Some things happened over the summer. Some things I did at Bonnaroo for another publication have gone unused and, honestly, I don’t know or care why. After all, Bonnaroo happens in June and this is almost October. In this high-speed webmatic world of ours, some of that content is starting to collect cobswebs; however, I’m going to try and put as much of it up as I can & if anyone has a complaint, they can find me. I’m still here. I value my work and so do you, my readers. For that, I thank you.

I really want people to maintain their awareness of Aimee Mann’s stellar 2008 release, @#%&*! Smilers. As such, I figured it was time to go ahead and post this interview we were honored to have with Aimee at Bonnaroo 2008. Imagine our surprise to hear her mention that she used to read newsgroups like alt.bitter.

To the best of my knowledge, nobody with any sense is ever going to say that, and for the record I’m pretty sure Kanye West wants to give the best performance every time he takes the stage. Being on top of the world of music, there’s nothing but people trying to come down on you and, and people will take any opportunity to lash out at you when you’re flying high.

Now, I don’t want to take any credit for pushing the issue, but my posting on Monday asking Kanye what the deal was seems to have reached its intended recipient. In his personal blog, Kanye West himself has finally responded (in appropriate Kanye fashion) to the massive outpouring of criticism towards his appearance at Bonnaroo from all areas of the media. In his response, Kanye holds both Bonnaroo festival organizers and Pearl Jam (who stayed nearly an hour past their scheduled time) for the edited and delayed show. Kanye’s furious response and enthusiastic apology to the fans, frequently in all caps, is littered with an intense anger.

“This is the most offended I’ve ever been… this is the maddest I ever will be. I’m typing so fucking hard I might break my fucking Mac book Air!!!!!!!!” writes ‘Ye, beginning a tirade which points directly at Bonnaroo organizers for waffling on whether or not their stage was able to facilitate the magnitude of his famed “Glow In The Dark” hip-hop show.

Further, Kanye points out that they attempted to perform the show’s massive equipment load in for 24 hours prior to the show but, for whatever reasons, were pushed back from completing their load in effectively. Now, if you don’t understand what it takes to load in a show as fueled by pyrotechnics, lights and lasers as Kanye’s, you can’t appreciate the drama that ensues when that load in is delayed — and that’s just where things begin. Add in the delays of Pearl Jam’s playing nearly an hour past their set time, and the stage was set for the disaster that ensued. As he performed on a stage covered in liquid (from people throwing glow sticks, beers and other things), the slippery terrain added to the already heated chaos of the situation.

Once daylight was breaking, it was obvious that the full impact of the show would be lost and, therefore, Kanye made the decision to pull the plug on the production somewhat earlier than he would have liked.

But suffice if to say, it wasn’t all blaming and finger pointing. Kanye feels genuinely upset that he could not give his best performance to the fans. “I’M SORRY TO EVERYONE THAT I DIDN’T HAVE THE ABILITY 2 GIVE THE PERFORMANCE I WANTED TO. I’M SORRY…,” he continues. “SOMETIMES I GO 2, 3 DAYS W/O SLEEP WORKING ON MY PERFORMANCE… I HAVE TO ICE MY KNEES AFTER EVERY SHOW AND THEY HURT WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE AIRPORT…,” and this is the reality for someone whose touring and appearance schedule is as intense as Kanye’s.

Overall, I would have liked for Kanye (or anyone) to say something a bit earlier to appease all the talking heads out there. But for his part, I credit Kanye for addressing the issue in the manner which we would all want and expect.

But now, I have to come out in Kanye’s defense and say this: when you’re dealing with a bunch of clearly fucked up, upset people, the last thing they want is an explanation. At the moment that it all went down, he probably theorized, they might not care one way or the other what caused the delays. After all, we’re talking about people who were booing and screaming “Fuck You, Kanye” and throwing shit at the stage. Now, does that sound like someone you can have a conversation with?

