The seventh annual Lightning in a Bottle music festival runs May 24-28th at Oak Canyon Ranch in Silverado, California. Bassnectar, The Glitch Mob, and Shpongle top this year’s lineup, and they’ll be joined by Tripper, Apparat, EOTO, Big Gigantic, Lucent Dossier Experience, Star Slinger, and Lee Burridge, among others. See the full lineup above, and head to the festival’s website to pick up tickets in four-day, two-day, and single-day variations.

Similar to the West Coast festival Lighting in a Bottle, the event held much more than just music. Attendees that were able to wake early enough were treated with yoga classes, hoop and poi spinning seminars, and even a morning of story telling. The resort also featured a swing set, a small pond that served as both a way to cool down during the day’s heat and as a shower alternative, and a nearby waterpark that revelers could take advantage of for only a small fee – and, if they were lucky enough, land some face time with many of the festival’s artists.

While curated for a fairly distinct audience, the String Cheese Incident-heavy lineup contained artists from across the electronic music spectrum – just how many similarities do Keller Williams and Tiësto really share except working audiences into a sweaty dance party? But with stages stretching for what seemed like miles, the relentless walking through Sherwood Forest took a strain on attendees who made it for all four days. However, with the majority of festival favorites performing Saturday or Sunday, and the availability of a weekend-only pass, several thousand attendees chose to forego Thursday and Friday, a bright idea given the inclement weather that shortened several Thursday night performances and created several mud pits throughout the venue.

A failure to mention another side of the festival, a very distinct drug culture, would be a disservice to the experience. While Michigan State Police were abundant, announcements for molly, magic mushrooms, acid, nugs, and nearly every other psychedelic were never more than a few yards away. While not one to endorse experimentation to the masses, do acts like String Cheese Incident, Shpongle, Bassnectar, and/or Lance Herbstrong produce beats for the sober masses? I think not.

The following is just one writer’s journey through the Electric Forest. An event that will hopefully live on much longer than the Rothbury predecessor. Just one note to festival organizers, how about more after-parties in the camping area for 2012? Even at five a.m., the vast majority of camp was still wide awake.

-Derek Staples
Senior Staff Writer

Thursday, June 30th

LYNX – Sherwood Court – 6:15 p.m.

LYNX jump started the festival with an energetic blend of pop, electro, and beat-boxing. With festival attendance still low, the crowd turned out strong to witness one of Thursday’s more memorable sets. Even though LYNX recently put out an LP (On the Horizon), the young producer performed several fresh tracks, a couple centering around guitar-driven folk music – to quote the performer herself: “I’m a folkie who has joined the dark side.” Demonstrating a unique mixture of Adele-esque R&B vocals and live-world beats, the crowd warmly welcomed LYNX to the “dark side” of electronic music.

Kyle Hollingsworth Band – Sherwood Court – 7:45 p.m.

As the current keyboardist for festival headliner String Cheese Incident, Kyle Hollingsworth filled the void of a Cheese-free Thursday. The hour long-set was most memorable for its guest appearances, with Jason Hann of SCI sitting in on congas for a song and LYNX joining the band for an extended jam – providing her services as a beatboxer and powerful female vocalist.

Keys N Krates – Wagon Wheel – 9:45 p.m.

With the first of several thunderstorms rolling through Rothbury, several fans sought protection from the pounding rain underneath the awnings of Wagon’s Wheel permanent wooden structure. This helped generate a modest audience for the three member Keys N Krates, who already possess a sound and style that could have filled a much larger stage or venue. Keyboardist Matisse kept hyping the crowd as the band worked through inventive remixes of tracks ranging from Jay-Z and Snoop to Prodigy. Utilizing a live drummer and the talented DJ Jr-Flo, the Toronto outfit worked unlikely time signatures that kept the audience (literally) on their toes the entire set, and had one attendee exclaiming: “You can smell the bass!”

Emancipator – Wagon Wheel – 11:30 p.m.

Very few artists have a more appropriate sound for an electric forest. Aided by midi-violinist and several nature samples, most notably bird chirps, Emancipator created beautiful, mind expanding electronica. The crowd may have been reduced due to a conflicting Kaskade performance, but the duo’s intelligent dance music truly brought the audience together with a signature blend of hip-hop beats and organic, world music production.

Lotus – Sherwood Court – 12:30 a.m.

For Electric Forest’s jam-band faithful, Lotus‘ late night performance may have been the most sought after post-midnight set of the entire weekend. But then again, Lotus are not your typical jamband, at least not in the same vein of String Cheese Incident. Lotus trade the banjo, fiddle, and extended solos, for electronic-led group improvisations. The four-piece’s set exemplified the sounds of the weekend, with an aesthetic ranging from roots rock to contemporary electronica.

Friday, July 1st

Van Ghost – Forest Stage – 4:30 p.m.

The Forest Stage may have been small, but over the weekend it showcased amazing young talent to a dense, energetic crowd. Van Ghost broke in the area Friday afternoon with their charming Southern rock sound, led by the powerful vocals of Jennifer Hartwsick and song writing of Michael Harrison Berg. With most of the Forest Stage talent centered around aural and technical exploration, Van Ghost served up some good-old American rock music perfectly suitable for the Fourth of July weekend.

The New Deal – Sherwood Court – 6:15 p.m.

Friday’s appearance was one of the final shows for Toronto’s New Deal. Even with the number of shows dwindling, the entire three-piece could not show up, with bassist Robert Mercurio of Galactic filling in for the early evening set. According to long-time fans, tensions in the group run high, so line-up modification may have added to an incredibly fun performance, not a single face could be spotted without a massive summertime grin. The outfit’s analog keyboard runs, electro-focus, and group improvisation set led to a hippy-friendly dance party.

Chiddy Bang – Tripolee – 6:30 p.m.

For festival attendees not inclined on three straight days of SCI performances, the end of Chiddy Bang‘s Friday performance was the sole alternative, and the duo’s electronic Hip-Hop could not have been more removed from the headliner’s progressive bluegrass tunes. Comprised of drummer/producer Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Beresin and emcee “Chiddy” Anamege, the group closed out their set with an impressive freestyle. Beresin fielded topics from the audience, that just happened to be centered strongly around sex and drug usage (i.e. weed, ecstasy, horse tranquilizer) while Chiddy prepped the flow offstage. Chiddy hit every topic with ease, and proved why he is one of the best freestyle emcees currently around.

Galactic – Sherwood Court – 11:45 p.m.

Very few bands are more musically gifted than Galactic. Part jam band, part dance outfit, and part New Orleans funk ensemble, the expanded live seven-piece kept fans suspended on a cloud of musical bliss during their extended jams late Friday night. These jams rested on an amazing bottom end of progressive drumming by Stanton Moore and bass licks courtesy of Robert Mercurio, but Galactic’s gem is their dual horn players. The saxophone and trombone players are epic, and when either took the front of stage the group were at their most powerful, providing a Big Easy energy that few in the Midwest ever get to experience. Honestly, just try to stay planted during a Galactic performance – it’s just not possible to keep those hips from swaying.

Tiësto – Ranch Arena – 12:15 a.m.

What’s the best way to follow two sets of SCI, well apparently with the biggest name in dance music, Tiësto. Set against simple visuals, at least for a Tiësto performance, the world renowned Dutch DJ kept the performance on the harder-side, skipping ambiance, trance, and Euro-house, for more upbeat hard house and big beat. The change in style may have been partly affected by other notable DJs at the event , most notably Bassnectar and Skrillex, who have developed massive crowds with their bass heavy remixes. Unlike U.S. based DJs, Tiësto exemplifies a DJ set, flowing in and out of genres and tempos.

Dieselboy – Tripolee – 1:00 a.m.

Due to a scheduling conflict for Bonobo, it must be hard to be in both Europe and Michigan on the same day, drum and bass champion Dieselboy moved from his 2:15 a.m. indoor Wagon Wheel performance for a more appropriate 1:00 a.m. Tripolee slot. While intimate, Wagon Wheel’s stage was so cramped Dieselboy’s bass may have overpowered the setting. Utilizing a double-decker CDJ setup, Dieselboy delivered a grimy, pulsating hour-long DnB performance. Many in the crowd arrived to witness the organic sound of Bonobo, but the audience only continued to grow as people got word of Dieselboy’s epic set. The set featured an extended DnB remix of the Tetris theme-song and Nero’s “Promises”, but also included typical production elements of dub-step, which for long-time Dieselboy fans (including this writer) mildly devalued the otherwise ferocious live set.

Lance Herbstrong – Wagon Wheel – 2:30 a.m.

To adjust for the transplanted Dieselboy, Austin’s live-remix outfit Lance Herbstrong arrived on stage around 2:30 a.m. for a two-hour set. While the outfit is still relatively unknown, the four-piece, sometimes five, combine remixes of radio favorites, custom beats, and live drumming and guitar, to fill dance floors with folks ranging from candy kids to new school dead heads. Lead by producers Kamal Soliman and Bill Sarver, the performance also featured ex-Porno for Pyro’s guitarist Peter DiStefano and live-only drummer Ricky Gonzlez, and kicked off with a mash-up of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” with The Beatles’ “Come Together”. The set included LH’s take on MIA’s “Paper Planes”, Cypress Hill tracks, and “Orgasm”, originally done by DiStefano’s Porno for Pyros. Unlike the mash-up work that Girl Talk has made so popular, Lance Herbstrong put a fresh spin on their hand-selected tracks.

Saturday, July 2nd

Keller Williams – Ranch Arena – 3:15 p.m.

Having never seen Keller Williams live, the entire set caught this writer off guard. Arriving expecting a progressive bluegrass set, I was met with a mid-afternoon sun soaked dance party. When performing solo, Williams would loop vocals, beat-boxing, and guitar riffs over a pop-sensible synth beat for a dynamic one-man jamband experience. When Williams did provide vocals, the lyrics were often quite comical adding to crowd pleasing early weekend set.

Welder – Forest Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Following a performance by Jamie Janover on the hammer dulcimer, San Francisco’s Brendan Angelides stepped towards his live DJ setup to perform under the moniker Welder. Angelides, who more notably performs as Eskmo, donned an industrial welder’s mask for the set, but Welder’s soundscapes could not be further removed from the “industrial” imagery. Welder’s downtempo beats balance between synthetic sound design and organic ambient elements wonderfully suited for listeners swinging the day away in the forest’s hammocks.

Rubblebucket – Sherwood Court – 4:45 p.m.

Rubblebucket are another Brooklyn indie outfit making noise across the States, but the eight-member live outfit created a dance-pop experience Saturday afternoon that holds up against any of Brooklyn’s current crop of up-and-coming indie talent. Through the final moments of the set, the sound was energetic and uplifting. Comprised of an eclectic set of multi-talented youngsters, the live experience was a mixture of pop, dance, jazz, and afrobeat. To finish off the set, the entire group of wood/brasswinds jumped into the crowd for the finale’s final moments.

REO Speedwagon – Ranch Arena – 5:30 p.m.

For the inaugural Electric Forest, Insomniac Presents established the first Saturday Afternoon Special and tapped REO Speedwagon for 2011. In observance of the Fourth of July holiday, lead singer Kevin Cronin took the opportunity to speak against the actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, relating the turmoil to the Vietnam War during the onset of the band’s career. As expected, the set was an afternoon of hits including classic-radio staples, “Keep on Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling”. Cronin kept light during the performance, joking with the audience that most of them would not have been born without some REO Speedwagon track playing the the room. Even after a 40 year career, the band remained tight and energetic for the entirety of the 90-minute performance, with Bryan Hitt absolutely owning a massive drum kit.

Lettuce – Sherwood Court – 6:30 p.m.

Now almost two decades into their existence as a collective, Lettuce is at the forefront of the funk-jazz hybrid. The seven-piece first took to the stage without guitarist Eric Krasno, but soon the entire outfit was creating a well-crafted sonic funk onslaught. Drummer Adam Deitch, who also appeared at the festival as Break Science, supplied an ample percussive beat alongside bassist Erick Coomes, while saxophonists Sam Kininger and Ryan Zoidis joined in with intricate jazz-infused melodies. And it would be a failure to mention the ability of keyboardist Neal Evans who was a standout during a festival full of talented keyboardists.

Paper Diamond – Tripolee – 10:30 p.m.

Paper Diamond is just one moniker for Colorado’s Alex Botwin, who also performs as Alex B., as one-third the Pnuma Trio, and helms the Elm and Oak label. The late-night performance drew many from the extended SCI performance and featured the driving bass and spacey synths that propel the tracks off his recent Pretty Light Music release Levitate.

Eskmo – Trioplee – 11:45 p.m.

Brendan Angelides’ earlier Welder prompted this writer to double dip with an exploration into the beats of Eskmo. The production was quite similar between the two, each based on organic ambience, but the Eskmo set was more dark, with ties to a more melancholy core. Welder drifted through beat changes, while the early section of Eskmo’s set shuffled through beats with slightly more angst. The two monikers seem to represent the light and day present within all individuals, and each deserve have earned follow up listens from this writer.

Bassnectar – Ranch Arena – 12:15 a.m.

Very few artists electronic or otherwise have the current appeal of bass head-leader Lorin Ashton. Ashton, who has revolutionized bass music under the Bassnectar moniker, drew the largest audience of the weekend with 30,000+, easily topping any SCI crowds. Standing within the first few rows of a Bassnectar performance was like facing down the early stages of a massive thunderstorm – the ground rumbled with bass, the air filled with bright lights of electricity, and instead of rain, fans were drenched with an onslaught of BPMs.

On some level, Bassnectar has solidified bass music as the Millennial generation’s heavy-metal, with the predominantly drunk, drug-fueled audience ready to rage at each and every bass drop. When not battling against the raw energy of Bassnectar’s beats, fans are rallying against fists and feet coming from every direction. All of this a bit odd, coming from a DJ that is so fond of his pink elephant.

Shpongle Presents The Shpongletron Experience – Sherwood Court – 1:30 a.m.

Custom made, breath-taking visuals are becoming increasingly common since Daft Punk introduced their Pyramid, but no DJ has linked together the audio and visuals experience as closely as the team behind the Shpongletron Experience. True, Simon Posford and his psybient tracks are the star of the show, but the experience would be nothing without the visuals by Zebbler. As usual, the Shpongletron Experience launched with “Divine Moments of Truth”, and for those willing to dive head first into the actual “trip”, the next 90 minutes was possibly a life-altering experience. The entire set was a sensory overload, with 3D visuals, lazers, and hoopers perfectly synched with Posford’s psybient works including the “Dorset Perception” and newest single “God Particle”. The Shpongletron Experience is similar to the 1960s: “If you can remember it, you probably weren’t there”.

Sunday, July 3rd

Zach Deputy – Sherwood Court – 2:15 p.m.

Thanks to a tip from a friend, I made sure to experience Georgia’s Zach Deputy‘s early Sunday afternoon set. Like Keller Williams, Deputy has the ability to turn a guitar, an amazing voice, beat boxing and some technology, into an awesome one-man dance experience. Deputy kick started the set with a solo rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Hey Hey What Can I Do” and continued with an hour of beach-ready rock. Deputy’s sound shares similarities with acts ranging from Jack Johnson to Blues Traveler, but his ability to produce the extended tracks differentiates Deputy from other artists. While Deputy primarily performed newer tracks, withholding fan-favorites “Tubesteak” and “Chicken Pot Pie”, the small crowd still kept dancing through the entirety of the show.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Ranch Arena – 4:30 p.m.

After seeing Edward Sharpe on multiple occasions, it’s no longer obvious whether frontman Alex Ebert is genuinely rude to fans, or if his abrasive nature is just a guise for Edward Sharpe. Ebert was extremely talkative during the set, at one time pleading for the audience to start a fundraiser for the band in hopes of purchasing a $90,000 Trident 80 series console for recording purposes. Between rants, fans were treated with a new simple, acoustic track that began with the lyrics “car crash in the night”, if any dedicated fans may know the title please feel free to share. Then only after a lengthy inquisition about what individual members in the audience do, the band finally broke into their hit “Home”. And as one would expect, Ebert did spend ample time in the audience.

Beats Antique – Sherwood Court – 5:45 p.m.

The threesome of David Satori, Zoe Jakes, and Tommy Cappel may have been the most talented band to begin prior to sundown during Electric Forest. The group of percussionists blend tribal percussion, rock drum fills, belly dance music, and down tempo hip-hop elements, for their signature Beats Antique sound. When not performing on marching bass drum, Jakes hypnotized the audience with her superb belly-dancing skills. Like Jakes herself, Beats Antique create beautiful arrangements with just a taste of indecency.

Cherub – Forest Stage – 6:30 p.m.

Comprised of Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber, Cherub are a band that you should get to know – because soon everyone will know this band. Signed to Alex B.’s Elm and Oak, the duo create dance-pop that is absolutely addictive. When not performing their own songs Sunday, they had the ability to remix tracks live, including an amazing interpretation Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic”.

String Cheese Incident – Ranch Arena – 7:00 p.m.

For fans more familiar with dirty beats and electro artists than jambands, String Cheese Incident‘s sets often were the designated time to take a much needed breather prior to Electric Forest’s late night sets. And with six sets throughout the weekend, missing a few didn’t seem too bad. On the other hand, each set displayed a unique side of the Colorado outfit, who each have the ability to play a wide variety of genres.

Rooted in bluegrass, the six-piece created a final set Sunday night including interstellar/psychedelic rifts, irish-folk, spanish-infusion, and even some carney music. Only the SCI diehards may have enjoyed every moment of the six sets, but each performance had something for everyone in attendance to enjoy…and isn’t that what makes music festivals so special?

Conspirator – Tripolee – 10:15 p.m.

No band seemed to have more fun on stage over the weekend than the live-tronica superband, Conspirator. Led by the Disco Biscuits’ Aron Magner (keys) and Marc Brownstein (bass) and completed by guitarist Chris Machetti and drummer Darren Shearer, the group were all smiles as they jammed through an arsenal of electro, DnB, and dub. Surrounded by an extravagant set-up, Magner seemed to be the quarterback of the collective, throwing up hand signals relating to changes in rhythms, time, and key signatures.

Pretty Lights – Ranch Arena – 11:00 p.m.

The Pretty Lights concept, led by Colorado’s Derek Vincent Smith, reached a new plateau during Electric Forest. Gone is live drummer Adam Deitch, replaced by massive visuals, and a city of lights surrounding Smith. Sunday night’s set included a block of summertime remixes including (the very fitting) Sublime’s “Summertime”, a revisit to classic psychedelics with Pink Floyd’s “Time” (see video above), and Kanye West’s flashy “All of the Lights”. Towards the end, Smith put together a new Radiohead vs. Nirvana vs. NIN remix, though the set was completed by fan-favorites like “High School Art Class” and “Hot Like Sauce”. Exceptional light show aside, some more live instrumentation would be a nice re-inclusion to the augmented Pretty Lights’ experience.

EOTO – Tripolee – 12:00 a.m.

For their closing set, EOTO (Jason Hann and Michael Travis of String Cheese Incident) diverged from their traditional world/dub heavy improv only sets. Instead, the duo remixed “Rock Down to Electric Avenue [Electric Forest]” and went hip-hop heavy to close out the Electric Forest festival.

The Culture of Electric Forest

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By the time I got out of the surprisingly long line and into the Wiltern, Bay Area DJ Random Rab had already set up shop and was spinning a chilled-out selection of intricate, downtempo soundscapes. Missing his performance at this year’s Lightning in a Bottle festival was my biggest regret of the weekend but his hour-long set at the Wiltern more than made up for it. Outdoing both EOTO and Shpongle would’ve been been a challenge but Random Rab did that and some more by the end of his set, with winning, warm textures that easily made for the best part of the evening.

