Despite a problematic performer switch, artists and viewers alike have expressed nothing but appreciation for this iconic Chicago music festival. Young Thug took the stage over DaBaby as a result of his homophobic comments made on stage at Rolling Loud, “Lollapalooza was founded on diversity, inclusivity, respect, and love.” Lolla posted, “With that in mind, DaBaby will no longer be performing at Grant Park tonight.” There was a backlash, of course, but too bad so sad—no homophobia allowed.

We can all do better. Fellow Lollapalooza performer Miley Cyrus took to Instagram to point out the importance of knowledge, communication, and education—in place of cancellation. Take this opportunity to improve your own understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community, and continue to encourage love and acceptance as you step away from this article. No homophobia allowed, but no quick judgments allowed either.

After last year, and with fall festivals fast approaching, I’m looking to Lollapalooza to set the tone for live music and future gatherings of this size. On Saturday, Lolla announced the importance of wearing masks indoors, “#Lolla fans, don’t forget that masks must be worn in all indoor spaces at Grant Park starting today.” they said on Twitter, reminding fans to bring a mask along with their proof of vaccination/negative test result. This came as a result of Friday’s CDC guidelines recommending masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

“Based on the latest advice from the Chicago Department of Public Health, Lollapalooza will require masks in any indoor spaces at Grant Park beginning Saturday. We encourage all fans attending the festival to bring a mask as they attend the final two days of the festival.” –Lolla’s Twitter account

For virtual festival attendees, Lollapalooza partnered with Hulu to bring fans an opportunity to watch at home. All weekend long, anyone craving a concert ticket could tune in and stream Lollapalooza from their couch, bed, wherever. This is one pandemic-festival-feature that should certainly stick around for years to come. Last year’s virtual Lollapalooza brightened a live-music-lacking summer for concert goers everywhere; why get rid of it?

Even though the Hulu livestreams are over, those who missed the festival this year can still catch exclusive interviews and highlights via Lollapalooza Radio (through 8/4).

As September now approaches, events like Bonnaroo and Firefly Music Festival are on the horizon and taking steps to ensure a safe festival experience. Much like Lollapalooza imposing mask regulations in accordance with the CDC, these fall 2021 festivals are monitoring guidelines and updating ticket holders with the most current information. Lolla required proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test. Keep these types of safety measures in your mind as your chosen festival approaches. Get vaccinated, and bring plenty of masks (you don’t want to be sweating in the same face covering for four straight days).

Bonnaroo:

“As we approach Bonnaroo weekend (September 2-5, 2021), we will continue to update Bonnaroovians with the important information needed to plan your trip to The Farm, including any changes to policies and procedures you need to know before entering the festival and campgrounds… We have taken enhanced health and safety measures for you, our artists and employees. You must follow all posted instructions while attending Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.” –Bonnaroo website

Bonnaroo has also experienced some scheduling issues as September 2nd creeps closer. Several artists have been removed from the lineup and replaced with others. Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monáe, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard will no longer be performing; however, Khruangbin and RÜFÜS DU SOL have already been added and will be joining roovians on The Farm. Keep an eye out for any more cancellations and schedule shuffles. This year still isn’t perfect (as if any year could be called “perfect” anyway), but tickets are sold out and fans are excited. Will I see you on The Farm?

Firefly Music Festival:

“It’s too early to tell exactly what precautions will be in place at the festival. However, your health and safety remain our top priority, and we continue to monitor the evolving health regulations and are working closely with state and health officials to develop COVID-19 protocols for the festival. We will follow all COVID-19 related mandates applicable to the festival and will provide more information as the festival approaches so you know what to expect.” –Firefly website

Firefly isn’t sold out yet. Click here to snag your tickets for the fall!

The post Lollapalooza 2021, Recap & Looking Ahead to Other Festivals appeared first on Red Roll.

To celebrate 20+ years of roo, and live music’s return after this crazy year of cancelled plans, the roo team partnered with Archan Nair to create an animated version of this year’s lineup poster. Is that better than collecting the paper ones and collaging them on the walls every bedroom I live in for the rest of my life? I’m not quite sure, but it sounds pretty cool– and fitting– some virtual art to celebrate the end of a virtual year, and our inevitable return to the farm.

