Bonnaroo 2012: Travel Diary and Feelings Atrium
A few (fourish) months ago, I went to Bonnaroo 2012 in Tennessee and it was amazing, as all Bonnaroos are. Unlike A-Camp, Bonnaroo has become something I can’t process immediately, if at all. I tend to leave with a serious feeling of sadness and loss, and of never wanting to go back to the Real World, and wishing I’d done some things differently — and not necessarily in a healthy, “let’s live each day to its fullest!” way. So I try to just stuff all those feelings down and get on with life, lest I tumble down a rabbit hole of regret and loathing of reality. At least I know my limits! You’ll notice that this recap (“recap”) of my time at Bonnaroo is hella late and actually not a recap at all. It’s a travel journal and feelings atrium, as the title suggests. Also its ‘lateness’ is an inherent part of its soul, so.
bliss
Remember when I said this would be the year of doing all the things I hadn’t done yet?
I tried. I really did. Let’s go through the list quickly before I change my mind and trash this draft.
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“All The Things I Haven’t Done Yet” Results
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1. Ferris Wheel
I didn’t do the ferris wheel because the lines were so incredibly long, and I had an honest fear of dying (you brush up really close to your own mortality at Bonnaroo, I think because a lot of people are on drugs and dehydrated and you know that someone probably won’t make it out of the weekend alive and basically, even when you’re not on drugs and are drinking a gallon of water an hour, you still find yourself really nervous that the person who won’t make it out might be you. I can think of few things more tragically sad than dying on your first Bonnaroo ferris wheel ride).
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2. Comedy Tent / Cinema
I didn’t do the comedy tent because it was always so far away from me and honestly, whatever I was already doing seemed more interesting. Same for the cinema, except I do regret missing Beasts of the Southern Wild. I told myself I could watch that any ol’ time, eventually, but I’d never be able to sit on that patch of grass in that crowd under that sky again, and so I stayed wherever I was.
nowhere near the comedy tent or cinema
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3. Silent Disco
Real talk: I was never fucked up enough to take part in Silent Disco. This was a game time decision made every time I passed the tent. “Am I even slightly fucked up?” “No.” “Well then, let’s keep walking.”
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4. Garnier Salon
I didn’t do the Garnier Salon, but I think I did something much better: an actual shower in a shower stall, using free Garnier products, which I did NOT have to wait in a line for and which was seriously cleansing and totally private. Megan and I had an entire shower trailer to ourselves! Just a couple of sweaty naked lesbians in the woods, covered in soap and dirt and relief. No big deal, world, No big deal. (Best deal.)
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5. Walking Around to Other Campsites
I actually did walk around to other campsites! I did this! And I played around with our site’s art pod situation, which was just weird enough at 2am to convince me to grab the most fucking delicious veggie quesadilla that has ever existed on our planet and sorta frightenedly (that’s not a word) speedwalk back to our tent so I could hide and eat and not look at anymore faces. Other people’s campsites were neat. We took lots of mental notes re: how we could improve our own campsite next year. You’d think you wouldn’t want a corner lot, because of the constant traffic and such, but you would be wrong because those assholes had more room than any of us.
stellar advice: “let the best of you roo! be proud and be you!”
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6. The Real Shakedown Street
Looking for ‘the real Shakedown Street’ was so confusing and really fucked with my sense of confidence and self-worth and basic mapping abilities. We were, however, situated very near Bushy Branch, where a vegan shop was set up with the apparent sole intent of pleasing me constantly. The breakfast scramble, in combination with a blended fruit situation, saved my life Saturday morning. So anyway that more than made up for the lack of a legit Shakedown Street, if that’s even its real name.
