Posts by Jennifer Kirk

“I keep getting older, and [it] stays the same age.”

[For those indie rockers who made fun of the hippies coming here in 2002]

Borrowing a classic line from Dazed & Confused seemed appropriate for the final Bonnaroo journal entry of the year. I’ve got to admit, it’s been a mind-blowing experience to see how Bonnaroo, as a festival, has grown but still manages to stay the ‘same age’, so to speak. I’ve been attending the festival since its inception and at the time I was still an undergrad. Now, two degrees and a full time job later, it’s allowed me to look at the festival in a different perspective. Not to mention the simple fact that I’ve grown older as well — I’ve seen my fellow Bonnaroo friends grow up, get married, buy houses, have kids and everything else that classifies us as “adults” now. Heck, I even saw my OWN students at Bonnaroo this year. Talk about a weird experience.

I love how there are things you can count on year after year at Bonnaroo besides the music – the tents, the bobble heads, the fountain, the Ferris wheel, the Silent Disco – to name a few. They also have tweaked and added things as the years have passed – the Barn, Planet Roo, additional stages, the installations throughout the campgrounds and the Comedy Tent. This year we saw the addition of a slip and slide, beach volleyball, Rock Band contests and a midway carnival. The promoters make the experience such that you always have something new to check out and can still rely on some of the same ol’ things. A little like Disney World – only for half-way grown up music fans. Anyways, enough about the reminiscing – let’s get to Sunday’s music!

• Bonnaroo Journals: Thursday, Friday Daytime, Friday Late Night, Saturday
• Glide Magazine: Friday, Saturday, Sunday

READ ON for Jennifer’s thoughts on the final day of Bonnaroo…

Bonnaroo can be such an exhausting adventure and Saturday was no exception. With a heat index nearly to 100, one had to do whatever could be done to avoid the heat. Sitting at the main stage waiting for the legendary Jimmy Cliff to perform I could feel the sweat just dripping of my face and for that matter, everywhere else on my body.

[Jimmy Cliff]

Nevertheless, it was an opportunity of a lifetime to get to see the reggae legend from Kingston, Jamaica perform only a few yards away. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame member got things kicked off with a great version of You Can Get It If You Really Want. His set also included a fantastic cover of Yusuf Islam’s (aka Cat Stevens) Wild World. The set was very politically infused, with Jimmy discussing the oil spill in the gulf and that led into a song about global warming. Cliff later changed the lyrics of his own song titled Vietnam to make it relevant about the war in Afghanistan.

• Bonnaroo Journals: Day 1, Day 2, Fri. Late Night
• Glide Magazine @ Bonnaroo: Friday, Saturday

Up next was one of my favorite and most anticipated performances of the weekend – Mumford and Sons. I was extremely surprised and impressed by how many people were in attendance at this show, particularly because the Avett Brothers had an almost identical time slot. You could feel that the crowd was hungry for the performance, as they sang along to every single song. The band opened with Sigh No More and immediately went into The Cave. The vocals on Awake My Soul were particularly poignant. The surprise of the show was the appearances of Dave Rawlings, Gillian Welch and members of Old Crow Medicine Show to perform the band’s own Roll Away Your Stone and then a rip-roaring version of OCMS’s Wagon Wheel.

READ ON for more from Jennifer on Saturday at Bonnaroo…

Late Night on Friday was its own entity at Bonnaroo as the combination of Daryl Hall & Chromeo’s live debut, the Flaming Lips’ performance of Dark Side of the Moon coupled with the dance party machine that is LCD Soundsystem made this perhaps my favorite Bonnaroo late night of all-time.

[I Can Go For That]

The much anticipated performance of Daryl Hall & Chromeo began around midnight and it was non-stop entertainment from the get go. The crowd was chanting “CHROMEO-OH-OH” ever so loudly to get pumped for what was in store. At first, I was unsure if Daryl Hall would be bringing his band, but as soon as I noticed the setup I was pleasantly surprised.

The show began with an Out of Touch that quickly turned into a singalong, before giving way to Tenderoni which sent everyone into a dance frenzy. Throughout the performance the group switched between Hall & Oates classics and the funky hits of Chromeo. Bonafide Lovin’ featured an awesome flute solo and turned into a great disco tune, Private Eyes got the crowd involved with a clap along during the chorus while Fancy Footwork got the crowd moving. You Make My Dreams Come True made for the perfect closer thanks to impressive work from each member of the ensemble.

