BOT's Year in Review: Best of Festivals
Submitted by breakfast on tour on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 15:36.
It's unanimous: Eggs, Cereal and Toast all agree that not only was Rothbury the best festival we attended all year, it was the best festival we've ever attended, period. A solid lineup, good organization, clean grounds, staggering attention to detail, hidden surprises and a stunning location made this four-day festival in Michigan an instant classic in our books. Two words: Sherwood Forest.
Photo by I am K.E.B
Though I love spending time with friends at festivals, I always try to make it a point to take in a few sets alone. At Rothbury, I intended to photograph Of Montreal, stay for about half the set, then link back up with the crew at Widespread Panic. But Of Montreal's electrifying live show instantly hooked me, and I couldn't tear myself away. I stood there in awe for the entire set, ignoring texts so that I could absorb as much of frontman Kevin Barnes' insane genius as possible. It was a perfect set to see solo, since I could focus all of my attention on the stage. Add to that the fact that I had more fun photographing this band than any other all year, and it's an easy pick for my favorite non-headlining festival set of 2008.
Although you wouldn't catch any of my fellow BOTheads in the crowd for this one, it was a definite must-see for me, especially since The Mars Volta opted out of Rothbury earlier in the year. Their Voodoo set was intense from the start – shortly into it, lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala jumped into the press pit and started fucking with us photographers. Aside from thinking I was going to have to kick him in the nut sack, the show itself was just what I had expected from them: an hour of over-the-top dramatic stage antics backed by beautiful guitar riffs and drum beats that just provoked you to rock out.
Photo by City On Fire
One of the biggest conflicts for us – and probably a lot of other attendees – at this year's Austin City Limits was the competing sets from headliners Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and Beck. Hell, we didn't actually make our decision until we attempted to navigate the crowd gathered for Plant & Krauss. The mellow tunes coming from the former Zeppelin frontman and bluegrass songstress were completely overpowered by Beck's booming bass, which served as a beckoning call for those of us in search of a party. Add to that the fact that we had spent fifteen minutes running an obstacle course through a maze of chairs and still hadn't made much forward progress through the thick crowd, and we were easily persuaded to try our luck at the other end of the festival. We made it to the opposite side of the park in time for a nasty rendition of "Que Onda Guero," which quickly got us gyrating to the pulsing beats and rhythms. We spent the rest of the set dancing our way towards the front, only to be cut off just when we reached our desired destination. Even the abrupt ending, however, couldn't keep this set from standing out above every other headliner I saw in 2008.
I wasn't expecting much walking into NIN's Saturday headlining set at Voodoo. In fact, I was so turned off by the idea of attending what I assumed would be an industrial metal set that I skipped the first few songs, instead opting to wander around the festival with a friend. We made our way back to our group during "Closer," which sort of made me smile but didn't exactly alter my outlook on the set. By about two songs later, though, I'd completely changed my tune. My mind was unexpectedly blown by both the unbelievable light show and the quality of surprisingly nuanced music that Reznor & co. delivered.
I must admit that I'm a little biased. I have a bit of a thing for Widespread Panic, so more than likely, even on their worst night, they would still win my vote. But this was certainly not their worst performance. Violinist Ann Marie Calhoun joined the Athens, GA natives for several songs, and the night continued to roll. This was then followed by one of the most amazing fireworks displays I have ever seen, all culminating in our most distracted walk through the forest. And the guy told us they were portabellas.
I was incredibly upset that I had to miss at least ten sets of music – including a few headliners – due to the storms that rocked Wakarusa this year. The official festival guide clearly stated that it was a rain or shine event. Sure, the storms were intense, but they only lasted for a short period of time. I stayed in touch with a member of Future Rock during Thursday's barrage of rain; they were so looking forward to playing their late-night set that they stuck out the storm in their van next to the stage thinking they'd still get to play after the heavy rain quelled. It wasn't until past midnight – over an hour after the rain ceased – that he was officially told their set was canceled. He was so disappointed by the lack of preparation and organization demonstrated that he, like many that weekend, swore off Wakarusa for good. We have high hopes that things will run more smoothly for the festival at its new location.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Just as the Wailers began their set on the main stage at Mulberry Mountain, the skies opened and hurled all over us. When Eggs and I left Houston the previous Wednesday to head to Arkansas for the festival, we figured we'd miss the ire of the little storm approaching in the gulf. Instead, we found ourselves throwing all of our gear into the trunk in the midst of torrential rain. We careened down the mountain and back to H-town, where we were greeted by debris in the streets and no electricity. We sorta wished we'd just stayed at Mulberry and caught the apparently epic set that headliners Umphrey's McGee went on to play in the Harvest Tent while it poured outside.
