of Montreal

One of the most “colorful” bands on the Bonnaroo lineup this year, of Montreal is a gender-bending, indie pop band that has a massive cult following. Formed in Athens, Georgia, the band is known for their outrageous stage performances that often feature lead singer and front-man Kevin Barnes in provocative attire. With a sound that could be compared to The Beatles, of Montreal has released nine studio albums since their formation in 1997, and that doesn’t include the waves of singles and compilation records.

As I’ve mentioned time and time again, I have a tendency to respect bands and musicians who reinvent themselves in between records. Looking back over their long career, of Montreal has moved from a poppy-sounding guilty pleasure with personal lyrics to and electronically-enhanced pop powerhouse with epic narrative stories. Of Montreal is also known for their lyrical style. They have the tendency to write particularly gloomy lyrics set to upbeat, cheerful background music, a sort of music anomaly.

Over the years, of Montreal has dealt with pressing issues in their songs including sexuality, love, lust and friendship. Though he has a wife, Barnes is often described as bisexual, and his affinity for men is often represented in his lyrics. In his song, “Tim Wish You Were Born A Girl,” off their 1997 debut, “Cherry Peel,” Barnes sings, “If I could’ve met you at school, or met you at work/It would have changed everything/Those years of losing, confusion and insecurity/They would have been shared/They would have been easier.”

As previously mentioned, of Montreal’s stage presence is palpable. On their most recent tour, Barnes was seen stripping down to his underwear and being painted with red body paint onstage by as many as five people. Sex is the most obvious  staple in their shows, and Barnes is the ring leader.

Though of Montreal is often considered a band, most of the lyrics, music and composition is all by Barnes. He has single-handedly taken over his own band, but they are crucial to letting his proper vision show. He is not a solo artist, but he is responsible for almost all of Montreal’s music.

In 2005, their seventh album “The Sunlandic Twins” thrust of Montreal into the world of electronic pop, a realm they would later continue to dabble in. Their song, “Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games),” was featured in an Outback Steakhouse commercial with altered lyrics. Fans were outraged at the band’s mainstream venture, but they ensured that they it was just one-time thing.

I am excited to see just how interesting their stage performance is, and how Barnes really acts live. Of Montreal promises to the shock the Tennessee crowd and show them something they probably haven’t seen yet.

Activity Spotlights

Although most Bonnaroo patrons travel to Tennessee to see the hordes of talented musicians and comedians exhibit their work, people often forget all the activities event planners have put together. In addition to the countless artist selling their pieces in Centeroo, there are a number of booths set up around the grounds to be used for leisure purposes. Here is a quick run-down of five of the activities you can participate in during your time off from rocking out.

- Bonnaroo Cinema: The Bonnaroo Cinema tent is apparently one of the most popular stops by patrons, if not only because it is one of the few that is air-conditioned. Festival-goers can cool off and take a breather out of the hot Tennessee sun while their watch their favorite movies from a number of different genres. Though the schedule of the movies has not yet been released, who cares? I’m really only interested in the air conditioning.

- Arcade Discotheque: Sponsored by Xbox 360, the arcade allows Bonnaroo-goers to try their hand at the most recent titles for Xbox 360 in personal kiosks. As many as 12 stations will be set up in personal booths so that people can play games like Rock Band 2 on large, high definition televisions. At night, the tent turns into a make-shift rave, with popular DJs spinning some of the hottest records on tap for weary-eyed patrons. Video games + dancing all night = FUN.

- Silent Auction: This tent is a means for Bonnaroo to give back to the community in a profound way. This year, sponsors and artists have donated autographed photographs and guitars, among other jewels, for people to scoop up. Patrons to the silent auction will not only be walking away with an invaluable token of memorabilia, but the satisfaction that they have helped a good cause.

- Bonnaroo Baseball: Presented by the MLB, the baseball tent will give the sports fanatics at Bonnaroo something to do while their hippie friends dance the day away. Pitching and batting cages will be offered, as well as a video game booth that will exhibit some of baseball’s newest and best games. Though I do love baseball (and the Yankees), you would be hard-pressed to find me swinging away while there are talented musicians onstage.

- Broo’ers Festival: Last, but certainly not least, one of the most popular stops for Bonnaroo-goers is the beer and brewery tent. Located in the heart of Centeroo, patrons are offered a large number of beers of different colors and tastes to quench their thirst during a long, hot day of music. Microbreweries from around the nation exhibit their beers to sample and buy, ensuring that festival patrons will remains liquored-up and happy. I cannot wait to try brews that I have never heard of, and sample more from brands that I have.

