The kind of sticky heat we typically get in the middle of June finally came to Manchester for the last day of the 17th annual Bonnaroo. ’Roovians who powered through, however, were rewarded with a heap of outstanding performances.
Nashville's own Sun Seeker kicked things off at Who Stage with their own unique brand of fun, fuzzy psych rock. Their groovy, lighthearted set projected plenty of good vibes out onto the crowd, from the slick, irresistible harmonies on "Won't Keep Me Up at Night" and "With Nothing But Our Last Words," to their hunger-inducing, self-described "gimmick song" about breakfast. The band's overflowing charisma and ever-impressive musicianship, which has made them staples of Nashville’s DIY music scene, won over the audience, and made for a pretty great way to start the last day of the fest.
Bombino
As the hot sun beat down on the festival grounds, hundreds took refuge at That Tent during Tuareg guitarist and singer-songwriter Bombino's early afternoon set. It's safe to say that the majority of those in attendance couldn't translate the Grammy-nominated artist’s lyrics, but the beauty of Bombino's live show is that language isn't a barrier. It's about impossible to not get swept away by the band's mind-blowing guitar rhythms and bouncing percussion, which almost instantly brought a second wind to weary festival goers over an hour-long set that got the crowd on its feet again and again.
Hobo Johnson
Over at Which Stage, viral sensations Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers were greeted with an afternoon swarm of starry-eyed millennials essentially staring back at themselves on stage. For those unfamiliar, the band went viral with a live-recorded version of their original “Peach Scone” which featured frontman Frank Lopes Jr. rambling an impassioned, almost stream-of-consciousness spoken-word piece while his band noodled along. Blending elements of the overtly emotive Bright Eyes and the nonsensical, seemingly substantive gibberish of At the Drive In, Lopes is that kid we all knew in our college days with no shortage of philosophy to espouse but little life experience with which to back it up. And that might explain his appeal.
For years, the chatter preceding the Bonnaroo lineup announcement included questions about whether Prince would be one of the headliners. Sadly, it never came to pass, and since The Purple One died in 2016, we can only wonder what kind of ridiculously awesome orgiastic dance party might have resulted. Over at That Tent on Sunday, we at least got a little taste of what it would have been like, courtesy of Princess, led by SNL alumna extraordinaire Maya Rudolph and her longtime friend Gretchen Lieberum. (In a similar fashion to Princess, the two fronted a band called SuperSauce when they were students at the University of California at Santa Cruz.) Princess bills itself as a Prince cover band, and that’s exactly what it is — not astounding, but performed well and with loving enthusiasm. Their repertoire goes well beyond hits like “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Little Red Corvette,” too, touching projects that Prince was involved in: Vanity 6’s “Nasty Girl” and Shiela E’s “A Love Bizarre” were near the top of the set.
Brandi Carlile
One of the best overall performances of the day came from Bonnaroo veteran Brandi Carlile, who reflected during her set at What Stage on her first appearance at the festival, not long after its founding: "We played next to some garbage cans in the cafeteria tent," she said with a thoughtful laugh. The connection between Carlile and the crowd was immediate, leading to a sing-along moment during her first song, "Hold Out Your Hand."
With seemingly boundless energy, she ran through fan favorite "The Story," showcased stunning three-part harmonies on "The Eye" and shared a mind-blowing take on Elton John's "Madman Across the Water." Fans were also surprised with an appearance by country legend Tanya Tucker, whose forthcoming album was produced by Carlile. The two shared a shot of tequila before singing together on "The Wheels of Laredo," Tucker's latest single and first new song in 17 years.
Carlile is one of many artists during this year's festivities who used their platform to pledge their support for the LGBTQ community, of which she is a member.
“I feel that it’s so important to stand here in front of you right now and talk to you about my family, and our right to exist in this country today," she said. "Progress doesn’t only move in one direction. It can also go backwards, and we must not let it.”
She proudly waved a rainbow flag across the stage before an electric rendition of "The Joke," which she later noted was the most emotional performance of that song of her career. After taking a bow at the end of her triumphant set, Carlile was presented with the key to the city by Manchester city officials, a fitting end to one of the festival's most memorable sets.
In the year-and-a-half since she dropped her debut single "1950," 20-year-old Brooklyn native Mikaela Straus, better known as King Princess, has become a queer pop icon. She’s forged a connection with fans of her generation through irresistible pop hooks and hypnotic, melancholy vocals. During her lively set at This Tent, Straus' youthful energy was on display as she rolled through her singles "Talia," "Pussy Is God" and "Cheap Queen," all while dragging on her Juul. She dedicated a mid-set jam with her band to Phish before leaning into a plethora of new material from her forthcoming record, set for release on Mark Ronson's label Zelig Records. (She’s also featured on his new single “Pieces of Us.”)
Cardi B
For much of the day, rumors flew left and right regarding the status of the aforementioned Cardi B, who wasn’t billed as a headliner but definitely should have been. None of them were true, however, and the self-made superstar arrived right on time. She marched out through a formation of purple-clad dancers, sporting a tight-fitting sequined jumpsuit — which, in a wardrobe malfunction seemingly too perfect to be an accident, split down the back during an epic twerk solo. She left the stage briefly to the tune of Lil Nas X’s ubiquitous “Old Town Road” and returned wearing only a luxurious bathrobe. She finished out the set with a bit of burlesque tease, keeping her comically candid banter to a minimum. Hits like “Be Careful” and “I Like It” led up to the closing number with which she sent everyone off to catch Phish or head home: the most notable come-up anthem of this century so far, “Bodak Yellow.”
