Just before 10AM Superfly flipped the switch on its PA, unofficially welcoming fans to the fourth annual Bonnaroo Music Festival. After an onsite pre-party featuring acts like ALO, Steel Train, the Benevento/Russo Duo and Gabby La La, among others, Bonnaroo will officially begin this afternoon with a set by Ollabelle, a gospel group fronted by Levon Helm’s daughter Amy.

While fans entering Bonnaroo’s grounds still sorted through miles of traffic en route to the festival grounds, wait times have improved. In past years, festivalgoers weathered up to 12 hours of traffic while entering the Music and Arts Festival. According to local papers, 15 fans were arrested yesterday and 47 were issued drug and alcohol citations. The arrests were part of an increased effort by Coffee County officials to prevent illegal substances from entering the festival grounds. Last year, 27 fans were arrested onsite throughout the three-day festival. 

 In addition to a variety of onsite installations created by Great Northeast Productions, fans are encouraged to create several pieces of communal art in Bonnaroo’s maze of parking lots. Identified with sky-high balloons, each installation is overseen by a team of curators, who created their work from found objects. A sign of how far Bonnaroo’s boundaries now stretch, fans wandering through the festival’s lot can see a small church surrounded by Tent City.

Inside the festival grounds, Bonnaroo’s city-like infrastructure is already intact. Using last year’s setup as its blueprint, Great Northeast Productions has constructed a brand-new city, colored by larger-than-life “heads” and multi-colored lampposts. Still eight hours from show time, stagehands star on the What and Which Stages, piping an eclectic mix of pre-show music through the festival’s PA system. As artists arrive, collaborations are also slowly cementing. Tonight, Les Claypool will back his newest prodigy, Gabby La La, while Jack Johnson fans hope that the platinum star will appear with his summer opening act, ALO, during its hour-long spot. Inflation has also hit Centeroo, with egg and cheese sandwich prices now marked up to $4 (last year the same breakfast treat cost $2).

While fans entering the concert grounds should expect parking lot conditions, local residents are cruising by the festival grounds. A third line of US 41 has been set up to direct fans into the concert grounds. Be sure to check www.relix.com/festivals throughout the weekend for onsite reports directly from Manchester, TN.

Hunter S. Thompson graced the cover of Relix magazine’s April/May 2003 issue. Our writer, Jesse Jarnow, met Thompson that February in New York City for lunch and spent the day with him, conversing, drinking and rabble rousing. Below is an excerpt from Mr. Jarnow’s cover story. For a complete copy of the piece, please visit www.relix.com/hunterthompson to order the issue in its entirety.