That rapid spike in temperatures this month could only mean one thing: The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was underway in Manchester, Tennessee! While the gates technically opened on Tuesday the last two years, East of 8th unfortunately missed the pre-parties by not arriving until Thursday. While so many people posted to their socials about the great time they had on Wednesday watching Chase and Status, the festival still had the feeling that it was just getting started when we rolled in on Thursday. After a quick campsite setup, a thorough slathering of sun block, and chugging some water to rehydrate, we were ready to make up for lost time.
A Little Background About Bonnaroo:
Once the music starts on The Farm, it barley stops so you can catch your breath. Bands start taking the stage at noon and DJ’s don’t close it down until dawn approaches. Beyond its eclectic musical lineup, Bonnaroo is celebrated for its vibrant arts scene. Parades, art installations, and interactive experiences are scattered throughout the grounds, adding a truly immersive element to the festival.
Bonnaroo is also deeply committed to sustainability and community engagement. The festival’s Planet Roo area is dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and features workshops, discussions, and initiatives aimed at reducing the festival’s ecological footprint. Bonnaroo’s greening efforts include a comprehensive recycling program, composting, and the use of solar power.
Attendees, affectionately known as “Bonnaroovians,” often form lasting friendships and share a collective spirit of positivity and inclusion. The festival’s motto, “Radiate Positivity,” is embraced by all who attend, fostering an environment where everyone feels welcome and connected. We have a personal saying that the worst day at Bonnaroo is better than most of our best days in the real world.
In essence, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is more than just a music festival; it is a celebration of creativity, sustainability, and community. Its enduring appeal lies in its ability to create a magical, all-encompassing experience that connects with people from all walks of life.
As one last thing before we get to the music coverage, it’s time for that annual primer on how the Bonnaroo stages are named. The “What Stage” is the main stage, hosting headline acts and drawing massive crowds. The “Which Stage” also features major performances, and in recent years has benefited from a major upgrade in its sound quality. “This Tent” and “That Tent” showcase a diverse mix of artists, from emerging talents to established names across various genres. “The Other” stage has become a destination for major electronic acts while Where in the Woods is a true EDM oasis. The last of the main festival stages is the Who Stage–a place where emerging artists often get their first taste of The Farm.
But enough background, let’s get to what we saw!
VINCENT LIMA
Although we affectionately call The Farm “home,” it doesn’t feel like you’re back until you watch your first set of the week. This year, when exploring the Bonnaroo playlists, the vocals of Los Angeles’s Vincent Lima stopped us dead in our tracks. While all rising acts get a quick listen from us when parsing out our schedule, we found ourselves digging deep into Lima’s music right on the spot.
For Bonnaroo, Lima kept the musical accompaniment minimal with the artist switching between keys and guitar, and supported only by a cellist. This was the perfect move to highlight his unique sound, characterized by its deeps emotions and rich, melodic arrangements. One of Vincent’s defining qualities is his authenticity–both in his performance and in his song writing. A lot of artists try to make meaningful songs and deliver them through soul rattling vocals. Not all of them feel as “real” as Lima. He clearly writes from personal experience, crafting songs that reflect his own struggles, joys, and everything in between. However, watching his show, it wasn’t just 45 minutes of reflection and brooding. Lima has a gift for finding creative ways to deliver familiar themes so that you feel like you are hearing them from a whole new perspective.
Commanding the Who Stage, Lima put on a captivating show, drawing in a steady stream of people from the nearby food trucks who heard his voice and wanted more. The set was marked by his raw emotion, and the intimate atmosphere of the Who Stage made this set a unique experience.
The crowd swayed as Lima sang his most recent song, “The Fire.” People moved closer as he sang the gentle “In The Cold.” Most memorable, the audience stood in rapt silence as Lima shared the sprawling “Orpheus.” The accompanying cello brought a distinct cinematic aura to the song. At a music festival the size of Bonnaroo it’s rare that a crowd simply locks into a song and gets quiet enough you could hear a whisper. With his performance on “Orpheus,” Vincent Lima did just that.
