Sunday started out with a quick interview with the bluegrass/Americana trio The Lovell Sisters. Though they’re young, the band has been together for five years and built a solid foundation at Merlefest. They performed at This Tent to open the day there.

A.A. Bonday had a folk set in The Other Tent while Cage the Elephant tore up That Tent in what amounted in the first of a number of metal shows there. (The Dillinger Escape Plan, High On Fire, Shadows Fall and Coheed and Cambria played later.)

The raw emotion and energy of Cage the Elephant was impressive to watch. Singer Matt Shultz is all over the place – headbutting his bandmates, screaming incessantly (even if the microphone is not up to his mouth…) It’s no surprise that this band has a growing buzz around it and the live show is helping to fuel the fire.

The Dillinger Escape Plan was up next and made Cage the Elephant look tame by comparison. The band’s heavy metal was hard enough, but every band member, sans drummer, was jumping off of anything they could get their feet on – speakers, drum riser, speaker stacks, etc. It was a thrill to watch from the photo pit, but I think we all feared for our safety after the bassist landed on one of the photographers. (She was ok, just a bump on her head.)

Citizen Cope was on Which Stage. His music is ok, at times repetitive, but I don’t know that I could sit through an entire show of his. He doesn’t move around much at all – neither does his mouth. It’s as if he’s simply standing there with his music playing.

Erykah Badu finally got to the main stage around 35 minutes after her scheduled time. The band came out after about 25 minutes and played the same eight bars of music for the next 10. It sounded like a record skipping and even the band was giving each other looks as if to say, “Where the hell is she?” Apparently, Badu is known for being late to every show and I started to wonder why people put up with it. She came out, didn’t apologize, but instead started to tell the audience about all of her names and nicknames. Nice ego…

Andrew Bird was over on the Which Stage impressing the crowd with his music and whistling ability. It’s so easy to say someone whistled, but this guy does it as if it’s an instrument that peacefully accentuates the music.

Okkervil River was in The Other Tent, but a large crowd was gathered next door at This Tent for Merle Haggard.

Snoop Dogg started 30 minutes late – and was joined by Badu on stage for a song – but instead I went to check out the sleepy rock of Band of Horses. (They’ll be here on Wednesday for a sold-out show.)

Neko Case (the only artist of the weekend to ban all photographers from taking pics in the photo pit) also started late to wrap up This Tent. The day’s headliner was Phish to close out the festival and they ended their first set with three songs joined by Bruce Springsteen. By that time, I was already on the road… It had been a long weekend.

Check out next week’s Creative Loafing for more on my favorite moments and performances from the weekend including Triumph’s interview with Flavor Flav, the final NIN show, which bands are ones I want to hear a lot more of and which I want to avoid forever, and more!

Phish Sunday setlist
Set I
AC/DC Bag
NICU
Gotta Jibboo
Punch You In The Eye
Sparkle
Bathtub Gin
Character Zero
Tweezer >
The Horse >
Silent in the Morning
Run Like An Antelope
Mustang Sally*
Bobby Jean*
Glory Days*

Set II
Rock and Roll >
Light >
46 Days
Limb By Limb
Farmhouse
Backwards Down the Number Line
Prince Caspian
First Tube

Encore
Suzy Greenburg
Tweezer reprise

* With Bruce Springsteen

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I gave a quick rundown of Saturday, but here are a few more details – and then I’ll get into Sunday in Part 2.

Buffett looked like a late addition, but at a press conference shortly after his performance, he said that he knew for about six months that he was likely to perform at Bonnaroo. It may have been billed as a Ilo and the Coral Reefer Allstars show, but it was basically a Buffett show – in the daytime.

I’m not quite sure what to make of the quirky folk of Elvis Perkins. His singing has an odd cadence to it…

Allen Toussaint jazzed up That Tent and I checked out the family bluegrass style of Cherryholmes.

Heartless Bastards were playing on Which Stage… and I found myself asking, what’s up with all the sleepy rock bands these days?

Instead of seeing Rodrigo y Gabriela, I went to check out Bon Iver. Again, some more sleepy rock.

Meanwhile, Raphael Saadiq was getting the groove going in That Tent.

