The 10 Best Acts Of Bonnaroo 2011

Bonnaroo did it again. This year marks the music and arts festival 10th anniversary and they succeeded in rocking 90,000 plus patrons yet again. It’s a bit surprising that an event held out in the middle of nowhere, Tennessee plagued with dust storms and populated with disgusting Port-A-Johns and 100 degree weather could convince people to camp out for five days, but those normally unbearable aspects always prove to be worth it. Posh, upper class concert goers attend Coachella and Lollapalooza, the population of New Orleans goes to Voodoo Experience, but none of these festivals feel like the global community that Bonnaroo attracts. The farm is the only place where hipsters smoke bowls with hippies, freaks befriend frat boys and movie stars mingle and walk among the general population. Only at Bonnaroo…

That general population may be unique, but it’s a fitting byproduct of the eclectic and brilliant line-up. This year’s bill numbered well over two hundred and featured headliners Eminem and Arcade Fire. Both brought the farm into an uproar, but neither played an exemplary show like the ones that grabbed a slot on my top ten. Famous bands like The Black Keys and Buffalo Springfield also killed with their sets, but good just isn’t good enough. Like music in general, there are always those who play good shows, but the ones that transcend the stage and become a memory, are the ones worth noting. This year’s line-up saw jazz musicians, pop singers, bluegrass stars, jam bands, late 60’s psychedelic rockers, blues artists, and even rappers participate in the weeklong party, but only ten proved worthy to me.

After 5 days on the farm, I saw 28 shows. Obviously there might have been bands that I did not see who could have been better than the ones on this list, but these are my favorites and the ones I believe deserve to be called: “The 10 Best Acts Of Bonnaroo 2011.” Here they are:


#10) Widespread Panic

Bonnaroo is normally a staple for jam bands like Widespread Panic; so, it made a lot of sense when festival organizers announced they’d be given the cushy, Sunday night closing slot. You may remember they gave the same honor to another jam band, Phish, in 2009, but the Trey Anastasio-led quartet’s efforts paled in comparison to what fans were given this year.

Merry Christmas | Celebrating Holidays

Christmas Pop Songs Featured On A Very Merry Christmas Original Album

Since the late 1980s pop music stars have been contributing to the continued strength and growth of the Special Olympics. With their musical talents, pop musicians from different genres such as Willie Nelson, Run-D.M.C., and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers have performed on the A Very Christmas series. Today, more than 20 years since the original album release, the series is known as the largest music philanthropy, raising more than $100 million for Special Olympics.

Click here for more Chrismtas Songs to enjoy and listen to this holiday season.

Today the series includes seven titles with the latest version released in 2009. The original series title, A Very Merry Christmas, released October 12, 1987 included well-known and established pop music icons such as Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and Eurythmics.

A Very Special Christmas Artists and Songs

The original album of the series, A Very Special Christmas, features fifteen well- known pop musicians including The Pointer Sisters, Eurythmics, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, The Pretenders, John Mellencamp and Sting. Also included on the series first album are Run-D.M.C., U2, Madonna, Bob Seger, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, Alison Moyet, and Stevie Nicks.

The songs on the album include classics the kid in all us enjoy such as “ Santa Claus is Coming To Town”, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”, and “Run Rudolph Run”. Also featured on the album are seasonal musical carols such as “The Little Drummer Boy”, “Silent Night”, and “Do You Hear What I Hear”. To resonate the joy and wonder of the season are the songs “Winter Wonderland”, “Merry Christmas Baby ” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”.

Two of my album favorites are “Merry Christmas Baby” performed by Bruce Springsteen and “Silent Night” performed by Stevie Nicks. Their renditions are true to the spirit of the songs intent while still delivering in the artist’s own unique way. This can be said of many songs of the songs on this album, these two being my favorites.

Benefits We All Share

The late Eunice Shriver had a vision for all intellectually disabled persons to know more about themselves and their abilities through sports. On that day in 1968 when Eunice Shriver called the first international Special Olympics Summer Games from Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, the nation was never to be the same. Today her vision is far reaching in more than 180 countries including China, Romania, and Afghanistan. Through her efforts, the aid of many others, and the sale of the A Very Special Christmas series, lives are continuing to change for the better.

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