Well folks, it has been quite a while since I've written an article for the web site.  But now that I've finished my drum tracks for our upcoming album, I've got some time on my hands, and I feel like y'all might enjoy some updates from us out here in Santa Fe.  Please remember that any non-factual/subjective comments made in this or any of my other articles do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Tishamingo, just Tishamingo's ornery drummer!  Here goes....

from the band:
Reflections on Bonnaroo
(with photos courtesy Lisa Adams)

Bonnaroo was wonderful!  Back in 2002, we packed up the trusty ol' Burban and trailer (rigged w/ it's own a/c unit!) and headed to the Inaugural Bonnaroo Festival.  We were less than a year old as a band and wanted to check out this "festival of all festivals."  When we were headed home after a long, action-packed weekend, I remember collectively agreeing that as much fun as we had, we weren't going back to another Bonnaroo until we were invited back as performing artists.  Well, we kept our promise to ourselves and waited for our invitation, which finally came four years later!  We were thrilled and honored to be included in this year's lineup, knowing that there are so many deserving, talented bands that are vying for a slot on the roster.

When we learned that we were going to be playing at the same time as Radiohead, we were a little concerned because we knew that the majority of the folks at Bonnaroo would be at that show instead of ours.  But then we realized that on the brighter side of things, besides Radiohead, we were the only other band playing at that time.  So really, the festival-goers had a 50/50 choice at that time, whereas at other times they had to choose between as many as four or five bands.  Hell, if 60,000 people chose to see Radiohead, that still leaves another 10,000 or so for us!  I'm not sure what the numbers ended up being, but we were humbly flattered by the number of people who came to see us play.  It was a very attentive, enthusiastic, and supportive crowd, and we had a blast playing for them.  We saw familiar faces, which is a must for confidence and overall mojo, and we saw new faces, which is a must for breaking new ground with people.  We had a lot of help from some close Tishamingo friends throughout the weekend, which helped make our trip to Bonnaroo a success, and for that we are thankful.  I think that our time at Bonnaroo turned a lot of people on to the band, even those who didn't catch our set. It was great to see the Tishamingo frisbees flyin' all over the festival grounds, and the Tishamingo coozies keepin' beers cold in the Tennessee heat! 

As far as the rest of my Bonnaroo experience went.... My highlight was Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.  They are one of my favorite bands these days, and I had never seen them live until Bonnaroo.  This was the only show at the festival that all four of us in the band watched together.  We knew we needed to see that show together, because there is so much for each of us learn from them individually and as a band.  This show was great thing for all of us in the band to see before going into the studio.  Our producer - John Kurzweg - is a huge Petty fan and references him and his band quite a bit.  I feel so fortunate to have gotten to see  Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers right before going into the studio to record this album.  How providential is that?

I also enjoyed Elvis Costello's set that he did with Alan Toussaint and the Crescent City Horns.  Another first-time show for me.  They were great, especially Alan.  Bill Frissel was cool, as were the Neville Brothers, The Zac Brown band, and Death Cab for Cutie.  Yep, I said I liked Death Cab for Cutie!  I thought they were a good band with good players and good songs. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the "Super Jam" with Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, and the Benevento-Russo Duo.  I tend to not enjoy "Super Jams" at festivals, but this one was killer.  They were on fire - particularly the drummer, Joe Russo.

Besides the Petty show, the event of the weekend for me was riding the Ferris Wheel.  I got to see Bonnaroo from the sky at night with all of the crazy lights....man that was sensational!

All-in-all it was a great weekend, and I feel fortunate to be in a band that was invited to play.  I'll never forget it for the rest of my life! And once again, thanks to all of you who came to support us and help us out at the festival. We couldn't have done it without you!

Until later,

- Proc
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[ below are some photos from Bonnaroo, courtesy Lisa Adams ]

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