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Bonnaroo 2018 Friday Highlights

Bonnaroo continued on Friday with even more memorable moments than the first day. Read up on what you may have missed around Centeroo on Friday, and as always keep an eye on our social media for live updates throughout the weekend. 


An Encouraging Crowd Waited For Japanese Breakfast

Tons of Bonnarooians flocked to Centeroo early on Friday to catch Japanese Breakfast's set that was scheduled for 2:15 PM. Although the set got off to a late start, actually starting around 2:30, fans waited patiently, cheering and clapping through the last minute sound check. Front woman Michelle Zauner started off the set stationary with her guitar, but a couple of songs in, she roamed the stage sans guitar to get closer to the audience and work the entire crowd. As Zauner sang through songs on her 2017 album Soft Sounds From Another Planet, the crowd sang along loudly, getting Bonnaroo Day 2 off to a great start. 

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast

Sheryl Crow Teased an Unannounced Performer

"This [song] is older than most of y'all. You guys are younger than this song, and you know it. That's weird," Sheryl Crow addressed the overflowing audience at her early evening set at the What Stage, who had been singing along all the words. Although the hits Crow played during her Friday set may have been from years ago, that didn't stop the diverse audience from knowing them all, and she started strong with epic sing alongs like "If It Makes You Happy" and "Every Day Is A Winding Road." Crow's stage banter remained strong throughout her entire set, with her teasing both her participation in the Super Jam and a surprise guest appearance. After pointing out a Tom Petty sign one of the audience members was holding up, Crow asked for the fan to pass it to her, and she held it up, reminding everyone to come see the Super Jam tribute to Tom Petty later that night. "Y'all have a big weekend ahead of you," Crow said. "I just met someone who is gonna be on the stage later, but it's not announced. I would leak it, but I haven't had anything to drink yet." Maybe tonight we'll find out who the unannounced performer is, but Crow never did end up leaking it during her set. 

Paramore Finally Played Bonnaroo

Paramore hit the What Stage after Sheryl Crow, taking the stage to eager audience members, who were all excited to finally see the Nashville band on the Roo stage. "Right in our backyard and we never came to see you," lead singer Hayley Williams said to the Friday evening crowd, addressing the band's absence from the festival thus far. Although Paramore fans might have been waiting years to see the band on the farm, Williams and the band more than made up for it with a mix of songs from throughout their discography, Williams' powerhouse vocals that stayed strong despite her constant dancing and jumping, and the performance of a Halfnoise song (drummer Zac Farro's other project). The band also took the time to use their platform to promote positivity between their songs, Williams addressing the death of Anthony Bourdain, as the news had broken earlier that day. "I see a lot of smiles, and that's really nice to see in 2018," Williams said, continuing on to say that the news these days is usually pretty awful, but dancing and music has the ability to bring people together and add something positive to all of the negative news of the world. Paramore's set definitely acted as the perfect mood booster and distraction on a day that had begun with some heavy news for the entertainment industry. 

Okey Dokey Brought Out All Their Friends

Like Paramore, Nashville duo Okey Dokey also played their first Bonnaroo as this project, but lead singer Aaron Martin told the audience that this was his fifth time at Bonnaroo. In celebration of Okey Dokey making it to Roo, the pair invited a bunch of their musical friends to join them on The Who Stage. Liz Cooper of Liz Cooper & The Stampede joined the band on stage for the entire set, playing different percussion instruments (including a banana shaker), but towards the end of the set, she sang a duet with Martin. Rayland Baxter, who would later be joining in on the Tom Petty Super Jam, also joined this sort of mini Super Jam, singing the song he had written with the group. Brad Shultz and Nick Bockrath of Cage The Elephant even hopped on stage to play guitar for a couple of songs. 

