Dig out yer tents, get yer coolers filled with ice, beer and food, pack it all in the car and get to stepping down to Manchester, Tenn. The festival season is in full swing for 2011 and Bonnaroo is stop no. 2 for the staff here at Pop ‘stache.
For those stuck in a perpetual world devoid of information, Bonnaroo is, according to their website, a “four-day, multistage camping festival held on a beautiful 700-acre farm.” Think Lollapalooza in a pasture and there is nothing finer than awesome music, great people in an amazing setting and weather that is as hot as the acts that take to the stage!
Artists like Wavves, Kopecky Family Band, Best Coast, Givers and Ratatat to name a few performing this year. There are a multitude of big name acts set to play this weekend as well, which include: Lil Wayne, Arcade Fire, Widespread Panic, Eminem, Girl Talk, The Strokes, The Black Keys, Mumford and Sons and Wiz Khalifa. There is no shortage of amazing talent to besiege this farmland in the heart of southern Tennessee.
Some bands to watch as the fest kicks off include: !!! (chk chk chk), an unstoppable dance party at Austin’s SXSW this year. There’s no reason for them to disappoint at Bonnaroo as frontman Nic Offer has always given the crowd an excellent show. Maybe he’ll perform wearing some ridiculously short shorts again—with the weather expected to be a scorcher, it’s a definite possibility.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are another hot act to check out at Bonnaroo. Grace is a beautiful blonde bombshell with pipes to match. Backed by a systematically awesome band, Grace and crew are set to throw down a set that will prove to be good for the soul. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will be wailing in the heat of the day on Friday.
Big-time avant-garde rockers Primus are performing this year, too. In the world of the complete obscure, these guys have cornered the market. With frontman Les Claypool ripping the bass there will be no shortage of action as they take to the stage on Friday. With such a high-energy element like Primus, it’s good they’re playing long after the sun goes down.
Gogol Bordello plays early into Sunday morning after an amazing Saturday line up. Wiz Khalifa, The Black Keys and Eminem are slated to play Saturday, but there is more to the world than commercial musical acts and there are times when it’s only appropriate to credit the incredible. As far as gypsy punks are concerned, there is no substitute, and Gogol Bordello’s large stage presence and multitude of instruments leave no room for compromise an amazing set.
Other musicians and bands to keep an eye on are: Austin, Texas blues rocker, Hayes Carll; Twin Shadow; Portugal. The Man; Neon Trees; Cold War Kids; Omar Souleman and The Low Anthem. The list of talent set to perform is almost endless—there are more than a hundred acts scheduled.
Some old school acts are rolling through the festival as well. Adding salt and pepper to the lineup are Buffalo Springfield, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Robert Plant and Loretta Lynn. Comedy will be mixed in as well, from the likes of Cheech Marin, Louis Black, Henry Rollins and John Waters.
Stay tuned to Pop ‘stache for play-by-play updates. If there are acts you would like to see covered, post a comment here and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
