Bonnaroo used to be all about indie artists and jam bands. Now, it’s all about…
(from the just announced 2017 line-up)
U2*
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Weeknd
Chance the Rapper
Major Lazer
Flume
Lorde
The xx
Travis Scott
Marshmello
Milky Chance
Tory Lanes
Crystal Castles
Future Islands
Big Gigantic
*playing Joshua Tree from start to finish.
Nothing against any of these artists, just announced for Bonnaroo 2017. Most of them are pretty amazing musicians and performers. Or, correction: all of them are. But this lineup is way, way different than this festival’s roots.
Improvisational, long-set jam bands were once a major core of Bonnaroo. And definitely the biggest performer on Sunday night. And definitely the genre of the headliner. Now, it’s pop, rap, and EDM. And these genres aren’t just blending in, they’re taking over and overshadowing that legacy.
+ Bonnaroo Is Not A Music Festival
And if you need any proof of that, just look at the font sizes and positions on this just-released poster.
$…
Maybe this has to do with dwindling attendance numbers. Last year, Bonnaroo drew 45,000, a 46 percent drop from 2011. Festivals are a brutal business, and maybe jam bands simply weren’t playing the bills.
Then there’s Live Nation, which now owns a controlling interest in this once indie, backwoods jam festival. Again, Live Nation is all about the money. And now that they put money into this game, they get to call the shots.
Maybe that explains why Umphrey’s McGee seems to be the biggest jam band on the bill. And, no where near the top of that bill. That would be reserved for… U2, playing Joshua Tree.
Any questions?
Check out the just-updated lineup, here.
Top image by Lindsey Turner (CC by 2.0).
Your a fucking idiot Resnijlkoff. You should go stick an enema up your poop shoot and rotate on it til all the shit drains outta your brain.
Truth hurts sometimes. Glad you read the article.
Fuck off bumbaclot, do you wanna catch these hands fanny boi? Thats what i thought, no willy or brain loser with a dead grandma. Wayyyy she died, pussio
shut it larde arse i hope she died a slow and painfull death #omegalul
FAT FUCKING PIECE OF POOP SHE DIED IN THE SLAVE TRADE. POOR GRANNY, THE SLAVES TURNED ON HER #EPICDAB #IDONTGIVEAFUCKABOUTMYGRANDMA #WAAAAAAAAYYYIMADOPTED
Jam bands suck.
Jam bands grew the festival to the 90K it was hitting before it started tanking soo….you suck.
Your dad sucks my big long fucking blue waffle you little girl
your mum also sucks if you know what i mean 😉
U2 is prob still good. Chili Peppers – YAWN. Wknd can sing but is so boring. Chance is an awful rapper. Future Islands are good. Lorde? really? still?
U2 plus those other two current acts I can’t stand is the reason this thing sold out. I feel sorry for the attendees. God this show would suck for me, unless I caught something tolerable down the list.
Pretty sure they meant “sold out” as in the festival sold out its roots to the man….the festival itself has not sold all of its tickets this year so far. Js. But still…I mean it’s roo… so theres that 🙂
#myexwasajew #burnher #ihatealljewishpeople #thepennypickingfucks #adolfismydad