On the Queue for Bonnaroo

For an avid roadtripper such as myself, every season is road trip season; however, I feel this especially so during the summer months.  For my first post on Mic Drop, I thought it suitable to write about my ever-evolving road trip playlist. You might be skeptical, I mean, you don’t even know me (yet). Hell, there are thousands of road trip playlists on every music platform at your disposal. But, if I’m going to spend 36 hours in the car driving from Denver to Bonnaroo and back next week, my music library better be on point.

My playlist, “(road)trip, don’t fall,” found here https://open.spotify.com/user/are13d/playlist/54c3XBIqMqceGVEKVn2uZV?si=VReO6sAARBqMquoYZ1PTJQ on my Spotify page, is a compilation created with a few main criteria. For starters, like my Nana always tells me, variety is the spice of life.  A varying range of music is essential for any good playlist. Allowing you to jump from Chance the Rapper to Phish with one click. Moreover, you have to throw some classics on there.  I don’t know about you, but “Man, I feel Like a Woman,” by Shania Twain and Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” has had me “singing” from the backseat since I was still in diapers. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t make a few additions to the playlist simply based on their titles (“Roadtrippin'” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, “When I Get There” by Big Wild…) but, they’re bangers nonetheless.  Lastly, oddly enough, a road trip just isn’t complete to me without a few songs in different languages.

Traditionally, I’m more of a “shuffle” kind of girl when it comes to playing music.  I enjoy the anticipation of what turn the stream might take next, and the excitement that ensues when the first beat of the next song drops. While “(road)trip, don’t fall” can still be enjoyed by hitting shuffle, the playlist ranges so widely in genre, even I would allow a simple “play” for this one.

The collection starts on the lighter side with “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers and continues with the road trip classic “Send Me On My Way” by Rusted Root. Next week’s road trip to Bonnaroo begins promptly at 3:00am sharp. You best believe I’ll be needing two coffees in the car to make me slightly less miserable at that ungodly hour. One coffee in my hand and the other “Coffee” soothingly serenaded to me over the speakers by Miguel. While I’m not really sure that this time of day can be considered morning rather than the middle of the night, to keep the momentum going, “Good Morning” by Kanye West is a must.

As for some classics, is it really a road trip without “Dancing in the Moonlight?” A little Stevie Nicks, perhaps? “Edge of Seventeen,” maybe “Go Your Own Way?” If you think, no matter how unrealistic it may be, that I don’t aim for “Livin’ On A Prayer” to casually come on EXACTLY halfway through the drive, you’re wrong.

The closer I get to the middle of nowhere, Tennessee, the antsier I’m going to be.  For this leg of the drive, I’m gonna need some motivation. Simply put, I can’t drive anywhere without playing at least one Odesza song. For this ride, the classic “Say My Name,” seems like a good fit; but I’m always down to get after it to my favorite song by the duo, “My Friends Never Die.”  As the drive nears an end, it would seem almost sacrilegious if I didn’t play “How it Ends,” by Griz. The notes of feature artist Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic slaying the sax to welcome me across the Tennessee border.

The final song has to be perfect. To call a spade a spade, after 18 hours in the car, tears upon arrival are extremely likely. This one’s a tough call, but I have to go with that which perfectly sums up the bliss of finally getting out of the car.  To narrow it down to a few, I’d have to say: “Celebrate” by Anderson .Paak, “Hallelujah” by Panic! at the Disco, or Passion Pit’s “Take a Walk”. Stay tuned for my full review of Bonnaroo to see which direction I decided to go in.

Song suggestions to help me keep my sanity on the drive home?  DM @MicDropMusic or @bigglexx on instagram!

Summary
On the Queue for Bonnaroo
Article Name
On the Queue for Bonnaroo
Description
If I'm going to spend 36 hours in the car driving from Denver to Bonnaroo and back next week, my music library better be on point.
Author
Publisher Name
Mic Drop Music
Publisher Logo

One Comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.