Photo by Jason Benitez

Having heard plenty of good things about EOTO and their fully improvised live set, I’d anticipated quite a bit from their performance. Given my perhaps unreasonably high expectations and the very nature of a live, fully improvised electronic show though, the slight letdown that their set proved to be makes a bit of sense. While a disorienting array of aliens, astronauts and robots fought for the audience’s attention on a screen behind them, the duo started their night off with high-energy dance rhythms, jamming in a variety of styles and breaking occasionally with blasts of wobbly dubstep that never failed to send the crowd into a frenzy. Even so, their set meandered much more than an EDM act should, spending the majority of its overlong hour-long-plus duration tripping the audience out with the usual sort of hallucinatory phasers and reverb used in full effect.

Photo by Jason Benitez

Simon Posford finally took his place atop the Shpongletron sometime around midnight and wasted little time in starting things off with what sounded like “Divine Moments Of Truth” off of Shpongle’s first LP, Are You Shpongled? As the night progressed, it grew more difficult to determine which track was what, as Posford doctored all of the tracks with added bass (presumably to accommodate dubstep/bass music’s fast-rising stock with audiences the world over) and sped-up tempos that too often unfurled the meditative power and robbed several of his best tracks of their effectiveness. At their best, the noted experimentalists far outstrip their psytrance fellows with a heavy reliance on organic instrumentation (as opposed to, say, Infected Mushroom’s repetitive synth/drum) and an inimitable style that blurs the lines between Eastern disciplines of music and mysticism and Western electronic music and production levels. Their 2005 record Nothing Lasts… But Nothing Is Lost is a bona-fide masterpiece and one of the finest psychedelic albums of the past decade, and the ensemble seem to have lost themselves in the shadow of its expansiveness (as is audible on 2009′s over-prismatic Ineffable Mysteries and this year’s unnecessarily protracted The God Particle). Omitting several of the album’s best tracks didn’t exactly help Posford’s case, especially in the case of “When Shall I Be Free?/the Stamen of the Shamen”, as fitting a cathartic, party-down set-closer as imaginable.

Photo by Jason Benitez

That aside, the Shpongletron Experience certainly did its job. Considering the difficulty of playing a two-hour long DJ set, Posford delivered on the consistently lofty level he’s maintained across his lengthy career. While he and his music would likely benefit from a shorter, more incisive set length (as it has on his much buzzed-about festival run this year), his set was every bit as face-meltingly awesome an experience as it was advertised to be. With Posford’s announcement of a full-band Shpongle tour finally coming to the US this fall, it’s safe to assume this won’t be the last we’ll see of this troupe.

Photography by Jason Benitez.

Each year, a mix of newcomers and festival veterans come to the farm to feel the magic – and it’s that same feeling that keeps people coming back. Yes, it was hot as hell. And yes, the dust was worse than it’s ever been. But none of that mattered once you entered Centeroo – you were in a musical utopia. The music of the theme song lends itself to the musical diversity you can find on the farm – its mix of bluegrass and jazz blends right in on the farm, where at any given time you might be able to catch a country show or a metal band, perhaps some hip-hop or a little jam band action. There’s something for everyone at Bonnaroo if you look for it.

This year certainly felt like a birthday celebration; from the fireworks show on Saturday night to the parachuters lighting up the night sky on Friday. The watchtower received a makeover – we now had our own bizarro cuckoo clock that played Dr. John’s “Desitively Bonnaroo” whenever it rang. And speaking of Desitively Bonnaroo -  the album where the festival got its name finally made its way to the farm in the form of Dr. John and the original Meters performing it on Saturday night. It was a pitch-perfect way to celebrate the festival’s past and look forward to the future.

Photo by Max Blau

The birthday party was obvious by the inclusion of some of the festival’s unofficial ambassadors – My Morning Jacket were there, making their sixth appearance on the farm. Widespread Panic also played for their sixth time, while Béla Fleck and Les Claypool were both there with their original bands, after having played the festival many times in many different iterations. It felt like a reunion of old friends coming together to celebrate a birthday, and we can’t wait to be celebrating year 20 in 2021. Who knows what the festival will look like then? But for this year – yes, it was hot. It was dusty. But throughout the whole weekend, no matter where you were, you could easily reach out your hand and feel the magic.

-Carson O’Shoney
Senior Staff Writer

Thursday, June 9th

River City Extension – This Tent – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Michael Hurcomb

It was only fitting that after an 18+ hour drive from Boston, the first song I heard approaching my first set of the festival was “Too Tired To Drink”. It must be daunting to be the first act to open the tents, but River City Extension did a more than admirable job. Frontman Joe Michelini’s energy was matched only by backup vocalist Sam Tacon – the pair stomped the stage and beckoned the crowd to join them at every opportunity, including clapping along to album standout “New Intelligence”. Dan Melius clearly loved every moment of the gig, blowing his trumpet to bits when he wasn’t thumping his chest and belting out vocal parts that weren’t even his. It took some effort at times to get the audience totally hooked, like the lackluster sing-along during “Something Salty, Something Sweet”, but the band never stopped giving it their all. To their great credit, they certainly had some new fans by the end. -Ben Kaye

Greensky Bluegrass – On Tap Lounge – 4:00 p.m.

After pulling an all-nighter waiting in line to get onto the campgrounds, Michigan’s bluegrass quintet Greensky Bluegrass‘ soaring harmonies, rapidly-picked banjo and sweet melodies were the perfect start to Bonnaroo 2011. As the set progressed through highlights such as “Into the Rafters”, typical bluegrass fare extended jam sessions, and an appearance from a Pee-wee Herman doll on a stick, the modest crowd swelled into a sweaty mess of dancing that far exceeded the small set-up for the On Tap Lounge and surely guaranteed them an audience at their sets later in the weekend. -Caitlin Meyer

Hayes Carll – The Other Tent, 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Michael Hurcomb

Opening a tent on Thursday is not an easy task. Most years the crowds are small because the people just aren’t there – Thursday is a travel and setup day for many. But since Bonnaroo opened the gates early this year – Wednesday afternoon instead of early Thursday morning – the farm was already hopping by the time the tents were open for business. Playing to a decent sized audience, Hayes Carll and his five-piece band played a strong set of the good kind of country – no gloss, no fake pop – just a down to earth set of old style country songs. The crowd was really into it – Carll had them howling and cheering over the hilarious “Another Like You”. He played mostly songs from latest effort KMAG YOYO, with a few from earlier albums, including a personal favorite – his cover of Tom Waits’ “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up”. -Carson O’Shoney

Band of Skulls – That Tent – 8:30 p.m.

If there’s one thing this band proved during their early evening set, it’s that rock and roll is alive and well, and it breathes in England. Everything Band of Skulls did, every crashing crescendo, every tasty lick, every “How you doin’, Bonnaroo?!”, was met with raucous approval from the front rails to beyond the edges of the lawns outside the tent. Whether it was hits like “Light of the Morning” or “Death by Diamonds and Pearls” or new tracks they didn’t even know yet, the crowd devoured every moment, including the pick tossed by Russell Marsden into their hungry hands as the band slammed into “I Know What I Am”. The track “Impossible” was transformed into an impressive closer with a monstrously extended breakdown, making it a standout in a Thursday night highlight. -Ben Kaye

Wavves – This Tent - 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Michael Hurcomb

Wavves‘ packed set at This Tent didn’t truly start until it was almost over. Although Nathan Williams’ sloppy, loud sound matched the energy of the records, it just wasn’t suited for an outdoor, sandy festival setting. The show began with a run of newer and really old tracks, both of which were lost upon the casual listener expecting solely “Post Acid” and “King of the Beach”. A reprimanded crowd surfer resulted in Williams (in typical anti-establishment fashion) demanding that the crowd do whatever they want to have fun and completely ignore security. Following this spiel, Williams launched into a run of songs off last year’s King of the Beach – finally engaging the crowd. “Linus Spacehead” was especially well-received, with Williams’ screams of “I’m stuck in the sky/I’m never coming down” resonating particularly well in the suspended smoke above the crowd. -Caitlin Meyer

Freelance Whales – That Tent – 5:30 p.m.

The strange appeal of Freelance Whales baffled me, for the most part — here is an act with enough of a pop lean to tweak some lyrical structure for easy radio airplay, whose vocalist isn’t even a stone’s throw away, and this band has chosen an ethereal indie route that you can take or leave. Bonnaroo heated up brutally fast, and following the more country-centric vibe of Futurebirds with cheerful positivity was a sorely-needed departure in helping the crowd forget the sun temporarily. Sure, it was a tent with shade, but let’s get real…humidity knows no bounds, so we take what we can get. This includes happy indie pop like the phenomenal Freelance Whales. Now, excuse me while the hippie who spilled his beer on my shoe buys me a brew. Cheers! -David Buchanan

Karen Elson – The Other Tent – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Michael Hurcomb

A night before her divorce party, Karen Elson put on her own kind of fiesta on the farm. Bringing along 3/4ths of the Greenhornes (or 1/2 of the Raconteurs, if you prefer) – Elson and her band tore through selections from The Ghost Who Walks along with a couple of covers – including a fantastic take on Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” and her Lou Reed cover and Record Store Day single “Vicious”. The band sounded better than ever – they’ve come a long way since she first started playing shows last year. Elson was in total control of the crowd. They were simply enthralled by her and it showed, in both their reactions and her performance. -Carson O’Shoney

Best Coast – The Other Tent – 7:15 p.m.

Photo by Mark C. Austin

Besides Sleigh Bells, Best Coast had the biggest crowd of any Thursday act. Inexplicably, they were both in the smallest main tent at the festival. Bethany & co. took the stage to huge applause, then proceeded to play mostly selections from their latest effort, Crazy for You. Unfortunately, the band didn’t impress on stage. Most of the songs just bled together and it led to a pretty boring set. The crowd still went crazy for “Boyfriend”, and many didn’t seem to care that everything sounded the same – but for those of us hoping for more from a band that has written some solid songs, this was a big disappointment. -Carson O’Shoney

J. Cole – This Tent – 8:30 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

Bonnaroo’s Thursday night lineup is notorious for nabbing acts on their way up. Acts like MGMT, Vampire Weekend and the xx have graced the farm on past Thursdays. This year, J. Cole was the obvious choice for Thursday’s about-to-blow-up act. He was the first act signed on Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, and he’s poised to release his debut album later this year. For fans who caught his show, it was a great chance to see him before he starts playing main stages – and he proved his worth with a high energy set. He got the crowd jumping, and they followed his every move, from throwing diamonds in the sky to a legit lighter salute – something rare in today’s concert scene. Look out for J. Cole – he’ll be all over the radio in due time. -Carson O’Shoney

The Drums – The Other Tent – 8:45 p.m.

Since it was mid-June in Tennessee, The Drums‘ vibe couldn’t be more suited to the temperatures, even excluding chilly coastlines elsewhere. There truly is little to be said for an act whose first big LP release has been repeatedly hailed by independent blogs, so we’ll stick to the current events.

You really had to be there to sink your teeth into a bite of something so surfer-oriented that you could imagine water coming down. It wasn’t a Centeroo fountain, but nobody complained — the sun had already been down for quite a bit. Songs like “Let’s Go Surfing” or “Best Friend” created a bubbly dance party that even frontman Jonathan Pierce took part of – without sweating too much, either.

With Thursday being the second worst afternoon to be billed on this week, we accept that The Drums could have half-assed their way through a whole short set. We’re happy they did not. -David Buchanan

Twin Shadow – This Tent - 10:00 p.m.

With the pain of having to choose between The Walkmen, Sleigh Bells, and Twin Shadow still fresh, George Lewis did his best to swoon the crowd in his favor. Although he may have lost in numbers, he won in performance – the dazzling blue and yellow lights, lush synthesizers, and low, tender voice in top-notch shape as he rolled through Forget‘s finest. Limited crowd interaction usually seems standoffish, but Lewis’ almost non-presence lent itself to an entrancing, rich set that matched the vibe and depth of the recordings perfectly. “I Can’t Wait” and “When We’re Dancing” proved to be show highlights, as the crowd swayed back and forth in pure ecstasy. - Caitlin Meyer

Sleigh Bells – The Other Tent – 10:15 p.m.

The full effect of the new Wednesday gate openings could be seen and felt by anyone who attended the Sleigh Bells set. In my four ‘Roos, I have never seen a crowd like this one on a Thursday, nor ever at the Other Tent in general. As the Brooklyn duo burst into “Crown On The Ground” and the crowd surged forward, the first thought was “this should’ve been at a bigger tent.” When Alexis Krauss called out, “This one goes out to the back” before fan-favorite “Rill Rill”, she was talking to the people pressed against the fences to the right, up towards the water slide on the left, and beyond the trees in back. It was rowdy, almost scary, but behind a battering ram of bass and a wall of light and color turned solid by dust kicked into the air by dancing hordes, it was proof that these are two people totally at home throwing a party for upwards of 20,000 people, and rocking each and every one of them breathless. -Ben Kaye

Childish Gambino – This Tent – 11:30 p.m.

Photo by Mark C. Austin

Donald Glover’s rapper side-persona is starting to become a more recognizable name than his real one. While in ways that’s always been part of the Childish Gambino experiment, this was his first real test in front of a festival-sized crowd. He entered hard with the Youngbloodz sampling “Let Me Dope You”, but recent smash “Freaks and Geeks” had a strange mix and caught Gambino out of breath, slow on just his second song. Though he mumbled through most of his crowd interactions, his confidence grew with his energy as he bounded about stage, climbing atop a speaker to begin “Yes”. The crowd was with him the whole way, chanting his name during no fewer than five interims, and rushing the stage as he mounted the rails for “I Be On That”. In short-shorts and a Garth Brooks “The Cat in the Hat” t-shirt, he certainly didn’t cut the typical rapper image, but the speed showcased on the Kanye sampling “Break (All of the Lights)”, the vocal versatility of “My Shine” (he can sing!), and the gruffness closing out “Lights Turned On” show he’s actually got the chops to be a recognizable force in hip-hop. -Ben Kaye

Beats Antique – The Other Tent - 11:45 p.m.

Classifying Beats Antique‘s unique blend of every genre imaginable is immensely difficult – and the same applies to their live show. The bass was heavy, but not enough to warrant dub step dancing; the percussion reeked afro-beat, but the grooves weren’t long enough to really get into. For a stoner-friendly world fusion jamming show, the set was plagued by prematurely ending songs and an abnormal amount of talking. That being said, though, the audience packed into the tent without complaint and spilled onto the surrounding grass, enjoying the musicianship as the band frequently switched around instruments and laughing at the attempt to organize the ‘world’s largest simultaneous clap’. -Caitlin Meyer

Friday, June 10th

Sharon Van Etten – Which Stage – 12:15 p.m.

Photo by Michael Hurcomb

Sharon Van Etten is no stranger to middle Tennessee. As she proclaimed during her Friday morning set, she lived in Murfreesboro (a much maligned college town) for a few years and, as she put it, “I’m not ashamed!”. This year marked her first performance at Bonnaroo, bringing her back to the region where she went to college. She seemed humbled by the experience – saying she was “a little overwhelmed” – as well as visibly flustered by the heat. But she pressed on and put on a pleasant early afternoon show. The sun was punishing, but the crowd didn’t let it distract them from Van Etten’s nuanced melodies. With a two piece band backing her up, she worked her way through songs from both of her albums, eliciting some strong reactions from the sparse but constantly growing crowd. A woman near me wiped tears away, while others near me attempted to dance – a difficult task for an introspective songwriter. Whatever the reaction, the crowd sure seemed appreciative. -Carson O’Shoney

Kylesa – That Tent – 1:45 p.m.

Two drummers going at it behind a keyboardist who adds ambience with a theremin? Can you say sci-fi horror with a twist of lime? Kylesa, while pounding through a heavy helping of Static Tensions and Spiral Shadow in pure rock fervor, tore down barriers of sound live, and there was not a single still body by the end of it all. If you needed evidence, all you had to do was look down towards the ground, where packs of crushed American Spirits and shattered Ray-Bans lost in a sand-locked mosh pit during “Running Red” and “Scapegoat”. Sincerely…Kylesa is not your usual metal band, and far from the quieter end of progressive, but throw in some Mastodon and you might as well call the infirmary ahead of schedule. You’ll need it. -David Buchanan

Béla Fleck & The Flecktones – Which Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Béla Fleck got the band back together last year – well really, the Flecktones never actually broke up, but for the first time since 1992 they’re back with original member Howard Levy. As the first major festival on their schedule since then, Bonnaroo was a perfect fit for their instrumental brand of bluegrass fusion, especially since Béla Fleck is one of the unofficial ambassadors of the festival – he’s been at the festival in some capacity more years than not. The four-piece wowed the substantial crowd with their incredible musicianship – the Wooten brothers seemed to be having the time of their lives, and Béla was masterful on the banjo. They mostly drew from their latest album, their first with the original lineup since 1992, Rocket Science, but they still found room for older classics like “Big Country”. Béla will be back, but this particular set will last as one of his most special at Bonnaroo. -Carson O’Shoney

Justin Townes Earle – The Other Tent – 2:30 p.m.

The first full Bonnaroovian day found Americana sounds taking over the smallest tent, and Justin Townes Earle lent his honest voice and songs to the scene. Joined on cello for the first third of his set by the man who played just beforehand, Ben Sollee, Earle put on an impressive display of guitar plucking and folk/country stylings. The set was made almost quaint by his constant reference to the crowd as “ladies and gentlemen,” though that illusion was dashed when he introed “Slippin’ and Slidin’” by saying, “Now ladies and gentlemen, as most people know I like to do a lot of drugs. So this song is about my sort of unwillingness to compete in the game of life sometimes.” Like I said, the man’s honest. A high-stepping, intense cover of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “My Starter Won’t Start” was a highlight of a simple yet glowing mid-day performance. -Ben Kaye

The Sword – That Tent – 3:30 p.m.

If the album art from Warp Riders wasn’t a big fat indicator of the direction The Sword comes from, you have a lot to learn about classic rock. From covering ZZ Top to dancing in and out of their three-disc catalog during the hottest part of the day, The Sword re-injects absolute metal into the current mainstream, on tools of the trade every band should acquire — not the least of which being sheer stage presence. Unfortunately, while all of the general pieces fell into place, Kyle Shutt appeared to be in some other place entirely for the majority of the set, particularly on opener “Unearthing The Orb”. What could have made for a fine throwback to Heavy Metal wound up a sub-par rendition of anything The Sword stands for, but the crowd didn’t seem to care at all. -David Buchanan

Abigail Washburn – The Other Tent - 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

Despite starting 15 minutes late and having early sound issues, Abigail Washburn‘s set was undoubtedly one of the weekend’s best. Starting with City of Refuge‘s title track, dabbling in old material, and playing an extended version of traditional gospel song “Keys to the Kingdom”, her vocal prowess and impressive clawhammer banjo playing were the epitome of musicianship. It wasn’t all show though, as she danced around the stage as her bandmates each took a solo and eagerly interacted with the audience throughout. Round out the set with an incredibly talented pair of violinists, horns and a guest appearance from hubby Béla Fleck and Washburn just couldn’t lose. -Caitlin Meyer

Walk the Moon – Cafe Where? – 4:30 p.m.

