Macca set to rock Bonnaroo in June

Paul is coming to Manchester

I have lived in Manchester for most of my 48 years, and I have seen several things occur that I thought I never would as a boy.

As a music lover, one of those things is the remarkable array of musicians that have visited our community as part of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. I know this event can polarize some of us because it brings both good and bad elements of our culture to our town in a mighty way.

However, when it comes strictly to music, a tremendous list of artists has come here. Of course, the definition of the word “tremendous” can vary depending on who a person is talking to. For people of my generation, identifying a tremendous artist might be a totally different process compared to how somebody half my age might do the defining.

My definition of “tremendous” includes artists like Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, and Bruce Springsteen who have all played at Bonnaroo. Seriously, if anybody had told me when I was a teenager that Bob Dylan would someday play three miles from my house, I would have told that person to seek professional help.

The latest list of performers for Bonnaroo was recently announced, and the first artist to catch my eye was Paul McCartney. A Beatle is coming to Coffee County? Chalk this up as something else I thought I would never see.

Even if McCartney’s career had ended in 1970 when The Beatles broke up, his status in modern popular music would have been secure. The Beatles’ influence on music and our culture cannot be overstated. The band took what Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and Fats Domino started and took it to a whole different level.

The Beatles growth as artists over just an eight-year period is startling. When “Love Me Do” was released in 1962, it was a quaint love song most significant for its use of a harmonica as a lead instrument.

Compare that song to songs like “A Day In The Life” only five years later, and the growth of the songwriting team of McCartney and John Lennon was obvious.

Though McCartney and Lennon wrote less and less together as The Beatles progressed, it is interesting how the perception of them as artists got so rigid. Often, Lennon was designated as the genius with words while McCartney was noted for his melodic flair.

This is not entirely true, and it does McCartney a disservice because he could also come up with fine sets of lyrics. For example, “Hey Jude” is a fine set of words, and the song is almost entirely McCartney’s.

In the final couple of years of The Beatles career, McCartney got on a hot streak that would be a career for most musicians. Songs like “Get Back,” “Let It Be,” and “The Long and Winding Road” all hit the top of the charts and were his babies despite sharing songwriting credit with Lennon. Sometimes the fog of time can dull memories and cause us to miss how much quality product he produced in such a brief period.

Now, McCartney will be visiting Manchester, and he will have a rich catalogue of songs to choose from when entertaining the crowd. Now that he is 70 years old, it is fair to wonder just how many more times he will tour America.

Hopefully, he will visit many more times, and this June he will being playing songs that he has not often brought to our area.  A couple of years ago he played in Nashville, but that was a very rare visit.

This will be a great opportunity to see a legendary artist.

Blissfully mild winter (so far)

I no longer try to hide my contempt for winter. It is my least favorite season, and its primary purpose to me is that it is a bridge between my two favorite times of year (autumn and spring).

Yes, winter can be a bleak time. It is a time of little sunshine, cold winds, and prolonged periods of time indoors. I know going through times like these help us appreciate better parts of the year, but I think I have learned enough lessons and would like the warmer weather to arrive.

Unfortunately, we are only a little over one month through the season. Though I could look at this in a pessimistic way, I will not because we have been blessed with a relatively mild winter so far. Of course, this could all quickly change, but like I just wrote, I want to look at this positively.

Perhaps we are due an easy winter. The last two have been cold, and last year, it seemed like snow was in the forecast every few days. As a child, this would have been a wonderful occurrence, but as adults know, we can not just sit at home every time the weather is bad.

The best aspect of this is that we are only a few weeks away from exiting the portion of winter that typically has the worst weather. The coldest and snowiest part of the season is from early January until mid-February. So, we are roughly three weeks away from leaving our best opportunities for awful conditions.

But does this mean we are totally out of the woods? Of course not. In fact, the worst snow storm I can remember did not happen until mid-March. Known as the Superstorm of 1993, it was a weather system that paralyzed most of the eastern part of the country.

In Manchester, we got around 10 inches of snow. It was a remarkable storm. Though it was difficult to do, I can remember driving around town.

