Mind Games: Bonnaroo Tries To Make Lineup Announcement Seem More Exciting Through The Power Of Slightly Infuriating Riddles

mind games

Bonnaroo Tries To Make Lineup Announcement Seem More Exciting Through The Power Of Slightly Infuriating Riddles

Bonnaroo—the Manchester, Tenn.-based music festival where those people who describe their tastes as "indie" and those people who really like jam bands come together in a way that hasn't been seen since their freshman-year Psych 101 lectures—is announcing its lineup this week, and to get people excited/remind them to keep checking the official site for updates, the organizers have posted eleven "riddles" that are clues as to who's playing the fest. (A trick sorta ripped off from The Bamboozle, just saying.) I'm an old-school Games Magazine subscriber who loves twisty word games, but these so-called clues proved too much for my Petty-and-chili-addled brain to process. Perhaps you would like to give them a try? They're after the jump.

1. "There is more than one Manchester"

2. "Memphis isn't Albany"

3. "Clouds taste this way"

4. "Some Herrings are red, Jimmy"

5. "Hard Substance, Soft Substance"

6. "Janis Joplin's reserves will be preserved"

7. "Rumors are just rumors, but twist them sideways, grow your humor hair and they become a more yen reality. No, this is not about Fleetwood Mac"

8. "It's not sour, what is sowed in the earth"

9. "Three certain birds, add one"

10. "Look to the center of Europe to get the sound, but the band comes form all around."

11. "Here is another clue for you message board people. Open up the church and you will see the steeple. Some of your guesses have been way off but correct for the wrong clues. Now I must cough."

Oh my God, what music blogger wrote that last one? Anyway, feel free to post your guesses in comments. I'm guessing that No. 1 is a reference to Morrissey and No. 4 means that one day will be punctuated by a live-action revival of Clue: The Movie, but if No. 6 winds up being about Joss Stone I'm going to flip out.

Bonnaroo [Official site via Stereogum]

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12:00 PM on Mon Feb 4 2008
By Maura Johnston
3,259 views
22 comments

Comments

by Michaelangelo Matos at 12:19 PM on 02/04/08
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answer to all: GET OFF THE FUCKING BONG
by Christopher R. Weingarten at 12:24 PM on 02/04/08
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"Clouds taste this way" +a?
by Christopher R. Weingarten at 12:24 PM on 02/04/08
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Fuck, if I donate any time thinking about this, that means Bonaroo won, so fuck it.
by loudersoft at 12:24 PM on 02/04/08
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"Three certain birds, add one" Shitbirds and two more...
by The Notorious T at 12:34 PM on 02/04/08
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Bonnaroo: Too lazy to come up with shitty haiku
by Nicolars at 12:38 PM on 02/04/08
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@Matos: Too right.
by loudersoft at 12:41 PM on 02/04/08
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I think everyone heard the rumors wrong. Butthole Surfers will reunite and perform Hairway to Steven. Almost cooler.
by loudersoft at 12:56 PM on 02/04/08
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Also, here's the official scorecard as I see it --

1. No Clue
2. M.I.A.
3. Metallica (I hope I'm wrong here)
4. Led Zeppelin
5. Iron & Wine
6. Pearl Jam
7. Dread Zeppelin
8. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
9. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Andrew Bird, Old Crow Medicine Show, Black Crowes
10. Gogol Bordello

and the one I'm most sure of

11. R.E.M.
by Mike P. at 12:59 PM on 02/04/08
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As a matter of fact, Christmas has always smelled like oranges to me.
by Dead Air ummm Dead Air at 01:06 PM on 02/04/08
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Time to get the Goddamn Batman on the phone.
by loudersoft at 01:07 PM on 02/04/08
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My sources tell me the official lineup will be released Wednesday at 12 noon.
by PopTarts at 01:09 PM on 02/04/08
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2. Is definitely Cat Power
11. Agreed it's R.E.M.
by gmort at 01:20 PM on 02/04/08
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LOUDERSOFT's guesses seem spot-on, but I think #4 might be Widespread Panic. Either way, I'm excited about the official announcement, especially since Vineland got bumped.
by EddieRebel at 02:12 PM on 02/04/08
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More clues are dropping today

Clue 11 (Feb 4th Monday at 12:20)
"Message board chatter? Yes it does matter. We hear your song requests. So Listen High Listen Low Dont Look Too Hard This Is New Radio Bonnaroo"

Clue 12
Charlie's imaginary band will not be playing and don't believe what he wrote on his hand and the last few things he was not saying
by moomintroll at 02:17 PM on 02/04/08
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1. could be any Manc. band...maybe The Verve doing more than one US festival?
by Big Gray. at 02:29 PM on 02/04/08
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@moomintroll: Manchester Orchestra?
by bbernardini at 05:01 PM on 02/04/08
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"Clouds Taste This Way." Flaming Lips.
by pchcowboy at 05:24 PM on 02/04/08
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1. Sham 69
5. Lemon Jelly
8. Sky Saxon and the Seeds
9. Hillman, Crosby, McGuinn, Tracy
by dansinch at 06:19 PM on 02/04/08
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Here's my guess:

1. Manchester 2

2. Yes! It Is

3. Like Clouds

4. Fishboner

5. The Rock Pillows

6. Pearl Jam

7. Fleetwood Mac

8. Hall and Oates

9. Four Certain Birds

10. Falco

11. You People?
by dirtyshirt at 07:17 PM on 02/04/08
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1. is Manchester Orchestra, they are from Atlanta and have been touring with Kings of Leon... perfect fit for this crowd, they play "indie" rock, but the lead singer often sports a jam band beard and flip flops.
by iamlovebot at 08:44 PM on 02/04/08
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@Lucas Jensen: that was my guess, too.
by bright_wings at 11:59 PM on 02/04/08
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@EddieRebel:
12. No DriveShaft? Well, I'm not going.