Interactive Timeline

At the end of the day, Bonnaroo is just another rock festival. Looking back over the past four decades, there have been innumerable festivals, both successful and unsuccessful. I have taken a look back since the first known large-scale music festival in 1967 all the way to 2000, highlighting some of the most well-known and successful tours and festivals in American history.

Each spot on the timeline includes some brief information about the festival in “description” and most have a related YouTube video of sometimes rare concert footage. I apologize if any of your favorite festivals did not make the cut, there’s so many to choose from.

Unfortunately, the embedded timeline link does not work, so you can visit my timeline at here. It is best viewed at the “10 year” viewing level.

Enjoy! I actually found some quality performance, particularly the rare shots from the ’60s and ’70s festivals

Top Five Bonnaroo Videos – Honorable Mention

Here are a few more of the best videos/performances I’ve found online of Bonnaroo over the years. They’re ordered chronologically, but by no means is any better than the other. Well, except maybe Bob Weir and Widespread Panic doing “I Aint Superstitious” from 2005.

1. Dave Matthews and Friends – “Stay or Leave” – Bonnaroo 2004

2. Bob Weir and Widespread Panic – “I Aint Superstitious” – Bonnaroo 2005

3. Oysterhead featuring Les Claypool and Trey Anastasio – “Jailhouse Rock” – Bonnaoro 2006

4. Regina Spektor – “Baby Jesus” – Bonnaroo 2007

5. Les Claypool – “One Better” – Bonnaroo 2008

Ani DiFranco

One of the newest additions to the Bonnaroo lineup but by no means a newcomer, Ani DiFranco is a Grammy-winning who has released over 20 albums over her career. A singer, songwriter, guitarist, poet political activist and mother, DiFranco is very much a Renaissance woman who thrives in explaining her life through music. (-Photo/bob_sanderson)

Ani DiFranco performs at the Inter-Media Art Center in Huntington, N.Y.

DiFranco began recording in 1990, with her seemingly-effortless, self-titled debut album that put her poignant lyrics up against an acoustic guitar to produce a simple, yet effective sound. Often called an integral part to the New York City anti-folk scene, DiFranco often mixes in poetry on her albums and is brutally honest in the words she writes.

A liberal crusader for abortion and gay rights, DiFranco’s lyrics often deal with sexuality, God, love, mutual respect and her own personal longings. She is often witty and straight-forward, and her songs are laced gems; on “Fire Door,” she sings: “Oh how I miss constituting the conclusion to confrontation with a kiss/And oh how I miss walking up to the edge and jumping in like I can feel the future on your skin. “

The sheer volume of DiFranco’s discography seems a bit much to get through, and admittedly, I only have five of her 18 studio albums – that does not include the throngs of live releases over the years. But whether you’re a fan of her older albums – like me – or a new fan, there seems to be something to like for everyone to pick from.

DiFranco’s musical styling is often described as staccato and is categorized by her emphatic bursts of guitar and percussion that leave the listener a bit unsettled. Her voice sounds a bit different on every recording I’ve heard, and when she sings live, she often reworks her compositions and rarely sings a song the same way twice.

My favorite of DiFranco’s album is “Not a Pretty Girl” from 1995, when she began to record with a fulled band and more conviction in her voice. Stand-out tracks include “Shy,” “The Million You Never Made” and my all-time favorite DiFranco track, the half-poem, half-song “Asking Too Much.”

Over the years, DiFranco has slowed down a bit, especially after the birth of her daughter Petah in 2006. She released a two-disc compilation album in 2007, “Canon,” in which she rerecorded songs from her entire career with a new band and a new outlook. DiFranco isn’t afraid of reinvention, and as I’ve said throughout this blog, that gains big points for me.

Now that she has less time to tour and record because of her new baby, it’s great that I get to catch DiFranco before she retires (an all-too-common occurrence in the music industry today). After writing hundreds of songs, playing thousands of shows and influencing artists worldwide, DiFranco is sure to be a hit at this year’s Bonnaroo. (-Photo/mhwing)

Ani DiFranco performs at the Paradiso in Amsterdam in October 2008.

Who’s Missing – Round 3

With months left till Bonnaroo, and the new addition of big names like Public Enemy and Ani DiFranco, I am still confident that the festival’s lineup is not yet complete. The website still says that more artist additions will be coming soon, but hopefully they are not only contest winners and no-name bands. Here are three more artists whom I’m hoping Bonnaroo will contact and hook in.

Clutch

Clutch performs in Jacksonville, North Carolina in 2007.

The southern, stoner-rockers Clutch have only made the trip to Bonnaroo once in their incredibly long-lasting career, in 2007. Still, after seeing them play around Christmas last year for the second time and being – yet again – completely blown away by their stage presence, I can guarantee their presence will be missed this year.

