Pssssst.

Hey, you! Shhhh! You seemed to have stumbled across our super secret new layout. Shame on you! But since you've already made it this far, I should lay some ground rules:

• This is in the earliest stage possible.
  
• There are an infinite number of bugs to work out.
  
• The tabbed links don't work yet.
  
• Most of the links in the sidebar will bring you back to IGIF.
  
• The two posts below were imported from IGIF and are just for formatting.
  
• What you see may or may not be what you get (an IGIF life lesson).
  
• I have no freaking clue when it will be done.
  
• Here, cats are better than dogs. Everywhere else, dogs are better.

Godspeed, indie rockers, Godspeed. If you like (or don't like) what you see, you can comment (I think it works).

Peaches 'n cream 'n everythang in between,

Connor

The Bonnaroo Experience: Full Circle

There were 80,000 people (most of which you may call "hippies") crammed on to a 700-acre farm for 3 days and 4 nights worth of hellaciously hot weather, overpriced food, awful hygienic habits, and most of all; amazing music. This insanely crowded, fun, and half-decade old gathering has come to be known as: Bonnaroo.


Ahh, yes! One of the greatest music festivals in existence can be found on a huge farm, in the Southern U.S. (not on either coast, bitches!), in the middle of nowhere Tennessee. A seriously lethal combination that forces people from every state in the Union to trek to the festival. The city of Manchester, where Bonnaroo is held, has been known to make 85% of their yearly economic growth from one musical weekend in the month of June.

My second year in attendance, I didn't know what to expect from ole' Bonnaroo. Sure, there were staple Bonnaroo dishes in the form of drugs, alcohol, and fowl stenches but the music is what Bonnaroo prides itself in. Last year Bonnaroo slowly started shifting away from their "jam band" roots and adding flares of indie/alternative rock such as My Morning Jacket, The Mars Volta, Modest Mouse, and Iron & Wine. Since its conception, Bonnaroo has been progressing more and more towards (what is seemingly) better/expanded music. With a fair amount of jam bands still present in the lineup, there was more of a shift towards a varied musical lineup. Below are my own personal reviews of Bonnaroo. It's, easily, the biggest post that I have ever assembled and covers each act I attended over three days in fairly good detail. There are some great photos by way of Bonnaroo, commentary, and my personal picks/awards I gave out.

Click the link below to read about the whole Bonnaroo experience. I've got a few more Bonnaroo goodies up my sleeve, including a lot of bootlegs and MP3s I'll be sharing with you all very soon!

Unofficial Bonnaroo Commencement
For many, Bonnaroo doesn't start until Friday afternoon but for the veterans and smart people that like to have a close camping spot - Thursday was the day of Bonnaroo conception. With traffic starting to back up for miles, exits closed down, every highway patrol officer in Tennessee in Manchester, and a luminous THC cloud beginning to hover over I-24 East; Bonnaroo had unofficially kicked off. Thursday was full of great bands at night and the hard labor of "setting up camp" during the 90+ degree afternoon. Centeroo, the area where all of the stages and entertainment are located, didn't open until about 4 PM. I didn't see a whole lot of acts on Thursday night but I did see DeVotcka, who I saw headline for Oh No! Oh My! the night before and they were even more incredible that Thursday. I also got to stand in for parts of Matt Costa and David Ford.
DeVotchka


Poppin' The Bonnaroo '06 Cherry: Day 1
TGIF! You know why? Because that Friday was the first full day of Bonnaroo and it started off with a hell of a musical bang. The first act that I saw was Andrew Bird who played brilliantly. If you ever get a chance to see him live, anywhere, I strongly suggest you check it out - he'll literally create songs by himself right before your eyes. Next was a brief stop by Seu Jorge's stage, which I had high hopes for but was nothing more than mediocre. I think he may lose some flare singing in English. I'll tell you who doesn't lose flare when singing in English - Ben Folds. I had heard that he was not impressive live and that he isn't "that good". Maybe it was the huge crowd he had, but Mr. Folds rocked the suburbs farmlands of Manchester, TN.
Andrew Bird

Seu Jorge
Ben Folds
Devendra Banhart only built upon the momentum that Folds left with me - playing a great set that included bringing a random audience member on stage to play one of his own songs, neo-hippy dancing, and a song specially crafted for Bonnaroo (White Reggae Troll). Devendra was nothing short of spectacular and almost had me wonder if Bright Eyes could keep a great day of music going.
Devendra Banhart

