[REVIEW + PHOTOS] Bonnaroo 2023 | Thursday & Friday

THURSDAY | FRIDAY

FRIDAY

AFI

I’m on the record as being an emo kid as a teen- a shared experience for many of the millennial, MySpace generation- and while I can and do get my fix at more genre-focused festivals like Riot Fest, When We Were Young, and Furnace Fest, I always love when Bonnaroo throws us a bone. Needless to say, I was both stoked and little surprised to see that not only were legendary California goth punks AFI on the lineup, but they’d be the band to kick off the main stage this year with a Friday afternoon set. They play mid-sized clubs when they headline Nashville, so I was curious how they’d draw in this slot, but the nostalgia factor was definitely high (something that always seems to benefit older bands who are slightly out of the typical zone on the lineup), and the AFI crowd turned out and turned up early! The band- decked out in all black and spikes and looking like dapper middle aged goths- wisely stacked the set with a lot of well-known older songs like “Girls Not Grey,” “Silver and Cold,” and “Miss Murder,” though as someone who’s continued to check in on them over the years, I appreciated hearing some new stuff too. Though I wish they had had a more primo evening spot, kicking off day two with one of the most influential bands of my teenage years was a pretty sweet start to Friday.

black midi

I had intended to venture to This Tent for the last few songs of experimental UK rockers black midi, but I couldn’t pull myself away from the nostalgia (or the front rail spot I snagged) for AFI, and by the time I began to head over, they were finish up. Still, our photographer Mary-Beth was able to snap some photos, of what she assures me was a very cool (and from the photos, apparently visually stunning) set.

MUNA

Following AFI on Bonnaroo’s biggest stage- was indie pop trio MUNA- a testament to the gigantic year they’ve had. They’ve been around for awhile, and seem like the the type of band who would’ve played the Who Stage then perhaps a tent before ultimately graduating to this spot on the What, amidst this really incredible moment they’re experiencing, but amazingly this was MUNA’s first Bonnaroo. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that MUNA might be one of the best bands in the world right now, both in the way they connect with their audience through their personal and musical ethos, but also and especially because their music is simply so damn good- poppy, fun, insanely catchy, and timeless. Singer Katie Gavin and guitarists Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin are absolutely electrifying live, and rocked that massive stage like they’ve been doing it for decades. Across songs like “Number One Fan,” “Winterbreak,” “Home By Now,” and “I Know a Place,” they elicited dancing, singalongs, and palpable adoration and passion from the crowd, expressing a humility and mutual appreciation right back, speaking about Pride Month (Tennessee’s ongoing push for anti-LGBT legislation weighed heavily on performers throughout the weekend), and peppering the show with stories and great banter. Ending with big hit “Silk Chiffon,” I wondered if a special guest might emerge as has happened at some other shows to sing the Phoebe Bridgers part, but instead McPherson just covered it themself. Lack of surprise couldn’t take away from the greatness of the performance though, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see MUNA back as headliners someday!

Knocked Loose

In one of the day’s most agonizing scheduling conflicts for my taste in particular, Kentucky hardcore outfit Knocked Loose overlapped with much of MUNA’s set. If AFI was one for the aging punks, Knocked Loose was a treat for the young ones, hot off an explosive Coachella set and one of the contemporary bands, along with acts like Turnstile, helping revitalize interest in hardcore punk at a wider level. I kind of wish this had been a late night set, as heavier acts have been in Roos past, but they still commanded the rowdiest crowd of the weekend as they blasted through propulsive songs like “Deadringer,” “Mistakes Like Fractures,” and “Counting Worms.” I didn’t know what to expect from this one, as the vibe of Bonnaroo is decidedly more old school peace and love hippie (though less so than it used to be) meets all night EDM party meets contemporary pop, but clearly there’s some overlapping taste for punk, because the Knocked Loose crowd was HUGE and hugely amped up, verging on violent (I later read stories of people in the pit rowdy to the point of needing medical attention, though I wasn’t deep enough in it to see that for myself). I hope the fest takes the hint and brings some more punk bands into the fold next year (and also that the crowd keeps their chaos limited only to those who consent to it if they do).

Portugal. The Man

Portugal. The Man are one of Bonnaroo’s most prolific return artists, having previously performed in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2017, and for good reason- they’re phenomenal live, their psych-tinged experimental rock ethos perfectly aligns with Bonnaroo’s vibes, and they have almost twenty years of music across eight (soon to be nine) albums with an eclectic array of material to pull from. I sound like a broken record, but this is another one I think might’ve best worked at night, but even in the late afternoon and on the biggest stage, PTM were excellent. With colorful staging and props and and a larger and more diverse band than ever, Portugal played several songs from their new album Chris Black Changed My Life, their first since 2017’s Woodstock catapulted them into the mainstream, due out later this month, for the first time live, like “Heavy Games II,” “Summer of Luv,” and “Dummy.” Though as pop accessible as their more recent stuff, the new songs definitely sound like the more experimental and oddball like the psych-pop they were making a decade ago, and the whole performance was a career-spanning treat, featuring, to my surprise, even some stuff from their early post-hardcore days like “Marching with 6” from their 2006 debut. All these years later, PTM’s live show still feels really fresh, and few bands are more adaptable to this type of festival setting.