Along with this animated poster, Manchester was also the host of a massively successful Bonnaroo pop-up shop. Their merch sold so fast, they couldn’t even stay open for the entire scheduled duration of the shop!

“Thank you to every single Boonaroovian, some who even drove over 5 hours away, who stopped by the Merch Pop-Up today! Due to the overwhelming success, we will unfortunately be closed tomorrow. Don’t worry, as we will be restocking and reopening next weekend as planned!” (tweeted on March 27).

And get this:

There may be even less walking this year.

“Say goodbye to long treks into Centeroo! The JamTrak is a new and easy way to get all the action at Bonnaroo. This convenient + free transportation option will run all day and night and be available all throughout the campground with multiple routes and stops along the way.” (source)

The artists have also expressed their own excitement about performing at Bonnaroo 2021

Tickets on sale now!

And you might want to hurry… or don’t… I haven’t bought my ticket yet.

The post 2021 Bonnaroo Lineup Announced, Along With Farm Updates and Digital Art appeared first on Red Roll.

Bonnaroo is following suit, postponing once again to September 2021, and adding to the ever-so-sparse live music calendar ahead of us. Maybe festivals like Electric Zoo NYC and Lost Lands have always been ahead of the curve. Will this mark the beginning of a new tradition? Will fall overtake summer as the prime festival season? How will yearly fall fests feel about spring/summer weekends slipping into their time of year– more the merrier or not-so-friendly competition?

We’ll see…

Several dates are set to remain in the spring and summer months. The Untz Festival and III Points Miami are grasping onto their June and April weekends, respectively, giving us hope for some live music next summer.

And in the meantime…

Festivals are working hard to get attendees involved in our democracy, encouraging fans to register to VOTE in the hopes of winning tickets/other prizes. Now, this truly is some friendly competition that also works to better our world. Music has always had the power to bring people together, lifting voices and strengthening those who join in and/or listen.

SO PARTICIPATE!!

Join in the HeadCount charge (if you’re old enough, of course), and register to vote! Use your voice to support your favorite festival, enter to win 2021 passes, and exercise your right.

The post Festivals 2021: New Dates and Registering to VOTE appeared first on Red Roll.

The farm may be closed for now, but the internet is wide open!

From Thursday through Saturday, nearly ten hours of live stream footage played each night on the Bonnaroo YouTube channel. Now, I know we already talked about this virtual festival freaky fantastic fun (alliteration bomb!), but I wanted to include a recap– this way each day’s live stream can be linked here for anyone too lazy to find the playlist on YouTube (me, like next weekend probably). The whole thing was free, which was such a nice touch, especially right now. The playlist has since been set to private, but the fundraising and registering to vote doesn’t have to stop! Also, there are plenty of other gems on their YouTube channel. Personally, I plan to crack open some wine with my roommates, change the batteries in our light-up pumpkins, and turn our house into a Bonnaroo Halloween sensation.

Artists have also taken the liberty of uploading some of their Bonnaroo 2020 sets!

And don’t forget, it’s NOT all about us

Bonnaroo gave us the weekend for free, so click here to view/donate to the nonprofit organizations being supported this year. AND check out our previous Virtual ROO-Ality article to learn more.

The post Virtual ROOcap appeared first on Red Roll.

Check out the rest of the lineup below!

Party for a good cause!

As always, the Bonnaroo crew is pushing positivity and philanthropy by partnering with Bonnaroo Works, the ACLU, and Headcount, to make our world a better place to give high-fives. Click on the links to learn more about how these organizations support the arts, fight for our rights in court, and support voter registration. Register to VOTE HERE!

The festival is also working with Cheers to Live, a series that emphasizes the impact of this pandemic on live arts, and distributes donations to theaters of your choice.

AND GUESS WHAT

There will be a Virtual ROO-ALITY Dog Dance Party every day this weekend! Donations will go towards supporting Manchester, TN’s Coffee County Humane Society. Who could say no to a puppy?

Feeling some Robe Rage?