Not that I think that STS9 are bad, I just don't feel that they're exactly what most festival-goers would call a headliner. Don't get me wrong, I had a good time while I was over there, but there were many other enticing things going on to lure me away from this show several songs in. We'll see what Wakarusa sends our way this year out of Arkansas! It'll undoubtedly be an improvement.
Photo by recovering lazyholic
Band of Horses straight owned Austin during 2008's ACL. This show, which took place at the tiny Parish Room, wasn't announced until a week before the festival, but was instantly the hottest ticket of the weekend. Bill Murray was there, as (allegedly) were Robert Plant and Beck. The energy in the room was electric, and at times rowdy, but the music that was on display was some of the best I'd heard in a long time. It was the perfect way to cap off a festival day that started with Fleet Foxes and ended with Beck, and it was the best show of that whole weekend by far. All six members of the band were clearly having as good a time as the audience, which was apparent in the quality of their playing that evening. One of the commenters on our YouTube videos from that show said it best: "you're so lucky to have gone to this show." I can't lie, I do feel pretty lucky to have been in attendance that evening.
Just after the post-Panic fireworks ended on Friday, July 4 at Rothbury, Thievery Corporation kicked off their late-night performance. Their global rhythms and cast of guest musicians got the audience in the party mood and kept them grooving for the duration of the set. It was a much more high-energy show than I'd expected, and proved to be a perfect fit for after-dark crowds fiending for dancetastic music.
So you say that a festival is more than just the music. You say that you are there for the subculture, or to enjoy interaction with your fellow festival-goers. Well, the Sherwood Forest is all that and a bag of chips – and I'm talking family size nacho cheese Doritos, bitches! If you wanted to glimpse the most interesting and unusual sights in all of Rothbury, this was the place to be. Whether you wanted to sit in a giant cloth gourd watching dudes commit random acts of mushroom sprinkling, nap in a hammock, search for Carl, or chill with "spider-head," you could do it all in Sherwood. If you haven't already secured your trip to Michigan next July, go see a psychiatrist.
Photo by kiDD wiDD
As you've read so far, Saturday, September 27th turned out to be pretty damn good day for me. My favorite headliner and late-night set have already come from that day, but it was the first show I saw that started it all off right. A while back I missed the opportunity to catch the up-and-coming Fleet Foxes at a small venue in Houston, so the late addition of their name to the festival was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure how they were going to hold down the cavernous AT&T stage, but with a larger-than-expected crowd in attendance, they ran through almost their complete catalog. My only complaint about this almost-flawless coffee set was that they didn't play one of my current favorites, "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song." The band surpassed my expectations musically – and certainly gained themselves numerous new fans – but it was the witty humor in between their gorgeous songs that really sold me. Their dry, sarcastic banter was a perfect balance for the somber acoustic folk music for which they've become known since the release of their eponymous debut album. If they were that good in a large scale format, how amazing would they be in a tiny indoor club? Damn, I'm pissed that I missed that set earlier in the year.
Dirtfoot's performance at the Chompdown at Mulberry Mountain was a coffee set in the truest sense – they performed at about 9am in the campground while Chomp volunteers served up some tasty breakfast. The band has become a mainstay of the event, which takes place annually at both Mulberry and Wakarusa. Dirtfoot have played at every Chomp so far, a tradition that I hope continues.
I knew nothing of these guys going into the weekend. My yolky friend Eggs recommended them to me, and made them my treasure find of the weekend. Their sound is certainly unique, and their Waka set took us through all spectra of music before it was all said and done. Let's just say I now own their whole discography.
We probably wouldn't have noticed the lack of attendees at this set if they'd just turned off that damn flood light. What a shame that there weren't more people present – they missed a gorgeous performance.
Meh.
Snoop told "East Lansing" that it was 4:20 at least 15 times over the span of about 30 minutes.
