Central Standard Time saves the day!
I seriously don't know how we've been doing so much stuff while driving so damn much. We drove 7.5 hours today from Asheville to Bonnaroo. The route was SO circuitous! Just google map it.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=asheville,+nc&daddr=manchester,+tn&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.014453,90.527344&ie=UTF8&z=8
There, I did it for you.
Despite seeing THE Chattanooga Choo Choo (I swear to god, photos to follow), the trip was an arduous one. Bonnaroo gave us special artist/press/vip only back road directions so as to avoid the interstate traffic jams; however, we got really lost in the middle of nowhere Tennessee.
So, check in time! We stop off for our credentials and while we're checking in, I realize that there are HUNDREDS of $30 iPod gift cards strewn about the check in tables. They were there for the taking! So we nabbed a quick handful and were on our way.
The one guy working the check in asked: "What band are you guys?" To which we simply replied "Morningbell." He responded "Cool, right on." What a total liar! He didn't know who we were, but it still was funny.
Off to the festival! We parked in the special parking lot reserved just for us and marched on in through the vip entrance. There was a whole hospitality area that we had access to with clean exclusive port-o-lets (not the urine soaked Proletariat ones), free water, and diversions.
We were really upset because we were too late to see Zach Galifianakis, which was one of the acts we were there to see. HOWEVER, we forgot that half of Tennessee is in CENTRAL STANDARD TIME!!! FREE HOUR!! So, we went to the comedy tent and got in line when one of the security guys saw our armbands and told us that we didn't need to wait in line, we could get in as VIP's. SWEET. So, we got in before everyone else and sat right in the front.
The guy who opened for him, Reggie Watts (http://reggiewatts.com/). was HILARIOUS. Such a wonderful surprise. I think the four of us were crying as we laughed our asses off.
Then, Zach Galifianakis was in prime shape. Great show.
We then headed to the VIP seating to watch Willie Nelson, who was actually a little disappointing. No worries, though. We then headed to see Chris Rock on the main stage where there had to be all 80,000 people standing in the same field at the same time watching. Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich (of metallica) introduced him, at which point I yelled "You killed Napster." I thought it was funny.
Chris Rock was great too, but it was time to go. We still had to make it to Nashville by the end of the day.
As we went back to the cars, we got extremely lost and had no idea where we were going. Once we reached the back outskirts of the parking lot, some guy came walking at us really fast and looked like he was angry or messed up or both or more, so we got out of his way, but as we did, he cursed at us.
For a second, I wanted to say something, but better judgment told me otherwise. As we kept walking, several security guards asked us if we had seen a guy with the same description as the dude because he just pulled a knife on someone. So, we told them where he went. Who knows, we may have solved a crime too!
Then, we drove an hour and a half to Nashville only to find that our cousins entire wedding party was still at the rehearsal dinner! Good grief. Needless to say, we headed over there and continued to wear ourselves down for another couple of hours.
It's nowhere near over folks! stay tuned.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=asheville,+nc&daddr=manchester,+tn&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.014453,90.527344&ie=UTF8&z=8
There, I did it for you.
Despite seeing THE Chattanooga Choo Choo (I swear to god, photos to follow), the trip was an arduous one. Bonnaroo gave us special artist/press/vip only back road directions so as to avoid the interstate traffic jams; however, we got really lost in the middle of nowhere Tennessee.
So, check in time! We stop off for our credentials and while we're checking in, I realize that there are HUNDREDS of $30 iPod gift cards strewn about the check in tables. They were there for the taking! So we nabbed a quick handful and were on our way.
The one guy working the check in asked: "What band are you guys?" To which we simply replied "Morningbell." He responded "Cool, right on." What a total liar! He didn't know who we were, but it still was funny.
Off to the festival! We parked in the special parking lot reserved just for us and marched on in through the vip entrance. There was a whole hospitality area that we had access to with clean exclusive port-o-lets (not the urine soaked Proletariat ones), free water, and diversions.
We were really upset because we were too late to see Zach Galifianakis, which was one of the acts we were there to see. HOWEVER, we forgot that half of Tennessee is in CENTRAL STANDARD TIME!!! FREE HOUR!! So, we went to the comedy tent and got in line when one of the security guys saw our armbands and told us that we didn't need to wait in line, we could get in as VIP's. SWEET. So, we got in before everyone else and sat right in the front.
The guy who opened for him, Reggie Watts (http://reggiewatts.com/). was HILARIOUS. Such a wonderful surprise. I think the four of us were crying as we laughed our asses off.
Then, Zach Galifianakis was in prime shape. Great show.
We then headed to the VIP seating to watch Willie Nelson, who was actually a little disappointing. No worries, though. We then headed to see Chris Rock on the main stage where there had to be all 80,000 people standing in the same field at the same time watching. Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich (of metallica) introduced him, at which point I yelled "You killed Napster." I thought it was funny.
Chris Rock was great too, but it was time to go. We still had to make it to Nashville by the end of the day.
As we went back to the cars, we got extremely lost and had no idea where we were going. Once we reached the back outskirts of the parking lot, some guy came walking at us really fast and looked like he was angry or messed up or both or more, so we got out of his way, but as we did, he cursed at us.
For a second, I wanted to say something, but better judgment told me otherwise. As we kept walking, several security guards asked us if we had seen a guy with the same description as the dude because he just pulled a knife on someone. So, we told them where he went. Who knows, we may have solved a crime too!
Then, we drove an hour and a half to Nashville only to find that our cousins entire wedding party was still at the rehearsal dinner! Good grief. Needless to say, we headed over there and continued to wear ourselves down for another couple of hours.
It's nowhere near over folks! stay tuned.