BONNAROO - 2008
Almost 39 years after the most romanticized and sensationalized festival in history, Bonnaroo will suffice for what is commonly referred to as "Back To The Garden". The collective efforts of AC Entertainment (Ashley Capps), Superfly Production & Big Hassle Media (Ken Weinstein) have made this annual pilgrimage to Manchester, Tennessee the answer to those golden days of "Flower Power" and cultural acceptance.

What seemed like an ancillary event in 2002 has rapidly evolved into the most organized and exciting musical extravaganza on the planet. The spiritual enlightenment that lingered over events of given magnitude like Woodstock in Bethel, New York, Mud Island in Memphis, Tennessee or Watkins Glen in upstate New York has been recaptured by the brilliance of those who have organized this event since the embryonic days in 2002. The social anarchy of the past has dissipated into the sunset but the migration for four days of peace and love with music as the universal elixor through lyrics of selected bands still resonates and manifests every June in the rural area sixty miles outside of Nashville. These are the gurus of todays marketing, a Herculean event inclusive of collective knowledge that will evolve and become inclusive of Hall Of Fame bands & musicians, neoteric groups from the United States & abroad , a massive crowd that is the potpourri of the music community ranging from 18 to 80 and a captive internal city within the site. Other attractions have been devised to entertain the burgeoning hordes that migrate across the land and the deft nuances have been readily accepted by those who attend this festival on a yearly basis.

One of the great maxims in reference to the glory days of dance hall concerts and events was when Bill Graham overheard two fans speaking about the bands for the night at The Fillmore West. When one ask who was playing, the other replied, "Who knows, & it doesn't matter, it's The Fillmore". That may be the best analogy for the impending Bonnaroo 08, who knows and who cares, it's Bonnaroo 08. There is no need for hyperbole when publicity refers to this event, and the memories of the past are now resurrected from the ashes of what once was. The dynamics of Jimi Hendrix, The Who and the poetic, memorable lyrics of Crosby, Stills & Nash still resonate, albeit a different era and various bands. Bonnaroo has overcome the litany of ordinances and restrictions by acquiring the land so that Bonnaroo will play on for perpetuity. It remains as an escape, as wafts of oils and incense permeate the camping area, we digress to the carefree days of yesteryear.

The woes of the world can't be amended in a few days amidst the rolling hills of Tennessee but with a juxtaposing image of Vietnam in Iraq, it serves as a temporary escape from the horrors of the world.

A famous quote states that "Poetry is the words of the heart, music is the words of the soul". It may be an idealistic perspective of what could be but if politicians would reach out and grasp the communalistic approach as we do through the tunes of those we most admired and emulated, the entire world would be a much better place to co-exist. So, join us once again in America's heartland, Bonnaroo 08 is alive & well.

Cheers - Don Aters
Editor - Haight Street Music News
fillmore-east.com
leomagazine.com
thehorizon.com (Indiana University school newspaper)