Good, because even a global pandemic won’t cause the farm’s yearly robe themed party to fall by the wayside. All three nights DJs are “bringing the dance party vibes to you” in a series of late-night Robe Rage sets. Break out your own (fuzzy and cozy or see-through and spicy– it’s your house!), or snag a new one from the freshly stocked Bonnaroo store.

Over summer, we talked about bringing festivals home with us… now our wish is being granted! This year, Bonnaroo can light up your living room and rattle your hardwood floors. So, check out the lineup, Snapchat your festival friends, and prepare to kick back for a live stream in style. There will be less sweat, less dirt, less fun (sorry, but it’s a little true), and more… cooking? You won’t know until you tune in

Need some music now? Here’s the 2020 lineup mixtape:

The post Get Ready for Virtual ROO-ALITY appeared first on Red Roll.

Just because this festival season has been put on pause, doesn’t mean we have to sit here moping!

Why can’t we bring a little taste of our favorite places home with us? That’s exactly what we’re doing! Across the country, festival attendees are flocking to their concert friends to celebrate what would have been. This weekend became a makeshift Bonnaroo for my own festival family, as we all gathered in a friend’s front yard to celebrate her birthday over two steaming hot days of beer games and blasting music.

It started the same way it always does… with a road trip!

And got just as weird as the real thing…

We didn’t have live music or bright flashing lights, but we were able to step inside for a burst of air conditioning (that’s something I could get used to on the farm). Basically, we did our best. We all came together to celebrate a Bonnaroo birthday, and it radiated the same positivity that roo itself expects. We certainly gave each other our share of high-fives, so now I’d like to offer a virtual one to the fellow Bonnaroovians who also transformed their homes into the farm.

#homearoo

An Instagram account dedicated to all things Bonnaroo has been promoting this hashtag in an effort to keep roo alive, and well, this festival-less June. Across the country, fans are gathering to bring a little slice of roo to their own backyards.

Check out this awesome homemade arch! Seriously BonnarooBabe, you win.

Bonnaroo 2020 has been postponed to 2021, but the roovians are not resting! We are stepping up to make this year’s festival one that extends across each and every state– the ones we usually have to drive through to reach the farm. Blast this playlist, throw on your Bonnaroo bandana, and turn this disconnected festival season into one to be remembered (for good reasons, not sad ones).

Of course, if you’re now feeling inspired to bring a festival home with you, be safe and aware of the current health crisis. It’s not over just because we want to transport ourselves to sacred festival grounds. Be considerate of others and have a mask handy!

The post Bring Your Favorite Festival Home This Year! appeared first on Red Roll.

Yes, new music is coming out, but when will we get to go see it? What will happen to our existing concert/festival tickets? It’s a privilege to even be able to ask such selfish questions. There are thousands of people struggling to stay safe and healthy, and here we are, twiddling our thumbs and thinking about Lollapalooza (still on, by the way). I keep trying to remind myself of this important fact, while also watching my favorite festival countdown go from double digits all the way back to triple. Hang in there!

With all that in mind, the live component of music is integral to the experience, both for artist and listener. I’m going to go through the list of festivals I talked about in that previous article, amending what was already said about the dates. Let’s dive in and see what was canceled, what was rescheduled, and what is still standing firm.

Rolling Loud

From what I can tell, this May festival is sticking to its guns and keeping the current dates. I’m not sure how long this will last, as most other events in the next two months are seemingly jumping over each other to cancel or reschedule.

Movement

Movement has announced their rescheduled dates to be September 11-13 in Detroit. I know this apparent pattern of September weekends is harder on students. If you’re like me, you’ll seriously consider strategically using an extra skip or two this year.

Governors Ball

Randall’s Island Park is still set to host its usual weekend of music this June! Don’t start freaking out yet. I still have hope for June (despite the result of the next one…whoops, spoilers!).

Bonnaroo

Alas, what was once so close is now so far. Bonnaroo has officially been moved from June to September 24-27. I’m not crying… you’re crying.

Electric Forest

Set to take place at the end of June, Electric Forest has not yet budged on dates. Hopefully it won’t have to! According to The Festive Owl, if EF were to schedule, inside scoops say they’re shooting for September 10th-13th.