Okey Dokey Featuring Liz Cooper

Okey Dokey Featuring Liz Cooper

Super Jam Featured an All Star Line Up Playing Tom Petty Hits

Every year, Bonnaroo puts on a Super Jam featuring a line up of musical guests performing at the festival throughout the weekend. This year, the Super Jam paid tribute to Tom Petty, which meant the entire crowd screamed along the entire time as the band played through hit after hit. The core band that played the entire two hour set included Patrick Hallahan, Tom Blankenship, Pat Sansone, Craig Pfunder, Daniel Creamer, and The Watson Twins, and the special guests ranged from artists just starting out to veteran rockstars. Bonnaroo first timers FRENSHIP and Durand Jones and the Indications joined early on in the set to play "Refugee" and "You Wreck Me," with legend Sheryl Crow following shortly after to sing "American Girl." The massive crowd that had flocked to the This Tent for the jam had dwindled slightly towards the end of the set, but the tent remained packed until past 3AM, with special guests like Matt Shultz (Cage The Elephant), Vanessa Carlton, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), and Sameer Gadhia (Young The Giant) anchoring out the set with songs like "Breakdown," "Learning to Fly," and "Free Fallin'." The artists that contributed all sounded incredible together, paying a beautiful homage to Mr. Tom Petty. 

Super Jam closing out the This Tent on Friday 

Super Jam closing out the This Tent on Friday 

Bonnaroo 2018 Thursday Highlights

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Bonnaroo 2018 kicked off yesterday, delivering the usual friendly and fun atmosphere full of random acts of kindness, pop up experiences, and 24/7 entertainment throughout the stages and campgrounds. As you get ready for Roo day 2, read up on the music highlights of Thursday below!


Jade Bird Made Her US Festival Debut

British singer songwriter Jade Bird hit the ground running during her first US festival appearance by not only playing a late night set at The Who Stage, but by playing a stripped down set at Coleman's The Campout experience out by plaza four. Jade's raw vocal power and fiery spirit shone through just as much at the early afternoon set as it did during her main performance. The enthusiastic Thursday night crowd welcomed Bird with open arms as she played through songs on her debut EP like "Good Woman" and "Cathedral," as well as a couple covers of songs by The Pixies and Kate Bush. Bird's performance of her popular single "Lottery" acted as the highlight of the set, the crowd all singing along to the belter of a chorus. "I've been Jade Bird and you guys have been the best audience I've ever had," Bird said at the end of her show. 

Jade Bird at the Coleman Camp Out experience 

Jade Bird at the Coleman Camp Out experience 

Ron Gallo Said Sorry a Bunch

Self-proclaimed really nice guy Ron Gallo and his band packed the tent for their energetic early evening set at the That Tent. Gallo displayed his usual quirky antics during the show, incorporating a trumpet into their songs, introducing his band and himself in a monotone voice as he read off a piece of paper, and saying "sorry" a bunch of times mid-song. Although the live band is usually a trio with Joe Bisirri on bass and Dylan Sevey on drums, the group was joined by the band's tour manager on keys yesterday and during the last song, the band added an impromptu new member. Gallo invited an audience member onstage to play his guitar, ending the set on a high note. 

Ron Gallo and his newest band member

Ron Gallo and his newest band member

FRENSHIP Took Their Pants Off

Los Angeles duo James Sunderland and Brett Hite, better known as FRENSHIP, played their first Bonnaroo last night to an eager crowd at the This Tent, and they were shocked at the Thursday turn out. "Nobody comes on a Thursday," Sunderland said in awe of the overflowing tent, which was full of fans singing the lyrics back to them. In addition to playing their popular tracks like "Carpet" and "Capsize" from their first EP, Hite and Sunderland treated the crowd to some of their newer singles like "LOVE Somebody" and "MI Amore." The duo also made sure to dress their best for their Bonnaroo debut by wearing matching pants. "We're wearing the same damn pants. We wore the same pants for you, Bonnaroo," they admitted. The audience was so enthusiastic that they started a "take them off!" chant about the pants, and Sunderland made a promise that they would take them off by the end of the set if the audience promised to stay with them through their entire career. True to their words, during the final song "1000 Nights," Sunderland took his pants off, ending their set with another memorable moment.

