>>By Katherine McCully, Guest Writer
It’s 8 a.m. on the last day of Bonnaroo, and all is quiet at Camp TAS. Everyone else is still asleep. We had a long day yesterday: Lionel Richie, Frank Ocean, Jack White and Zedd.
Oh. My. Gosh. Zedd. It was amazing. The music was great, the light show was beautiful, and we danced our faces off. I’m definitely feeling it this morning. If you point to a part of my body, it probably hurts.
Zedd was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. It was so amazing to be in the middle of thousands of people all dancing as hard as they possibly can. We were all sweaty, stinky and tired, and we were all having the time of our life. I will never be as cool as I was in that moment. But really, Zedd was ten times better than Skrillex.I only stayed for part of Lionel Richie’s set. You can tell he’s done this before; he knows how to play to a festival crowd. He’s funny and charming, and he’s still got it after all these years. To me, he was the surprise hit of Bonnaroo. I was not expecting to like him as much as I did. Now, let’s talk about the relatively undisputed king of Bonnaroo. Jack White. He’s played Bonnaroo several times, both with his various bands and as a solo act. This is his home turf. He runs a lot of the music that comes out of Nashville and has a hand in where music is heading in general. He’s a hipster icon. I went to see him last night, but I didn’t want to stay long. I just needed to see him a little bit.
By the time he came on 20 minutes late, I was ready to go; there were so many people. There was barely room to stand, let alone walk. So I watched about half of one song and had to leave. I could not fight that crowd. What I heard and saw of him was exactly what I expected, totally amazing and mind-blowing. I think every music lover should see Jack White perform not simply because they love his music, but also because he’s an amazingly talented artist. The sounds he can make come from a guitar are lovely. I want to see him perform in a traditional concert setting, even though he belongs here in his natural habitat holding court among his people. I didn’t make it to Kanye West, but I’m not upset. Everyone I’ve heard who went said when he actually played, it was great, but he rambled about how he was God’s gift to music. Apparently, he only got to five or six songs. There’s a lot of Kanye hate here. He played Bonnaroo several years ago and was several hours late, and when he finally came on, he played way over time and cut into the next set.
Supposedly, he’s the only person who’s ever been booed off the stage at Bonnaroo, which is surprising, but it’s also heartwarming that there’s typically so much love and respect for artists and other Bonnaroovians. I haven’t seen a single fight or any cross words since I’ve been here. Radiate positivity, y’all.Today we’re going to try hit up the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Arctic Monkeys, Fitz and the Tantrums, Washed Out, The Avett Brothers and, maybe, Elton John. Stay tuned.
