32 at bonnaroo!

Per tradition, Valecia and I decided it best to be together for the birthday. 

A long, long time ago, I thought it a good idea to purchase four tickets to Bonnaroo (http://www.bonnaroo.com), a four day music festival in Manchester, Tennessee. A long, long time ago four tickets would have been perfect, but we ended up only needing two.  We had on multiple occasions invited others to join us but upon reflecting about how much fun just the two of us can have at such a function – we decided it best to go as a twosome.

These tickets and this trip were one of the most difficult and expensive things to plan.. Who knew we could have gone to some fabulous island all inclusive retreat for the same effort and pay it took to camp in Tennessee..  But I wouldn’t take it back for a second. 

My day started at 3:30 am as I persuaded the young gal at the ticket counter in LA to switch our seats so we could sit together from Denver to TN.  We even got the emergency row..

First class of the middle class we called it..

We arrived in Tennessee, me with a tent, V with our cooler and we were off. We hit up a Target, a liquor store, then a beer store (they don’t sell regular old beer at the liquor store) and then ran into a major thunderstorm.  Which can be alarming when you are going to be camping L But we had galoshes and rain coats so at least we would be prepared if we got dumped on.
We finally arrived at Bonnaroo (we only drove 17 miles past the exit the first time round, but we made it), we were searched, got our wristbands on and we were ready to go but then………  we hear STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We look to our left and it’s a man in a golf cart telling us to stop and drive over to him.. We told him, “we passed all your tests, no drugs, no bottles” He asks to see our wristbands and in my head I am thinking… If these things are counterfeits I am going to FREAK out…. And then he rips them off of our wrists!!  V asks, “umm do you work here?” Turns out he did work there and turns out he upgraded us to VIP!! V.I.P.!!!!!  VIP camping, VIP seating at the shows!!!  IT was amazing!

Instead of port-a-potties we had the comfort zone.. Wood floors with a rug in the entry way, toilets that flushed, air-conditioning and skylights.

This meant we had a huge air-conditioned community tent with couches for the much needed nap time.

It meant we had the shortest distance to walk – it meant the main stage was directly in front of us and we could sit at camp and listen.

It meant that basically we got extremely hooked up and without it I think V and I would have died – from the heat and just pure exhaustion. 

Our neighbors were amazing, a group of four guys and a girl from Canada.  We shared part of our campsite (cuz we were little) and then shared their shade tent and camping chairs.  Needless to say we became fast friends.  They taught us about Canada and we tried to teach them about the US, but they pretty much already knew it all….

Our parting gifts -
Umbrella Canadian flag hats - one for each of us.

Canadian Crew -
Paddy, Becca, Ben, Joe, Nate..

Our nightly routine of who had the dirtiest feet.

And of course, no music festival would be complete without the…… music!!!!!!  It was amazing! So many of our favorites played and played awesome shows.  Black keys – a def fav, Arcade Fire takes the cake for best show there – They were amazing live! Eminim – Yep I said it… I turned to Valeash and told her we are his new number one fans. Pretty Lights – First time and I am hooked. Mumford – I was just excited to dance somewhere else but my car to these guys.

Here is the quick and dirty list of everyone we saw       

Band of Skulls, The Walkmen, Sleighbells, Matt and Kim, Decemberists, Florence and the Machine, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Pretty Lights, Old Crow Medicine Show, Mumford & Sons,  The Black Keys, Girl Talk, Railroad Earth, Ryan Bingham, Neon Trees, Iron & Wine, Robert Plant & Band of Joy, The Strokes, Superjam awith Dan Auerbach and Dr. John and Widespread Panic.  We caught bits and pieces of other shows but some bands played at the same time as others and you had to make choices – which in a lot of cases were big bummers.  But pretty darn satisfied with the music we did see. 

And here goes the slideshow..

This fountain while it looked refreshing - spewed out brown water cuz everyone was so dirty. Needless to say we did not partake.

Dancing in the dust.

How I found valecia.. her toe-zies must have been hot.

V - in the VIP seating area.

And the below one is well interesting..... V tells me to turn around and look at some guy dancin all crazy and i turn around and see a guy peeing in a beer bottle. While his full "self" was not exposed - it was clear that he was indeed peeing... so i tell v. she turns around. we laugh. then we notice dude is just holding the bottle as if he may drink it when he becomes thirsty. We decide we absolutely can not watch this happen and must vacate our current spot.  But first, we needed a picture - I turn around and try to nonchalantly take a picture of the "crowd" - v puts her head in and all of sudden pee-boy throws us a thumbs up. I snap the shot and he says drunkenly of course, "i was totally peeing in this beer bottle and i thought you guys busted me..." "Oh, no, we didn't notice a thing......" and off we went.

most awesome game ever.  They put on a huge horn and huge hooves on a person and then the person needs to jump and down and try to pop as many balloons as possible.

Amazing.

being hot. i never thought i would walk around anywhere without a shirt on - but the next day I even took off the skirt. clothes are overrated in Tennessee.

Red bottle is a squirt bottle of water - it kept us alive.

at mumford.. about to boogie.

our friend Josh, yet another Canadian.

impromtu talent show.

another canadian with a helmet of real watermelon on his head...

center of photo with his arms in the air.

we know he is canadian because we saw him at later show and guess what his tattoo was??

the maple leaf. weird.

last night :( just before our canadians left and just before widespread.

v was really into hugs, holding me and back rubbing so getting a good pic of the two of us were always difficult.

and we got it together finally.

It was a def success and I can’t think of a better way to ring in 32 but at bonnaroo with only one of my favorite people in the world.  Valecia, music, fun in the sun, and boxed wine – just a few of my favorite things. 

Next year, Domican Republic - my dear sweet baleash?!