Bonnaroo 2024 took place over the weekend and was truly one for the books. The good vibes were strong as the familial aspect of the event was seen everywhere. Bonnaroovians with sprouts clipped onto themselves or sharing them with others kept the spirit of positivity alive and well as the festival’s mantra. The artists who helped soundtrack the weekend certainly helped elevate the spirit and made for memorable moments themselves. The headliners of Fred Again.. , Red Hot Chili Peppers and Post Malone had incredible and fun sets, while there were numerous emerging acts who left their mark.
Chappell Roan, without a doubt has been having a huge moment so far this year as is Reneé Rapp, both who had huge overflowing audiences during their daytime sets. The temps were hovering in the 90s on Sunday when Chappell took the stage, with many securing a spot under the trees early on, while others were right at the barricade as early as 11am. The 26-year-old had the crowd engaged right from the start, as the huge crowd was singing “Femininomenon” at the top of their lungs and continued throughout the set. The same raucous reception was experienced during the Saturday set for Reneé Rapp as she danced to both sides of the stage to entertain the masses. The other major highlight for many was the Emo Superjam, curated by Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional. As the likes of Geoff Rickly of Thursday performed “I’m Not Okay (I Promise) by ” My Chemical Romance and Derek Sanders of Mayday Parade performed “I Miss You” by Blink 182, early during the set, the audience was instantly engaged, fist-pumping, dancing and singing as loudly as they could that gave goosebumps. The Beaches covering “That’s What You Get” by Paramore stepped up the excitement while the trio of Trousdale absolutely impressed the audience with their covers of “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy and “Misery Business” by Paramore. Judging by the reaction and the overflowing crowd of millennials who opted to watch via the big screens outside the tent, the special set was a surefire hit.
Other highlights included the walkthrough of eras during Melanie Martinez’s set. The electric singer/songwriter had a huge crowd for her midnight set as she played songs in order of her releases starting with ‘Cry Baby’, moving into ‘K-12’ and her recent release, ‘Portals’. The stage production was immaculate, filled with props, dancers and visuals that kept things interesting to even the casual fans. It goes without saying that the only festival appearance by Fred Again.. was not only highly anticipated but well worth the price of admission. The British electronic producer put on a set that felt impromptu yet well-curated specifically for Bonnaroo. With visuals of various singers who were featured on his tracks, as well as strobe lighting to accompany the songs, Fred Again.. and his long-time collaborator Tony Friend were energetic and focused during their performance. Midway through the set, Fred Again.. ran to the center near the soundboard and was elevated on a mini stage for all to see. The audience ate it up and danced, fist-pumped and screamed-sang throughout.
Post Malone set aside the country set that he’d been performing recently and brought on the hits during his set. The crowd was overflowing as nearly everyone stayed put during his hour and a half set that included familiar tunes like “I Like You (A Happier Song)”, “rockstar,” “Circles,” and an encore that included “Sunflower” and his recent country release “I Had Some Help” (feat. Morgan Wallen). The same excitement and large crowds were seen with Red Hot Chili Peppers, who not only delivered on the classics like “Under The Bridge”, “Give It Away” and “Californication,” but also lesser known songs like “I Like Dirt” and “The Heavy Wing” that only added to the fun set. Meanwhile, Grouplove absolutely crushed their set that was filled with nostalgia for many as well as showcasing new tunes that they recently released. Their set had an overflow of people that extended way beyond the This tent but it didn’t matter as many danced and grooved to familiar songs like “Tongue Tied,” “Colors” and “Ways to Go”.
Alison Wonderland closing out the entire festival with her late night set in Where in the Woods brought the energy to Bonnroovians, who were just as chaotic dancing as they did when Disciplines performed on Thursday. The producer also performed on Saturday as her alter-ego, Whyte Fang, which lived up to the billing as more of an art installation accompanied by the darker and industrial sonics that she was producing when first starting out.
As is the case with Bonnaroo, great emerging talent performed and without a doubt will be playing bigger stages soon enough. Trousdale brought their smooth harmonies and catchy tunes to the festival that undeniably showcased a confidence on-stage and warmth that was just as inviting. Songs like “If I’m Honest” and “Out of My Mind” were standouts but their cover of “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac was stunning and showed why they’re an artist to watch. The same can be said of the family four-piece of Infinity Song, who also covered Fleetwood Mac, but did “Dreams” and were captivating from start to finish. Local band Jive Talk were animated, theatrical and entertaining throughout their entire set as they walked on-stage in space-like robes and sunglasses. The costumes were ditched soon enough and the five-piece was jamming soon enough, bringing on their synth-driven art rock songs like the recently released “rat people” and “sally”.
Even though the heat and humidity were present throughout the entire event, it only served as one element of the memories made at this year’s Bonnaroo. The festival has always been about bringing a community of like-minded people together from all over the world, and that was seen everywhere from the sprouting and the generosity of strangers sharing food and water to the friendly conversations while waiting for artists to take the stage. The artists who performed at Roo this year may represent a cross-section of genres but had the common thread of the ethos of Bonnaroo, bringing the perfect soundtrack that will accompany memories from this year’s incredible event.
