Highlights

Radiohead

Do we even need to digress? Always a number one request from many a festivalgoer, Radiohead hasn’t visited The Farm since 2006, in their pre-In Rainbows days, and that performance still remains one of the best in the band’s long-storied career. Though the situation is different six years later – they have a new LP, they’ve debuted new material more recently, and they’re going to be headlining a nationwide tour – fans should still expect to leave Manchester, TN with a couple new splendid Thom Yorke-involving memories. -Michael Roffman

Aziz Ansari

Have you ever seen Parks and Recreation? In each episode, Aziz Ansari’s Tom Haverford attempts to bring the party to every situation, whether it’s with DJ Roomba, through lavish fiestas funded by John Raffio, or straight up VIP treatments. He sells you on the idea of being a “lust for life”-sort of party animal, and truth be told, he’s not too different off-screen. Energetic, topical, and highly engaging, Ansari stands out as one of today’s hottest comics, and provided he’s not conflicting with anyone major during the festival, his set should prove worthy of its billing placement. -Michael Roffman

Ben Folds Five

After being sans his BFFs (bazinga) for more than a decade, Ben Folds reunited with his two Five friends last year for three new tracks, with a whole album’s worth in the works. Though the trio is already scheduled for Mountain Jam, their ‘Roo appearance is their only “major” fest stop thus far, and it comes with some history. Folds has played solo twice before (2006 and 2008), but with Robert Sledge and Darren Jessee back on stage, songs like “Army” and “Battle of Who Could Care Less” will get to ring across the farm in their purest form. -Ben Kaye

Super Jam

Photo by Max Blau

This mythical jam session, bringing some of the biggest names on the lineup together on one stage, had been an annual event at Bonnaroo since its inaugural year until it inexplicably disappeared after 2008. It was a shame, because where else were you going to see John Paul Jones, Ben Harper, and ?uestlove play together? Thankfully, SuperJam returned last year, with Dan Auerbach and Dr. John accompanied by My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. It’s nice to see it’s becoming a permanent fixture again, and now the fun of guessing who will play can begin. -Ben Kaye

Dispatch

Photo by Megan Ritt

Considering Dispatch drew the largest turnout in independent music history for its farewell concert back in 2004, it’s surprising the Vermont indie roots trio didn’t play jam bands’ home-away-from-home when they reunited last year. It’s already looking like 2012 is going to be an even bigger year for Dispatch, with an appearance also scheduled at Hangout Fest, their first ever European tour, and their first album in 12 years due out sometime this year. It’s a given that Dispatch will satiate fans with old favorites in addition to material off 2011’s self-titled EP, but how much will they reveal off their forthcoming LP, Circles Around the Sun? -Harley Brown

Surprises

Alice Cooper

C’mon, Alice Cooper and Bonnaroo? Who would have ever thought that’d happen? While previously reported prior to the lineup’s announcement, by Maynard James Keenan no less, Cooper’s inclusion still reads like a wild card on paper, but that’s a good thing. Seriously, have you ever seen Alice Cooper? Most likely not. Judging from some of his past live videos, and yeah Wayne’s World, it’s not your average rock gig. No telling what exactly he’ll bring to the table, but we’re sure a number of college students will get off singing “School’s Out” days after leaving campus. -Michael Roffman

The Beach Boys

Back in December, we learned that The Beach Boys reunited again, with plans to record a new LP and tour the States over approximately 50 dates in 2012. Prior to the Bonnaroo announcement, the only date that had been officially confirmed was their appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where they’d kick off the celebrated two weekends on April 27th. Following this piece of news, there had been whispers of an appearance at Bonnaroo, but mostly from antsy fans grasping for straws. In hindsight, the addition makes perfect sense; it’s essentially the slot reserved last year for Buffalo Springfield, or Stevie Wonder the previous year. Bottom line: Bonnaroo always books a veteran act the family would enjoy. This year, there’s no better act than The Beach Boys.

Keep in mind, however, this isn’t the same group that’s been touring county fairs and what have you for the past 15 years. This is as close to the original lineup you’ll ever get on a stage again. With Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, and David Marks back on board, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston are in good company – so is Bonnaroo. -Michael Roffman

Ludacris

Were we the only ones who forgot he was still around? With his ninth studio album Ludaversal due out this year, the wealth of hits he has under his belt (11 top 20 singles!) and penchant for including huge guest appearances in his performances, Luda actually makes for a pretty crowd-pleasing grab. As for how the Phish fans will react to “Pimpin’ All Over the World”? Find out, June 7th! -Möhammad Choudhery

BlackStar

It wasn’t too long ago that BlackStar’s reunion tour ended in a cancellation. That sent troubling vibes to any fan waiting hungrily for their long-awaited follow up to their 1998 collaboration, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. With an appearance at Bonnaroo set, fans can expect to hear the oldies alongside their freshest cut “Fix Up”, and possibly anything else they’ve been cooking up – after all, they do have a prospective release currently clogged in the pipeline (Black Star Aretha). Also, BlackStar is essentially the closest thing to a hip-hop headliner Bonnaroo has this year. -Michael Roffman

Bad Brains

Word is they’re working on a new record, but we all know most of the crowd will be there for the hits. Though it’ll likely be a far cry from seeing the band in their heyday, any day the four guys who cut Bad Brains’ seminal self-titled debut share the stage is a good one. “Pay to Cum”, anyone? -Möhammad Choudhery