The hotels were packed with college students who were stranded here during spring break. The interstate was closed for a period of time so they had no place to go.

In an odd way, maybe they were foreshadowing the arrival of Bonnaroo years later. If young people could have fun here during a snow storm, I can understand why a music festival would succeed here on such a grand scale.

Still, I am anticipating the arrival of mid-February and the gradual turn of the season toward spring. The turn is a gradual one, and if a person is not looking for it, he will miss it.

Even now, daylight is lasting a little longer. By mid-February, this fact will be more noticeable. We will begin to notice that we are not driving to and from work in the dark anymore.

Also, cold snaps will be less frequent. If winter continues on the mild trek it is on now, maybe we will not notice this much either. Still, it is something that is noticeable if we will only pause to do so.

However, I am only speculating at what will happen. Just because things have happened in the past does not mean they will happen again this year. Predicting weather is often like a sophisticated form of gambling where the experts guess at what is most likely to happen. Meteorologists often do a good job of it, which is why they get to make a living out of telling us what the weather might do.

As for me, I will be patient. I will pray for an early spring and do so earnestly.

Bob Dylan definitely influenced Bonnaroo

Though he is not performing this year at Bonnaroo, the long shadow of Bob Dylan definitely has influenced many of the acts playing there. Bonnaroo is the annual music and arts festival that attracts 80,000 each year to the small town of Manchester, Tenn, in mid-June.

The simple truth is that Bob Dylan is the most influential musician of the last 50 years. I am sure many would disagree with this assertion, but when looking at his body of work and who he influenced, this fact becomes clear.

Late last month, Dylan turned 70 years old with little fanfare. Last year, the late John Lennon's 70th birthday was observed in multiple ways ranging from television specials to re-issues of his music.

However, Dylan remained largely silent. This really should not come as a surprise. Dylan has played out his career on his own terms, and for better or worse, his birthday did not get the recognition it deserved.

Dylan's influence on popular music cannot be overstated. When comparing him to major acts like the Beatles, it is clear that he influenced them far more than they influenced him.

Exhibit A in this debate is the music produced by the Beatles after they became acquainted with Dylan. If nothing else, Dylan showed musicians that just about any topic was fair game when it came to developing subject matter for songs.

In the Beatles' case, they rapidly changed from a band that almost exclusively focused on love songs to a band that would try anything. Particularly Lennon and George Harrison picked up on what Dylan was doing.

Beatles' masterpieces like 'I Am the Walrus' simply could not have been composed without exposure to Dylan's brand of imagery and surrealism in the mid-1960s.

Was Dylan equally influenced by the Beatles? Probably not, but it must be acknowledged that the Fab Four had an impact on him. After all, he was making his transition from folk music to rock and roll just after Beatlemania hit America.

Likely, there was some inspiration there, but Dylan's musical vision was definitely his own.

Last month, the Nashville Scene magazine had a fascinating article about Dylan's album Blonde on Blonde, which was recorded in Nashville in 1966. The album is one of the greatest in rock and roll history. However, the article made a compelling case that it not only helped revolutionize rock and roll but also how music was made in that city.

Article writer Daryl Sanders interviewed several of the surviving musicians who played on those sessions. They stated they had never experienced anything quite like it before or since.

Making their living as musicians in Nashville, these men were fantastic artists. However, Dylan's approach was new and refreshing.

Instead of simply arriving for a session and working on a three-minute song, they found themselves playing on songs that lasted as long as 11 minutes. By today's standards, this does not appear too revolutionary, but it was at that time.

Because Dylan was able to break down these boundaries of conventional record making, many of the artists performing at Bonnaroo grew up in a musical environment that showed them anything was possible.

When reviewing Dylan's 50 years of work, it is quite eclectic. Folk, rock and roll, country, and Biblical music all have significant places within his work.

However, when re-reading his autobiography Chronicles: Volume 1 recently, I could not help but feel that his career had taken a tremendous toll on him. Many thrusted the title 'Spokesman for a Generation' on him, but he really did not like it.

