Manchester Tennessee – The final day of Bonnaroo was a slow, hot one. People moved at a snail’s pace. The sun burnt shoulders, arms, and noses. Dust blew in every direction. But despite it all, good vibes and happiness seemed to spread through Centeroo, especially over at the waterslide. Bonnarooians soaked up all they could, keeping cool however they could, before the sun set and made way for extraordinary sets from two legends: Robert Plant and Billy Joel. Best New Bands caught some new artists, who just might be legends themselves one day. Here are the four new bands we caught on Bonnaroo’s fourth day:
Shakey Graves
Sunday morning started out hot and sticky, with temperatures rising quickly towards 100 degrees. Surprisingly, this didn’t keep fans away from That Tent to see Alejandro Rose-Garcia aka Shakey Graves. Although, he is pretty remarkable, so I too braved the baking sun to see the Texan deliver a healthy dose of Americana with songs like “Roll the Bones” and “Word of Mouth.” This performance marked the first time Shakey Graves played Bonnaroo, but based on the size of the crowd and the audience’s reaction, it’s a safe bet it won’t be his last. He was thrilled to be there and amazed by the number of people packed inside the steaming tent, which included plenty of fellow musicians and celebrities. He said, “I’m so impressed with y’all coming out. Have you been here all weekend?” Nods and yeses came from the crowd. He again praised the festivalgoers for their dedication, and then dedicated “Bully’s Lament” to those in attendance. For the most part Garcia performed on stage alone, but his band joined him for a few songs. One of which was “Dearly Departed.” Garcia asked people to clap along if they knew the song. Fans did more than that; they also sang along the refrain, “You and I both know that the house is haunted / And you and I both know that the ghost is me.”
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Twenty One Pilots
Over the last two years, Ohio duo Twenty One Pilots built a massive following and catapulted into the mainstream. Evidence of their success: after having played a smaller Bonnaroo stage last year, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun landed themselves a slot on the gigantic Who Stage this time around. Fans lined up bright and early, before gates even opened to the massive field, to ensure they’d land a great spot. For those who made their way to the front, their perseverance paid off. During “Fairly Local,” Tyler jumped down from the stage and climbed into the crowd, singing to the lucky fans up front. Girls screamed. Guys cheered. Everyone sang along. The guys played plenty of other new material from their recent release Blurryface, which hit number one on the Billboard 200, selling 147,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week. New material included “Heavydirtysoul,” “Stressed Out,” and “Tear in My Heart.” Of course they also played old favorites “Car Radio” and “House of Gold.” And as expected, they put on an intense and explosive performance, complete with confetti and crowd surfing.
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MØ
By mid-afternoon, The Other Tent was hot, hot, HOT! And not just because MØ was doing her thing, the humidity was brutal. A few songs in, the Danish pop singer paused the show, announcing, “I think I’ve got to lose my pants. It’s too goddamn hot.” She pulled off her flowing pants, revealing a funky pair of spandex, and continued on, getting down to “Glass” and “Pilgrim.” She played “Gone and Found,” a song she never before played overseas. She also did “One More,” her collaboration with Elliphant – her “Swedish hero” – and climbed the barrier, singing to fans. Halfway through the set, she again paused, said, “I don’t mean to be a coward, but,” and dumped a bottle of water over head. Before doing her infamous Spice Girls cover of “Say You’ll Be There,” she shared some water with the fans up front, sprinkling them with sweet relief. Before ending her set with “Lean On,” her collab with Major Lazer and DJ Snake, MØ surfed the crowd (see top photo).
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Betty Who
Australian pop sensation Betty Who closed down The Who Stage Sunday night. Oh, the irony, Bonnaroo, the irony! Miss Who was up the irony, too. The platinum turned blue-haired singer declared this night and her first Bonnaroo would be a night to remember, before singing “A Night To Remember” with her extremely excited and energetic Who Crew members. Betty Who fed off their energy and vise versa. She really turned the energy up to a ten for “Just Like Me.” She screamed, “I have a question: Can we have ourselves a little competition tonight?” Then put the audience into teams A and B, splitting them down the middle, to see who could sing the chorus louder. Each side sang, “Just like me, just like me!” During the final chorus, she let both sides sing while she danced around stage. The dancing continued all night, as the sun went down and a cool breeze came in. It was the perfect end to the final night of Bonnaroo.
Bonnaroo 2015 was fantastic! There were so many great new bands and old ones, too. Positivity radiated throughout the farm, making for a magical four-day weekend for music lovers from around the world. Here’s to next year’s Roo! Hope to see y’all on the farm again!
Photos of Bonnaroo by Sarah Hess
Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
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