I was walking to the stage housing Mr. Oberst Inc. and stopped off to see Nickel Creek on the way. If you're ever in the situation of walking by Nickel Creek on your way to see/do something else ... My suggestion is DO NOT keep walking. Nickel Creek, albeit very Bluegrassy, put on an amazing show. I was so drawn in to their show that I missed half of Bright Eyes and forced myself to walk away, although I was extremely impressed by what I had heard.
Nickel Creek
As I got closer and closer to the stage I grew more nervous with each step. Bright Eyes is a tricky beast to tackle. Although they've been making great records for a long and have had a noticeable impact on "indie music," they're live shows (as of late) have been somewhat dismal. I think most people would agree that Bright Eyes is essentially Connor Oberst renamed and not a band, so when the lead singer/songwriter of aforementioned band gets supremely intoxicated before a show(s) and makes incoherent sense while butchering his own songs... It tends to leave a bitter taste in his fans' mouths. Throw a huge crowd and 90 degree weather into the mix and BAM! You've got yourself a sober and talented Bright Eyes. I was impressed by their show; there was no drunken babbling, a stage presence that Connor has seemed to lack for awhile, and a great set of songs from his lengthy catalogue.
Bright Eyes


Death Cab For Cutie was to follow Bright Eyes on the same stage, but I had already seen them a few times so it was across Centeroo to check out Cat Power. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Chan Marhsall, I had tried to see her once before but failed miserably. This time she was with the Memphis Rhythm Band which had the possibility to be an awesome or awful combo. Luckily, and as no surprise, it wasn't the latter of the two. Chan has this awkward presence on stage that almost makes her seem angelic, which I'm sure is due (in part) to her being endowed with the voice of a Saint. I did want to see a little bit of Mr. Gibbard (blast my love for his damn catchy lyrics!) so I split early only to be (for 39478 time that day) delightfully surprised. Death Cab sounded better than anytime I had previously seen them. They seemed more excited to play than in past experiences, with everyone jumping all over the place and feeding off of one another's' chemistry. They drew a large crowd considering they were playing versus Oysterhead, which Gibbard even mentioned, "And I thought it was going to be awful having to play against the likes of Oysterhead! You guys rock!"
Cat Power
Death Cab For Cutie

Speaking of rock, the legendary Tom Petty was ready to rock and roll by night fall. He came complete with his Heartbreakers and a three and a half hour set. That is a HUGE chunk of time to fill. I hardly knew any Tom Petty, yet there I was amongst 70,000 other drunken fans who sang along with every song. I must admit, Tom Petty (who looked like a skeleton) put on a great show and converted me to appreciate his music. The two biggest highlights for me were when he covered/played Handle Me With Care from his Traveling Wilburys days saying, "To all the Wilburys, wherever they may be traveling tonight," to a huge crowd ovation. The second highlight was when he played Stop Draggin' My Heart Around and a female voice kicked in and I thought, "Gee, that sounds an awful lot like Stevie Nicks." Three seconds later Stevie Nicks herself walked on-stage and started singing with Petty. The enthusiastic crowd, a great setlist, and the surprise visit of Stevie Nicks made the Tom Petty concert worthwhile.
Tom Petty


My Morning Jacket puts on a live show that is just insane. It's always good. I don't know how they do it all of the time, maybe its their kickass Kentucky blood, but whatever they do.. it works and works almost too well. Perhaps it was their incredible setlist? No, that can't be it. Maybe their cover of The Misfits? No, wait.. Maybe their cover of The Who? No, still? Oh, how about when Andrew Bird walks out to join them for 4 songs. Yeah, I'm thinking all of the above ingredients plus an amazing amount of late night energy added to one of the best set at Bonnaroo this year.
My Morning Jacket

And Now Your Feature Presentation: Day 2
The first few days or Bonnaroo were nothing short of amazing. Nothing short of insane. Nothing short of pure excitement all whilst enduring 95 degree weather. But I'd be hard pressed to say that Day 2 wasn't a day everyone was looking forward, if not the day. There was a singular thought occupying thousands of brains that day: Radiohead.

