Coverage by Bill Foster, Matt Miller, Rusty Odom & Kent Oglesby
Photos by Bill Foster (unless noted)
Post Malone is a very likable guy. Even if his music isn’t for you, it’s encouraging to see him on stage. He’s got an uplifting message and he has a very interesting skill set that shows its parts differently through the course of an evening with him on stage. He plays guitar, he raps and he is actually a bit of a crooner. He’s abrasive, which is par for the course for rappers, but he’s also very humble at times. He apologized to the crowd for being pitchy on a song in a way that made the crowd feel like his Bonnaroo appearance really meant something to him (and he wasn’t really pitchy on said song). If bands don’t really enjoy playing Bonnaroo, they’ve got me fooled.
That sentiment keeps with the theme of the weekend thus far, and it was echoed by The Record Company, which kicked off the same main stage by paying tribute to The Beastie Boys. TRC lead singer Chris Vos mentioned coming to the show as a fan and he was in awe of the fact that he was playing on that very stage. It turned out to be The Beastie Boys final performance.
Saturday also created some tough decisions. The conflict of Kacey Musgraves versus John Prine versus Jim James was the toughest scheduling dilemma of the weekend.
All the aforementioned bands were big winners on the day along with a myriad of others and there’s but one day left. We made it.
Dig in to day three below. – Rusty Odom
Rubblebucket
In their third appearance at Bonnaroo, Brooklyn art-pop/indie rock band Rubblebucket kicked off Saturday on the Which Stage, bringing their contagious energy to the farm early. Lead singer and saxophone player, Kalmia Tarver is an incredible performer, combining her dynamic personality and diverse talent to create a true performance, engaging the crowd and having fun each second. The band’s psychedelic, indie-dance style is like no other, driven by the horn section lead by Traver’s ex-husband, Alex Toth, who is equally energetic and talented. It’s slightly surprising that Rubblebucket has not garnered larger success, but they continue to produce high quality, different music that’s providing the momentum to keep climbing up festival bills. – MM
The Record Company
Friday at Roo is always a late night so starting Saturday off with some loud, straight-up rock n’ roll from The Record Company was exactly what the early afternoon on the farm called for.
One of those special Bonnaroo moments that only feels like only comes at this festival was when frontman Chris Vols stopped the show and told a story about their experience at Roo ten years earlier. He talked about one of the best hip-hop shows he’d seen and then the band payed tribute to the Beastie Boys by hitting the crowd with a rock in’ rendition of “Sabotage.” He kicked it off by looking up to the sky and yelling “MCA,” then that classic guitar riff.
The crowd was feeling it and singing along to their hits “Off The Ground” “Life to Fix.” These guys knew how to kick things off on the main stage for sure. When it was over, the band took a bow and closed by simply saying, “thank you al. We are The Record Company. We play rock n’ roll.” – KO
Two Sides of Nashville
Large mainstream country acts don’t play Bonnaroo very often, despite the Farm’s proximity to Nashville so it caught our attention immediately when they booked two such acts this year and the contrast between the two could not be more palpable. Kasey Musgraves is, of course, no stranger to Bonnaroo having played a dreaded 12:30 Sunday morning show and a well-received That Tent appearance in her lighted dresses and cactuses period. Maren Morris, on the other hand, was playing her debut in front of a huge crowd in an early afternoon What stage show.
The mainstream, pop side of Nashville country can be a machine. It’ll make someone famous but at the cost of them not being themselves any longer. The contrast between the two singers is fascinating as Morris has thoroughly accepted mainstream Nashville (and been accepted in turn) while Musgraves seems determined to use Nashville but not to let it define or change her. In their stage shows, Morris started her show with a 60 second video of pictures of herself and had a stage set up that emphasized her. She spent most of the set alone, often on top of stairs, separated from her band mates. Musgraves, on the other hand, seems like buddies with her band, interacting often.
Both women spoke eloquently of their love for Bonnaroo. Morris spoke of having been here often and of how much she enjoyed Childish Gambino. “I love this festival so much,” she said, “I love how happy everyone is here.” Musgraves spoke of her previous appearances and said, “You guys, you look amazing tonight. Welcome to ‘Golden Hour’ at Golden Hour. I’m not lying at all when I say that Bonnaroo is my absolute f****** favorite place to play. I’ve been looking forward to this for so long, knowing that you guys are gonna f****** bring it.”
Morris started off her set with “Girl,” “80s Mercedes,” and “The Feels” and by the time she got to “The Middle,” her power was undeniable. She is an amazing singer and it was on full display. She knows how to work a crowd and the crowd loved her in response singing every word back at her. It was polished, professional and assured. However, the music was pure sugar. It tastes good for a moment but in the end, it doesn’t last or resonate. Seeing that huge crowd sing “The Middle” is inspiring but one can’t help but think that the songs eight co-writers were much more interested in crafting a product that appealed to that group than in trying to express themselves.