I got the feeling that he really craved a simple life, but all the fame he had achieved would not allow it. That is a shame, but maybe that is why his recent birthday occurred so quietly.

Bonnaroo has brought remarkable list of artists to my doorstep

Well, if the weather is hot, then it must be time for Bonnaroo. Each year, the music festival transforms Manchester and Coffee County into the center of the popular music universe.

While opinions vary about whether this event is good for our community, I must admit there is part of me that enjoys being at the center of the universe. When it comes to notoriety, there are worse things for which to be known.

While many towns in our area appear to be shriveling up, this event (for better or worse) really juices up our community. After all, what is McMinnville known for? How about Winchester? What about Sparta?

All three of those towns are fine places to visit, and I am sure if I lived there I would be somewhat offended by the tone of this column. Still, the next time a person finds himself driving through one of our sister towns, spend some time examining how they are making it these days.

Times are tough all over. I guess what I am trying to express is that it is nice to experience some prosperity during a time in which it is difficult to be prosperous.

Hopefully, some of our visitors attending Bonnaroo will stop at some of the towns I just mentioned and eat a meal or fill up their gas tank there. Every dollar counts these days.

As for the festival itself, it is still a little hard to believe an event like this takes place here. Being born and raised in Manchester, I would have never believed when I was younger that our town could support and survive an event this big.

When I was in high school in the early 1980s, I would have scoffed at anybody who suggested that artists like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen would someday perform about three miles from my house. I probably would have advised that person to stop smoking what many of our guests at Bonnaroo are likely smoking this weekend.

During my high school days, popular music was as bland as eating a napkin. Bands like Journey, Styx, and Foreigner led the charge when it came to migraine-inducing music. It really was not a good time for people who like meaningful music.

A band my friends and I gravitated toward was Creedence Clearwater Revival. CCR is likely the greatest American rock and roll band. Listen to the radio all day, and a person will likely hear their songs many times.

This year, John Fogerty is scheduled to perform at Bonnaroo. Fogerty, of course, was the driving force behind CCR. He arranged and produced their albums as well as writing remarkable songs like 'Proud Mary,' 'Bad Moon Rising,' 'Green River,' 'Down on the Corner,' 'Fortunate Son,' 'Up Around the Bend,' and others.

I have been fortunate to see him perform several times, most notably at the Ryman Auditorium in the late 90s. It was a great show at a great venue.

I guess I can add Fogerty to the list of great artists to perform near my house. I guess my house is a happening place. Who would have guessed?

As for this year, the best way local citizens can assist with the influx of guests we are experiencing is to just be nice to them. 'Doing unto others' can also apply to music festivals and the challenges that come along with them.

In a couple of days, it will all be over, and our lives will return to normal.

Of course, normal can be defined in different ways. By Monday, I think I will define normal as just wanting peace and quiet.

Bonnaroo 2010 set June 10-13; Jay-Z, Dave Matthews Band, John Fogerty, John Prine among those to perform

Well, the time is approaching for this year's Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tenn. This year, the festival is slated for June 10-13. The artists to perform were announced today, and those scheduled are Jay-Z, Weezer, John Fogerty, and the Dave Matthews Band. For a complete list of those performing, click here.

It is the one time of year when my small town sees its population grow from around 10,000 to 100,000. It's a happening scene...

Bonnaroo: It's early Saturday and all appears well

It is hard to believe it has been seven years since the first Bonnaroo festival. When Manchester folks first heard this festival was coming, most of us did not understand what a big deal this is.

However, we quickly got educated because cars clogged every major road heading into our town for days. I remember trying to drive home from Nashville the first day the traffic crunch hit.

Fortunately, I had been tipped off about the problems, so I had an opportunity to come up with an alternate travel plan. I drove many country roads that day and felt fortunate that it only took me two extra hours to get home.

Thousands of people spent the night in their cars as the throng of fans slowly got into the festival site.

Since then, event organizers and our local officials have done a great job managing this event so that the impact on Coffee County residents is minimal.

Even after all this time, I know many still have reservations about having this here. Drugs are a constant issue at events like this, and tragically, there have been deaths in the past.

