How all-encompassing is your work on Bonnaroo? Do you focus on it exclusively?
RB- In some ways you wish you had 24/7 to give to any project because if you did you could really go over the top. At the moment I’ve done a few things for Ben and Jerry and Dave Matthews who are doing a collaboration on global warming. So I’m making pieces for them to take around as they get people to pledge to limit CO2 emissions. Those are on the road now. And the Ben and Jerry’s One World One Heart festival is the same week as Bonnaroo. But we have a number of pieces that we’ve made for them over the years. We made a DNA fountain; we made an art wall which has been an evolving thing, people get to paint individual pieces and then it falls down into a giant hole over the course of the day. So we have some pieces like that we will redo for them and I have a crew of people that have done that set-up for them before and they’ll do that.
Where are you in your schedule? When will you start building structures?
RB- We’ll start production off site probably in the next week and then we’ll do on-site production starting around the first of June on through the event.
Did you start to work on site about three weeks prior to the Phish events?
RB- It will be very similar to that with an increasing level of intensity the closer you get to doors and gates.
In terms of design, to what extent are things set in stone and to what extent do you allow for improv or flow?
RB- Some things you can line right out and you know exactly what you’re going to do. But other things basically you agree to the concept and you know from a production standpoint it’s going to be a performance art piece and the little glitches and technical problems will create other opportunities and it will turn into whatever it’s going to turn into. So it’s not like making a blueprint and then making that same thing. Most of things are sculptural in nature and they emerge.
What has been the most frustrating lesson that you’ve learned over the past few years?
RB- Frustrating isn’t the right word because the things are so darned rewarding. You become exhausted like you do with any sort of theater or artistic project because it can go on and on and on if there isn’t a deadline. The deadline causes you to get things done but at the same time the more you fall into something the more you can be attracted to the level of detail that is necessary to make the thing really profound. So if we could have eighty hour days we’d be golden (laughs)
You also need to do your homework so you don’t have to spend a lot of time looking for the right welder or the right guy. That can be frustrating which is why we bring a core group of people with us wherever we go. We know we need people we can always depend on.
Do you care to provide us with any specific details about what you’re putting together?
RB- No, I think it’s too early to say. I don’t want to give any away too soon. One thing we want to do is have this be an unfolding surprise for the people who come there. We want people to understand that we want to do is create a really great place of social congress beyond just what happens when everybody is in a pack listening to any particular band. I see the whole thing as a music and arts festival and it is definitely speaking to a culture, which I find very attractive. The social component of these things is important and that a lot of these people are pretty aware of their place in the world is meaningful to me.
I’ve been to plenty of festivals that are not conceptualized in that way. I can tell you from experience, that what you describe makes it far more satisfying for people who attend.
RB- I really like these guys because they understand what they’re doing. This is the first time they’ve ever done anything like this so they have to rely on a few of us who are really experienced with permitting and all those issues but they really understand the importance of that. I think the mix of music that they have and the mix of artists that they have really speaks to the fact that they want to do a first class high quality event. They’re not just trying to put the minimum number of port-o-lets in. You have to make people feel comfortable. I also think that you don’t run into the kind of problems that you’re liable to run into at events where this doesn’t happen and people just feel that they aren’t being respected and then start to run amok.
Final question. As you sit back and look at your gig as visual designer for Bonnaroo, what jumps to mind?
RB- I have the best job. I get to touch anything, and people really like it. We’ll have horses there, mounties for security and we’ve worked with these guys before. I’ve had them take care of some things to make sure they’re well protected. I met with the head of the mounties and he said, “You know you could do something with us, we could do a parade or whatever.” One of the cool things about this job is that everybody wants to be involved in the stuff that makes it cool
Are you going to take them up on that?
RB- I think I am. I’ve got some great ideas. (laughs).
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