[REVIEW + PHOTOS] Bonnaroo 2023 | Thursday & Friday

Review by Philip Obenschain. Photos by Mary-Beth Blankenship.

Now that we’re a year and another fest removed, we think we can confidently say that last year’s Bonnaroo was weird. It was always going to be- between Covid postponements and cancelations in 2020, the festival’s first-ever rainout in 2021, and an attempt to scrap the bulk of those prior lineups and lure fans back post-pandemic in an uncertain concert-going climate, 2022 was destined to be a year of rebound and transition. Though it did mark the first summer outside of ‘Roo that felt kind of normal since 2020, and many logistical factors on the road to normalcy remain outside of the fest’s control, it also saw a Bonnaroo plagued by low attendance and a bit of an identity crisis.

We’re pleased to say, however, that Bonnaroo got its mojo back this year! Not only was attendance way back up- the best we’ve seen in years- and this year’s lineup was a marked and varied improvement much closer to that infamous 2020 lineup that sold out in record time, but after that warmup return in 2022, ‘Roo took the opportunity to make some bold changes this year, completely rethinking and overhauling how camping and ticket levels work, making single-day options more available from the start, revamping the campground layout and plazas (which were fittingly renamed Outeroo), and continuing to tweak the logistical changes which have been simmering for the last several years. The result was a really enjoyable, expectedly well-run fest that still bears the longtime and unique Bonnaroo vibe of positivity, and turnout and enthusiasm befitting of our favorite summer fest, as it enters its twenties.

As we have for more than a decade now, we spent the weekend- June 15 through 18– on the farm, catching as many performances and experiences as we could possibly take in. Read the first half of our Bonnaroo 2023 review below (with each day divided by page) from editor Philip Obenschain, with photos from Mary-Beth Blankenship; scroll our Instagram for even more festival highlights, and, of course, be sure to keep an eye out beginning around January for updates on next year’s fest!

THURSDAY | FRIDAY

THURSDAY

Nordista Freeze

At least year’s Bonnaroo, I arrived just getting over being sick, and after hurriedly setting up camp in the scorching sun, I was basically zapped until sunset, much to my disappointment. This time, not only was the weather more forgiving, but getting in and getting situated was a breeze, and not long after the music kicked off in Centeroo, I was ready to start my weekend off right! I would’ve loved to venture into the Plazas for some bonus sets from Nashville faves like Winona Fighter and Venues & the Flytraps, but that’s quite a hike from the media camping area (which I’m fortunate to get to stay in!) and I was worried that I’d get stuck in the bottleneck of the line trying to get back. Instead, and a bit later in the afternoon, I opted to begin my ‘Roo with another local- the one and only Nordista Freeze! Shirtless and barefoot, the singer and his band were met with an enthusiastic early crowd (with some familiar faces of other artists who’d play later in the weekend), and rocked the revamped Who Stage (which got a major upgrade last year in size and scale, and this year was outfitted with even more screens and better production). Hitting favorites like “Wysteria,” “Dolphin,” and vibey new tune “Juicy,” the show was as high-energy and honed as you’d expect from one of the most prolific live bands in Nashville, but also still retained a feeling of unpredictability, as Freeze jumped and crawled around the stage, encouraged crowd participation, and at one point even took off running around through the field behind the tent. Needless to say, they set the bar high for the rest of the fest, and felt like a perfect welcome back to the farm!

Ezra Furman

In the first of many scheduling conflicts of the weekend (my FOMO-fueled primary gripe with Bonnaroo is my inability to be in three places at once at all times), Ezra Furman was scheduled to play an overlapping set at That Tent, but after some day-of scheduling changes (remember to download the app folks, it’s great to learn about those in real-time), I was able to catch much of her performance after. Though I find her recorded music to have more of a vibey, indie and art pop bent, I was surprised to find that live (my first time seeing her), she comes off as a lot more punk rock! Songs like “Forever in Sunset,” propelled with the aid of her excellent band, took on a new energy, freneticism, and urgency, with Furman almost scream-singing the chant-worthy choruses and hammering the personal nature of the lyrics. Ezra’s been making music for over 15 years, and has gone through quite a journey musically and personally in that time, and I feel like the art she’s making now is her most special and genuine work ever, making this as incredible moment to first see her live. Thursday’s always a crapshoot at ‘Roo, without main stage headliners and people still arriving and not yet venturing out for music, but Furtman still commanded a decent early crowd who all seemed just as impressed as I was with this stellar afternoon set.

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

The Bonnaroo old heads (I first started attending way back in 2006, ya whippersnappers) that for a number of years in the 2010s, actor and musician Ed Helms led a Bluegrass Situation SuperJam. After that went away, it was replaced for a couple of years by a Grand Ole Opry showcase, which served as a fun way to host some great Nashville talent from the country, Americana, folk, and bluegrass world (something we have plenty of exposure to as locals, but was a fun novelty for out-of-towners). The Opry was still on then schedule as recently as those canceled 2020 and 2021 years, but was omitted last time around, and as of this year, appears to be gone for good. The spirit of that showcase lives on in the lineup though, with a country-skewing Galactic Giddy Up stage out in the Plazas, and with Centeroo sets like Nashville’s Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway. The eclectic bluegrass and Americana artist and her band have been getting a ton of national attention lately, and for good reason- they’re amazing! Through songs like “She’ll Change” and “Nashville Mess Around,” their energetic, harmonic, and traditionalist bluegrass brought a unique vibe to the Farm that historically hasn’t been represented much (outside of those aforementioned showcases) and immediately caused the crowd- the best of the day yet- into an old-fashioned jamboree.