Before Radiohead could enlighten us all with their amazing set, they had some kick ass opening acts that started at 12:30. The Magic Numbers and Jackie Greene, who I posted on earlier, were two of those acts. Both were equally amazing. I ran back and forth to catch as much as each set as I could. Jackie Greene played like he was possessed staring into the crowd with his eyes half open and closed singing songs that have often been compared to the styling of Dylan. Meanwhile, The Magic Numbers played with more energy than I thought most people could fake at 12:30 in the afternoon. They commented multiple times on how surprised they were at the turnout and praised their fans which is never a bad thing. If you ever get a chance to catch these guys - do yourself a favor and see them.
The Magic Numbers
Jackie Greene
DIY blog-rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! disappointed me. I'm gonna go ahead and put that out there. I've read mostly good reviews and with such a delightful debut album full of so many great tracks, its usually hard to play a bad live show. "Details Of The War" and "The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth" were the only two tracks they made great live, otherwise their performance was somewhat dismal. Maybe I expected too much? I'll see them again at some point to make up my mind, but they didn't seem to have their A-game at 'Roo.
CYHSY

And then it was on to the main stage for 5.5 hours of waiting. Of course seeing Elvis Costello and Beck made the wait somewhat more enjoyable. I hold Elvis Costello in high esteem, especially his live shows. I saw him last summer with my dad and it was one of the best concerts I have been to. Bonnaroo didn't prove to be any different, especially with the remarkable of help of his Imposters, Allen Toussaint, and The Crescent City Horns. Adding brass to an Elvis Costello show is a unique twist that only amplified a superb setlist.
Elvis Costello

A long-haired Beck came on next and just happened to open with Devil's Haircut. Beck played a great great show. I had never got a chance to see him prior to Bonnaroo and he didn't disappoint me. I asked my friend, "I wonder if he'll play Do You Realize??" Sure enough he then began to tease the crowd, with just him and his guitar, by playing half-covers of "Do You Realize??" and "Creep" saying, "I don't think Radiohead is gonna play this one... At least I hope not... Oh well." As if Beck's stage presence alone wasn't enough for the massive audience, he had the help of a dancing maniac (see picture) and some hilarious look-alike puppets.
Beck


So, this is the part where Radiohead comes on stage and plays for 2.5 hours. I really cannot put into words just how sensational Radiohead was. It was like achieving nirvana - twice! That's two lifetimes of spiritual clarity and enlightenment in one Radiohead set. It was everything a Radiohead fan, or a newcomer, could hope for. Thom was bouncing all over the place and full of emotion while Jonny looked as if he was possessed orchestrating the entire show ingeniously. I got to meet a friend of the guy who booked them for Bonnaroo where Radiohead got paid $800,000 plus $2 per ticket sold. That's over $1 million for one show. Regardless, the show deserves its own review - so look out for one in the not too distant future.
Radiohead



After Radiohead was another great late night show in Balkan Beat Box and The Dresden Dolls. So good, they were, that my friend Emily at JDub Records (who I got to hang out with Bonnaroo) did a great write up of their labels Bonnaroo Bound act. Be sure to read it! She wrote a way better review than I would've.

Running On Fumes: Day 3
By Day 3 I was drained. I'm not gonna lie. The combination of late nights, long days, blistering heat, and Radiohead can really drain a man. I only made it around to four acts throughout the day seeing how my caravan had no interest in the evening show of Phil Lesh and Friends. I wasn't exactly protesting to stay either.

The last day I saw Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, The Streets, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, and Andrew Bird (again on a side stage). They were all really impressive, though I found The Streets to get somewhat annoying at times. Stephen Malkmus was incredibly good - way better than I had anticipated. Bela Fleck, complete with all the Flecktones, were sensational. They mesh so well as a collective band that it's like your watching one person play the entire show. Even if you're a hater of the banjo, you have to respect Bela and their live act.
Stephen Malkmus

The Streets
Bela Fleck

Nathaniel's Bonnaroo Awards:
Top 5 Best Acts: Radiohead, Beck, Andrew Bird, My Morning Jacket, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

Top 4 Surprisingly Awesome Acts: Tom Petty, The Magic Numbers, Balkan Beat Box, Stephen Malkmus

Top 4 Over-Hyped Acts: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Seu Jorge, Matisyahu


Overall, Bonnaroo 2006 was more than I could ever have hoped for. The festival is the highest grossing in the world ($15 million) but this year didn't even compare to last year. The environment, music, and all around audience atmosphere was different/better than 2005. It seems Roo's trend of only getting stronger and stronger each year is holding out to be true. Hopefully next year will be just as sweet and some of you crazy people will make the trip to join me!

Twenty.

So that's it. The big 2-0. Our teenage years have come and gone. We don't...look any different...feel any different. We still can't drink, we can't run for the Senate, we can't rent RVs... But there's something unspoken about it all. It feels like we're on a submarine hovering over the ocean floor... a dead calm, the same as one experiences when waking up right before dawn, walking outside, still out of the sun's view. Is that what's happened? Is this a rebirth? 20 years old. It's easy to say but difficult to admit... So much has happened, so much missed, so many moments regretably not commited to memory. However, while we both somberly take in this inevitable development, we realize that this isn't a time for regret...it's a time for celebration. We can't be sorry that our teenage years are over, but gracious that we've made it this far and excited for the years to come.

