Making It Burn Bright At Bonnaroo

Making It Burn Bright At Bonnaroo

by: Brad Phillip Weisberg

The Woodstock Music Festival was much more than a concert. It was a revolutionary development for musical artists and their wide-scale fan base. Although it could be argued that there will never be anything comparable to the indentation that Woodstock left on American culture, music festivals such as Bonnaroo and Langerado operate in a similar fashion. Even though these music festivals do not get the media exposure and society’s attention, both Bonnarroo and Langerado are social havens. Individuals who collectively appreciate the music styling’s and artistic abilities of select artists travel from all the over the nation and even the world to come experience our modern-day Counter-Culture. Artists such as Ben Harper and The Roots exercise their beliefs on topics such as marijuana usage, freedom of expression, distrust for the WTO, and other ideals through their eclectic sounds.

Listening to Ben Harper’s classic song, “Burn One Dow”, one cannot completely fully comprehend the power and emotional belief behind Harper’s words. Most artists such as Harper are not as engaged in the studio, mainly because they’re recording not performing. Once you put the artist in a venue with thousands to hundreds of thousands screaming fans, the artist breaks out of his or her shell and not only sings but performs.

“Burn One Down” is one of my favorite songs that Ben Harper has recorded and been performing for the past fifteen years. Although it is a song that unites marijuana users, that is not the only emotion and thoughts that Harper invokes upon his listeners. While listening to this song on my iPod or iTunes, I cannot fully experience what Harper had intended for me to hear and feel. His calm and smooth voice can only provide me with a sense of tranquility. Through carefully decoding the lyrics, one can understand that the message that Harper is trying to convey is purely focused on the legalization and acceptance of marijuana. From a broader scope, Harper’s music extrapolates on ideas of freedom, tolerance and acceptance. Lyrics such as “So before you knock it, try it first, for you’ll see it’s a blessing and not a curse” do not just apply to acceptance of marijuana usage, but also the acceptance and tolerance of racial and gender groups, such as blacks and gays. Ben Harper, a black American, has faced a lot of obstacles in his development as an artist. In his interview with “It’s Your Nature. Org”, Harper expands upon his belief towards acceptance and appreciation of the Earth (http://www.fanpop.com/spots/ben-harper/videos/376814/title/ben-harper-burn-one-down-interview). As you listen, you may be able to gather some of his ideas, but you cannot fully grasp the strong feelings and emotions that he has for certain issues and expresses through his music.

While watching his live performance at Bonnaroo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekd5L3a1s68) , one can get a better glimpse into the true identity of Harper as both a musician and civilian. Before he performs his song, he actively communicates with the audience through having a conversation on freedom, in the context to illegal downloading. As he states, “Free freedom, that’s my cry.” (Harper, Bonnaroo, 2008). Harper is a free-spirited, easy-going individual who is for the acceptance and tolerance of everyone and everything. An audience experiences the true passion and dedication that Harper has for the fight for freedom. While listening to the CD, you cannot watch the sweat drip down a musician’s face or the tears slowly roll down his face. Unlike Elvis Presley, Harper’s performance stems from his vocal abilities and strong stage presence. Watching an artist perform live, you can truly experience what they did when they were writing the song. At 2:10 into the YouTube video, we can see the strong emotions that Harper has for his beliefs, as he projects his voice while his eyes are closed. One can infer that the closing of his eyes is symbolic of his hope for a better day, a day in which no prejudice exists. The way Harper adjusts his voice to the words is representative of the personal attributes that he exhibits as a musician and a common individual, such as his laidback and carefree personality to his intestinal fortitude that he expresses in both his songs and live performances.

Clearly put, one cannot experience the feelings, emotions and passions that the artist intended for his committed fan-base. A live performance provides us with an authentic depiction of a musician, as both an artist and a common person. Listening to a CD, we can understand the manifest content that the artist lays out for us, but we cannot watch the artist perspire from the blood, sweat and tears that he pours into his music and performance.