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[Shelbyville Times-Gazette]
Shelbyville, Tennessee ~ Wednesday, December 3, 2008
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Dust doesn't stop Bonnaroo crowd

Saturday, June 17, 2006

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(Photo)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were Friday night's headline act at the Fifth Annual Bonnarro Music and Arts Fair in Manchester. The massive festival ends Sunday.
(T-G Photo by Brian Mosely)
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MANCHESTER -- The temperature topped 90 degrees Friday, but that didn't seem to bother the 80,000 fans who gathered for the fifth time to experience the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Fair.

A cloud of dust covered the 700-acre site; a far cry from last year, when the problem was mud. However the extreme weather conditions only made the crowd adapt, with every concert-goer carrying bottled water or beer. After all, Bonnaroo is a Creole word for "good times."

Another thing different this time has been the number of arrests, only a third compared to last year, according to Coffee County law enforcement sources. The only major incident reported is when a naked man climbed, then fell off a scaffold during a Thursday night performance of the band dios (malos).

Traffic also appeared to move more smoothly and fewer drugs seemed to be present at the festival this year, although the smell of marijuana was still mixed in with the scent of suntan lotion.

"My parents never let me go to Woodstock," was the reason that comedian Lewis Black (famous for his angry segments during "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart") said he was performing at this year's festival.

Ben Folds, who played an electrifying set Friday afternoon, remarked on the energy the crowd produced during shows, which he said enhanced his performance.

The big event that fans are waiting for was Saturday night's concert by British progressive rockers Radiohead, who may perform songs from their new album which has yet to hit stores.

But it wasn't just "jam bands" performing this time around, with the festival hosting more mainstream acts this year such as Beck, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Dr. John and Tom Petty. Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac was a special guest during Petty's set.

The diversity of the music is another draw for the event, with jazz, bluegrass and reggae just some of the styles heard. World Party returned to touring the states after seven years and their show was well received and the crowd grooved to the sounds of Steel Pulse's Jamaican sound.

Recently reformed supergroup Oysterhead, featuring Phish's Trey Anastasio, Les Claypool of Primus [wearing a pig mask] and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland, was also welcomed back to the stage.

The festival winds down Sunday night.



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