Yesterday, the folks at AC Entertainment and Superfly Productions slowly and tantalizingly unfolded the lineup to the ninth annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Fully understanding that our lives are steeped in social media outlets a la Twitter and Facebook, the Roo crew employed a new PR technique that utilized the viral nature of social networking in order to provoke conversation and buzz throughout the entire day. Whether or not you agree that the strategy was well executed, it certainly got everyone talking, which is exactly what the festival founders wanted.
Over the course of about 14 hours, the initial lineup was revealed to festival and music enthusiasts. Some were scrambling to buy their tickets once they knew Phoenix and The Flaming Lips were confirmed as some of the very first acts, and others waited for more crowd-pulling acts like Kings of Leon and Dave Matthews Band. The lineup began leaking and commencing via bands’ and artists’ official announcements after 8 am EST and wrapped up a little after 10 pm EST. Music news sites tried to stay on top of the announcements, but the best coverage award goes to Consequence of Sound, whose team relentlessly pursued and gathered the official artist announcements, often breaking the news on their Twitter page minutes (sometimes hours) before the official Bonnaroo Twitter page would release the information. Props to Consequence of Sound for all of their hard work.
Many complaints were left on the festival’s Facebook and MySpace pages. Either there were too many hippie bands, too much hip-hop, not enough indie artists, too much metal, too many Warped Tour acts–the list goes on. Why not celebrate the diversity of the lineup and Bonnaroo’s ability to attract different types of people?
Initial lineup:
Against Me! / Baaba Maal / Baroness / Bassnectar / Big Sam’s Funky Nation / Blitzen Trapper / Blues Traveler / B.O.B / Brandi Carlile / Calexico / Carolina Chocolate Drops / Clutch / Cross Canadian Ragweed / Damian Marley & Nas / Dan Deacon Ensemble / Daryl Hall & Chromeo / Dave Matthews Band / Dave Rawlings Machine / Deadmau5 / Diane Birch / Dr. Dog / Dropkick Murphys / Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros / Gaslight Anthem / GWAR / Here We Go Magic / Hot Rize / Ingrid Michaelson / Isis / Jamey Johnson / Japandroids / Jay Electronica / Jay-Z / Jeff Beck / Jimmy Cliff / John Fogerty / John Prine / Julia Nunes / Kid Cudi / Kings of Leon / Kris Kristofferson / LCD Soundsystem / Les Claypool / Local Natives / Lotus / Lucero / Manchester Orchestra / Martin Sexton / Mayer Hawthorne and the County / Medeski Martin & Wood / Michael Franti & Spearhead / Miike Snow / Miranda Lambert / Monte Montgomery / Mumford & Sons / Needtobreathe / Neon Indian / Nitty Gritty Dirt Band / Norah Jones / OK Go / Phoenix / Punch Brothers / Rebelution / Regina Spektor / Rise Against / She & Him / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Stevie Wonder / Tenacious D / The Avett Brothers / The Black Keys / The Dead Weather / The Disco Biscuits / The Dodos / The Entrance Band / The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform Dark Side of the Moon / The Melvins / The National / The Postelles / Temper Trap / The xx / They Might Be Giants / Thievery Corporation / Tinariwen / Tokyo Police Club / Tori Amos / Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue / Wale / Weezer / Zac Brown Band
More artists are expected to confirm their participation in the near future. If you’re already counting yourself in, you can order your tickets on the official Bonnaroo website.