However, we have gotten off a lot easier when compared to other events.

The Woodstock 1999 festival probably takes the prize for catastrophic music events in the last decade or so. Everything that could go wrong happened there.

The weather did not cooperate because extreme heat plagued the festival throughout. This compounded the plight of the attendees who did not bring sufficient food or water. Vendors sold single-servings of pizza for $12, and 20-ounce bottles of soft drinks and water for $4 each.

Blazing hot weather and price gouging are often a volatile mix. Throw in toilets that did not work, long lines to water fountains, and other inconveniences and violence was inevitable. That happened during the weekend as looting and other criminal behavior took place.

According to published reports, at least four rapes occurred, and law enforcement personnel were able to arrest several through the use of video footage.The irony is that this festival was held to pay tribute to the original Woodstock festival held in 1969. People of that generation romanticize that event by saying it was about peace and love.

I am a bit cynical about that, but at least it was not the rip-off the one 30 years later was. If the original was about peace and love, then the 1999 one was about commerce at any cost. I think that says a lot about how our country has changed in just a few decades.

Despite the problems of Woodstock 1999, perhaps the single most tragic event that happened at an American rock concert occurred in 1979.

The English band The Who played a concert in Cincinnati. It was not part of a festival, but it was a tragedy of immense proportions.

Eleven fans were trampled to death as people stampeded into the concert hall to get good seats. Most of the seats at the show fell under the category of 'festival seating' or 'general admission.'

In other words, there were few reserved seats, so the earlier a person could get into the concert hall the better. Not enough doors were opened as the crowd surged in, and people got crushed.

Fortunately, nothing like that has happened at Bonnaroo, and we should pray that it never will. Let's hope for a safe weekend.

With so many new faces in town, Manchester citizens can greatly assist this event by helping people when necessary.

And be nice, for heaven's sake.

Manchester ready for Bonnaroo invasion

Well, I went to Walmart to do my weekly grocery shopping, and I can attest that Manchester is ready for Bonnaroo. Pallet after pallet of beer, soft drinks, and bottled water lined the store. I did not realize Pabst Blue Ribbon was still so popular. If the weather is hot, I expect merchants like Walmart to do very well.

At this point, I do not plan on attending Bonnaroo, so I probably will not blog much on the event. I have a couple of ideas, but I am undecided on whether I will write about them or not.

So, if you are heading this way, be safe and have a good time. If you are not attending Bonnaroo, my advice is not to drive down here. Traffic jams aplenty will occur in the next few days.

Bonnaroo 2009 canceled; event organizers, city officials say stay away from Manchester

In a stunning announcement Monday afternoon, Bonnaroo organizers and Manchester city officials jointly announced that this year's festival has been canceled. The event, which brings at least 70,000 people to the small Tennessee town each year, was scheduled to begin on June 11. Until today, there had been no hint that the festival might not go on as scheduled.

Officials said...well, if you have not figured it out by now, this is all a joke. Bonnaroo has NOT been canceled. The event will go on as it normally does each year. I am just having a little fun with the folks who will be coming my way in a few days.

I have lived in Manchester almost all my life, and I still have a little trouble believing that my small home town hosts such an important event. For those of you attending, please make sure to spend lots of money. We need every dollar we can get. Please ease my tax burden.

So, come down and have a good time.

Just stay out of my yard.

Bonnaroo 2009 dates set

Bonnaroo 2009 will take place June 11-14 in Manchester, TN. I offer this as a public service announcement so that residents of Manchester can make plans to be out of town, and so that non-attendees of the festival who don't live in Manchester can make sure not to drive down here during that time.

Consider yourself warned.

Bonnaroo, part two: the 'Tower of Babel' comes to Manchester

In ancient times, mankind constructed the 'Tower of Babel' that was intended to reach into the heavens. However, it was a tower built for the glorification of man and not God. The result was punishment from God that scattered people throughout the earth and jumbled their languages (read Genesis 11 in the Old Testament for more information).