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7. Planet Roo
I did the fuck out of Planet Roo! I was super ONE with Planet Roo. We still hang out sometimes.
bff planet roo
8. Post Office
And I did the Post Office! We sent postcards to ourselves and one or two other people, but we didn’t have enough cash to send one to everyone we wanted, so we did what any normal person would do, which was plan to come back the following day, but fail to actually do so. A handful of people received cute little Bonnaroo postcards with cute little Bonnaroo postage stamps, and a lot of people didn’t, and we’re doing our best to ensure that those two types of people never speak to each other again. The only thing I hate more than hurting someone’s feelings is, apparently, going back to the post office.
this isn’t the post office, it’s a cute sign
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9. Big Ass Waterslide / Breast Painting Booth
I don’t think I have to tell you that I didn’t go on the Big Ass Waterslide or get my boobs painted. I mean, right? We’re all friends here.
the view from fun.’s set
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10. Yoga
I did yoga! And a meditation! I sat on a little blanket near the back of the crowd and we were walked through centering ourselves on the grass, then expanding out to the size of the festival, and then the size of the country, and then the world and all the way into outerspace and back again, so we could feel very large and peaceful and tiny all at once. Then we did some super basic yoga while Megan smoked cigarettes on a big rock or maybe it was a picnic table? It was really fucking fantastic and I’ll be doing this every year. Do all the outdoor yoga! It really changed my life, I’m serious.
this is not where yoga took place, but it is really pretty
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11. Yawn Clean Vibes Trading Post yawn. Sneeze. Walk away.
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12. Centeroo Fountain
Ok I actually technically did prance through the Centeroo Fountain, and yeah alright it was cool or whatever. I’m really bitter though, because I wasn’t wearing the right clothes and I was really grumpy about not having any food and needing to pee or have sex or drink a beer or SOMETHING ANYTHING, so my fountain experience wasn’t as fun as I wanted. And then I didn’t go back and now I’ll live with this guilt and bitterness for the rest of my life.
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13. Meeting You
I MET YOU! I met you and it was The Best. You’re all really fucking awesome! I mean, I knew you would be, but it’s just so nice to be right. We even hung out with Lanie (who would later become a September A-Camper!) for Ludacris and possibly something else — I have a hard time remembering the rest of that day, thanks to Autostraddler Charlotte, who gifted us with a [thing]. And I basically had to partake of the [thing] because you guys, she’d written YOU DO YOU down the side of it! It was a lesson learned, but I don’t regret a thing.
autostraddlers at bonnaroo
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Other Things We Did
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1. Sat In A Hammock
I cheated death in the hammocks of death! The death hammocks! (I have a fear of hammocks and I sat in one and I didn’t fall out or break my neck or embarrass myself.) (Ok maybe I was a little embarrassed.)
death averted!
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view from death hammock
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2. Graffiti
Alex made a YOU DO YOU stencil so we could tag the wall around Centeroo, because that’s what one does. It was a lot of fun, actually. We went a step further and doodled all over the walls by What Stage and that was really rewarding. Silver and gold spraypaint is the way to go at Bonnaroo. Maybe everywhere.
megan doodles, tags a wall and makes a new friend
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3. Super Sweet Campsite
Our tent was amazing this year for two reasons: 1) We used a canopy with sides, which gave us enough room for a cot, a table and two coolers. 2) We crafted our own toilet facilities inside the tent using a large bucket, toilet seat, garbage bags and kitty litter. Sidenote, have you ever used a Frog Togg Chilly Pad? Megan’s wearing one here and they are pretty fabulous.
megan loves the tent and pumpernickel pretzels
Let me be really real with you: I debated on whether or not to share the secret of our personal restroom/bucket, for obvious reasons, but I’ve ultimately decided that it would go against all that I believe in to keep it from you, as it is truly life-changing and The Best Fucking Idea We’ve Ever Had. Is it a little weird to walk a bag of your own (fully biodegradable!) used kitty litter to the garbage cans? I’m not gonna lie — yes. Yes it is. Is it totally worth it at 3am, 7am, 11am to not have to wait in line at the really disgusting public port-o-potty station, stand in other people’s [everything] while you acrobatically attempt to keep from falling into the Blue Hole of Despair, then leave feeling like you have to bathe in hand sanitizer before you can go on with your life?
You bet your sweet ass it is.
Ok I don’t think we’ve ever been closer, you and I. This is nowhere near Moe’s Ten Days In The Life of A Tampon in terms of serious personal honesty, but I still feel really good about it.
