Photographer Shanna Gillette was called upon to take some shots at this year's Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee after the freelancer scheduled to document the fest for CL-Tampa had to bow out unexpectedly. The following is a photo log of her adventures. Follow Shanna as she snakes her way across the country and read her transmissions from the road on her blog or website. —Leilani Polk
- Bonnaroo Instagram
Wednesday, 12:28 a.m.. In line. High fives from the car window. A message spray-painted on the wall leading into the grounds reads "Radiate Positivity" in 10-foot-high letters. After quite the debacle getting in, we are preparing to park. We've been driving since 1 p.m., from the panhandle. I'm tired, stressed, feeling my age, but the vibe here is insanely upbeat, a bit like a circus. I like it already. Welcome to my first Bonnaroo.
Thursday, 4:47 a.m. How the fuck did it get to be 4:47 already? The sun is coming up. I'm in an RV filled with pot smoke, listening to 97X-style rock. This weekend will be a lesson in 'going with the flow.' I don't think I'm going to get much sleep… They're making burgers now.
Thursday, 2 p.m.-ish. Day one and I'm already sleep negative. I'm in another RV with four dudes. It looks like a Budweiser can cyclone made a deposit here. Definitely need to pace myself if I want to make it through the weekend.
Evening falls and we head in for our first taste of music, and here is where my brain and subsequently, my journal entries become a bit scattered. I'll fill in the gaps to the best of my recollection and improvise the rest. Enjoy…
This article appears in Jun 27 – Jul 3, 2013.