Omissions

Jack White

Between recently announced appearances at both The Hangout and Sasquatch!, the fact that he and the rest of Third Man Records live right down the street in Nashville, and that his solo debut is set to drop a month and a half before Bonnaroo, Jack White seemed like a lock to headline – or at least appear. Bonnaroo’s organizers thought otherwise, though, opting for the impressive trifecta of Radiohead, Phish, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Maybe next year? Or maybe, just maybe, he’ll make a surprise appearance? Wishful thinking, perhaps. -Möhammad Choudhery

Widespread Panic

Remember the first Bonnaroo? Unless you’re a jamband fan, you probably don’t. When that original 2002 lineup came out, it almost seemed like it was Widespread Panic’s festival, as they headlined two of the three nights (and were the only band to play twice). As the festival expanded, so did its musical identity, bringing in more mainstream rock and hip-hop acts. Yet Panic was always a reminder of the festival’s local, jammy roots, playing a slot six out of the ten previous Bonnaroos. After celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2011, the band is taking the rest of 2012, and maybe longer, off. Of course, with the return of Phish this year, Bonnaroo is reclaiming some of its original big-name jamband clout. -Jake Cohen

Hop-hop headliner

In the past two years we’ve seen juggernaut hip-hop acts like Eminem and Jay-Z. Granted, there’s an impressive arsenal of hip-hop represented here (e.g. BlackStar, Kendrick Lamar, Big Freedia, etc.), though that top-tier act is missing. A big name like Drake could have added a little diversity to that mountain of names, which is quite rock-heavy this year, what with Radiohead, Phish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Bon Iver. Looks like those itching for hip-hop will have to hunt early on. -Michael Roffman

A major electronic act not named Skrillex

EDM coverboys Skrillex and Diplo (as part of Major Lazer) will both be making the trip to Manchester, but given the current surge in dance music’s mainstream popularity, Bonnaroo’s 11th edition is surprisingly slim in major electronic acts. For a festival that has booked Sasha and John Digweed, Tiësto, and Afrojack for late night performances in the past, 2012 seemed liked an opportunity for Bonnaroo to showcase a fresh batch of European producers to a receptive US audience. Or at the very least, feature tent-packing North American artists that are (or will be) touring behind fresh releases – Bassnectar, Kaskade, Steve Aoki, and MSTRKRFT to name a few. Here’s hoping for a rebirth of 2010’s Lunar Stage. -Derek Staples

Sleigh Bells

Granted they played last year, but with a new album to boot (next week’s Reign of Terror) and an opening slot for Red Hot Chili Peppers, one would have thought Sleigh Bells were a lock. Perhaps Superfly opted not to double dip, or maybe it was the band’s decision, regardless they’re not on the lineup, so you’ll have to find your Brooklyn-themed noise pop elsewhere. -Michael Roffman

Who To Know

White Denim

Last year, Austin’s White Denim dazzled critics with its fourth full-length LP, D, and in one review, Rolling Stone stated the quartet is “…like a jam band that refuses to be boring.” Very true. Newcomers will no doubt pick out echoes of The Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd, or even more modern psychedelia like The Black Angels, but this is a band pushing forward. Guitarists James Petralli and Austin Jenkins lead the vivid jams, noodling around in a way that’s as catchy as a pop song yet as progressive as an act like Battles. No doubt their cross genre psychedelia will make for a fitting set at The Farm. Oh yeah, Wilco loves ‘em, too. -Michael Roffman

Kendrick Lamar

Even if Kendrick Lamar didn’t have friends like Snoop and Dre, who proclaimed him “New Prince of the West Coast,” he would still turn heads with his jaw-droppingly fast delivery. He’s earned praise from 2011’s Section.80, along with his less official but no less impressive mixtapes. Drake even recruited Lamar for “Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive”, one of the many highlights off Take Care. So far, he’s scheduled to perform alongside (and hopefully onstage with) his mentors at Coachella, but hopefully the absence of a hip-hop headliner at this year’s Bonnaroo will give Lamar the full attention he deserves. -Harley Brown

Gary Clark, Jr.

Gary Clark, Jr. has been playing the guitar for 15 years, and it’s finally starting to pay off. His no-frills revivalist blues started getting attention from critics across the board with last year’s Bright Lights EP. With the help of Jimmie Vaughan, who first noticed the guitarist’s incendiary live performances in his hometown of Austin, TX, Clark, Jr.’s star rose enough to hold his own alongside Eric Clapton and Sheryl Crow at 2010’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. It’s no wonder Bonnaroo invited him back for the second year in a row. -Harley Brown

Big Freedia

The purveyor of New Orleans bounce (a hypersexual, call-and-response orientated subgenre of hip-hop), Big Freedia has been going strong for some 15-plus years. Working primarily in local underground clubs, Freedia hit it big nationally in recent years with jams like “Gin in My System” and “Azz Everywhere!”. Since signing with Scion’s A/V label/management company early last year, Freedia’s stock has risen further, leading to her recent grandiose late-night TV debut. With manic, sweat-drenched sets that regularly last a mere five songs, Manchester is in one for heck of a party when the Queen Diva rolls up. -Chris Coplan

EMA

If you haven’t listened to last year’s debut by EMA, Past Life Martyred Saints, do yourself a favor and dive in. Behind the moniker, there lies Erika M. Anderson, an inordinately ambitious songwriter from South Dakota whose angry and loud hymns (for lack of a better word) charmed critics to death all throughout 2011. On stage, she’s just as visceral as her lyrics, so we’re pretty sure a hot day in June down in Tennessee fits her well. You don’t want to miss her. -Michael Roffman