Bonnaroo Main Stage Roundup: Belle & Sebastian, Spoon, The War On Drugs, STS9, Ben Folds & yMusic

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!

BELLE & SEBASTIAN

Saturday | This Tent | 7pm

Scottish indie pop outfit Belle & Sebastian may be the most under appreciated act on this year’s Bonnaroo lineup. After nearly 20 years and 9 critically acclaimed albums, Belle & Sebastian have not garnered the commercial appeal of many of their contemporaries. They first pinged our radar with the sophomore effort, If You’re Feeling Sinister, specifically the first track of that album “The Stars Of Track And Field.” They followed that up with, arguably their most successful early record, The Boy With The Arab Strap. A possible reason for the band’s struggle to achieve worldwide fame is that the band does not tour with the fervor of other acts. Given our love of their 2015 release, Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance, and the relative infrequency to catch them live, Belle & Sebastian are on our absolute not-to-miss list this year.

LISTEN | “The Boy With The Arab Strap”

WATCH | “The Party Line” (Official Music Video)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

SPOON

Sunday | What Stage | 4:45pm

At this point in their career, Austin based indie-rockers Spoon are festival mainstays. We caught them last year at Forecastle, and they’ve been on lineups from Governors Ball to Lollapalooza to Coachella. It’s been quite a few years though, since they’ve graced the Bonnaroo masses with their tightly produced indie rock. Still touring in support of their 8th album, They Want My Soul, which released in 2014, expect a packed mid afternoon main stage for a sing along of hits. Frontman Britt Daniels doesn’t spend much downtime, as was evidenced by releasing music under his side project, Divine Fits, between the last two Spoon albums. As massive fans of both outfits, we’re sure hoping to hear an announcement about a new record through the What Stage PA on Sunday evening at this year’s Roo.

LISTEN | “Don’t You Evah”

WATCH | “Do You” (Official Music Video)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

THE WAR ON DRUGS

Saturday | Which Stage | 5:45pm

Catching The War On Drugs at Marathon Music Works back in October was one of our highlights of last year, and we were stoked to know we would catch them again when they were added to the Bonnaroo lineup this year. The past two years have been a breakout for the Philadelphia based rockers, as their 5th release, Lost In The Dream, pinged the top of a number of year end lists. While the studio tracks on that album are masterful, it’s the live show that really drives them home, and the most common “love child” comparisons that we came up with included Bruce Springsteen and My Morning Jacket or Dire Straights and Pink Floyd. Make your own comparisons with their perfectly placed set on a sure to be packed Which Stage on Saturday.

LISTEN | “Red Eyes”

WATCH | “Under The Pressure” (Official Music Video)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

STS9

Friday | That Tent | 1am

Bonnaroo began as a more jam band oriented festival, and, though over the years it has brought in more up and coming indie artists, they do a good job of nodding back to their roots with a few jammier performers. So, it’s no surprise to find that STS9 will be returning with their electro/jazz/funk inspired jams for their 5th late night dance party on the farm this year, and, if it is anything like their 2011 performance that went from 2:30 a.m. until the sun rose, you better come into this one well rested. STS9 is still touring in support of their 2011 release, When The Dust Settles, but, as any fan of the band will tell you, their magic lies in their epic live sets. If you are still in the dark, watch the sunrise during the encore from their 2011 Bonnaroo set below to get an idea of what you are in store for.

LISTEN | “Crystal House (Improv)”

WATCH | “Circus” (Live at Bonnaroo 2011)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

BEN FOLDS & YMUSIC

Friday | The Other Tent | 8:15pm

Nashville resident Ben Folds performs what he describes as “punk rock for sissies,” but he is widely accepted as one of the best pop songwriters in the business. He garnered most of his acclaim in the mid nineties with his alt pop outfit Ben Folds Five, but has released six solo LPs to go along with his extensive producer credits. His latest efforts, outside of helping to save Studio A here in Nashville, have been on a new album, So There, with acclaimed New York City based sextet yMusic, which releases on September 11 via new label New West Records. You can have a listen to the newest single “Capable Of Anything,” which premiered via NPR’s All Songs Considered recently, and then get back into the Ben Folds Five groove with “Brick” from his 1997 release Whatever And Ever Amen below.

LISTEN | “Capable Of Anything”

WATCH | “Brick” (Official Music Video)