Camping at Mulberry Mountain felt like being in VIP. When we arrived, we pulled in and immediately found a fabulous spot in the trees just off the main road. We could reach any of the stages in under three minutes, and because the schedule mostly alternated between bands playing on the campground and main stages, we could listen to every set from our tent. Since everything was so close, it was incredibly easy to stop by our temporary home to make meals, enjoy a beverage or two, or just relax for awhile. Plus, everyone was just so darn nice – we had the friendliest neighbors we've ever met at a festival.
Trees are a big part of what gave Rothbury its magic. Instead of crossing a big dusty field to get from set to set, you had to walk through at least part of a forest to get to the next stage. This contributed to the surreal feeling that we were entering a different world each time we emerged from the trees. In addition to an idyllic location, Rothbury benefited from almost perfect weather. During the day, temperatures hovered in the mid-70's (F); at night, they dropped to the 50's, making for perfect sleeping weather. Not once did we wake up sweaty.
The folks behind Rothbury weren't playing around about environmental consciousness. Not only did they provide separate bins for compostable items, recyclables, and trash, they also placed volunteers at most of the stations to ensure that festival-goers were tossing their waste in the proper cans. The grounds stayed cleaner than any other festival we've been to, a result of diligent cleaning efforts between sets as well as (hopefully) heightened conscientiousness of attendees.
With two stages that had mostly alternating performance schedules, it was possible – and easy – to see every single set of music at Mulberry. We're sort of fanatical when it comes to festivals, and we try to see as much music as we can possibly fit in, so it was nice to be able to make it to every set.
Photo by patsun
On Friday night at ACL, we were scanning the fabulous food court for the tastiest sounding treat. Intrigued by something called a 'crunchy avo cone,' we stopped at Hudson's on the Bend to try one out. With tempura fried avocado and a choice of chicken or fish, they were delicious from the first bite, but we really fell in love when we discovered the spicy slaw hidden at the bottom of the cone. By mid-afternoon Saturday, scores of other festival-goers had discovered them, and lines stretched out farther than any other booth. ACL's Austin Eats food court has tons of other superb dining choices – seriously, the selection there is phenomenal – but the avo cones were frikkin' incredible.
Colorful hammocks hung between trees in Rothbury's Sherwood Forest, offering festival-goers an ideal spot for taking a break from all the action. You could doze blissfully within earshot of the Odeum and Sherwood Court stages, provided you were lucky enough to snag one of the ultra-popular snooze slings.
Video by cope243
We ran into these guys while we were stumbling around Sherwood Forest in the dark and couldn't stop laughing. Watch the video.
Everywhere you went at Rothbury, you were bound to hear someone saying, "Have you seen the monkeys?!" And for good reason. It was next to impossible to walk by the spinning structure without stopping to stare for a few rounds.
I'm still tempted to eat it...
I've been hoping to run into the Ice Cream Man ever since first hearing about him, and it was quite a welcome surprise to find him at Wakarusa on a hot summer day.
About the cloth wristband trend: keep 'em coming! They're infinitely more comfortable than the plastic versions that have been ubiquitous at festivals for several years, and they're more attractive to boot. An additional bonus for souvenir-saving freaks like us is that they're relatively easy to slide off without having to cut them. (The Rothbury band is a press band – they forced us to surrender our regular bands when we picked up our credentials.)
When we dreamed up Breakfast On Tour in late 2007, we didn't really know where the site would take us. We certainly didn't expect to be able to attend so many festivals in our first year – all told, we posted coverage of five summer and fall events, plus had friends report back from two more. We're all deeply enamored with festivals, and we've found that covering them is one of the most satisfying aspects of our little project. We've learned that while it's not exactly easy all the time – we try to be as comprehensive as possible, so we wind up running around a lot – it's rewarding and we always have a great time. Hopefully, 2009 will find us reporting back from even more multi-day events – stay tuned to see where the year takes us!
For now, enjoy our look back at the festies we hit up in '08: Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival in Lawrence, KS; Rothbury Music Festival near Rothbury, MI; Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival near Ozark, AR; Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, TX; and Voodoo Experience in New Orleans, LA. See our best-of awards after the jump!
Note: Remember that these awards draw from only the festivals we attended this year. We're sure that many of you out there experienced some bad-assness that we missed out on – feel free to let us know about it by leaving a comment.
Click the links to view the original posts.
