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Monday, 14 August 2006 06:16

"I smell hippies."

 

 

Manchester, Tenn. 

Bonnaroo. For the first few days following my time in Manchester, Tenn., even the thought of the word gave me pause: too many hippies, too much drug-induced dancing, and not nearly enough deodorant. The shower I took when I got home wasn't nearly sufficient to wash away the stench of that place. But that's not the lasting impression the festival left on me. Instead, one great day of shows has become ingrained in my thoughts.

What exactly do you do when two of your favorite live acts are playing full sets at a festival concert on the same stage to close out the day's events? The sane person would likely show up a little early and be content with decent sightline. Or, maybe get as close as possible to the stage as early as possible, and come prepared. In case of my brother, our neighbor Matt, and I, backpacks full of bottled water, sunscreen, snacks, and a deck of cards were the necessary supplies. (Someone-I'm not saying it was me-insisted on bringing a spare Gatorade bottle, just in case we "overhydrated" and didn't want to lose our spot.)

After a healthy breakfast of Guinness and assorted other carbs, we headed down toward the venues. My brother went on ahead to the What Stage, and after a short while, we sought him out. Midway through the Neville Brothers' set, we spotted him: three people off the rail and just in front of the far-right stage monitors. As we moved to join him, fairly giddy at the prospect of such a close perch, we listened to a stellar version of Sam Cooke's A Change is Gonna Come. And yes, Aaron Neville's voice is high and obnoxious, but it was absolutely perfect for this song. He nailed it. No, seriously.

Elvis Costello and the Impostors took the stage next. The show featured Allen Toussaint on keys, and while I've honestly never known much of either of musicians' expansive collections of work, I became an instant fan. Even the songs Costello described as "sad" or "depressing" seemed full of hope. I wish I had a better knowledge of his catalog so I could have appreciated the set more.

Shortly before Beck came onstage, Radiohead's There There started to blare over the P.A.,and the crowd whipped itself into frenzy. The once-languid audience was stirring again, singing along as loudly as possible to every lyric. By the time Beck took the stage, there was a palpable buzz about the place, and it erupted with the first chords of "Devil's Haircut."

It was clear from the onset that Beck's set was intended to emit nothing but energy. During the show, one particular member of the band ran around the stage, break-dancing like a madman, playing the tambourine, and exciting the crowd just that much more. His antics came to a head during "Where It's At," as he brought out larger and larger boomboxes in succession, finally donning a safety helmet and jacket and waving a 10 foot-tall boombox onstage as if directing an airplane into its gate.

The theatrics weren't limited to boomboxes. As Beck started a solo acoustic set with the Flaming Lips' "Do You Realize?" and a snippet of Radiohead's "Creep," a dinner table appeared onstage for the rest of the band to enjoy a nice break. Their rest was short-lived, though, as the bandmates began using the tabletop and glasses as percussion, much to the delight of the crowd.

All of this occurred and I have yet to talk about the miniature stage, which featured marionettes of the band synchronized to the band's every move during the show. Nor did I bring up the riotous laughter a video of those same marionettes cruising the Bonnaroo grounds: "I smell hippies."And then there was the rap with band members wearing bear costumes. Beck's show was a great performance, to be sure, but even more so a wonderful spectacle.

We found ourselves entering the eighth hour of being in the same spot; the natives were starting to get restless. People who hadn't been there all day were rushing the stage, trying to overtake our precious real estate. It suddenly became "get to know your neighbor" time, as we were pressed closer and closer together. No matter, though: Radiohead was next.

From the moment the multiple drums were wheeled out for the opening song "There There," this show felt special. A glance at Radiohead's setlist will tell you that they played 28 songs-the most they've ever played in one concert. All albums but Pablo Honey were represented; regardless of what you wanted to hear going into this show, you were rewarded-unless you were holding out for "Creep" or "True Love Waits"...not happening. Sure, quantity and variety are great, but...well, there's no "but." It was great.

Part of what made the show so wonderful was the mood of the band. Everyone seemed in good spirits, Thom Yorke in particular. As a barrage of glowsticks rained down upon the crowd in the Tennessee night, Yorke made a point to walk toward the crowd, laughing and even throwing glowsticks playfully back into the audience. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood wove two glowsticks in the end of his guitar strings during the encore, as well.

It was the kind of show where everyone got what they wanted, and more. In fact, it was that kind of weekend. After the band had cleared the stage, we left our home of the last 11 hours, finding a new perch next to a food stand, where wonderful greasy food filled out empty bellies. As the day's events were recounted and our appetites were sated, we more than adequately summed up our festival experiences with one word: "Wow."