Furthermore, as any smart business person should want to do, Kanye probably (correctly) waited until he got paid for the show before saying anything. Believe me, if you’re the promoter of the show, you would gladly say to an artist who talked shit about you in your own backyard, “Well, you delayed the show, therefore you broke the rules of our contract so we’re not going to pay you.” That becomes money in your pocket. I’m not accusing Superfly or A.C. of anything, I’m merely presenting a theory of the situation which may or may not be accurate.

So, in retrospect, maybe it wasn’t handled the way everyone would have wanted in the most timely fashion, but I am a big believer that there is a reason why everything happens the way it does. In spite of his reputation, I have to look at things from kanYe’s perspective here and believe that he and his people did the best they could with what they had to work with at the time. Things said in the heat of the moment could have led to greater repercussions or, worse, a repeat of what ensued at Woodstock ’99 (‘memba that shit?).

And look…Kanye, like I told you in your blog, I apologize personally for jumping off the deep end. I look forward to seeing “The Glow Tour” the way you want it to be seen & take care of those knees, sir.

Kanye West responds to criticism of his Bonnaroo appearance (kanyeuniversity.com)

photo credit: rocknroll_guitar

The next time one of your blogger friends tells you that “blogging aint easy”, take their word for it and give them a hug. From time to time, we need hugs to keep us focused on doing what we do — delivering the goods to all of you music fans out there.

In answer to the questions posed by three of our readers, I’ll attempt to make an answer by sort-of not answering directly. “We’re working on it”, is the most honest answer to the question at hand. We have been working with the wonderful people at Idolator to generate stories and, so, the coverage we’ve generated will be appearing there once it’s ready.

We are aware that people like the “instant gratification” of regular updates via Twitter or tiny updates, but this year we’re trying to do something of greater quality and vision for all of you. We went to Bonnaroo looking to talk to all of you, the music fans who make the festival a reality, to ask what you think about various topics. What we learned is the basis for something much bigger than what we originally planned on doing.

Much thanks to everyone who we met at Bonnaroo 2008 — artists, fans, workers, volunteers — for making the experience memorable. We’ll tell you all about it really soon. Promise.

Hey everyone — it’s finally here!!! The excitement of Bonnaroo 2008 has arrived and everyone is buzzing madly, ready to spend four days together camping at one of the largest and most beloved music and arts festivals in the U.S. Bonnaroo brings 100,000 people annually to Tennessee, bringing in millions of dollars in revenue to the state and, not unsurprisingly, bringing together people from a wide swath of social groups. The potential change in social dynamics of the festival has been criticized by long-time fans of this year, in part due to the inclusion of Metallica as headliners.

The main reason: Metallica has, in recent years, been more widely recognized by young fans for their off-stage activities, like suing file sharers and trying to control their presence on the internet by going after music bloggers — activities which have not warmed them to a generation whose internet activity has increased daily since well after Metallica released their last culturally relevant album.

Given the disillusionment of Bonnaroo’s stronghold of steady fans, advance general admission sales have dropped slightly this year. However, V.I.P tickets for this event have been sold out since last week. As in years past, the festival’s many strong smaller acts — including MGMT, Tegan & Sara, MSTRKRFT, Broken Social Scene, and M.I.A. — are expected to draw thousands more regular fans from around the area over the weekend. Mainstage performances from Chris Rock, blues legend B.B. King and the recently-announced late night performance from kanYe West will likely bring the festival to an expected sold-out crowd.

Nathan and I are looking forward to seeing you all out and about at the festival. Be sure and check Idolator for our festival updates, interviews and video footage. Manchester, HERE WE COME!!

Bonnarooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

The speculation: Could there now be a surprise appearance during kanYe’s set from Daft Punk as well??? I’m not doing anything to quell these rumors, but either way it’s sure to be an amazing light show.

We are excited to announce that Kanye West will now be performing a late night show on the Main Stage on Saturday, June 14th instead of the previously announced time! This scheduling change is being made to allow Kanye to fully present his critically acclaimed “Glow In The Dark” show.

This show marks the first time that anyone has played a late night set on the Main Stage, and it promises to be one of the festival’s many highlights.

We have also shifted a few other artists, so make sure to check the schedule for updates!

