Band, Mute Math and Marc Broussard have played the festival in previous years. Rebirth Brass Band played at Bonnaroo in 2003 and 2006. Philip Frazier, tuba player for the band, said he enjoyed his Bonnaroo experience. “It was fantastic, especially with the audience out there,” Frazier said. “It was like a little Woodstock.” Frazier said one of the benefits of the festival is the diverse audience. “[Playing at Bonnaroo] exposes us to people who have never seen us or heard us,” he said. Many newcomers to Bonnaroo may be surprised by the psychedelic culture that surrounds the festival. Although Bonnaroo does not explicitly promote drug use, the festival is known for its “anything goes” attitude. Scores of festival-goers can be seen buying and selling marijuana, mushrooms and other hallucinogenic drugs. Those who attend the festival can expect to get extremely dirty. With most attendees camping in tents on the 700 acre property, there are very few opportunities to shower. Some who go, however, say that getting dirty is part of the experience. James Blume, public relations sophomore, attended the festival in 2007 and said he didn’t mind the dust. “All the girls that we were with showered, but I didn’t,” Blume said. He said he is still waiting for more bands to be added to the lineup, but is planning on going again this year. “It was the best four days of my life,” Blume said. “We got there before the gates opened and we didn’t leave until the last band, Widespread Panic, finished playing.” Blume said that one of his favorite parts of Bonnaroo was experiencing bands that many in Baton Rouge don’t know about with a large crowd of people that do. “One of my favorite bands, RX Bandits, is not well-known around here,” Blume said. “But at Bonnaroo, I’m seeing them with a crowd of 50,000 people that know them too.” Blume said the diversity of Bonnaroo’s lineup is perfect for those who have never been to a music festival before. “Although Bonnaroo might not be my favorite festival, it may be the perfect one to open people up to that entire culture,” Blume said. This year’s lineup has influenced many who have never been to Bonnaroo to look into buying tickets. Randi Stump, undecided freshman, said she had never heard of Bonnaroo but was definitely interested in going. “It sounds like fun,” Stump said. “I would go for Pearl Jam.” Sarah Demmon, international studies freshman, had also never heard of Bonnaroo, but was interested in going to see Kanye West. “I would love to go,” Demmon said. “I’m a ‘Gold Digger’ fan myself.” Tickets go on sale Feb. 16. The first tier of tickets cost $209.50, and there is a limited amount of tickets at this price. After the first allotment is sold out, ticket prices will increase. For a complete lineup and more information on Bonnaroo, visit their Web site at www.bonnaroo.com.
—-Contact Sarah Aycock at [email protected]