BEST FESTIVAL
Rothbury — July 3-6, 2008 in Rothbury, MI
It's unanimous: Eggs, Cereal and Toast all agree that not only was Rothbury the best festival we attended all year, it was the best festival we've ever attended, period. A solid lineup, good organization, clean grounds, staggering attention to detail, hidden surprises and a stunning location made this four-day festival in Michigan an instant classic in our books. Two words: Sherwood Forest.
BEST SET
Eggs' pick: Hot Chip at ACL
This damn well may have been the funkiest hour of my life. Even with the 90+ degree Austin heat, and festival legs already starting to settle in, Hot Chip didn't fail to throw a dance party that had me and the rest of the swelling crowd getting down for the entire show. No other set that weekend in Zilker Park came anywhere near touching the quality of this performance.
Cereal's pick: Of Montreal at Rothbury
Though I love spending time with friends at festivals, I always try to make it a point to take in a few sets alone. At Rothbury, I intended to photograph Of Montreal, stay for about half the set, then link back up with the crew at Widespread Panic. But Of Montreal's electrifying live show instantly hooked me, and I couldn't tear myself away. I stood there in awe for the entire set, ignoring texts so that I could absorb as much of frontman Kevin Barnes' insane genius as possible. It was a perfect set to see solo, since I could focus all of my attention on the stage. Add to that the fact that I had more fun photographing this band than any other all year, and it's an easy pick for my favorite non-headlining festival set of 2008.
Toast's pick: The Mars Volta at Voodoo
Although you wouldn't catch any of my fellow BOTheads in the crowd for this one, it was a definite must-see for me, especially since The Mars Volta opted out of Rothbury earlier in the year. Their Voodoo set was intense from the start – shortly into it, lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala jumped into the press pit and started fucking with us photographers. Aside from thinking I was going to have to kick him in the nut sack, the show itself was just what I had expected from them: an hour of over-the-top dramatic stage antics backed by beautiful guitar riffs and drum beats that just provoked you to rock out.
BEST HEADLINER
Eggs' pick: Beck at ACL
One of the biggest conflicts for us – and probably a lot of other attendees – at this year's Austin City Limits was the competing sets from headliners Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and Beck. Hell, we didn't actually make our decision until we attempted to navigate the crowd gathered for Plant & Krauss. The mellow tunes coming from the former Zeppelin frontman and bluegrass songstress were completely overpowered by Beck's booming bass, which served as a beckoning call for those of us in search of a party. Add to that the fact that we had spent fifteen minutes running an obstacle course through a maze of chairs and still hadn't made much forward progress through the thick crowd, and we were easily persuaded to try our luck at the other end of the festival. We made it to the opposite side of the park in time for a nasty rendition of "Que Onda Guero," which quickly got us gyrating to the pulsing beats and rhythms. We spent the rest of the set dancing our way towards the front, only to be cut off just when we reached our desired destination. Even the abrupt ending, however, couldn't keep this set from standing out above every other headliner I saw in 2008.
Cereal's pick: Nine Inch Nails at Voodoo
I wasn't expecting much walking into NIN's Saturday headlining set at Voodoo. In fact, I was so turned off by the idea of attending what I assumed would be an industrial metal set that I skipped the first few songs, instead opting to wander around the festival with a friend. We made our way back to our group during "Closer," which sort of made me smile but didn't exactly alter my outlook on the set. By about two songs later, though, I'd completely changed my tune. My mind was unexpectedly blown by both the unbelievable light show and the quality of surprisingly nuanced music that Reznor & co. delivered.
Toast's pick: Widespread Panic at Rothbury
I must admit that I'm a little biased. I have a bit of a thing for Widespread Panic, so more than likely, even on their worst night, they would still win my vote. But this was certainly not their worst performance. Violinist Ann Marie Calhoun joined the Athens, GA natives for several songs, and the night continued to roll. This was then followed by one of the most amazing fireworks displays I have ever seen, all culminating in our most distracted walk through the forest. And the guy told us they were portabellas.
WORST HEADLINER
Eggs' pick: The non-existent Wakarusa Sunday headliners
I was incredibly upset that I had to miss at least ten sets of music – including a few headliners – due to the storms that rocked Wakarusa this year. The official festival guide clearly stated that it was a rain or shine event. Sure, the storms were intense, but they only lasted for a short period of time. I stayed in touch with a member of Future Rock during Thursday's barrage of rain; they were so looking forward to playing their late-night set that they stuck out the storm in their van next to the stage thinking they'd still get to play after the heavy rain quelled. It wasn't until past midnight – over an hour after the rain ceased – that he was officially told their set was canceled. He was so disappointed by the lack of preparation and organization demonstrated that he, like many that weekend, swore off Wakarusa for good. We have high hopes that things will run more smoothly for the festival at its new location.