The cool-down factor of the shaded Cafe Where was totally negated as it became a party packed with Walk the Moon fans mostly hailing from the band’s home of Cincinnati. With a sincere yelp of “So pumped!”, the band got right to work with “The Liftaway”, jumping about and smiling joyfully. The track “Lisa Baby” was given a ridiculously fun vibe setting the whole tent bumping, and it was simply superfluous to preface “Anna Sun” by saying, “Let’s get a little crazy, we’re at Bonnaroo!”. To introduce what would be the first encore I witnessed at the festival, they said, “This song is appropriately titled ‘Me and All My Friends.’” It was indeed apt, as a group of friends is exactly what this band feels like on stage. At one point, the woman next to me leaned in: “I don’t think they’re signed, dude, which is insane. I’m gonna get them signed.” Good luck with that, lady, because after that crisp, electrifying set, they fully deserve it. -Ben Kaye

Opeth – That Tent – 5:15 p.m.

Opeth is on the cusp of dropping its 10th album release, so for tattooed and well-worn traveling fans of this Swedish prog-metal powerhouse, expectations wavered sporadically between “We want new shit” and “We want classics.” The difficulty lay in deciding what constitutes “classic”, and with zero unheard tunes making the set, we settled for a sufficient  seven or eight song doling out of the past. Ghost Reveries’ “The Grand Conjuration”, alongside Watershed‘s “Hex Omega” and “The Lotus Eater”, bookended a seven-strong setlist, all centering on a quaint Deliverance slow-burn, “In My Time Of Need” — this is not at all the ideal series, but with nods to both Blackwater Park and one half of my favorite de facto metal double-album, it was convenient. It’s a mild appetizer to sate taste buds, pending their 2011 Heritage tour. -David Buchanan

Givers – On Tap Lounge – 5:20 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

Yet again proving the On Tap Lounge stage to be the weekend’s hidden gem, Lafayette, Louisiana’s Givers‘ energetic and fun set added some life to a long Friday afternoon. Sugary sweet male-female vocal harmonies alongside whimsical melodies resulted in a thoroughly danceable and enjoyable set. Singer Tiffany Lamson made sure to graciously thank the crowd after almost every song, and the genuine excitement was really refreshing. Highlights included EP favorite “Meantime” as well as tracks from their upcoming debut LP, and an extended version of poppy, psychedelic “Up Up Up” to close the show. -Caitlin Meyer

The Decemberists – What Stage – 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

“We’re The Decemberists. We’re pleased to be here. We’re gonna play some songs for you. This first one starts like this.” So quoth Colin Meloy as the midday heat began to fade and his band started their show with “July, July!”. That little speech set the stage perfectly, as the performance was simple, straightforward, and full of witty banter. This was the band’s first festival gig without Jenny Conlee, and Meloy sent her regards. “She says hello,” he said, “and she’s doing well. Now here’s a song about the end of the world.” He then chugged straight into “Calamity Song”. Conlee’s replacement was serviceable, though she wasn’t nearly as charming or vocally strong next to Meloy. Still, the band played a pleasant set heavy on cuts from The King is Dead, though in the end the commentary was perhaps more memorable than the music. -Ben Kaye

Wanda Jackson - The Other Tent – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Mark C. Austin

The First Lady of Rockabilly made her triumphant debut at Bonnaroo this year by transporting her audience to a different time. When she took the stage, suddenly we weren’t on a farm in Manchester. We were in Memphis in the late ’50s, sitting in on Wanda Jackson taking us on a tour of the music of the time. She covered a wide range – from country to rockabilly to gospel, with even a little yodeling in there. During her set she often spoke about her experiences with Elvis, proving to the younger generation her importance and experience. She also talked a lot about Jack White – prompting the crowd to freak out, hoping for an appearance by Mr. White himself. Alas, he did not show up, but she played some great renditions from the album that he produced, The Party Ain’t Over. Her backing band, The High Dollars, were extremely tight and made everything sound even better. She summed up her set quite nicely while introducing her biggest hit – “We’re gonna do “Let’s Have A Party” – why not? It’s Bonnaroo!” -Carson O’Shoney

Florence + The Machine – This Tent – 6:45 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

The crowd for London’s Florence + The Machine at the This Tent (or, as the result of one of numerous sign failures, the ‘S Tent’) stretched back to the famed Mushroom Fountain. That many feet kicked a lot of dust into the air that when mixed with the early setting sun’s glare made for a difficult view of the stage if you weren’t under the tent. Even if they couldn’t quite see her, they spiritedly sang with her for the “Drumming Song” refrain and the gorgeous chorus of “Cosmic Love”. The otherworldly voice she’s become famed for matched her stage nature, as she swirled about theatrically in a flowing black robe, jumping and writhing to the beats, at one point bowing low as if performing for royalty. She didn’t speak much, but that seemed fine with a crowd who wanted nothing more than to hear that wondrous voice or just bask in her presence, as sometimes still silence from the stage received the loudest ovations. -Ben Kaye

NOFX – That Tent – 7:00 p.m.

For a group who has habitually exhibited a “Don’t Give A Fuck” mentality over the years, NOFX‘s seemingly random inclusion at Bonnaroo was given to plenty of aggro-laced anarchy. Sadly, the display felt more like a cross between lackluster track pickings and a bad comedy routine. With an entire arsenal of aggression to draw from, with a means to literally destroy a crowd that was most likely high on something, “Stickin’ In My Eye” and “Linoleum” were thrown into the mix lazily, while NOFX itself spent the majority of time acting 20 years younger than they actually are. I expected immature antics, I expected crazy and stupid. I did not expect vicarious adolescence to be so god-damned boring. Thankfully, the circle pit managed to rock its own show out. -David Buchanan

My Morning Jacket – What Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

This year, their sixth at Bonnaroo, My Morning Jacket finally made their What stage debut. It wasn’t in the spot that some were hoping – confining them to a two hour set doesn’t give them justice, especially after their four hour late night marathon in 2008, but the Kentucky boys made the best of it. A trumpeter opened the set with the opening notes of “Victory Dance”, then Jim James & co. appeared and sent the audience into a frenzy. James, sporting amazing boots as usual, was turned way down for the first part of the opening song, which led to some confusion among the crowd. The problem was fixed quickly and then MMJ were off and running. Donning a new stage setup, the band powered through mostly songs from new album Circuital – all of which sounded great live, but reached into their expansive discography for some old crowd favorites like “Off the Record”, “Steam Engine”, and “Mahgeetah”. The Nashville Horn Association helped them out throughout their set, then they got an extra boost from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for a rowdy rendition of “Highly Suspicious” (that it was right after “Holdin’ On To Black Metal” made for a great one-two punch of fun)  and “Dancefloors”. After ending with their classic “One Big Holiday”, there was no doubt that My Morning Jacket are still the unquestioned Kings of Bonnaroo. -Carson O’Shoney

Primus – Which Stage – 9:15 p.m.

Photo by Michael Hurcomb

Hot off the heels of a stellar performance in Raleigh, NC, the three men of Primus fame decided to pay a visit at Bonnaroo’s esteemed Which Stage, complete with paratroopers and falling blue lights (anyone who caught a little black ribbon with an iPhone scanning square, please tell me what the fuck that was). The challenge in catching an act twice in a row is running through the redundancy of a repeat setlist, so Primus was tasked with changing things up. Les Claypool led the way, and though alterations were minor, the mood was most definitely a far cry from some dinky auditorium in North Carolina’s capitol city.

Photo by Michael Hurcomb

A sea of stoned faces jumped to “Harold On The Rocks” and my personal favorite, “American Life”; those who weren’t moving were mesmerized by the blue lights overhead, the random green lasers others packed for just such an occasion, and the disturbing realism of Claypool’s pig mask (and yet again, no “Mr. Krinkle”). Primus could have feasibly pulled all the stops at ‘Roo, but decided to stick relatively close to their touring set. Insider information aside, we do know that Primus did not give it 100%, and for reasons known only to fans of Primus, the atmosphere had not been dampened a bit — save by the humidity. -David Buchanan

Big Boi – The Other Tent – 12:45 a.m.

Photo by Max Blau

Ever since the release of Sir Lucious Left Foot, Big Boi has gone on the road and become one of the most dependable live hip-hop acts around. It doesn’t hurt when you have an extensive back catalogue from one of the greatest hip-hop acts of all time to cull music from. He did play through plenty of OutKast’s greatest hits – all of which hyped up the crowd to extreme levels. The “new shit” also went over really well – he played the best cuts from his solo album like “Shutterbug”, “Daddy Fat Sax” and “General Patton”. He also had plenty of people dancing – both on stage and in the audience. His crew of jumpsuit-wearing backup dancers were great, but they had nothing on the little kid that was just going crazy front and center for a good chunk of the set. Ultimately, many left the set early to go see Lil’ Wayne (seriously Bonnaroo, that conflict is brutal), but it was Big Boi who ended up stealing the show and put on the best hip-hop set of the night. -Carson O’Shoney

Arcade Fire – What Stage – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

If Coachella was their coming out party as one of America’s most important modern bands, then this was their confirmation. The display was almost identical to that other festival’s, with the Grindhouse trailers and theater marquee, but there was a triumphant quality that could not have been present in California. For years, fans have clamored to get Arcade Fire to the Tennessee farm, and it was immensely gratifying to hear Win Butler step to the mic to say “We are very fuckin’ happy to finally be here. We’re so happy. Ok, here we go,” before diving into “Keep The Car Running.” It was a homecoming for a band that never lived here, and it was perfection.

Apposite opener “Ready To Start” had every band member and every audience member wilding out. The sheer power of watching six musicians simultaneously step to their mics to scream “Hey!” during “No Cars Go” has chills crawling up my arms even as I write about it. Pianos pounded, guitars wailed, accordions hummed, and everyone danced.

Butler spoke of his appreciation for the heat, saying that “being from Texas, summer should be hot and humid. It’s nice to feel proper humidity again,” before changing a lyric in “The Suburbs” to “and drive to a field in the middle of Tennessee with my friends” to cacophonous cheering. They exploded from that track into highlight “Month of May,” turning suddenly into an honest-to-goodness rock-and-roll band. This persona continued through “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” and the ferocious transition into “Rebellion (Lies),” ending in a drum being thrown across stage for the final shattering note.

As the lights came up for the encore and the crowd pushed forward to fill the gaps left by those thinking a late-night set would be better than this, Butler said, “We wrote this song to play in front of 20 people. It took some getting use to to play it for a field full of people.” With tens of thousands singing along, “Wake Up” felt built for this venue size. If it hadn’t been proven already, giving the final song to Régine Chassagne for “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” solidified that this isn’t just Win Butler’s crew, but a formidable band in it’s prime. You just have the honor of living at the same time. -Ben Kaye

Lil Wayne – Which Stage – 1:30 a.m.

Photo by Mark C. Austin

There has been a grand amount of hooplah regarding MCs at Bonnaroo, this year. Ever since Kanye West’s late arrival back in 2008, plus a severe lack of urban vibes at a festival known for its recycling benefits, this was an unexpected docket member to spot. Nonetheless, alongside Big Boi, Wiz Khalifa, Atmosphere, and Eminem…here lies Lil Wayne‘s set.

Despite some new Carter IV material, a rump-shakin’ audience of females, the bombastic introduction (which would no doubt be topped later), and persistent hype amongst fans and detractors alike, this performance was easily the least engrossing or original rap output all weekend long, and this is a real shame.

I’ve been told that Lil Wayne’s bass-heavy beatdown came overlapping Mumford & Sons, that the general audiences were split into semi-factions of rap versus folk rock. Typically,  one vies for a cleaner cut-off point, such as what was present when Buffalo Springfield faded on “Rockin’ In The Free World” to launch Eminem’s blasts shortly thereafter, instead of wishing one was in the Silent Disco. A rap show, drum-and-bass do not make. Let’s hear the damn lyrics, already! -David Buchanan

Pretty Lights – That Tent – 2:15 a.m.

Derek Vincent Smith aka Pretty Lights used his coveted latenight spot to introduce a new stage show. Though it was almost a half-hour late, it was a pretty cool set to behold. Through the dust and haze, he cut a shadowy figure amongst towering light structures that lit up like a cityscape. Various waves and swarms of colors and shapes varied from song to song, swirling out across a constantly pulsating crowd. Though samples of Pink Floyd’s “Time”, Kanye’s “All of the Lights”, and the Steve Miller Band/Seal’s “Fly Like An Eagle” made appearances, it was a slow start, as at one point he cut the music to bellow, “How many of ya’ll in here are real Pretty Lights motherfuckers?! Come on!”, apparently unsatisfied with one track’s response. The tempo picked up, though, and if it didn’t before, at least his stage show lives up to his name. -Ben Kaye

Shpongle – This Tent - 2:30 a.m.

Photo by Max Blau

Wow is the only word that comes to mind when trying to verbalize “The Shpongletron Experience”. Opening with “Divine Moments of Truth” and launching into a nonstop onslaught of lasers, blinking eyes, warped faces, hooping girls on-stage, psychedelic imagery, glow sticks, and, oh, music – the show was almost too much. But it wasn’t. Simon Posford, hidden in the top shelf of his contraption wearing a feathered hat, kept the hallucinogenic dream/nightmare, depending on your state, going strong for close to three hours, pushing ravers and curious passersby to the limit after a long day in the sun. -Caitlin Meyer

Saturday, June 11th

Alberta Cross – That Tent – 12:15 p.m.

The beauty or curse of early sets on Saturday is that most people are too wiped from the overexcitement of the previous night’s late-night sets. Thus, the crowd at the first show of the day, U.K. blues rockers Alberta Cross, was pretty sparse, though a handful of devotees were right up from. These fans got the pleasure of lead-singer Petter Ericson Stakee right in their face for “Rise from the Shadows”, getting a chance to belt into the mic along with him, and one lucky fan even got to keep Stakee’s tambourine. The set was full of newer tunes, some never before played live, though older tracks like “Old Man Chicago” and closer “ATX” were standouts. The mix was a little heavy on the lows, often masking the piano and vocals, but altogether it was a rocking way to start the day. -Ben Kaye

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - This Tent – 12:30 p.m.

Black Joe Lewis is a near-perfect early afternoon festival band. High energy bands are a valuable resource in that time slot. Luckily, they were put right where they belong and they kicked off Saturday afternoon with a bang. With the band decked out in classy black & white, they kicked it into high gear early and often with their mix of blues and funk. Plenty of other acts got their audience up and dancing, but few did it with the swagger and soul of Black Joe Lewis. -Carson O’Shoney

Hanggai – The Other Tent - 12:45 p.m.

Making their American debut and kicking off the day of gypsy punk music curated by Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz, Chinese folk band Hanggai set the bar for the rest of Saturday’s artists incredibly high. Seamlessly blending throat singing, a wide variety of traditional stringed instruments, and phenomenal harmonies, songs such as “Xiger Xiger” were breathtaking, to say the least. Unable to express his excitement and gratitude for the day in English, the lead singer just smiled and danced. The energy was contagious, and standout tracks such as “Drinking Song” eased a skeptical crowd into shamelessly indulging in the exotic beauty of Hanggai. -Caitlin Meyer

You Choose The Cover: Lelia Broussard .vs. The Sheepdogs – This Tent – 2:00 p.m.

This was a unique show featuring two acts competing for a deal with Atlantic Records and the Holy Grail of music publicity, the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. L.A.’s Lelia Broussard and Canada’s The Sheepdogs had made it through various rounds of voting to get down to Tennessee. SNL’s Jay Pharoh was on hand to MC and ask audience members to text their choice after the performances, but it was clear who the winners would be before things even got started. Canada’s presence was in full force, with flags and beach-balls bearing the maple leaf bouncing and waving around. Little Lelia Broussard came on stage dressed in a day-glow yellow top and red face paint, her band dressed all in black. She cheerily busted out poppy songs about “fucking like a teenager” and “hipsters when they’re bitches,” and a good portion of the crowd was really into it.

The vibe was totally different when The Sheepdogs ascended the stairs. The considerably increased crowd sent up woots and hollers as the foursome personifying 70’s Southern rockers plugged in their instruments. One of the greatest rock moments of the whole festival came as lead-singer Ewan Currie looked for a bottle-opener for his beer. “Someone get this man a bottle opener,” bellowed Pharoh to the stage crew. As a fan tossed a lighter to Currie, applause and cheers rang out. They reached their apex as Currie popped open his beer, tossed the lighter back, and took a swing. “Never mind!” cried Pharoh over the din. “Give it up for The Sheepdogs!” Then the first bluesy chords of “Who?” struck, and for me, the contest was over. If not then, then surely after the cheering and singalong for “I Don’t Know,” the winner was clear. Maybe they just fit better at Roo, though, as the contest website shows Broussard with far more Facebook likes and Tweets. You know where my vote went, though. The Sheepdogs rocked. -Ben Kaye

Old Crow Medicine Show – Which Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by C. Taylor Crothers

So enamored was I by The Sheepdogs, that I only managed to get in two and a half songs of Old Crow Medicine Show. Thankfully, the first one and a half were “Wagon Wheel” and “Tell It To Me”, both featuring the horns section from Mumford & Sons. “Feel that cool breeze when we played that “Wagon Wheel?” asked Ketch Secor. “It was like a gust of air conditioning blown off the highway.” I didn’t feel that, but I heard a jamming hoedown and an encore of “Tear It Down”. Before they played that, Secor screamed out, “You can’t come down to Manchester, Tennessee and not sing a song about a mule!” Well, glad I got to hear it then. -Ben Kaye

Forro in the Dark – The Other Tent - 2:15 p.m.

Directly following Hanggai was no easy task, but Brazilian world dance band was definitely up to the task. Dressed in coordinating button ups and ties, the five-piece continued to dole out extended jamming doses of percussion-heavy, danceable rhythms with an undeniable South American flavor. The Other Stage curator Eugene Hutz made a guest appearance, to an explosive positive response from the audience. Between the on-stage banter, long-winded but hilarious band member introductions and phenomenally performed music, the set was yet another testament to Hutz’s ability to book bands, and on the last soulful trumpet solo, it was tough to watch them leave the stage. -Caitlin Meyer

Alison Krauss & Union Station, featuring Jerry Douglas – Which Stage – 4:00 p.m.

There is always more than a fair share bluegrass and grassroots music at Bonnaroo, and while this was no Dr. John or Greensky Bluegrass, Alison Krauss and her band of country pluckers never ceased to dole out the spirited vibrations at their Which Stage performance. Inevitably, passers by stopped to take a gander, and those arriving a shy late still soaked in Ms. Krauss’ angelic voice and killer southern charms.

Alison Krauss & Union Station are a staple in the world of folk and country, while their leading fiddle-strokin’ lady has made her mark beside the likes of Robert Plant (who totally should have made an appearance here) and Brad Paisley. Nonetheless, seeing this set was a lot like visiting family in the mountains for a bonfire and a jug of homemade wine. Comfortable. -David Buchanan

Portugal. The Man – That Tent - 5:00 p.m.

About halfway through Deer Tick, rabid Portugal. The Man fans began to infiltrate That Tent, pushing to the front. That eagerness was mirrored in the band’s performance too, as John Gourney excitedly recounted the band’s last time at Bonnaroo when the band finally took the stage. Blasting through The Satanic Satanist‘s staples “Do You” and “People Say” alongside two new tracks from the upcoming, In The Mountain, In The Cloud, and a sampling of older material, the band could do no wrong as the swirling mix of Gourney’s vocals, psychedelics and impressive guitar riffs exuded energy and passion. With any luck, next time they swing through the farm, they’ll have a night time set to finally do their entrancing light show justice. -Caitlin Meyer

DeVotchKa – The Other Tent – 5:15 p.m.

