With the ground still shaking from a frenetic Friday at Bonnaroo 2015, Saturday’s music dawned in a much calmer mood. The previous day had been a smorgasbord of hard-hitting rock, funk, and electronic music. Saturday’s slate, if one so chose, could be a similarly bountiful buffet of roots and indie rock, with acts like Catfish and the Bottlemen, Jesse Terry, and Trampled By Turtles holding sway over the early afternoon. Guys with amplified acoustic instruments would also dominate the evening, as Mumford and Sons were primed to make their return to Manchester after being forced to cancel in 2013.
After a typically invigorating set from Trampled By Turtles, which featured a string quartet, one of the one-hit wonders of the lineup took the What Stage. Hozier’s “Take Me To Church” was a given, but the slow burn of “Work Song” also translated well to the steamy evening. His performance proved engaging, with backup singers and a singing cellist adding to the depth and nuance. With production-heavy acts like Jamie XX, SBTRKT, and SZA confined to their own all-day party at The Other Tent, the rest of the schedule played out like a Spotify queue at a hip NPR barbecue.
Country music savior Sturgill Simpson found a relatively small but rapt crowd waiting for his set of righteous songs at That Tent. He took the stage oh-so-ironically to the sounds of booming hip-hop and performed in front of visuals more suited to a rock artist, for reasons we can only hope to understand. There’s a lot to dissect in Simpson’s odd world, and his music belies his mischievous nature because his songs are just so incredible. It’s real country, with a wink and a smile, and performed by a band playing well within and even beneath their abilities.
Belle and Sebastian enamored their devoted followers with an elaborate show befitting their ornate pop sound. Their setup was replete with multiple multi-instrumentalists playing strings, keyboards, a wide range of guitars, wind instruments, and a few unseen noise-makers as well. Meanwhile, the Which Stage proved a haven for unique interpretations of stalwart American styles with a twist, featuring Rhiannon Giddens, The War On Drugs, and Gary Clark Jr. Oh, and Zach Galifianakis made a surprise appearance with Jon Hamm during a comedy set in which they played out an absurdist dog and owner improvisation.
There’s a point during every Saturday at Bonnaroo that the festival reaches a crest. My Morning Jacket took the stage around sunset, we were suddenly closer to the end of the event than the beginning, and the defining band of Bonnaroo was about to take the stage. It was an electric moment. Jim James and company delivered a monumental set that showcased the sheer volume of amazing work that MMJ has done over the last 15 years. They’re a force of nature now, and they effortlessly took control of the farm with a well thought out setlist that culminated in one beloved tune after another. “Gideon”, “Evil Urges”, “Lay Low”, “Dondante”, “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream”, and the thundering “One Big Holiday” closer formed an unforgettable finish that reached one peak after another.
Squeezed between MMJ and Mumford and Sons, heavy metal titans Slayer found their audience waiting at This Tent, hungry for evil red lighting visceral shredding. The veterans more than delivered, moving a little slower on stage but sounding pretty much like they always have. Pummeling sheets of riffage and touchstone metal songs like “Angel of Death”, “World Painted Blood”, “War Ensemble”, and of course “Raining Blood” temporarily turned the Bonnaroo motto “Radiate Positivity” upside down, then eviscerated it.
The appeal of Mumford and Sons is broad, and it was great to see them offer a nearly three-hour set as their return to Bonnaroo and the road after a lengthy break from touring. The band has evolved mightily from the stripped-down acoustic act it once was, but their music hasn’t gained any edge in the process. They stretched out on new material while hitting several older favorites like “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave” along the way. But for all their newfound sprawl and grandeur, the show wasn’t satisfying in the primal way that so many others were on this weekend. Members of Dawes, Hozier, My Morning Jacket, and even Ed Helms and Danny Clinch joined in for “With A Little Help From My Friends”, and made for an undeniably great finish to an otherwise pedestrian set.
Tycho, who kept their cinematic post-rock instrumentals pulsating as long as they could, was one of a few enticing late night options. D’Angelo’s hardcore funk and soul band and Bassnectar’s audiovisual brain surgery weren’t as appealing as the weekend’s lone Superjam, which featured Metallica’s Robert Trujilo, John Medeski, Chance The Rapper, Pretty Lights, DMC, and many more – even Zach Galifianakis – making magic with “old school” songs from Queen, Cameo, Talking Heads, INXS, and many more. This Bonnaroo Saturday couldn’t quite live up to some of the epic days of years past, but the peaks, including My Morning Jacket, Slayer, Tycho, and the SuperJam – were exceptional.