It’s easy to see only negatives during this time of many changes and limited social contact, but as far as musical events go, look at it this way…

Maybe these new dates work better for you! It’s a whole lot easier to spend an entire day in the sun in September than it is in the middle of summer (for me anyway). It’s important to consider potential positives, while also remembering that it’s a privilege to even be able to be upset about extra things (like concert tickets). Again, hang in there everyone!

The post To Reschedule or Not To Reschedule appeared first on Red Roll.

In this article, I will mention a few festivals and provide helpful links for acquiring tickets, especially for those weekends away that have already sold out. Start planning for the next few months by looking into a music festival that will take your spring and summer to the next level!

Rolling Loud Miami

With Florida on the brain after a spring break to remember, I suggest checking out Rolling Loud in Miami this May. There is a myriad of ticket packages available, from GA to VIP, and they are all still available on the Rolling Loud website. Tickets are on sale now, so if you’re already going to be in the neighborhood, or could go for a few days in the Florida heat, give this link a click!

Movement

If you’re in the market for an EDM experience, consider buying a ticket for Movement Detroit 2020. This city is known for its electronic music scene, and this festival is a perfect way to immerse yourself in it. The website calls this Memorial Day Weekend in Detroit a “Techno City adventure” and offers helpful hotel options and irresistible volunteer opportunities. The ticket prices are also very manageable as far as festivals go, with 3-day GA admission set at $209. It’s not sold out yet, but the dates are fast approaching! I would give Movement Detroit some thought, especially if you’re a midwesterner with an interest in EDM.

Governors Ball

For a wide variety of music and extremely unique location, give Governors Ball a look. Situated in Randall’s Island Park, this festival features artists from a multitude of genres and energy levels. While Rolling Loud and Movement are focused on more specific facets of the music world, this festival will give you a weekend away on a grassy island surrounded by whatever sound you’re craving. This is a great option for anyone who doesn’t have a ton of festival experience. It was the first one I ever went to, and the setup was easy to navigate, while the ferry to and from the island made it harder for me to wander off and get lost in the surrounding city. Of course, anyone would have fun here, and I’ve been meaning to go back. I just think it’s nice to note that even at a music festival with thousands of people, I felt safe and comfortable as I navigated this world for the first time. I’ll link the website here so everyone can check out tickets!

Bonnaroo

Like Governors Ball, Bonnaroo graces its audience with a plethora of artists across basically every genre line. There is something for everyone, so everybody should check it out. 4-day passes recently sold out, and there are only a few single-day ticket options left, so decide fast! Kidding (sort of), because Bonnaroo offers a link to their official ticket exchange, so you know you’re buying a valid ticket. If you feel like packing up and heading to Tennessee for a weekend you’ll cherish forever, give these links a click!

Electric Forest

I couldn’t possibly mention the midwest and music festivals without giving Electric Forest a shoutout. It is a pillar for the EDM festival scene and continues to sell out every year. Offering exceptional loyalty deals and constantly working to improve the environment for its attendees, EF will sweep you off your feet. Surprise surprise, it’s already sold out, not never fear! I’ll link the official wristband swap website here if you want to seek out a ticket from someone who wishes to resell or simply cannot go anymore (bummer for them, great for you!).

If you’re curious about ticket availability for even more upcoming festivals, check out this website!

The post Music Festivals Are Selling Out! appeared first on Red Roll.

From passing out mixtapes by the corner store, to being nominated for XXL’s Freshman Issue, Indie-Rapper SABA is continuously making breakthroughs as one of Chicago’s uprising artists.

Tahj Malik Chandler, or who you’ll see on your R&B playlists as “SABA,” is emerging in the soulful industry of both music and artistic liberation.

As an artist free from labels and signatures, SABA is his own boss- with this plane to himself, he’s capable of endless prolific capacity. For him, the art of music is the most vital attribute to fulfill the craft. During an interview late of 2017, he makes mention of his hometown, and this imaginative influence that is keeping artists like himself the most inspired.

He says,

“I think in Chicago right now, most people are worried more so about the art than the money part… Because we care so much about the art, we’re starting to see that money back. And I think that’s what a lot of people working now with me and the people around me are believing.”

