Bonnaroo helps bring festivals back from the dead

[gateley]

When the tens of thousands of music-crazy fans gather in the Tennessee countryside this weekend for Bonnaroo, they'll be part of not just one of the summer's biggest music festival, but a nationwide revival.

Just 10 years ago, after the disastrous 1999 Woodstock and the temporary petering out of Lollapalooza, festivals appeared dead. But in recent years, they've emerged as one of the music industry's few cash cows in an otherwise tumultuous environment.

Of course, braving heat, rain storms and traffic can make most any festival a tumultuous experience. But the rejuvenation of the summer festival is best understood as a reflection of changed music-listening habits.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that as people started having more access to music, it meant that people were looking for a live experience that reflected that ability to consume," said Rick Farman, a founder of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which launched in 2002. "When you look at people's iPods, it's really diverse what people are listening to."

more...http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/11/bonnaroo.festival.ap/index.html