Bonnaroo Main Stage Roundup: Flume, Hozier, D’Angelo & The Vanguard, Slayer, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals

Just like last year and the year before, we’re making it our mission to help you get acquainted with every single band on Bonnaroo‘s impressive 2015 lineup. We started from the bottom and have been working our way up, paying special attention to the smaller and lesser known acts on this year’s bill with daily, dedicated Bonnaroo Band of the Day and Bonnaroo Club Stage Band of the Day posts. Now that ‘Roo is fast approaching, and we’re adminttedly playing catch up through the rest of the fest’s lineup in the form of group posts. Keep reading for your Bonnaroo Band of the Day Main Stage Roundup!

FLUME

Saturday | That Tent | 2am

If you just don’t want the dance party to end on Saturday night, then we have the act for you. Enter Australian beatmaker Flume, who will be blasting the jams, most likely till the sun comes up. His debut self-titled album went double-platinum in his native lands, and has catapulted him to the top of the Aussie dance music scene. An EP (Lockjaw) followed, as did a slew of singles, and some pretty big name remixes (“Tennis Court” by Lorde, “Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith, “Afterlife” by Arcade Fire). Now Harley Edward Streten (a.k.a. Flume) is poised to invade American shores, and sew up our markets with what is sure to be a stellar late, late night set at Bonnaroo 2015.

LISTEN | “Afterlife (remix)”

WATCH | “Some Minds” feat. Andrew Wyatt (Official Music Video)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

HOZIER

Saturday | What Stage | 5:45pm

International Gaelic, blues, pop crooner Hozier caps off an astronomical year-plus run for his smash hit, debut self-titled LP. The singer’s impossible to not recognize single, “Take Me To Church,” also earned him a Grammy nom for Best Song Of the Year, and won him a Billboard Award for Top Rock Song. If overnight near superstardom wasn’t enough, Hozier now gets the chance to play the main stage early set Saturday night, for his first ever Bonnaroo appearance. Not too bad. Not too bad at all. Some of us lead a charmed life my friends. We told you all about his three night run at The Ryman in March, but now you can see him in a fest setting with 60,000 of your closest friends. Don’t miss what promises to be a signature performance from this year’s lineup.

LISTEN | “Work Song”

WATCH | “Take Me To Church” (Official Music Video)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

D’ANGELO & THE VANGUARD

Saturday | This Tent | 2am

Here’s another late, late Saturday night dance party, this time the neo soul, funk edition, brought to you by D’Angelo & The Vanguard. The first studio album, Black Messiah, with his new backing band, dropped by surprise at the end of 2014, to much critical and commercial success, mostly because of its ability to seamlessly flow through multiple genres. It is the third record over-all from the stand out R&B singer (and underrated guitar player), but his first since 2000’s Voodoo, which went platinum and reached number one on Billboard’s Top 200. Towards the end of of his worldwide tour in support of that album, D’Angelo began to have personal issues towards performing, and they worsened. It was mostly tied to his reluctance to be viewed as a sex symbol. After the tour, he returned to his hometown (Richmond, VA) and retreated from the public eye. An alcohol problem, fueled by a series of unfortunate events, scrapped any plans for further recordings and/or tours. For many, it appeared that the talented musician/singer had just fizzled out … until his triumph return earlier last year, which all began when he led the ?uestlove helmed Bonnaroo Superjam in 2012! Now he’s topping off one of the greatest, and most improbable comebacks in recent memory, with a super late night set that will keep kids young and old awake well past their bedtime at this year’s Roo. Don’t miss a show that was fifteen years in the making.

LISTEN | “Really Love” (Live)

WATCH | “Another Life”

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

SLAYER

Saturday | This Tent | 12am

Legendary thrash metal band Slayer are ready to throat punch your eardrums, in what will no doubt be the heaviest set of Bonnaroo 2015. The band was founded by Dave Lombardo, Kerry King, Tom Araya and the late Jeff Hanneman, in Huntington Park, CA, around 1981. Their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, saw their star rise, as they quickly became part of the “big four” in the ‘80s and early ‘90s thrash metal boom (the other three bands were Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax). Eleven albums, including this years’ Repentless, several line-up shuffles (King and Araya are the only original members), and a few controversies later, these metalheads are still kicking, and they are ready to peel the flesh from your skull with their sonic battle axes.

LISTEN | “At Dawn They Sleep”

WATCH | “Seasons In The Abyss” (Official Music Video)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS

Friday | Which Stage | 9:15pm

Back together touring for the first time since 2008, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals are ready to show you what makes them one of the best blues infested funk/rock bands of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. The band’s classic lineup has returned for a new chapter: percussionist Leon Mobley, bassist Juan Nelson, drummer Oliver Charles, keyboardist Jason Yates, guitarist Michael Ward and, of course, frontman Ben Harper. Harper and the band last performed at Bonnaroo in 2007, playing alongside very special guest John Paul Jones, who joined them for a performance of the Led Zeppelin classic “Dazed and Confused,” which Harper absolutely destroyed on his lap steel guitar. Together Ben and IC toured the globe almost nonstop for 15 years, earning legions of fans thanks to their explosive live performances. After taking some time to pursue other ventures, we couldn’t be happier to hear they are not only back playing together, but hidden away in an LA studio during breaks in touring, ready to lay down some new tracks. Odds are we may hear some of the new stuff at what is sure to be one of the top shows of Friday night.

LISTEN | “Jah Work: A Lewis Marnell Tribute”