Abby Does Bonnaroo
The month of June has been a whirlwind for everyone at LMP, full of events, the end of school, trips, and music festivals!
In addition to working at LMP, I freelance for Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival as an assistant to their lodging coordinator. We basically manage all hotel reservations for the artists, staff, guests and crew that come to the festival. I used to intern for the company that puts on the festival, and have stayed in touch with them and continue to go down to Tennessee every year
This year, Bonnaroo's lineup boasted headliners like U2, The Weeknd, Lorde, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chance the Rapper, Major Lazer and Flume.
Thursday, Day One:
On the first day of the festival, there weren't that many bands that I was super excited to see, so in between working, I took some walks into Centeroo to explore and see what the artwork and installations looked like. Every year, the people at Bonnaroo commission different artists to paint the fountain ad walls within the festival, so Centeroo always looks different from year to year!
This year, the fountain was painted with neon, glow-in-the-dark animals and skulls... SO COOL!
Among my other favorite things in Centeroo were Hamageddon (a giant pig roaster that is also shaped like a pig), and these cool tents that provide shade for Bonnaroo-goers to eat under.
I did see one band on Friday... The Orwells. They put on quite a show... smashing a guitar and jumping into the crowd... You cold tell that they were excited to be there!
Friday, Day Two:
I hit the ground running on the second day, seeing the Strumbellas, Francis & the Lights, Cold War Kids (a personal favorite), Tove Lo, the XX... and rounding it all out at the end of the night was U2.
U2 was absolutely incredible... I will admit that I have never been a big U2 fan, often thinking that they are overrated. But after seeing them at Bonnaroo, I am a fan. They put on an epic show and it's no wonder that they are so legendary!
In addition to all of the music I saw on Friday, my friend Jules and I also spent some time at the Soap & Glory activation, sampling their product and taking photos in their garage beauty salon. It was so cool! Probably my favorite brand activation at the festival... and i've found my new favorite body butter thanks to their tent.
Saturday, Day Three:
Saturday just happened to be #NationalRoséDay, and Dark Horse Wines had a rooftop bar setup in the middle of Centeroo, so Jules and I started the day off with grabbing a glass of rosé!
That day, I saw Jon Bellion, Chance the Rapper, The Head and The Heart, Cage the Elephant, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flume, and the Soul Superjam.
The Superjam is a Bonnaroo tradition, for which a bunch of artists from different bands get together for a once in a lifetime performance. This years Superjam featured Chance the Rapper, Jon Batiste, members of the Head and the Heart, Lacrae, Nicole Atkins, & more. They covered TLC's "Waterfalls", Bruno Mars' "24K Magic", Pharrell's "Happy", and closed the set with "Hey Ya" by Outkast. It was AMAZING.
Sunday, Day Four:
The last day of the festival, always the most exhausting and saddest. Jules and I decided to check a Bonnaroo must off the list that we hadn't done in our many years going to the festival - ride the ferris wheel!
It was so incredible to get a birds eye view of Centeroo and the campground, and see how many people there are at Bonnaroo.
We went over to the Jeep Sponsorship activation (which Jules worked on this year) and took some dash cam photos in one of the Jeeps.
That afternoon, the set that I had been looking forward to most was happening - Royal Blood on the Main Stage. I watched from all over - the pit, the soundboard, and the side of the stage. My Bonnaroo boss, Brynn, even got a photo of me on the risers on the side of the stage watching the set.
That night I saw Lorde and The Weeknd, and we all celebrated the end of another fabulous weekend with a crawfish boil in the artist hospitality area.
Bonnaroo is a very special place, full of wonderful music and incredible people. To anyone who doesn't mind a trip to Tennessee and getting a little dirty with amazing people for a few days... you have GOT TO GO!
Happy Bonnaroo.... Until next year!