Future Islands, Cage the Elephant, Tegan & Sara and More Groove on Bonnaroo Day Three

Day three of Bonnaroo 2017 heated up a bit, but not to unbearable levels. Out in the field, The Spin caught gritty rock, polished pop, smart hip-hop, some top-shelf dance music and some not-so-thrilling ’mericana. Oh, and an extra performance from the unofficial Mayor of Bonnaroo, Chance the Rapper himself, during the Superjam.

Towards the end of her set, Lucy Dacus introduced her band saying “They’re Nashvillians, just like some of you guys!” But she was clearly burying the lede, as she then pointed out that at least one of her bandmates learned the material only two days ago. Two days? The crash course didn’t show, and the band sounded great backing up Dacus’ velvet voice and biting lyrics. Her indie-pop songs boast just a pinch of Americana flavor and though noise from other stages bled over during the quieter moments of her 2 p.m. set, the crowd gathered at That Tent remained spellbound. They hung on her every word as she crooned out crowd favorites like “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” and “Map on a Wall.” The real winner, though, was the genius who set up a hammock between two beams of the stage’s tent. Our collective hats are off to you, smart person. What a perfect way to experience the swoon-worthy performance, by gently napping in a hammock rocking in the breeze.

The infectious energy of Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real excited us when we saw them as Neil Young's band in 2016 (and the times we’ve seen Nelson play with his dad, Willie), and they didn't disappoint when they played their own material Saturday afternoon at This Tent. We heard some tunes that showed off a little of Young’s influence, in both their gritty guitar solos and lyrics that stoked our anti-consumerism. And there was a little of Willie’s self-deprecating humor, too, especially on “(Forget About) Georgia” (which Lukas explained was written when he broke up with a woman named Georgia, but had to continue playing "Georgia On My Mind" with his dad's band). But the blend of smart writing and ferocious chops is something all Lukas’ own.

There wasn't much of a crowd assembled at That Tent when we arrived for the howling psych-blues of Deap Vally, but the Los Angeles duo was ripping it up nonetheless. Tunes like "Bad for My Body" and "Gonna Make My Own Money" brought to mind a supercharged version of Rubber Factory-era Black Keys — our companion noted frontwoman Lindsey Troy's vocal similarities to Detroit Cobras' singer Rachel Nagy. It was a high-energy set with things we like (Zeppelin-worshiping riffs and matching fringed leotards with $100 bills printed on them, for instance), but even so, we ultimately found the set just a bit samey for our taste.

We found an escape from the afternoon heat by dipping into the comedy tent for 2 Dope Queens. If you haven’t listened to their podcast, go do so immediately. Open a new tab and get on it. What are you waiting for? Hosts Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams shot the shit about their outfits, which they described as “Art School Realness” and “Festival THOT” respectively, and recalled some of their favorite hilariously dirty song lyrics (“Eat the booty like groceries!”) and they also brought out a couple comics who were hee-larious — Sabrina Jalees and Mike Lawrence. The highlight, though, was when Tegan & Sara came out and chatted about being twins and moms who say “coochie.” After the sisters admitted they always kind of wanted to be comics, 2 Dope Queens said they always wanted to know what it was like to be musicians on a giant festival stage. In the festival spirit, the sisters then invited the 2 Dope Queens to join them during their set closer.

As for T&S’ actual set, massive inflatables were strewn across the Which Stage — a T, an ampersand and an S, naturally — as they walked on in the late-afternoon sun to the sounds of The Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited." The sisters noted that it's been 10 years since their last Bonnaroo performance — a decade marked by a pretty significant shift in their sound — before jumping into the electro-pop blooping of "Back in Your Head." They pointed out that, since they're Canadian and not accustomed to the heat, they needed to pace themselves on the dancing. 

The temperature didn't stop the stage-left sign-language interpreter from going the fuck off, though, and the twins seemed to keep it cool enough as they traded vocals, bounced between instruments on songs like a retroactively synth-poppified version of "Living Room" from 2002's If It Was You and dedicated “The Con” to all the folks watching the set at home via live-stream (as well as all the shirtless backpack-wearing dudes in the crowd). The set was tight and sparkling with bubbly energy, but we can't help but think it would've played a lot better to a late-night crowd. At the very least, they made good on their promise to 2 Dope Queens. Robinson and Williams looked ecstatic while they snapped selfies and danced to set closer “Closer.”

Having assumed Future Islands was just a combo of New Wave and synthpop (and maybe some chillwave? Is chillwave still a thing?), it was surprising to hear singer Sam Herring let out the occasional guttural growl that lent a dark side to the band's bright synth hooks and would make every NYC hardcore dude shake in his vintage 1982 Doc Martins. Herring dedicated “Balance” to the young ones in the crowd — “Life’s fucked up when you’re young, but it evens out over time.” Herring also noted that the band is coming up on having played 1,100 shows, proving that their flawless performance was well-earned. Before closing the set with “Inch of Dust” (probably — we began to make our way towards the nearest roasted corn station at this point) Herring said, “We’re Future Islands. This is what the fuck we do.” And you’re damn good at it, too, Future Islands.

