Economy not bad on Bonnaroo

Will Irvine

Staff Writer

Haven’t you heard? A mere 150 miles away, the stage has been set for what will surely turn out to be an almost utopian vision of musical community — Bonnaroo Music Festival — where hipsters and hippies alike can unite on Shakedown Street under the waning notes of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.”

Started in 2002 as a collaborative effort between Superfly Productions and Knoxville’s own AC Entertainment, Bonnaroo has quickly grown, both in size and reputation, to become one of the nation’s most prestigious and popular music festivals. Each year, music fans flock to Manchester, Tennessee — home of a farm large enough to house 100,000 people and multiple stages — to take part in the festival’s many attractions.

Spanning four days and encompassing a myriad of genres, from rock to hip hop, jazz to electronica, Bonnaroo is much more than just a series of concerts. Vendors line the streets between the festival’s grand stages, while smaller tents specialize in comedy, cinema or visual arts. State Farm is even hosting a DJ Academy for anyone interested in scratching a bit on the turntables.

Even the sputtering economy has had little impact on the success of the festival.

“Since we haven’t quite sold all of our tickets this year, people tend to wonder if the economic situation is deterring people from the festival,” Margaret Stolfi, a marketing associate and street team coordinator for AC Entertainment, said. “I don’t think so. We are about on par with where we were a year ago. It has not had a big enough impact to threaten the future of the festival.”

AC has also adapted their advertising approach to keep up with the trends of viral marketing. Twitter, Facebook and blogs provide a huge source of exposure for the festival.

“Still,” Stolfi said, “It’s the vast number of perennial Bonnaroo fans that keep the festival going.”

One such fan, Josiah Brand, a senior in finance, explained what it is about Bonnaroo that keeps fans returning year after year.

Prepared to leave for his third visit to the festival, Brand said, “It feels like you are in a different country. Everybody just hangs out at the camp site in between shows. Even though you are surrounded by strangers, there’s a real sense of community.” Concerning the bands, Brand continued, “You see a bunch of everything. I mean, you go to see the bands that you love, but you will, no doubt, stumble upon any number of new bands that you’ve never even heard before. That might be the best thing about it.”

The scope of the Bonnaroo experience comes primarily from the eclectic line-up of artists. Headliners include a number of influential acts including the aforementioned Bruce Springsteen, the enduring jam band Phish, ‘90s hip-hop pioneers the Beastie Boys and Snoop Dogg and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. Even industrial rock gods Nine Inch Nails are stopping by for a performance on what appears to be their farewell tour.

The line-up also includes another 100 or so bands, including many up-and-coming artists. Young electronic acts such as Girl Talk, Crystal Castles and MGMT play alongside veteran electro-pop band Of Montreal, and other indie favorites include Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, TV on the Radio and Phoenix (all of whom have released new albums within the last year).

Although it may be too late to land a ticket to the venerable music festival this year, if history is any guide, you can count on the same kind of quality next year. Don’t miss it.