So here we are. One week until I leave yet again for the 'Roo. With these few days in between me and my annual trip to Manchester, I'd like to provide you with my Top 5 Bonnaroo sets that I've attended (I only missed 2005).In reverse order:
5. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - 2006
Running through one of the finest Greatest Hits sets that any band in the world is capable of performing, TP+H executed their classics to perfection. Tom was clearly soaking in the massive crowd going bananas in front of him and put that energy back onto the crowd. I can't imagine that anyone walked away from this set without a huge grin and a sore throat from singing every word. Highlights included a duet with the ageless Stevie Nicks on "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" and a slowed-down "Learning To Fly."
4. Widespread Panic - 2002
With both a surprise appearance by Steve Winwood and an encore of my (since that night) favorite tune perfomed by WSP, "City of Dreams", this was a historic two night run to close out the never to be replicated first Bonnaroo. None of us knew what to expect out of this festival and it was evident from the first notes of the Big Wu to the last notes of Panic that we were participaing in something truly special. A city of dreams indeed.
3. Drive By Truckers - 2003
With increasing critical praise of their two-disc masterpiece 'Southern Rock Opera' circulating in the music press, a still virtually unknown band of southern rockers took to the stage for an afternoon set and converted an increasingly packed tent into rabid fans. The highlight was the set closing "Let There Be Rock" anchored by the group's now defunct three guitar attack of Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, and Jason Isbell.
2. Dave Matthews and Friends - 2004
With a band of Friends featuring guitarists Trey Anastasio and Tim Reynolds and armed with a solo disc that was one of my favorite albums of the year, this set by Dave and company was one of most anticipated of the festival. It met my high exepectations and then some. Just two months shy of the musically messy Coventry, Trey appeared and sounded great on covers "Up On Cripple Creek", "Hey Bulldog," and the 20-minute set closing funk freakout, Sly Stone's "Thank You."
1. Neil Young - 2004
Serving as both my favorite Bonnaroo set out of all five years I've attended the festival and my favorite concert of all time, this rock show from Neil Young and Crazy Horse was epic from the opening "Love to Burn" to the closing "Down By The River." Coming into Tennessee mid-Greendale rock opera tour, in which Neil was playing few hits, I expected to see a run through of the musical with only a couple of the favorites. After all, Neil does whatever he wants. Neil played nothing from the Greendale album and instead played a no-nonsense psychedelic ear-splitting set extending his best songs upwards of 30 minutes each. Different from Tom Petty, it didn't even matter what song the band was playing because they were just on fire for three straight hours. Neil turned this short setlist of 12 songs into 180 minutes of the best show this young concert veteran has ever witnessed:
Love to Burn
Sedan Delivery
Powderfinger
Hey Hey My My
Cortex the Killer
Fuckin' Up
Like a Hurricaine
Be the Rain
Cinnamon Girl
Rockin' in the Free World
Roll Another Number
Down By the River
Honarable Mention: Flaming Lips (2003) and Radiohead (2006)
Have you been to Bonnaroo? What are your Top 5?
No comments:
Post a Comment