Angel Saint Queen

There’s always a ton of Nashville talent at Bonnaroo, but Thursday felt extra jam-packed with locals this year, which is such a fan way to spend the first day. As I’ve mentioned in prior writing, local duo Angel Saint Queen features No Country contributor Becca Castle, who helps curate our playlist, so I can’t be totally objective in my assessment of their performance, which was my first time seeing them live. But my biased take is that ASQ ruled! Boldly opening with LCD Soundsystem classic “Dance Yrself Clean” (which I’m excited to see LCD themselves play in a few weeks at Re:SET Festival), the tone was set high from the jump, and after moving on to their own great indie rock like “Diablo Lake,” Castle and Maddie Bouton, plus their great backing band, had amazing chemistry, great energy, and definitely seem like an exciting group to keep an eye on. There were clearly a lot of friends and family in the audience too, with their own built-in hype squad only helping up the energy.

Venus & the Flytraps 

After a little breather, I stuck around for yet another local set on the Who Stage, Venus & the Flytraps. I’m usually not one for labeling broad generational generalizations, but if pressed to describe a group as “very Gen Z,” I’d have to point to this duo (in the best way). They’re extremely funny and self-deprecating live, core duo Ceci Tome and Brenna Kassis have a really fantastic creative partnership, and sonically they’re really eclectic, pulling as much from aughts pop rock nostalgia as modern indie. I hope they get as big as fellow ‘Roo performers like MUNA and girl in red, because they’re making some of the best indie music in Nashville right now, and they’re so much fun (in addition to being genuinely great) live. Like all the local artists, the audience was filled with friends, and Tome and Kassis created a really informal and laid back vibe, cracking jokes, telling stories, and making all of their incredibly personal yet energetic songs feel all the more raw and earnest. I don’t find ranking sets particularly constructive, but this would’ve been near the top for the day.

Petey

As, I imagine, many people have, I first discovered Petey during the Covid lockdown-fueled TikTok boom, where he makes dryly hilarious, surreal, and smart comedy shorts. It was probably after more than a year of casually seeing those videos that I first learned he made music (a creative pursuit that came way before the TikToks), and that that music is extremely up my alley, channeling influences of indie rock, emo punk, and scrappy electro pop. Needless to say, I was really curiously anticipating this performance, and quickly discovered I wasn’t the only one- as the evening set in and campers began to funnel in for the final few hours of night one, Petey commanded a pretty sizable audience at This Tent. Opening with “Pitch a Fit!,” Petey and his band (as with Ezra Furman earlier) were a lot heavier and more punk rock in person, which, honestly, tracks given that his sound reminds me a lot of Modest Mouse, and they tend to be a lot heavier and more frenetic live too. Anyone who simply knows him from TikTok might’ve been caught off guard by how serious and musically focused Petey is live- there were no bits to be found here, but there were so some killer tunes like “Apple TV Remote,” “California,” and anthemic chant-along, “Don’t Tell the Boys.” Not just one of my favorite content creators, Petey is also fast becoming one of my favorite indie artists right now as well.

Suki Waterhouse

Like Petey, I think I best know Suki Waterhouse through a non-musical venture, in her case as a prominent actress in projects like Assassination Nation, Detective Pikachu, and the recent Daisy Jones & the Six. I’ve certainly checked out her nostalgic and lush indie pop over the years as well though, and finally gave debut LP I Can’t Let Go a spin in preparation for the fest, which I loved. As is often the case when a performer’s celebrity extends beyond music, Suki had quite a big crowd, and after a slight delay due to what seemed to be a technical issue, she emerged, looking chic and cool as ever as she kicked off the set with breezy recent tune “Bullshit on the Internet.” So much more than an actor who took up music (or a musician who’s remarkable at acting), Waterhouse is a genuine multi-hyphenate, and everything about the style and quality of these songs, and the heartfelt way she performs them, felt so sincere, absent any sense of artifice. There were clearly some diehard fans in the crowd, singing along to every word and screaming at the top of their lungs as the singer danced around the stage, and by the time the set ended with best-known hit “Good Looking,” I think you can count me among them.

Diarrhea Planet

If there are no Diarrhea Planet fans left in the world, then I must be dead. One of the greatest Nashville rock groups ever to do it, I was heartbroken when the band announced their breakup back in 2018, going out with bang with a series of Exit/In shows (and a finale at The Ryman with Jason Isbell). Then, last fall, I was beyond elated at their return, to bid farewell to the long-time operators of Exit/In, for a pair of shows that felt like they had picked right back up without missing a beat. It was unclear then what the future might hold, and I’m still not sure if they’ll resume being a band full-time after Bonnaroo, but goddamn it was cool to see them back on a festival stage, in a prime timeslot, with a huge crowd, just like they deserved (let’s be real though, in a perfect world they’d be headliners by now). DP’s last ‘Roo set, back in 2014, was an infamously rowdy one, bringing chaos to the former New Music On Tap Lounge. This time they played the much more sizable This Tent, and though as high-energy and fun as ever, it didn’t have quite the same “they might literally tear this stage apart” energy as in 2014 (probably a good thing). Armed with an arsenal of guitars, long hair primed for head banging, and high on the wave of such a warm reception for their reunion, the shred-tastic party punks tore though favorites like “Separations,” “Spooners,” “Kids,” “Life Pass,” and of course their enduring classic “Ghost with a Boner,” ending with guitarist Evan Bird taking the mic for a ferocious cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade.” Though the best Diarrhea Planet shows might be the sweaty, cramped, crowd surfing and mosh friendly ones in small clubs, it’s a testament to how fun and legitimately great their songs are that they can effectively scale up for a music fest, and I really, really hope this won’t be my last chance to see them. What a hell of a way to end day one, and an impossibly high bar for the weekend!

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