A press conference was held in the mid-afternoon that involved Alejandro Escovedo, Tift Merritt, Perkins and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Triumph was clearly the focus as he found time to make fun of many of the artists there:
“The Beastie Boys are getting old. They look more like the Pep Boys.”
“Why is it that hippies can make anything out of hemp, except for deoderant.”
“Jimmy Buffett was here today. Bonnaroo is so eco-friendly, they figured they would have some recycled music. Maybe that joke is better for Oasis.”
“Ani DiFranco’s show here was the largest gathering of unmanicured pubic hair at Bonnaroo.”
“Bonnaroo has more stages than syphilis. Speaking of syphilis, it’s nice that Flavor Flav is here.”

Jenny Lewis followed with some incredibly short shorts, while Of Montreal put on an interesting show in This Tent.

Of Montreal’s band were all in costumes as most people expect, but each song became a tiny play as characters opened Christmas presents that revealed gas masks – and gas for the third person, who “died.” And then there were people in pig costumes meeting buddha… It was all just a bit odd, but entertaining to watch.

I’ve been a fan of The Mars Volta since I first heard them and the band’s live show completely lived up to my expectations. The guitar, vocals and energy the band put forth was infectious. Singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala was all over the place, flinging the microphone cord, jumping into handstands and running about.

Bruce Springsteen’s headlining set went on for three hours, as he opened with “Badlands” on a modified stage that allowed for a walkway down the middle of the audience. He didn’t really kick it off with any big hits and I noticed a decent number of people wandering to other parts of the festival grounds.

After “Working on a Dream,” he went into a long rant about how the band has “come a long way from New Jersey to fulfill a solemn vow to rock the house.” He added that they would build a house of love, faith, hope and joy through the music. It was a bit long-winded in my opinion.

Max Weinberg’s son Jay sat in with the band for the last three songs of the main set and all seven of the encore and hammered the hell out of the drums. He’s a great fit for the band when Max can’t be there.

As for Nine Inch Nails… it was one of my favorite moments of the weekend. You can read more on that previous Saturday post.

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OK, so, here’s the situation… The Internet service here is complete crap. I’m working on another night of four hours of sleep and my frustration level is quickly growing.

I’ll give a brief rundown of Saturday, but will update with a full report on Monday of the weekend’s events, with photos.

I hope you understand, but if I don’t – my computer will be thrown through a window or off the top of the nearest high-rise.

The day got started with Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Allstars, who kicked off their set with “Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Screw.”

I caught Alejandro Escovedo, Elvis Perkins, Cherryholmes, Allen Tousaint, Robyn Hitchcock and then had a quick interview with Grace Potter, who is fired up about her new band and upcoming T. Bone Burnett-produced album.

After an entertaining press conference that included Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, I checked out Raphael Saadiq and Bon Iver before Jenny Lewis and Of Montreal.

The best set of the day clearly belonged to The Mars Volta…until Nine Inch Nails took the stage, that is.

Trent Reznor and company rocked the living hell out of Bonnaroo in outstanding fashion. A strobe-heavy lighting set up highlighted a set that started at 1 a.m. and ended at 3:15 with “Hurt.”

Before launching into “Head Like a Hole,” Reznor said it would be the last NIN show in the U.S. … ever.
Reznor said, “Don’t be sad,” his voice breaking up. “I think I’d lose my fuckin’ mind if I kept doing this. Thank you for being a part of this. Thank you for the support over the years.”

They destroyed some equipment with Dillinger Escape Plan at the end of the set, before coming back for a three-song encore, followed by another two.

At the close of “Hurt,” Reznor simply said, “Thank you. Goodnight. Goodbye.”

In between those, Bruce Springsteen rockd a three-hour set. During a request period of his set, he even played “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” noting, “It’s too fuckin’ hot for Christmas!”

More to come…

Bruce Springsteen setlist
Badlands
No Surrender
My Lucky Day
Outlaw Pete
Out In The Street
Working On A Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Raise Your Hand
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (sign request)
Growin’ Up (sign request)
Thunder Road (sign request)
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The River
Kingdom of Days
Radio Nowhere (w/Jay Weinberg on drums until the end)
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born To Run

Encore
Hard Times
10th Ave Freeze Out
Land Of Hope & Dreams
American Land
Rosalita
Glory Days
Dancing In The Dark

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It’s set to be another long day here at Bonnaroo, and, hopefully, it will be another without rain.

