Return of Roo Clues | We Attempt to Solve Number 1 & 2

It’s 2014 and you know what that means, right? We’re halfway to festival season! Of course, our favorite fest of all is the one held right in our backyard: Bonnaroo. As you may recall, for the past couple of years, Bonnaroo has played an ongoing game with fans, ahead of its full lineup announcement, where a series of “Roo Clues” are revealed, hinting at who we’ll see on the farm. Last year, we played along, and with a pretty solid track record to boot! Think we can do even better this year? Roo Clue #1 just dropped on Tuesday and #2 dropped earlier the day, so keep ready to find out!

Unlike last year, where Roo Clues were a mix of real world hiding places, haikus, and interactive media, this year things will be simplified and hosted on Instagram twice a week. Check out an announcement from the fest:

So here’s Roo Clue #1:

And Roo Clue #2:

Let’s get to solvin’!

Roo Clue #1 is a television set containing the state of Oregon, with a star on Portland. There are only a few things this could possibly be:

• Portlandia, the popular Fred Armesin and Carrie Brownstein-starring sketch comedy show is obviously being referenced. Could it be so on the nose that the duo are bringing their Portlandia live show to ‘Roo? [verdict: possibly]
• Brownstein’s indie band Sleater-Kinney went on hiatus in 2006, but have been hinting at reunion plans as of late. [verdict: likely]
• But, if we’ve learned anything from Roo Clues in the past, it’s best not to think too hard about them. The most likely answer is usually right in front of you, and our guess is Portlandia theme song artist WASHED OUT. Though the chillwave pioneer has never played Bonnaroo, he’s a perfect fit, and his summer is wide open. [verdict: most likely]

Roo Clue #2 contains four test tubes, one of which is broken in half and one of which is cracked. So this one’s, uh, pretty on the nose I think. It’s Break Science. It has to be Break Science.

• The NY duo are pretty squarely in line with the electronic trend Bonnaroo has been embracing in recent years, on the rise, but not to big to giveaway ahead of time. And this clue is so obvious that reading into it any deeper just doesn’t make sense.
• Less than a week before ‘Roo, they’ll be in Arkansas for Wakarusa. Why not knock out another festival on the way home? [verdict: pretty definite]

There you have it, 2014 has begun! We’ll be solving these twice a week from here on out, so keep an eye out, and don’t be afraid to chime in with your own theories in the comments! And of course, don’t forget to check out our 2014 Bonnaroo Lineup Rumors post, which is updated regularly with the latest info and speculation!

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