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4. Bon Iver
We saw a lot of bands, obviously, and they were all pretty awesome in their own ways (Kenny Rogers was only disappointing to Megan because she had confused him with Kenny Loggins), but Bon Iver at the What Stage on the rainy, chilled out Sunday afternoon was so perfect.
what it looks like to be really ready for bon iver (beer and ribbon fries)
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It was actually perfect. Nothing was wrong, nothing was weird, not a single mellow was harshed. Justin Vernon was brilliant and gracious. He played “Blood Bank” and I was right there. I wish he could come to every Bonnaroo forever.
bon iver
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5. Phish
Not being a huge Phish fan, and being extremely exhausted instead, we opted to enjoy Phish from our campsite, which was close enough to Centeroo that we could still hear everything. It was raining and there were fireworks. Megan said it was the best day of her life and I don’t think she was kidding.
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requisite sad picture of driving off the farm in the melodramatic rain
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By now I’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s over — that summer is over, and everything that entails — and I’m ready to move on. The real reason I brought this post to you tonight is because Bonnaroo tweeted that their videos from 2012 were being pulled down at midnight, and I didn’t want you to miss them! Take some time to really say goodbye to summer with Dispatch, Bon Iver, Grouplove, City and Colour, and The Alabama Shakes. I’ll leave you with a photo of one of the last things we saw on our way to the airport in Nashville.
oh tennessee, what a bunch of weirdos. xoxo
Bonnaroo 2012: The Year Of Things I Haven’t Done Yet
Yahoooooo it’s time to go to Tennessee and trounce around a farm for four days! Five, actually. Hi! We’re going to Bonnaroo 2012 June 7-10! Who’s we? Well it’s me and my plucky little mohawked girlfriend, Megan. She’s never been to Bonnaroo before — actually, she’s never been east of Colorado — so we’re all very excited. This year’s headliners include Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beach Boys, Phish and Bon Iver, but we’ll talk about the bands later. Right now let’s talk about me.
I kept thinking, “What can I possibly say about Bonnaroo that hasn’t already been said?” Because I love it, of course, and I think you weirdos would love it, but what if there was nothing else to really say? That would be a problem because saying stuff about Bonnaroo is like, the point. It’s the reason I go. But I really don’t want to write about Bonnaroo! I just want to be there and I want you to come with me and hang out and eat samosas, make some memories together, you know? Just be. Because there’s so much being to be done on the farm!
god i miss sarah p-lmer
My first year at Bonnaroo was a frantic confusing jumble of heat, maps, music, camera equipment and heat. Also heat. I remember it in bits and pieces. I remember agreeing to climb onto Alan Palomo’s shoulders, only to have a security guard tell us that it wasn’t necessarily a good idea or even allowed, and trying to get Romy Madley Croft to notice/want me, and getting lost a lot. I remember melting into a crowd of about 100,000 while Jay-Z rapped about being young forever. I remember forgetting what it was like to live in civilization.
The second year was when I thought I knew what I was doing. I packed better, and less. I watched Hesta Prynn dance in cut-offs/make my dreams come true. I let my heart tumble out onto the grass during Arcade Fire. Sarah and I explored the world behind the media compound and main stage, and watched flickering blinky lights float to earth on the other side of the chain fence, too far away to grab one. I was jealous for a second until I just gave in and fell in love with all of the people I couldn’t be.
I usually just gloss over the times when I couldn’t move, or when I cried because I didn’t want another sweaty naked shoulder to touch mine.
But while I was recounting my tales to Megan in an effort to get her really excited and prepared for the festival, she had other questions. What was the Art Academy like? How does the Silent Disco work? Did people take yoga mats or towels? How do you get into the Comedy Tent? Why on earth had I left early on Sunday both years? WAIT THERE’S AN INFLATABLE WATER SLIDE??!
And that’s when I realized, you guys, that even though I thought I’d learned so much from the first year — not to pack a ton of food, that it wasn’t really just about the music, prints not solids, etc. — I’d still been missing out on so many things! Voluntarily! So obviously I had my answer re: what to write about. In addition to just chilling out and loving life, this year I’ll be doing (almost) everything I haven’t done yet, which will probably be a lot like going to Bonnaroo for the first time, which is to say that this year is going to KICK ASS.