Daryl Hall & Chromeo 6/12/10 Late Night

Out of Touch, Tenderoni, Unknown, Waiting 4 U, Family Man, Mama’s Boy, Kiss On My List, Bonafide Lovin’, Private Eyes, 100%, I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)

Encore: Fancy Footwork, You Make My Dreams Come True

• Thursday: A ‘Roo State of Mind
• Friday: Dirt Off Your Shoulder

Next up was the Flaming Lips’ performance of Dark Side of the Moon. I was curious as to both the band’s interpretation of the music but also the actual production of the show – because if there’s one thing the Lips do well it’s putting on a spectacle of a performance.

READ ON for more on Friday night at Bonnaroo…

Wow. Just wow. I can’t think of a way to describe the multitudes of music I saw yesterday, it was a phenomenal day and there are still two days of the festival left. Yesterday’s lineup was a force to be reckoned with and as at every Bonnaroo, one has to make a plan of attack as to who they want to see and when. There is just way too much to choose from. But alas sacrifices and rationalizations must be had in the decision making process.

[Tenneessee Shines with the Carolina Chocolate Drops]

The weather’s been a hot one, that’s for damn sure. It’s not as bad as years past and as long as one stays hydrated it’s easy to get 12 hours of music in and I did exactly that. My day started out with the traditional bluegrass foot stomping stylings of the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

• Bonnaroo Day One: A ‘Roo State of Mind
• Glide Magazine: Friday Bonnaroo Review

The Carolina Chocolate Drops set included a song titled Sandy Boys and one called Jack of Diamonds which was the first song the band did together. I really enjoyed CCD’s set and their talk of African influence on string band music and a discussion of the history of the songs they performed. Other highlights include Geniune Negro Jig, Your Baby Ain’t Sweet Like Mine, and two covers Jackson and Blu Cantrell’s Hit ‘Em Up Style, which got the joint jumping. READ ON for more from Jennifer on Day Two of Bonnaroo…

Bonnaroo time has arrived once again, and after a few logistical malfunctions – so have I. I got on site yesterday afternoon and was welcomed by the always hot and muggy weather of middle Tennessee in June. Because of this, I didn’t hit Centeroo or the day’s activities until later in the evening.

My first stop was the Adult Swim Ragbag of Jollification. It’s midway carnival games at Bonnaroo, with the awkward twist that only [adult swim] could put on carnival games. I’ve wanted a midway carnival at Bonnaroo for years. I mean, how awesome is it to play putt-putt or ring toss at Bonnaroo? Let me tell you, it’s super awesome. The best part is that all of the games are free and if you win you get stuffed animals of the likes of Stewie and Bryan from Family Guy amongst other prizes.

[Dethklok’s Wheel of Deth]

My musical journey of the weekend started with NeedToBreathe. They kicked off for a great night of music with their hit song Something Beautiful as well as a couple of covers including Tom Petty’s You Wreck Me and Zeppelin’s When the Levee Breaks. After checking out most of NeedToBreathe’s set, I made my way over to That Tent to check out Temper Trap. They managed to pull off an epic version of Sweet Disposition to open the set. Temper Trap impressed me but I wanted to give a band that I had no preconceived notions about a chance so I opted to check out Mayer Hawthorne & the County at This Tent. I arrived just in time for a cover of ELO’s Mr. Blue Sky. The song was fun but honestly I don’t think I’m a fan of their original material. At least I gave them a chance, which has become a tradition of mine for Thursdays at Bonnaroo. You never know what you can find the first night.

[Musical Carnival]

READ ON for more from Jennifer on Thursday at Bonnaroo…

How I’ve missed thee, Hidden Track – it’s been too long! But alas, I’m back in full force this coming weekend to bring you the best coverage from the one and only Bonnaroo! Before I hit the road, I wanted to chime in on what I believe will be the top five not-to-be-missed performances of the weekend.

