Bonnaroo veterans will agree that only two things can truly disrupt the euphoria at the Tennessee summer music festival -- inclement weather and Kanye West (read Bonnaroo 2008).
But for Bonnaroo virgins, the great outdoors -- a 700-acre farm, in this case -- might be rather intimidating. "I'm hearing that it's pretty to crazy to camp out," says first-time Bonnaroo performer Brian Harding of Ex Cops. "I'm sure that it's really fun, but we're only to be there for a day."
To help make camping more enjoyable, we asked some Bonnaroo artists to share their survival secrets with Crossfade. Their answers may surprise you.
See also:
-Five Sets to Watch at Bonnaroo 2013
Katie Toupin, Houndmouth
Bug Spray
Houndmouth is scheduled to pop their Bonnaroo performance cherry at the new Music On Tap Lounge on Thursday, 5:30 p.m. But for Houndmouth-er Katie Toupin, Great Stage Park is familiar territory.
"The second year that I went, I slept in a tent," she says. "At night, I'd feel bugs crawling over me and thought nothing of it 'cause, you know, it's camping. On the last day, I picked up all my blankets and stuff [and realized that] an entire ant colon of ants had moved into my tent. So, I would suggest some bug spray."
Tim DeLaughter, Polyphonic Spree
Anxiety Medicine
For Polyphonic Spree frontman Tim DeLaughter, bloodthirsty mosquitoes take a backseat to overwhelming crowds, which pose the greatest challenge.
"Bring some Off [insect repellent], and plenty of water," he says. "I don't about you, but I get high anxiety around that many people. I don't really like to venture out into the crowds and stuff 'cause it's a lot of crazy-ass energy. But it's still fun, [there is] a lot of great music happening."
Alanna Quinn-Broadus, Alanna Royale
Shade
Alanna Royale's Alanna Quinn-Broadus is admittedly "not a camping girl," especially at Bonnaroo. "You're out in the middle of fucking nowhere Tennessee," she quips. "There's no shade."
But the shortage of modern luxuries doesn't seem to bother the singer's bass player, who she considers an expert camper.
"He's a fucking pro," she says. "I think this is his seventh or eighth Bonnaroo... Last year, he had a tent, a generator, and a tent over his tent so that he could have as much shade as possible."
George Cloney and George Cloney, Cloney
Designer Furniture
"We like to bring a private jet," says George Cloney, one half of the experimental Hollywood hip-hop duo. "We'll typically land the jet on the secret landing strip on the back of the campsite, and usually camp on the jet."
"We also like to bring large amounts of Mid Century Modern Furniture," adds Cloney's counterpart, George Cloney.
"Yeah, there's definitely always a Herman Miller lounge chair," Cloney interjects. "An Eames rocker is good if you want to sit during a show."
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