All The Things I Haven’t Done Yet
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1. Ferris Wheel
via nowpublic
The line at the ferris wheel pales only in comparison to the line at the entrance of Centeroo. It’s covered in trippy lights and apparently runs nonstop all weekend. We have mixed feelings about this one.
Megan: I would much rather go sky diving than go on a ferris wheel.
Laneia: Sky diving isn’t an option though. I’ll probably just fall out of it. It’ll be like that guy in The Notebook.
Megan: I don’t know why we have to do something that we both don’t want to do.
Laneia: That’s the point!
Megan: Let’s go walk into a fly net! Because that’s just what people do at Bonnaroo!
Laneia: I don’t even know what a fly net is.
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2. Comedy Tent
via you ain't no picasso
There’s air conditioning! And funny people. Aziz Ansari, Reggie Watts, Amy Schumer, Ali Wong and a large selection of white men, like Brian Posehn, will all be there. There is the issue of securing a ticket in advance, so we’ll see how this goes. Also Ali Wong is really hot.
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3. Cinema
via nowpublic
Again with the long lines. And it’s like, 80 miles over at the edge of Centeroo. But this year there’ll be an advanced screening of Beasts Of The Southern Wild, which looks fucking amazing, and! And! Autostraddle’s favorite, tUnE-yArDs, along with Ava Mendoza, will be performing a live score to Buster Keaton shorts!
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4. Silent Disco
via the tennessean
Ugh I feel really self-conscious about dancing and so does Megan (we are potatoes), but Bonnaroo is not the place to indulge self-consciousness, so FUCK THAT. I’m putting on some headphones and pretending I look this way on purpose. K Flay has a set on Thursday at 9:30 and Friday at 4:00!
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5. Salon by Garnier Fructis
via the tennessean
I was always put off by the lines, again. But it’s a free hair wash! By probably really attractive women! In air conditioning! Free samples! Doin’ it.
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6. Walking Around to Other Campsites
via saramelvin.blog.com
The ‘walking’ part is the only deterrent here, and honestly it had never even occurred to me that I should visit other sides of the farm, but I bet I could meet some neat people and pick up a few ideas for next year’s tent. Also how else will I ever find the real Shakedown Street?
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7. The Real Shakedown Street
this is not the real shakedown street via moetrainstracks.com
The stuff of legends. Usually I don’t give a shit about legends, but this feels important. Basically it’s a row of unauthorized vendors — the weirdest/best of all the weirdos — selling things like $1 grilled cheeses, handmade clothes, glass and other random wares. Because it’s unauthorized and probably riddled with illegal substances of every persuasion, this festival mainstay is set up in a new place each year. There are other rows of vendors throughout the farm, but they’re not The Shakedown Street. You see why this is important. Apparently it’s a sketchy place after dark, so this is a daytime-type bear hunt.
Is this even a real thing?? I don’t know! That’s why it’s called a legend.
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8. Planet Roo
via brokenmic.com
Lots of stuff going on at Planet Roo, which is a space I don’t even think I’ve seen. Is there collaging? Straw hut-making? Screen-printing? I don’t know! Probably! Maybe I’ll learn something new. Maybe I will draw a pony or sign up for the Peace Corps.
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9. Post Office
via termini design build
Also at Planet Roo! Bonnaroo has its own postmark for crying out loud. Skipping the post office is always one of my biggest regrets.
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10. Big Ass Water Slide
via trustneely.com
I can’t swim, so this seems much safer than diving into a river via rope swing, and maybe not as crowded as a water park, so sure, I’ll go on the water slide.
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11. Breast Painting Booth
via westvletern12 on flickr
Even though part of me really does want to be topless in public, I still don’t think I can do this. Like, maybe if it was an all-girl breast painting troupe, and it was conducted inside a silk-lined tent, with parrots and grapes and iced coffee — maybe then I’d go for it.
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12. Yoga
via ben keller on flickr
This is right up there with the post office in terms of regrets. I have anxieties about doing yoga in public spaces (I realize this stands in contrast to the aforementioned desire to be topless, but that’s because humans are complex creatures), so I usually just chicken out. LOSER. Not being a loser this year. Not chickening out.
