Manchester Tennessee – Throughout the years that have seen the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival’s fourteen installments, the face and general aesthetic of the festival has changed – going from humble jam band fest to the monumental eclectic event that it is today – but the soul of the festival has basically remained the same.  The mission of Bonnaroo is to bring people together, to radiate positivity, and to showcase the best and the brightest musical talents, old and new alike.

After a hectic influx of patrons on Wednesday night, day one commenced on Thursday in true Bonnaroo fashion: steamy and wild.  Best New Bands senior writer Sarah Hess and ten-year Bonnaroo vet Corey Bell were on the grounds, getting dirty and taking it all in to fill you in on the latest and greatest new bands.

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Little May

Australian indie folk band Little May played The Who Stage, sponsored by Communion Music. The trio – made up of Liz Drummond, Hannah Field, and Annie Hamilton – first gained attention with the single “Dust,” off their self-titled EP. The lovely ladies told Best New Bands they’re working on a LP, but were pretty mum when it came to details. (Stay tuned for the interview!) However, they did play a new song titled “Sinks.” They also gave out birthday shout out to twin sisters Elizabeth and Natalie, who were cheering Little May on and getting down up front. By the end of the set, everyone on the lawn was getting down. -SH

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Dark Waves

Nick Long aka Dark Waves played the New Music On Tap Lounge, sponsored by Miller Lite, just as the temperature began to drop. It was the perfect intro to Long’s cool, romantic pop. The former punk rocker showcased his softer side with sweet songs, like “The Heartbeat The Soul.” The crowd loved it and him. After chatting with the LA singer earlier in the day, it’s easy to understand why. Stay tuned for Best New Band’s upcoming interview with Dark Waves! -SH

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Raury

Raury packed The Who Stage with excited and impatient fans chanting, “We want Raury, we want Raury!” The nineteen year old eventually came running out, jumping in the air, feet flowing into a high-kick. Then he shouted, “What’s up Bonnaroo? You are the eighth member of this band tonight!” People instantly began clapping along and singing along. Raury brought plenty of energy and good vibes. A few songs in, he asked for a little help spreading some love: “Bonnaroo do me a favor. Look too the person to the left of you, to the right of you, hug ‘em, kiss ‘em!” Warmth flowed through the crowd as he sang songs like “Superfly” and “God’s Whisper,” with the setting sun. Raury proved his talent is tenfold. –SH

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Temples

UK psych rockers Temples made their Bonnaroo debut as night began to fall over the grounds.  Lead singer/guitarist James Bagshaw’s signature afro glowed with the halo of pale blue and green lights as he floated to and from the microphone, offering hazy vocals and heavily reverbed guitar over his bandmates’ perfectly loud and nebulous instrumentation.  Having released their debut LP Sun Structures just last year, most of the set was devoted to presenting tracks from their album (“Sun Structures,” “A Question Isn’t Answered,” “Keep in the Dark”), as well as an older track that is a frequent live favorite of the band (an EP track entitled “Ankh”).  The foursome also previewed two new songs, one entitled “Volcano/Saviour,” the other “Henry’s Cake,” and both exhibited true Temples fashion by mixing fuzzy guitars and rolling percussion with Bagshaw’s trademark electric, feathery voice.  The band closed with “Shelter Song”—Sun Structures’ lead single—and the eternally energizing “Mesmerise,” which despite the sinking nature of the vocals still pounds the senses with bright guitars and heart-pounding drumbeats.  –CB

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Glass Animals

Oxford newcomers Glass Animals took to the Other Tent right after Temples – a perfect back-to-back pairing – and piled a set ripe with tracks from their 2014 debut Zaba onto the rapt, eager crowd on Thursday night.  They treated us with plenty of album favorites – “Black Mambo,” “Gooey,” “Walla Walla”—as well as some deep cuts—“Wyrd,” “Hazey,”—and even an early EP track (“Psylla”—they actually opened with this), from the band’s self-titled debut EP released in 2013.  As a conclusion, the set wrapped up with a cover of Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown” (from his 2008 album 808s and Heartbreaks) as well as a raucous rendition of perhaps Glass Animals’ most popular track, “Pools,” jolting the Other Tent into hypnotized frenzy.  –CB

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Courtney Barnett

Self proclaimed “fake…phoney…homely…Scorpio” (none of which are true, except maybe the Scorpio part) singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett commanded a late-night crowd at This Tent with her blend of honest, stream-of-consciousness lyrics and gritty guitar riffs.  The Australian gloriously ripped through ten tracks in the forty-five minutes she was given, taken from her two EPs and her debut LP Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit which was released in March of this year.  She mixed old songs—EP tracks “Lance Jr.,” “Canned Tomatoes (Whole)”—as well as plenty of newer album tracks—“Dead Fox,” “Small Poppies,” “Elevator Operator.”  She performed perhaps her most popular songs as the final four, starting with the reflective, tender “Depreston” (a song about a house in California she stayed in during the creation of her LP) and “Avant Gardener” (a playful romp mocking Murphy’s Law).  The final two songs, EP track “History Eraser” and album track “Pedestrian at Best,” are perhaps her most energetic tracks (the latter is totally badass, especially live), and had the crowd jumping in rowdy, synchronized glee.  A perfect Bonnaroo debut for the young artist; she will be back (I’m sure of it). –CB

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Mac DeMarco

The lovable Canadian Mac DeMarco closed the night out for us, with his kooky band. Mac had a table and chairs side stage, which he dubbed “the bistro table,” filled with fellow musicians and friends. They looked as though they might hold up cardboard numbers at any point, judging the merits of the show. Anthony Braun Perry of The Growlers was among the musicians. He rolled what we’ll call “cigarettes” while DeMarco and his boys – Andrew Charles White, Pierce McGarry, and Joe McMurray – played songs such as “Salad Days,” “Blue Boy, and “Annie.” Between songs, Charles and McGarry joked with the crowd and tossed cans of Coors into the crowd. And of course Mac surfed the crowd, cigarette in mouth, while excited fans pulled out their phones to capture it all. No Mac DeMarco show would be complete without some sort of wacky cover (he’s done songs by Kansas and Aerosmith in the past), and he did not disappoint with a silly rendition of Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ in the Years.”  After the guys left the stage, the crowd chanted, “One more song!” Surprisingly, they came back out and covered ANOTHER song, this time it was Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” erupting a massive mosh pit in front. -SH

Keep up with live Bonnaroo tidbits by following Corey and Sarah on twitter. They’ll be tweeting at you whenever they manage to get enough bars. Best New Bands will be dishing out more Bonnaroo coverage over the weekend. You can also keep up with Best New Bands on twitter.

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Photos and text by Sarah Hess (SH) and Corey Bell (CB)