On the other hand, Musgraves seems determined to tell every single person at Bonnaroo, “Hey, I’m one of you.” From her frequent references to pot smoking at her last appearance to her purposefully salty language yesterday, Musgraves makes a point of demonstrating that she won’t be put in a box. Her songs don’t romanticize small town life but attempt to show it warts and all. “I’m from a small town in Texas.’ <loud applause> “You wouldn’t applaud if you’d f****** been there.”
Clad in a flowing red dress with a band led by multi-instrumentalist Kai Welch, Musgraves was pure perfection. Her 13-song set was heavy on her most recent material, omitting most of her biggest early hits. Neither “Follow Your Arrow,” or “Merry Go Round” made the cut. However, songs like “Butterflies,” “Golden Hour,” “Family is Family” and “Space Cowboy” showed why she was our Album of the Year winner last year. Best of all, a cover of the Flaming Lips “Do You Realize” enraptured the crowd while showing once again that Musgraves is determined to remain an artist and not a product. – BF
John Prine
I planned on seeing a good bit of John Prine before heading to Jim James but there was never an opening. Prine was just too good. Playing a ton of material from his latest album, “The Tree of Forgiveness,” Prine shined through like a man half his age. The sound was impeccable and thank goodness, because being able to hear the words on the songs I didn’t know turned me into a superfan. I just can’t think of anyone with a more clever and thought-provoking songwriting mind. One of the best things about this festival is seeing folks wear a Wu Tang Clan shirt while dancing and singing along to someone like Prine. Guest appearances by Brandi Carlile and Kelsey Waldon were highlights but the moment of the show found the 72-year-old laying his guitar down and dancing around it. – RO
Jim James
Throughout the years at Bonnaroo, we have watched Jim James go from small tent to main stage, and whether with My Morning Jacket or solo, each performance deepens his status as a Bonnaroo legend. Earlier in the day during a media panel, James pled his case for the power of music and it’s ability to spread ideas and change the world. James’ songs reflect just that. They are powerful, intelligent stories of the struggles that surround us, entrenched with sincere optimism and love. His voice is as strong as ever, a raw beauty that is humble, yet demanding. However, it’s the musicianship of the band as a whole that makes his solo sets incredible, rock and roll at its’ finest, with erupting guitar solos and guitar-heavy jams. Jim James is a professional performer who continues to refine his craft, constantly building his status as one of the greatest songwriters of our generation and a Bonnaroo staple. – MM
The National
Despite forming 20 years ago in 1999, it’s surprising how many music lovers remain unfamiliar with Cincinnati’s The National. However, what’s impressive is the amount of new fans that are produced with each of their major festival performances, or even more impressively, the conversion of those who don’t love the band, but leave wanting to become more familiar. Matt Berninger is the most casually engaging frontman around, using his voice, subtle moods and stage pacing to visually enhance the emotion their music already builds. This performance was packed with new songs off of their recent album “I Am Easy to Find,” which sees the band grow and develop (including adding a female vocalist), while maintaining the core of what they do best. Filled with skilled musicians, beautiful harmonies and a captivating light show, The National once again set the bar for professionalism when it comes to performing, gaining new fans after 20 years and leaving the die-hards once again emotionally stimulated and satisfied. – MM
The Lonely Island
Is The Lonely Island a comedy group that does music or a music group that does comedy? Honestly, who cares? They were a lot of fun. It takes being good at both to create the gloriously absurd spectacle that their love show is. Their songs are as catchy and memorable as they are funny, and that bears the gift of moments like thousands of people belting out ridiculous choruses like “I Just Had Sex,” or fervently yelling lines like “I threw it on the GROUND!”
There was a buzz about the set in anticipation of potential special guests. Are they gonna bring out Michael Bolton? Are they gonna bring out Justin Timberlake? Well… almost. They had Michael Bolton “live via satellite” (which of course was prerecorded video jokingly claiming to be live) and Jorma Taccone puppeteering a muppet version of JT for “The Golden Rule,” “Mother Lover” and the other song of which the title probably shouldn’t appear in print. The best part of the “special guests” was watching the crowd lose their minds when Chris Parnell came out in full-on dad attire (Happy Father’s Day!) to perform “Lazy Sunday.”
With all the different queues and wardrobe changes executed perfectly, it was hard to believe it was The Lonely Island’s first festival play. They kept the crowd engaged the entire show up until the raucous finale of “I’m On A Boat,” closing down Saturday on the Which Stage with a bang.