James Sunderland finishing FRENSHIP's set sans pants

James Sunderland finishing FRENSHIP's set sans pants

Durand Jones & The Indications Brought Soul to The Farm

Soul outfit Durand Jones and The Indications delivered the smoothest set of Thursday, bringing their full, rich big band sound to the That Tent. The band displayed incredible chemistry and musicianship as they played through their hour long set, horns and woodwinds complementing the sheer power Durand Jones' vocals. Their groovy, R&B songs have a retro quality to them, but their tight sound and Jones' showmanship put a refreshing spin on a vintage sound. Drummer Aaron Frazer also displayed his incredible multi-tasking skills when he lent his vocals to a few of the songs during the set. The group will take part in the "Into The Great Wide Open" Superjam tonight, so if you missed them on Thursday, make sure you catch them during this all-star packed set tonight. 

Durand Jones and The Indications Bringing Soul to The Farm

Durand Jones and The Indications Bringing Soul to The Farm

Cage The Elephant Played a Surprise Set

If you're camping at 'Roo, you might have noticed the permanent party set up in Plaza 9, which has been curated by none other than Cage The Elephant's Matt Shultz. The set up in Plaza 9 includes birthday decorations to celebrate Roo Day, as well as pop up experiences with some of the performing artists; like karaoke with Okey Dokey, watercolor painting with Lissie, DJ sets, and yoga. Thursday at Plaza 9 ended with a huge bang when Cage The Elephant played a surprise full show, which they had teased with a now deleted Instagram post. If you weren't in the know for the secret show, you can also catch Shultz and his bandmate Nick Bockrath partaking in the "Into The Great Wide Open" Superjam tonight.

Stay tuned for our daily updates throughout the weekend, and follow us on social media for live updates throughout the day. 

 

 

PHOTOS: Loufest 2017

We had a blast at Loufest last weekend seeing some of our favorite artists perform across three stages. Read our Day 1 and Day 2 highlights, and now check out our full photo gallery from both days below. 

Saturday gallery featuring Hippo Campus, Middle Kids, Ron Gallo, Cage the Elephant. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and Snoop Dog.

Sunday gallery featuring Future Thieves, Mondo Cozmo, The Record Company, Lizzo, Noname, and Weezer. 

Stay tuned for our interviews from Loufest!

Loufest Day 1 Highlights

The beloved annual St. Louis festival Loufest returned to Forest Park yesterday for another weekend of great music! From up and coming indie artists to established music veterans, this year's lineup has it all. In addition to a stacked lineup, the festival also changed locations slightly, moving out of the center fields of the St. Louis park and towards The Muny. With it, the new location also brought some new attractions, like a new record shop to host artist signings, the United Healthcare sponsored Zen Den featuring yoga and hammocks, and more. The "Nosh Pit" of local restaurants also returned, as well as Market Square, full of locally sourced vendors... but the real focus of the day remained on the music across the three stages. From Middle Kids kicking the day off to Snoop Dog closing out the night, the first day of Loufest had it all. Here are the highlights of day one!


Middle Kids Read the Crowd’s Shirts

The Sydney based trio Middle Kids never disappoints with their live show, always providing some engaging banter between their indie rock narratives. During their early afternoon set, bassist Tim Fitz mentioned between songs that he kept reading the crowd's t-shirts, calling attention to one that said "Science is Real." After the shirt chatter, Middle Kids played a new song from their upcoming album in addition to songs from their self-titled debut EP, like "Old River," which shows off lead singer Hannah Joy's powerful and emotive vocal range. Their viral and most-streamed song "Edge of Town" was once again the crowd favorite, with the early festival arrivers singing along and jumping around during the song's building and dynamic bridge. There's no doubt that Middle Kids will soon be playing the later slots at festivals across the country if they continue to deliver as much as they already do.