HAPPY LANDING
Heading into this year’s festival, one of the rising acts we looked forward to the most was HAPPY LANDING. Originating in Oxford, Mississippi, and now calling Nashville home, HAPPY LANDING is quickly building a following with their take on up-tempo indie-folk. Formed in 2020, the band consists of five members: Matty Hendley (guitar/vocals), Keegan Christensen (keys/bass/vocals), Jacob Christensen (drums/vocals), Andrew Gardner (violin/mandolin/vocals), and Wilson Moyer (bass/guitar/vocals). Together, they filled the Who Stage with a mighty sound and a presence that would make one think they had been playing together for much longer. Their music seamlessly blends traditional folk elements with modern indie influences, creating a sound that is both nostalgic and fresh.
On their albums and on social media, the band’s authenticity and sincerity is what helps them stand out in the crowded realm of indie folk. Performing live, the band’s energy and pure joy of being present with the audience resonated deeply with the Bonnaroo crowd making the show a memorable experience.
The audience at the Who Stage can be unpredictable in both size and attention span. For a lot of veterans of the festival, the stage is a simply a destination between other sets to discover a few new bands. However, from the start of HAPPY LANDING’s set, the viewing area was full of folks who clearly were already familiar with the band. This lead to the set being full of sing-along moments, even when the band shared a more recent track, “Lose the Gun.”
The Who Stage has been the launching pad for several bands to rise to Tents and even main stages. As HAPPY LANDING continues to put out compelling new music and word spreads about their electrifying shows, this is a band that we expect to see return to The Farm sooner than later.
MEDIUM BUILD
Medium Build is one of the most interesting new artists to show up on our radar. Why interesting? It’s because of the range of influences that are combined in one artist. One minute he’s blending pop, (almost) hip hop, and folk together as he sings “Crying Over U.” That song takes us back to the days when we were listing to Everlast’s Whitey Ford Sings The Blues on repeat. Next he’s digging deep into his emotions on pure singer/songwriter works like “Never Learned To Dance.” While it’s in our nature to try to categorize music into neat genre boxes, it’s almost impossible to do with Medium Build, no matter how many times you listen to his addictive tracks. Perhaps its this blend of influences that drew a wide range of fans to his music and a crowd to his set at Bonnaroo that was spilling out of the tent.
Working through–embracing even–some technical glitches, we watched an artist who connected with the crowd through authentic story telling, infectious songs, and many messages of love for those who showed up in the blazing heat of the day. We came in as fans of Medium Build the artist and left as fans of Medium Build the person too.
PRETTY LIGHTS
While we have always listened to some electronic music, our personal interests in the EDM scene have grown exponentially over the last couple years. However, long before we started learning about all the new EDM acts now filling the Bonnaroo lineup, we knew of course had heard of Pretty Lights. Missing their 2011 set is one of our big Roo regrets. For Bonnaroo 2024, Pretty Lights became the first headliner to play on Thursday on the festival’s largest stage. Normally the What Stage doesn’t open until Friday, so this was a special occasion. Pretty Lights rose to the occasion, filling out the massive stage with tons of mixing equipment and their full band that consists of live electric bass and a live drummer who must have arms of steel to pound out a rhythm for hours on end.
Pretty Lights has always made electronic music with wide appeal. Many of their most popular mixes feature songs that everyone knows, blended with a ton of bass and hazy grooves. Thursday’s Bonnaroo show was actually two sets that featured a brief interlude in the middle. For the first half of their stage time, the band kept the vibes chill. Yes, there was plenty of chest thumping bass and enough drops to keep our attention, but it was the kind of set that allowed you to drift away and get lost in the sound. The second set was much higher energy, as the wavy notes gave way to bigger EDM builds and drops. It was a complete show that gave the audience part of every nuance of Pretty Light’s extensive exploration of EDM music.
TORS
One of best things to do at Bonnaroo is to just wander around and allow yourself to get drawn into a show that you hadn’t put on your schedule. Comprised of brothers Matt and Theo Weedon, along with their friend Jack Bowden, it was the British indie folk rock band Tors that caught our attention as we explored.
From a distance, it was the music–full of influences of folk, rock, and pop–that lured us in. Once close enough to get the full experience, it was the band’s soulful melodies and stage energy that kept us at the Who Stage for the rest of their set.
