The Syndicate

Resurrecting this thread by popular request to talk about Bonnaroo! I just finished my review, which will be posted on my music blog (http://offairwaves.wordpress.com/); however, I'll also post it here for general perusal.

Festival Wrap: Bonnaroo 2013

The survey I took after Bonnaroo asked me to sum up the experience in one word, and finding that word was easy: overwhelming. Over a hundred performances, spread over 700 acres in Tennessee, at times that ensure no one gets any sleep whatsoever for four whole days, make this festival a true marathon of music. I’ve finally started to catch back up to the world “out there,” as they call it, and I’ve recovered enough to report on some of the best and most disappointing parts of the weekend.

LIKES

The Polyphonic Spree - This cult (er, band) was responsible for two of the most unmistakably Bonnaroovian moments of the weekend. They played the songs of the Rocky Horror Picture Show to the crowded cinema tent, matching the ridiculous bombast of that cheesy musical with their equally ridiculous huge sound. Frontman Tim deLaughter then announced a secret set for 2 AM outside the Centeroo fountain, and sure enough, the whole massive ensemble kept up the music for two more hours. Their cover of Nirvana’s “Lithium” managed to do the impossible, turning its dejected irony into a legitimately uplifting work of art.

Capital Cities - Maybe it’s because of the mind-numbing amounts of airplay they get on my local indie station, but I was expecting the LA-based indie pop group to sound slick and overly-produced. Instead, their 1 AM set breathed with energy, all the parts played live and getting the crowd moving.

Paul McCartney - It’s hard to be surprised by such a huge name as the ex-Beatle, but Macca managed to be even better than I anticipated. He played everything I wanted to hear, and did so with authentic joy, interacting with the audience and putting new spins on old tunes. Eighty thousand people singing along to “Hey Jude” isn’t something you can easily forget.

Animal Collective - The electronic experimenters managed to hit every right note with their trippy soundscapes. The audience of drugged-up rave kids responded with suitable enthusiasm, creating a party that didn’t stop until very late indeed.

Johnnyswim - The Nashville natives were an unexpected treat early Saturday afternoon. The duo of Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez has real chemistry on stage, and their unique blend of soul and folk is something I’ll be keeping an ear on in the months to come.

Four Tet - I didn’t know what to expect from this one man (UK native Kieran Hebden) and his laptops, but I was glad I took the chance. He had masterful command of his material, layering beats over beats in a way that was delicately hypnotic and avoided the easy payoffs of so much electronic music. His own intense concentration was all the stage presence he needed.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band - A scheduling shakeup put this seminal New Orleans group in a nightime slot, and they responded with an incredibly chilling performance. Dressed in their old-fashioned suits, they blew their horns like a band out of time, wailing into the darkness with absolute mastery. Emotionally and musically superb.

Bluegrass Superjam - Ed Helms, better known as Andy from “The Office,” proved himself to be a man of many talents as he led an impromptu group of musicians on the guitar and banjo. Members of the Punch Brothers and Del McCoury were among the over twenty stars who rotated through the stage over the course of the set, and by the end of it, over twenty musicians were sawing away on old bluegrass standards.

Dan’s Gourmet Mac n’ Cheese - The Nashville-based gourmet spot had the tastiest vegetarian option of the festival, a unique and decadent kale, feta, and Parmesan concoction. Meat eaters could also be satisfied with over the top barbeque-styled dishes.

LETDOWNS
Passion Pit - After their cancellation at Bunbury last summer, I was really looking forward to the synthpop act’s show on the What Stage. What I got, however, was a sound without any backbone and a performance that seemed more navel-gazing than engaging. Other bands rose to meet the challenge of the main venue, but Passion Pit faltered.

Mumford and Sons - You can’t fault the band for cancelling due to health issues, but Jack Johnson wasn’t exactly the replacement Roo was looking for. Mumford’s huge arena sound was a void in my Saturday night.

RZA Superjam - Expecting an old-fashioned hip-hop dance party, I got a very disjointed experience, too many artists trying to upstage each other instead of collaborating for an unforgettable night. The crowd was lost, and the individual performances lost something as well in that setting.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - This letdown falls more on the Roo organizers than on the band, but the crowd for the indie folk group far overflowed the Which Stage. It was impossible for the majority of the crowd to get anything more than a glimpse of them, and for a band with such a warm and intimate sound, this was devastating to the performance.