Middle Kids performing on The Enterprise Stage

Middle Kids performing on The Enterprise Stage

Hippo Campus Played "Suicide Saturday" on a Sunny Saturday

Minnesota's Hippo Campus drew a large (and dedicated) crowd early on for their 2PM slot, the front few rows of the crowd screaming back the lyrics to the band. The crowd's energy amplified when the band played their most popular song "Suicide Saturday," which is already ironically upbeat, featuring a perfect sing-along melody for a festival. The title sounded even more out of place as a massive crowd danced and sang along to it with the perfect backdrop of a sunny Saturday afternoon. The band's hour long set kept the crowd engaged the entire time, lead singer Jake Luppen roaming the entire stage to jam with his bandmates and visit each side of the crowd. Live band member DeCarlo Jackson on the trumpet also added another layer to Hippo Campus's already vibrant performance.  

Jake Luppen working the crowd at The Budlight Stage

Jake Luppen working the crowd at The Budlight Stage

Ron Gallo Thanked the Festival Sponsors

The Nashville via Philadelphia rocker Ron Gallo always brings the laughs and lighthearted humor to his live show, but don't underestimate the power of his message. Although he began his set by reading the stage name and thanking other festival sponsors off a piece of paper, reciting it all in a monotone voice for comedic value, Gallo and his bandmates immediately followed up with an intense jam session, waking up any of the festival stragglers just getting there at 6PM, or reenergizing those that had been their all day. Gallo also dedicated his song "Entitled Man Keep Your Hands Down Your Pants" to all the women of the crowd, using his music to convey the message that it's never okay to assault a woman, in any way. By not taking himself too seriously, but singing about and calling attention to serious issues both onstage and on his social media, Ron Gallo makes is easy for listeners to hear his message. 

Ron Gallo at the BMI Tunespeak Stage

Ron Gallo at the BMI Tunespeak Stage

Cage the Elephant Maintained 110% Their Entire Show

There's never a dull moment during a Cage the Elephant show, and they proved themselves once again as they played during the sunset on Saturday night. From lead singer Matt Shultz jetting around the stage and bouncing back and forth in the manner of Mick Jagger, to his brother Brad Shultz jumping offstage and playing right at the crowd barricade in the second song, the band's energy never wavered. After playing hit after hit throughout their set, Shultz also took a moment to address the crowd about a serious issue, saying "Suicide is not cool, it should not be glorified," before telling the crowd he loved them all. The theme of the first day of Lou Fest seemed to be Rock'n'Roll with a powerful message, and Cage The Elephant delivered that ten times over. 

Matt Shultz performing at sunset at The Enterprise Stage

Matt Shultz performing at sunset at The Enterprise Stage

Rainbow Kitten Surprise Worked the Stage

North Carolina's indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise (don't let the name fool you) closed out the Tunespeak BMI stage on day one with their harmonies and dance moves. Drawing quite the crowd, their emotive and slightly theatrical set began with their popular song "Cocaine Jesus," which begins with the full band harmonousily singing a capella before launching into their full sound. Lead singer Sam Melo lent his theatrical, almost interpretive dancing style to his unique and distinguishable vocals during the entire set, hardly ever standing still for more than a second. Anything but mellow, Melo told the crowd that he likes to jump when he gets hot, and continued to zip from one end of the stage to another, spinning and using his hands to emphasize the music. In addition to the visual entertainment, the band sounded incredibly in sync and in tune.

Sam Melo of Rainbow Kitten Surprise closing out The BMI Stage.

Sam Melo of Rainbow Kitten Surprise closing out The BMI Stage.


That's a wrap for Day 1 Highlights. Keep your eyes on our social media platforms for live updates of Day 2. A full photo gallery of the weekend plus an interview with Ron Gallo is also coming soon, so stay tuned!

WayHome Festival Line Up Additions

In case you missed the initial line up announcement, WayHome came back today with a few line up additions, including Cage The Elephant and Foster The People. The full line up includes some of favorites, like Frank Ocean, The Shins, Honne, Rag'N'Bone Man, Blossoms, and many more incredible artists from a mix of genres. Check out the full line up below, and grab your festival passes here. 3 Day Passes start at $229.99, and 1 day passes start at $89.99.