Around 5:30 p.m., the gathered audience at the Other Tent began to get impatient – 15 minutes had gone by since their scheduled set time with no sight of DeVotchKa. However, a couple minutes later, Gogol Bordello walked on stage and gave a surprise three song acoustic set. This pleased the crowd at Eugene Hütz’s Gypsy Punk Revue stage, but they were even more taken when DeVotchKa finally walked on at 6 p.m. – then got really crazy when Gogol came back on stage to help them play their second song. Playing a good selection from their albums while focusing on the new one, the band sounded solid as usual as frontman Nick Urata crooned his way into the audience’s heart. The icing on the top was the aerial burlesque dancer, who ascended two strands of thick ribbon to the top of the tent and performed a stunning dance routine while the band played. It’s become standard for their shows, but it doesn’t make it any less magical when you do get to experience it. -Carson O’Shoney

Mumford & Sons – Which Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Mark C. Austin

The problem with repeating acts from year to year is that they now have to play up to the expectations set by the previous appearance. Mumford & Sons set last summer was phenomenal, and while this one was good, it just didn’t have the umph as their tent show did. Still, it was the biggest Which Stage crowd of the day, with fans hanging off walls and trees, and there were improvements: the harmonies on “Timshel” were tighter than ever, and their banter was better. David Mayfield and dobro master/produce/Union Station member Jerry Douglas joined the band for “Awake My Soul”, and future album standout “Lover of the Light” continues to be an impressive live rocker. The absolute highlight had to be when members of Old Crow Medicine Show, The Apache Relay, Douglas, and Cadillac Sky joined in for an encore of “Amazing Grace”. A total of 19 people were onstage, and that makes it two years running that Mumford has brought a band not on the schedule to the festival. -Ben Kaye

Loretta Lynn – That Tent – 6:45 p.m.

Photo by Michael Hurcomb

“Y’all ready for a real country show?” – that’s what Loretta Lynn‘s bandleader exclaimed at the beginning of her first Bonnarooo set. It was the perfect place for her old school country – she now lives in Tennessee so it was something of a hometown show for her. The band played a song without her first, then her twin daughters came on stage for one song before she finally greeted the crowd to huge applause. You never know what you’re gonna get vocal-wise when a singer is pushing 80 years old – but Lynn put any questions aside and sounded absolutely fantastic. She did put on a real country show – her own catalogue acts like a tour through country music history on it’s own – but she also covered some standards by Conway Twitty, Patsy Cline, The Oak Ridge Boys and more. When she transitioned into her gospel section towards the end, it sounded just as fantastic as everything else. This was yet another set where Jack White was mentioned and sent the crowd into a frenzy – but she claimed that he had “left her out to dry” after she asked him to join her on stage. “Just wait till I see him next…” she said jokingly. This was disappointing for some – but she more than made up with it throughout her set, which ended with what everyone was hoping for – “Coal Miner’s Daughter”. -Carson O’Shoney

The Black Keys – What Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

The Black Keys have become a well oiled machine live. Sometimes, this can be a good thing. For example, the band – weather it was just Patrick and Dan, or their expanded band they brought on for the middle portion of the set – sounded extremely tight. And they were playing the songs that the extremely and ridiculously large crowd wanted to hear. But the problem with a machine is that it leaves no room for improvisation. When a band consists of two people and touts a fantastic and substantial back catalogue, you expect them to be able to cull from a large number of songs and play a different show each night. The White Stripes used to do it all the time – they knew their material like the back of their hand and could play pretty much anything on a whim on any given night. Unfortunately, the Black Keys forgo this and more or less play the exact same hour and 10 minutes every show, regardless of time or place. Most bands realize that Bonnaroo is not just another stop on the itinerary. Some bands play multiple shows, others promise special sets with special guests, others take advantage of their time and play perhaps one of their longest shows ever (Radiohead comes to mind). Instead, the Black Keys ended their set 20 minutes short and didn’t come back on for an encore – even though they probably had the biggest crowd for a non-headliner. It’s always nice to see bands really appreciate the farm and the fans that brave all the elements to see them there. And it makes it that much more disappointing when a band doesn’t live up to the challenge. -Carson O’Shoney

Buffalo Springfield -Which Stage – 9:30 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

Buffalo Springfield was unquestionably the most unique “get” for Bonnaroo this year. Neil Young’s first band, with Stephen Stills and Richie Furay, reunited last year for the first time since 1968. This was their lone festival date of the year, after a short run of headlining dates leading up to the fest. They unceremoniously walked on stage and went right into “On My Way Home”. The sound was very quiet – a recurring theme at the Which stage, prompting the crowd to chant “turn it up!” or “loud-er! loud-er!” between songs. They eventually balanced the sound out – but it was never as loud as it should have been. It was no bother though, as the band seemed to be having a good time on stage and their energy was contagious. The crowd, a good mix of young and old, showed great appreciation for being able to see this legendary band in such a setting. That setting was not lost on the band, either – towards the end of their set, Neil Young proclaimed “This is the biggest gig we’ve ever done. This is about 10 times as many people as we’ve ever seen as a group before.”

Photo by Max Blau

While Stills and Furay together have more songs in their catalogue than Young, it was Young who stole the show – he had more energy than the rest of them combined, and his rendition of “Broken Arrow” may have been the best single song performance. Well, that or their rocking set closing version of Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World”. Young was by far the crowd favorite – they cheered every time he showed up on stage or began to sing. He led the crowd in some arm waving – he made his arms into an “O” while shouting “Bonnarooooooooooo” and the crowd ate up every bit of it. A lightning storm threatened to cut the set short, but it ended up just being about 15 minutes of medium rain and actually added to the set – the strong winds made for some great natural hair-blowing-in-the-wind effects. Even those who weren’t familiar with the bands work were surely impressed – seeing Neil Young wail on guitar is simply one of the better things in all of music. But the final three knockout punches of “Broken Arrow”, “For What It’s Worth” and “Rockin’ in the Free World” were what really solidified it as one of the best sets of the weekend. -Carson O’Shoney

Matthew and the Atlas – On Tap Lounge – 10:40 p.m.

Watching a folk group who build their music upon sweet vocal harmonies while Buffalo Springfield was moderately audible certainly made for an interesting juxtaposition. Matthew and the Atlas‘ brand of orchestral folk, though, and their immaculate, passionate performance demanded the audience’s full attention. Pushing through songs from their assorted EP’s, notably “Within the Rose”, their performance was heartfelt and honest, as was the band, as they were profoundly surprised and humbled near the end by how many people had trickled into their show. Riveting narrative lyrics, chilling harmonies – the next time these guys are on the farm, they definitely won’t be playing such a small stage. - Caitlin Meyer

Eminem – What Stage – 11:00 p.m.

Have you ever been to a concert where everything went so inexplicably smooth, you’d swear the crowd reactions were scripted under duress? So impeccably spot-on, the rehearsals alone would make sweatshops look like air-conditioned cubicle office spaces?

Eminem is back in the rural south…and we were there.

Everyone — the thoroughly baked, the recklessly drugged, those mercilessly aching for a direct-to-camp teleportation device — stood before the What Stage to witness Eminem’s Recovery (and then some), wondering what the selection had in store.

Marshall Mathers & The Recovery Band whipped the once-fatigued audience into a frenzy, offering a reliable Em medley — “Won’t Back Down”, “3AM”, “Square Dance”, “W.T.P.”, “So Bad”, the works — followed closely by our first real surprise all evening, the entrance of Royce Da 5’9, forming rap duo Bad Meets Evil as though it were Voltron (thus prompting a harmonious expanse of handheld fire during “Lighters”).

The rest of Em’s performance was wrapped around expected fare, notably some naughty call-and-response, and hit songs “Love The Way You Lie” and encore track “Lose Yourself”. Was it all default settings? Undoubtedly, but the key factors at play were Eminem’s overall energy — consistently explosive, to put it lightly — and the swaying arms that wafted left and right all into the late, late hour.

Eminem did a very by-the-book show, and he came at it 110%, never once dropping the ball. He entered with swagger, he exited with class; he gave respect where it was due, he sent appropriate shout-outs to past collaborators and longtime friends, the late Nate Dogg and Proof. By Saturday night, most of us were ready to call it quits (AM DJ sets, notwithstanding), but the What Stage lawn saw very little inactivity come the arrival of Detroit’s prodigal son.

Photo by Max Blau

The sing-along set ended with a bang come fireworks, and a pilgrimage to the Tennessee farmland was wasted none, even when most of us wondered why Lil Wayne, being in the vicinity prior, had not joined in for a “No Love” reprisal. Either way, welcome back to the south, Em. -David Buchanan

Dr. John – That Tent – 12:30 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

One of the biggest attractions of the weekend was undoubtedly Dr. John‘s late night set. What better way to celebrate a birthday than by inviting the man who inspired the name of the festival? Bonnaroo did just that – and Dr. John brought a few friends along to perform his album, Desitively Bonnaroo, in its entirety (the album that, of course, gave Bonnaroo it’s name). The legendary Meters – with their original lineup – served as the backing band while also opening the show with a set of their own classics. Once their 45 minute career-spanning set was over, there was a short break before they came back on stage and were joined by Alan Toussaint and, finally, Dr. John – who received a hero’s welcome. With a who’s-who of classic New Orleans music on-stage, including the original backup singers from the album – they ripped right into album opener “Quitters Never Win”. From the opening all the way to closer “Desitively Bonnaroo”, That Tent was overtaken by the New Orleans sound – there was surely not a more funky party this year at Bonnaroo. -Carson O’Shoney

Omar Souleyman -The Other Tent – 12:30 a.m.

Omar Souleyman is a Syrian artist, specializing in his own unique brand of genre-bending traditional Middle Eastern and dance music, whose set rounded out the eclectic group of artists hand-picked by Eugene Hutz for the gypsy punk celebration. Despite the live show only including keyboards and Souleyman’s trademark stoic delivery, the outrageous beats were still delivered cleanly to the increasingly impatient Gogol Bordello crowd. While standouts such as “Hafer Gabrak Bidi” and their infectious melodies worked, the set, on the whole, lent itself to monotony, as an hour and a half was too long. -Caitlin Meyer

Scissor Sisters – This Tent – 12:45 a.m.

I had only cursory knowledge of Scissor Sisters before this show, so I wasn’t expecting much, but in the end I was pleasantly surprised. It was by far the most positive vibe I felt all festival, lewd as it was. How lewd? “To all the girls who are scantly clad today,” proclaimed Ana Matronic, “You look like whores. Good job.” But that idea of loving who you are, whatever that is, was pervasive, and it made for a damn good time. Pillars of flames shot up for “Fire With Fire”, and their cover of “Comfortably Numb” transformed the song into a totally new, spectacular beast. Tongue firmly in cheek, they showed they knew exactly who they were when they introduced “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing” as “your mom’s favorite Scissor Sisters song. And your grandma’s, too.” That sort of self-awareness and confidence is what kept having to walk away from Dr. John from being utterly depressing. -Ben Kaye

Late Night Parade with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Portugal. The Man – Centeroo – 2:15 a.m.

As soon as Dr. John’s set ended – people started seeing flashes and hearing cheers coming from side stage. What emerged from the backstage area was the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, complete with My Morning Jacket’s Patrick Hallahan, leading the crowd in Bonnaroo’s late night parade. Bonnaroo had tweeted about this earlier that day, alluding that the parade would lead to “something crazy you don’t even know about…”, so people followed. The end result didn’t matter to most – everyone was having a ball walking beside and behind the PHJB, marching in step and clapping along. A few were quick to ask “Where’s Jack White?” between songs, but most just let loose and had a good time following them from the That Tent through Centeroo, past Girl Talk at This Tent. The destination ended up being somewhere between Which Stage and the Cinema Tent, along the outside fence of Centeroo, where a band was waiting on a float like you’d see in a parade with Mr. T’s head. Smoke obscured the band as we walked up, then the PHJB gave their final notes and Portugal. The Man took the spotlight. By the time they started playing, it was 2:45 a.m., and it happened to be their lead singer’s birthday. They celebrated by popping bottles of champagne all over the crowd and handing it to them to drink. They played three songs before the power went out – they seemed disappointed but walked off stage, but no sooner did they get off the float that the power came back on, so they went back up and finished a solid 45 minute set. It’s truly moments like these that makes Bonnaroo so special. -Carson O’Shoney

Sunday, June 13th

The Head and The Heart – The Other Tent – 12:00 p.m.

Photo by Mark C. Austin

Nothing against the city, but Seattle wasn’t impressing me on Sunday. First off was The Head and The Heart, whose indie folk tunes brought out quite an impressive crowd for the time slot, but had little heart and too much head. The majority of the band focused so intensely on playing as tightly as possible, that it lacked the joy of a live show. This wasn’t always true: Tyler Williams constantly looked like a happy puppy behind the drums, while Charity Rose Thielen shined on “Lost In My Mind”, enjoying it so much she applauded along with the audience at the end. “Ghosts” showed Josiah Johnson as the stronger of the two frontmen (Jonathan Russell needs to loosen the hell up), and the Iron & Wine horns section provided such impressive backups that even the band watched in awe as they closed out the song. There’s definitely potential in this young band, they just need to stretch their legs some more. -Ben Kaye

Smith Westerns – This Tent – 12:30 p.m.

It’s exciting to see notable transformation in a band’s live show, and Smith Westerns have come so far since their small club shows last year. The Omori brothers were no longer hesitant to interact with the crowd, the performance was tighter – they earned that spot and This Tent. With the setlist featuring a healthy mix of both Dye It Blonde and Smith Westerns, songs such as “End of the Night” and “Dreams” were executed fast and clean, epitomizing the fine line between glam and garage rock that the Smith Westerns tend to walk. Although the crowd refrained from getting too into the danceable tracks, the responses to Omori calling a portion of the set ‘smoke time’ and lines such as “If you didn’t like this set, fuck you” were more than enthusiastic. -Caitlin Meyer

Mavis Staples – What Stage – 1:15 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

It was a stroke of genius to schedule Mavis Staples for an early Sunday morning set. Those who showed up early at the What stage ended up not missing church – because Mavis took everyone there for just over an hour. She’s become one of the most dependable fixtures in the festival scene – she’s just so masterful at what she does that it’s infectious. Not everyone, especially at a music festival, will be into the message of her set – but no one out there shouldn’t be able to appreciate her talent. She covered everything from her father’s “Freedom Highway” to a classic in her set, “The Weight” and even “For What It’s Worth” – an appropriate choice after Buffalo Springfield played the night before. She also played selections from her illustrious career, including crowd-pleaser “You Are Not Alone”. -Carson O’Shoney

Fences – Sonic Stage – 1:15 p.m.

Photo by Ben Kaye

Fences was another Seattle letdown. I’d heard nothing but greatness about Christopher Mansfield’s indie band, but only saw sparks of it here. The man himself seemed fairly disinterested in the small-stage set, despite apparently having jumped at the chance to play it. He barely looked at the audience, and seemed to turn his back on them at every solo. He seemed bored, so I was bored too. It’s worth noting that some of the highlights, “Sadie” and “The Same Tattoos”, had keyboardist Jonathan Warman focusing on his guitar. Not that he’s a bad keyboardist, just an observation. -Ben Kaye

John Waters – The Comedy Theatre – 3:00 p.m.

Where do I begin? Well, I guess I should start with the openers. The Gregory Brothers, better known as the Auto-tune the News guys, opened the set and they were…interesting. They basically showed their clips on screens and then performed live versions of the songs they made out of them. The audience wasn’t really sure how to react, and it didn’t help that the screens shut down after a couple songs, making everything make much less sense. They did cheer for “Bed Intruder Song” and “Double Rainbow” – but I think any Bonnaroo crowd would go crazy over someone just saying the words ‘double rainbow’. Tig Notaro was up next – perhaps best known as Tig the lesbian cop in the Sarah Silverman Program. Her short set was very subdued, and she could tell the crowd wasn’t totally into it, but she was pleasantly funny regardless.

Then the fabulous John Waters finally came on stage and immediately proved that his depravity knows no bounds. His entire set was basically a non-stop stream of consciousness rant about anything and everything – things he loves, things he hates, his (sexual) fascination with Alvin the Chipmunk, turd terrorism, bears, adult babies, blossoms, ultimate nudity and more (google those last few at your own risk). I think he summed it up nice when he said, “I’ve had murderers call me fucked up!” He kept going further down the rabbit hole, daring his audience to keep listening as he introduced them to new sexual things that we’ve never heard of. “John my ears are not garbage cans!” he said, imitating his audience as they listen to him – “Well, they are today!” In reality, he was everything we were hoping for and more. Way more. -Carson O’Shoney

Daniel Lanois’s Black Dub – This Tent – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

This set surprised me, as it quickly crept into my top five of the festival. The crowd was sparse, as many probably don’t know Daniel Lanois, despite having produced seminal albums for U2, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young. Those who weren’t in attendance missed what had to have been one of if not the best female vocalist on the farm in Trixie Whitley. That deep, soulful voice coming out of this thin, hipster-looking knockout on songs like “Nomad” and “Silverado” was simply jaw-dropping, and “Surely” still tickles me in ways I didn’t think music could. When she sat down next to the skankiest drummer at the festival, Brian Blade, and grooved along, it was pure magic. Blade plays his kit like a child discovering all the wonderful things a new toy can do, slinking and flowing over it with Sammy Davis Jr. suavity. The band had one of the sexiest sounds and the sexiest singer on the farm, hands down. -Ben Kaye

Galactic – What Stage – 3:30 p.m.

Galactic proved to be the perfect soundtrack for the final afternoon of Bonnaroo. Patrons played frisbee, hid in the limited shade and lazily lounged, enjoying some down time and calm tunes. That’s not to say that the band itself was calm, though, as Galactic’s set proved as funky as ever, in true New Orleans fashion with blasting horns and stellar bass grooves. With Ben Ellman fresh off of a fun, danceable set on the Sonic Stage with his side project Gypsyphonic Disko, the gang was in top notch performing shape, delivering solid versions of “All Behind You Now” and “How Many More Times”. -Caitlin Meyer

Iron & Wine – Which Stage – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

Acoustic, lethargic songs sung to thousands of people in 90 degree sun is the recipe for an afternoon nap. Luckily, that’s not what Sam Beam did, taking the stage with horns, female vocals and an assortment of random instruments. Watching songs such as “Boy With A Coin” come to life, with dimensions added previously unimaginable, was moving. Beam was personable throughout, donning a snazzy suit and chatting casually with the huge audience. While the song transformations didn’t always work and purist fans may consider the set to be one of the weekend’s most divisive, the strung out versions of tracks, a clean rendition of “Tree By The River” and obligatory performance of “Flightless Bird” were immensely enjoyable. -Caitlin Meyer

Beirut – The Other Tent – 6:15 p.m.

Robyn’s encore was the worst possible thing that could happen to a Beirut fan, as it only lengthened the already intolerable amount of wait time for elusive Zach Condon and company to finally take the stage. When they did, though, it was all worth it – skipping the Strokes, missing Superjam, wading through the glitter-adorned masses of Robyn fans. With the signature opening accordion of “The Concubine”, the crowd exploded into a massive collective of swaying and swooning, Condon’s impeccable voice atop the pattering percussion and timid trumpet.

Progressing through a healthy portion of The Flying Cup Club, sporadic Gulag Orkestar and throwing in two songs from the upcoming LP, their momentum was interminable. Condon charmed the audience with his surprise at the endless applause, and continued pouring everything he had into each word he sang. As the end drew near, the sun set and the band closed with a one-two punch of “Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)” and “The Gulag Orkestar”, both done with chilling power and raw emotion. Deafening ‘one more song’ and encore chants brought a bewildered Condon back to the stage, insisting that they only had one song left they could play. A hearty chorus of “ohs” got the whole crowd dancing and singing – a perfect end to both the set and a phenomenal weekend. -Caitlin Meyer

The Strokes – Which Stage – 6:45 p.m.

