Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Jack Johnson, we adore you – we do. You have given the listening community fulfilling tunes for decades and to you we are forever grateful. Today though, we’re taking a step back and spotlighting the new bands, the emerging musical progenies of the 21^st century. All those fantastic young bands that are making names in the presence of adoring fans, today we salute you.

Here is to you newbies. We can’t wait to see you climb your way up the iconic and revered Bonnaroo stage-ladder. 

The Knockout – Lucius

Riveting – The sheer vocal strength of Lucius’s front ladies Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig is a winning combination of allure and blissful resonance. This five-piece is fronted with pure talent – no gimmicks, no whistles (but some iconic whistling). It is but no time before this luscious combination floods the indie-sphere and pop culture. It’s fair to claim, we love Lucius, we love everything about them. 

The Entertainer – Mac DeMarco

Damn you Mac DeMaro. How do you do it? How do you bring your audience to its knees in adoration? Perhaps it’s your devil-may-care attitude that makes you so alluring, or your undeniable musicianship, or maybe it is your certainty in your craft and your powerhouse stage presence – whatever the cause, we dig it. I mean you drowned out R. Kelly on your tiny little stage and you gave us a joy-making dance party to remember. And man, when your brought your lady love on stage, threw her on your shoulders and sang your final track, we fell in love with your softer side and realized you’ll be spitting obscenities and love odes into the world for decades to come. 

The One To Watch – The Rubens

These Australians really do so well – screaming out from their stout stage “welcome to bonna-rubens”. The band attracted fans of all stages and faces. The young musicians are breakout artists who know how to jam and pulse a firm heartbeat throughout their crowd. Sunday morning started right with The Rubens. (Photo by The Rubens)

The Face Melter – Local Natives

Our vantage point for Local Natives was one few got to experience – an on stage intimate viewing pleasure that set the bar beyond. Playing to a crowd of over 20,000 people, Local Natives shredded-face. Playing everything from Gorilla Manner to Breakers this sonic-charged group was untouchable. With their three part harmonies, hyper-brilliant drumming techniques and afropop infused guitars, the crowd lost it, the stage crew lost it, we all just lost it while getting lost in the presence of Local Natives.

 

The Psych Killer – Tame Impala

Tame Impala can do no wrong. First time at Bonnaroo, they scored an acclaimed slot on Sunday evening at 6:00 at The Other Tent, one of roo’s finest stages. EVERYONE seemed to be there as there was no room to move but up and down and for an hour and fifteen minutes, we were okay with jumping like pogo sticks to the fierce champions rad-vibes. Track “Elephant” took hold and set flight to those already high in the sky and those not. The trebly guitar counterpart and dual vocal lines of this psych-sphere were distinctive and adored. (Photo By Daniela Montelongo) 

The Songwriter – Johnnyswim

The husband-wife duo of Abner and Amanda Ramirez is a folk-blues sensation. So preciously in love and riveted by that love, the two-part experience relish in their haunting lyrics and clean vocal lines. With only two EP’s under their belt, we are sure to expect much more from these Nashville Natives. 

 

The Performer – Lord Huron

Our interview with Lord Huron will drop this week but we can give you a little insight to just how alluring front man Ben Schneider truly is. Incredibly personable, full of a running mind that understands “we all die” he chooses “to celebrate both the light and the dark.” The live performance of Lord Huron translates Schneider’s words without hiccup. Lonesome Dreams experienced live is a watery echo of jarring infatuation. The sonic dichotomy of American roots and copping with death is perhaps the new indie template. Lord Huron is luminous and fills all the empty spaces of a wandering mind. (Photo By KCS Photography) 

The Breakout – The Lumineers

They are so loved and yet we all seem to forget how young they really are. The Denver natives are so full of life and joy when they perform. Taking to Which Stage at 8:15 on Saturday evening right before saves-the-day-headliner Jack Johnson (after a tragic health accident kept Mumford and Sons from performing) performed, The Lumineers set a fire. Not relying on single Ho Hey to carry the crowd, they played the iconic track merely three songs in and allowed the rest of the show to be an intimate gather of friends. The crew walked out into the expansive crowd and played two tracks as if they were sitting in your living room, drinking tea on a calm evening. After covering Bob Dylan the band ended with pleaser “Big Parade” and indeed, the show felt like a celebration at a big, big, (BIG) parade. (Photo by Jason Tang)

 

The “Should-Already-Be-Famous” – Father John Misty

J. Tillman is an animal. The kind of animal that you want to live on your shoulder, feed it the finest of its animal food and watch it in its natural state. He is a vision, one that looks a bit like Jesus, sings of equality a bit like Jesus and feeds a powerful vocal presence dare we say, perhaps like Jesus. The band that backs the wacky-yet-sane Tillman is seasoned and perfect. The idea of Father John Misty is one of fantasy, escapism and emotional concern for mankind, yet these heavy pathos only build the flame of mystery and allure of Father John Misty and it appeared even the most simple-minded of humans were drawn in by the father.

 

The Crowd Favorite – Alt-J

These guys set the pace for Bonnaroo’s fantastic lineup to come. Opening on Thursday evening and playing into the early morning, the pounding bass of Alt-J resonated throughout the farm and onto the skin and into the ears of roo’s 80,000 attendees. Hands down, this set was the crowd’s favorite as everyone was completely and fully mesmerized by the sheer talent and accent of Alt-J.

All Photos by Kristen Blanton unless otherwise credited