Bonnaroo Band of the Day: Main Stage Roundup, Part 8

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 2014 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’ve made our way through the fest’s entire undercard, we’ll be spending our last couple of weeks making sure you’re up to date on the festival’s headliners, this time in the form of group posts. Keep reading for your Bonnaroo Band of the Day: Main Stage Roundup…

LIONEL RICHIE

Saturday | What Stage | 8pm

There’s little doubt in our minds that you’re already familiar with Lionel Richie; after all, he is one of the best selling artists of all time. If you haven’t heard of Richie, know that he got his beginning with Motown legends the Commodores (yes, the very same group who wrote “Brick House”), and to this has kept that soulful, emotionally raw approach to his music ever since. In 1982, Richie started his solo career right with the number one hit “Truly,” and has gone on to establish himself as a one of the most powerful forces on the R&B and soul scenes ever since. Richie stopped being as active in the live circuit back in the ’80s, and only seems to come out a few times a year to play the occasional show nowadays, but that makes his performance at Bonnaroo all the more exciting. He’ll be playing on the What Stage at 8 p.m. on Saturday, so why not come out, get your groove on, and start your Saturday evening off right. [JS]

LISTEN | “Stuck on You”

WATCH | “Hello” (Official Music Video)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

JACK WHITE

Saturday | What Stage | 10:30pm

Honestly, if you haven’t heard of AND don’t already know anything about this year’s top tier headliners, there really isn’t much we can do for you, other than to suggest you get your head out of the sand and start reading our blog daily. Born in Detroit, but now representing Music City, (which we all couldn’t be happier about), Jack White is part independent record mogul, part musical Willy Wonka and all heart when it comes to rock ’n’ roll. Nearly everything he’s touched has turned to gold, including his first band, The White Stripes. Their breakout garage blues legend status was just the beginning for White, who has gone to form two other bands (The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather) and collaborate with pretty much everyone who’s worth mentioning in rock music today. His second solo album, Lazaretto, dropped yesterday — so you will be getting it in healthy doses all summer long. With one of the largest catalogs of all the artists on this year’s bill, there is literally no telling what he might play and what tricks are up his sleeve. This just might be the most highly anticipated show of Bonnaroo 2014, and it could easily become the greatest night of your life. DO … NOT … MISS IT! [JR]

LISTEN | “Lazaretto”

WATCH | “High Ball Stepper” (Official Music Video)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

KANYE WEST

Friday | What Stage | 10pm

While opinions on Kanye West are somewhat divided here at No Country, this humble editor wholeheartedly believes him to be the profound, high-concept genius ‘Ye feels the need to constantly remind you that he is. Atlanta born, Chicago raised, Kanye got his start as a producer for some of hip hop’s hottest acts, quickly rising through the ranks and leveraging his platform to transition into a solo career. While early efforts marked some of the best of the early ’00s hip hop scene, Kanye’s inaugural releases were stylistically in sync with the times. It was 2007’s Graduation that first hinted at what Kanye was becoming (despite the fact that it might be his weakest effort), and it and its quick, moody, and experimental followup, 808s & Heartbreak, that gave way to West’s magnum opus, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Quite possibly the best hip hop release of our generation, and, nearly, a perfect album through and through, Kanye really showed his genius with how he choose to followup Fantasy: a brash, industrial, anti-hip hop foil of an album called Yeezus. While its aim was lost on some, critics largely understood ‘Ye’s 2013 attempt, and heralded it as one of the year’s best. An ambitious, arena tour, part concert and part performance art would follow, strengthening Kanye’s broader artistic ambitions. What he’ll bring to Bonnaroo, especially after a disastrous outing at the fest in ’08, in anybody’s guess, but there’s one thing we know for sure: you don’t want to miss it. [PO]

LISTEN | “Blood on the Leaves”

WATCH | “Video Name” (Official Music Video)

CONNECT | Site | Twitter | Spotify

ELTON JOHN

Sunday | What Stage | 10:30pm

It almost seems pointless for us to write about Sir Elton John, since we have a hard time thinking of you readers haven’t already become quite familiar with the man. John has had seven consecutive hits, the number one best selling single of all time (“Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind”) and went an astonishing 31 years with at least one song in the Billboard Top 100. Plus, he wrote the Lion King classic, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” There’s little doubt that Elton John is the ‘main act’ of all of Bonnaroo; he’s this year’s version of Paul McCartney. John will be the last performance of the entire festival, but, frankly, we couldn’t think of a better way to wrap things up. Catch this legendary performer this weekend and finish your Bonnaroo in style. [JS]

LISTEN | “Tiny Dancer”