Like the Black Keys, The Strokes are another seen-em-once-seen-em-1000-times band, at least in their most recent shows since Angles was released. They didn’t take advantage of their longer set time – they came out late and ended early – they didn’t change up the setlist, and they didn’t even have their simple-but-effective light show in tow. This was likely due to the fact that they had to take the stage in the sunlight – which was quite humorous, as Julian still had to look his coolest and wore a leather jacket in the unbearable heat. The Strokes have never been a very active band on stage, but at other shows they had their light show to make up for it. Without it, they just looked bored on stage and did not seem to be giving their all. At the same time, I heard raves about the show – perhaps if I hadn’t already seen them twice in the past year, I would have enjoyed it more. I’m sure for first timers it was a blast hearing those songs. But for me, it wasn’t up to par with even the other two shows I saw in the past year, including last year’s headlining show at Lollapalooza. The Strokes don’t have the most expansive catalogue, but they’ve gotta learn to change it up a little and stop being lazy if they want repeat customers. -Carson O’Shoney

Superjam ft. Dan Auerbach and Dr. John – That Tent – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Max Blau

For many, the return of this fabled event was a festival highlight before it even happened. During the 30 minute, highly directed soundcheck, the anticipation was palpable. What was actually going to happen? What would they play? If you’d noticed that the hat atop the Bonnaroo arch was Dr. John’s from the cover of Desitively Bonnaroo, you could’ve guessed that this special jam would focus on his music and the funky jazz sounds of New Orleans. The man cut a stoic figure up on stage, his face barely moving despite his powerful vocals – a bizzaro parallel to Auerbach’s visible child-like thrill. Joined by My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan (whose main job was to bang a bongo or tambourine and take swigs from his beer) and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the set featured Dr. John standards like “Jump Sturdy”, a wonderful rendition of Betty Harris’s “There’s a Break in the Road”, and the one song everyone in attendance could name, “Iko Iko”. Standouts were the bombastic “Little Sister” and the packed “St. James Infirmary”.

Photo by Max Blau

It was spotty at times, but it was pieced together in just a week’s time, and the pure joy of it all made any slip-up forgiveable. After all, you were watching Auerbach shred his guitar and Dr. John pound his piano (as one crowd member put it, “how many fingers does he have?”) together, a once-in-a-lifetime combination. The most lasting image of all came after Dr. John was left onstage for a solo performance of “Such A Night”. A white towel draped across his neck, Auerbach returned to thank the crowd and, along with the Dr., receive his much deserved applause. As he led the man of the hour slowly from the stage in the pale blue lights, turning for one last wave, the crowd showered their appreciation on the pair. For me, that image of two great musicians leaving behind a unique, hour-long masterpiece of a performance was the perfect embodiment of the end of another successful Bonnaroo. -Ben Kaye

The Culture of Bonnaroo

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To pay for it all, this year saw an increase in sponsorships. It was tasteful though, and kept to the festival guidebook as not to change the festival’s look. Besides, it can only mean good things when the festival has Four Loko sponsoring the biggest tent, and a hydroponics company for the other tent.

As for the music, Wakarusa’s resident bands – Sound Tribe Sector Nine (STS9), Dirtfoot, Umphrey’s McGee, and Split Lip Rayfield – returned, and with them a promising smattering of bands from all walks of music. At the top were My Morning Jacket, Ben Harper, Thievery Corporation, and Grace Potter. In the middle though were the equally hopeful Minus the Bear, Mumford & Sons, Ghostland Observatory, and Bassnectar, to name only a few. The rest was a steady helping of dub, noodley jam bands, and electronica of all styles pumping until sun up. I’m still not sure when people slept.

Temperatures reached into the high 90’s, the humidity was uncomfortable and sticky. The much cooler nights helped tremendously though. It also was nice to see that Sunday, normally the day most people choose to leave, was fuller than in years past. This kept the festival alive a little longer. Really though, it was just another gorgeous year atop Mulberry Mountain.

-E.N. May
Senior Staff Writer

Thursday, June 2nd

Dirtfoot – Revival Tent – 1:30 p.m.

There are a number of bands that have become an annual part of Wakarusa over the years, and Dirtfoot owns them all when it comes to participation. This year saw the Shreveport, LA natives performing three sets over the weekend, and just for good measure, they also played each morning at a fan-hosted breakfast nook, called Chompdown on Wilderness St. For Dirtfoot’s second set over the weekend, the band started by debuting a preview of its recently released Live and In Prison DVD. Shot in an actual prison, it’s a mini-movie featuring a live performance inside Louisiana’s Wade Correctional Center.

Together, they played as loud and as hard as they could. The music translated very well from the tent to the main stage, filling the airspace with boisterous riffs and off the wall saxophone lines. The set threw out dirt-stirring punk rock rambles, tying it up with a tight country backbone. To close things out, the gypsy punk anthems got the crowd shouting along with “Break My Bones”, “My Girl”, and “Bad Train Sick”. And to think they did this all weekend.

Minus the Bear – Revival Tent – 5:45 p.m.

For an “out of place pick”, Minus the Bear certainly made themselves at home, complete with a packed Revival Tent giving them much love. Starting with “Knights”, the set started with the hook heavy work of earlier material, working everyone up for the back end of the set that focused on the newer, more melodic material. They also threw in a track from the bands recent free EP. The song translated heavier live, full of the band’s trademark glitchy guitar stops. By the end of the song, Jack Snider and Dave Kusdon were on all fours twisting the feedback into one whirl of an outro. The new work all received some fanfare, and the band ate it up, stating numerous times how excited they were to be on that stage. Maybe they were just being nice, but they certainly didn’t hold anything back.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals – Main Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals‘ reputation held strong during its early evening set. Hits like “Ooh La La” came off heavier and dirtier, pushing back the radio-friendly chorus for a real rock show. The biggest highlight came with “Sugar”, which included a quick segue into The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black”, before looping back into “Sugar” for a blown out finish. The band looked sharp in all black. Potter was her usual sexy self, being playful with her band and flirting with the crowd, offering one-liners like, “You know it’s a good show when you got the panties rolling out.” This was just another gig for the band, though, sticking to the formula of staying genuine and looking like they’re having a great time. Here though, they actually were.

Umphrey’s McGee – Main Stage – 10:15 p.m.

Staple of the festival scene (and hosts of their own), Umphrey’s McGee too know how to play to the moment, and this moment saw them as Thursday’s headliner. The thing to note about Umphrey’s is that they come with two types of sets. The rock set for the day shows, and the fusion set for the night shows. With a big production light show in tow, the group went for the jammier blend of big arena rock, mixing in electronic odds and ends. The long extended songs flowed together, with some reprising 10 minutes later. The only exception to that came with the new track “Puppet String”. The song brought out heavy Tom Morello-style riffs with a rattling bass bridge into the verse.

It was the slow burning tracks that brought the bands best Pink Floyd moves, the set hitting all the required points of a modern rock jam show. Umphrey’s is a band built on the live experience, so it makes perfect sense why they now have moved to the headliner status. By midnight, the audience’s collective ears were ringing.

The Shpongletron Experience – Main Stage  - 1:00 a.m.

When a performer brings a show labeled as an “Experience”, the bar is prematurely set high before they even take the stage. With an 18-foot structure to play from, this horned devil head of scaffold and projection screens built anticipation throughout the day as it sat shrouded on the main stage. When show time came, what was delivered was a collection of screen saver visuals and house lights that wasn’t so much an experience, but another Shpongle DJ set on stilts.

That being said, his high energy blend of classic electronic beats and world – Spanish, West African, and Brazilian etc.- rhythms sounded organic in the open air. This was the first year the main stage was used for late night sets, and from 18 feet up, Shpongle sounded great and kept the night hot. Next time, though, bring the band.

Friday, June 3rd

Cornmeal – Revival Tent – 1:30 p.m.

Cornmeal was back this year with another two sets of genre bending New Grass. The early afternoon set was the second for the weekend, and the group opened fast with Mississippi style blue grass. The set was kicked up though when the acoustics turned electric and all tradition went out the door. The fiddle wailed with distorted guitar solos for quite the wild blend before pulling it all in for a rock jam outro. For all the New-Grass bands out there, Cornmeal have found a way to stand far out by being as eclectic as possible with the simple instruments they have. This set only showed further how underrated they are in the scene.

Split Lip Rayfield – Revival Tent – 3:00 p.m.

Friday afternoon in the revival tent was all about the bluegrass, and as the third band in that hard picking line-up, Split Lip Rayfield brought things back to basics – and turned up the speed. The picking and strumming was fast and unrelenting, that gas tank bass adding punk rock ingenuity for an extra thud from the strings against the steel. The harmonies sounded great, and the musicianship kept loose. Nothing out of the ordinary here, just another carefree set.

Lucero – Revival Tent – 6:00 p.m.

Midway through the set, vocalist Ben Nichols admitted he didn’t think Lucero was a festival kind of band. Listening to the set it was easy to see his point as Lucero, in the simplest of terms, is a bar band. They channel Springsteen in the song writing department, turning life into poetry relatable to anyone in a tough spot. What they wouldn’t realize until later was that this kind of music is perfect for the festival setting. What’s more, Lucero carry a southwest twist to the rock they write. This makes their sound much bigger than the chord by chord alt country that is at the base. Along with Nichols’ rock growl and enduring subtle twang, the band sounded great. The set list itself started pre-planned, but was quickly thrown out for fan requests. The entire back half of the set was just that in fact. The crowd was small, but quite loyal, making for one intimate show.

My Morning Jacket – Main Stage  - 10:30 p.m.

It’s difficult to keep coming up with new ways to say just how incredible a My Morning Jacket set is. The reputation that precedes them is in every way true, and has been hyped appropriately. The set this past Friday was no exception as the band showed that they are a worthy headliner, and not just the undercard anymore. It’s about time, too.

Opening with “Victory Dance”, the band launched into the first two tracks from their latest LP, Circuital. They made sure to mix in older favorites as well, hitting “I’m Amazed” early on. The tried and true material was jammed out into extended versions; in fact, Patrick Hallahan shined bright here, as he massacred his drumset during a few solos. However, despite a few far reaching addition, it was the new album that took over the set. New single “Holdin’ on the Black Metal” arrived early on, “Outta My System” and “Circuital” could have filled a stadium, the songs translating even better live, and “First Light” blasted into a prog-rock freak show to close it out in a monumental way.

MMJ is a band that has grown with the festival scene, so all of its material is meant for the big open air stage. It was psychedelic, ethereal, and rocked hard for a full two hours. The thing is, with the way the audience and the band were feeling, they could have played for another hour easily. Satisfying is the key word here, and what more could there be for a headlining set?

Bassnectar – Main Stage  - 1:00 a.m.

With MMJ going over the set time by 30 minutes, the rest of the night would be pushed back. It was a minor detail though and one that no one seemed to mind. Besides, this was one of the more anticipated late night sets of the weekend, and by the time Lorin Ashton came out, the field was filled like he was a headliner in his own right. These days, Bassnectar is much too big for the dance tent, as it seemed the entire festival had shown up to see the set. Ashton also noticed the sea of neon, and with an opening Wu-Tang sample, the hour-and-a-half of womping bass was on.

For those who haven’t seen Ashton, his set is a mix of match ups and samples with unrelenting bass beats behind them. He uses hip-hop just as much as he uses rock, and loves to throw around some Nirvana. Every time the beat would drop, glow sticks would fly, and the neon party hit its peak. The energy was as persistent as the humidity, so when the set ended, Ashton had to come out for a quick encore, just to say goodbye to his biggest show to date – according to him.

Ghostland Observatory – Main Stage – 3:00 a.m.

This would be the latest set the main stage would see all weekend. By this point in the night, the audience had spread out to the several other late night shows going on, leaving a much smaller audience for Ghostland Observatory. No matter, though, as the Austin duo brought out all the tricks to lead the festival into the pre-dawn hours. They too are coming off a somewhat new, much more club-influenced album. The set was perfectly suited for the vibe of Wakarusa’s late night, and this band is made for only one time of the day anyhow. Lasers poured into the sky as Aaron Behrens and Thomas Turner pulsed out a heavy dose of glamtronica. Behrens was a wild man on stage, popping in and out of the fog and lights to thrust around and hype the crowd with his wild vocals. While most of the set stuck to the pure electronic material, they did bring out the old goodies, and the guitar for the punchy songs that got them noticed in the first place. Ghostland too has become a live force recently, pulling all the production punches so tracks like “Sad Sad City” can be a visual and audio trip. It was with out a doubt one of the best late night sets all weekend.

Saturday, June 4th

MarchFourth Marching Band – Revival Tent – 4:30 p.m.

Wakarusa has a thing for variety acts. One sneaks in every year and surprises an afternoon crowd looking for shade in the big tent. This past Saturday the festival brought in the punk vaudeville troop MarchFourth Marching Band, for an hour-and-a-half’s worth of big brass funk and ska. Part of the vaudeville came in the form of dancers on stilts hyping the crowd and showing off some impressive acrobatics. The other was in the from of a little burlesque. They had the marching band look, 13 pieces, and the big hats, flags, and dance routines. It was easy and entertaining; altogether, text book funk and west coast ska. Band geeks eat your heart out.

Mumford & Sons – Main Stage – 6:00 p.m.

As the latest “break out” band to be driving in its debut, Mumford & Sons 15 minutes remain in full swing. Coming out in the heat of the day to a swelling crowd, the latest folk heroes played right through their acclaimed LP, Sigh No More. The Celtic bluegrass ballads sounded straight from the album, though they turned up sections for the sake of the live show. People ate it up, sang along, and screamed with the first notes of “Winter Winds” and “Little Lion Heart”. It was a hot dusty mess with all the dancing, and the band relished in it. Two new songs were debuted, as well. “Below My Feet” used the standard Mumford equation of quiet intro into revelry of strums. The other, “Lover of Light”, ventured into Dave Mathews territory, sounding more like an acoustic pop song. The band is embracing this mainstream success full heartedly, and with a show like this, its 15 minutes will be on for quite a while longer.

Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 – Main Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Ben Harper, in any form, really works best in the festival setting. His tunes are easy going, socially conscious rock. Insert agreeable positive political statements and you have it in a nutshell. As for the Relentless 7, this is Harper’s true to form rock band. Festival anthem “Burn One Down” opened the show, which, with the haze over the crowd, was very appropriate. From there it was two hours of middle of the road rock, with a few solo acoustic throw backs to Harpers earlier material. The good thing about Harper is the size of his catalogue, and his musicianship. When he lets it fly, it makes for some quality moments. For this band, and this set, it came in the form an electric steel slide. After a glitch in the sound (it went completely down for a quick minute), the band punched back with a solid cover of the CSNY staple, “Ohio”.

Playing as the sun went down made Harper’s set the perfect time to relax. He’s a charismatic, humble musician who connects with the crowd (gave a shout out to the Razor Backs) and does his job right. In all, Harper with The Relentless 7 provided the pre-game.

Thievery Corporation – Main Stage – 10:30 p.m.

As U.S. ambassadors for world beat electronic music, Thievery Corporation’s showcase is quite the spectacle. With its rotating cast of vocalists and full live band, the gamut of world sound was covered. While Rob Garza and Eric Hilton sit at the top of Thievery, the live experience is very much so a band effort. The songs have been deconstructed and assembled for the show, improvising and forming each song into its own familiar but new experience.

Opening with a bouncy sitar, the introduction wove its way right into “Lebanese Blonde”. The South Asian styles created a very mellow atmosphere to start out with, but the funk-dub fusion that came next is what set off the set with “Radio Retaliation” and “38-35” making the cut. There is the activist side to the duo, which came out on the anti-IMF “Vampires”. Bottom line: The show was fantastically eclectic, and a perfect way to kick off the last full night of music.

Sound Tribe Sector 9 – Revival Tent – 12:30 a.m.

Wakarusa wouldn’t be the same without STS9 holding down at least one late night slot. This year there were two STS9 sets, an evening one on Friday, and this, the late night set in the Revival Tent. First off, a band this big shouldn’t be in a tent. The surrounding space outside the tent was just as congested as the space inside, and it should have been on the main stage. That’s why the festival organizers kept it running later this year, right? Oh well, though, because the night went off, and it was easily the best of the band’s sets that weekend.

Bassist David Murphy has only recently come back from cancer treatment. The fact that he’s back on tour playing like the day he left is unbelievable. On stage, he looked great – fatigued, but ecstatic with the swelling reception in front of him. STS9 came out playing the heavy club-ready material, packing a heavier wallop in the beat between the signature spacy guitars and breakneck drumming. Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic came out to lay down a sax line over some steady synth lines for a quick jam, making for a killer collaboration. Given the two are cut from the same cloth, it was a wild few minutes of hot saxophone over a wall of drum and bass. It made a huge impact on the weekend. When STS9 are on, they really turn on, and this was a set for the books.

Big Gigantic – Outpost Tent – 2:30 a.m.

Watching a band grow at a festival is an exciting thing. Big Gigantic have, up until this year, been only a hidden gem in the line-ups of festivals all over the country. This year that’s all changing however as the livetronica sound (samples/DJ with live drums) has taken off. This left the small Outpost Tent feeling extra tight as all weekend the hype was swirling about the set. With tons of new material out, there was plenty to get to in the set. Remixes and re-worked older tracks were slipped seamlessly in as every beat drop drew a roar from the bouncing crowd. For just about two hours, the energy never dropped. Thick layers of bass were smoothed out by Lalli’s saxophone, using it to reprise songs throughout the set, and bring home the remixes. The story here is with the newer material however. It’s a welcome step up in Big Gigantic’s game as they’ve fully embraced the audience’s love for thicker and more sustained bass drops. The band spent more time on the samples making the new material forward and fresh, and it worked. The crowd ate it up, and Big Gigantic far surpassed the hype.

Sunday, June 5th

The Stone Foxes – Outpost Tent – 3:30 p.m.

The rock scene at Wakarusa is a sneaky one and it likes to hide early on Sundays. San Francisco’s seventies rock loyalists The Stone Foxes brought out a storm of overdriven blues rock to a mostly vacant Outpost Tent. It may sound like a sad sight, but the band didn’t seem to care as it felt more like a garage show than a festival set. They joked with the 50 people huddled in the front, and it was an intimate treat for everyone. The guitar wailed like Jack White giving psychedelic break downs and solid loud riffs. There’s nothing new about what The Stone Foxes are doing, but they can play, and play hard.

Zoogma – Outpost Tent – 8:30 p.m.

The winner of band with most flyer litter goes to Zoogma. Signs and posters reading, “What the fuck is Zoogma?”, could be found on posts in the camp sites, and on the grass in lieu to the festival. Why not though, the still mostly unknown band was playing two sets this weekend. It was Sunday’s set however that got the biggest reception. Zoogma is a young band in the electronic jam scene, taking all its cues from its predecessors like STS9. While the band members are obviously very talented, they have yet to find a niche, but it’s certainly being worked on. The choice in synth beats helps, going for an 80’s pop feel in the hooks and synth tones. Those made the biggest impact, and filled one last need for a sound that’s taken over the jam scene, and Wakarusa for that matter.

Ozomatli – Revival Tent – 10:00 p.m.

With the majority of the people headed to get a last fix of bass elsewhere, a thin crowd stuck around for Ozomatli’s second set as defacto Sunday headliner. One more time they brought out the world beats and conscious rhymes. The mix of Latin, reggae, and hip-hop is always a safe bet. Throw in uplifting social messages and you have something everyone can agree with. It provided a nice alternative for the overheated electronic sets as more people trickled in over the hour or so. The energy was there, and Justin Poree got a cheer for having just been bailed out of jail from the night before. Getting arrested during a festival? Now that’s rock and roll.

