6.11.2010 - Bonnaroo Day 2
June 30, 2010
Bonnaroo
Manchester, TN
After a long, grueling day of driving, setting up camp, and enjoying some shows on Thursday evening, we went back to our tent and got some rest for Friday. We found out on Friday morning that it is impossible to sleep in. By 7 a.m., the temperatures in mid-Tennessee are already brutal and the humidity is already pretty unbearable. Our tent was sauna-esque in the early morning. So, we packed up for the day, and headed to Centeroo to wait for the shows to start.
First up was Julia Nunes, who I had not heard of before Bonnaroo. While we were waiting for the show to start, I noticed a lot of college age kids that were talking to the band while they were doing soundcheck; they all seemed to know each other, which I thought was pretty cool. It's nice to see newer acts that have a lot of support from friends or people they have come into contact with. Come to find out, that's pretty much what got her some popularity and probably a spot in Bonnaroo. Her career kicked off because she posted YouTube videos of her songs to keep in touch with friends which eventually led to some ep recordings and so on...
Her music is quirky and intelligent, with pretty straightforward lyrics. What I liked is that she does make the ukelele look cool and her songs are kind of that peek into the brain of all those things you want to say but probably won't because in some way, it's sort of inappropriate in society. It's not dirty, so don't misconstrue that, but by looking at some of the titles of her songs ("Grown A Pair" and "I'm Not Good") you know you are getting a look inside someone's personality that is probably a lot like your own and that is always great. What stood out to me during the set is that she acknowledged the "Shitty Songs" of Top 40 radio and even played a little melody of them, which included "Poker Face," "Tik Tok," and some others that all got a laugh and claps of agreement on their shitty-ness. Overall, a pretty good show and one that certainly made me more interested in her music.
Next we headed to "That Tent" to catch the Carolina Chocolate Drops. We had heard a lot about this band and they have been getting quite a bit of attention as of late. They are young musicians, but they are keenly inspired, influenced, and aware of traditional southern "Dixie" music. They have been featured in films and were actually the first black band to play at the Grand Ole Opry. They are kind of an acoustic, hip-hop band. They have an excellent sound and a great energy as well. Please check them out...you won't be disappointed.
We stopped off at "The Other Tent" to catch a few of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros songs. The tent was absolutely packed to see them, and the stage was nearly as full of musicians of all kinds. We could only stand the crowd for a few songs, but they are a really great band. Need to check out more of their stuff for sure.
We went off to "This Tent" to go see The Gossip, who blew me away. I had heard of the band before, but never thought I would get the chance to see them...we are from Indiana after all, so thanks to Bonnaroo for an amazing opportunity. Beth Ditto is the charismatic lead singer of this trio, whose music might best be described as a sort of electro-punk. It's got those raging beats of electronic music and the anti-authority attitude of punk. They were just very excellent. The band has a really huge following and has had quite a bit of success in building a fan base in Europe. Their new album, "Music for Men" was produced by Rick Rubin, which certainly helped broaden the interest in their music. Some highlights of the set were songs "Men in Love" and "Heavy Cross." The bottom line is that you should check this band out. Beth Ditto has an amazing voice and can belt it out with conviction and will make your jaw drop.z
We hung around to catch the next show at "This Tent," which was She & Him. We knew that this was going to be a packed show simply because of Zooey Deschanel, who is a doll, and also because the music is pretty good. People packed in immediately and we soon found ourselves surrounded by a lot of boys, and I'm pretty sure I heard one in particular say, "This is the most important show of my life. I've been in love with Zooey for years!" I have to say that I had been skeptical of the band, just because I tend to think that anything that gets a lot of attention quickly is just a fad. But Deschanel and Matt Ward are a great team and their music is humble and upbeat. When they hit the SXSW festival after recording their first album, they made quite the impression. They are both excellent performers...great energy and seemingly no flaws technically. The band has said that they are inspired by artists who used music to make people feel good, and that is what they strive for. I have to say that even though it was ridiculously hot and crowded in the tent, their music did send a positive energy into an exhausted crowd and I'm positive that I am less skeptical of the talent and message She & Him have to offer.
We headed back over to "That Tent" to catch the end of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and to catch Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers. Steve Martin's banjo playing is renowned and was a great fit for the bluegrass sound the Steep Canyon Rangers have become known for. We only caught a small portion of the show, but it was great to go from a band like The Gossip to a bluegrass roots band. That was one of my favorite things about Bonnaroo...all music is welcome.
Next, we hiked over to the main stage area to catch Samantha Crain, who was on Cayamo this past year. We didn't get a chance to see her show then, but were excited to get to see her at a different venue. She was playing in a tent called the Cafe Where. I was surprised by her energy and her ability to really play a solid rock set, because I have to admit I did not think that she could by my first impression of her. I expected a "Colbie-Caillet-esque" softness and she blew me away...thank God. It was a short set but it was great and I certainly am interested in listening to more from her.
So the big show of the night for us was Kings of Leon at the What Stage. We knew people came to Bonnaroo just to see them. We saw one guy that must have really wanted to see the show because he showed up on stilts just to have a better view. At one point, he even fell onto a few people and I don't remember seeing him much after that, but I was just amazed at the lengths people will go to just to see a band. Now, Kings of Leon are literally the biggest band on the planet right now. Erica and I both had our reservations about them; we had heard that they weren't as good live and honestly, we haven't listened to them much because we were quickly tired of hearing "Use Somebody" on the radio every 5 minutes. However, we had done some research on their music and I have come to enjoy a lot of their music from their earlier albums. When I run, I listen to the entire Because of the Times album, so I was pretty excited that they played a lot from that one. "Knocked Up" was a huge highlight for me to see live.
In a way, I think it is strange how quickly Kings of Leon have gained popularity. I mean, they have been around for a while now and they were popular in Europe, especially England, long before most people had even heard about them here in the States. They are southern boys, and you get that sense of a neo-southern rock band when you listen to them, but there is something deeper. When they perform, they don't jump around and writhe all over the stage, but you know they are excellent musicians and lyricists. They didn't interact with the crowd much, but it was cool to see the entire crowd singing along to "Sex On Fire." Their stage production was pretty cool: a backdrop of all kinds of can lighting and a big screen that has random black and white, security camera-esque shots of them as they are playing. It was a great show, perhaps because my expectations were low initially, but in the end, I walked away liking a band that I had my reservations about...and I think that's what live performances should do.
All in all, day 2 was pretty excellent. We came away from that night with a list of new music and bands to start listening to and we found out that Kings of Leon are actually a pretty great band that can hopefully overcome that Top 40 shitty-ness that seems to have latched onto their reputation.
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