Though it was his first ever Bonnaroo appearance, Ottawa-based, Palestinian-born rapper-songwriter Ahmad Balshe, better known to the hyped up crowd at This Tent as Belly, was doling out some serious lessons in working the Bonnaroo crowd. When he wasn’t strategically swapping lyrics with the word “Bonnaroo” into hits like “Ballerina” and “Might Not,” he checked in on the crowd regularly to make sure they were high, implored anyone out there who wasn’t high to get high, and even lit a spliff or two onstage to set an example himself. It was nothing The Spin could disagree with, even if we’ve seen it before. 

The thing we usually talk about when we talk about Michael Kiwanuka is his rich tenor voice, a fine instrument that he controls to convey the emotional content of his songs with a pretty damn incredible degree of subtlety. He did plenty of that when we saw him in This Tent, delivering the repeating refrain of ”Black Man in a White World” with both deep-seated weariness and an urgency to keep pushing. We also wanna talk about his guitar playing — from the Floydian wail of the opening “Cold Little Heart” to the biting twin-Stratocaster sound he made with help from his band's phenomenal guitarist throughout the set, don’t sleep on Kiwanuka’s chops. 

The Head and the Heart was boring us to tears — we couldn’t even pass the time by counting suspender straps the way we usually do during one of the Seattle band’s sets, since no one was wearing suspenders on Saturday (there were two dumb hats and one shirt that looked like it came from the wardrobe on Little House on the Prairie). So, we left when we spotted Chance the Rapper making his way backstage and decided to follow him for a possible selfie (denied by his entourage — sad face). But you know who stayed behind? Freakin’ everyone. The crowd loved it. They cheered, they took selfies of themselves sharing sweet kisses, they passed their vape pens and joints and they danced with their glitter covered arms in the air. Who are we to judge? Rock on, The Head and the Heart.

We quickly cruised by the Who Stage, where Malcolm London was working a crowd of a couple dozen. That was a very unfortunate casualty of scheduling conflicts, because he delivered his raps about enthusiastic consent and white privilege like he had an audience of hundreds.

Over at the stage now known as The Other, 22-year-old rising Canadian techno star (and DeadMau5 protege) REZZ was getting the early evening crowd primed and properly pre-gamed for the long, hedonistic night ahead. Fusing a dark and sinister mix of Chicago house and obligatory EDM drops, wubs, wobs and staggered, bombastic beats, it was the perfect soundtrack to acclimate this sun-soaked crowd with its still barely-clothed bodies to the coming evening chill. 

Once they were appropriately cooled down, a heap of them made their way to What Stage for Chance the Rapper. Here’s more on his set.

As far as Bonnaroo goes, Nashvillians by way of Bowling Green Cage the Elephant are an under-sung thread in its legacy. Over the past 10 years, the band has worked their way up from side-stage attraction to just a couple tiers below headliner status – reasons for which were clear as could be on Saturday night when the dudes put on a predictably electric performance on the Which Stage. Sticking strictly to a lean, mean, career-spanning mixtape of fan faves, frontman Matt Shultz – who restricted his notorious crowd-surfing theatrics to the area behind the security barrier — was joined by a rabid crowd-slash-chorus echoing every lyric. 

’Roovians who’d piled out of the What Stage field to see Cage herded back in for Red Hot Chili Peppers. Here’s what we saw and heard during that set.

Watching one of our favorite EDM producers play live can be hit and miss or bitter and sweet in various combinations, but Australia’s Flume came through with lush and energetic combo that more than exceeded our expectations. One particular highlight: His mid-set fusion of Lorde’s “Tennis Court” into last year’s sleeper hit (and our personal 2016 summer jam) “Never Be Like You (Feat. Kai)” was one of those moments that seemed way too magical to come from a guy turning knobs on stage. 

We’d been looking forward to the Superjam since the fest began, and watching the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and George Porter Jr. (one of the most agile bassists on the planet, with mind-boggling bass-rhythm-and-lead techniques) warm up by playing along to C+C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat” made our feet a lot less sore and tired. 

The parade of guests on the ensuing funk jams was exceptional, including Boyfriend leading "Super Freak" (which turned handily into MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This"); Cage the Elephant’s Nick Bockrath on a guitar solo that added life to a so-so “Little Red Corvette”; Nicole Atkins channeling Irma Thomas for a faithful rendition of “Time Is On My Side”; Lecrae joining in for A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?”; Cherub’s Jason Huber Chromeoing the shit out of Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic”; Tank and the Bangas on The Crusaders' "Keep That Same Old Feeling"; and Lukas Nelson and Margo Price on Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” (one bummer note there — either Margo’s mic was turned off or it was way too low in the mix — we could still kinda hear her harmony vocal and tambourine over the band, but not really).

Following a tradition he’d established over the last four years, Chance the Rapper came through at the very end to riff quickly on “Nuthin’ but a G Thang” and lead a massive jam dedicated to Andre 3000, “one of the funkiest men that ever lived,” featuring everyone still in the building singing “Hey Ya.” Now that’s a way to end a night.

See our slideshow for more photos.

In The Spin — the Scene's live review column — staffers and freelance contributors review concerts under a collective byline.