Alex G

Ducking out of Portugal a little early, I was definitely feeling the heat and the endurance test of a full afternoon of music, so I took a break to have dinner and hydrate, and hung by This Tent to watch some of Alex G. I’ve been a big fan of the Philly indie slacker rocker for over a decade now, but he’s an artist I tend to prefer in small clubs and more intimate performances. He sounded solid, and seemed to have stacked the end of the set list with mostly new stuff from last year’s God Save the Animals, which I haven’t spent as much time with as earlier records, but as I’ve noticed when catching him at fests in the past, his chilled out style doesn’t translate as effectively for big outdoor crowds. That’s not to say everyone has to be high energy, or that more introspective styles can’t work at Roo, but in this particular instance, I’d rather opt for a show at Exit/in or Brooklyn Bowl (or, in the old days, The Stone Fox or The High Watt) to fully appreciate the nuance of Alex G’s vibe.

Three 6 Mafia

Hip hop has never been hugely represented on the Bonnaroo undercard (with some notable exceptions like 2012), but the fest definitely does have a knack for making interesting booking choices with their hip hop talent, as with Three 6 Mafia this year. I’m not sure if the legendary Memphis collective mean much to people under 30 (though recent TikTok trends might suggest otherwise), but to us millennials and Gen Xers who hear raunchy southern rap songs like “Poppin’ My Collar,” “Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” “Sippin On Some Syrup,” “Half on a Sack,” “Slob on My Nob,” and of course “Stay Fly,” we’re instantly transported to the time of popped collars and trucker hats, unironically saying “crunk,” and blasting rap music at some dingy house party with a keg of cheap beer. Unsurprisingly, the crowd was huge and hugely turnt, and the legendary Project Pat and Juicy J (for some reason dressed like and escaped Hannibal Lector in a straightjacket and face mask) partied like it was 1999. With a huge entourage, pyro, and visuals, it was one of the most visually compelling sets of the day, and even with the usual old school hip hop vibe of call and response, covers, and crowd work, they managed to play a huge set jam-packed with hits. For “Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” they were joined by Nashville area rapper Jelly Roll, who himself has been blowing up as of late. I knew this would be one of the biggest draws of the day, if nothing else of the novelty, but I didn’t expect just how big a party Three 6 Mafia would be. More legacy rap please, Bonnaroo!

Noah Kahan

I was admittedly a little late to the Noah Kahan bandwagon, as I grew a little tired of the foot-stomping folk pop that was all the rage of a few years ago. After checking out his recent album Stick Season though, I realized that Noah isn’t like those bands I had in mind, forging a younger, more contemporary, punk-spirited approach to folk which is elevated by some seriously great and deeply personal songwriting. I’m bummed I never caught him when he was briefly a Nashville resident, or at any of the small shows he’s played in town over the years, but I was excited to finally see him in action here. I’d been hearing buzz that he was drawing the biggest crowds at lots of recent fests, and though it seemed like all of Bonnaroo was at Three 6 Mafia, I was still shocked to discover just how huge an audience had packed in This Tent, literally one of the largest I’ve ever witnessed at this smaller tent (it’s always amazing to see artists blow up between the time they’re scheduled and when the fest actually rolls around). I worked my way to a spot on the side where I could catch a glimpse of him, and from note one of set opener “All My Love” I was floored by how great Kahan and his band are live. He performed with such an urgency and rawness, yet bantered with a deep sense of humor and self-deprecation, referring to himself as “Jewish Ed Sheeran” and “Folk Malone,” and it’s impossible both not to like or being deeply impressed by him. Songs like “She Calls Me Back,” “Northern Attitude,” and “Dial Drunk” felt like they took on new dimensions live, their confessional lyrics urgently delivered in a way that seems therapeutic for the singer. And of course “Stick Season,” the song that helped TikTok boost Noah’s profile, made for a massive singalong at the end. I get it now; Noah Kahan is the real deal!

Fleet Foxes

I intended to sneak out of Noah Kahan a little early to go watch Fleet Foxes, but found myself both drawn into his set and stuck in its crowd, so I waited until the end to make my way across to This Tent. I’ve seen the indie folk group before, but it’s been a number of years, and though I haven’t kept up as well with more recent releases, their first two albums and Sun Giant EP are still deeply important to me. To my delight, the majority of their set came from those records, and songs like “White Winter Hymnal,” “Mykonos,” and “Helplessness Blues” still sound as magical and transcendent as they did when I first heard them at 20 or 23, brought to life with a really great band of multi-instrumentalists and backing singers. This was definitely one of the softest and most hypnotizing sets of the whole weekend, and I feel like overlapping it with Noah did Fleet Foxes no favors, as he feels like something of a new torchbearer for the more substantive and confessional indie folk they helped revolutionize.

