Then we were off to hear Rilo Kiley, who sounded a little similar to Concrete Blonde. Unfortunately, they took the stage late, cutting in half the 30 minutes we had scheduled for them. Of course, we had to go back and pay our respects to Willie Nelson. The country music fans seemed resigned that Willie draws stoners as the joints, pipes, and blunts were being shared, and the man himself seemed right at home in front of these people, delivering a set chock full of hits, including “Bloody Mary Morning,” which coincidentally I had had this day. Unfortunately some in the audience were more concerned with getting high, making it tough to hear Willie.

We headed over to the main stage to grab a spot for Chris Rock. The 40% chance of rain became 100%, so we pulled out our matching raincoats and sat back amongst the elements. There was a comedy tent at Bonnaroo, but there was too much waiting in line to hassle with it. Besides, no name there was as big as Rock’s. He took the stage after an introduction from Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich and killed. Everyone in my area was barely able to contain their laughter as Rock combined his usual hysterical observations with a few “did he just say that?” lines that were so outlandish you might not even think them to yourself. He talked about Barack Obama having the blackest name possible, making him sound like “'the bass player for the Commodores.” He wondered why gas was so high after invading Iraq. “Let me tell you something. If I invade IHOP, pancakes are going to be cheaper in my house.” He even provided a public service pointing out the one and only time it is okay for a white person to use the word “nigger,” which involved a number of degradations that must be suffered. Even the audience wasn’t safe as he called us out for taking “performance enhancing drugs” and antidepressants before seeing a comedian.

Rock then returned the favor and introduced Metallica, who came to show the hippies relaxing in their tents how to rock. Their best-of set went over well as they played just about every classic song from their catalog, and the crowd didn’t want them to leave. The pyrotechnics and effects during “One” was the standout of the weekend and no doubt startled a few hallucinogen takers. As a fan, I would have liked a new song or cover, but it was understandable.