Cereal's pick: Hurricane Ike at Mulberry Mountain
Just as the Wailers began their set on the main stage at Mulberry Mountain, the skies opened and hurled all over us. When Eggs and I left Houston the previous Wednesday to head to Arkansas for the festival, we figured we'd miss the ire of the little storm approaching in the gulf. Instead, we found ourselves throwing all of our gear into the trunk in the midst of torrential rain. We careened down the mountain and back to H-town, where we were greeted by debris in the streets and no electricity. We sorta wished we'd just stayed at Mulberry and caught the apparently epic set that headliners Umphrey's McGee went on to play in the Harvest Tent while it poured outside.
Toast's pick: STS9 at Wakarusa
Not that I think that STS9 are bad, I just don't feel that they're exactly what most festival-goers would call a headliner. Don't get me wrong, I had a good time while I was over there, but there were many other enticing things going on to lure me away from this show several songs in. We'll see what Wakarusa sends our way this year out of Arkansas! It'll undoubtedly be an improvement.
BEST LATE-NIGHT SET
Eggs' pick: Band of Horses post-ACL
Band of Horses straight owned Austin during 2008's ACL. This show, which took place at the tiny Parish Room, wasn't announced until a week before the festival, but was instantly the hottest ticket of the weekend. Bill Murray was there, as (allegedly) were Robert Plant and Beck. The energy in the room was electric, and at times rowdy, but the music that was on display was some of the best I'd heard in a long time. It was the perfect way to cap off a festival day that started with Fleet Foxes and ended with Beck, and it was the best show of that whole weekend by far. All six members of the band were clearly having as good a time as the audience, which was apparent in the quality of their playing that evening. One of the commenters on our YouTube videos from that show said it best: "you're so lucky to have gone to this show." I can't lie, I do feel pretty lucky to have been in attendance that evening.
Cereal's pick: Thievery Corporation at Rothbury
Just after the post-Panic fireworks ended on Friday, July 4 at Rothbury, Thievery Corporation kicked off their late-night performance. Their global rhythms and cast of guest musicians got the audience in the party mood and kept them grooving for the duration of the set. It was a much more high-energy show than I'd expected, and proved to be a perfect fit for after-dark crowds fiending for dancetastic music.
Toast's pick: Sherwood Forest at Rothbury
So you say that a festival is more than just the music. You say that you are there for the subculture, or to enjoy interaction with your fellow festival-goers. Well, the Sherwood Forest is all that and a bag of chips – and I'm talking family size nacho cheese Doritos, bitches! If you wanted to glimpse the most interesting and unusual sights in all of Rothbury, this was the place to be. Whether you wanted to sit in a giant cloth gourd watching dudes commit random acts of mushroom sprinkling, nap in a hammock, search for Carl, or chill with "spider-head," you could do it all in Sherwood. If you haven't already secured your trip to Michigan next July, go see a psychiatrist.
BEST COFFEE SET
Eggs' pick: Fleet Foxes at ACL
As you've read so far, Saturday, September 27th turned out to be pretty damn good day for me. My favorite headliner and late-night set have already come from that day, but it was the first show I saw that started it all off right. A while back I missed the opportunity to catch the up-and-coming Fleet Foxes at a small venue in Houston, so the late addition of their name to the festival was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure how they were going to hold down the cavernous AT&T stage, but with a larger-than-expected crowd in attendance, they ran through almost their complete catalog. My only complaint about this almost-flawless coffee set was that they didn't play one of my current favorites, "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song." The band surpassed my expectations musically – and certainly gained themselves numerous new fans – but it was the witty humor in between their gorgeous songs that really sold me. Their dry, sarcastic banter was a perfect balance for the somber acoustic folk music for which they've become known since the release of their eponymous debut album. If they were that good in a large scale format, how amazing would they be in a tiny indoor club? Damn, I'm pissed that I missed that set earlier in the year.
