Photo by Philip Cosores
It’s a shame that the majority of Bonnaroo’s headlining acts and better performers are usually scheduled on Saturday; by the festival’s third day, you are drained (and possibly physically ill) from standing out in the scorching sun, getting three hours of sleep because your tent gets so hot even at nine o’clock in the morning, and eating incredibly unhealthy food. You can go to that late-night Girl Talk set, but you might not necessarily dance as much as you’ll stand there, looking bewildered. One thing’s for sure: if you can’t appreciate a performance at the end of the weekend, just wait a while. You’ll look back on it fondly once you get back to reality. – Arika Dean
The Low Anthem:
At a major music festival, one of the typically missing elements is intimacy. Don’t tell that to The Low Anthem, though. The Providence, Rhode Island band had a lot of room to work with on their afternoon performance on the What Stage, but seemed most comfortable when huddled together in the center of the stage, gathered around a single microphone. And, sure, it may not seem like the time or place for such a subtle and emotional performance, which included a majestic closing cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Bird On A Wire,” but with the entire crowd now covered in sweat and dirt, it was just the type of cleansing activity that we needed. – Philip Cosores
Photo by Philip Cosores
Deer Tick:
Well, I don’t know much about the Providence music scene, but the back-to-back combo of The Low Anthem and Deer Tick points to something vital happening in our nation’s smallest state. In contrast to The Low Anthem, Deer Tick provide a more straight-ahead brand of Southern-fried rock and are not afraid to rock out. The band actually appeared the night before as Deervana, their Nirvana cover band, but lead singer John McCauley gloomily announced, or, more likely, joked, that Deervana might be breaking up to focus on Deer Tick. The band then proceeded to make their way through old favorites and songs from their recently completed next album, earning the approval of both casual onlookers and die-hards, including Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio. – Philip Cosores
Photo by Philip Cosores
Alison Krauss and Union Station:
Yeah, we don’t really cover much country at One Thrity BPM. But, when you find yourself in the middle of Tennessee, it almost seems wrong not to check out something that be off the pop and indie radar. Plus, it will be nice to tell my dad that I actually saw a band that he has heard of, for once. And, to be honest, it was an impressive set, filled with mid-tempo, melody-driven takes on modern country and bluegrass. Krauss sang lead for many of the numbers while filling in with her accomplished fiddling, while her Union Station counterparts provided able bandleading duties when called upon. In hindsight, there is very little separating Krauss with many of today’s hipper, indie-folk outfits beyond what scene she is popular in. And at Bonnaroo, the playing field is leveled pretty evenly and someone like Krauss can probably make a load of new fans. – Philip Cosores
Photo by Philip Cosores
Man Man:
Little could prepare me for the insanity that Man Man brought to This Tent on Saturday. The vocalist, the repetitively-named Honus Honus, let loose some loud screeches when I approached the tent, as if giving me a fair warning, but my unease turned into amusement when the band hammed it up with their costumes and interactions while simultaneously playing quality experimental music onstage. They dared to use non-traditional instruments, using (what sounded like) glass bottles and trash can lids. Schizophrenic sets must be a part of their shtick, as one of the closing numbers sounded like a country song, harmonica included. They are a confusing live act, but a new favorite, no doubt. – Arika Dean
Photo by Philip Cosores
!!!:
Is there a band that loves to dance onstage more than Chk Chk Chk? You’d be hard-pressed to find one—the lead singer, Nic Offer, feels no shame in shaking it, and his band’s standing members diligently follow his lead, as if he were a sort of dance commander. Chk Chk Chk is well-known for two things: their stage show, and their tendency to bring the funk. The audience tossed balloons around during “Must Be the Moon,” and the party atmosphere was enough to entice the festivalgoers lollygagging past the tent, who quickly adapted to the mood. When you’re hot, dirty, miserable, and standing in dirt, it is tough to be enthusiastic, but this band got everyone moving. – Arika Dean
Photo by Philip Cosores
The Black Keys:
What exactly did The Black Keys do to earn the biggest stage at Bonnaroo? Well that’s easy–they are an everyman’s band, and that’s because they play derivative, bluesy rock about women, sex, and heartbreak, and any band with an inherently populist appeal is going to have more fans. Here’s the problem: that kind of music is so inherently loaded with attitude and emotion that it has enormous potential to provide a white-hot live show with lots of energy. Sadly, The Black Keys didn’t bring that to Bonnaroo on Saturday night. The more hard-rocking songs didn’t pack a punch, and the slow-burners didn’t even have the sultry intensity to hold my interest. It all fell flat over thousands of heads, even though most people were still drunkenly dancing and cheering, but they do that anyway at Bonnaroo. Perhaps this is the kind of band that can only sound good while you’re inebriated. – Arika Dean
Photo by Cris P. Bacon
Eminem:
Let’s be clear: Eminem is an entertainer in every sense of the word. He is also a shrewd businessman. Rap stars don’t pull in the same bucks they used to, and thus if you’re a rap star planning on making an album, you’d damn well better be prepared to sell it by turning on your entertainer’s magic. There was no doubt Marshall Mathers would rock the crowd, but he was also there to sell his latest album—possibly more than any other act that weekend.
The “Stans” (Eminem fans) were out in full force on Saturday, with one girl explaining how she had been stationed at the front of the line since 3:30 in the afternoon, fending off line-jumpers (fair enough). When the stage lights finally went dark at 11:00 and the sound system blasted an ominous bass rumble, the audience went wild. This was the moment many people had been waiting for—the very reason they purchased their Bonnaroo ticket. It was worth it, in many ways. The rap superstar ran through his truncated hits and indulged his fans with sparks flowing from the stage ceiling, but something felt strange. He was attempting to give the crowd a great time while he and his hype men simultaneously shouted things like, “Recovery, out in stores now.” It made the whole experience feel a little less genuine, and from my location, the audience’s applause seemed to be less and less thunderous each time. Perhaps they were put off by it. He catered to the lowest common denominator by playing the worst songs in his catalog such as “Love the Way You Lie” and “White Trash Party.” The cheesy guitar riffs and Eminem’s instructions for breast-grabbing and lighter-flicking sent the trailer park vibe over the edge. It’s not necessary to play the hits, as that can get stale and limiting, but a little depth would have been nice. Eminem is too complex and monumental to always pander to his role as a populist rapper (The Black Keys of rap, if you will). All complaints aside, you certainly can’t say a gigantic Eminem festival performance is ever boring. – Arika Dean
Photos by Philip Cosores