So, let’s pack up our AC/DC Bags, get down to the nitty gritty and get this show on the road…

5. She & Him (Friday, This Tent 5pm to 6:15pm):

What can I say about this band? I’ve been a fan of Zooey Deschanel since her role as Anita in Almost Famous. Her voice has a timeless quality and Matt Ward’s musical prowess compliments her in a way not many could. Volume Two has been getting heavy rotation from me out on my deck while I’m grilling out or working in the yard. A great ‘go to’ music for hanging out and enjoying the spring and summertime weather. The music is absolutely perfect for a late afternoon performance on Friday and will help to set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

READ ON for the four sets Jennifer’s most excited to see…

Nashville. My home. My heart. I love the city, love the location; its proximity to the beach, to the mountains, and to other metro areas (a great selling point for those who travel to see bands). I love the rolling hills, the lakes, the rivers, the sunrises, the sunsets and most importantly – the people. The music scene is nothing to frown upon either. It’s not all just country music anymore. Kings of Leon, Jack White, Ben Folds, Bela Fleck, and even Ke$ha all call Nashville home.

[Image courtesy of Mercy Lounge ]

When the disastrous storms and flooding hit Nashville, I found myself in another Music City that had witnessed a natural disaster of epic proportions only 5 short years ago – New Orleans. My friends and I thought it best to leave Jazz Fest early. We needed to get back to our friends, our families, our homes.

I knew that I’d probably have damage to property I own because of where I have it stored. Fortunately, after all was said and done, the damage was minimal to my possessions. Not everyone here is that lucky. Some people are still stuck at their house. Some have no home. Some lost all their worldly possessions. Some lost their lives. READ ON for more…

With the festival season kicking off in earnest this weekend at Coachella and Wanee, we thought this was the perfect time to re-run Jennifer Kirk’s Festival Survival Guide to help you prepare for your festival experiences…

[Originally Published: May 21, 2009]

When the Bonnaroo 2009 lineup was announced a few months ago, my roommate asked me to email him a list of festival ‘essentials.’ As a festival veteran of sorts – I’ve been to every Bonnaroo but one and attended Langerado, Summercamp, Rothbury, Coventry, Oswego, Big Cypress, and the NOLA Jazz Fest – he picked the right person to ask for such a list.

In addition to my festival resume, I’m also a stickler for being organized and more importantly, prepared. As it has turned out in the past, I usually end up ‘running’ the camp site for my friends and well, I kind of like it. Going to a festival and being prepared is a trial and error experience, so I wanted to share some of my ideas with the HT audience and in turn was hoping that you would also chime in with any advice so we can all, collectively, have a better festival going experience.

So, here is a list of some of the essentials you’ll need in order to succeed and of course, survive your long weekend of fun and music!

1. Get an RV. It will make life easier. Now, I’ve actually never attended a festival in an RV, and have done just fine. But, boy would I love to travel to one in style. Perhaps one day. But, if you can’t rent or borrow one then pay extra close attention to the 19 items left on this list.

2. Water. You can’t bring enough of it. Some festivals are starting to provide water refill stations (Rothbury did this last year and you were allowed to bring empty or sealed containers onto the concert grounds). Make sure to check the ‘official’ festival rules first. I would recommend purchasing several gallons worth. After all, you will need it to refill water containers, brush your teeth, wash your dishes, etc. Potable water is generally available on site at washing stations but I tend to shy away from the sweet, sweet stench of sulfur. READ ON for more of Jennifer’s Festival Survival tips and tricks…

Last weekend, I witnessed one of the coolest concert experiences ever. Hidden in the hills of McMinnville, Tennessee lies the Cumberland Caverns a national natural landmark. Inside the cavern lies the Volcano Room, which happens to be one of the best natural acoustic spaces on earth. A few months ago Bluegrass Underground – not to […]

During my stay at the Southern Girls Rock’n’Roll Camp I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the ladies of Tennessee’s own Those Darlins. The band’s roots run deep with the camp – Kelly Darlin founded it in 2003, Jessi was an original SGRRC participant that year and Nikki came along soon after and the rest as they say is herstory.

[Photo by Jennifer Kirk]

The band who’s self-titled album debut came earlier this summer is filled with raucous, rambunctious, rowdy and raw songs about love, life and drinking to consuming a whole damn chicken. To define them as one sound is troublesome, much like when the CMT announcer introduced Wilco at Farm Aid ’98 as “ya’llternative.” Nothing exactly fits like a glove, but they’re proud of that fact.

Jennifer Kirk: What was your favorite gig of the last tour?

Those Darlins: Minneapolis and Chicago. It was our third time playing in Chicago and that’s a great city to play. We also just played the SGGRC on Monday and it was really fun to see all the girls dancing on stage. The New York City gigs we’re good too. We played with John Spencer’s new project Heavy Trash one night and that was a great experience.

