A Journey Through Music: September 2011

With more than a week until my next live show, I thought I'd fill you in on what exactly being a "Bonnaroo Vet" means.

Fernando (my husband) and I at this year's Bonnaroo

   For those of you who don't know, Bonnaroo is a 4 day camping music and arts festival located in Manchester, TN and takes place every year around the second weekend in June. http://www.bonnaroo.com/ Thousands of people from around the world flock to this small town in Tennessee for one reason: Live music. In other words for a lifetime concertgoer like myself, it is music mecca! There is no other place on the planet that you can see concerts like Pearl Jam (one of my own personal favorites), music legends like B.B. King and Willie Nelson and newcomers like Death Cab for Cutie and even DJ's like Tiesto all in one weekend, at one location. That was just a snip it from one of my favorite Bonnaroo lineups, 2008. Bonnaroo truly is the promised land because every genre of music is represented. You could hear some good 'ol classic rock in the morning, catch a crunchy jam band in the early afternoon, fall asleep under a gigantic tree listening to the latest singer song writers, gear up with some metal or even rap, have your face melted by any number of true rock and roll headliners, and dance the night away with the most talented DJ's in the world. In one weekend, you could experience a lifetime of concerts and memories. This is why I have attended every Bonnaroo since 2006. You can't beat standing in a field with 80,000 other rooers dancing and singing in unison to the sounds of Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks. That is exactly what happened my first year. Not only was I hearing Tom Petty, but Stevie Nicks decidees to go ahead and join him on stage! Hands down, one of my top 5 Bonnaroo moments!

    Bonnaroo isn't just magic and sunshine. You live outdoors for 4 days and with that comes a little dirt and a little adventure! Like my friend Courtney says, "No concert is worth pooping in a bucket for." To some, this may be true. I have two arguments for this. One, there are tons of concerts worth pooping in a bucket for. Second, she hasn't seen the alternative...port-o-potties! The bucket is not my first choice, but it offers privacy and a clean toilet seat. Two very hot commodities! But the bucket seems to be a popular subject when discussing Bonnaroo. The people I know who have not experienced it get a kick out of picturing us using a 5 gallon home depot bucket as a toilet. Last Halloween two of our friends dressed up as us, my husband and I, and they brought a Bonnaroo poop bucket as a prop! Like the bucket represents something significant in our life.   They may laugh, but I know the truth!

   However, camping at Bonnaroo is more than just sleeping outside and getting a little dirty. It kind of takes you back to Woodstock. Where it's all about the music and there's no time to drive to a hotel, eat at a restaurant, find parking, or sleep! There is music to listen to and if you don't hurry you're going to miss a sweet set that starts in 10 minutes! I have gone to Bonnaroo with a variety of my best friends and family members. Some of them can handle the rough accommodations better than others. But every person I have ever gone with comes away with a sense that they were part of something. I can't promise this will be the last time I mention Bonnaroo, somehow it has become part of me.

These are 6 years of tickets and wristbands from Bonnaroo 2006-2011 hanging in my hallway.

I also had printed photobooks made for every year we've gone from www.mypublisher.com.

I love how all the books look stacked up so you can see all the years!

First off, I just want to officially say hello! This is my very first post as a blogger. I have been thinking about creating a blog for some time now, as I love to write and take pictures of my experiences. I have been attending concerts since my childhood and love that I can share something with you that brings such joy into my life! Every year I attend the Bonnaroo music and arts festival and I see tons of shows at home or wherever I happen to be!

My first concert was probably Styx or the Doobie Brothers at Sunrise Musical Theater (which no longer exists) in Fort Lauderdale, FL when I was about 6 or 7. Seeing bands like this at such a young age is definitely why I have a such a strong love for live music! I love these bands, but at the time, they were my parents' favorite bands. My first concert of my choosing was when I was 10 years old and my parents took me to see Boys II Men. It was such a thrill because I was a big fan! Mary J. Blige opened for them and I remember not knowing who she was. Obviously I know who she is now and it's so cool to look back and know that I was there! I remember so many details from that show because I was so awestruck. When Boys II Men performed their song, "Water Runs Dry" it actually rained on the stage. For 1994 this was very impressive. At the end of the concert, all four of them got into a huge white box that was closed and lifted to the ceiling. A crack of lightning went off and the box was opened in a flash and all four of them were gone. As a ten year old this was awesome! I am still a fan of Boys II Men and I am actually attending their show in Miami November 5th with one of my best old time friends! Music has the power to take you back in time and I'm ready to go back to 1994!

I'll share my musings on music and specific experiences as they come. Here's a list of upcoming shows I have tickets for:

October 9th - Ghostland Observatory - Fort Lauderdale, FL

http://www.ghostlandobservatory.net/