Bonnaroo is an outdoor music festival but it’s also a state of mind. The four day festival held on a 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee was founded in 2002 and attracts more than 75,000 music fans annually. Bonnaroo is an affordable way for music lovers to see and hear some of the biggest acts of yesterday and today with ticket prices starting at $250 and rising into the thousands for VIP luxury packages.  This year’s head liners were Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, the Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon and comedians Conan O’Brien, Margaret Cho and Aziz Ansari.

In order to experience Bonnaroo full on, you have to have an adventurous, optimistic spirit and embrace the dirt because you are going to get dirty and sweaty. I’ve been attending Bonnaroo since 2006 and have picked up some knowledge on how to not only survive but thrive under Bonnaroo’s sometimes arduous conditions. The first year I attended with my girlfriend Alison and my son and his friend, we stayed in a tent and that was not comfortable for me. Camping in the middle of an open field with no shade means you wake up early and are driven out of your shelter by the scorching sun and the sound of generators. My husband and I purchased a 1986 conversion van that holds a tiny bathroom, full bed, stove and sink and a generator that provides air conditioning. Let me just say that taking a cold shower and sitting in the cool air conditioned air during the hottest part of the day is a life saver. Comfortable old shoes are a must. In case of rain, rubber boots are a huge help in walking through mud and puddles. It amuses me to see newbie attendees dressed to impress with high heels and long dresses knowing they will be covered with dust and dirt will encase their feet by the end of the night. Once you accept that there’s simply no way to have clean hair or cosmetics on your face you can relax and have fun. It’s also lots of fun to break out your hippie fashions. I prefer colorful skirts and tank tops and of course some mandatory tie-dye.  Don’t forget sunscreen and plenty of water. You’ll need to reapply the sunscreen throughout the day. I saw lots of serious sun burns all weekend and that’s just no fun.

Our musical adventure began on Thursday night after a very trying 24 hours. We endured a flat tire, broken windshield wipers-in the rain, got stuck in the mud and our RV battery died but we had arrived safe and sound and we had a very decent parking spot. We were behind the VIP parking section at the back of the main stage. The opening night music featured The Postelles followed by Diane Birch. I enjoyed every minute of both concerts; I wished I had arrived earlier to hear more from the Postelles. Diane Birch was everything I love about live music, a strong female singer songwriter, who sings from the heart. I found a new favorite singer! Diane Birch appeared on Ellen and performed at The Handlebar so check her out when you can.

Friday started out strong with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. Trombone Shorty is a classic New Orleans musician who’s collaborated with everyone from Galactic to Allen Toussaint. He was on fire and got the crowd on their feet. Our shady spot under a tree persuaded us to stay for the following act The Gaslight Anthem.  Our friends, Alison and Wiley Wimberly are big blue grass fans so they headed over to listen to Carolina Chocolate Drops while we were enjoying Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. My 20 year old son Ben, highly recommended Edward Sharpe and he was dead on, they were wonderful. Based on the size of the crowd Edward Sharpe has a huge fan base. We cruised by She & Him featuring Zoey Deschanel, not my cup of tea but pleasant to listen to. I absolutely loved Tori Amos; she has the voice of an angel and again a strong female perspective which is my forte. Tenacious D featuring Jack Black took the main stage after Damian Marley and Nas, they were fun and goofy.  The highlight of the night for my husband and me was Michael Franti & Spearhead. Alan turned me on to Michael Franti a few years ago and although we had seen him  as a solo act, this was a first chance to see him with his band Spearhead. He’s very interactive with the crowd and we all were jumping and waving our arms like crazy. Love him. We headed back to camp to listen to Kings of Leon which we were able to enjoy in the comfort of our campsite, complete with wine and snacks.  We had high hopes of rallying and returning to listen to The Flaming Lips at midnight but the bed in the back was issuing a siren song that was irresistible. We also missed The Black Keys, which bummed me out but there’s only so much music and excitement one can pack in a day.

We kicked back on Saturday and actually slept in a bit, the heat was simmering by 10 in the morning. We made it to the Which Stage in time to enjoy Norah Jones. At a couple of times during her performance I actually thought I would burst into flames because I was so hot. Norah is a just a slip of a girl and cute as a bug, she sounded absolutely wonderful.  Alan got a little bored with Norah Jones so the reggae sounds of Jimmy Cliff were the perfect antidote. Jimmy Cliff was a contemporary of Bob Marley and he has aged very gracefully. His voice soared over the hot crowd and brought us all to our feet. We were fortunate enough to be able to listen to two living legends later in the day, Jeff Beck and John Prine. I’ve loved John Prine since the first time I heard Bonnie Raitt sing his classic ballad “Angel from Montgomery.”  After making our way through the huge crowd listening to Weezer, we forged through the passageway to get back to the main stage and select our spot for Stevie Wonder. An estimated 60,000 people were on hand for Stevie Wonder. We were very lucky to get close to the front and maintain our positions with our chairs. Stevie got off to a bumpy start with a 20 minute delay from his start time but once he opened his mouth all was forgiven.  There’s something truly magical about listening to someone as legendary as Stevie Wonder live. I’ve never seen my husband happier than he was that night. All of those songs brought back a flood of memories; we all knew every word to every song. You really haven’t experienced true musical bliss until you are singing along to Stevie Wonder live along with 60,000 of your closest friends. The crowd lifts you up and transports you to another dimension in time and space. Listening to CD’s in your car simply can’t match the experience of live music, trust me. After Stevie Wonder had finished his set by bringing an international choir and drum ensemble on stage, we made our way back to our home on wheels and I rocked out to Jay-Z. Yes, this 50 year old woman truly enjoyed rap music for the very first time. Jay-Z won me over when he said how thrilled his mom would be to know that Stevie Wonder stayed around to hear his set. OK, I didn’t understand all the lyrics but I really enjoyed the music and the enthusiasm of the crowd.

Sunday got off to a sweet start with Ingrid Michaelson. She’s a pop singer who clearly loves her fans. She was flirtatious and funny and once again I loved her strong female perspective. Blues Traveler followed Ingrid and they provided a memorable bluesy experience. What can you say about John Fogerty? His distinctive voice, timeless songs transport you back to your youth (if you are over the age of 40). He is obviously coloring his hair some weird shade of red but he looked and sounded amazing so give the old guy a break! We finished up our Bonnaroo bash with the Dave Matthews Band. This was my first Dave Matthews experience so I didn’t know what to expect. Dave was clearly stoned or maybe just caught a monster second hand buzz, he was so laid back he was nearly comatose. I enjoyed the music but couldn’t really connect with Mr. Matthews but his fans didn’t seem disappointed. And with that music fans we wrapped up another memorable and extremely hot Bonnaroo.