Manchester, TN – The sun rose on the second day on the Farm hot and strong, beaming with promise of a new day at ‘Roo. The second day of Bonnaroo saw the first shows at the venue’s main stage and a dynamite headlining set by LCD Soundsystem, but we went out to check out some of the shows put on by artists appearing in the lineup’s finer print. There were plenty of new bands just waiting to be discovered by the rabid music fans of Bonnaroo. There were also free high-fives to be had.

 

St. Lucia

South African born synth-pop darling St. Lucia—real name Jean-Philip Grobler—was the second act to perform at Bonnaroo’s second largest stage, the Which Stage, performing mostly songs from his recent sophomore LP Matter, released earlier this year on Columbia. He kicked things off with the super bassy “Rescue Me” before heading into Matter’s first track “Do You Remember?” Other Matter tracks that were featured included the bubbly synths of “Dancing on Glass,” the guitar-driven funk of “Physical,” and the dulcet R&B tones of “Love Somebody.” Grobler also peppered his set with a few older songs from his first LP When The Night (2013), including “All Eyes On You” (with a bassline that is reminiscent of HAERTS’ “Wings”), “Wait For Love,” and “September,” before ending things with “Elevate.” St. Lucia’s sound was as warm and inviting as the island nation he is named for and the sunshine that fell upon our shoulders, yet perhaps not quite as hazardous to our skin as the latter. (CB)

 

Shamir

Shamir Bailey cannot be stopped. Sporting a new hairdo and a feisty new backup singer named Tiffany, he turned The Other Tent into a bumping, early-evening dance party. He blew through the hour with multiple tracks from his fantastic debut LP Ratchet, highlighting the album’s best songs with lively performances of “Make a Scene,” “In For the Kill,” “Youth,” and “Head in the Clouds.” We were also treated to a few tracks from his previous release, the EP Northtown, some of which I had never seen performed live before, including “Sometimes A Man,” “If It Wasn’t True,” and “I Know It’s a Good Thing.” Perhaps the most emphatic responses to his music were during his self-proclaimed ‘autobiography’ “Hot Mess,” and his two infectious dance hits “On The Regular” and the relentless earworm “Call It Off,” and while the crowd was modest, it was extremely responsive. (CB)

 

Whitney

Despite the horrid heat, Chicago band Whitney pulled in a hearty crowd with some good old country soul, starting with “Dave’s Song,” from the band’s debut album Light Upon The Lake. Excited fans up front at the Who Stage could be heard singing along with frontman Julien Ehrlich (drums, vocals). Ehrlich formed the band in 2014 with Max Kakacek (guitar), after the best friends left the band Smith Westerns. Soon after, Ehrlich and Kakacek recruited a swell of talented musicians to join them. Rounding out the band is Will Miller (trumpet), Malcolm Brown (keys), Print Chouteau (rhythm guitar), and Josiah Marshall (bass) – though, the guys will tell you they have a seventh member: master sound engineer Charles Glanders. Bonnaroo made for Whitney’s first ever festival, as the band’s Governors Ball slot last weekend was rained out. And man, did Whitney nail it! The crowd sang along to singles “No Woman” and “Golden Days,” but it was the instrumental “Red Moon” that really won the set. I have to say, I’ve seen Whitney quite a few times now, and every time the band plays “Red Moon” a little bit different with some added improvisation, but the Roo version of “Red Moon” was the best yet. It was so phenomenal that it brought passersby to the grassy knoll, with mouths open. (SH)

 

CHVRCHES

Glasgow synth-pop trio CHVRCHES made its Bonnaroo debut at one of the smaller stages back in 2014, following the release of debut LP The Bones of What You Believe, and yet, only two years later, the band commanded the crowd at the What Stage (the main stage) this Friday with driving precision and cinematic chutzpah. Singer Lauren Mayberry was her usual energetic self, her tiny frame looking somewhat comical as she bounded from one side of the massive stage to the other. CHVRCHES set was one of the loudest of the bunch, as their glittering synths and percussion bounced around the open field, starting things off with the opening track from the band’s 2015 sophomore LP Every Open Eye “Never Ending Circles” before blasting through an hour-long set. The trio leapt between songs from both its LPs, including early songs like “We Sink,” “Gun,” “Recover,” and newer material like “Leave A Trace,” “Clearest Blue,” and “Bury It,” which the band performed with the help of Hayley Williams of Paramore. The band has come such a long way in such a short time; it might be only a short time before we see their name at the very top of the bill. (CB) *

 

Leon Bridges

Todd Michael Bridges, aka Leon Bridges, brought his delightful mix of R&B, gospel, and soul to The Other Tent Friday evening, just as the sun was setting and the temps were dropping. “Smooth Sailin’” started the night out, with soulful goodness. The Texas native jumped and danced around in his signature retro duds. Fans swayed back and forth. Of course Leon Bridges performed his single “Coming Home,” as well as fans favorites “Better Man,” “Lisa Sawyer” and “Flowers.” Though, perhaps the highlight of the night was Bridges’ rendition of Ginuine’s “Pony.” (SH)

 

Purity Ring

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was the hour long set by Canadian music duo Purity Ring, who played The Other Tent, sandwiched between monster sets by LCD Soundsystem and Tame Impala. I first saw the duo in 2012 at one of Purity Ring’s first major live performances following the release of the debut album Shrines, and singer Megan James performed with quiet grace. At Bonnaroo this year, their performance was anything but quiet. James appeared onstage through a curtain of tiny globular lights as instrumentalist Corin Roddick sat elevated in the rear of the stage behind an intricately designed instrument resembling an array of lampposts that changed color each time they were struck. James wore an elaborate white coat that would make Björk’s stylist blush, and she paraded back and forth across the stage, playing towards the crowd with flowy, yoga-like dance moves as she cooed the lyrics to songs taken from both of the band’s two LPs. There were a few moments of placidity, as with songs like “Fineshrines,” “Lofticries,” and set opener “Heartsigh,” but timidity was out the door as the two pounded through some of their heavier tracks, such as “Belispeak” and Another Eternity tracks “Bodyache,” “Dust Hymn,” hip-hop tinged “Flood on the Floor,” and thunderous set closer “Begin Again.” Though she never shed her illustrious jacket throughout the set, it seems the two have shed their inhibitions and come into their own as a powerful musical entity. (CB)

Stay tuned for more Bonnaroo coverage throughout the weekend. Select acts will be streaming live on the Internet, so check out the Bonnaroo website for details.

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*CHVRCHES file photo from Lollapalooza 2014