Eric K. from Virginia was the winner of the Propeller experience to "Win the Bonnaroo 2023 Roo Works Royalty Package" that took place in June 2023. Below are some of Eric's highlights from the experience.
Bonnaroo is truly a magical experience.
The positivity is amazing electric, and you can feel it in everyone. You feel a connection to everyone that is hard to explain. I am not always the most sociable person, I don't have a "Type A" personality, but I felt completely comfortable talking to anyone because we all have at least one thing that connects us, a love of music. With multiple musical genres at the festival, you would think there would be many different types of people, but that doesn't matter nor is it noticeable since most everyone is there to have a good time and they want to see you have a good time. That is one of the great things about Roo, having so many musical options that could satisfy even picky concertgoers. There is something for everyone.
The main act that attracted me to this year's Bonnaroo was seeing Kendrick Lamar but to be honest, while it was a dream to see him perform live, it didn't become my most memorable experience on the Farm. Later that same day we ventured over to The Other Stage to see Shaquille O'Neal A.K.A. DJ Diesel, or just Diesel. I didn't even know that was him until a few days before the festival started, but who could pass up seeing the Shaq? Seeing him honestly became one of my more memorable experiences. "LADIES ONLY MOSH PIT!". "IF I DON'T SEE MOSH PITS THEN I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO DOWN THERE" (which he did at the end!) All this yelled out in Shaq's characteristic booming low voice. He really knew how to get everyone's energy up despite starting at 2:30am!
One of the best things at a festival like this with all these musical acts is that you will probably come across someone you never knew about before but will fall in love with once you do see them. While waiting to go to the pit for Lil Nas X, we got to catch Sofi Tukker at the Which Stage. Their love and acceptance of all people, along with their love of performing for a crowd, makes you can't help but to fall in love with them. Their energy fit perfectly with the people at Bonnaroo. They gained a new fan in me.
Immediately after Lil Nas X, we got to go back to the pit at the What Stage to see Odesza. I had never been on a live musical journey like this before. The copious amount of pyrotechnics and other effects sure helped but there were a lot more live musicians playing than I would have imagined. There was a trombone, trumpet, live singers, and their very talented drum line weaving around on stage avoiding all the flames!
On the last day, we got to go into the pit for Foo Fighters – the big finale for the weekend. Dave Grohl and all the talented musicians in the band put on an amazing show. Grohl really knows how to captivate the audience and how to entertain even when not playing. He seems like a very gracious person and didn't just stand up there and steal the show. He talked about each of the people in the band and let them showcase themselves. Seeing Hayley Williams from Paramore join him on stage to sing My Hero with him was another great highlight of the day. You could tell they were fans of each other's work but with Hayley fangirling more about the experience as she had expressed a lot of excitement earlier that day about opening for Foo.
The accommodations we had, being in a Luxury Bell tent in the Moon Colony, and being as close to Centeroo as possible, definitely spoiled me and would be hard not to have that experience the next time we make it to the Roo. Propeller was true to their word and stocked the tent with important refreshments and snacks needed to battle the heat of the Tennessee summer (the AC unit also helped!). They also helped glow up (literally) the tent with lights and decorations. All our neighbors around us were wonderful people and so great to talk to. My only unavoidable regret was that I couldn't spend more time talking and getting to know my amazing neighbors, but still, friends were made that will last a lifetime. There was so much music to get to!
- Eric K.
