From Jay-Z to Conan O'Brien, Bonnaroo was an amazing experience

So another Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has come and gone for the year. As usual, it was hot as a sauna in Manchester, Tenn., where the four-day event is held each year. Also as usual, the festival's organizers succeeded in presenting an event that catered to just about any musical taste.

Folks who attended this year's edition of Bonnaroo last week had a chance to see everything from current "it" acts such as Phoenix and Deadmau5 to seasoned legends such as John Fogerty and Stevie Wonder. To review every act I saw this past weekend would take up far more space than I have, so I'll touch on some of the highlights I experienced last weekend. First off, after three years of having to camp in what seemed like the next state over, this year I finally got a campsite within view of the Centeroo area, where the concerts take place.

Thursday brought great sets from the Manchester Orchestra and NeedtoBreathe, as well as a raunchy yet hilarious performance by comedian Margaret Cho. I woke up Friday morning and hiked back to the stages to see an early performance by the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who were on their way to close out the Spoleto Festival this past Sunday. Conan O'Brien introduced acts on the "What Stage," including Tenacious D, Kings of Leon and Damian Marley and Nas.

The highlight that day was seeing the Flaming Lips perform Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" in its entirety while covering the crowd in ridiculous amounts of balloons and confetti. Saturday, I tried to take it easy, waiting in line for a much-coveted ticket to see Conan O'Brien perform in the comedy tent, which had the added attraction of being air-conditioned. I also managed to catch portions of The Avett Brothers, The Melvins, Weezer and the legendary Jeff Beck.

I had been very excited about seeing one of Saturday's headliners, Stevie Wonder. I had been a fan since seeing Wonder on "Sesame Street" as a child. Wonder didn't disappoint, playing a generous selection of hits, including "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," "Higher Ground" and "Superstition."

What I was unprepared for though, was the force of nature better known as Jay-Z. The rap artist delivered what was probably the best set of the festival, running through hits such as "99 Problems," "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" and his latest success, "Empire State of Mind."

Acting as a one-man rock band, Jay-Z demonstrated why he can rightfully boast that he is the best rapper on the planet. I tried to stay up for a 2:30 a.m. show by the metal band GWAR, but just like a similarly scheduled show Friday night by LCD Sound System, I fell asleep well before the bands hit their respective stages.

Sunday allowed me to sample sets by Ingrid Michaelson, Martin Sexton, Lucero and Regina Spector. Fogerty opened his set on the huge What Stage with five songs in a row by his old band, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Even at 65, Fogerty can rock as hard as the youngsters. After superb sets by Phoenix and the Zac Brown Band, it was time for Sunday's headliner, The Dave Matthews Band, to close out the festival.

Despite the unrelenting heat, it was a truly magical weekend of music and fun. In addition to getting to see all of the aforementioned bands and more, I also had the chance to meet Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne, La Bamba from Conan O'Brien's band and another one of my childhood musical idols, Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates), who was playing at Bonnaroo with the band Chromeo.

Other random happenings included spying Cho dancing onstage with The Flaming Lips, seeing actor and comedian Steve Martin play bluegrass banjo with the Steep Canyon Rangers and hearing both Weezer and Ingrid Michaelson cover Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" on separate days. Aside from the music, there was time to sample the various food and drink available at the festival, as well as a little time for people watching, a sport that is always well-rewarded as folks let their freak flags fly at Bonnaroo.

All in all, it was the best Bonnaroo weekend yet. I can't wait for next year.