I thought about that tower when I visited my local Wal-Mart today. In preparation for Bonnaroo, there were stacks of beer and bottled water that reached high into the air. Not quite a tower, but it was a whole lot of beer and water.

What does this mean? I don't know. I just hope Manchester fares better during Bonnaroo than those people did back then.

Bonnaroo approacheth

If it is June in Coffee County then it must be time for the Bonnaroo music festival.

This coming week, tens of thousands of people will be traveling from all over the world to spend a week in Manchester. From a musical perspective, Manchester will be the center of the universe as some of the biggest acts in music come to play here.

The flavor of our community will change quite a bit in the next few days. Some of us will see things we probably haven't seen in a long time, and this will likely be in both good and bad ways.

If events unfold like they have in previous years, merchants should expect to enjoy a busy and profitable week.

My guess is the Wal-Mart parking lot will be packed with cars that have license plates from most of the states in the country. If you think I'm kidding, just spend a few minutes driving around the parking lot and see for yourself.

As a life long Manchester resident, my prayer is that the week will unfold peacefully. A lot of people will be coming to our little town, and we must be willing to help our guests whenever necessary.

Whether we like it or not, the perception of Manchester that outsiders have will largely be shaped by how we handle this event. In addition to our local media, state and national media will visit here, and how we receive them will play a big role in what our town's reputation will be.

Of course, there are negative aspects to this event. With a crowd this big coming, there will be lots of drug and alcohol abuse. Deaths have occurred in the past because of this, and we can only pray that that will not happen again.

Additionally, the general inconvenience of the event will affect us local residents. We can expect to wait a little longer in line whenever we go to buy groceries or gasoline.

I'm interested to see how this event will impact the price of gas. Obviously, prices have rocketed off the charts in the last few months, but will the increased demand for gas caused by Bonnaroo result in even higher prices here locally?

I sure hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me if we were to see a spike in prices. After all, greater demand drives higher prices.

Despite these inconveniences, the event has come a long way in regards to how it impacts local residents. The first year was a fiasco in terms of traffic control as cars were backed up for miles on the interstate for many hours.

However, event organizers and local officials are to be commended for dramatic improvements in getting people into the site in an efficient manner. Traffic has been a real breeze the last couple of years when compared to the first year. I'm sure there will be some problems. When so many people converge on a relatively small place, all the planning in the world will not be able to snuff out every issue.

Basically, the impact of this event on us is still pretty much the same as in previous years.

The bottom line is it is like most situations in life -- it is what you make of it. The masses are coming whether a person likes it or not.

So, as a community, our goal should be to do whatever it takes to make this event unfold as smoothly as possible. By doing this, we will greatly aid our local officials and event organizers.

Pearl Jam, Metallica to headline Bonnaroo 2008

Pearl Jam and Metallica are going to headline Bonnaroo 2008, which is held each June in Manchester, TN. This is probably old news to those who closely follow the event, but because it is held in my town I thought it was worth posting. Several weeks ago, there was a big rumor that Led Zeppelin would play at the event, but that isn't the case (at least at this point).

Among the comedians performing is Janeane Garofalo. I only mention this because I wonder if Joltin' Django will consider attending just so he can chuck chili dogs at her. If he does, I hope he brings his own. If he buys them at the site, they will likely cost $10 a dog.

Led Zeppelin apparently won't headline at Bonnaroo 2008

Weeks of speculation apparently ended late last week when Bonnaroo organizers said reports regarding Led Zeppelin headlining this year’s music festival were not true. The internet had been buzzing about the possibility, but the organizers said the rumors were wrong.

Superfly Entertainment and AC Entertainment said the line-up for this year's festival should be announced by late January or early February, according to published reports.

The festival takes place each year in the small town of Manchester, TN, which is where I live. I have lived here just about all my life, and it still amazes me that an event of this magnitude takes place here.

Manchester's population is only around 8,500 but around 70,000 to 80,000 people descend on our town during the event in mid-June. To paraphrase Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes, the town during this time becomes a madhouse...a madhouse!!!!!!

In the past, acts like Bob Dylan and The Police have played here.