Bonnaroo 2014. Manchester, Tennessee. USA. Concert Review

Bonnaroo lights, by Molly Smith

Among the 80,000 “Bonaroovians” there is an undeniable sense of unity and good vibes. Over the course of four days I received hundreds of high-fives, the opportunity to dance all day from noon until the sun came up and memories of some of my absolute favorite artists.

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival takes place on a 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, which is located between Nashville and the middle of nowhere. Overnight the empty land becomes the vibrant temporary home of thousands of music enthusiasts across the nation. Fans camp out in the southern heat and throughout the day and night they have the chance to explore five large stages, playfully yet confusingly named What Stage, Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent and the Other Tent.  

The epic lineup this year caused one of the better problems for a festival to have: a stacked schedule. Every day we had to make critical and compromising decisions about which bands to see since there were many talented acts overlapping at the same times. However, we gave it our best shot and were still able to hit most important shows. It is nearly impossible to narrow down favorites, so below are some examples of awards I have given for several performances.

 Artists Review

• BEST multi instrumentalist: Robert Delong. Creativity and independence are what make Delong able to manage the stage all on his own. As a rising name in the electronic scene, he did a thorough job of showcasing the album “Just Movement”.
• BEST artificial hair color: MS MR. With pink hair flying and dance moves unlimited, Lizzy Plapinger of MS MR entertained the crowd with her sassy and dramatic performance, like a morph between Florence Welch and Katy Perry.
• BEST instrumentalists: White Denim. For a jam band, White Denim reaches a wide audience of indie enthusiasts and those who simply appreciate talented musicianship. This group of misfits clearly cares more about the quality of their music than anything else and easily keeps the crowd dancing.
• MOST emotional performance: Neutral Milk Hotel. When the energy in the music was raised, the crowed followed. When the focus was centered, nobody moved an inch. The power that Neutral Milk Hotel has over their audience reveals the amount of reverence they have earned. I cried the whole time. It was awesome.
• BEST sunny day music: Lonely Biscuits. A light hearted mix of hip hop and rock make Lonely Biscuits the perfect early morning, happy vibes band.
• MOST likely to make me lose track of time: Skrillex. If electronic music does its job, the crowd should be so lost in the continuous flow of music that they forget who and where they are. We arrived to What Stage for Skrillex’s performance around 1 a.m. with the intention of leaving halfway through, but before we knew it the sun was up.
• MOST comfortable on stage: Phosphorescent. While the bassist was obviously most comfortable with a cigarette in hand and sunglasses on his face, every member of Phosphorescent looked as though they were simply playing in their living room. Even though the crowd was huge, the relationship they create with their audience was intimate.
• MOST genius – sorry Kanye: Jack White. Jack White is not only a creative mastermind but also gave the best performance of all the headlining acts. His blue and black color scheme was as cool as his dark, inspiration speeches and heavy riffs. Material from the White Stripes, the Raconteurs and Jack White’s solo albums, including the recently released “Lazaretto” was showcased.