Adventures In Your Own Backyard (TOTR 202)

It’s past time to plan and almost time to roll from the annual axis of anxiety and anticipation, past preparation and into celebration. It’s the sensational and sweaty secular summer holiday of the midsouth. It’s the perennial June jubilee known as the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. 

 Featuring a tantalizing top bill of Tom Petty, Mumford & Sons, and Paul McCartney, Bonnaroo doesn’t stop with big gigs, as those with the most name-recognition are matched by the mass diversity of talent down the poster from there. Each spring, curious and determined fans can study the schedule and its array of stages to discover nuggets they didn’t expect and new acts that could change their listening experiences for the better and forever. 

 The following playlist contains all my favorites from the upcoming festival, from people I have been excited about seeing since the lineup dropped, from artists who are rock-solid pop pillars to those recently-discovered rising thrillers. The songs coincide with the chronology of the weekend, synced to a hypothetical itinerary, granted that no fan could see this many shows easily and that some must-see sets are inevitably booked against other must-see sets. After a brief intro from me, tap the buttons to play and kick back with two hours about an upcoming adventure in our own backyard.

Nicki Bluhm – Jetplane (Thursday 6.13.13, 3-4pm That Tent)

Milo Greene – Don’t You Give Up On Me (Thursday 6.13.13, 430-530pm That Tent)

JD McPherson – Signs & Signifiers (Thursday 6.13.13, 6-7pm That Tent)

Maps & Atlases – Fever (Thursday 6.13.13, 1130pm -1230am NMOT Lounge)

Allen Stone – Celebrate Tonight (Thursday 6.13.13, 12-1am That Tent)

Trixie Whitley – Pieces (Friday 6.14.13, 12-1pm Which Stage)

Calexico – Splitter (Friday 6.14.13, 1:45pm This Tent)

Glen Hansard – Races (Friday 6.14.13, 330-445 This Tent)

Of Monsters and Men – King And Lionheart (Friday 6.14.13, 330-445 Which Stage)

Passion Pit – Where We Belong (Friday 6.14.13, 430-530 What Stage)

Wilco – What Light (Friday 6.14.13, 630-8 What Stage)

Jim James – Dear One (Friday 6.14.13, 7-830 This Tent)

The Beatles – The Long and Winding Road (Paul McCartney-Friday 6.14.13, 9-1130pm What Stage)

Patrick Watson – Adventures In Your Own Backyard (Saturday 6.15.13, This Tent 1230-130pm)

Lord Huron – We Went Wild (Saturday 6.15.13, 2-3pm This Tent)

The Tallest Man On Earth – There’s No Leaving Now (Saturday 6.15.13, 330-445pm This Tent)

Frank Turner – The Way I Tend To Be (Saturday 6.15.13, 330-445 That Tent)

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors – Good Light (Saturday 6.15.13, 515-630 That Tent)

Beach House – Holy Dances (Saturday 6.15.13, 7-830pm This Tent)

The Lumineers – Morning Song (Saturday 6.15.13, 815-930 Which Stage)

Mumford & Sons – Hopeless Wanderer (Saturday 6.15.13, 930-1130pm What Stage)

Delta Rae – Hey, Hey, Hey (Sunday 6.15.13, 145-245pm Which Stage)

Macklemore – Neon Cathedral (feat. Allen Stone) (Sunday 6.15.13, 230-330pm What Stage)

Black Prairie – What You Gave (Sunday 6.15.13, 245-345pm That Tent)

The Sheepdogs – How Late, How Long (Sunday 6.15.13, 330-445pm Which Stage)

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Mayla (Sunday 6.15.13, 530-645pm Which Stage)

The National – I Should Live in Salt (Sunday 6.15.13, 630-8pm What Stage)

Tom Petty – House In The Woods (Sunday 6.15.13, 9-11pm What Stage)