Bonnaroo 2013 Highlights

Went to Bonnaroo and loved it. Here are some highlights.

• Major props to the Wal-Mart in Manchester for making our pre-Bonnaroo shopping trip quick, easy, and fun. Being first-timers, we had heard that stopping here beforehand was a rite of passage—and it most definitely is. Upon entering, we were greeted by a giant “Welcome to Bonnaroo” banner and friendly staff decked out in tie-dye. Everything we needed—beer, snacks, baby wipes, bug spray, tie-dye shirts—was easily accessible and well-stocked, which made navigating the store a breeze.
• The ladies of HAIM and Deap Vally are worth the hype. Both put on great shows.
• I don’t think I stopped smiling during Father John Misty’s set.
• Passion Pit’s Friday afternoon set was one big dance party under the sweltering Tennessee sun.
• Wu-Tang Clan proved they Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit and their ASL interpreter was incredible.
• I can now say that I’ve seen a Beatle live. Paul McCartney’s three-hour performance included songs from the Beatles and Wings era plus his own solo material and stories about Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and John Lennon. There were two encores, fireworks, and 80,000 people singing along to “Hey Jude” so yes, it was epic.
• I tried alligator for the first time and it was delicious!
• When it’s so hot that you can barely move, you need beautiful music to lounge to. Local Natives and Solange were just that.
• We met a guy from Alabama and he asked us to explain Canadian money and healthcare to him.
• On Saturday night, I had to decide between R. Kelly and Billy Idol and that is just not fair. Ultimately, I went with Billy because seeing an ’80s icon perform on a farm in Tennessee was a once in a lifetime kind of thing. His costume changes included a leather jacket, a leather vest, a dress shirt, a suit jacket worn open, and no shirt at all.
• Mac DeMarco’s show at Canadian Music Week in March was one of the craziest I’ve ever been to, so I knew seeing him perform at Bonnaroo was a must. His Sunday afternoon show was far more tame, but it wasn’t any less fun—it’s impossible not to have fun at a Mac DeMarco show.
• Tame Impala probably should have performed on the main stage because their Sunday evening set was overflowing from The Other Tent. I had a prime spot near the front which meant that I was able to experience the band in all their psychedelic glory and high-five crowd surfers after they floated across the audience.
• “It smells really good at Bonnaroo. I swear it smells like pot,” Tom Petty said during his closing set on Sunday night. Naturally, smoke filled the air during “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”