Cereal's pick: Dirtfoot at the Chompdown on the Mountain
Dirtfoot's performance at the Chompdown at Mulberry Mountain was a coffee set in the truest sense – they performed at about 9am in the campground while Chomp volunteers served up some tasty breakfast. The band has become a mainstay of the event, which takes place annually at both Mulberry and Wakarusa. Dirtfoot have played at every Chomp so far, a tradition that I hope continues.
Toast's pick: Apollo Sunshine at Wakarusa
I knew nothing of these guys going into the weekend. My yolky friend Eggs recommended them to me, and made them my treasure find of the weekend. Their sound is certainly unique, and their Waka set took us through all spectra of music before it was all said and done. Let's just say I now own their whole discography.
MOST UNDER-ATTENDED SET
We probably wouldn't have noticed the lack of attendees at this set if they'd just turned off that damn flood light. What a shame that there weren't more people present – they missed a gorgeous performance.
Runner-up: Dr. Dog at Wakarusa
Wakarusa had a few problems of its own this year, but there is no reason any festival set should have less than fifty people in attendance. Dr. Dog still brought the heat, though, playing several new songs off their latest release, Fate, as well as a host of older material.
WORST SET
Meh.
HAZIEST SET
Snoop told "East Lansing" that it was 4:20 at least 15 times over the span of about 30 minutes.
BEST CAMPING
Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival
Camping at Mulberry Mountain felt like being in VIP. When we arrived, we pulled in and immediately found a fabulous spot in the trees just off the main road. We could reach any of the stages in under three minutes, and because the schedule mostly alternated between bands playing on the campground and main stages, we could listen to every set from our tent. Since everything was so close, it was incredibly easy to stop by our temporary home to make meals, enjoy a beverage or two, or just relax for awhile. Plus, everyone was just so darn nice – we had the friendliest neighbors we've ever met at a festival.
BEST VENUE
Trees are a big part of what gave Rothbury its magic. Instead of crossing a big dusty field to get from set to set, you had to walk through at least part of a forest to get to the next stage. This contributed to the surreal feeling that we were entering a different world each time we emerged from the trees. In addition to an idyllic location, Rothbury benefited from almost perfect weather. During the day, temperatures hovered in the mid-70's (F); at night, they dropped to the 50's, making for perfect sleeping weather. Not once did we wake up sweaty.
CLEANEST FESTIVAL
The folks behind Rothbury weren't playing around about environmental consciousness. Not only did they provide separate bins for compostable items, recyclables, and trash, they also placed volunteers at most of the stations to ensure that festival-goers were tossing their waste in the proper cans. The grounds stayed cleaner than any other festival we've been to, a result of diligent cleaning efforts between sets as well as (hopefully) heightened conscientiousness of attendees.
BEST SCHEDULING
Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival
With two stages that had mostly alternating performance schedules, it was possible – and easy – to see every single set of music at Mulberry. We're sort of fanatical when it comes to festivals, and we try to see as much music as we can possibly fit in, so it was nice to be able to make it to every set.
BEST FESTIVAL GRUB
On Friday night at ACL, we were scanning the fabulous food court for the tastiest sounding treat. Intrigued by something called a 'crunchy avo cone,' we stopped at Hudson's on the Bend to try one out. With tempura fried avocado and a choice of chicken or fish, they were delicious from the first bite, but we really fell in love when we discovered the spicy slaw hidden at the bottom of the cone. By mid-afternoon Saturday, scores of other festival-goers had discovered them, and lines stretched out farther than any other booth. ACL's Austin Eats food court has tons of other superb dining choices – seriously, the selection there is phenomenal – but the avo cones were frikkin' incredible.
BEST PLACE TO CATCH A CATNAP BETWEEN SETS
Hammocks in the Sherwood Forest at Rothbury
Colorful hammocks hung between trees in Rothbury's Sherwood Forest, offering festival-goers an ideal spot for taking a break from all the action. You could doze blissfully within earshot of the Odeum and Sherwood Court stages, provided you were lucky enough to snag one of the ultra-popular snooze slings.
BEST COSTUME
Glowstick People at Rothbury
We ran into these guys while we were stumbling around Sherwood Forest in the dark and couldn't stop laughing. Watch the video.
BEST DISTRACTION
Peter Hudson's Homouroboros at Rothbury
Everywhere you went at Rothbury, you were bound to hear someone saying, "Have you seen the monkeys?!" And for good reason. It was next to impossible to walk by the spinning structure without stopping to stare for a few rounds.