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13. Clean Vibes Trading Post & Clothing Drive
via cleanvibestradingpost.org
Clean Vibes is an incentive program that involves turning in large bags of recyclables or used clothing, and receiving points that can be used to get neat things, like probably frisbees and hacky sacks. I always do my part by collecting the trash and recyclables from our camp, but I’ve never actually gone to the trouble of turning them in for prizes. I love prizes! What the hell’s wrong with me?
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14. Centeroo Fountain
via joe gall on flickr
So there’s this fountain, right? And it’s big and water’s everywhere. And it’s crawling with people. And the first year I went, someone told me a horror story about the water not being cleaned or something, so I’ve been terrified of it ever since. Well no more! No more will I live in fear of the fountain at Centeroo!
But if I come back with some sort of waterborne disease, I’m gonna be pretty upset.
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15. Meeting YOU!
We’ve made some half-hearted efforts to organize meetings with AS readers at Bonnaroo, but between the crammed schedule and the fact that I’m a total dork, it just never has worked out. This year’s different!
We’ll be at Broo’ers Village around 4:30 on Friday — that’s after Two Door Cinema Club and before the Avett Brothers. Let the spirit of A-Camp inspire you and just show up! You don’t need to worry about being too something or not enough anything — I’d just really like to say hi! We’re gonna get some drinks and foods, so it’s a pretty low-key situation. Bring some spray paint for Centeroo wall art (we’ll have stencils). If you’d like to suggest a different time or just want to unofficially RSVP, let me know in the comments!
Have you managed to make it to any of the things on the list? You should tell me about them! Are you going to Bonnaroo this year? ARE YOU SO EXCITED?? Or if you want, we can talk about your favorite festival foods. How do you feel about alligator tail?
Playlist: Bonnaroo Days And Nights
Since 2010, Autostraddle has been making the annual trek to Manchester, TN, for the four-day dirty hippie song and dance festival known as Bonnaroo. Executive Editor Laneia is on her way again, this time with Bonnaroo virgin and activity partner, Megan, and they are totally and absurdly amped beyond all measure. Look for more info on Autostraddle’s plans for Bonnaroo (and you!) a little later in the week, but for now let’s get you all geared up for your weekend on the farm with a couple of playlists! Even if you’re not going to Roo this year, these songs will do their best to make you feel like you’re there.
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Dawn to Dusk
Welcome to the day!
It’s around 8 a.m. in Tennessee, and it’s too hot for you to be in your tent, so peel off your sticky pajamas and put on some sunblock. Pack as much water as you can, grab your schedule and set off. The day is yours.
Towers – Bon Iver
Just One – Blind Pilot
Simple Song – The Shins
Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Beach Boys
11:11 – Rodrigo y Gabriela
Ode to Sunshine – Delta Spirit
Ten Thousand Words – The Avett Brothers
Salinas – Laura Marling
Stranger – Trampled by Turtles
Let Me In – Phish
Cruel – St. Vincent
Breatherz (Young as Clouds) – Rubblebucket
Summer Beat – Orgone
No Widows – The Antlers
Left Home – Sarah Jarosz
Save the Rich – Garfunkel and Oates
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Dusk to Dawn
Welcome to the night!
It’s still hot, but it’s getting dark and everyone is a weird combo of excited and exhausted. Prepare to lose hope of ever knowing where you are or how to get somewhere else. You’ll probably feel a little chilly, but you definitely won’t be lonely. Be fun, be safe!
Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out – The Antlers
Little by Little – Radiohead
Gotta Go – Oberhofer
The Undertaker – Puscifer
This Is The Life – Two Door Cinema Club
Arming of Infants – Trampled by Turtles
Down in the Yards – Rubblebucket
Yer Spring – Hey Rosetta!
Coyote – The Lonely Forest
Always – Blind Pilot
Away – Kathleen Edwards
Sleep – The Roots
Add your favorite Bonnaroo related tracks in the comments below!
Want to suggest a playlist theme? Hit Crystal up on Formspring and someone of the team will make it for you.