No two people experience the same Bonnaroo, even if they are attached at the hip all weekend. What I’ve attempted to do is give you the experience of one man on one journey to see dozens of amazing musicians while surviving the heat, the schedule, and unpredictable nature that is Bonnaroo. If I didn’t see the band you love more than anything, I’m sorry, but I think 40 bands is a large enough number to satisfy the curiosity of someone that did not go and still entertain the tens of thousands that did.
Part 1 will cover Thursday’s festival opening and Friday’s nonstop action. Stick around tomorrow, as Part 2 will be up talking about the madness that was Saturday and the relaxing comedown of Sunday. Finally, we will have a retrospective piece covering some of the other Bonnaroo adventures and topics that can’t be covered by just reviewing bands.
Thursday, June 9th
Thursday is always a great way to kick off the festival with up-and-coming bands, usually on the youthful side, playing rowdy notes to some rowdy folks. This year was no different, with the line-up swaying from indie to rap to hardcore electronica.
Wavves
The grungey surf rock presented by San Diego-based Wavves was the perfect daytime kick off for Bonnaroo. The crowd responded in kind with feverous clapping at the start of their set and erupted even further when the post-Nirvana trio really started rocking out. “Head in the Sand” and “King of the Beach” hit the hardest, with bassist Stephen Pope’s flying V bass setting the tone from which to groove. Fans of Cage the Elephant or Nine Black Alps had a lot to like from this band.
School of Seven Bells
This ethereal trio really surprised a crowd not sure who the hell School of Seven Bells was. Guitarist Benjamin Curtis (ex-Secret Machines and the reason I was there) showed off his chops in a completely different manner, laying the groundwork for singer Alejandra Deheza to sing to the heavens. They opened with “Camarilla” but played the excellent “Windstorm” and single “My Cabal” before their daytime-into-dusk set was finished. The latter saw the entire crowd waving their hands from side-to-side, even when they had not heard of SVIIB prior. The nuanced guitar licks and beautiful vocals made this electropop trio play well off of one another.
J Cole
This was a first for me, as I had never heard both Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. covered at Bonnaroo. J. Cole did both in the same set, slaying “I Ain’t Mad At Ya” and had the beat from “Big Poppa” back his own track “Higher.” Hip-hop has come a long, long way at Bonnaroo and J. Cole entertained the hell out of This Tent. With Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, and now Eminem headlining, the thirst for quality rap has struck Manchester and J. Cole added to the fine pedigree.
Band of Skulls
This power-trio from England played a ton of new stuff and the singles that brought them to the dance. The exceptional sound quality of That Tent gave much more credence to the hard work Russell Marsden and company were providing. The crushing drums of Matt Hayward bounce off of the vocals so well, and the duality of the male and female vocals create a dynamic symbiotic relationship, with harmonies that only drive their old-fashioned rock home. This was a lot of folk’s favorite show from Thursday and with good reason: the band showed that they aren’t only as strong as their weakest single, but that they can entertain a huge crowd with control and direction.
Friday, June 10th
Friday was the most packed day and potentially one of the greatest single-day festival line-ups in history. Something for everyone was on display from the moment the festival started until, well, the moment Saturday’s line-up began.
Graveyard
Swedish metal had its day in the sun, starting off with Graveyard. Not afraid to play six-plus minute songs, the band used their Orange amps (the only brand on stage) to play their balanced mix of hard rock and blues. Dressed like Kid Rock’s classier brother, singer Joakim Nilsson bellowed some powerful vocals during the midday heat that fit right into the Southern crowd. The tones were perfect, the vocals were haunting, and the overall sound merged so much of what is right about multiple genres, creating this perfect storm of soulful psychedelic metal. This band also jammed at the Solar Stage and gave fans another slice of hard rock pie.
Bela Fleck
Definitely one of the highlights of the entire festival was having Bela Fleck and his original line-up perform on the Which Stage. Seeing Victor Wooten on bass and Fleck on banjo is a match made in heaven, especially when Wooten gets into his unmistakable grooves and Fleck gets furious on the strings. This was the first set of the weekend that screamed Bonnaroo, as the jamming didn’t stop until the set was over. A little harmonica here, a little violin there, and ultimately an entire band experience that is unrivaled. It was too bad that this set as during the day, as a lot of people wanted to check it out but couldn’t withstand the heat.
