Thirty-two college students. Thirteen cars. An eight-and-a-half-hour drive to a farm in Tennessee.
No, they weren't going to a farming convention, but to Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, an annual music celebration in Manchester, Tenn.
Last summer senior Chris Pell and a friend organized a caravan of mostly MSU students to the festival site 60 miles southeast of Nashville, where they pitched tents and camped for the three-day event.
Bonnaroo is just one of many popular summer music festivals, and it draws a diverse group of more than 75,000 people every year.
"(There is) every age group you could possibly imagine. Of course you have your cliché hippies running around everywhere," Pell said. "Young, old, college students, just about everybody."
A caravan for Bonnaroo 2006 is already in the works.
"It's a lot of fun when you get that big caravan going, especially with people you know," Pell said. So far his group
plans on 15 MSU students going on the trip, and a growing Facebook group helps people find rides down to the show.
Tickets to festivals like Bonnaroo can range from $20 for one day to nearly $200 for three, and depending on the festival, lodging will cost extra. Some people might think the price for a three-day music bash is ridiculous, but it's worth the money for thousands of concertgoers every summer. For many, it's a chance to see bands whose tours they missed. It's also a great excuse for a mini-vacation and a way to meet people from all over the U.S.
"You'll definitely see things at the festivals that you can't see anywhere else," Pell said. "Expect the unexpected."
At multiple-day festivals, the concert site turns into its own community, a haven with everyone there for a common cause — music.
Most of these shows have at least 20 music acts and several stages. They're all in the summer, so the great weather will only add to the experience.
Jane's Addiction singer and founder of Lollapalooza Perry Farrell puts it best. "Each (band) is like a party in my head," he said in his blog on the festival's Web site. "Just to be able to fantasize being outdoors and hearing music with no pressure ? I fall in love with songs, and to see the people who actually brought that song to life — wow — that's on another level."
THE SHOWS
Out of state
Indio, Calif.:
Coachella Valley Music Festival
Best way to get there: By plane. Check discount airfare Web sites such as www.priceline.com or www.orbitz.com, but either way, it's guaranteed to be expensive.
Date: April 29-30
Location: Empire Polo Field
Price: $85 for one day, $165 for both. On-site camping tickets sold separately for $35 per person.
Lineup: Depeche Mode, Tool, Sigur Rós, Madonna, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, Damian "Junior Gong" Marley
Info: Coachella started in 1999 and features music, independent films and contemporary art. The show is held about 50 miles south of the Mojave Desert and has attracted a crowd of 100,000. Music genres range from techno, to indie, to reggae. Coachella is sure to be an experience, but don't worry if you can't afford it — many of the bands will be featured at other, more convenient festivals this summer.
Chicago:
Intonation Music Festival
Best way to get there: Take the train from the Amtrak station at 1240 S. Harrison Ave. A round trip is about $60, which could save gas money and you won't have to drive in the busy city. You can buy a ticket online at www.amtrak.com.
Travel time: About four hours
In the city: The Chicago Transit Authority offers visitor passes good for both buses and the "L" for up to five days with prices ranging from $5 to $18. Visit www.transitchicago.com for maps and pass vendor locations.
Date: June 24-25
Location: Union Park
Price: $20 for one day, $35 for both
Number of bands: 20-30
Lineup: The Streets, The Stills, Lady Sovereign on June 24, Bloc Party, Panthers, The Constantines on June 25
Info: Last year, Pitchfork Media organized the first Intonation Music Festival. After an unexpected turnout of 30,000 attendees, the show will return to Union Park for a second year, this time curated by Vice Records. The goal of the festival is to introduce fans to up-and-coming performers. Most acts are on independent record labels. There are several hip-hop artists, including the British group The Streets. At less than $40 for two days, Intonation is affordable for a weekend vacation. There's also the option of going only one day. Unlike many festivals, Intonation not only allows water bottles, but also has places to refill them, and water is sold for only $1.
Pitchfork Music Festival
Date: July 29-30
Location: Union Park
Price: $20 for one day, $30 for both
Number of bands: 36
Lineup: Ted Leo + Pharmacists, Silver Jews, Destroyer on July 29, Devendra Banhart, Aesop Rock, Spoon on July 30
Info: After the success of last summer's Intonation Music Festival, Pitchfork Media decided to start its own event. In its inaugural year, the Pitchfork Music Festival will feature 36 independent bands, more than 20 still to be announced. Also held in Union Park in Chicago, the festival is two days long and also gives the option of only attending one day.
