Do you remember the scene in Wizard of Oz when the Bad Witch starts melting? That was me, 7am Thursday in Tennessee. I went to sleep in the cold night tightly wound in my sleeping bag. When I woke the tent was sweltering. I tried to turn away from the sun but sweat dripped off my face; a very unusual feeling for 7am. After going to sleep at 5am being awoken this way was near torture. We crawl outside to escape the trapped air only to be greeted by the sun’s pounding rays. Changing is a challenge to say the least. We may have traveled to Mars over night because I swear between the dirt, dust and heat rays the only difference was the oxygen.
After our pathetic attempt to get ready for our first day at Bonnaroo we start the mecca to the entrance. Stopping 3 times to drink water and try to not faint we find the line to get inside. Doors did not open until noon so all 100,000 attendees or so it seemed stood in line. Although I was the sweatiest and hottest I have ever been I could not contain my excitement. Randomly people would scream BONNAROOOO and everyone would follow suit. Our wrist bands held a chip or code on them so we scanned ourselves into Centeroo. I equate it to being able to check yourself out at Target on the register. Same scan, same beep noise.
Passing stages, tents and venders we find Heaven- The Fountain. This self explanatory named thing stood among the many stages piping frozen water into the air. Dropping my things with my friends I walk in and am surrounded by friendly happy yells and the coldest water I’ve ever felt. My smile was from ear to ear as I joined in yelling BONNAROO! I felt like a kid at the water park.
Once completely dowsed we made our way to some shade and listened to Chris Hartford and the Band of Changes coming in and out of napping. Then we hopped to This Tent for Wavves and That Tent for Freelance Whales. Yes the tent names are this, that and the other while the stage names are what and which. Time for a jump into the fountain but a poor idea because after 6pm you do not dry from the sun. Your body stays wet into the cold night. But the night flew by with performances from J. Cole, Sleigh Bells and Deerhunter.
Although it was 1am the night was not over yet. The Cinema Tent played Dark Side of the Moon with Wizard of Oz. Standing in line we met a lawyer from Blacksburg. The lines at Bonnaroo were no joke so you got to know people pretty well. Eventually he told us that he occasionally does mushrooms and practices criminal law. Interesting combo.
We let the album play once through and left before Dorothy meets the Lion. Exhausted from the heat and dancing we crawled back to our tent at 3am. Although we were freezing we went to bed frightened of what 7am would bring.
my feet don't want to go to sleep 