Bedford teacher has blast at Bonnaroo

Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant performed Sunday for the Bonnaroo crowd in Manchester along with Alison Krauss. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely) [Click to enlarge]

Gordon, 43, teaches chemistry and physics and coaches soccer at Shelbyville Central High School and is currently teaching summer school at Harris Middle. With friends Laura Capps and Kara Spray, plus other out-of-town guests, Gordon made the short trek to Coffee County this past weekend to join about 80,000 fans at the festival.

This was the educator's fifth trip to Bonnaroo, and it was one of the best, he said.

The music has always been a big draw for Gordon, but he also likes watching the variety of people who travel across the country every year to live together in Manchester for four days.

"Some of them are like traveling gypsies," Gordon said, remaking that while some of the festival-goers will be returning to their jobs on Monday, others will just move on to the next gathering.

One of the festival's goals has always been to inspire people to become more environmentally aware, or "green," and Gordon said he agrees with that ideal.

But the teacher has observed that the "hippie" ideal is not always lived up to, with some attendees dropping trash on the ground despite nearby recycling bins.

The event did not sell out this year as it had in previous years, and many in attendance pointed fingers at higher gas prices.

Published reports also stated that arrests were down for this year, with 53 taken into custody -- mostly on charges of possession of marijuana or public intoxication -- and 71 others had received citations as of Saturday.

Heat took its toll on some festival-goers as well. Nurse Lee Ann Milam, of Tullahoma, said she was asked to assist a stricken festival-goer, who apparently suffered from severe dehydration, Friday night.

Fortunately no deaths or major emergencies were reported, a Bonnaroo spokesperson said Sunday.

With around 150 acts to choose from, deciding which band to see can be a challenge, especially if two favorites play at the same time. For Gordon, headlining act Metallica wasn't his favorite, but he said he enjoyed the veteran band anyway.

Acts which really stood out to Gordon were MGMT, Levon Helm and Ramble on the Road, and touring veteran Willie Nelson.

Another impressive act was comedian Chris Rock, who performed to possibly the largest audience to date for a stand-up act, some 60,000 people.

"He was a lot of fun, but it must have been difficult to speak in front of such a huge crowd," Gordon said.

Less enthusiasm was expressed for pop star Jack Johnson, who Gordon said "needs to be writing lullabies."

"I nearly fell asleep during it," he said.

Saturday featured blues legend B.B. King being given the keys to the city of Manchester and an exhausting three-hour performance from Pearl Jam, which garnered rave reviews from festival goers.

Rapper M.I.A. used the weekend to announce that "this is my last show, and I'm glad I'm spending it with all my hippies."

However, not all of the acts went off without a hitch. Some of Gordon's friends stayed up late for Kanye West's performance. It was originally scheduled for Saturday after 8 p.m., but was moved to 2:45 a.m. Sunday.

However, West didn't take the stage until 4:25 a.m., and, according to Gordon's friends, played only for an hour, refusing to acknowledge the thinning crowd, as some ticket-holders had already headed back to their camp sites.

"He was a complete jerk," Gordon related. "My friends were furious when they got back."

Although the eight in Gordon's party did camp on the site, they also had the option of heading home for a hot shower and a soft bed at the end of the day.

Gordon commented favorably on improvements to the facilities on the grounds, which were made possible after organizers bought much of the 700 acres that host the massive festival.

Judging from his reaction, Gordon will likely be making the trip to Manchester again next year.

"It just gets better every year," Gordon said.