And God said: Let there be Bonnaroo

[Radical Activist]

and there was Bonnaroo. And the hippies and other assorted music lovers did play and it was good.

"This is just about the best thing happening in the music industry right now." - Dave Matthews at Bonnaroo 2005

Holy crap that was great. I just got back...more later.

[Radical Activist]

1. Is anyone else who went back yet?

[BlondieK143]

2. Glad you had a good time!

Sucks about the rain though!

[Radical Activist]

3. Hey!

I didn't get to stay in TN at all. :( Going a little east would have been cool.

The rain wasn't all bad. It kept things cool and most of the time it was only a drizzle. You should go next year.

[BlondieK143]

4. Aww, that sucks!

You'll have to come here for a visit later then. Before I move anyway. :D

Sorry, just can't do it. As much as I love a lot of bands that play (especially DMB), I can't take not showering and sleeping in tents.

[Radical Activist]

5. Oh yeah, I forgot that.

The camping part was half the fun for me. Maybe someday someone will take you with them in their RV so you can have a shower and a bed.

[BlondieK143]

6. Possibly!

:D Until then, I'll just hear about it.

[Wcross]

7. I live 15 miles from the show- did ya like the area?

We had two music shows this weekend- Bonnaroo and the country music thing up in Nashville. There always seems to be something going on around here. I talked to a couple of "bonnaroo attendees" who were at a local store- very nice people.
I am pretty sure this will be an annual event. Y'all come back now.

[Radical Activist]

8. Some of your local sheriff deputies are complete assholes

And I didn't appreciate being directed to the highway on my way back in an odd way that added over 40 miles to my return trip. Thankfully, no police were in the concert or camping area during the festival. On the final day a few of the deputies guarding one of the closed exists were patronizing assholes who acted like the stereotypical "ye ain't from round here are ya?" cop who probably would have liked to bash in the heads of a few hippies just for the fun of it.

Anyway, everyone else in the area was great, and I hope those three don't represent what most of your sheriff's department is like. But because of them I chose not to stop in Manchester for food and gas on my way out. I stayed on the road until I reached Kentucky.

I'm going to write the county sheriff to let him know treating people that way has negative consequences for the town since they lose sales tax revenue, and I hope you'll consider doing the same since the sheriff is elected. I lived in Tennessee once and I don't recall any law enforcement officers there treating me that way before.

Despite that, you live in a beautiful area with a lot of very nice people and I always enjoy coming back to Tennessee. I hope the festival wasn't an inconvenience!

[Wcross]

9. I have never thought to myself, "I ought to buy that cop a beer".......

As far as I know, most cops are assholes. Why else would you go into a profession that involves taking away peoples freedom for victimless crimes? (prostitution, drug use....ect?) I think they beefed up the cop thing because of the two drug related deaths last year. One guy did die this year- they believe it was due to a medical condition. Let this guy know he pissed you off!

Coffee County Sheriff's Department

Sheriff
Steve Graves

300 Hillsboro Blvd
Manchester, Tennessee 37355
[phone]

You should also contact the chamber of commerce at 931-728-7635. Tell them about it!

I live in the next county over, never had a problem with the cops other than they don't patrol like they ought to.

I like the hippie invasion- never had any problem resulting from Bonnaroo nor have I heard negative comments from my neighbors. (BTW- I don't profit from it, I work up near Nashville)

[antigone382]

10. That's Coffee County Cops for you.

And believe me, it doesn't matter if you ARE from around there.

I spent most of the weekend making pizza next to Which Stage, but I did get to see a few bands: Toots and the Maytals, Umphrey's McGee, and My Morning Jacket, among others. And by a really wierd twist of circumstances, I ended up riding in a shuttle bus with three members of SuperJam.

This was my first time camping onsite, and apart from a few annoying complications with my tent, it was a total blast and I can't wait to do it all over again next year!

[noshenanigans]

11. I still regret not going.

My roommate and her boyfriend worked at Bonarroo a couple of years ago and I could have gone but stayed in Los Angeles. I'm still kicking myself for not going to commune with cool hippies who would just give you weed.

Oh yeah, and the music, too. Although Ben Harper hasn't been as cool as he was a few years ago.