The 2011 Roo Recap

Oh goodness. One week ago I was camping on a farm in the Tennessee heat and listening to some of the best live music around. I thought I'd highlight a few of my favorite performances.

The Walkmen. I saw this band perform one night in Columbia, but they were not really at the top of their game. They were have some audio issues and were clearly affected by it. So it was really refreshing to see them perform at their best while at Bonnaroo. This was one of the first shows that I went to and it was a fantastic way to start the weekend!

Jessica Lea Mayfield. I had never heard of her before, but my friend and I were wasting a little time and wandered over to her tent. She has a great country drawl when she sings and her songs are very heartfelt. She put on a good show.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Wowza. No one puts on a show quite like Grace Potter. She puts herself all in and it works. She's a little bit kooky and a little crazy but she is amazing. They played the perfect mix of old and new songs and they also covered White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. My friend and I got up pretty close to the stage, so it was great.

Lil Wayne. This show started out pretty fun but unfortunately we had to leave early because my friend got sick. I heard it was fun, so I wish we could have stayed...oh well.

The Black Keys. OhEmGee. This was amazing for me. I made one of those good/bad choices and actually went to this show by myself. My Bonnaroo buddy needed some more shut-eye. But, there was no way in hell that I was going to miss this show! And it was actually ridiculously fun to go alone. I was able to dance like a fool without caring who was watching me. I got a really great spot to watch too. The Black Keys put on a great performance; they played a perfect mix of old and new. They are just so damn sexy...their songs and the way they sing...bah it's great. Probably my favorite moments of the weekend.

The Head and The Heart. Another great show. This band has really grown on me. The band was so excited just to be at Bonnaroo and that energy definitely made it into their performance. Such fun.

Overall a great weekend...this is only a smattering of my experience. My friend and I are looking forward to our next festival. Probably not Bonnaroo, but something equally awesome.