Bonnaroo

Bonnaroo has always been a festival that invited the greatest lineups and the most fun attractions for their fans to enjoy year after year. I have attended 7 out of the 9 annual events, and although I was not too impressed by this year’s lineup initially, the festival and its organizers did not disappoint.

After four rounds of BMI's Road to Bonnaroo competition, four sonically distinct bands – The Non-Commissioned Officers, How I Became the Bomb, Caitlin Rose, and Space Capone – have each earned a coveted spot at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Sponsored by BMI, the competition gives Nashville the chance to show off some of its most-praised indie acts on a global stage.

Over the past two weeks, Sam Williams brought his energy across town and played with countless talented musicians from around the world. Sam played at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with Allen Toussaint, the Funky Nation, and as part of the ephemeral all-star brass ensemble, The Midnight Disturbers featuring Stanton Moore, Mark Mullins, Skerik, Ben Ellman and more.
 

The Dodos Announce US Tour with New Pornographers, Play Bonnaroo & Winnepeg Folk Festival.  The Dodos will Perform "Fables" On The Late Show With David Letterman / and they will Premiere "Longform" Video On Pitchfork TV.   The Dodos are on tour beginning in June, so check them out if they're in your neck-of-the-woods.

The Devil Makes Three quite possibly are the best band that you have never heard of. Constantly on tour, selling out dates across the country and in their neck of the woods on the West Coast, this band is busy packing their shows night after night, largely thanks to word of mouth.

The Road to Bonnaroo runs through 2010, picking up where its inaugural year left off, with one more slot up for grabs. The contest, sponsored by BMI, Mercy Lounge, Yuengling, Camping World, and the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, will feature 32 bands with Nashville ties vying for four slots at Bonnaroo 2010, slated for June 10-13, in Manchester, Tennessee.

As I make my annual pilgrimage to my 6th Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, I cannot help but see the nostalgia in the place that is so familiar for many reasons. It starts with the car ride, where I feel like I can drive forever because I cannot wait to pass those Bonnaroo toll booths that symbolize a sense of accomplishment and enlightenment that is about to take place. The way I see it, I now have 96 hours of church to fill my soul until next year.

Three auspicious but sonically distinct Nashville bands - The Features, Heypenny, and Protomen - recently earned coveted career boosts: They will all perform at the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival as part of "The Road To Bonnaroo" competition sponsored by BMI, Mercy Lounge, and Budweiser Select.

Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment are excited to announce the initial lineup for the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The eighth annual four-day camping and music festival will be held on June 11 - 14 on the same beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. Every year Bonnaroo seeks to make history by offering unique and exclusive performances by rock's greatest legends as well as its most significant newcomers.

"Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain't no place I'd rather be, Baby, won't you carry me back to Tennessee."  As I packed up the car and prepared for my road trip, I couldn't shake the lyrics of 'Tennessee Jed' off my mind.  Chicago, IL to Manchester, TN – 534 miles.  This was going to be my triumphant return to the festival I had grown to love in its first three years, but hadn't been able to get back to since 2004.  Bonnaroo, for some, is the pinnacle of music festivals across the nation