It’s about time I again feature the finest recent work of ND’s crack photographers. However, this time I’m trying something just a bit different. I lead with the Bonnaroo photos of Chris Griffy, who also filed daily reports (4) and interviews (3) from the festival for ND.
The something different began with his Facebook post of what covering the festival took (and took out of him). Readers of festival reports can be unaware of what we go through to provide them with that vicarious experience. With his permission, here is a summary of what it took for him to provide ND readers with his coverage:
Days camped: 3
Miles walked Thursday-Sunday: 41 (some of that was moving around to the music, but it probably burned more calories than walking, so I’m counting it)
Hours of sleep Thursday-Saturday: approximately 6
Sets seen (full and partial): 32
Articles written on-site: 4
Articles written Monday after I got home: 2
Interviews on-site: 2 (Low year for me, but it just wasn’t happening)
Amish doughnuts eaten: one-half
Praters BBQ eaten: 2
Food prepared by a James Beard Award-winning chef eaten: 1
Times I was tracked down backstage two days later and told by one of my two interviewees, unprompted, that mine was “the best one he had all weekend”: 1 (hey, I’m proud of that one)
Total page views on Bonnaroo articles: 3,100 (thank god for jam bands, as Umphrey’s was more than 50% of that)
Blisters gotten on foot: 1 (First one since 2008. Don’t buy your new Sanuks two weeks before the fest, kiddies.)
Times Joan [Chris’ wife] rolled her eyes at me for throwing Dio horns at Americana or jazz shows: I lost count.
I do not know how many days it took him to recover, but I know it always takes me a couple. The first day back, I wander around as if in a daze, then on day two I crash.
If you have not already done so, check out Chris’ ND page where you read those interviews and reports from ‘Roo, and more.
In addition to Chris’ photos, please also check out the photos in the slideshow below of Kirk Stauffer, C. Elliott, Mark J. Smith, Kevin Smith, Peter Dervin, Chad Cochran, Boom Baker, Carol Graham, and Charlie Bermant for their photos including legends like Taj Mahal, Los Lobos, David Bromberg, Bobby Bare, Emmylou Harris, Jerry Jeff Walker, Keb’ Mo’, and David Lindley; younger folks on the rise such as Dear Lemon Trees and Micheala Anne; jammy bands such as Leftover Salmon; and a band that has quickly become my second fave, Elephant Revival. And that’s just a start. What an abundance of riches.
