Whether you're trekking out to Manchester for Bonnaroo or hanging out in town for CMA Fest, this weekend is gonna be a busy one, but you don't have to face it alone! We've got everything you need to know about both festivals. Click here for links to all of our Bonnaroo and CMA previews. And be sure to visit Nashville Cream through the weekend, too — we'll be posting tons of photos and updates from the farm.
We all know Bonnaroo for its massive headliners, ascending small-stage talent, good vibes and intense, godless heat. But nestled just west of Which Stage is Bonnaroo's Comedy Theatre, an air-conditioned oasis of laffs, yuks and extended riffs on the benefits of marijuana use. As a person with little tolerance for midday summer sun or buzz bands, and a deep love of surprise guests (like 2015's random Jon Hamm appearance), I find the Comedy Theatre is the best place to be.
The biggest deal this year is Judd Apatow, the producer, writer and director of some of the best and most important comedy of the 21st century so far ... not to oversell it. Joining him in his first set on Saturday (and of course, all lineups are subject to abrupt change) are Pete Davidson and Vanessa Bayer of SNL, and his second-set partners are stand-ups Beth Stelling and Nate Bargatze. Bartgatze, in addition to being hilarious, is a native of Old Hickory, in case you're one of those people who needs to know a local connection to anything before deciding to enjoy it.
Returning to Bonnaroo this year is Bridget Everett, who appeared in 2014 with Broad City's Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer. She's also currently on Netflix's Lady Dynamite with Maria Bamford. Damn good company. Stand-up, actor and improviser Alice Wetterlund is also on the lineup; you've seen her as coder Carla on HBO's Silicon Valley.
As fun as it is to see people from TV, the lesser-known stand-ups always dominate. Working the road has inured them to all but the worst of crowds, and heat-stroked burnouts who wander into the Comedy Theatre very often make them try really, really fucking hard for it. There's Rachel Feinstein (Last Comic Standing), Bostonian Sam Jay, Aparna Nancherla (who also wrote for Late Night With Seth Meyers and has appeared on Inside Amy Schumer), and Joyelle Nicole, who has opened for the likes of Dave Chappelle, Hannibal Buress and Maria Bamford. On the improv front, there's Mary Holland, and Upright Citizens Brigade co-founder Matt Besser.
And because Bonnaroo wouldn't be Bonnaroo without One Weird Thing, The Goddamn Comedy Jam (hosted by Josh Adam Meyers) is one part stand-up, one part comedian performing a cover song of their choice, backed up by a live band.
Other performers include Adam DeVine of Comedy Central's Workaholics, Piff the Magic Dragon, a dry but also somehow whimsical British (oh, that's how) magic act, John Early, Sean Patton, The Heat's Adam Ray, Josh Rabinowitz, Matteo Lane, Jak Knight and Ian Abramson.