READ ON for more of Jen’s chat with Those Darlins…

Two weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of being a guest at the annual Southern Girls Rock’n’Roll Camp located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Southern Girls Rock’n’Roll Camp (otherwise known as the SGRRC) is a week-long day camp for girls age 10-17 held at Middle Tennessee State University. The camp was founded by Kelley Anderson of Those Darlins.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/4110596[/vimeo]

Anderson founded the camp as a student at MTSU after attending a rock camp in Portland, Oregon. The camp teaches instrument instruction including drums, guitar, keyboards, bass and vocals in addition to songwriting and recording techniques. Each year the camp features workshops and panels from women who work in all facets of the music industry. However, the most important lesson that is taught at the camp is not an instrument but rather how each girl can empower themselves and help create and strengthen their self esteem.

I had the opportunity to attend many of the sessions throughout the day as if I was a camper. The morning started as most summer camps do with an assembly with all the girls and volunteers gathered together to stretch, get loud and finally disperse for their instrumentation instruction for most of the morning. READ ON for more from Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp…

It’s been a while since we’ve had a post on the Felice Brothers, so when Jennifer Kirk told us she shot the band (bang, bang, bang went Jennifer’s Camera) at the Masters Musicians Festival in Somerset, KY; we asked if we could share them with our readers. Let’s take a look…

The Felice Brothers are part of The Big Surprise Tour which kicks off in Hampton Beach, NH on August 4. They’ll be joined by Old Crow Medicine Show, Dave Rawlings Machine and Justin Townes Earle. The tour runs for two weeks. READ ON to check out the rest of Jennifer’s photos…

It’s been a crazy few weeks since pop megastar Michael Jackson passed away and we’ve seen everything from people randomly starting dance parties in the middle of the street to U2 paying homage to the Man in the Mirror to people leaving gifts in front of Neverland Ranch. These are all just small examples on just how much Michael’s music touched the world.

We’ve also witnessed a complete 180° on the way the press has treated Michael after his death. Let’s face it – it’s been easy to laugh or make assumptions about someone that’s different than us, particularly Michael Jackson. We’ve seen him go from a healthy, young superstar to the pale, shattered ghost he became in his last years on earth. Regardless of what you think of his life, his choices or his actions – I would like to tell you a story of how Michael Jackson once saved my life.

It occurred in the late 1980’s, my parents had just divorced and I lived with my mother most of the time. Every day after school I would go to my across-the-street neighbor’s house where both my best friend and baby sitter lived. I would stay there all afternoon and into the early evening until my mom got off work. At first, it was great. I had access to a go-cart, Atari, mechanically inclined Legos and a club house that my best friend and I would use to play in all the time. I mean, what more could a kid ask for? It was a great place to play after school.

READ ON to find out how Michael Jackson saved Jen’s life…

Over the past few hours I’ve been contemplating the best way to do a review of Bonnaroo. It’s almost impossible to convey all of the sights and sounds I took in over the past 4 days. Music echoed in my ears for 10-15 hours each day starting last Thursday evening and continued on through Sunday night. Bonnaroo is the mammoth feast that even the most starving music fan cannot take in completely. There is simply not enough time to do everything you’d like to do. It’s impossible. Yet every year I set myself up to go see a hectic music schedule and try to stick to it.

[Phish on Sunday]

Sometimes, that’s not the best laid plan for the ‘Roo. Everyone’s experience is different. It depends on everything: where you’re camped, who you’re with, what time you came in, the weather forecast and who you’re actually excited to see. Never the less, here is my attempt to summarize my musical feast.

THURSDAY – Car Carrier Blues

After a rain storm in the morning, gas-filling and car-packing I made my annual trip down to Manchester for Bonnaroo 2009. It took me a while to get setup but after meeting up with some friends I finally made my trek down to Centeroo in time for People Under the Stairs. They were a great way to start out the festival right – their hip-hop performance got everyone up, moving, and most importantly celebrating the kick-off of a kick-ass music weekend.

READ ON for more of Jennifer Kirk’s Bonnaroo 2009 review…

As you read this I should hopefully be in the process of purchasing dry ice and other last minute essentials preparing for my annual 45 minute trek south to one of the largest, best run music festivals in the country.

