Last year, we met John Roderick of the Long Winters on the back of a golf cart that was speeding through the Bonnaroo campgrounds well past midnight, searching in vain for a late-night busking parade. Then, he was covering Bonnaroo for CMJ, and just about to release his band’s excellent album, Putting the Days to Bed. After a year of touring, you’d think a festival would be the last place a guy like John would want to be, but we found him backstage again in ’07, this time reporting for MSNBC. On the festival’s final day, both Roderick and SPIN.com’s Peter Gaston were weary journalists, trying to rejuvenate for Sunday’s indie-heavy final hours. The two talked about hazing the Decemberists, gonzo journalism, and what’s next for the Long Winters.
