Margaret Appleyard-Smith is a 20-year-old student from Wilmington, Delaware who is also attending Bonnaroo for the first time. After missing out on Phish tickets due to heavy traffic on the vendor Web site LiveNation, she was still determined to have as dynamic summer music experience as last year.
When she saw the lineup for Bonnaroo that included two shows from Phish, Appleyard-Smith was sold. She purchased her ticket, got her boyfriend and friends involved, and could not be more excited with one month left before show time. Appleyard-Smith said she is excited at the prospect of camping with hundreds of thousands of people and seeing some of her favorite bands for the first time. Including, of course, Phish.
Like the previous two posts, above the transcribed interview is a full audio version for you to read along with.
Bonnaroo or Bust!: When did you first hear about Bonnaroo?
Margaret Appleyard-Smith: I guess my junior year in high school, so three years ago. My sister’s boyfriend was going and that’s how I heard about it.
BoB: Were you immediately interested? What was your initial react towards it?
MAS: initially, I was like, that sounds really cool, that would be something I’d like to do one day. I knew I didn’t have the means to do it right then and there, but I knew that eventually, I wanted to go.
BoB: What made you interested in going this year?
MAS: Everything just kind of fell into place this year. I had the cash, I had people to go with, so it just seemed like the right time.
BoB: So you weren’t worried about the money or the fact that it’s all the way in Tennessee?
MAS: A little bit, but not really because I kind of weighed it out. I knew I wanted to do something, go on vacation this year; me and [her boyfriend] Eric wanted to go on vacation this year. But we had a time frame to when we could go because we couldn’t go during the summer months when we had to work, because we’re working at a summer camp or whatever. We have to be there every day. It’s before camp, it’s about as much money as we’d spend to go anywhere else and stay overnight. Plus you get the added bonus of having 24-hour music.
BoB: Weren’t you originally going to see Phish?
MAS: We were going to do Phish, but it was sold out or whatever. I just couldn’t get on the freaking Web site to buy the tickets. Before we had even seen the lineup, I had heard Phish was rumored to be playing Bonnaroo and then it came out and it was just like, well why not? To go to Phish, we would spend $100. But at Bonnaroo, you get two nights of Phish. That’s $200 worth of concert tickets right there, plus every other band for only $270.
BoB: Who else are you excited to see?
MAS: Definitely Bruce Springsteen. I’m excited to see Girl Talk again. I’m very excited to see Public Enemy and Erykah Badu, Al Green.
BoB: Other than the sheer amount of bands that they have, what do you think sets Bonnaroo apart from the average concert experience and the average music festival?
MAS: Well, Farm Aid was only a one-day festival. So you show up at noon, you tailgate for a little bit, you’re there until midnight or whatever, and you leave. Not only do you have the fun of having a road trip with all of your best friends, but you’re out there, you’re camping every day. Not to mention all the art shows and comedians.
BoB: What is the most alluring part about Bonnaroo?
MAS: I would say not one specific thing is most alluring. But sort of all of it together, the community aspect of it. A bunch of high school/college aged kids getting together for a weekend to have this experience together. If it weren’t so big – if it were 100 people, it wouldn’t be nearly as fun.
BoB: Nervous about camping with hundreds of thousands of people?
MAS: Not really, because I don’t mind camping. I’ve done it before, and I can be dirty for four days, it’s not that big a deal (laughs). As long as I have deodorant, I’m good.
BoB: What about being with tons of strangers?
MAS: I feel like that’s part of the experience though. Being surrounded by all these people you don’t know, I feel like that’s going to be half the fun of it, talking to people and meeting people.
BoB: What do you expect you’re going to see?
MAS: I haven’t even considered what kind of wild s*** I’m going to see go down. With the amount of drugs and alcohol floating around that concert, just anything could happen.
BoB: What’s one big thing you want to get out of the Bonnaroo experience?
MAS: I’m not really sure because I don’t know what to expect. So I’m not sure that I know what to expect to get out of it. I guess, from what I know, the major thing would be like a good timing bonding with close friends, having the experience of my first road trip by myself, without my parents.
BoB: What’s the one thing you are most excited about?
MAS: It’d have to be Phish, yeah.
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