The 15th annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival opened yesterday, welcoming tens of thousands of eager music fans back to the farm for a day of sunny skies, awesome music and our first look at the new permanent bathrooms. On the stages there were incredible sets from Vulfpeck, Papadosio, The London Souls, Con Brio, The Floozies and “Play Your Way In” contest winners Roots Of A Rebellion with dozens of other bands, comedy acts and more to start the party with a bang!
Bonnaroo is rumored to have a much smaller audience this year, with estimated attendance hovering around ~50,000. The smaller population welcomes an intimacy that checks out for all attendees looking to navigate a more manageable festival. Having this extra space has allowed for fans to venture toward the stages of more up-and-coming bands, like Con Brio, Vulfpeck (watch their full set here), and The London Souls; but the band who probably made the most breakthrough impact was The Floozies, who played a raging headlining set to a wild, high energy crowd at This Tent.
Other notable sets came from Børns, who played a rocking version of Arcade Fire‘s “Rebellion Lies”, and a mesmerizing version of David Bowie‘s “Heroes,” as well as Marian Hill, who kept the downtempo, glitchy electronic beats in tune with a live saxophone, keeping everyone on their feet and in the groove. Part of the glory of Bonnaroo is experiencing these artists, who are otherwise unassociated with the jam scene, and accepting the diverse nature of contemporary music. The farm is a magical place, one that just keeps giving back to the minds who are willing to be open.
In true Roo fashion, GRiZ played a funky surprise 2AM set at the Kalliope Stage, followed by the electronic grooves of Cashmere Cat. With tunes going until the odd hours of the night, it’s safe to say that the sunny skies and the infectious vibes of Bonnaroo’s Thursday was a complete success.Â
We’ll have lots more coverage of the festival as it progresses, but for now check out a few shots here a full gallery of photos from our own Rex Thomson below!
Con Brio
Lolawulf
The London Souls
Roots Of A Rebellion
Papadosio
Vulfpeck
A full gallery of images can be seen below:
