Musical Demons

Home Archive RSS Ask

A Lot Of Moving….

“A lot of moving, a lot of rolling, a lot of driving, a lot of strolling.

A lot of leaving here, arriving there, trying to go just about everywhere.

A lot of thinking about where I’m going next.”

What I Learned at Bonnaroo

According to a fellow Roo’er last year, “Bonnaroo! The most miserable fun you will ever have!”

I had always wanted to go to Bonnaroo. For years I had heard rumblings from friends about amazing and fantastic times had while at the dusty, sweat soaked farm. No words could describe the feeling of sheer and utter happiness of pushing the “Purchase Now” button last year. 

Now, on to the nitty gritty (no pun intended) details.

Tickets:

BUY BEFORE YOU GO! Breaking down the number of bands and the general ticket price for each of these bands will amaze you at the true deal you are receiving. My best friend and I went the general camping route as a lot of folks tend to do. Money well spent! 

What to Pack:

Some will pack like they are about to embark on a month long adventure while others will bring what they have on their back. The choice is really up to you. As we were camping in a VW bus, ample space was not a problem. (This year will be a bit different as I will be making the trek in a small car…)

D Rockin it out

Minimalist:

• Your favorite shirt, shorts, and COMFORTABLE SHOES(I cannot stress this enough). I saw so many girls in cute little outfits hobbling along as though their feet were on fire. Blech. Hard to enjoy your current or new favorite artists with blisters the size of your fist pressing against those cute and glittery shoes. Oh and at least ONE pair of underwear. You will be around others and they would prefer NOT to smell you from a mile away. Although you will be nice and ripe when leaving:) 

And the REST:

(I fall into this category)-To each his own

Hygiene/First Aid:

• Baby Wipes=Awesome
• Deodorant-Help keep the funk at bay
• Shower Tent & Camp Showers-These amazing little items were purchased and used at least once a day. (By each of us) The shower tent doubled as our “Porta Potty”. Not once did I use the ones on the farm. Prissy, maybe; but I have a weird issue with the state of the public restrooms wherever I go. Add 100 degree heat to this and you have a recipe for ick. Best way to describe it. 
• Gold Bond. You sweet little bottle of fairy dust. 
• Blister Band Aids- In case you HAVE to have the cute shoes. Even our friend over in VIP camping used one, two, or maybe a box of these.
• Tums, Imodium & Aleve- Just in case the vendor foods do not agree with you. Not the case here but I like to be prepared. 
• A Portable Loo. No, we didn’t tote it around but we did move it in and out of the shower tent!
• Your personal items. Toothpaste, brush, etc. Leave the flat iron at home. My hair was in braids for the weekend and I loved it!

Clothing:

• I take 2 changes of clothes for EACH day. By the time you wake up that first morning on the farm, even braiding your hair or reaching for a fresh piece of fruit will make you work up a sweat! In the evening, before the late night shows, heading back to camp and showing/changing was an unearthly feeling! (This year I plan on actually staying awake for more late night. Sweltering days can really take it outta a girl)
• This year, I will be wearing maxi’s everyday. All of them cotton. For the fellas, same advice. I promise to come up to say hi if one of you wonderful gentlemen go for a kilt. Kilt=Confidence

• 4 Pairs of shoes. I took Keen Sandals, Teva Mary Janes, Flops, and rain boots. Most of the time was spent in my Tevas. Straps are good and toe protection even better.

• Sunglasses! Protect your eyes. You may need them when you are older:)
• For those who have to have their jewelry. I suggest something light. My Soul Flower necklace was a constant staple. When I wore any jewelry at all.
• A hat or two will be my best friend this year. Make your own shade!

Water/ Supplies & The Rest:

• H20=Nature’s Bounty! We packed a cooler full of frozen water. When it started to melt we had a nice chilly beverage. This year, two coolers will go with us. Both full of water.
• A little fruit and a few snacks such as protein bars will take a trip to the farm. Not much though. For me, it was too hot to eat. When I did, I just picked up a refreshing tea and food from the local vendors. It was not really all that expensive considering the amount I have paid at other concerts. 
• Tent and sleeping items will also go this time. Along with an EZ-Up tent. This will help to shade our sleeping tent from the hot TN sun. 
• Earplugs! These little items were perfect at night when trying to catch a few zzz’s while the rest of the world danced away.
• Toilet paper. At least 5 rolls. Important. Trust me.
• Alcohol-No glass please! We will be picking up a few cans of our favorite craft beer. Last year we took a moderate amount of alcohol and brought most of it back.
• A battery operated lantern to light up the dark night.
• A battery operated fan to cool off the dark night. 
• A battery operated misting fan. This little buddy made even the most unbearable heat tolerable. You can even mist other Roo’ers and make some friends!

• Bubbles! Because I like bubbles. Don’t judge me.
• Glow in the dark anything. Fun. 
• Trash bags. Yea for Clean Vibes! Recycle. You know you want to.
• Hydration Pack-I purchased this Osprey last year. Even though I could not get part of it to work(Check it before getting there), I still filled up the tank at one of the free wells on the farm and then used it to fill up my water bottles.

• Sheets to sit on while inside Centeroo. We tie dyed sheets last year that we purchased very cheaply. One of a kind artwork…I like it! They were lightweight to lug around in the backpack as an added bonus.

• Sunscreen. At least two bottles. The spray kind is easy to reapply. The cooling kind will give you a nice respite from the heat.
• Duct Tape. Because you know, you always need duct tape! I would however advise against the pretty tie dyed kind. Decorative, not functional as we found out.
• Some sort of side wall to shade your shade. I kind of like that as a band name… Anyway, we tie dyed more sheets in the driveway (Which by the way, ended up looking like a clown massacre took place). Took the above mentioned duct tape and tried to attach the sheets so that we could block out the morning and afternoon sun when at camp. Worked okay, I will be bringing bungee cords to do this with this year though.
• Benadryl-My legs and ankles have never swollen before. Not once in my entire life. They did on this trip. I looked like I was walking around on two tree stumps. Seriously. I also cannot believe I did not get photographic evidence. In my defense, I am usually pretty healthy and this completely freaked me out. I did find out this is common with such heat and activity. Rest, no salt, and benadryl made me look kinda human again. Thanks VIP friend! An even trade, blister bandaids for benadryl. 
• Bandannas-Badboys of the Roo world. You can wipe your sweat, cover your nose walking into Centeroo, and even dip one in ice water to tie around your wrist or neck!
• Camera-Capture your adventure.
• Batteries
• A spare set of car keys. 
• Any awesome items you want to use to spice up your campsite! I have purchased a bright orange spinning sunflower for this year. Finding your camp can be a bit of work until you acclimate to your surroundings.

ONWARD!!

Okay, you are packed. Jazzed and ready for a weekend of fun, friends, and music.

Getting There:

My best and I road tripped it. In a VW Bus. She is a stickshift (the bus, not my friend). I cannot drive stick or navagate but my sparking personality kept her entertained while my lack of directional skills got us a bit lost. Backroads and an ice cream stop later, we voyaged on. 12 hours or so and we were there! Okay, fine. We also stopped to sleep and shower in a hotel. A La Quinta to be exact. Because we like saying it. Ahh, La Quinta, you stole a little piece of my heart….

We also stopped to pick flowers on the side of the road. A huge thank you to all of the cars who swerved to avoid hitting us. 

Mom, are we there yet??

Rite Aid giving out the Bonnaroo Love.

After spending a few hours in a Food Lion parking lot, we tend to get distracted easily, we made it into the line around 11:30pm. So we sat. We watched a few hooping girls. We may have slept while we were supposed to be awake entertaining me…

Hey you, wake up! I am bored and haven’t spent the past few hours driving in stop and go traffic in a stickshift…Nevermind, I guess this is allowed:)

Yea, We are In!!

Once there, a flurry of activity. Did I mention it was now 4am? Not the longest of the times I have heard of in line but it was worth the wait! We hopped out and set up camp. Slept and were off to a weekend of MUSIC!

A Few Random Tips & Thoughts:

• Meet & Greet your neighbors. We did not really do this until the latter part of the weekend. Everyone is very friendly. As it was our first time, our thoughts were more focused on the who, what, when and where. The folks around you will surely help you out if needed!

• Rest and find some shade whenever possible. This is a hard one. Usually every inch of shade has been taken when you realize you need some. Smile and ask. Others will usually make room.
• “This Tent” was my least favorite. Hot and dusty. I don’t mind that so much but you can get too much of a good thing!

• “Which Stage” was HOT! No shade. Whew. We went to see Mumford on the Which Stage. They were fantastic. If I am looking to catch new artists on the Which Stage, I will be doing so at night.
• The On Tap Lounge ROCKS! It is of course a smaller stage. There were also misting fans set up to the right. 

• People are wonderful but there are a few in every crowd….Put away any valuable items. My blackberry was stolen. Better to remove temptation.
• Chilly Pads are heaven. These little cloth like items are sold in most outdoor stores and I think they even have them at WalMart now! Just take water at any temp and apply. The towel becomes instantly cold. Worth the $.
• Spend some time exploring. Unexpected jams will pop up here and there. The most memorable adventures are just that! Unplanned.
• Have Fun and Enjoy the Ride!