You simply can’t see it all at Bonnaroo

Bonnaroo 2019 is in the books, and by my count, I have now attended 14 of the 19 festivals held in Manchester, Tennessee.

In that time, I’ve gotten to know it pretty well. I know my way around and can tell you the best ways to get from the What Stage to This Tent when the place is packed. But I can’t tell you a shortcut, so to speak, because there is nothing short or small about the place.

Even after 14 years, I am overwhelmed by how big it is and how much there is to do. As I do every year, I had a tentative list of things to see and do.

I say tentative because I have learned that no matter how firm and well-considered a plan is going in, it never works, in part, because the place is so big. Decisions on whether to see a show, even one you were determined to see, are often curtailed by the simple fact that you are too tired, or hungry, or need a shower, or simply because the activity back at base camp is too much fun.

Sometimes that could just mean the chair is feeling really good. Don’t judge. It happens. But, it always comes with a sense of regret on Monday. That sense that you missed something really great that you will never have the chance again to see.

I almost missed seeing Childish Gambino because I was tired and found myself separated from the group in my camp. Something pushed me to just see how close to the stage I could get, and well, I got close and the show was one of the more memorable in my Bonnaroo experiences. So was the Brandi Carlile show on Father’s Day. They were nothing alike as far as how they were presented. Same stage and all, but Childish Gambino’s was a theater production with him as the leading actor.

Carlile stood with her terrific band and had a lot of people tearing up, myself included, with her stories and songs about her love for her wife and two daughters. The city of Manchester and Coffee County honored her after her show for representing the spirit of Bonnaroo — “love everybody.”

She also joined John Prine the night before during a show I will always remember seeing. Truly amazing. It’s always kind of fun to see which shows the industry swells gravitate to. This year, the back/side stage area for Prine was full of label heads and the like. Last year, it was the Angelique Kidjo show.

Barry Courter