The day will kick off at noon with Ilo & The Coral Reefer Allstars on Which Stage with Jimmy Buffett joining them.

Mid-afternoon sets are highlighted by Rodrigo y Gabriela, Bon Iver and Raphael Saadiq, followed by Of Montreal and Jenny Lewis.

The evening features Wilco, The Mars Volta and The Decemberists and the headliner is Bruce Springsteen, who is scheduled for a three-and-a-half-hour set.

The night will close with a late-night set by Nine Inch Nails, while moe. and Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 and MGMT all complete the tent lineup.

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What started out as an overcast day gave way to the sun in a beautiful rain-free Friday at Bonnaroo.

My day began with Tift Merritt – who is shorter than I imagined, but just as sweet as could be. Gomez rocked the Which Stage to kick of the weekend of large stage peformances.

Animal Collective… yeah, I don’t get it. Two DJs and a kind of screaming guitarist… I’ll have to give the band’s album a listen as the crowd appeared to love every minute of the odd music. Not nearly as odd as Crystal Castles, but I’ll get to that.

St. Vincent’s mellow rock soothed those in That Tent while Grace Potter rocked the hell out of This Tent. I saw Potter recently at the Visulite Theatre, but it didn’t compare to the energy that exuded from her here.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs were impressive to watch as singer Karen O dramatically held the microphone and stroke poses non-stop.

Grizzly Bear rocked This Tent with their rock, but it was Al Green on the What Stage that impressed everyone with his “he’s still got it!” vocals.

TV on the Radio — I don’t get the appeal here either. I mean, it’s unique and experimental rock, but I just can’t get past the falsetto vocals, no matter how hard I try … There’s a song or two that are bearable, but other than that, I’m just not a fan.

Beastie Boys tore up the What Stage as the night’s headliner playing hits from all their albums, ending with “Intergalactic” and “Sabotage.” The trio played instruments as well as focusing on vocals over the work of Mixmaster Mike. They were also joined by Nas for a song from the band’s upcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee.

David Byrne, dressed in all-white, drew a large crowd at Which Stage, ending with a number of Talking Heads songs – closing with “Burning Down the House.”

An entertaining moment took place near the press tent before Phish as Flavor Flav was interviewed by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog for an upcoming Conan O’Brien segment.

Phish was the closer on the main stage as they jammed their way through a three-hour set that left phans pheeling satisphied. Trey Anastasio, singer and guitarist of the band, appeared to enjoy every moment.

Late night sets featured Femi Kuti in The Other Tent while Public Enemy performed their album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, in its entirety. Their set opened with “Bring the Noise,” and ended with “Can’t Truss It” and “Fight the Power.”

Crystal Castles… I’m not even sure how to describe it. A DJ and drummer play music while “singer” screams. Literally, screams. She jumped into the crowd and strobe lights lit up the tent… and she never really looked like she was having a good time. In fact, she looked pissed off – granted, there were some technical problems, but she seemed more bothered by that than the fact she was getting groped all over when she dove into the crowd.

Girl Talk played a late night set that had the stage teeming with fans as they jumped the barricade to join the DJ on stage.

Public Enemy Setlist
Countdown
Bring the Noise
Don’t Believe the Hype
Collampin Flavor
Terminator X to the Edge
Mindterrorist
Louder than a Bomb
Caught Can I get a Witness
Show Em Watcha
Zero Channel Zero
Baseheads
Black Steel
Security of First World
Rebel Without a Pause
Prophets of Rage
Party for your Right
Can’t Truss It
Fight the Power

Phish Setlist
Chalk Dust Torture
Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan
The Divided Sky
Possum
Down with Disease
“moist panty jam”
Down with Disease
Alaska
Stash
Golgi Apparatus
Wolfman’s Brother
Poor Heart
Kill Devil Falls >
Free
Wading in the Velvet Sea
Harry Hood >
Highway to Hell >
2001 >
You Enjoy Myself >
Wilson >
You Enjoy Myself
E: A Day in The Life

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The sun was out this morning, before quickly becoming overcast. I can only hope that the floodgates don’t open again.

After an early-morning press orientation meeting, the music will get started at This Tent with Tift Merritt. Toubab Krewe is set to open things at The Other Tent.

