Merkavah - Drive the Lord's SUV!

I really don't know where to begin. Bonnaroo was an amazing trip I really won't ever forget... and there's just so bloody much I could write about. I think I might spare you all the whole sha-bang and skip straight to the first full day... after all, the drive there was (while eventful) only funny to us. Besides a tank on the road, several signs proclaiming that "HELL IS REAL", and a crazy country music festival at Nashville... all else won't be all too interesting for the rest of you.

I apologize in advance, I'm pretty tired so it will not be well written. If you want, just look at the pretty pictures. They make more sense.

So, this post will be about the first day. I'd slept early the night before, so I woke up rather early in the back of the van, our home for the next three nights, not including the one I had just slept away.

Our home for the week, a van and a small tent

We went to explore the area some, given the incredulously early hour at which we were up. It was pretty hot, with the sun shining pretty heavily (if only I knew to appreciate it then!), so we ended up spending much of the time after we'd done exploring the myriad of awesome shops, enviromental awareness stalls, and activity tents under the shade of a tree. There were a few awesome things to note: A glassblower showing off his trade, an adobe hut, people doing yoga in the morning, little kids at Bonnaroo, guys sitting on a treestump... and...

Lots and lots of hippies!

Glass is totally awesome. Glass & fire... well... whee!

Emily under the tree.

I love hippies. =)

Before the shows we went back to the van for a while, but not before getting some lunch. I had alligator for the first time ever.

Yours truly chowin on gator.

There was this awesome school bus some guys and gals had built upon and were using as their mobile home for the week. It was impressive...

The blue bus. It was an awesome sight to behold every time I walked between the stages/Centeroo to the van.

We split up for the shows... Emily wanted to see Alison Kraus and Union Station (and get in the pile-up that was outside of that stage), and I wanted to catch Joanna Newsom before I hit the last half-hour of Alison Kraus. The upside was... I also got to see Josh Ritter. I only took one half-assed picture (which really didn't turn out well) of Josh Ritter... so there will be none of that. Joanna Newsom was really shy and cute as a button. Great show.

Joanna Newsom tuning her harp.

Using her amazing voice to start the show.

I did manage to catch the last half-hour of Alison Kraus and Union Station, though I really couldn't see the stage from the way it was totally packed. Wasn't worth being impolite and shoving to the front for 30 minutes of Alison Kraus, so I enjoyed it from afar, lying in the sun.

Lots of people at Alison Kraus

I skipped off for a bit and met Emily back at the van after Alison Kraus, and at 5:30 we went and saw The Allman Brothers Band. If you thought the above picture looked packed... despite the rain, EVERYONE went to see The Allman Brothers play.

Packed!

We managed to get pretty damned close, given our relatively late arrival to the show. They were awesome... and we met a guy from Edmonton named Dan out there. After that, we hit up the van again, before Emily head off to Dave Matthews Band. As I've said, I'm no big fan of Dave Matthews, so I took the time to grab a nap. I woke up minutes before Saul Williams started, though, so I got there as fast as I could. Saul Williams was amazing... there's a beautiful irony in a tentful of white guys (well, majority of them, anyway) listening to a black spoken word artist speak about how they've been oppressing the black people for so long... in Tennessee, no less. Much cheering. Also some fidgeting from select members of the crowd... heh.

Mars Volta was on after Saul, so most everyone stayed. I got pretty close, and this is one show where I wish I didn't have my camera. It was too dark to make good use of it, but with it I couldn't really let all the dance out. It was, however, still a fucking awesome show.

Went to bed exhausted after Mars Volta...

I'll leave the Jenny Lewis pic (which is on the next day) up until I have that day covered. Night all, I'm tired as hell.