"I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” and “Fake Tales of San Francisco,” Arctic Monkeys."
I came to Bonnaroo for the music, but I believe it is the people of Bonnaroo that set the festival apart. Despite their variety, Bonnaroovians are all united by their love for music. People of all kinds spend a weekend becoming one giant family. I am accustomed to the curt disposition of New Englanders. Perhaps it is being out of New England, but more likely the joy that permeates throughout the festival ground, Bonnaroovians are the nicest people I have ever met. Within moments of entering center-roo, one of my friends bumped into a man at the festival. After apologizing, the man immediately struck up conversation with us and soon we had a new friend in our group. On the suggestion of our new friend we went to one of the activities on the farm, silent disco. Silent disco is a dance floor where everyone listens to a DJ through headphones. It was surprisingly entertaining. We spent over an hour dancing under the tent and returned throughout the weekend. Almost every show I went to I met more new friends. Most I do not even know the name of, however I still remember the experiences we shared.
As it would be a herculean task to give an account of every music act I witnessed, I will highlight some of the most notable. However, every act I saw, even of bands I had no previous knowledge of, amazed me.
The most fun I had during the weekend was at Vampire Weekend’s show. My friends and I went early to get a good spot and passed the time bonding with people around us. The set list was well balanced between their 2013 release,
Modern Vampires of the City, and their previous two albums. I have never danced so hard in my life.
EW: How have the Germans been treating you?
Alex Turner: I just got here. Did a sound check. Then a very nice German lady served me some beef stroganoff, and I was absolutely famished, so that went down a treat. I’m going to talk to you, then take a nap, and I’m going to go play a rock show. It’s not that bad a day, really.
This will be your first Bonnaroo. What do you know about Bonnaroo going into it? Do you have a sense of what it’s like?
Not a great deal, I’ve got to be honest with you. I know we’re going to rip it up, that’s for sure. What can you tell me? It’s in Tennessee, right?
It is, and it’s very remote. It’s properly in the woods. Are you comfortable with being in nature?
Definitely. I can be a woodsman if need be. I grew up very close to some forest, and I spent a lot of my formative years up and down trees, fooling around in the woods. I’m no stranger to that sort of landscape. What are we talking? Ferns? Oak?
I think it’s a lot of mighty oak.
Good. I was hoping you’d say that. I’ll have all the oak that you’ve got.
Arctic Monkeys have been playing much bigger places this time around, with a real arena-sized show. What other great rock shows did you draw inspiration from?
Nothing in particular, but I know how I like it to look and how we like it to feel up there. I like it when it’s pretty dark and smoky, that’s important. It’s pretty simple, really.
It bothers me when there’s too much going on in terms of lighting and that. I don’t like to look at that when I’m at a show; if there’s too much going on around us while we’re playing it just doesn’t feel right. But there’s a reason why you want to put production in a big arena or a big outdoor show. So we’ve been trying to do a little more of that lately, but hopefully in a tasteful fashion.
Right. You want to be the same band, but you have to do it in a way that makes sense for where you’re playing. I imagine that’s a difficult line to walk.
It is, because suddenly there’s all these bells and whistles, and figuring out when to stop with that stuff is tricky sometimes. I’m really happy with what we’ve got going on at the moment. I think we’re walking that ridge in an orderly way. We still have a giant f–ing “AM” that lights up. But I think we didn’t blow our load when it comes to the light show. That comes second after the song and the performance. It’s auxiliary to sonics.
Vampire Weekend
Almost every act I saw throughout the weekend was brilliant. It gave me a new appreciation for live music and festivals. Bonnaroo was the most amazing weekend of my life. Listening to music I heard at Bonnaroo immediately takes me back to the farm.
Perhaps this blog post gave you some insight into the Bonnaroo experience. However, most of Bonnaroo is something that is indescribable. If any of this interested you, or if you love music, or just good times, Bonnaroo is something that should be experienced. I know 2014 will not be my last time on the farm.
