We Went to Bonnaroo & We Saw NO LIVE MUSIC: A Review

Originally Published: 21 Jun, 2025 for Boise Underground Media

A couple weeks ago, two members of BUM travelled to Music City, USA. After a rocky start including a flight delay, being locked out of our accommodations, and an engine overheating scare, we settled in for what was surely going to be the perfect trip for a couple of music writers. Despite spending a significant amount of time in one of the hubs of American music, we saw no live acts.

A couple days later, we headed down to Manchester, TN for one of America’s largest music festivals, looking to right our course on the music front. Arriving at Bonnaroo early Friday afternoon, and prepared for rain, we were eager to get inside. Before we could, however, the farm was issued an evacuation/shelter in place for the incoming rainstorm. Once the rain subsided, we got in line for security and finally got a taste of what the festival’s about. We trekked the long way around the campsites, taking in the atmosphere of muddy service roads and porta-potties, RVs and Grateful Dead tapestries. At long last, we’d reached the main entrance. Unfortunately, the gates were still closed, stranding dozens of eager attendees to wait in the mud for a chance to get in. With more storm clouds in the distance, and no update on when the venue might reopen, we attempted to take a shuttle back to our car and wait it out once again. We would’ve, had we not been told the shuttle wasn’t running and that another shelter in place had been issued for the fresh round of storms.

Walking briskly, cutting through the campground, we began the hike back to the car. We didn’t make it in time. About halfway to the car, the wind and rain picked up in a fury, much harder than before. I tried to get a poncho on in time, but put it on backwards and nearly suffocated myself instead. As we thought it couldn’t get much worse, it started hailing… Fortunately we had made it close enough to another large festival tent that we could run for cover. After waiting out the worst of it, we walked back to the car in (relatively) light rain to take more permanent shelter. As the only one with a poncho, I was just dry enough to climb into the leather seats of the rental van and turn it on to cool us off. The rest of the family climbed into the trunk and began attempting to dry off. Then came the waiting; first an hour, then two. At some point we ran out of rain-related songs and decided to watch the Fyre festival documentary on Netflix, which seemed fitting enough for the occasion. After much presumed deliberation from the festival organizers, and much to the disappointment of everyone in attendance, Bonnaroo 2025 was canceled. We saw no live acts.

Following the disaster at Bonnaroo, we enjoyed the rest of our family vacation in relative peace, with little rain to be seen for the rest of our journey. Fast forward less than a week later, and I was taking a solo trip to Austin, TX for the Counter-Strike Major, a massive esports tournament being hosted in the US for the first time in 7 years. Heading to another city known for its lively music scene, I was planning on catching a show at some point during my 4-day stay. In stark contrast to my time at Bonnaroo, this trip went by relatively smoothly, with hardly a cloud to be seen while I was there. As I was visiting for a specific event and to see friends, I didn’t have a ton of time to spare, but I made an effort. Before going to Austin, I looked to see what acts were playing at times I could make it. On Saturday night, some amazing Austin locals were taking the stage at The 13th Floor, just a few blocks from where I was staying. Unfortunately, the venue was 21+, and all I heard was roughly 1 minute of Flags’ set before I turned around and walked back to the hostel. That night, I got what you could potentially consider my only taste of live music, although I didn’t see it. Below the hostel is the Firehouse Lounge, a speakeasy-style bar hidden behind a bookcase on the ground floor. Playing that night was psychedelic cumbia outfit Money Chicha, who I could hear surprisingly well from my second-floor room. Whether or not you consider that “catching live music” is up to personal opinion, but once again, I saw no live acts.

That brings us to where we are now. BUM visited two of the biggest music cities in the nation – one during the Country Music Awards – and a massive music festival, and managed to entirely avoid live music (minus hearing bands through open windows and doors). As an apology to the great cities of Nashville and Austin, we thought we’d write a list of band recommendations from the cities we visited so you don’t make the same mistake.