MANCHESTER, Tenn. — Sunday afternoons at Bonnaroo invariably feature a host of younger acts. And on the final Day 4 of the 2019 festival, several found time to thank their dads from the stage on this Father’s Day.
Raucous Lemon Twigs soak up the ‘70s
With their array of vintage gear, bellbottom pants and suggestive swagger, it would be easy to mistake The Lemon Twigs’ performance at Bonnaroo’s This Tent Sunday afternoon as a show straight out of the 1970s.
Frontman and lead singer Michael D’Addario came onstage looking strikingly similar to Lou Reed—clad in a leather jacket and oversized sunglasses—while his guitarist brother Brian sported black feathers from his outfit.
While the two brothers are young, their influence from the past has allowed them to develop a sound wholly unique to this era. With bouncing melodies and frequent falsetto vocals, the Twigs have reworked the cheesy elements of ’70s radio rock into a wild musical display.
The group’s bombastic performance fell somewhere between the camp silliness of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and hard-rocking passion of classic bands such as The Who.
Throughout the set, the D’Addario brothers scissor-kicked their way through songs such as “I Wanna Prove to You” and “These Words,” frequently stepping over stage monitors to put themselves directly in front of their crowd.
Even between songs, the band’s banter verged on absurdity. While Michael told rambling tales in a made-up Brooklyn accent, Brian took his time to share some crucial important information.
“Before we continue, I have an announcement to make,” said Michael. “I am growing my hair for peace!”
But between all the Mick Jagger-esque struts and goofy singing styles, there was real talent shining from the young band. While music festivals have grown from the absurd antics of rock bands, The Lemon Twigs gave Bonnaroo a taste of a musical era that’s become the stuff of legend.
— Hayden Goodridge, MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
Whattaya know: EDM show with no bass drop
Sundays at Bonnaroo are always eagerly anticipated, especially for artists. Up-and-coming DJ CID performed his set midafternoon Sunday on the festival’s final day and found his patience rewarded.
He began his set at the Other Stage with a small gathering of just over 50 people. As his set progressed the crowd steadily grew.
Highlights of the set from The Queens, New York native included remixes of several popular songs, such as Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” and TLC’s “No Scrubs.”
“Bonnaroo, let me see those hands up, having a good time!” CID shouted to the crowd.
In the humid, nearly 90-degree weather, folks were still dancing the afternoon away to CID’s unique style of EDM music. It was clearly made for listeners to feel the rhythm — minus the high-intensity bass drops and loud sound effects typical of the genre.
— Morgan Brantley, MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
Two Feet remains shoeless throughout
Fans crowded under This Tent at Bonnaroo Sunday as singer-songwriter Bill Dess —best known by his stage name, Two Feet —performed while eventually stripping down to nothing more than a tank top, briefs and socks.
In front of flowing animations on the LED wall, the set began with deafening screams from the crowd as Two Feet broke into the opening verse of “Back of My Mind” from his 2018 album release “A 20 Something F—k.” Amid guitar solos, he played a mix of songs from all of his albums along with a cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine, which had the whole crowd clapping along while flags swayed to the beat.
Looking out over the crowd, as balloons and beach balls bouncing from right to left over the crowd, Two Feet proclaimed, “This is sick!”
Then hands shot in the air when he launched into “I Feel Like I’m Drowning,” the crowd screaming the lyrics back.
Young Atlanta singer brings the lo-fi indie folk
Faye Webster was one of Bonnaroo’s first acts Sunday in This Tent, bringing an easygoing indie folk vibe to wind down the festival.
The Atlanta native was there with her full band, including a steel guitar player, that added to the lo-fi folk sound. After signing to Secretly Canadian records last year, Webster last month released her third album, titled “Atlanta Millionaires Club.”
Webster played several songs from the new album, including, “Right Side of my Neck,” “Pigeon,” “Flowers,” “Room Temperature,” and “Kingston.”
During her set, the 21-year-old acknowledged her father, who was in the crowd, in honor of Father’s Day.
Webster’s father inspired the title of her most recent album. According to her record label, she lifted the Atlanta Millionaires Club title from the name her father used for his group of up-and-coming friends in grad school who went on to become a sponsored club that competed in 5K races and a doughnut-eating contest for charity.
The comedic title contrast with the heartache/self-reflective undertone on the album.
Webster’s folk-dominated set also included influences of R&B and hip-hop, prompting the crowd to sing along and sway to her songs.
— Tiffany Brady, MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
Nashville’s Sun Seeker brings humor, talent to stage
Nashville-based rock band Sun Seeker made quite a splash at Bonnaroo’s Who Stage Sunday afternoon.
The self-described “Cosmic American Music” group officially became a band in 2013 and have played in Nashville ever since. Their debut EP, “Biddeford” (on Jack White’s Third Man Records) came out after their 2016 single “Georgia Dust.”
Quirky in nature, Sun Seeker even sang songs about breakfast foods — yes, breakfast foods — on the last afternoon of Bonnaroo 2019.
From bagels to biscuits, lead vocalist-guitarist Alex Benick asked the crowd what they eat for breakfast before launching into the lyrics, “Bagel, cream cheese, biscuit, jelly. Biscuit, cream cheese, bagel in my belly!” Soon everyone that was standing by the Who Stage was screaming the words and jumping to the beat of the drums.
Benick wished everyone in the crowd a Happy Father’s Day.
“Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! And Happy Father’s Day to my dad, who came out to our show today!” he said, as his father acknowledged the applause from the back of the crowd.
— Megan Cole, MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
Fans get more than they bargained for with Kikagaku Moyo
Kikagaku Moyo took to stage at Bonnaroo’s That Tent Sunday afternoon with no fancy lights, no LED wall or even a backdrop with a logo. Even so, the five-person Japanese psychedelic rock band left the crowd wanting for more.
Dressed in colorful tops and trousers, all with long haircuts straight from a 1960s fan magazine, Kikagaku Moyo’s sound was even more intoxicating.
With most of the performance being filled with strings and drums, numerous other sounds filled the tent. Aside from their melodic voices, wind chimes, cowbells, keyboards and rattles made for very earthy tones for the first half of the show.
Slowly and methodically, what at first was a peaceful and easy-listening set soon turned into a rock show. The soothing sounds of the electric shamisen were replaced with electric guitar solos in the blink of an eye—and the fans loved it.
If it wasn’t for a member of the Bonnaroo staff coming up to the front of the stage to tell the band their set was over, Kikagaku Moyo would likely still be playing.
Finally wrapping up their last song, the band was greeted with a deafening applause. And after waving and hugging each other for a brief moment, the band soon began to pick up and pack up their equipment—and the crowd continued to applaud.
This went on for nearly three minutes before the members stopped packing and headed down from the stage to greet their faithful fans.
— Tyler Lamb, MTSU Seigenthaler News Service