Lollapalooza
Date: August 4-6
Location: Grant Park
Price: $130 for three days
Number of bands: 130
Lineup: Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Flaming Lips, Kanye West, The New Pornographers, Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, The Shins
Info: Imagine a warm summer day in one of the most exciting cities in the United States. Add eight stages with bands ranging in acts from alternative rock legends to hip-hop groups to indie-pop superstars. Multiply by three. Lollapalooza was founded in 1991 by Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction and was held every summer through 1997. It was picked up as a touring show in 2003, canceled in 2004 due to low ticket sales and reclaimed its success in 2005 as a two-day festival in Chicago with about 80 bands. This year there is a third day added on and almost twice as many bands. A three-day pass is $130 plus service charges, which totals about $50 per day — not much more than some regular concert tickets. Visit www.lollapalooza.com for more information.
Manchester, Tenn.:
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Best way to get there: Road trip with a group of friends and split the gas money. Tennessee is far away, and this is on a farm 60 miles south of Nashville. Chances are you won't be able to find public transportation to get from Nashville to Manchester. Also, you can camp out on the farm so there will be a place to park.
Travel time: About 10 hours
Date: June 16-18
Location: 700-acre farm
Price: $184.50 for three days
Number of bands: More than 80
Lineup: Radiohead, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Beck, Death Cab For Cutie, Bright Eyes, Ben Folds, Bonnie Raitt
Info: While Bonnaroo puts a lot of focus on the "jam band" scene, this year's festival has an unbelievable variety of contemporary music. Bonnaroo is unique because while there is an option of staying in a hotel, most people camp out. Because of the campsite, there is a lot of buying, selling and trading of necessities like food and bottled water. There's also a 100-acre "entertainment village" with comedy shows, movies and an interactive music tent, among other activities. Basically, it's three days of music, two nights of partying, and nearly 100 great bands.
New orleans:
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Dates: April 28-30 & May 5-7
Location: New Orleans
Price: Advance adult tickets are $30 for one day
Number of bands: Hundreds, no official number yet
Lineup: Mostly local Louisiana musicians and a few national headliners including Bob Dylan, Etta James, Ani DiFranco, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band, Fats Domino
Info: After last summer's widespread devastation of New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina, it was up in the air until February whether or not the jazz fest would happen. But thankfully, it's a go. The festival draws hundreds of thousands each year to the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course and will likely serve as a jump start for the Big Easy's economy. New Orleans and Louisiana artists are the main focus of the event, with many local artists playing intimate shows at New Orleans bars at night. Fabulous food, crafts and culture also are a huge part of the festival.
Local
Detroit:
Vans Warped Tour
Date: July 29
Location: Comerica Park
Price: About $30
Number of bands: More than 50
Lineup: Against Me!, Less Than Jake, Saves The Day, The Academy Is…, Motion City Soundtrack, Rise Against, Thursday, Reggie and the Full Effect
Info: From the mid to late '90s, the Vans Warped Tour was a daylong punk rock festival, but let's be honest: Things have changed. There are still a handful of punk rock veterans on the tour, but pop-punk has dominated the fest for at least the past five years, attracting obnoxious hordes of screaming 14-year-old girls. However, the 2006 Vans Warped Tour has the potential to be different, bringing back acts that have opted out in the past couple years, such as Less Than Jake, Against Me! and Saves The Day. And please note the absence of Fall Out Boy. In addition to music, the Warped Tour features professional skateboarders. There are also a lot of opportunities to meet band members and get free stuff from the tents set up around the venue. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com.
Clarkston:
Ozzfest
Date: July 19
Location: DTE Engery Music Theatre
Price: $83.50 pavilion seating, $43.50 lawn
Number of bands: 19
Lineup: Ozzy Osbourne, System of a Down, Disturbed, Lacuna Coil
Info: Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest is somehow managing to stay strong in its 10th year. The tour features hard rock and heavy metal bands — well known and up and coming. Because Ozzy is performing, it's sure to be entertaining. But the show is only one day and pricey for less than 20 bands. There are assigned seats in the pavilion, which limits crowd participation, and the lawn seats are on a hill. DTE is a horrible place for a festival.