That aside, the set took the festival into one more late night, and for those who stuck around, it provided yet another close up encounter with a relatively big band. The last of the fireworks were shot off (not official festival fireworks, just the work of fans with good timing), and so went another Wakarusa.

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the MSC Poesia sets sail from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on January 9th and makes scenic stops at Labadee, Haiti and Falmouth, Jamaica before heading back home. As for the musical entertainment, this year’s lineup is topped by Umphrey’s McGee, Galactic, Keller & the Keels, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, Toots & the Maytals, and Soulive.

Other notable acts include Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Railroad Earth, Ozomatli, Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ set), Breaking Science (w/ Chali 2na of Jursassic 5 fame), and according to the press release — the final performance of Canadian electronic three-piece The New Deal.

Cabins go on sale Tuesday, May 24th at noon EST. Be prepared, as there are lots of cabin options to mull over: standard ocean views to swank suites with a balcony. Head over to the festival’s website for details.

Among the other new acts set to grace the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, New York between July 7th and 10th are The New Deal, Conspirator, The Japanese Popstars, Orchard Lounge, Alex English, and JDH & Dave P. You can find a complete list of confirmed acts at our Camp Bisco 10 Festival Outlook page.

This year’s Camp Bisco will also feature three curated label showcase tents. Hosted by DFA Records, Mad Decent and Damon Dash, the three tents will showcase the latest creative elements stemming from each outlet. According to an issued press release, the Damon Dash tent will host the recently launched DD172, “a media collective brought together for the purpose of developing avant-garde music, television, publication, fashion and art projects,” while Mad Decent will offer the first-ever North American festival appearances by Nadastrom, Munchi, and Dillon Francis. James Murphy’s DFA tent will feature a performance by the aforementioned Special Disco Version in addition to a DJ set from Holy Ghost!.

$160 three-day passes are now on-sale via the festival’s website. A number of VIP packages are also available.

It was almost a sensory overload this year. It’s safe to say there was too much to do. I can honestly say it didn’t help much adding a sixth stage to the schedule, and turning the Do-Lab from Smurf Village to a more practical stage. Friday was this year’s “Conflictchella” in which around the hours of two and five p.m. involved so many good acts playing simultaneously on various stages that it damn near caused aneurysms (OFWGKTA vs. Warpaint vs. the Drums vs. you get the idea). Saturday will forever go down as one of the most well-planned days in the history of the festival because, let’s face it, Bright Eyes -> Mumford and Sons -> Animal Collective -> Arcade Fire is modern music’s wet dream. And Sunday was a mixed bag of goodies (the Strokes murdered) and definitely some odd moments (Kanye, where were all your fellow rappers?).

And then there was the artwork…which took a whole new step up. This year, Coachella partnered with The Creators Project, adding a game-changing visual element to certain shows, as well as an in-between stage show that literally lit people up. There was the Spiritualized exhibit, which from the outside was a large silver cube in the back near the main stage, as well as the various usual oddities spread out all over the grounds. The stages themselves received massive upgrades — each tent, including the small Oasis Dome, now had screens on either side of the performers. Brazilian designer Muti Randolph upgraded the Sahara tent with a roof-spanning light installation, and the main stage underwent some awe-inspiring if unnecessary transformations before the top acts each night. In terms of the Coachella design, they took a step up, and in terms of the music, they just confused the shit out of everyone.

Photo by Matt Gainty

What matters here though isn’t the band selection, or the weird things scattered on the Polo Fields, but it’s the experience. People were skeptical this year with some of the choices, but you can’t get Radiohead to headline every year, and Coachella has already billed the biggest bands of the previous generation multiple times (do you all want Tool and the Peppers again?). The people at Coachella certainly know what they’re doing, and will always be able to deliver the public a fantastic weekend. It’s those who have had unwavering devotion to the festival that have to worry though. Times are changing, people, and so is Coachella…accept it.

-Ted Maider
Media Specialist

Friday, April 15th

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Outdoor Theatre – 1:15 p.m.

Fun fact: The Rural Alberta Advantage are not from Alberta at all, let alone rural Alberta. They’re actually from Toronto, Ontario, and they rock some. The singer has a bit of a Billy Corgan thing going, which is good or bad depending on whether you’re a Corgan fan. One member alternates between keys and a floor tom, while the third member annihilates the drums. As festival openers go, you can’t ask for more. -Harry Painter

!!! – Outdoor Theatre –  2:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Disco-punk is taking over the world whether you want to acknowledge it or not. Despite the Friday afternoon heat, !!! vocalist and mascot Nic Offer was able to get the crowd on its feet and thrash about in the sun. Nic and company were no slouches themselves as they rocked through numbers like “Heart of Hearts” and “Must Be the Moon” to get everyone in a dance frenzy. Heat, good music, and lots of dancing can always get the party going, and this was a worthy start to the weekend. -Ted Maider

Brandt Brauer Frick – Gobi – 2:05 p.m.

These guys sometimes perform with an ensemble, but it was just the three of them (Brandt, Brauer, and Frick) at Coachella. The setup was one member manning the electronic drums while the other two toyed with synths. It got a little samey after a while, but Brandt Brauer Frick‘s original and hands-on take on techno was a delight at two in the afternoon. -Harry Painter

Cold Cave – Mojave – 3:00 p.m.

It seemed strange to have a band like Cold Cave playing in the middle of the day, but their dark mystique and catchy electro tunes sure had a place at Coachella. People bobbed their heads and grooved (somehow, to such dark music), while vocalist Wesley Eisold belted out his cynical and twisted lyrics. Even after all these years, and a total genre swap, the guy still knows how to channel his anger through a musical performance. Plus, he got people to rock out in the heat to “Confetti”, easily one of the band’s most badass tracks. -Ted Maider

Photo by Ted Maider

Omar Rodríguez-López – Gobi- 3:15 p.m.

Titus Andronicus conflicting with Omar Rodríguez-López so early in the day was a crime. Especially since he brought out The Mars Volta bandmate Cedric Bixler-Zavala to accompany him on vocals. You got basically the same thing you’d get from a Mars Volta show, at about half speed — much easier on the ears, actually. It would be nice to hear the guitarist without Bixler-Zavala one of these days, but no one is complaining about an unadvertised Mars Volta appearance. -Harry Painter

Skrillex – Sahara – 3:30 p.m.

The things one has to put up with to watch a damn hip-hop show at Coachella; with Odd Future coming on next, getting to the tent during Skrillex was a must. The former From First to Last frontman has some bangers, but whoever told him bringing out a nu-metal band was a good idea was yanking his chain. Yes, Jonathan Davis and Munky of Korn came out to do whatever it was they did, and helped Skrillex become the first in a long series of catastrophic Friday acts. Didn’t this used to be the dance tent? Wait, scratch that. Korn at Coachella? Really? -Harry Painter

Titus Andronicus – Outdoor Theatre – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

When I learned Titus Andronicus was going to play the Outdoor, at three in the afternoon, I thought the Coachella planning team had just about lost their fucking minds. Civil war punk rock songs in sweltering heat are enough to take you back to the feelings of the soldiers alone, but Titus did what they do best…they shredded. Opening with “A More Perfect Union”, people embraced the punk and heat, kicking up dust and a flesh storm that sort of went out of control. Regardless, the band marched on, rocking out tracks like “No Future Part III: Escape From No Future”, “Richard II” and, of course, “Titus Andronicus” (complete with harmonica). Yes, it was hot, but lead singer Patrick Stickles encouraged us to drink our electrolytes, so we could rock as hard as he. -Ted Maider

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All – Sahara – 4:30 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Despite Odd Future‘s lack of danceability, it was the only tent that was going to be able to hold the flow of people. Still, if you’re going to take over the beloved Sahara, you’d better bring it — and Tyler and crew were not up to the challenge. Odd Future has put out some promising material, but you wouldn’t be able to tell if Coachella was your first experience with the group. OFWGKTA came out late in a burst of energy, but forgot to rap. Those who lament Wu-Tang’s live show don’t know how bad it can get; Odd Future’s formula was to scream lines, ignore the beat, and if one guy accidentally spoke over another, curse loudly to save face. Wu-Tang Clan? Please, at this point Odd Future’s live show is an unfunny, low-production Insane Clown Posse show. -Harry Painter

Cee-Lo Green – Coachella Stage – 4:50 p.m.

At Coachella, there are five stages, and if one act disappoints, there are always other options. Unfortunately, leaving Odd Future for the main stage was like moving from Port-au-Prince to Tokyo. Cee-Lo Green was even tardier than Odd Future, and by the time he came on at 5:30 p.m., the crowd had already let out several loud waves of boos. Cee-Lo apologized, offering the excuse that he had “just landed.”

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Okay, fair’s fair. However, Cee-Lo, who arrived not in a flamboyant peacock outfit or a Star Wars getup but a white tee, made things worse by bitching about his set time, then waiting two minutes for his Josie and the Pussycats knockoff backing band to play an uncoordinated “Iron Man” riff before finally singing a note. His set was half-assed, and his bassist was truly a disaster; she was off-key the whole afternoon, ruining both “Crazy” and the set closer, a comically mailed-in “Fuck You”. To his credit, Cee-Lo apologized and took the blame, before inciting a short-lived “Don’t Stop Believing” sing-along. Still, it’s going to take repeat views of that Grammy performance to wash off the stink. -Harry Painter

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart –  Mojave – 5:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

“Oh my God, can I just say I am having the best time at Coachella right now?” – Peggy Wang (keys)

With a great new album, and a true appreciation for the Coachella vibe, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart had no reason to be as depressed as their music makes them out to be. Sparking the early evening rays, the band came out looking hip yet excited. It wasn’t necessarily the show to catch if you wanted to jump-start your weekend, as most people sat longingly and watched their (beautiful) distortion wail, but it worked. When the band dished out a couple new tracks off their latest effort, Belong, including the new single “Heart in your Heartbreak”, people shuffled their feet and danced like playful children. It was happy, but that’s all. -Ted Maider

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Gobi – 5:45 p.m.

Did I mention Friday didn’t work out so well? Ariel Pink and his band, but mostly just Ariel Pink, contributed to a hell of an afternoon with one of the funniest meltdowns in memory. Was it a joke? It appeared so. The show was going rather well, but Pink inexplicably stormed off stage after cutting off a song with, “I know you all hate me, but we’re going to stop playing now, so, sorry.” He shortly rejoined his Haunted Graffiti, all smiles, and finished the set — but half of the time, he stood there dancing awkwardly and let the band do the work. The chorus of “Round and Round” is actually rather soothing without a lead vocal part. -Harry Painter

Lauryn Hill – Coachella Stage – 6:05 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Considering the train wrecks, you’d think watching Lauryn Hill, the reigning queen of unapologetic derailments, had zero chance of making the day any better. Then again, she wrote “Doo Wop”. Hill’s set worked out for a little bit; “Everything Is Everything” sounded okay. Then Hill proceeded to ruin “Lost Ones” beyond all recognition — okay, one more chance. Hill’s backup singers handled all the hard-to-reach notes on “Ex Factor”, which Hill sang with none of the passion that made it great over a decade ago. That was it for me; I like “Doo Wop” just the way it is, thank you. -Harry Painter

YACHT – Mojave – 6:25 p.m.

YACHT was a band many people were talking about prior to the festival. When it came time to see them though, it was quite surreal. They gave shout outs to disco-punk gods LCD Soundsystem, asked us if we believed in aliens, and played their brand of atmospheric dance tunes that went over quite well with the tent crowd. Tracks like “Dystopia” had the crowd chanting “The Earth is on fire,” and when they performed their hit, “Psychic City”, the whole place went bananas. -Ted Maider

Interpol – Coachella Stage – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

In 2007, it was Interpol, not Kings of Leon or even Arcade Fire, that everyone thought would be headlining next time around. Instead, Interpol was demoted for Coachella 2011, having lost a bassist (or two) and popular momentum. New bassist Brad Truax filled in okay, although a timing slip-up during “Evil” was a drag; it didn’t help that the bass was way too high in the mix. Otherwise, Interpol went through the motions on hits like “Slow Hands”, “The Heinrich Maneuver”, and “Obstacle 1″, but never acted like they belonged at night on a big stage. New song “Lights”, backed up by some animation from David Lynch, was the surprise highlight. -Harry Painter

Cut Copy – Mojave – 8:35 p.m.

Cut Copy‘s popularity this year is reminiscent of Hot Chip’s popularity the first year they played Coachella. It’s only getting bigger from here. Cut Copy wasn’t in the Sahara, but the band turned that audience into a Sahara crowd. Dan Whitford’s vocals aren’t very flexible, so you have to really like that sort of thing to get into it. -Harry Painter

The Black Keys – Coachella Stage – 8:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It was drummer Patrick Carney’s birthday, so the surrounding members of the now non-duo The Black Keys made note to rock extra hard. To kick off the set, older numbers like “Thickfreakness” took precedence, but soon enough newer material off of last year’s Brothers – “Tighten Up” and “Next Girl”, namely – rolled out. Carney celebrated his birthday in style, as the band thrashed about like dying sharks, absolutely annihilating their instruments in the process. The problem? The sound was unnecessarily low, causing the crowd to engage in a “Turn it up!” chant. This performance had gold all over it, but sadly, it was reduced to silver. -Ted Maider

Beardyman – Oasis Dome – 9:00 p.m.

I knew he was a beatboxer, I came to watch him beatbox, and when I got there I didn’t know he was beatboxing. Beardyman is pretty good. -Harry Painter

The Aquabats – Mojave –  9:45 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Oh! The fury of The Aquabats! For a while now, Coachella attendees have wanted the famous ska team, known for their comic book gimmicks, to grace to Polo Fields with a show. Finally, they obliged, by delivering the goods complete with giant inflatable enemies, a superhero video intro, and evil cavemen. And it helped that they played jams like “BFF”, “Pizza Day”, and “The Cat with 2 Heads” to cause a dedicated, partly costumed crowd to rock out. Not to mention an on-stage appearance from Danny DeVito, as well as two members of the Kings of Leon, who claimed to “love the Aquabats” before rushing off. -Ted Maider

Kings of Leon – Coachella Stage – 9:55 p.m.

Unlike Muse, who took about as long as Kings of Leon to finally hit it big in America, the Followills don’t care much for relying on impressive visuals. There was smoke and there were lights, but beyond that, Kings of Leon put on a bare-bones rock (okay, soft-rock) show. There’s certainly something admirable about that; however, people expect something from a headline act, whether it’s visuals, unbelievable musicianship, or just an outstanding physical performance. The band has been through this fest-headlining routine in both Europe and America now, but none of these traits were evident at Coachella. 

They didn’t feel like Kings of anything, but they delivered a well-constructed set friendly to longtime fans. Caleb declared the band was “tired of playing the new stuff,” just before diving into a one-two punch of hits “Molly’s Chambers” and “The Bucket”. There was a healthy selection off Aha Shake Heartbreak and Youth and Young Manhood, but all the new songs that you’re sick of made appearances as well. Predictably, Kings of Leon saved “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” for the end, before closing with Because of the Times track “Black Thumbnail”.

The first of two headliners who weren’t really headliners put on a better show than the indie crowd will admit. Plus, they came out to “Bitches Ain’t Shit”, which is a truly unhateable move. Still, Kings of Leon deserve some of that hate — even with plenty of old songs, those new ballads are just too much. Now that they’re officially rock stars with a bunch of American hits, maybe it’s time to rock again so that next time the Followills play Coachella, the fellas can have some fun, too. -Harry Painter

The Chemical Brothers – Coachella Stage – 11:40 p.m.

Photo by Harry Painter

Goldenvoice had to do this…a main stage Chemical Brothers show to wrap up day one. The “brothers” were 45 minutes late (thus the brothers never truly got to “work it out”), and the candy crowd certainly hates to wait. But, as soon as the opening of “Galvanize” came over the speakers, everybody in the crowd went absolutely ape shit. Nobody stopped dancing for the entire hour and 20 minutes they played. Everyone was treated to their favorite gems like “Star Guitar”, “Hey Boy Hey Girl,”  and the new hit, “Swoon”. When the plug was pulled on them around 1:20 a.m., everyone begged them to play one more song, but instead Ed and Tom waved good night, and day one was officially over. Maybe next year, we’ll get Daft Punk. -Ted Maider

Saturday, April 16th

EE – Gobi – 11:50 a.m.

EE was one of the artists collaborating with The Creators Project, which to almost everyone watching meant nothing. To the layperson, it meant the first act in the Gobi was a Korean indie pop group with a DJ and b-boys, and lots of colorful, crazy outfits and good photos. Swag? -Harry Painter

Photo by Ted Maider

The Joy Formidable – Gobi – 12:55 p.m.

Every year at Coachella, there’s at least one band that comes on before three in the afternoon and turns out to be one of the best acts at the festival. The Joy Formidable was that band this year. The three-piece from Wales plays blistering, crunchy, indie rock with a hint of shoegaze, and boasts a winner in frontwoman Ritzy Bryan (winning name too). After demolishing the tent and inciting way too much applause for the time slot, the band went old school and broke its equipment. It seemed kind of out of place, but that’s because rock and roll is dead, right? -Harry Painter

The Twelves – Sahara – 1:30 p.m.

The Brazilian duo that is The Twelves has garnered praise for its remixes, some of which the duo showed off early Friday in the Sahara. Many a dance was to be had to versions of Metric’s “Help, I’m Alive”, Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic”, and the infectious “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You” by The Black Kids. -Harry Painter

The Tallest Man on Earth – Gobi – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It was pretty hot at this point in the day, and the music of Kristian Matsson was the perfect cure for everyone’s exhaustion. The solo performer arrived on stage for sound check, and jammed the whole time, making up songs on the spot just to tease the crowd. When it finally came time for his set to begin, he had already been playing for 10 minutes. People in the crowd squirted water at one another, as he soothed us with tracks like “King of Spain”, “Troubles Will Be Gone” (afterward, he assured us they would), and “You’re Going Back”. All by himself, he hypnotized that crowd to the point that despite how hot and sweaty they may have been, they really didn’t want to leave. -Ted Maider

Foals – Mojave – 3:15 p.m.

Several text messages and a packed-to-capacity Mojave tent indicated that Foals clearly had something radical going on for their set. Upon my arrival, the entire tent was bouncing furiously as the U.K. export banged their instruments in a fit of dance-punk fury. They had the entire tent on its feet jumping in unison to gnarly cuts of “Spanish Sahara” and “Two Steps, Twice”, all while expelling loads of energy. Exciting. -Ted Maider

Gogol Bordello – Coachella Stage- 3:35 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Everyone’s favorite gypsy punks concentrated mostly on Trans-Continental Hustle material, but it never really makes a difference what Gogol Bordello plays. Every time, you are going to get a) a Sean Connery-looking fellow with a fiddle, b) accordion solos, and c) approximately nine people on stage looking to give you the best show of the year, if not your life. Eugene Hutz, one of the best frontmen in rock, shirtless with red wine dripping down his chest, succeeded in getting all the Erykah Badu fans to scream “Break the Spell” like they meant it. That’s how you do a show. -Harry Painter

Delta Spirit – Outdoor Theatre – 4:05 p.m.

Talk about a wrong stage at the wrong time. Delta Spirit were giving it their all at the Outdoor Theatre, but this did not coincide with what other people were feeling. Songs were met with dull cheers, as the crowd lay around sluggishly watching the band play fairly new material. If this show had been going on in a tent, they might have received a better reaction. As it was, people looked too fatigued to enjoy the Long Beach quintet. -Ted Maider

Photo by Harry Painter

Cage the Elephant – Outdoor Theatre – 5:20 p.m.

