Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival: Introduction

Stock up on glow sticks and gather your camping gear – the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival kicks off on Thursday (June 11)!

Although rumors of a Led Zeppelin appearance were obliterated months ago when the line up was released, the 8th year of the beloved 4-day festival, held in the lush grasslands near Manchester, TN, will feature a wide variety of groundbreaking performers including Passion Pit, Animal Collective, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beastie Boys, The Decemberists, Nine Inch Nails and MGMT.

We’ll be bringing you daily (sometimes hourly) updates that will include interviews with up-and-comers Alberta Cross and Hockey, and blog coverage (with photo and some video) of the aforementioned bands and plentiful other acts like Gomez, TV on the Radio, Crystal Castles, Of Montreal, Bruce Springsteen, David Byrne, Andrew Bird and Phish.

Expect a few changes and surprises, too. This is the first year that the schedule doesn’t include a Super Jam, a collaborative show between several Roo musicians that is never short of mind-blowing, but the lineup for this special show is always withheld until the moment the lights hit the stage… so there’s a chance it could still happen. Previous Super Jams featured John Paul Jones/Questlove/Ben Harper and Gogol Bordello/Les Claypool, so cross your fingers for something equally or more epic!

If you haven’t already (and shame on you if you’re in this category), make sure to subscribe to BeatCrave’s Twitter feed for frequent updates starting June 11 and continuing through June 14. Don’t forget to peep BeatCrave.com for daily coverage including some stunning photos and videos to help you get the firsthand experience.

Of course, if you can afford to make it to the actual fest, don’t hesitate to pick up your tickets now and book it to Manchester ASAP!