After months of waiting and a series of maddeningly difficult lineup clues, Manchester's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival finally released its initial lineup today, Feb. 19, in an hour long video on Bonnaroo365 hosted by Weird Al Yankovic. The wait ended up being worth it as the top of the Bonnaroo 2013 lineup features by far the biggest name in Bonnaroo headlining history, former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney. Joining McCartney as headliners are up and comers Mumford & Sons and Southern rock legends Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
Long rumored to be playing Bonnaroo, McCartney is an unrivaled get by festival organizers AC Entertainment and Superfly Productions. One of two surviving members of The Beatles, McCartney has filled stadiums the size of Bonnaroo's 80,000 capacity field by himself.
Joining McCartney atop the first line of Bonnaroo 2013 artists are white hot British sensations Mumford & Sons. Coming off the chart topping sales of their second album "Babel", Mumford & Sons have completed their meteoric Bonnaroo journey. The band has gone from virtual unknown tent stage openers in 2010 to Which Stage performers in 2011 to being the second highest billed headliner at one of America's biggest music festivals in 2013.
Rounding out the headliners is a favorite headliner from Bonnaroo 2006, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. One of the most prolific hitmakers in history, the list of Tom Petty radio favorites could fill an entire column alone. From "Refugee" and "I Won't Back Down" to "Learning to Fly" and "Don't Come 'Round Here No More", Petty's voice can be heard daily on pretty much every classic rock radio station in the United States.
But don't think the headliners are all Bonnaroo has to offer. As is the case every year, the eclectic lineup has something for every taste. If your tastes run toward the oddball and eclectic, Icelandic singer Bjork, the team of Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and hipster goddess St. Vincent, or the post-punk stylings of Swans should get your fix.
If you want up and coming critical darlings, Bonnaroo offers a truly stacked lineup of artists who have inhabited many "Album of the Year" lists over the past three years including Of Monsters and Men, The Lumineers, Father John Misty, The XX, and Japandroids will fill your quota.
For those more into the classic rock side of things Bonnaroo has you covered with sets from wily veterans like ZZ Top, Billy Idol, John Oates, Weird Al Yankovic and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Rappers, an increasing part of Bonnaroo's lineup in recent years, also get their due running the gamut from legendary artists like The Wu Tang Clan and Nas to up and coming hitmakers like Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky.
You can find a link to the full Bonnaroo 2013 initial lineup here and compare it to how close I got in my Bonnaroo 2013 lineup prediction here.
Let us know who you most want to see on the Bonnaroo lineup in the comments section. For the latest news on lineup additions, must see acts, and interviews with performers, click subscribe at the top of the page to have it all delivered to your inbox.
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