Sunday
We linger in the tent until the heat makes lounging hazardous. The afterglow of a perfect penultimate day promises a beautiful finale. S.G. Goodman plays at 1:00. I’ve been looking forward to her set for months. But first, I have work to do.
When I started this Marinade thing, I hoped to chat with a few of my favorite creatives, learn about what makes them special, and grow as a creative person myself. I figured covering shows and festivals would be a natural consequence of the work. I could not have predicted the opportunity I’m gearing up for this morning.
The media tent is quiet this early, as are the festival grounds. Note to self, be better prepared to make coffee at camp next year as none of the vendors are open at 9:00 am. A few familiar faces tap away at laptops. I have my airpods in listening to the most recent Milky Chance record Living in a Haze and reading a few last minute interviews. Seems like most folks ask the guys the same questions and I want to avoid that as much as possible.
True to my interactions with their team, Philipp and Clemens are right on time. There’s a panel in the air conditioned media tent but the outdoor area is set up nicely with fans. Artists walk through on their way to catering. Philipp and Clemens warmly greet me and we sit at a high top table. Charles Wesley Godwin, a former Marinade guest who is playing the main stage later, strolls by as I plug in the mics and set up for one of the bigger moments of my creative life.
The guys from Milky Chance couldn’t be sweeter and more engaging. We hug and say our parting pleasantries. I am ready for lunch and some music. Back at camp we crack open a couple of Ale-8s and plot our day. It’s getting close to 1:00. S.G. Goodman is about to start and I don’t want to miss a note.
My love and I have pretty much decided we are gonna take it all in together. S.G. Goodman is making spine-tingling music these days. Her two solo records are unlike anything I have come across in recent memory. I am of the belief that we are living among musical legends, especially when it comes to sounds that fall under the Americana umbrella.
The This Tent fills slow. Some of us are clearly there with a purpose, but there are also converts to the Church of Goodman in this crowd. S.G. Goodman handles the stage with an unassuming stance. She makes a joke about festivals and festival culture that might come across as offensive if not for the respect underlying her delivery.
She introduces her arresting song “Space and Time” by telling the story of how Tyler Childers came to cover it. This Tent erupts at the mention of Childers, and for good reason. I think folks sleep on Kentucky and how much incredible music comes from the Bluegrass State.
A state with less than twice the population of the greater Orlando metro area churns out talent and these are two of the best.
Greensky Bluegrass and The Beaches are up soon, but so is Milky Chance and Charles Wesley Godwin. Remember the rules we laid out in previous Jason’s Journals? No FOMO.
Yesterday was incredible, but also action packed. We need a break so back to camp it is. Always take a break. Always take care of yourself.
The feeling of seeing an artist you just interviewed wow a crowd afterward is one that will never get old. In this case, it’s global pop stars Milky Chance. Just hours ago I told them the live show that hooked me on their music. Now they are wowing another crowd on one of the biggest stages in the world.
Pace Thyself says rule number two for festival enjoyment. Milky Chance brings an energy that could deplete one’s battery for the rest of a weekend. Not energy for energy’s sake. Good songs delivered earnestly.
The skies are threatening as Badbadnotgood takes the That Tent. They feel like a band whose following is bulging just beyond the reaches of this space. A delightful group of folks set up a “sprint” competition way over stage left complete with a finish line. Adorable feats of athleticism ensue.
Charles Wesley Godwin is up next on the What Stage and despite how good Badbadnotgood sounds, I don’t want to miss him. Charles was first on my radar from a publicist I work with regularly several years ago. Rachel Hurley told me he was gonna be big way back when.
Charles and his band rip through a set of bangers culminating with his tradition of playing “Country Roads.” The sky begins to simmer. Thousands sing along with John Denver’s legendary chorus. A warning comes across the public address system. Seek shelter, it says.
Charles ain’t having it. The soaring singalong can’t be stopped even as a member of the Bonnaroo team comes out and the band’s sound is cut. Undeterred, Charles Wesley Godwin comes out to the front of the stage and leads us in one last a capella run through the chorus.
I have goosebumps thinking about it. Charles was visibly frustrated and refused to deprive his fans. Shades of Willie and Waylon.
The two acts my love and I most want to see are up in a little while which calls for a break and regroup at camp. Freshen up. Change clothes. Sit a spell.
I am going into Megan Thee Stallion blind. Sure, I know the name but that’s where my knowledge ends. My love is a mega fan and I’m excited to see her in that element.
It is no secret to anyone who has read or listened to anything I’ve ever produced, that I believe Jason Isbell is a once in a lifetime genius. These are the acts that will provide a climax to our Bonnaroo.
Megan comes on to a roar. I’ve seen my love this excited for a performance before. When we saw Bob Dylan it was a spiritual experience. But, the tenor here is different. The Dylan show was about us and the moment seeing a legend. This is unbridled joy!
I have no expectations for this other than I want her to have fun. Did not expect that I’m now ranking the experience among my favorite sets of the weekend. Every step of the production is on point. Megan Thee Stallion sounds great and has command of the stage. There is almost zero chance of me dialing up any of these songs after today, but that is not the point. In this moment I am a Megan Thee Stallion fan along with the tens of thousands of fellow Bonnaroovians taking in the same.
Megan’s set ends in perfect time to see Isbell and the 400 Unit on the Which Stage. I have seen Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit an average of at least twice a year since 2007. My first 400 Unit show was at a barbecue joint in Jacksonville, FL, circa 2007. I sat eating burnt ends while they cooked.
Every Jason Isbell show leads to an inventory of my adult life. The memories are incalculable. The life choices that have transpired. The lovers gained and lost. Here my love gets to see what I have been preaching since we met. It would be impossible to think that this relationship will end in just a few short weeks. For now, she is holding me, crying, to one of my two or three favorite Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit sets ever.
My pearl snap flies open along with the undershirt my love ripped during Megan’s set. The evening is sexy and sultry, tender and sweet.
As we put a cap on perhaps my favorite festival day anywhere, anytime, I take a second to process the gratitude I feel for this festival, this woman, this moment.
The morning is slow going but the heat does not afford too much dragging of feet. My car battery is dead. A neighbor can’t get his tent packed up. This being Roo we help each other get on the road.
My love sleeps most of the way to Nashville, our hands intertwined. We have a room at Waymore’s Guesthouse in East Nashville that will serve as my home for the night and our space for a proper send off until we reunite in a week and a half. My grounded summer tour rolls on and there is much more to discover.