As a part of this celebration, we've decided to do something special for ourselves and the blog. We know that if not for music and its many facets, we would be completely different people today. There'd be no IGIF, no friendship between us, and perhaps no meaningful reflection that we find ourselves in right now. In celebration of the twenty amazing years we've been on this planet, we've compiled a list of 20 songs that have meant the most to us throughout our lives thus far, organized into 4 parts. From singalongs to instrumentals, these songs trace each year we've spent in existence: ages 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, and finally 16-20. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.


Years 1-5, musically speaking, may be remembered hazily, or, by what we enjoyed. Raffi cassettes and “Baby On-Board” stickers went hand-in-hand while most of the music we remember may come from various television shows and Disney movie soundtracks. Whatever the songs that entertained our malleable minds, here is our own personal soundtrack for our first five years:

[MP3] The Arcade Fire - Wake Up
There's a reason why The Arcade Fire open each show with this song. It's completely surreal, eye opening, and stunningly beautiful. It's actually a very sad song, a commentary on how children are forced to repress emotions, yelled at when they cry, confused by it all... but still, the song ends on a positive note, and we've chosen it to open our mix. - Connor

[MP3] Raffi - Joshua Giraffe
Raffi appears twice in this section. Yes, we know. Raffi is just that good. I will probably remember this song for the rest of my life. I can’t even remember how many times I forced my Mom to play it in the car. See if you don’t get “Nothing can go wrongo / I am in the Congo” stuck in your head for eternity. - Nathaniel

[MP3] Explosions In The Sky - First Breath After Coma
This song has always reminded me of childhood, innocence, waking up, being born, entering a world that offers an infant as much potential as the millions of sperm did the egg... it's the only song where I can feel my heart beating in syncopation with the beating of the drum. I could die listening to this song. - Connor

[MP3] Cat Stevens - Wild World
The first song I ever remember hearing was Cat Stevens’ Moonshadow, thanks to my Dad playing and singing it on the guitar to me. This song, although about a girl, fits young lives perfect. Stevens was dead right to call it a wild wild world. - Nathaniel

[MP3] Raffi - Apples and Bananas
This is the first song I can remember. I used to love singing along to it with my parents as it played on this big blue cassette player...I thought it was hilarious, literally, the funniest thing as a child, how the words were changed with different vowels. I loved Raffi so much, and listening to this song is seriously blowing my mind right now...I mean, I'm completely "there" right now. - Connor


Scraped knees, muddy shoes, creepy-crawlies, first loves, and the formation of friendships that outlast most Volvos all encapsulate this particular developmental stage of life, from age 6-10. It's the age of discovery, curiosity in almost everything we could wrap our little naiive minds around...and if we didn't understand, so what!, we'd just pack it in and move on to the next shiny object... Here are five songs for those five wonderful years:

[MP3] The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice?
Some may argue that this song deserves be included with an older age group, but those people must be forgetting their first loves! Love to a pissant toddler was one of the most spontaneous, confusing, and rewarding emotions we'd yet to discover. My first kiss was from a girl named Reid who pecked me on the cheek as we sat against a tree holding hands. I may not have understood, but I certainly loved every second of it. - Connor

[MP3] Ben Folds - Bitches Ain't Shit
Connor and I talked about this song before I chose to use it. He at first thought it was (lyrically) a poor choice for the age range. Then we came to the conclusion that it fits perfectly because girls between the ages of 6-10 are sluts. We both remember our first big crushes at age 6 and kissing them… only to see them kiss another boy. Moral of the story: "bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks." - Nathaniel

[MP3] Devendra Banhart - I Feel Just Like A Child
Devendra really hit the nail on the head with this song and what it means to be a child. "They think I know shit / but that's just it / I'm a child." We may have loved to go out on our own in search of hidden treasure, but it was our mommies and daddies who tied our shoes and dressed us before we went spelunking, and it was they who cleaned us up when we returned. - Connor

[MP3] Donovan - Happiness Runs
Donovan’s soothing voice, upbeat melodies, and brilliant usage of singing in rounds makes this a great adolescent song. I almost wish I could return to 1st grade and sit in a cirlce on the floor while everyone sang this happy song. - Nathaniel

[MP3] Sufjan Stevens - The Predatory Wasp...
This is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in a long time, and perfectly captures the essence of the "best friend" relationship. Even in an imaginary world where gigantic wasps chase children around wheat fields, the bond is there, an inseparable connection that can last forever. - Connor