Matt & Kim
When the New York duo came out to “New York” and other hip-hop beats, the Tennessee crowd wasn’t sure what they were in for, but as soon as the synth and drums duo starting wailing, the party had jumped off. When the insanely good-looking drummer Kim Schifino tells the women in the audience to show their breasts, it happens within seconds. In fact, it happened even before she said anything. Playing almost everything from their three albums, singer Matt Johnson continues his tradition of getting an entire crowd riled up just by standing on his throne and hitting the right note. Their infectious brand of up-tempo danceable indie pop is one-of-a-kind and got the entire tent jumping up and down. This was one tough set to see, as the crowd poured out of the tent into the surrounding areas.
Best quote from Matt: “Make some noise if you pissed somewhere that wasn’t a bathroom.” The audience’s affirmation was both hilarious and telling of a weekend at Bonnaroo.
The Sword
Picking up where Graveyard and Kylesa left off, The Sword brought their Texas brand of metal to That Tent with a raucous hour-long set. This was a bit of a move up for The Sword, who had previously kicked off festivities with a Thursday night set. Their guitars crushed nearby eardrums and the highlight was definitely the cover of ZZ Top’s “Cheap Sunglasses.” They expanded all of their tracks for the live arena, giving guitarist Kyle Shutt the room to show why this band has played alongside the level of talent that they have toured with. This band is poised and primed to be the next big American metal band and this performance got them that much closer.
Warren Haynes Band
Mr. Bonnaroo himself, Warren Haynes, put on a delightful daytime set at the sweltering Which Stage, but used that heat as a type of solar energy that powered his trademark voice and slippery smooth guitar. Playing with a newish lineup that saw Ivan Neville come out to play keys, Haynes delivered his best version of soul and survival, playing “Man in Motion,” “Sick of my Shadow,” and the always-played but never dull “Soulshine.” “Soulshine” is one of those songs that is 100% Bonnaroo and makes everything alright, justifying the trials and tribulations you had to face to make it to the farm. As a seven-time Rooer, I look forward to it every year and it never disappoints. Great line-up, excellent choice of songs, and another feather in the hat of Mr. Haynes, which matches all of the other feathers in his millions of hats.
Opeth
This was the biggest shock for metalheads at Bonnaroo, getting the largest name in death metal possible in Sweden’s Opeth. I was a little worried that the crowd might not know what to make of Mikael Akerfeldt and his band of not-so-merry men, but a mosh pit started within seconds of the first track. The set list was fantastic, with seven songs spanning their entire career, including the beautiful “Face of Melinda” and the now-classic “The Drapery Falls.” Akerfeldt is one of the most entertaining front men in metal, often joking with the crowd by saying things like “How does it feel to buy a $300 ticket and watch me tune my guitar?” in between songs. He also started “Drapery Falls” by saying that Tony Iommi still loves to play “Paranoid” but “I fucking hate playing this song.” Martin Mendez’s bass was deep, the drumming was solid, and new keyboardist Joakim Svalberg did a great job (replacing the excellent Per Wilberg) in his first live Opeth show. This is a band that didn’t need a night time slot and a bunch of drugs to make memorable.
The Decemberists
I like The Decemberists, I really do, but this set was little more than a disappointment. Maybe it was the lack of Jenny Conlee, the fiery keyboardist stricken with breast cancer, or the fact that the band has gone from tent to smaller stage to main stage in a few years. Either way, the set list was fine and dandy, but the spirit of performance wasn’t up to the standard that the indie troupe has set over the past six or seven years. Colin Meloy seemed to be a bit full of himself during the performance, spending way too much time jawing with the fans instead of playing. I’m all for keeping it lively with the audience, but not when it cuts into playing time and the overall performance suffers because of it. Maybe their first #1 album has gone to their head, but I think a smaller stage during a focused night slot might help bring their style back to life.
Ray LaMontagne
While thousands of people were trying to squeeze themselves into the tent that Florence and the Machine were playing in, the safer choice seemed to be the bearded croonery of Ray LaMontagne and his Pariah Dogs. The set was laid back, full of soul, and the angelic voice of LaMontagne made the entire Tennessee female population swoon. His plaid shirt and blue jeans showed how down home this performer is and how right up his alley Bonnaroo is. The setlist stuck close to the bluesy Americana the singer/songwriter is known for, with little in the way of surprise or covers. Some argued that he should have been in a tent so Florence could command a large stage, but LaMontagne’s powerful vocals, inspired picking, and overall song quality made the case for himself quite wonderfully.
