In June 2002, the first Bonnaroo was held in a giant, unused "farm" about an hour's drive from Nashville, Tennessee. The 10,000 locals in Manchester, TN, where The Great Stage Park is located did not believe 70,000 music fans would pilgrimage to their town because the last time a huge festival was attempted it flopped miserably.
Likewise, after watching the news reports from the disastrous Woodstock '99, why would sweet souls subject themselves to the violence and mayhem that occurred in New York just a few years previously?
But 70,000 music lovers did show up, in part because it was the total opposite of the Nû Metal Woodstock. Instead of being held on an abandoned Air Force base, Bonnaroo was held in a lush wilderness.
Instead of Woodstock's testosterone heavy Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Metallica; Bonnaroo hosted a Jam Band Valhalla where tunes by the Grateful Dead, Phish, and Widespread Panic blended effortlessly with blues, hip-hop and cajun.
In many ways Bonnaroo better mirrored the original Woodstock hippie vibes of peace, love and nudity than the failed '99 sequel. It was not a shredfest or parade of power hits. It was a long weekend of dancing and grooving and acoustic guitars and percussion.
Perfect example is this 11-minute version of "David Makalaster" by Les Claypool's Frog Brigade. The Primus leader formed this Jam Band at the beginning of the century when his main group was on hiatus. "It's kind of a King Crimson meets Pink Floyd meets Frank Zappa type thing," he told Rolling Stone.
While the backward cap bros of Woodstock '99 would have been confused and frustrated by Claypool playing anything other than "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver," the Bonnaroo hippies had no problem gleefully joining him in the pirate-inspired chant in the midst of the tune he dedicated to fallen Morphine and Treat Her Right leader David Sandman.
Many in attendance came for the Phish/Dead vibes and they were not disappointed. Not only did Trey do the Phish favorite, "Wilson," but check out this blazing yet tight version of "Push On Til The Day" with a full horn section and sparkling guitar solo. It breaks the myth that jam bands are just stoner noodlers just diddling their deals like poor jazzmen.
Crazier: This is what Trey opened with!
Did Bob Weir join his Grateful Dead cohort Phil Lesh during the Phil and Friends set of Dead classics? Yes. Did the fans eat it up. Oh yes. But that is to be expected.
What wasn't was how the fans accepted and embraced the Ween brothers, who are weird, for sure, but not what some may consider in the Jam Band world. And yet at Bonnaroo, look how well they fit right in.
Bonnaroo has not only survived but thrived since its spectacular debut in 2002. This weekend is also sold-out and features far more poppy groups like the Foo Fighters, Paramore and Lil Nas X. But expect that same, groovy, loving, hippy vibe out in that giant farm in Tennessee.
If you weren't able to catch Bonnaroo this year, here's how you can experience some of that vibe. Les Claypool has reunited his Frog Brigade after 20 years. The group stars Sean Lennon on guitar, Harry Waters on keys, and Paolo Baldi on drums, along with longtime cohorts Skerik on saxophone, and Mike Dillon on percussion. Each night will include a full performance of Pink Floyd’s iconic album, Animals. Tickets available on his website.