Chris Rock has been enjoying his time in
London, and popped into Rough Trade records
to do some shopping. Staff were so excited
they asked him to sign the ceiling.

He wrote “I love crack”.

The album hearkens ghosts of 70′s soft-rock genius, peppering the landscapes of each song with Fender Rhodes keyboards, tiny drums and layered, angelic harmonies. Mann’s lyrical prowess, while depth-laden, is never too calculating or too high-brow, always giving the listener a completely relate-able glimpse into the lovelorn meanderings and life machinations of the characters her songs present. @#%&*! Smilers is an exceptional disc from beginning to end with something to entice long-time fans and new.

Aimee Mann – Freeway

You can purchase @#%&*! Smilers from from Amazon [mp3|cd] by clicking here.

In partnership with the Clean Air Conservancy, Bonnaroo will buy enough carbon reduction credits to offset all emissions, making the festival a carbon neutral event. Attendees will be encouraged to enhance the effort by purchasing “Clif Cool Tags” wind energy credits to make up for emissions produced by their travel. The festival is also running a carpooling contest offering a chance to win VIP camping upgrades to vehicles with four or more people. To fight global warming throughout the year, Bonnaroo welcomes Carbon Shredders on site to help fans track their personal carbon reduction. Fans will be invited to make a pledge to reduce their energy usage and carbon footprint by 10 percent by 2010, a shift that will keep hundreds of millions of pounds of CO2 out of Earth’s atmosphere.

As always, Bonnaroo will run an extensive recycling and composting program in partnership with Clean Vibes, an organization that has diverted 50 percent of the festival’s waste from landfills over the past two years. This year, the festival will start a compost processing site right on the festival property, which will eventually be used to nurture new life on the grounds. “With no offsite hauling, we can reduce fuel consumption and close the loop on the festival’s biodegradable waste cycle,” says Clean Vibes owner Anna Borofsky.

Bonnaroo 2008 brings back the popular Planet Roo village, an area dedicated to preserving the environment and promoting healthy living. Non-profit organizations, eco-friendly vendors and performers will gather to educate patrons about what they can do to protect their own health as well as the planet’s. Fans who stop by Planet Roo will have the chance to learn about alternative fuels and energy sources, eat organic food at a waste-free restaurant and hear festival artists discuss topics related to the theme “Social Change Through Music.” Representatives from dozens of organizations such as Rock the Earth, Headcount, Farm Aid, and Oxfam will interact with fans and artists to raise awareness about environmental and political issues.

Recognizing that green issues are of paramount importance to the organization, its patrons, and the world at large, Bonnaroo is proud to present an event that is not only a good time, but also an example of an environmentally sound gathering that helps our planet remain hospitable to life.

Bonnaroo 2008 Greening Initiatives:

PRODUCT CONSUMPTION:
- Concession food served with biodegradable wraps, plates, cups and cutlery manufactured from renewable resources
- Presenting a full line of organic cotton t-shirts
- Using tree-free posters
- Using post-consumer recycled toilet paper for portolets
- Using 100% recycled paper (30% post-consumer) for all of the program and administrative needs
- Use of VOC-free paint will eliminate 1,260 lbs of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions
- All wood stakes and lumber used on-site are logged and milled locally
- Whenever possible, recycled lumber, FSC lumber, and CF light bulbs are used on site
- All horse food (15,000 lbs of hay) is purchased from local farmers
- Horse manure is donated back to local farmers
- Encouraging food vendors to source their produce and meat from local farmers
- Reducing the use of Velon, a petroleum-based material used to decorate the tents, from 100% to 30%
- Recycle or reuse 100% of Velon
- 70% of tent decorations are linens that we reuse each year
- 50% of the furniture on site is purchased from hotel liquidators and reused each year
- Sourcing as many decoration materials, from carpets to mirrors to furniture, as possible from second hand or used sources as possible
- Using earth friendly cleaning products to clean furniture
- Festival golf cart pool reducing number of golf carts by 25%

