Gift of Roo
In case you've missed the news about me giving away a prize every day in June, it's true and you can see pictures of everything here.
I've documented each Bonnaroo visit, (some better than others), to keep track of my amazing experiences with a good blend of photos and stories. If you're looking to reminisce about a certain year or see what you missed, here you go:
2007 | Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Clutch, Cold War Kids, Kings of Leon, The Nightwatchman, Tool, Ben Harper, The Police, Sasha & Digweed, Gov't Mule, Wolfmother & The White Stripes
How was it? Totally unprepared and it was unbearably hot. Still, it was magical, I fell in love with the experience and my favorite moment was watching the sunrise on Sunday morning.
2008 | Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Lez Zeppelin, Drive By Truckers, Les Claypool, The Raconteurs, Willie Nelson, Chris Rock, Metallica, BB King, Zappa Plays Zappa, Levon Helm and the Ramble on the Road, Pearl Jam, Israel Vibration, Jakob Dylan and the Gold Mountain Rebels, O.A.R., Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Death Cab For Cutie & Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi’s Soul Stew Revival
How was it? Metallica AND Pearl Jam! This was a fun year and we were much better prepared. My favorite moment was missing Kanye's set.
2009 | Thu I missed it. :(
2010 | Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: The Entrance Band, Baroness, Local Natives, Neon Indian, Conan O'Brien, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Tenacious D, Kings of Leon, The Flaming Lips, Imelda May, Truth & Salvage Co, Jimmy Cliff, The Dead Weather, Weezer, Stevie Wonder, Jay Z, Clutch, Dropkick Murphys, Phoenix & Dave Matthews Band
How was it? A fun year with cooperative weather. My favorite moment was when Jay Z paid homage to Stevie Wonder, who played on stage before him. Legends.
2011 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Wavves, Freelance Whales, School of Seven Bells, The Knux, Sleigh Bells, Matt & Kim, Atmosphere, Wanda Jackson, Ray Lamontagne, Florence + the Machine, Primus, Arcade Fire, Bassnectar, Lil Wayne, Henson Alternative's 'Stuffed & Unstrung', Portugal. The Man, Mumford & Sons, !!!, The Black Keys, Buffalo Springfield, Eminem, Scissor Sisters, Omar Souleyman, Bruce Hornsby, Gregg Allman, Cold War Kids, Robert Plant, The Strokes & Superjam with Dr John and Dan Auerbach
How was it? The most crowded year I've attended. And it was freaking hot. My favorite moment was 'Mission Icefly' when paragliders dropped thousands of blinking led lights onto the unsuspecting crowd on Friday night.
2012 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: EMA, The Lonely Forest, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, Phantogram, Alabama Shakes, Big Gigantic, Tune-Yards, Two Door Cinema Club, Fitz & the Tantrums, Feist, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Radiohead, Foster the People, Black Star, The Word, Blind Pilot, Flogging Molly, Puscifer, Mogwai, The Roots, Dispatch, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice Cooper, Gary Clark Jr., The Black Lips, Grouplove, The Beach Boys, War on Drugs, The Joy Formidable, The Shins, Fun. & Phish
How was it? Amazing year, hot as hell but I was sleeping in an RV with a/c. My favorite moment was getting to the rail to see Puscifer. I had to go through Flogging Molly to get there!
2013 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Reno 911 Sheriff's Department's Bonnaroo Drug Safety Seminar, Haim, Deap Valley, Djang Django, Father John Misty, Alt-J, Local Natives, Of Monsters and Men, Foals, Paul McCartney, The XX, ZZ Top, Pretty Lights, Gov't Mule, Portugal The Man, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Matt & Kim, Bjork, Jack Johnson, R. Kelly, Weird Al Yankovic, Billy Idol, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Sheepdogs, Bob Saget, Improvised Shakespeare Company, Tame Impala, Divine Fits, Ed Helms Bluegrass Situation Superjam, David Byrne & St Vincent and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
How was it? The year I went VIP and it was legit! Lots of favorite moments ... Singing along with Paul McCartney, Bob Saget making fun of me, signing along with Tom Petty. A highlight of my Bonnaroo journey.
Acts I saw: Clutch, Cold War Kids, Kings of Leon, The Nightwatchman, Tool, Ben Harper, The Police, Sasha & Digweed, Gov't Mule, Wolfmother & The White Stripes
How was it? Totally unprepared and it was unbearably hot. Still, it was magical, I fell in love with the experience and my favorite moment was watching the sunrise on Sunday morning.
2008 | Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Lez Zeppelin, Drive By Truckers, Les Claypool, The Raconteurs, Willie Nelson, Chris Rock, Metallica, BB King, Zappa Plays Zappa, Levon Helm and the Ramble on the Road, Pearl Jam, Israel Vibration, Jakob Dylan and the Gold Mountain Rebels, O.A.R., Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Death Cab For Cutie & Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi’s Soul Stew Revival
How was it? Metallica AND Pearl Jam! This was a fun year and we were much better prepared. My favorite moment was missing Kanye's set.
2009 | Thu I missed it. :(
2010 | Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: The Entrance Band, Baroness, Local Natives, Neon Indian, Conan O'Brien, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Tenacious D, Kings of Leon, The Flaming Lips, Imelda May, Truth & Salvage Co, Jimmy Cliff, The Dead Weather, Weezer, Stevie Wonder, Jay Z, Clutch, Dropkick Murphys, Phoenix & Dave Matthews Band
How was it? A fun year with cooperative weather. My favorite moment was when Jay Z paid homage to Stevie Wonder, who played on stage before him. Legends.