I must admit that’s been both a neat and weird experience seeing Bonnaroo grow and develop as it has over the past seven years. My first ‘Roo experience was with my two college roommates, neither of which were fans of the ‘jamband’ scene. Nevertheless, I convinced them to go because they might not get to experience anything like it ever again. In preparation of exposing them to the festival scene, I made them a 3-volume mix CD set aptly titled: “Don’t Pigeonhole Us – We’re More Than Just Jambands!” And yes, I take my CD mixes seriously. I couldn’t tell you what exactly those tracks were now, but the point was I made them because I wanted to share what I knew would be a wonderful experience with others.

I could sit here and tell you about these different experiences: how the Flaming Lips 2003 late night changed my life for the better, when Levon Helm brought me to tears or how I finally learned to like Widespread Panic. But this would all be pointless if I didn’t mention the one thing that’s most important about going to Bonnaroo – being with your friends. That is what it’s supposed to be about. The epic peaks and valleys of the music that you experience serve as the soundtrack to your weekend. Having the time of your life, getting away from everything that’s wrong with the world and sharing that experience is what is important and I think sometimes we can lose sight of that. READ ON for more on Bonnaroo 2009…

[Originally Published: April 19, 2008]

“Teachers teach that knowledge waits”

April 19, 1995 – 7:55am Edmond, OK – Every morning before my 9th grade Biology class I would listen to music on my Discman while waiting for the professor to arrive. On this particular day, my musical selection had been Bob Dylan and the Band’s Before the Flood. The last track I listened to that morning was a favorite of mine It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) – little did I know the impact that song would have on me that day…not to mention the rest of my life.

“My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards”

9:04am – We had originally thought that the construction project taking place at our high school was responsible for the shaking that had occurred a couple of minutes earlier. Moments later, another professor brought in a TV and turned it on to News Channel 9. Through clouds of smoke and people running this is what we witnessed:

READ ON for more about Jennifer’s Oklahoma City experience…

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the Umphrey’s McGee Variety Show(s)! Buckle up, take a seat and enjoy the show!

It would have been nice to have a ring master introduce the guys at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta last Thursday and Friday, but alas it was not to be. Even without a ring master, Umphrey’s McGee didn’t hesitate to give their all at each night’s performance.

It’s taken me a while to finally realize that I should never go to a show with any sort of preconceived notions or expectations, because when you do that you’re ultimately setting up both yourself and your favorite band for failure. One of the major factors as to why I enjoy myself at an Umphrey’s McGee concert is because the band enjoys themselves on stage. And when they are there to have a good time – you’re almost guaranteed the same privilege. Their interplay and enjoyment on stage is what keeps me going back as often as humanly possible.

READ ON for more from Jen on Umphrey’s Variety Playhouse shows…

Every morning on my way to work I pass one of the largest American flags I’ve ever had the distinction to see first hand. And every morning since the inauguration – and release of Umphrey’s McGee’s Mantis – as I wait patiently sitting at that stop light while staring at that flag I tend to bounce my thoughts back and forth between the president’s speech and the opening line to the title track of Mantis…

We believe there’s something here worth dying for…

Oh, how those lyrics ring true for our country’s past, present and future. People have fought and died to defend the ideals that our government originally set forth.

Obama touched on this issue, too, and spoke of an era of responsibility with these great words from his inauguration speech:

What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

READ ON for more of this week’s Land of Confusion column…

A press release issued today by Show Clix, a ticketing company based out of Pittsburgh, stated that they will be establishing what they call a ‘Fair Ticketing Fund’ which is a: Multi-million dollar [fund] to help venues and event promoters become independent of the company being created through the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger. Through the fund, ShowClix […]

I’ve lived in Nashville, Tennessee for going on nine years at this point and since my residency here I’ve only traveled to Memphis one other time for a show. You see, the stretch of I-40 between Nashville and Memphis is called Music Highway — but to me it’s just flat out BOOOOORING.

[We’re All In This Thing Together]

This past Sunday was my second trip to Memphis to witness Old Crow Medicine Show and The Felice Brothers. After an (actual) enjoyable three-hour road trip and a pork-pulled sandwich from Tops the mood was set for what was witnessed at the completely new-state-of-the-art venue venue in Memphis — Minglewood Hall.

I’ve had the opportunity to see the Felice Brothers a couple of times this past year, and to be perfectly honest – their 45 minute set was the sole reason I traveled to Memphis. But the music lover I am, I decided to stick it out just to see what Old Crow had to offer. READ ON for more…