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
- Hired year-round greening and sustainability coordinator.
- Included a greening handbook as part of the employee manual including festival purchasing policies and greening tips for staff. This is distributed via email to all staff.
- Planet Roo eco and social activism village dedicated to promoting socially responsible lifestyles
- Created “Green Pod” in the campground as a hub for basic needs and information where we feature social mission entities and green or ecological organizations as an extension of Planet Roo.
- Planet Roo Ambassadors share the festival’s greening mission with attendees and assist with general information and support. Ambassadors help Bonnarao attendees learn more about what we each can do in our lives and businesses to reduce pollution and become more efficient in our daily practices.
- Waste-free café in Planet Roo
- Dozens of non-profit organizations on site, many focusing on the environment and natural resources
- Social change documentary tent showing features and shorts about sustainable living
- Silent Auction with funds going to a number of worthy charitable causes
- “The Academy” featuring lectures, art projects, etc. about environmental and sustainability issues
- Solar Stage powered entirely by solar panels
- Social Change Through Music panels at the Solar Stage
- Yoga and dance classes at the Solar Stage and at the Academy in Planet Roo

FACTS FROM BONNAROO 2007:
- Over 50% of waste diverted from land fills
- 60% of festival waste recycled or composted:
Total waste recycled: 94,340lbs / 47.17 tons
Total food waste and biodegradable products composted: 20,600lbs / 10.3 tons
Total waste sent to WastAway: 600,400lbs / 300.2 tons
Total waste diverted from the landfill: 574,160 pounds / 287.08 tons
- Eliminated 200,000 pieces of paper by reducing the three-page letter to ticket buyers to a half-page letter
- Implemented paperless ticket request system
- 67% of the festival’s diesel consumption was locally sourced bio-diesel.
- Offset festival emissions through Bonneville Environmental Foundation
- Attendees encouraged to purchase energy credits to offset their emissions for travel to the festival
- 90 security horses used on site, replacing 12 security vehicles
- Incorporated alternative fuel vehicles into the festival rental transportation fleet

My Morning Jacket – Lay Low

Forums are ablaze with people chatting, construction is well underway at the farm, and the excitement for year 7 of the ultimate 4-day music summer camp is bristling everywhere you look. Yes, Bonnaroo 2008 will be here before you know it and you really, really want to go. You know you do. You know you want to drop everything and head to Manchester, TN for four days to camp and enjoy some of the best and brightest musical acts out there.

In a summer that is fueled by speculation on everything from gas prices to the economy to the ballot in November, Bonnaroo offers a welcome getaway from everything. Your cell phones will probably work and you might be able to blog from your tent using your satellite card, so you don’t have to lose touch with the outside world if you don’t want to. But to really get the full experience of Bonnaroo, we want your suggestions on how to make the ‘Roo the most fun for you.

The Unofficial Bonnaroo 2008 Pre-Festival Questionnaire:

Are you going to Bonnaroo this year? If not, why not?
How many times have you been to Bonnaroo?
Which year was your favorite and why?
What is your best memory of years past?
What are you most looking forward to about the festival this year?
What music acts are you most excited to see?
Are you using this as an opportunity to reunite with old friends from years past?
What changes are you looking forward to seeing this year from years past?
Is the high price of gasoline causing you to consider whether or not to go?

Loudersoft would love your answers to these questions to provide you with the best possible coverage of Bonnaroo 2008. Answer as many or as few questions as you want & be sure to pass the link along to friends who have attended or are planning to attend. Write as much or as little as you want, but be completely honest. We’re looking forward to seeing lots of you in Manchester in a couple of weeks.

Aimee Mann – Thirty One Today

Aimee Mann On Tour

June 2 Los Angeles, CA Largo
June 6 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
June 10 Los Angeles, CA Largo
June 12 Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis Zoo
June 13 Milwaukee WI Pabst Theater
June 15 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival

July 9 Boulder, CO Chautauqua Auditorium
July 11 Denver, CO Denver Botanical Gardens
July 12 Park City, UT Deer Valley Resort
July 14 Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery
July 15 Rosebud, OR Stewart Park
July 16 Seattle, WA Seattle Zoo
July 24 Calgary, Alberta Calgary Music Festival