2011 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Wavves, Freelance Whales, School of Seven Bells, The Knux, Sleigh Bells, Matt & Kim, Atmosphere, Wanda Jackson, Ray Lamontagne, Florence + the Machine, Primus, Arcade Fire, Bassnectar, Lil Wayne, Henson Alternative's 'Stuffed & Unstrung', Portugal. The Man, Mumford & Sons, !!!, The Black Keys, Buffalo Springfield, Eminem, Scissor Sisters, Omar Souleyman, Bruce Hornsby, Gregg Allman, Cold War Kids, Robert Plant, The Strokes & Superjam with Dr John and Dan Auerbach
How was it? The most crowded year I've attended. And it was freaking hot. My favorite moment was 'Mission Icefly' when paragliders dropped thousands of blinking led lights onto the unsuspecting crowd on Friday night.
2012 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: EMA, The Lonely Forest, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, Phantogram, Alabama Shakes, Big Gigantic, Tune-Yards, Two Door Cinema Club, Fitz & the Tantrums, Feist, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Radiohead, Foster the People, Black Star, The Word, Blind Pilot, Flogging Molly, Puscifer, Mogwai, The Roots, Dispatch, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice Cooper, Gary Clark Jr., The Black Lips, Grouplove, The Beach Boys, War on Drugs, The Joy Formidable, The Shins, Fun. & Phish
How was it? Amazing year, hot as hell but I was sleeping in an RV with a/c. My favorite moment was getting to the rail to see Puscifer. I had to go through Flogging Molly to get there!
2013 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Reno 911 Sheriff's Department's Bonnaroo Drug Safety Seminar, Haim, Deap Valley, Djang Django, Father John Misty, Alt-J, Local Natives, Of Monsters and Men, Foals, Paul McCartney, The XX, ZZ Top, Pretty Lights, Gov't Mule, Portugal The Man, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Matt & Kim, Bjork, Jack Johnson, R. Kelly, Weird Al Yankovic, Billy Idol, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Sheepdogs, Bob Saget, Improvised Shakespeare Company, Tame Impala, Divine Fits, Ed Helms Bluegrass Situation Superjam, David Byrne & St Vincent and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
How was it? The year I went VIP and it was legit! Lots of favorite moments ... Singing along with Paul McCartney, Bob Saget making fun of me, signing along with Tom Petty. A highlight of my Bonnaroo journey.
2014 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Omar Souleyman, J Roddy Walston & The Business, White Denim, The Naked and Famous, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Ice Cube, Cake, Drive by Truckers, Grouplove, Cage The Elephant, John Butler Trio, Lionel Ritchie, Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, The Avett Brothers, Amos Lee, Wiz Khalifa, & Elton John
How was it? My first year going as a volunteer. The weather was perfect and the caliber of music top notch. My favorite moment has to be Jack White's amazing set.
2015 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Unlocking The Truth, Ryn Weaver, Temples, Glass Animals, Benjamin Booker and Gramatik, Brown Sabbath, Royal Blood, Against Me!, BonnarRoots Community Feast, Guster, Tears For Fears, Ben Harper, Earth, Wind and Fire, Deadmau5, Bleachers, War On Drugs, Wild Adriatic, Gary Clark Jr, X Ambassadors, Slayer, Mispers, TwentyOne Pilots, Awolnation, Florence and the Machine, Robert Plant, Billy Joel
How was it? This year was freaking hot. Back with the volunteer team and we rocked it. My favorite moment was singing along with the team during Billy Joel. Also, being thrown in the air by the Bonnaroo Cheerleading Squad was pretty neat.
2016 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Waxahatchee, Bully, Hundred Waters, Vulfpeck, Borns, Fidlar, M83, LCD Soundsystem, The Chainsmokers, Tame Impala, Post Malone, Cutch, Ellie Goulding, Pearl Jam, Givers, The Oh Hellos, X Ambassadors, Death Cab For Cutie, Lord Huron, Dead & Co
How was it? Another awesome year volunteering and the weather was mostly favorable. My favorite moment was when the festival was evacuated for a tornado threat and the entire team hid out for an hour. Luckily, the storm never hit.
2017 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Luke Combs, Hippo Campus, July Talk, The Orwells, Mondo Cozmo, The Lemon Twigs, Taurkauz, Klangstof, The Strumbellas, Car Seat Headrest, Cold War Kids, Kaleo, Tove Lo, The XX, Glass Animals, U2, Portugal. The Man, The Front Bottoms, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Teagan + Sara, The Head and the Heart, Chance the Rapper, Cage the Elephant, Red Hot Chili Peppers, SuperJam, White Reaper, Royal Blood, Milky Chance, Crystal Castles, Lorde, Badbadnotgood, Travis Scott, The Weekend
How was it? My first year going solo. It was awesome to roam freely but a little lonely back at camp. My favorite moment was participating in Zach and Katie's wedding proposal. Also, my picture was published in the Bonnaroo Beacon!
2018 | Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Mon
Acts I saw: Ron Gallo, Lissie, Justin Jay's Fantastic Voyage, Durand Jones & The Indications, Space Jesus, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sheryl Crow, Manchester Orchestra, Paramore, The Revivalists, Sturgil Simpson, Muse, Bassnectar, Superjam (Tom Petty), Rag N Bone Man, Old Crow Medicine Show, First Aid Kit, Bon Iver, Eminem, Sir Sly, Alt J, The Killers
How was it? The volunteer team returns! It was a perfect combination of weather and music. My favorite moment was a fun backstage field trip. Also, our friend Ron slapped-the-hell-out-of-the-bag on Sunday night.
2019 | I missed it. :(
2020 | We all missed it. :(
Most importantly, Bonnaroo teaches us that Music is the greatest gift of all.
High Five, campers!