Since his 2015 feature on poetic rapper Chance The Rapper’s single “Angels,” SABA has been keeping intact with these perceptive ideals, while progressing his musical career. Currently, he has a handful of his own projects, since his name first became notable to the public on Chance’s track. Spending his days touring and creating, he finds himself at peace with the idea that he has an open pursuit to generate just what he’d like, surrounded with what he believes in.

In the same interview, he discusses the competitive industry, and his lack of pressure to take part in the bandwagon.

He says,

“Being independent, sometimes it takes way longer to actually start to see a return, but that’s a matter of patience. You could be more popular than a lot of signed artists and just be on the Internet, touring, selling merch and stuff like that, so I think the rules have kind of changed a lot. But yeah, I don’t know. We’ve just been kind of winging it, honestly, and it’s been working out for us.”

With a positive perception on his work, and inventive eagerness to engage his platform with the world independently, SABA has the ability to give many young pursuing artists hope. Not only that, but the stories he shares behind his lyrics gives the younger generations desire, as it gives them the same ingenuity that SABA’s favorite artists gave him. Some of his top artists are Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West, two artists that hold a high level of public expressiveness.

Currently, SABA is on tour, and will be performing at major music festivals such as, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, and Firefly. As I will be attending two of these festivals, I will most definitely be making it a priority to see one of his sets, and witness his profound persona first-hand.

Check out his latest album, “CARE FOR ME” on Spotify:

The post A Young Angel of The West Side appeared first on Red Roll.

It is critical to test your substances.

Recognizing how critical this is, The Bunk Police, founded in 2011, are working to make the scene safer with the distribution of test kits, and a text messaging service, appropriately named the “BunkBot.”

According to the companies’ website, “BunkBot is a deceptively simple but, incredibly powerful communication tool. When you text “bunk” to 555-888, you will be able to follow various events. After you follow an event you will be sent a text when we, 1) set up and start distributing kits on site, 2) are shut down by security and are re-opening elsewhere, 3) find a particularly dangerous substance.”

The service acts as an instant alert system which can operate at an event where there is limited cell service.  When The Bunk Police, or an event attendee, have a test come back positive for fentanyl, everyone signed up for the service are immediately informed.  A thorough description of the substance, packaging, etc. is sent out. 

The company hopes the service allows for word to spread rapidly and [hopefully] stop any large-scale overdose event which may occur.

“The BunkBot is a pretty big threat to the festivals themselves, because now they know they can’t just shut us down.  If they were to shut us down, the entire festival would know about it, and we would also pop up again in another location,” Adam Auctor, the CEO of the company, said.  The BunkBot has been used at Bonnaroo, both weekends of Electric Forest, and Camp Bisco so far.  Bonnaroo was not as successful as Auctor had anticipated.  According to his post on Reddit, the company was able to operate successfully for about 36 hours and distributed a couple hundred test kits. 

“The BunkBot system seems to function very well (except for the fact that it can be used by security to find us).  Overall, I’m keeping positive and reluctantly calling this a success as we were able to distribute what we could in a short time, test our BunkBot, and leave without having thousands of dollars worth of test kits confiscated like last time.”

After Bonnaroo, The Bunk Police traveled to Rothbury, MI. for both weekends of Electric Forest.  This was the companies’ ninth time, (including Rothbury ’09), attending and distributing test kits on-site at the festival. 

After being shut down early on the first weekend, and removed from the grounds at the second weekend last year, Auctor was prepared.  Auctor had a GoPro strapped to his chest, which was powered on as soon as security was present, and he hired a journalist to ask security pressing questions.  Security did not end up shutting operations down during either weekend, and the amount of kits distributed nearly tripled in comparison to 2017.  More on what went down both weekends of Electric Forest this year can be found here.

“The BunkBot has had a huge impact for the company.  It has helped people find us at festivals and allowed for us to find two [fentanyl] dealers at Electric Forest, and several [fentanyl] dealers at Camp Bisco,” Auctor said.

Ultimately, the BunkBot is bringing awareness to the importance of testing ones’ substances, and has helped increase the sale of test kits.

The post The BunkBot: Helping to Stop Fentanyl Dealers in Their Tracks appeared first on Red Roll.