While Animal Collective is on Which Stage, St. Vincent will be in That Tent and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will be rocking This Tent.

Galactic will be jazzing up the main stage, known as What Stage. Later in the day, Yeah Yeah Yeahs will rock Which Stage while Santigold is in That Tent.

Also this evening, Al Green, TV on the Radio, Lucinda Williams and Ani DiFranco.
The first headliner of the festival is Beastie Boys who will hit What Stage at 8:30, followed by Phish at 11.
David Byrne will play on the Which Stage and is rumored to be joined by a handful of performers.

The late night will be featuring Phoenix at 11:30, Femi Kuti at 12 and Public Enemy at 12:30.

The biggest anticipation for me is checking out Girl Talk in That Tent at 2:15 a.m.

Should be a long, hopefully dry, day.

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What was referred to as “Dirtaroo” two years ago has quickly become “Mudaroo” this year. The eighth annual Bonnaroo got underway Thursday under a flurry of wet weather. Shortly after getting my tent set up, the flood gates opened for roughly an hour and a half. Just when you thought it was over and the sun had come out, another passing storm would quickly drench the farmlands.

Mud is everywhere. No matter how much you try to escape it, it isn’t long before you can feel it squishing between your toes again….

However much Bonnaroo is quickly resembling Woodstock, there are no naked people running around and it’s more about the music than the mud.

The day kicked off, musically, with country singer Charlie Allen. He may have performed a quick 20-minute set, but the crowd was ready to go. Allen was followed by Alberta Cross in That Tent, offering up their own brand of rock ‘n’ roll.

The “performance of the day,” however, goes to Janelle Monae whose soulful rock simply tore up The Other Tent. It may have been hot, but that didn’t get Monae to slow down. She tore off her jacket and threw it to the crowd as she shuffled around the stage and danced her ass off. Always the entertainer, she even had a canvas brought up on stage and painted a picture while singing, at one point giving up her brushes to use her hand instead. The portrait was completed and promptly tossed into the audience where a crowd clamored for it.

White Rabbits rocked This Tent after a delay which seemed to be par for the course on all stages. Whether technical difficulties or soundchecks running long, I don’t think one band started on time.
Portugal. The Man drew a large crowd for their rock set which sounded almost like a toned-down version of The Mars Volta.

On the Troo Music Lounge stage, Nashville’s Erin McCarley drew a larger crowd than expected which surprised her. I spoke with her briefly after her set and she said it was her first Bonnaroo, and she was hoping for another good turnout for her set on Sunday. McCarley was followed by Those Darlins who featured female three-part harmonies.

The Knux was the first hip-hop act of the day, getting the crowd going with little effort.
Chairlift’s atmospheric dance tunes were moving This Tent, while The Low Anthem’s folk style toned down That Tent.

Passion Pit was simply a madhouse as the photo pit was filled with photographers and beer drinkers who somehow got close to the stage. Zac Brown Band’s country rock was the closer for That Tent.
Midnight, gave the festival a needed reggae vibe in The Other Tent to close out the night there.
Delta Spirit, who were delayed by a flight out of Texas, ended the night with a 12:45 a.m. set that rocked on as storms raged outside.

I didn’t mind the rain — it was actually nice, once I got into my tent, to fall asleep to the sound of it hitting the fabric. I may have only gotten about 6 hours of sleep, but it will have to do — it’s a long day ahead.

Coming this afternoon — a preview of Friday at Bonnaroo.

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It’s bound to be a long day today, the first day of Bonnaroo 2009.

I should be at my campsite around 1, which means I’ll be putting up my tent in the mid-day heat. Scattered thunderstorms in the forecast, which isn’t going to be too much fun.

Today’s schedule includes Alberta Cross, Janelle Monae, White Rabbits, Delta Spirit, Portugal the Man, The Knux, The Low Anthem, Chairlift, Zac Brown Band and Midnite. I also have a brief interview scheduled with Erin McCarley after her set this evening.

Check back on Friday for a review of today and a preview of a jam-packed Friday schedule that includes the first show of Phish, Public Enemy, Grace Potter, St. Vincent, TV on the Radio, Girl Talk, Beastie Boys and a whole lot more!

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