As the band played, it was obvious that they were having a great time performing at the festival. We find that always injects a concert crowd with a special spirit that you just don’t have when a band is simply performing through their allotted set time. We also noticed that this set was packed with fans of the band who knew the words to every song. The result was a combined feel-good energy that helped make this one of the most all around enjoyable sets of the weekend.
Tors took us through a full range of concert emotion: The crowd bounced along to the up-tempo “Happy Enough,” it reveled in the moment as the band dedicated “Miracle” to how grateful they were to be playing the festival, and it felt all the feels as it sang along to “Does He Make You Happy.”
MILITARIE GUN
It was now after 11 at night–the time most concerts come to an end in the real world. However, at Bonnaroo, the relatively cool weather of the nights brings renewed energy. On The Farm, day and night feel like two distinct days.
Heading into the first of four late nights of the festival, we were craving something with a whole lot of energy. Thankfully, Bonnaroo anticipated this with the scheduling of Los Angeles’s hardcore punk/alt rock powerhouse, Militarie Gun. Formed in 2020 by frontman Ian Shelton, the band has quickly grown both its catalogue of recorded music and its fandom. Between 2020 and 2021, the group released three EPs and had several viral hits, thanks in part to their ability to keep their music hardcore while experimenting with touches of more melodic punk rock. A hallmark of their sounds is the way they blend these influences.
While Bonnaroo curates a genre-diverse lineup, there are admittedly few bands that fall into the category of true rock music–and even fewer that have such a hard edge as Militarie Gun. Therefore, fans of those styles in the Bonnaroo crowd always show up strong. We even got our first mosh pit of the weekend as the band raged through “Disposable Plastic Trash.” For it being so late into the night, it was obvious this crowd had reserved some energy for this set. Later, the band tore through a blistering version of their hit, “Do It Faster,” which elicited huge cheers and a shouted-out singalong from the frenzied masses.
NEAL FRANCIS
Neal Francis, a rising star in the world of soul and funk, has electrified audiences with his debut album Francis Comes Alive. If you haven’t experienced it yet, the album is a vibrant testament to Francis’s talent as a singer, songwriter, and musician.
For Bonnaroo 2024, Francis took the album on the road and made it the focus of his time on The Farm. From the opening song to the final notes, Francis immersed the crowd in a sonic journey through the heart of soul music. His inspiration clearly comes from the classic sounds of the 1960s and 70s, as Francis infused his music with infectious grooves and poignant lyrics.
Throughout the set, Francis demonstrated a mastery of his craft that would make one think he was several albums into his musical career. Whether he was belting out an upbeat funk number or crooning a soulful ballad, Francis infused each track with passion, energy, and authenticity. It was the kind of set for all manner of festival goers from those chilling on blankets soaking in the soulful sounds to those crowded in close dancing or swaying to the ebbs and flows of the groove.
GWAR
GWAR…do we need to say more?
Well just in case…For those who are somehow unfamiliar, GWAR, is a legendary shock rock band formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984. Now, twenty years later, they remain an enduring icon of theatrical metal mayhem. Known for their elaborate costumes, grotesque personas, and over-the-top stage theatrics, GWAR blends heavy metal with satire and dark humor, creating a unique and unforgettable experience for fans. There theatrical live performances include copious amounts of fake blood and monstrous props.
While it may seem an odd fit for a multi-genre festival like Bonnaroo, one of the great things about The Farm is how willing everyone is to embrace some insanity. The band’s prior visit to Bonnaroo was in 2010 and was marked by the memorable moment of the Bonnaroo fountain running red due to all of the fake blood being washed off in it. Returning to The Farm, GWAR was all-in on Bonnaroo. Not just there to perform, the group made a stop at the House of MatROOmoney to conduct some weddings and later hosted a tea party. (Since we weren’t at said tea party, we really hope someone shares some photos!)
While it was now after 2AM, it was not truly time for bed. There was still plenty of fun to be had at Where in the Woods. However, that coverage will be in a special article coming your way soon: East of 8th’s first article dedicated exclusively to EDM as we recap the highlights of the electronic music we saw at Bonnaroo 2024. However, just as our alien overlords GWAR finally returned to their own dimension, we likewise found it time to leave Centeroo and embark on new adventures.
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