11-15 --> What a weird time! We were just starting to rediscover the female form, rebelling from the authority of our parents and anyone else who tried to tell us what to do, and discovering the importance and wonder behind music, which stunningly seemed to represent exactly what we were feeling! How cool is that? I could hate on the man and not feel out of place because it's exactly what Kurt was doing! Here are five more songs from one of the coolest times of our lives:

[MP3] Elliott Smith - Thirteen (Big Star Cover)
I can't lie, Chilton wrote a damn fine love song, but only Elliott could make it so impossibly touching and pertinent. Everyone's been there... it's your first crush, at least one that you understand... You'd like to run away with her, take her away from her clueless parents where you can live by yourselves. It's the one time you can remember caring about someone more than yourself... selfless, blinding, unforgiving love. - Connor

[MP3] Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
This song was the jumpstart into a phase that a ton of teenagers found themselves going through: grunge. Not my favorite song from Nevermind, but the one that catapulted Nirvana to global domination and started the snowball effect of my musical phases and preferences. Love them or hate them, I have to thank them for grabbing my ears and pointing them in the right direction. - Nathaniel

[MP3] Rancid - Roots Radicals
Rancid was the first band that I really identified with as a young punk-ass kid with a rock-hard attitude. I was the king of ding-dong-ditch, the sultan of TPing, and an all around master of general mayhem. What happened to that sweet kid who loved to help his mom garden? He met punk, punk met his fist, and his first clenched in defiance. - Connor

[MP3] Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
I was probably 15 when I first started getting into Neutral Milk Hotel. Someone had sent me this song over AIM and I listened to it on repeat for days. The beauty and brilliance of this song struck a chord with me like no song I had ever heard before and fits this age range perfectly. Much like Nirvana in helping start my musical quest, NMH played a critical role in making me appreciate amazing lyrics and instrumentation. - Nathaniel

[MP3] Everclear - Santa Monica
This was one of my favorite songs when I was younger...the guitar riff was so catchy. I was really into surfing and whatnot, so I agreed wholeheartedly with everything the song was saying...except the "we" referred to so passionately in the song, which was probably meant to be a girl, was my dog. But oh man, she would have loved it anyway. - Connor


Between the ages of 16-20 an onslaught of changes were at the forefront of our lives. We can drive, buy cigarettes, get into strip clubs, and vote in elections. Most importantly, our musical tastes are now refined. Like our coveted gasoline, we’ve started in the ground as raw and simple crude oil and been extracted and refined to the point of perfection. Here are the song's that have

[MP3] The Features - The Idea Of Growing Old
Ages 16-20 are heavily laden with thoughts of love the idea being with someone. I’m not going to deny the fact that love becomes a focal point and central theme of life as you get older and this song is damn romantic. Most romantic songs are slow and sappy, but this eclectic twist makes growing older worthwhile. - Nathaniel

[MP3] The Beatles - Girl
The Beatles were an early favorite of mine, I'm glad to say. After hearing my ridiculously audacious claim that "Oasis [was] better than The Beatles!" my parents went out and bought be as much Beatles music as they could cram into my skull. I ate my words quickly...that was 10 years ago. After 10 years of listening to the greatest band to ever set foot in a recording studio, this song has emerged as one of my favorites. - Connor

[MP3] Modest Mouse - Lives
With our so aptly named final section, which translates to “Thus Begins The Glory of Life,” Modest Mouse’s Lives easily nails this section on the head. Modest Mouse is still my band and this song not only speaks volumes for our latter teenage years, but our entire lives. - Nathaniel

[MP3] Iron & Wine/Calexico - 16, Maybe Less
The title and subsequent lyrics tell the obvious story here. It's an amazingly beautiful song that really captures a refined, matured sense of love that had by this time formed in my post-puberty head. I believe I met my first true love at age 16, and although it didn't last, it was certainly an unforgetable experience...that's for sure. - Connor

[MP3] The Beatles - In My Life
It only seems “right” that we both agree on leaving our teenage years behind with a Beatles’ song. Between the great lyrics of reflection and piano solo, this song seems to incorporate our friendships, loves, hardships, and life experience into one Lennon-McCartney masterpiece. - Nathaniel

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I uploaded the whole thing as a mix, with the correct track numbers and even a little artwork I did for it, just in case anyone's interested:


[ZIP] iGIF Presents: Twenty

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That does it for our post! If you read the whole thing, THANK YOU! It's around 5AM at the moment, I (Connor) have been 20 for 5 hours, and it's about time for me to go to bed. Thank you all for reading, despite the lengthy post and my hatred for everything HTML, we really enjoyed writing this post for you all. Good night,

Connor and Nathaniel

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