Primus
The band, the myth, the legends, Primus took over Which Stage after My Morning Jacket finished and brought the crowd to their feet for the entire set. Les Claypool was on point as always and Ler LaLonde showed why he may be the most underrated guitarist in the last 20 years. New/classic drummer Jay Lane showcased why he should be back in the band, especially on the newer tracks, which filled the list of performaed songs. The toughest part of the set was trying out four new songs on a crowd that was yearning for the classics. This set didn’t come close to touching the epic 2004 performance, but for those that had yet to see Primus in their live form, hearing “Tommy The Cat,” “Harold of the Rocks,” and “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver” made people’s dreams come true. Their jamming was solid and Claypool still has the X factor that separates him from his peers.
Now, some might notice that there is a really big band missing in between Primus and the next act, Bassnetar, and that would be headliner’s Arcade Fire. I omit them from this list for two reasons, the biggest one being that it was the exact same set they played at Coachella. The second is that it wasn’t as good as the Coachella set, one that I covered here two months ago. The Canadian armada has slowly taken over the music world, headlining every major music festival in the US and winning the Album of the Year Grammy. Unless something changes for the band, they are destined to burn themselves out and be unable to top themselves. This set was a sign of just that, as it was a carbon copy of their past festival performances and lacked anything special for the Bonnaroo crowd. Ultimately, it was another disappointing set instead of what should have been a home run. Again, for people that had never seen them, it was indicative of their live performances and probably reinforced all the fuzzy feelings you had about them, but for a band that now has a huge following and has played shows extremely similar to this before, there simply wasn’t anything new or uniquely Bonnaroo here.
Bassnectar
I’m going to go ahead and call this the set of the night, maybe even the entire weekend. Bassnectar had the great time-slot of being 30 minutes after Arcade Fire and 30 minutes before anything else started, meaning almost all 90,000 people were clamoring to be a part of the bass spectacular. Before the set even started, the This Tent was stuffed beyond capacity and people were standing back as far as Centeroo and the mushroom fountain, trying to get a taste of the electronic master. When Bassnectar finally appeared, the crowd exploded within seconds of the first track, climbing, jumping, and gyrating on anything within arm’s reach. His signature style of using the bass more like an instrument instead of a gimmick was exactly what the crowd wanted, inspiring some to climb the tent’s rafters and get a look over the amazing crowd. His set was brilliant, combining the speed and veracity of his faster hits with random covers and great medleys. Never did the music stop, never did the bass fail to slap the fillings out of your teeth, and not once did somebody say “Man, this sucks.” It was the pinnacle of an amazing Friday line-up and one of those “You should have been there” moments that make Bonnaroo so special.
The Black Angels
From one master of the bass to the masters of psychedelic throwbacks, The Black Angels absolutely slayed That Tent on Friday night. A lot of people were packing the tent simply to get a good spot for the next act, Pretty Lights, but even they ended up blown away by the haunting mix of enchanting vocals and trippy guitar work. Their lights and sounds made their set feel like the soundtrack to a 1962 Vietnamese opium den when the American GI gets to pick the soundtrack. They played a good mix of music from their few albums, but no matter what song the band picked, the crowd responded with mucho gusto before wailing into their best Doors-inspired dance trip. The closing track of “Young Men Dead” showcased the band’s raw chemistry and next-level musicianship. Truly a stellar performance that helped transcend a tent that was about to be launched into the sun.
Pretty Lights
I say “launched into the sun” because Pretty Lights hit the ignition and didn’t stop until the dawn. Following in the footsteps of Tiesto and Paul Oakenfold before him, Derek Smith decided to give the people what they wanted beyond any time constraint. His new light display helped accelerate the time-losing process, as the trippy visuals he normally displayed were split across an LED skyline, almost 20 screens making up his DJ station, and the best choreographed light show Rooers saw up until that point. For some, the new tracks, new lights, and playing until the sun came up didn’t compare to the magic of 2009, when the Colorado native took a spent post-Nine Inch Nails crowd and delivered the most visually stimulating performance of the weekend, but this show showed just how far Pretty Lights has come and will ultimately go. This man takes his craft seriously and this performance was a manifestation of his hard work and creativity. To see this only hours after Bassnectar melted everyone’s face was a gift.
Bands I Wish I Saw:
Sleigh Bells
Ratatat
The Drums
Best Moments:
Bassnectar slaying an entire festival’s population with the touch of a button
Opeth’s haunting metal
Pretty Lights playing until the sun came up
Check out 40 Bands in 4 days: Experiencing Bonnaroo 2011 – Part 2 here
Check out some more great pictures from Examiner.com's Kevin Yeanoplos!
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