As the sun started to wither, and people began to rehydrate, Cage the Elephant called to arms. Immediately upon hitting the first notes of “In One Ear”, the audience rushed the stage like a rogue wave. This set the tone for the whole performance. Singer Matthew Shultz arrived sporting a red sundress, and ran around the stage, periodically jumping into the crowd (this clearly pissed off security, but hey, he’s there to put on a show). The band rocked through a number of its songs, and got a crowd sing-along for its gem, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”.  To finalize everything, Shultz brought loads of patrons on stage to dance with him as they knocked out “Sabertooth Tiger”. Random note: Throughout the duration of the show, fighter jets above wrote Lady Gaga lyrics in the sky. -Ted Maider

Broken Social Scene – Coachella Stage – 6:05 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Canada’s second most-popular indie rock band cued the setting of Friday’s Coachella sun with some of the fan favorites which have become standard in Broken Social Scene‘s sets: “Texico Bitches”, “7/4 Shoreline”, “Anthems for a 17-Year-Old Girl”, and “Meet Me in the Basement”. Lisa Lobsinger came to help out beginning with “Anthems”. It was low-key in the way only BSS can do low-key and it was spectacular as always. And those horns on set closer “Meet Me in the Basement”, the horns from heaven that erupted for an extended finale, they never get old. -Harry Painter

Elbow – Mojave – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

I’ve never been one to rationalize a band’s status here by pointing out that they headline arenas in the U.K. — what terrible logic — but Elbow really deserves more exposure here. That they can only fill up a quarter of the Mojave is a sign of the direction of Coachella’s fanbase; bands like Elbow, Wire, and The London Suede would’ve filled their tents three years ago. Still, as empty as it was, Elbow was not taken aback and performed to high standards. Frontman Guy Garvey led the crowd in clap-alongs for nearly every song, and displayed multi-instrumental capabilities to complement his vocal talents. The band, which has previously performed its 2009 album The Seldom Seen Kid with the BBC Concert Orchestra, was accompanied by a string section for Coachella. -Harry Painter

Bright Eyes – Coachella Stage – 7:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Conor Oberst returned to Coachella. This time, he brought his famed unit, Bright Eyes. Nevertheless, the crowd spent the hour buzzing about. What moved them even more was how hard Oberst actually rocked some of his finest tracks. He dedicated “We Are Nowhere and It’s Now” to all those who randomly came to Coachella, just as the sun dipped behind the mountains for a quick, eye-soothing natural occurrence. Soon after, the stage turned into a trippy light show for everyone, which highlighted tracks like “Approximate Sunlight” and “Old Soul Song”, the latter of which might have been the most beautiful moment on the Polo Field that day. In their 50-minute set, Bright Eyes captured the spirit of Coachella perfectly, as music and nature aligned with one another for one amazing set. -Ted Maider

Shpongle – Sahara – 7:50 p.m.

Photo by Harry Painter

I’m not sure the Sahara tent has ever been so empty at night; but then, One Day as a Lion was sparsely attended in the Mojave, and Elbow filled the Mojave to about 25 percent capacity at best. Welcome to the emerging career of Mumford and Sons, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a shame, though; The Shpongletron Experience is not something that people will be able to see whenever they like, and it’s worth seeing. Especially if mushrooms are involved. Shpongle deejays atop a giant, glowing, psychedelic fixture, complete with lights and Eastern religious imagery, and there are dancing girls and psychedelic trance. What’s not to like? -Harry Painter

One Day as a Lion – Mojave – 8:15 p.m.

After Zack de la Rocha showed up to the Empire Polo Field with Rage Against the Machine four years ago, people were expecting big things for the band’s future. When big things didn’t happen, out came a little five-song EP by One Day as a Lion. Nothing happened again, and now we’re here. And really, it’s not so bad. Along with Death from Above 1979, De La Rocha and Jon Theodore (still incredible behind the kit) may be the only bands ever to incite mosh pits with a dinky keyboard — and they were both at the same festival! De La Rocha doesn’t seem to rap anymore, which would be okay if he didn’t overuse that reverb effect on every song. Still, it’s such a relief to see De La Rocha can branch out and do something that doesn’t suck, unlike certain other Rage Against the Machine members. -Harry Painter

Big Audio Dynamite – Outdoor Theatre – 9:05 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Mick Jones’ other band — not Gorillaz; his other other band — sounds awfully dated in 2011, just as dated as Duran Duran. But damned if they aren’t a riot. Big Audio Dynamite played songs your mother won’t remember like “E=MC2″, the BAD theme song “BAD”, and what Jones described as a “country western hip-hop ballad” (not far off), “The Battle of All Saints Road”. It’s not mandatory viewing, but any big fan of The Clash would get something out of a BAD set. -Harry Painter

Animal Collective – Coachella Stage – 9:45 p.m.

And the award for Best Visual Performance goes to….

The thing about Coachella that truly sets it apart from other festivals is the ability to watch bands grow. When Animal Collective played three years ago, they performed at one of the smallest stages…at the same time as Portishead. When they returned this year, with several new tracks and some classic cuts (“Summertime Clothes” finale, “Did You See the Words”), they brought with them the most spectacular visual show to grace the main stage this year. Flashes of color, creepy worm-like animations, and several large cubes loomed above their heads, making for one of the most unique sets of the weekend. This is the new age of psychedelic….and they are the leaders behind it. -Ted Maider

The London Suede – Mojave – 10:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Coachella wasn’t able to pick up Pulp, but it got the next best thing — the band known back home as Suede. Only when you surround a Britpop mainstay like Suede with a bunch of 2010s indie bands do you realize how long it’s been since the ’90s. Suede got right back on the horse for its first U.S. show since reuniting, playing its heart out on favorites like “Animal Nitrate” and “Trash”, and closing with “Metal Mickey” and “Beautiful Ones”. Even without Bernard Butler, it wouldn’t be the worst thing if these guys stuck around for a while and made some green. They deserve it. -Harry Painter

Arcade Fire – Coachella Stage – 11:20 p.m.

“If you had told me in 2002 we’d be headlining Coachella with Animal Collective playing before us, I’d have told you that you were full of shit.” –Win Butler

In a career defining performance, the Arcade Fire proved via the Coachella ladder of success that they are officially one of the most important bands of our time. People furiously rushed the stage during set break, and camped out ruthlessly to wait for the band. Moments prior to their arrival, a series of odd Grindhouse trailers played, before the “feature presentation”. A timely female began singing about May, and I muttered “Month of May” under my breath. A split second later I was proven right, as the band vigorously launched into that one-chord intro, and immediately pulled the rug out from everybody’s feet.

Everyone sang, everyone danced, everyone screamed, and everyone was reduced to rubble by the show Arcade Fire put on. The band’s live performance has come so far, and this performance proved it. Win, Régine, and co. followed the hectic opener with “Rebellion (Lies)” that tugged at everyone to join in, various cuts from The Suburbs accompanied by imagery from their new film, and the most kickass version of “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” that resulted in crowd surfing and head-banging. Prior to their encore, they launched into “Wake Up”, which ended with several hundred white inflatable balls containing colored lights inside to fall from the stage. The crowd was covered to the point where they could no longer see.

To bring us back to life, the band returned for an encore of three more tracks, including the most epic finale version of “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”, wrapping up one of Coachella’s most well-planned days to date. Arcade Fire has come so far, from playing an afternoon slot on the Outdoor Theatre to headlining, and showing 60,000 people that it is the best band on the planet right now. This is their apex; enjoy it as much as they do. -Ted Maider

Sunday, April 17th

Delorean – Gobi – 2:00 p.m.

The Ibiza revival band from Spain, Delorean, is always a fun catch. Ekhi Lopetegi and co. are top-notch performers, and turned a half-empty tent into a full tent within the span of 40 minutes. Lopetegi’s vocals are weak live, however, and sound nothing like the recordings. Delorean would be a must-see event if he could work on that aspect of Delorean’s shows. Until then, they’re a see-it-if-you-know-what’s-good-for-you event. -Harry Painter

MEN – Mojave – 2:20 p.m.

Le Tigre member JD Samson is a hell of a frontwoman/man/whatever and makes for 90 percent of MEN‘s stage presence. The other 10? A combination of the trio of interconnected helmets, Bret “The Hitman” Hart pink and black jumpsuits, and lyrics like “I’m gonna fuck my friends.” MEN covered Bikini Kill’s (that would be, of course, Kathleen Hanna of Le Tigre’s old band) “Double Dare Ya” to end a raucous, fun set. However, let the “Are We Not Devo” jokes commence. -Harry Painter

Wiz Khalifa – Coachella Stage – 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Wiz Khalifa‘s song “When I’m Gone” begins with “They say all I rap about is bitches and champagne.” Not true — his lyrics unsubtly cover the always-popular territory of cannabis as well, don’t you know. As a matter of fact, Khalifa spent as much time talking about weed as performing Sunday. At Coachella, on the main stage at 4 p.m., that is a problem. It’s too damn hot to pay mind to a guy who lip-syncs to uninspired Empire of the Sun samples, has his DJ cue up extended Nate Dogg tributes, and whose hype man finishes most of his lines for him. And he must have burned five minutes of his 50 allotted advertising Chuck Taylor shoes and his new album Rolling Papers (it’s out now in stores and on iTunes, by the way).

He had some moments, though. He played a few solid cuts off Rolling Papers in addition to the older stuff, and an a capella performance of his verse from his Snoop Dogg collaboration “That Good” was probably the best 30 seconds of hip-hop at Coachella. -Harry Painter

Nas and Damian Marley – Coachella Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley was no rookie to the Polo Field, but with Nas, they brought a whole new kind of heat. As the Rasta flag was waved high, Nas spit fire, while Damian Marley and his band pulled the crowd to their feet and thus a dance party ensued. Of course, no Marley show is complete without a cover of his father’s work (“Could You Be Loved”) which sparked good vibes and several joints. But at the same time, the hip-hop crowd’s needs were met while Nas performed cuts like “One Mic”, and a (for some reason) no-Lauryn Hill version of “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)”. What really rocked though was when Marley and Nas worked together on duets “Nah Mean” and “As We Enter”, as it brought on a whole new kind of party to the main stage on Sunday. -Ted Maider

Death from Above 1979 – Coachella Stage – 6:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

As excited as the crowd appeared, there was a lingering fear to this potentially riotous set. As soon as Death from Above 1979 started with “Turn it Out”, however, the fears became reality, and a huge hole for moshing ripped open amidst the crowd. It was difficult to breathe, several were pushed around violently, yet everyone screamed the lyrics. While people were hoping they’d be on a smaller stage for more mayhem, the crowd didn’t seem to have a problem stomping the crap out of each other on the biggest stage for one of the most intense shows of the weekend. The Toronto duo roared through “Romantic Rights”, a terrifying version of “Pull Out”, and even a sing-along of “Little Girl” to make it the deadliest show of the whole weekend. Blood was certainly spilled; it’s just that this time it was that of the fans, and not a police horse. -Ted Maider

Trentemøller – Mojave – 7:10 p.m.

Backed by a live band — and fronted at the beginning by a cage of, well, ribbons — Danish producer Trentemøller laid out an onslaught of arpeggios and downtempo ambient music to an early Sunday night crowd. Trentemøller was followed in the Mojave Sunday by Ratatat, Leftfield, and The Presets, all of which we missed. And that’s why we hate Coachella. -Harry Painter

The National – Outdoor Theatre – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The National is so appropriate to close the Outdoor Theatre at sundown it would almost be an insult to give them the exposure of a later Coachella Stage slot. Flawless as usual, The National played through the festival set it has been touring with since High Violet came out (two off Alligator, two or three off Boxer, the rest off High Violet). It would be nice to get an old song here and there, and “Abel” does not count, Mr. Dessner. The National invited Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and fellow Coachella band Gayngs to play guitar on “Terrible Love”. -Harry Painter

Duran Duran – Coachella Stage – 7:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Frontman Simon Le Bon made it clear that he, along with his legendary unit Duran Duran, were more excited about playing Coachella than anyone else. While there wasn’t a whole lot of talk about the Polo Field of them, they sure rounded up a large crowd on Sunday, proving to the world that after 30-something years the ’80s still prove cool. Every soul found rhythm during a spot-on rendition of “Hungry Like the Wolf”, including the drunken fans at the nearby beer garden, who chugged along as they danced about madly. In addition to the nightclub anthem, the band also dusted off classics like “Notorious”, dedicated “A View to Kill” (yes, the Bond song) to the late John Barry, and keyboardist Nick Rhodes took photos of the audience as they finally brought the house down with “Girls on Film”. Apparently, Coachella will always have a home for the ’80s. -Ted Maider

The Strokes – Coachella Stage – 8:55 p.m.

Sure, The Strokes shared the headlining slot on the bill with Kanye West, but everyone knew who the real headliner was, regardless of personal taste. The Strokes were second banana, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t earn their top billing. Playing a career-spanning set as well as five new songs, The Strokes continued their bid to re-endear themselves to the world at Coachella.

Plus some newcomers, as well. There were throngs of kids in the pit who couldn’t have been older than five or six when Is This It came out, waiting eagerly next to the 20-somethings who grew up on the likes of The Strokes and The White Stripes. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, but hey, five years of inactivity can make you into a legend these days.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Anyway, young Strokes fans, old Strokes fans, and Kanye fans alike were all bouncing by the time the opening riff of “I Can’t Win” tore into the field. The Strokes play the songs people want to hear, so outside of the Angles cuts, it was all hits from there. The sing-alongs manifested throughout the whole set, but were most prominent for “Last Nite”, “Reptilia”, and “Under Cover of Darkness”. The only slow moments were the new wave revival tune “Games” and fellow Angles track “Gratisfaction”.

Julian Casablancas was uncharacteristically chipper; the random trucker hat he was wearing along with his leather jacket and shades might have had something to do with it. He made fun of Duran Duran (“Was that a flute solo I heard? Just checking.”) and more energetic rock frontmen (“Generic lead singer-speak: You motherfuckers ready?!”). This kind of humor lasted throughout the night and it was nice to see all of them in good spirits. -Harry Painter

Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 –  Sahara – 9:35 p.m.

The techno-metal masters of insanity played Sunday night to a very rowdy and visually nutty Sahara tent. The noise that the Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 call music was accompanied by a light show that really took things to a whole other level. But it was the Beetroot’s craziness that was getting this crowd hopped up. While I only was able to catch the end of their set, what I saw totally freaked me out…and now I fear the assault the Death Crew 77 could possibly do to our ears. -Ted Maider

PJ Harvey – Outdoor Theatre – 9:45 p.m.

Photo by Harry Painter

It was very hard to leave PJ Harvey‘s set for Kanye West, which was obviously the point, those evil bastard schedule monkeys. It’s a tragedy that there’s ever something more important than PJ Harvey going on at the same time, but such is Conflictchella. She was scheduled to leave her stage around the time he took his, but Harvey’s Outdoor Theatre-closing set ran well into the third or fourth Kanye song, which was disastrous for the stage conflict but awesome for Harvey fans. Harvey played mostly songs off Let England Shake, but gave oldies like “Meet Ze Monsta” and “Down by the Water” some life. -Harry Painter

Kanye West – Coachella Stage – 10:30 p.m.

Mr. West claimed his Coachella closing set, something of a redemption show after Swiftgate and a year of gay fish jokes, was his “most important show since [his] mom died,” and he backed up this claim by dedicating it to her and even closing with “Hey Mama”.

So how’d he do?

Mama should be proud. Sure, he didn’t bring out Rihanna or Jay-Z or Nas or Ludacris or Talib Kweli or Die Antwoord. Sure, there were some ups and downs and some kinks that need to be worked out. But by and large, Kanye West proved Sunday he deserves and can handle a major headlining spot.

West landed a first at Coachella, dare I say a one-up on Prince — he was delivered to the Coachella Stage on a giant crane as he carefully spit out the words to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy opener “Dark Fantasy”, accompanied by Justin Vernon, who had a busy weekend. When he finally touched ground, he quickly broke out “Power” (a song he claimed he thought about performing at Coachella as soon as he wrote it) and early hit “Jesus Walks”. His set, as expected, was made up almost entirely of hits, from “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”, “All Falls Down”, and “Through the Wire” to later singles like “Stronger”, “Heartless”, and last fall’s omnipresent banger “Monster” (fucking hands were seen at the concert). The climactic combination of “Runaway”, with guest Pusha-T, and “Lost in the World”, with Vernon again, was simply stunning.

The show was as much performance art as music; West won the more-people-on-stage-than-Arcade-Fire award by having on the whole team of ballerinas from the “Runaway” video back for a live rendition of that creepy choreography. There were costume changes, props, and most importantly, lots and lots of pyro. He overdid it on that front; by the middle of the show, there had been so much pyro it had long since shed its intended effect.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Let’s face it: As West admitted during his little speech about 808s and Heartbreak, he can’t sing for shit. Which is why it was a good call to throw the three cuts off that album in the middle, so as not to detract from the flow. Still, he can’t sing for shit, and he made it worse by attempting these bizarre diva vocal breaks as if he were Christina Aguilera. “Love Lockdown” sounded more like a poetry reading at open mic night than a hip-hop concert. The night ended with more embarrassment for everyone except Kanye as he left us hanging with that whole “mamamam-m-mama” bit from “Hey Mama”, and no encore even when the crowd demanded one.

Still, he’s pretty good at hiding the weaknesses and highlighting the strengths. He has surprisingly good breath control, especially after a show just under two hours; he knows how to pace himself. He’s a born entertainer, as everyone knows, and for better or for worse concentrated on performing first and rapping second. Sure, there had to be some lingering disappointment after West closed such a high-energy, hit-filled set with an ode to his dead mother. But the two hours leading up to it earned him an excuse to play that song, and who are we kidding, Kanye will do whatever the hell he wants anyway. He’ll do it at Coachella and he’ll do it at Wrigley Field. -Harry Painter

Did you like the videos? Feel like you could do it yourself? You can! With a Sony Bloggie Touch HD, the festival’s yours for the keeping! Then again, you could always try and win one, too.

Gallery by Debi Del Grande

Our writers couldn’t make it everywhere, but photographer Debi Del Grande sure did. Her eyes went all over Polo Field, and now you, the reader, get to benefit from them.

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While the festival’s complete day-by-day schedule is still forthcoming, Bonnaroo has revealed this year’s late night acts. They are as followed: Lil Wayne, Girl Talk, STS9, Big Boi, String Cheese Incident, Bassnectar, Dr. John with the Original Meters and Allen Toussaint performing Desitively Bonnaroo, Pretty Lights, Scissor Sisters, Ratatat, Bootsy Collins & the Funk University, Shpongle Presents Shpongletron Experience, and The Black Angels.

Peep Bonnaroo’s complete 2011 lineup at our Festival Outlook. General admission and VIP tickets are still available an can be purchased via the festival’s website.

Now, two months after the initial 2011 lineup announcement, Bonnaroo has confirmed a number of new acts. A staple since 2004, the festival will once again play a host to a jam-packed lineup of renowned comedians, highlighted by Lewis Black and the 420 Comedy Blaze tour hosted by Cheech Marin and featuring Ralphie May, the stars of Workaholics, and more.

Others to join them in the laughs include The League (Paul Scheer, Nick Kroll, Jon Lajoie, Stephen Rannazzisi), Donald Glover, Kathleen Madigan, Eugene Mirman, Tim Minchin, and Hannibal Buress. Henry Rollins and filmmaker John Waters will also make appearances.