After releasing their joint CD-DVD collection of live music in the summer last year, the modern rock gods have remained relatively quiet. Still, considering that Clutch is one of the music industry’s biggest workhorses, they are probably itching to tour and test out some new material.

I got into Clutch through my brother who lists them as their favorite band, and the sheer amount of music they have produced over the years is downright intimidating. Still, with a spring tour lined up for 2009 and no dates yet released for June, I’m hoping they decide to come down to Tennessee and please the crowd with their entertaining stage show. (-Photo/jasonawhite)

The Dresden Dolls

The Dresden Dolls perform in Milan, Italy in 2005.

When the burlesque-pop group The Dresden Dolls played the festival in 2006, their star was only beginning to shine. Front woman and pianist Amanda Palmer and drummer Brian Vigilone have been praised by critics for their honest lyrics and stripped-down sound.

Their self-titled debut album, released in 2003, became a cult-favorite amongst those with a chip on their shoulder. Their sophomore attempt, “Yes, Virginia,” was much more mature, both in the lyrical intensity and the presence of other instruments made their sound much fuller.

Often called a cabaret act, The Dresden Dolls released a full-length EP called “No, Virginia” that contains such stand-out tracks as “Dear, Jenny” and “Night Reconnaissance.” Despite Palmer and Vigilone’s tendency to release music as solo acts, this EP proves the dolls still have that magic that got them noticed six years ago. Separate solo tours for the pair in 2009 may mean my hopes for a reunion may be a bit pointless, but still, a Bonnaroo-er can dream. (-Photo/littleo2)

Zappa Plays Zappa

Ray White and Dweezil Zappa perfom at the 2008 Bonnaroo Festival.

The Frank Zappa cover band fronted by one of his offspring, Dweezil Zappa, made their Bonnaroo debut last year. Since then, they have enjoyed great success for a cover band, even winning a Grammy award earlier this year for their version of the Zappa classic “Peaches en Regalia.”

If Frank Zappa were still alive, there is no doubt in my mind he would play Bonnaroo every year, or at least, as much as possible. Zappa Plays Zappa has the distinction of being a band whose female vocalist, Scheila Gonzalez, is singing to lyrics written by a man.

Unfortunately, a repeat appearance by the band seems to be more wishful thinking than an actual possibility. Zappa Plays Zappa is currently on a world-wide tour and will be performing in Sweden when the festival kicks off June 11. Who knows, maybe they’ll get a sudden rush to come home to the states and entertain Bonnaroo patrons. (-Photo/HipNosePhotography)

The Decemberists

Perhaps the epitome of contemporary indie-pop, The Decemberists have made their rounds on the music scene in the past decade, slowly evolving their sound and reinventing how music is made. Formed in Portland, Oregon with a sound that sounds like 1960s British folk rock, The Decemberists have made an impressive impact on modern music. (-Photo/Moeafati)

Colin Meloy, of The Decemberists, performs at the SXSW Festival in March 2009.

Front-man and vocalist Colin Meloy (who sounds like a mixture of R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and The Beatles’ Paul McCartney) is truly unique, and his voice my take a few listen-throughs to get used to it. He pays homage to classic rock bands with his intricate compositions and lyrics, all while making singing sound like story-telling.

I connected with The Decemberists for that very reason: their songs and albums are stories, not just songs. Meloy’s lyrics are profound and flowery – sometimes it takes a second listen to understand what he’s talking about. But once it clicks, it’s a just such a beautiful moment.

The sweeping keys and background vocals of Jenny Conlee surround you with warmth, while Meloy and alternate guitarist Chris Funk keep the music progressing forward. The Decemberists’ music tends to be epic and all-encompassing, which, in my eyes, always wins over the passive and unoriginal. Still, they have to ability to strip themselves down to nothing but an acoustic guitar and vocals, and manage to sound like the same band.

The band’s debut full-length LP, “Picaresque,” was full songs about sea-travelers, whales, barrow boys and tragedy. When it came out in 2005, critics were unanimous in praise; The Decemberists’ layered attempt at telling stories through music was equal parts devastation and hope that left the listener confused as to whether to cry in sadness or sheer joy. But, once the drums kick in and the time signature speeds up, you can’t help but smile in acceptance.

One song on the album, in particular, made me really take notice of the Portland quintet a few years ago – “The Mariner’s Revenge Song.” The stand-out track runs nearly nine minutes long, begins with a accordion keeping time and tells of a boatman’s quest for revenge in his mother’s name against his deserter father.

