The lineup for the 2011 Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tenn. was announced earlier today and as expected it boasts some of the biggest names in music. From Eminem and Lil Wayne to the Black Keys and Arcade Fire it’s looking like once again Bonnaroo is the festival to beat when it comes to a lineup topheavy with talent.
However what is missing alongside those titans of pop music are an array of Seattle names. In fact, unless I missed something the only Seattle name on the lineup is the Head and the Heart.
This is a little surprising to me in a year where big local names like Death Cab, Modest Mouse and Fleet Foxes are playing festivals, especially since all of those bands seem to scream Bonnarroo material, but kudos to the Head and the Heart for landing on the bill of one of the country’s premiere destination fests.
So what does this mean when it comes to local music? Are we taking ourselves too seriously with all the local media attention given to Shabazz Palaces, Macklemore, the Cave Singers, Moondoggies and others? Or are we getting shafted by the tastemakers who are destination festival bookers? Well, yes and yes to both of those questions but honestly I don’t think that means all too much.
In my eyes the lack of any major or indie locals at Bonnaroo means we have something pretty special up here in our little corner of the country that we get to keep all to ourselves for just a little bit longer. Sure it’s a little criminal that the talented musicians who work hard in Seattle to pack local clubs aren’t getting their due on a national level, but selfishlyI think that is a good thing because it affords all of us Seattle music scene fans more time to enjoy the amazing amount of talent in our own backyards.
In case you missed the lineup announcement this morning, here’s the complete list of artists performing at Bonnaroo this summer:
Eminem
Arcade Fire
Widespread Panic
The Black Keys
Buffalo Springfield feat Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Rick Rosas, Joe Vitale
My Morning Jacket
Lil Wayne
String Cheese Incident
Robert Plant & Band of Joy
Mumford & Sons
The Strokes
The Decemberists
Ray Lamontagne
Bassnectar
Iron & Wine
Girl Talk
Primus
Dr. John and The Original Meters performing Desitively Bonnaroo
Alison Krauss & Union Station
Pretty Lights
Florence + the Machine
SuperJam with Dan Auerbach and Dr. John
Explosions In The Sky
STS9
Gogol Bordello
Beirut
Big Boi
Scissor Sisters
Gregg Allman
Ratatat
Global Gypsy Punk Revue curated by Eugene Hütz
Robyn
Warren Haynes Band
Deerhunter
Opeth
Atmosphere
Old Crow Medicine Show
Bootsy Collins & the Funk University
Wiz Khalifa
Matt & Kim
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
The Del McCoury Band & the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Mavis Staples
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Chiddy Bang
Jovanotti
Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers
Loretta Lynn
Cold War Kids
The Walkmen
Devotchka
Wanda Jackson
Neon Trees
Portugal. The Man
Sleigh Bells
Amos Lee
Best Coast
Dãm-Funk & Master Blazter
The Sword
The Drums
The Black Angels
School of Seven Bells
J. Cole
Nicole Atkins & the Black Sea
Wavves
!!!
Junip
Freelance Whales
Justin Townes Earle
Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses
Deer Tick
Band of Skulls
Sharon Van Etten
Abigail Washburn
Omar Souleyman
Twin Shadow
Kylesa
Man Man
The Low Anthem
Alberta Cross
Railroad Earth
Jessica Lea Mayfield
Smith Westerns
The Head and the Heart
Karen Elson
Beats Antique
22-20s
Phosphorescent
Clare Maguire
Hayes Carll
