Bonnaroo '09: Intro

"A man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore"

-Andre Gide

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing"

-Helen Keller




It was a typical February in Columbus Ohio; cold and miserable. Ten of us were hanging out at my friend Brett's house on a low key Saturday night, having drinks and just trying to stay warm. It was a reunion of sorts. The party was full of familiar faces from high school as well as new friends from our various colleges, all mingling. We were discussing the glory days over some tasty tunes and a few casual games of beer pong. After everyone had a few drinks under their belts and a bowl or two had been passed around, the subject of summer plans came up.

"Heard Clapton's coming to town," Dylan, one of Gahanna Lincoln High's finest, said.

"I'd be down to check him out," I replied without hesitation.

"I want to see O.A.R in June!" some random blond I didn't know said with clear enthusiasim as many involved in the conversation rolled thier eyes.

"Fuck oar!" Tim slurred.

"It's not oar! It's O, A, ..."

"We know!" six of us said in unison.

"All you should be worried about this June is Bonnaroo," Steve (Dylan's friend from his time at Toledo) said with a sly grin.

"What's that?" the O.A.R fan asked. The rest of us were silent. Steve gave a Mathew McConaughey inspired chuckle and looked around the room.

"You mean to tell me none of you have ever been to The Roo?" he said. "You guys ain't livin' "

Now I had heard of said Roo, a 60's throw back hippie love-in, location BFE Tennessee. Camping in a commune with no showers, no indoor plumbing and little food or water isn't for everyone. Many of you are probably cringing as you read this. Me, I love to camp but four days with thousands of strangers, most of them on hard drugs, in the humid southern summer is enough to make anyone think twice. According to Steve it was a no brainer.

"The shear number of shows alone is enough of a reason to go and don't even get me started on the drugs, alcohol and all night craziness that goes on," he elaborated. "I've been three years running and I can honestly say it gets better every time. It's like everyone is one big happy family man. No one wants to do anything but love one another."

Insert dirty hippie remark here but I must say he made it sound very appealing. While half of the group continued to crack jokes and talk about Patchouli stink and the such, Dylan and I continued to discuss "The Roo" with Steve. All the while we were looking back and forth at one another, eyes wide with wonder and excitement like two kids on Christmas morning. The seed had been planted and it would continue to grow over the next couple days. I did a little research at http://www.bonnaroo.com/ just on curiosity. I looked at the line up: Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Wilco, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Snoop Dogg ... damn, that's pretty nice. Oh wait, there's more ... Ben Harper, Band of Horses, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard, AL Green, MGMT, The Decemberists, Citizen Cope, Brett Dennen, Ani Difranco, Paul Oakenfold, The Mars Volta ... holy shit, this could be epic! I immediately called Dylan. Both of us were recent college grads, living at home with our parents saving money and trying to ride out the recession. As a result we had slightly disposable incomes.

"Jesus man, have you seen the line up?" I asked nearly short of breath due to my elation. "I'll drive if I must but we have to go!"

After little debate we purchased our tickets and Bonnaroo '09 DVD for a cool $302.00 including tax. Steve had a four person crew with tickets already so we decided to link up with them and caravan. The easy part was finished, next came the hard part; the waiting. It truly became the longest four months of my life as I eagerly anticipated the fun and madness to come. I picked up shifts at work for extra money, went out for social drinks with friends, checked out some flicks and even shopped for a future apartment in the Short North but the whole time all I could think about was my adventure to come June 11th.

Well now it's here. When I posted this, I was counting down the final 24-hours until I left for my very own magical mystery tour. My bags were packed, my joints were rolled and my notebooks were empty. I felt ready and I thought I knew what to expect but I would soon see I had no idea. At 6 p.m. 06/10/09, after my last "civilized" shit, shower and shave, Dylan and I left Columbus for Piqua to meet Steve.

Despite having a Journalism degree, I haven't written anything substantial in over a year. I decided that my trip would be more then an adequate muse. My goal is to delve in; in true Gonzo fashion, a'la Hunter S. Thompson. The posts that follow are my account of Bonnaroo '09, as it unfolded for me. Please enjoy my shenanigans responsibly and give me your feedback! See you soon ...

J.R.