BEST FREEBIES
Eggs' pick: Flaming Lips movie ticket/blotter paper at Wakarusa
I'm still tempted to eat it...
Cereal's pick: Portable ashtray at Rothbury
[I can't find mine, and I couldn't locate any photos of them on Flickr, so no pic available.]
At Rothbury, portable ashtrays were available for free in an attempt to cut down on cigarettes discarded on the ground. They held six butts each, making it easy to store cancer stick remnants, then later toss them in the appropriate bin.
Toast's pick: Frozen treats from the Ice Cream Man at Wakarusa
I've been hoping to run into the Ice Cream Man ever since first hearing about him, and it was quite a welcome surprise to find him at Wakarusa on a hot summer day.
BEST FESTIVAL WRISTBAND
Rothbury and ACL
About the cloth wristband trend: keep 'em coming! They're infinitely more comfortable than the plastic versions that have been ubiquitous at festivals for several years, and they're more attractive to boot. An additional bonus for souvenir-saving freaks like us is that they're relatively easy to slide off without having to cut them. (The Rothbury band is a press band – they forced us to surrender our regular bands when we picked up our credentials.)
We hope you enjoyed our 2008 festival retrospective. Stay tuned to BOT for more year-end coverage coming soon!
–Breakfast On Tour
Glow stick people
I love those fucking guys!
Avo Cones are Avo-licious!!!
Good call on the Avo-cones! Of all the new festival food I tried this year, I have a tie between an "OOf-da Taco" from 10,000 Lakes Festival and the Organic food served at Coalessence Festival
Beck
I still can't believe that we found that giant dance area in the middle of the crowd at Beck. What was a 10'x10' patch of grass doing balls-deep in a massive crowd? That show was indeed nuts!
Re: Avo Cones
I thought you hated the avo cones. What the heck is an OOf-da Taco?
Re: Beck
One of my favorite memories of ACL is doing the dancing-while-maneuvering thing through the Beck crowd, then spilling out into that random open space and dancing around like idiots. Such a blissful moment...then the damn set had to end.
Great article. I need a
Great article. I need a Rothbury 09. NEED
I may have hated the avo
I may have hated the avo cones... That was over two months ago! Do you really think I have that good of a memory, especially of food?!
Anywho, if you ever make it out to 10KLF you should definately try and OOf-Da Taco. I think its some kind of Minny-soda (Minnesota) thing.
OMG
josh and I are soooo going with ya'll to Rothbury next year... IT LOOKS SO NEATO!
Ha ha
Couldn't believe we actually had a post titled OMG on our site. No offense, just didn't see it coming.
LMAO
LMAO and the OMG, btw LOL.
IMHO
you guys are assholes
Jodie, I really hope you and Josh can come to the 'Bury next year – I think you'd both love it!
Hater
Didn't you read the last line of my post? I said I wasn't trying to be a dick, just kinda blindsided me! As for DZ, well, I just live with the asshole. Although he'd pry say that I'm the asshole...
The Bus
Thanks dude just throw me under the bus Toast. And not a little short bus either, one of those big old buses that a buncha of hippies have turned into their home. I wasn't trying to be an ass either, it was pretty unexpected.
Bus
You should tell Rich Uncle Penny Bags to buy us a bus!
Yeah!
How 'bout a flying bus?
P cheese
Dudes! I don't actually think you're assholes. Usually, anyway.
Rich Uncle Penny Bags should totally buy us a bus. I'll paint some sort of crazy breakfast stuff all over it. It will be incredibly incognito.
X Mas Present?
Maybe he'll do it for a Christmas present. We might have to wait until this economy straightens out for the flying bus, but I see it in the near future. For now we'll just take a decked out tour bus with a driver. I guess...
So, did you get the flying
So, did you get the flying bus in your stocking?
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
This is for you, Jim!
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
like, for real.
Hey!!!
I never said anything bad about your comment, that was all Toast and Cold Pizza. Take your OMG's back!
ROFL
Nah, it's not necessary to take back the OMGs – just re-direct them toward the appropriate parties.
WTF
I explained myself, what the fuck else do ya want? And yes, I did get the flying bus in my stocking. I came down to H-Town for the weekend, but forgot to call you. Maybe next time.
STHADYIPBPS
That's ok - we got press access to Roo, but forgot to include your name. Maybe next time.
Peace
:--------------->---------O-:
That's your face with the P Cheese on it!
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