Kendrick Lamar

I first saw Kendrick Lamar at Bonnaroo 2012, a really special debut at the precipice of his early fame that felt like I was witnessing something extra special. He returned the next summer- a Roo rarity- already on the come up, and just two short years later, in 2015, he’d graduated to headliner and had cemented his status as one of modern hip hop’s greats and (now even more apparent) one of the greatest rappers of all time. After three Bonnaroos in four years, the eight year gap to this return feels like an eternity (DAMN. was still two years away at his last ‘Roo, and that feels like ages ago to me). I can’t say I’ve quite connected with his latest album yet quite as deeply as the prior three, but it’s certainly an impressive, musically adventurous work, and I was eager to see how it would translate live. We weren’t able to take photos of this set, and now more than eight hours of music into my day, I opted just to watch from the back rather than work my way up close. Performing to a huge field of attendees, I found the show to be pretty subdued and focused on the music, but songs like “ELEMENT.,” “King Kunta,” “Swimming Pools,” “LOYALTY.,” “HUMBLE.,” and “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” (many of which I’d never seen him play before) made for a fan-friendly and impressive performance of hits. As the clock hit midnight, it was officially the rapper’s 36th birthday (that might be a Bonnaroo first for me, to see a birthday happen in real time) and some of the crowd sang to him in tribute. A little after, he welcomed out his cousin Baby Keem for their song “family ties,” and ended things a tad early with recent song “Savior.”

Sylvan Esso

There was a lot of cool late night stuff happening on Friday, but right after Kendrick we opted for Sylvan Esso, who’ve delivered some of the most memorable Bonnaroo performances over the years. The duo’s stage presence is always magnetic, and their dreamy and dance-primed electropop style lends itself perfectly to a festival atmosphere. DJ and multi-instrumentalist Nick Sanborn emerged fully dressed in drag, and singer Amelia Meath donned a beard made of glitter, a choice they soon explained was prompted in protest of Tennessee’s attempted drag ban (thankfully shot down recently- for now at least- by a federal judge). Per usual, the pair sounded amazing, Meath’s unique movement and commanding aura were unrivaled, and songs like “Ferris Wheel,” “Dress,” “Die Young,” “Hey Mami,” and “Coffee” still landed as effectively as the first time I heard them. I’ve mentioned a few artists who I wish had been late night performers, but this is one that absolutely deserves this slot, cultivating both a special, mesmerizing show and bringing the opportunity to dance and vibe and feel something all in equal measure.

Destroy Lonely

I’m usually out for the night before the really, really late stuff, but my curiosity about seeing Shaquille O’Neal perform a DJ set in the middle of the night at a major music festival inspired me to rally. After a little break at camp to have a snack and make a couple drinks (I don’t spend much time in these reviews talking about the camping experience, but it’s a pretty rare perk to be able to bring alcohol and food with you to a fest, and effectively be able to go back to your tent and save some money on libations), I made my way back to Centeroo around 2 a.m. Bonnaroo is a 24/7 festival, though the major stages don’t really have anything going on from about 4 a.m. to noon (you’ll find stuff in the Plazas then, however), but it’s certainly a lot more sparse and low-key in these late hours. It’s a fun time to wander around, see everything all lit up, and see who’s still out and about with a second (or third) wind. Many (if not most) food vendors remain open too while the late night Centeroo stuff is happening, so it’s a good time for a midnight snack. I was definitely starting to fade fast, but before walking over to The Other, I swung by This Tent to see a few minutes of Destroy Lonely. I’m a sucker for internet-primed, emo-tinged, hyper modern hip hop, and I think his sound is really interesting. But though he’s blowing up online, I’m not sure Destroy Lonely quite had the cache for this timeslot yet, met with a fairly modest late night crowd (I probably would’ve swapped him with Alex G for a more impactful set). He sounded cool but also seemed a little tired- I’d love to see him again in a more conventional setting.

Diesel

After a few minutes of Destroy Lonely, I headed to The Other Stage for the first time this Roo (you can probably gather from our reviews, but we’re not huge EDM fans over here, making this my least-trafficked stage), and discovered why the rest of Centeroo was so barren- nearly everybody out was at Shaq, a.k.a. Diesel. Is he a good DJ? I’m no expert, so I can’t say with certainty, but while he isn’t doing anything super original or deviating from the current EDM trends, he seems pretty solid for a 50-something ex-NBA player who’s essentially just doing a side quest. Already over seven feet tall, Shaq seemed even more enormous perched atop a giant, elevated DJ booth, and kept hoping on the mic to further hype up and check in on the crowd. It was a novelty set for sure, and not something I would’ve been super enthusiastic about from just any random DJ (the point of this stage is to dance, and at this point I was more ready to sleep, so that’s partly on me), but the music was cool and seeing an NBA legend in the booth was even cooler.

This had to be one of the most varied and fun days of Bonnaroo I can ever remember, and as soon as I got back to camp I crashed hard. That’s only half the weekend though, so keep an eye out for our rundown of the festival’s Saturday and Sunday!

THURSDAY | FRIDAY