On the music side, NOFX, Galactic, G. Love & Special Sauce, Allen Toussaint (w/ Dr. John and The Original Meters), Black Uhuru, Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, and The Knux have all been added to the fold.

Also, Shpongle will present a full-scale production in the form the Shpongletron Experience, with Ben Sollee, Anthony B, Forro in the Dark, Dennis Coffey, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Futurebirds, and Hanggai rounding out the latest music acts.

Peep Bonnaroo’s complete 2011 lineup at our Festival Outlook. General admission and VIP tickets are still available an can be purchased via the festival’s website.

Set to take place over Memorial Day weekend (May 28th to the 29th), this year’s edition will be headed by Weezer and Snoop Dogg. Other notables include Wiz Khalifa, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Coheed and Cambria, George Clinton & The Parliament Funkadelic, The New Pornographers, Against Me!, Best Coast, Wavves, Titus Andronicus, Neon Trees, and State Radio.

But wait, there’s more: Shpongle presents The Shpongletron Experience, HEALTH, RJD2, The Cool Kids, EOTO, Portugal. The Man, Man Man, Dum Dum Girls, The Felice Brothers, Dam-Funk and Freelance Whales are also on the bill. Further acts include Holy Fuck, Daedelus, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Dan Deacon, 12th Planet, Free Energy, Woods, Real Estate, Nosaj Thing, and The Hood Internet.

It keeps going (told you they went big): Toubabe Krewe, ESKMO, Small Black, River City Extension, Big Freedia, David Wax Museum, Roots of Creation, Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez, and Walk The Moon round out the lineup. Also, as mentioned, they’re looking to get at least 25 local artists involved in the festival, and if you’d like to submit your band for a chance to play you can enter at their website here.

Pre-sale tickets are available for $89 GA and $299 for VIP. Pricing jumps to $99 and then $109 for GA once tickets go on regular sale at 6 a.m. on Friday March 4th, so get ‘em while they’re hot. All proceeds benefit Bring Our Music Back, Inc., a group committed to providing music scholarships, music enrichment and education programs, music and healing initiatives and community support and outreach. This year’s charitable initiatives include the formation of an Emerging Artists Scholarship Fun for WCSU. Check out the announcement video below, featuring the festival’s young creator, Frankie Bombaci.

As previously reported, jam icons String Cheese Incident will take over the stomping grounds of the still-in-doubt Rothbury Music Festival for their own four-day extravaganza this Fourth of July weekend.

Set to run June 30-July 3rd at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan, the Electric Forest‘s inaugural bill already includes 51 acts, with even more still to be confirmed. Along with three sets by SCI, the festival will offer such musical heavyweights as DJ Tiësto, Pretty Lights, REO Speedwagon, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic, Stephen Marley, Kaskade, Shpongle, and Railroad Earth.

Other confirmed acts include Laidback Luke, JJ Grey & Mofro, Excision The New Deal, EOTO, Emmitt-Nershi Band, Skrillex, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Toubab Krewe, Bonobo (DJ Set), Beats Antique, Big Gigantic, Chiddy Bang, Eskmo, Lettuce, Eliot Lipp, Paper Diamond, The Infamous Stringdusters, 12th Planet, The Pimps of Joytime, and Emancipator. For a complete look at Electric Forest’s 2011 lineup, visit Festival Outlook.

In addition to the music, Electric Forest will also offer access to Rothbury’s enchanted Sherwood Forest, Gold Rush Water Park, Thoroughbred Golf Club, Big Wildcat Lake, and horseback riding.

Weekend tickets are available starting March 5th for $199.00 (plus fees), but that price will rise to $239.00 once the initial allotment sells out. A number of VIP packages are also available. You can find complete ticketing information at the festival’s website.

Whether you chose to remember it or not, New Year’s Eve always becomes an event – be it a swanky party full of beautiful people, or a sad, lonely remembrance of 2010 alone in your darkened apartment. But save yourself the embarrassment of either and get out to a club and see a band. Below we’ve listed some of the major events happening in cities around the US. Do yourself a favor: go.

There are few things I regret more than not going to see Girl Talk last year in 2009, so don’t make the same mistake I did. Spend NYE with your most favorite band. Whether you know it or not, you’ll be surrounded by new friends. Oh, and you can get tumultuously drunk and rage to some amazing music. Happy New Year from CoS!

– Jeremy Larson
Senior Staff Writer

P.S. If we’re missing something, please let us know in the comments below.

New York City

– Ariel Pink (solo): 234 Starr Street

– The Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set): The Wellmont Theatre

– The Butthole Surfers: Music Hall of Williamsburg

– Class Actress: Spike Hill

– Chuck Berry: B.B. King Blues Club

– Drive-By Truckers: Terminal 5

– Gov’t Mule: The Beacon Theatre

– Guided By Voices: Irving Plaza

– Har Mar Superstar: Littlefield

– Holy Ghost!: Standard

– Infected Mushroom, Shpongle: Hammerstein Ballroom

– Patti Smith & Her Band: Bowery Ballroom

– Passion Pit, Slick Rick: Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ)

– Phish: Madison Square Garden

– The Roots: Brooklyn Bowl

– Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings: Best Buy Theater

– Steve Angello: Roseland Ballroom

– Titus Andronicus, Real Estate, Julian Lynch: Ridgewood Temple

– We Are Scientists: Mercury Lounge

– Zach Deputy: City Winery

Chicago

– Big Freedia, Nobunny: Empty Bottle

– The Black Keys, Greenhornes: Aragon Ballroom

– Cave: The Hideout

– Cursive performing Domestica: Subterranean

– Flosstradamus, Gemini Club: Lincoln Hall

– Future Rock: Kinetic Playground

– Japandroids, Light Pollution: Schubas

– Local H: Bottom Lounge

– Mannequin Men, Pegboy: Abbey Pub

– Mucca Pazza: Logan Square Auditorium

– Pretty Lights, Holy Fuck, Tobacco: Congress Theatre

– Robert Randolph & The Family Band, North Mississippi Allstars: House of Blues

– Smoking Popes: Reggie’s Rock Club

– Sublime with Rome, AM Taxi, The Dirty Heads: Navy Pier Ballroom

– Umphrey’s McGee: The Riviera Theatre

– Yeasayer, HEALTH: Metro

Los Angeles

– ATB: Hollywood Palladium

– HARD NYE (Mr. Oizo, Brodinski, DJ Falcon): The Music Box

– John Digweed: The Avalon

– Lucinda Williams: The Viper Room

– Mayer Hawthorne, Classix: Viceroy Hotel

– Nite Jewel: The Echo

– NOFX, Dead To Me: The Wiltern

– The Pharcyde: Key Club

– The Raveonettes, Autolux: The Standard

– Steel Panther: House of Blues

– Together As One (Major Lazer, Diplo, Rusko, Laidback Luke): Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum & Sports Arena

– Yard Dogs Road Show: Edison

London, UK

– British Sea Power: Koko

– Caribou: The Flowerpot

– Carl Barât (DJ Set): All Star Lanes Brick Lane

– Eastern Electrics NYE (Matthew Dear, Joker, Roska): The Tunnels

– Foals: HMV Forum

– Four Tet, James Holden, Jamie XX: Corsica Studios

– Friendly Fires (DJ Set): XOYO

– Sonic Youth, Factory Floor, Shellac: Hammersmith Apollo

– Together (Mark Ronson, Annie Mac, Katy B, Fake Blood): O2 Academy

Elsewhere:

Atlanta:

– Bassnectar, Ana Sia: The Tabernacle

– Charlie Wilson, Chrisette Michele: Atlanta Civic Center

– Coolio: Hyatt Regency

– The Glitch Mob: New Earth Music Hall

– Perpetual Groove: Variety Playhouse

– Zac Brown Band: Philips Arena

Atlantic City:

– B.B. King: Harrah’s Atlantic City

– Maroon 5: House of Blues

– Sarah McLachlan: Caesars Atlantic City

Aspen:

– Jane’s Addiction: Belly Up

Athens, GA:

– The Glitch Mob: New Earth Music Hall

– of Montreal: 40 Watt Club

Austin:

– Adolescents: Red 7

– Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Grupo Fantasma: La Zona Rosa

– Cake: Austin Music Hall

– N.A.S.A., Ladytron: Seaholm Power Plant

– The Sword: The Mohawk

Boston:

– Bettye LaVette: First Night Boston–Copley Square

– Cass McCombs: The Modern

– Dean & Britta, Nina Nastasia: Paramount Center

– moe.: House of Blues

– Soulive: Paradise Rock Club

– Third Eye Blind: Wilbur Theatre

Boulder:

– Crystal Castles, The Chain Gang of 1974: Boulder Theater

Dallas:

– Ghostland Observatory: Plaza of the Americas

– Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights: Granada Theater

– Old 97′s: House of Blues

Denver:

– Big Head Todd and The Monsters: Paramount Theatre

– Impact NYE (EOTO, Dieselboy, Freddy Todd): City Hall Events Center

– Nosaj Thing: Casselman’s

– Railroad Earth, Great American Taxi: Ogden Theatre

– STS9, Tipper: The Fillmore Auditorium

– Widespread Panic, G. Love & Special Sauce: Pepsi Center

Dublin, Ireland:

– Les Savy Fav: The Button Factory

Edmonton, AB:

– deadmau5: Shaw Conference Centre

Houston:

– Warpaint: Ground Hall

Las Vegas:

– 30 Seconds To Mars: Pearl Concert Theater

– Erick Morillo: Marquee Nightclub

– Jamie Lidell: Book & Stage – The Cosmopolitan

– Jay-Z, Coldplay: Cosmopolitan

– Paul Oakenfold, LMAFO: Palms Hotel & Casino

– Pitbull: House of Blues

– Santana: The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel

Louisville, KY:

– The Pass: Headliners Music Hall

Miami:

– Nicki Minaj: The Mansion

– Tiësto: Fontainebleau Resort

– Usher, Trey Songz: American Airlines Arena

Milwaukee:

– Girl Talk: The Rave

– The Hold Steady: Riverside Theater

Minneapolis:

– Brother Ali, The Hood Internet: Marriott City Center Grand Ballroom

New Orleans:

– Better Than Ezra: House of Blues

– Bonerama: 12 Bar on Fulton Street

– Galactic, Tea Leaf Green: Tipitina’s Uptown

– Tab Benoit: Mid City Lanes “Rock ‘N’ Bowl”

Oakland:

– Primus, The Dead Kenny Gs, Les Claypool: Fox Theater

Oklahoma City:

– The Flaming Lips performing The Soft Bulletin: Cox Convention Center

Philadelphia:

– Dada: North Star

– Lotus: Electric Factory

– Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue: World Cafe

Portland, OR:

– Crooked Fingers, Heligoats: Bunk Bar

– The Helio Sequence, Ramona Falls: Mississippi Studios

– Japanther: Artistery

– Langhorne Slim: Mission Theater

– Lazer Sword, Eliot Lipp: Branx

– The Shaky Hands: Backspace

Rome, Italy:

– Aphex Twin: Palazzo dei Congressi

San Diego:

– Crocodiles: Soda Bar

– Designer Drugs: Voyeur

– Dirty South: 4th & B

San Francisco:

– The Dresden Dolls, Pomplamoose: The Warfield

– Furthur, Phil Lesh: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

– The Growlers: Hemlock Tavern

– John Lee Hooker Jr.: Biscuits and Blues

– Mike Posner: The Regency Ballroom

– Sea of Dreams (Thievery Corporation, Balkan Beat Box, Modeselektor, Beats Antique): Concourse Exhibition Center

– The Slackers: Great American Music Hall

– Steve Aoki: Fort Mason Festival Pavillion

Seattle:

– AC Slater: King Cat Theatre

– Lissie: Snoqualmie Casino

– Reverend Horton Heat, The Dwarves: El Corazon

– Z-Trip: Cirque Event Center

St. Louis, MO:

– The Crystal Method: Nightclub Europe

– Yonder Mountain String Band: The Pageant

St. Petersburg, FL:

– Cope: The Local 662

– Dead Kennedys: State Theatre

Washington, DC:

– Gogol Bordello: 9:30 Club

In support of the November release of Ineffable Mysteries from Shpongleland, Posford will kick things off April 13th in Charleston, SC, DJ some more shows in the South, and then heads up for a New York stop at The Fillmore. After that, the tour crosses the Midwest and hits some theaters in California before finishing off at the Showbox in Seattle May 8th.

In place of Raja Ram, Posford will be joined on the tour by a few special guests. Accompanying the DJ will be Younger Brother partner and fellow Twisted Records artist Benji Vaughan (a.k.a. Prometheus), along with media artists VJ Zebbler (that will be insane) and theater company ArcheDream for Humankind (same).

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.

Shpongle 2010 Tour Dates:
04/13 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Pour House
04/14 – Athens, GA @ New Earth Music Hall
04/15 – Knoxville, TN @ The Vallarium
04/16 – Nashville, TN @ Limelight
04/17 – New York, NY @ The Fillmore
04/20 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada
04/21 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theater
04/22 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater
04/23 – Boulder, CO @ The Fox Theatre
04/24 – Boulder, CO @ The Fox Theatre
04/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theatre
04/29 – Arcata, CA @ Arcata Theatre and Lounge
04/30 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
05/01 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
05/02 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
05/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ Pantages Theater
05/06 – Chicago, IL @ Kinetic Playground
05/07 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
05/08 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox

Saturday, June 6th

Day three started with a deceptively mild morning that became the hottest day of the weekend. Much like the desert, Mulberry Mountain gets cold once the sun goes down. That didn’t seem to matter, however, as Saturday night lasted forever, with music cranking into the following morning. It was a good harbinger of things to come, as the day proved to be the climax of the festival, especially considering the last of the headliners were set to perform, in addition to some highly anticipated, late night sets. No surprise that the festival felt at capacity with people filling out every performance area for what would be their last chance to party all night in Ozark.

Early sets by proggy-blues jammers Blue Martian Tribe and Newgrass favorites New Monsoon (their second set for the weekend) woke people up from the previous night and welcomed those coming in for the days’ big shows. Many people chose to take in what the site had to offer, be it a round of Frisbee golf, or taking in some of the natural air conditioning that was around one of the several large ponds. Unfortunately, the waterfall and swimming hole had to be blocked off, due to large crowds and the inevitable, few people who got hurt. Nevertheless, the day marched on and more people streamed in to grab a spot at the Main Stage.

Festival veterans J.J. Grey and MOFRO brought some Florida flavor with Grey’s smoky vocals and steamy blues jams. Another veteran, and festival favorite, Galactic would stop by again for their second set of the weekend, keeping with the southern tradition, only this time with a little more New Orleans funk. Galactic always manages to impress, and an appearance from G-Love that left everyone pumped for the next set by the man and his Special Sauce.

While the Main Stage was at full steam, over at the Outpost tent The Hood Internet offered their brand of mix and match DJing. The duo pieced together samples from classic rock to the latest indie “it” band, switching between homemade house beats and samples, all of which managed to create some surprisingly catchy combinations, such as the Grateful Dead/Usher finale.

Now even though it is still early June, the days are getting longer, and it wasn’t until half way through G-Love’s 8 p.m. set that the sun began to settle with the moon shortly behind. Mr. Love brought his special sauce this year for a set that saw reworked old favorites, a Freddy King cover, and a collaboration with Jeff Raines from Galactic. Luther Dickenson from the North Mississippi All Stars would also stop by to help out with a guitar for a deep bluesy number. Like him or not, G-Love is a lively entertainer that always delivers, whether it be on new material or the always dirty “Booty Call” into The Beatles “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road”.

By this point, everyone had staked out a spot for the main event, and when The Black Crowes took the stage, frontman Chris Robinson and co. shot their psychedelic blues rock to the full moon that hung over head. There were clear skies and crisp cool air for the big event with Robinson doing more improvised dancing than singing for the bulk of the set. As always, they would save the hits for last, but by that point, the best of the Crowes had been heard. One gets the feeling that they’re tired of the same few songs that got them famous back in the ’90s as an emphasis on newer material and bigger psychedelic blues jams stretched into the night.

Once the midnight mark passed by, the Interstellar Meltdown kicked off again, this time with a second set by Sound Tribe Sector 9 in the Revival Tent. All spaces that could be filled were, with people piling in and spilling out in all directions. The glow sticks and fluorescents were back in full force as the bass pounded and guitar riffs heated up the cooling night. Fan created laser shows also added to the Technicolor dream that reflected off the white tent ceiling. Back over at the Outpost Tent, the Meltdown marched on with the rising DJ Shpongle. His brand of tribal-infused house music has been stirring up a bit of noise around the electronic community, and the resulting buzz quickly filled up the tent. Feather-haired dancers took to the front of the stage with everyone bathed in deep radioactive colors. The music itself worked through southern Asia with thick beats to back it. Loaded build-ups and breakdowns kept the two-hour set on its toes, never letting the energy fade.

Day three saw the biggest crowd of all weekend. It was also day two of the endless party that never actually let up since the first time STS9 took the stage. This time around, the nightly festivities would go earlier into the morning, and a bit past sunrise, when the rest of us were just getting up. There’s a point one reaches, that wall of exhaustion, where everything stops and sleep is comfortable no matter the noise or the conditions. It’s a beautiful and assaulting feeling, really.

Sunday, June 7th

The last day of Wakarusa was a little bittersweet for those that stuck around. Saturday was the obvious clincher for the weekend, leaving Sunday with only a handful of acts left. As surreal as it sounds, the Main Stage had already been closed up, with the staff breaking down lighting fixtures and what not. Even the vendors in that part of the site had left, leaving an eerie scene as most people chose to pack up the weekend and head home, too. This left only the Outpost and Backwoods stages, where the last remaining day would take place. It’s bizarre why organizers planned a greatly scaled down fourth day, perhaps they hoped it would thin out traffic some. While a poor excuse more or less, the powers at be had their reasons. Whatever the case, it didn’t seem to phase the odd assembly of old and new hippies straggling behind.

Now just because it was a smaller line up does not mean that the music was lacking by any means. Dusty Rhodes was another one of those indie rock secrets fusing European influences with country punk and old school rock. An early cover of The Band’s “The Weight” grabbed the wondering left over masses, with the rest of the tunes showing off the bands talents and energy. Hair flew and sonic riffs worked hard with violins, mandolins, accordions, and keys all adding an exclamation point to the unknown band. Vocal duties were traded around from song to song, and even though the audience was sparse, they still managed to have fun with the people there.

Afterward, people chose to stick around the tent as the clouds rolled in, keeping the day relatively cool. The Heavy Pets came back for another round, only to an audience that was showing its fatigue. Gomez would be the final headliner, although it was strange they weren’t on a bigger stage. Keeping them to the smaller tent, however, created a very intimate atmosphere. All those that stuck around did so for Gomez amping up the energy one more time. The band talked back with the crowd for a set that was sonically spot on, yet casual and fun. The music went by all too quickly as fans called out for one more song, but just as soon as it began, it was all over.

Even though D.J. Rekha was slated to close out the evening, with her Indian-house blend, most returned to their tents to take in one more night under the stars. For the first time all weekend, silence accompanied sleep — though there was something downright sad about that.

Wakarusa had been through more than a festival should over the past few years. From paid off cops sent to harass the peaceful hippies, to last years tornadoes that canceled much of the weekend’s music, Waka has pulled through finding a gorgeous, new home. Mulberry Mountain allowed the people to be closer to the festival, returning it to the basics. The atmosphere was fresh and rejuvenated; the people were more positive and free. It is safe to say that Wakarusa is now the festival it was always trying to be, and from here on out, it can only get better.

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