Here are all the four-word reviews I wrote at the Bonnaroo festival, including a few that didn’t make it onto ArtsBeat. Many of these shows — but not all — have been archived by NPR.
Once again I acknowledge the inspiration of Coolfer Glenn (now Billboard Glenn). But of course nobody’s making any claims about originality here; it’s just fun to work in miniature.
The sets I enjoyed the most are in bold.
- Non-Commissioned Officers: Shouty kickoff, afternoon steam.
- The XX: Cold, beautiful, boring mask.
- Manchester Orchestra: Scale, grandeur, pathos. Songs?
- Fanfarlo: Proof ArcFire’s more’n fiddles.
- Entrance Band/Baroness: If hippies hate Slayer, is heavy’s success failure?
- Neon Indian: Didn’t really chill me.
- Blitzen Trapper: No longer simply derivative.
- Needtobreathe: Pushing Southern groove buttons.
- Calexico: Mariachi horns = soothing refreshment.
- Jamey Johnson: Deadpanned, rehabbed soothsayer. Understood?
- Regina Spektor: Charms multitudes like friends.
- Zac Brown Band: Skynyrd + Dave + Daniels + “Margaritaville”?
- John Fogerty: Indelible songbook; confusing riffage.
- Kris Kristofferson: Stark, strong, wise, silly.
- Weezer: Caustic, candied pop. Antijam.
- Thievery Corporation: Globalist blockrockers. What chillwave?
- Norah Jones: Soundbleed obscures her grace.
- Lissie: Her Gaga tender, raw.
- Mexican Institute of Sound: Ambassadorship served hot, booming.
- Clutch: OCD riffing, insistent barking.
- Deadmau5: Appropriately cartoonish hau5. Ka-pow!
- Stevie Wonder: True jamming, humanism. Magnificent.
- The National: Ennui too complex here?
- Tori Amos: Rhapsodic psychocabaret: unscary entertainment.
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Conservative, but right on.
- Les Claypool: Worst dancers (so far).
- Kings of Leon: A carnal sorta homecoming.
- Black Keys: Trying open-mindedness. Trying.
- Daryl Hall & Chromeo: Jukebox dancealong: Bonnaroo gold.
- The Flaming Lips: Dull side ofthe ’Roo.
- Galactic: Aggressive, phattish Nawlins funk.
- Conan O’Brien: Smaller stage, bigger love.
- Umphrey’s McGee: Oh, so thaaat’s “jamming.”
- Local Natives: The mustaches speak louder.
- Nneka: Drowned by Bud logos.
- She & Him: Muggy vibes’ perfect breeze.
- Lucero: Bruce > Gaslight > Marah > Lucero.
- Ween: Strangely flaccid. What’s wrong?
- Martin Sexton: Quite lovely, if tame.
- Bomba Estéreo: 2010’s Bonde (that’s good).
- Phoenix: Non-DMBers’ effervescent closure.
