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Not Just for Hippies Anymore By Tiffany Razzano Pot smoke was not the only thing that hung in the air during this year's Bonnaroo festival, held June 14 through 17 in Manchester, TN, as clouds of smoke were kicked up in the extreme heat wave. But the heat and crowds were not enough to keep away the droves of hippies, both old and new, and the hipsters, drawn to this cow pasture in Tennessee by a lineup that boasted some of today's hottest indie rock acts as the festival moved even further away from its jam band roots. New York-area artists were well represented in this year's incredibly diverse lineup.
Martha Wainwright, son of Loudon and sister to Rufus, a Brooklyn-based artist, by way of Canada, also put on a great set of her indie singer-songwriter fare. Meanwhile, Regina Spektor, Brooklyn's homegrown quirky, indie folk enchantress, also endeared the crowd with her performance. Hot off the buzz from their latest album, Boys and Girls in America, Brooklyn's the Hold Steady, originally from Minneapolis, impressed the audience with their boozy and literate rock from the same vein as Bruce Springsteen.
Local comedians Demetri Martin, David Cross and Dave Attell kept festival-goers laughing in the air conditioned comedy tent. Of course, there were many other artists performing at Bonnaroo on the different stages and several café areas. Each night had a vastly different headliner. A band very different for Bonnaroo, Tool, an experimental alternative metal band, performed Friday night, while for some, the highlight of the weekend was the reunited '80s group the Police performing on Saturday night. The White Stripes, a garage and blues rock band originally from Detroit, MI, were hot on the heels of its latest album, Icky Thump. They did not fail to please. Other highlights from the weekend included Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine, who introduced the festival to his alter ego, the Nightwatchman, which recently released an album of acoustic, guitar-based protest songs.
Irish troubadour, Damien Rice, who made a name for himself with the delicate and gorgeous O, which was followed up by this year's 9, was another crowd favorite at this year's festival. Indie folk rockers the Decemberists, always an energetic and entertaining crowd pleaser, didn't fail to live up to their reputation. To see who else performed at Bonnaroo 2007, go to www.bonnaroo.com. Keep checking back for information about next year's festival! |
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