After sneaking onto the man’s boat, the song’s protagonist is cleaning his muskets when a giant whale destroys the ship and swallows the crew whole, to which Meloy sings: “Don’t know how I survived/ The crew all was chewed alive/I must’ve slipped between his teeth/But oh, what providence/What divine intelligence/That I should survive as well as he.” Revenge at its finest: in the belly of a whale.

The band’s next album, “The Crane Wife,” was a concept piece that contains the amazing pop anthem  “O Valencia!” Their first release off Capitol Records, “The Crane Wife” showed more maturity than their debut and proved that they were around to stay. Their most recent album, “The Hazards of Love,” was released a few weeks ago, and I have not been able to take a listen just yet. However, reviews hail it as the band’s best work, a triumph in eclectic art-indie pop that is going to set them apart from other one-note bands.

This will be The Decemberists’ second trip to Bonnaroo, and my first time seeing them, and I could not be more excited. I hope to hear some of their older music as well as some of this new, heralded material. (-Photo/pneyu)

The Decemberists perform in San Francisco in November 2008.

Interview – A Bonnaroo Veteran

Kira Hoefler is a 20-year-old college student from Wilimington, Delaware who has attended the Bonnaroo Festival the past two years in a row. Hoefler first gained interest in the festival through her brother, who had gone nearly every year since the perennial performances in 2002.

Hoefler and I share mutual friends, and she will be part of the large group of people from all over the eastern shoreline that I will travel to Tennessee with this June. No doubt, she will serve as a bit of a tour guide for us less-experienced patrons.

In a telephone interview, Hoefler spoke to Bonnaroo or Bust about some past highlights, the strange people one encounters at Bonnaroo and crucial supplies needed to survive at the four-day festival.

Bonnaroo or Bust: What year did you first go, how many times have you gone and what made you decide to go?
Kira Hoefler: I went 2007, and what made me decide to go was my brother had gone for many years before. I actually wanted to go in 2006, but I wasn’t allowed to go because I wasn’t of age yet. I’ve gone two times.

BOB: What has been your favorite show that you’ve seen, and why?
KH: That’s a tough one, can I have a tie? I’d say between Widespread Panic and Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam and Widespread played last year, and Widespread also played in 2007. I’m going with Widespread, I actually love Widespread, because you can just jam and dance all night long, and they play way past their time. They were supposed to play from like 8 p.m. to midnight, but they’d play 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. And you can just go all night, and just dance.

BOB: What sets Bonnaroo apart from other concert experiences?
KH: That it’s four days long of all intense, non-stop music whenever and wherever you want, and whatever kind of music you want.

BOB: What’s your favorite part of being at Bonnaroo?
KH: Just being with people; being around a huge group of people, meeting new friends and being with my friends. The socialization part of it.

BOB: What’s the craziest person you’ve ever met at Bonnaroo?
KH: Oh god, I don’t remember. I mean, you meet so many crazy people. People just come up to you out of nowhere and start talking to you about the oddest things. You’ll notice when you get there, they’ll be absolutely off-the-wall people and people will just come up to you out of nowhere – oh, you know what, here we go. There was a guy that stopped in our tent last year and just came in, sat down and hung out for like two hours and I don’t know what world he was in. He was just going on for like two hours about anything and everything. We had to kick him out, I mean, it was just time to go.

BOB: What are you looking forward to this year?
KH: I’m looking forward to being with my friends and as far as music-wise, I’m not too excited about Bruce Springsteen, but Nine Inch Nails should be a pretty good one. And I’m hoping for a couple add-ons to the lineup. I would really love to see Widespread there, but I don’t think they’re coming this year. They’re going to the 10,000 Lakes Festival this year.

BOB: What do you wish you would have known as a first-timer that you know now?
KH: Just what to bring. The supplies that you need and knowing what to pack – a mist bottle, for one. I was lucky that I had my brother with me and that he pretty much had everything there that I would have needed. But if I would have gone by myself without having him there the first time, I would have lacked a lot of things that I needed. A mist bottle, seriously, because you need to spray yourself with cold water. Multiple coolers, because you need coolers for food, one for water and you definitely need a cooler by itself for beer; fear no beer, never run out of beer. A good tent, you need a sturdy tent, that’s for sure. I’ve seen tents blow up in the air and people’s campsites just absolutely wrecked, especially if it rains. A good vehicle, you definitely need a good vehicle. Our neighbor’s broke down last year and it had to get taken down and fixed, and it cost them a couple thousand dollars. But in all, supplies; that’s what I panicked about the most, like what do I bring? That’s why I’m relying on my brother this year. I’m going over his house and I’m taking everything we’ve used before so I don’t have to worry about it.