Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
The Lumineers - Great sing-a-long set. Saw them in pouring rain at Shaky Knees festival last weekend and opening with Have You Ever Seen The Rain by CCR was a nice touch.
Nas - Saw him at the Concert For Virginia Tech after the shootings in 2007. Not a huge hip hop fan, and like it even less from a large distance in a stadium.
Kendrick Lamar - Saw him last year at Bonnaroo while waiting for Alabama Shakes. Super talented, but I just can't get into his music.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Much better live act than on record. Saw them playing their first album, which I liked much more, but have high hopes their new stuff also translates live. Highly recommend if you like their vibe.
Jim James - Saw him last weekend in 55 F downpour which dampened the show a little. I was a little disappointed how much stuff they didn't play live, but a good show none-the-less. Expect some Monsters of Folk covers after he plays his album straight through.
Matt and Kim - I've seen them twice in festival settings and hated them both times. I find Matt annoying and Kim obnoxious, plus there is such a thing as too much meaningless energy at a show.
Walk The Moon - Tremendous live show. I find them a little too poppy for my music taste as a general rule, but absolutely love the show they put on and the fact that they seem to appreciate being on stage playing for you.
Twenty One Pilots - Must see act if you like their sound at all. Part pop, part hip hop, part EDM. The frontman does the rapping and sings the hooks and does it ridiculously well. Great songwriting as well.
Milo Greene - Saw them open for the Civil Wars last year. Their harmonies are magical and having 4 singer-songwriters in a band shows in the strength and variance of the music. A little boring as far as a show, but a good set if you like their music.
Matrimony - I saw them in the very early stages of their band but they still put on a good show. Again, great songwriting and a band on the way up.
On an On - GO SEE THESE GUYS. Tremendous live sound and spectacle. 3/4 of the band was in Scattered Trees and it shows that they have been doing this for a while. Great live vocals and very good layering of sounds. Great pull for a Cafe band that I hope plays a set that isn't right in between Wilco and Macca.
Post by RxMarky Mark on May 11, 2013 12:14:05 GMT -5
Mumford - Roo '11. Got there too late and basically had to listen at the Brooers tent. Seemed a little boring to me, but location probably had the most to do with that.
The National - Opening for Arcade Fire on the Suburbs tour in '11. Great live show. B+
Passion Pit - Lolla '12. A big fan of their second album, better live vocals than I anticipated, and an overall really fun show. I had a blast dancing. B+
Of Monsters and Men - Lolla '12. Show was packed on the smallest stage. Couldn't actually see the stage, but sounded great. A great, chill afternoon show to sit in the grass and listen to. B+
Jim James - Only MMJ x 4. But its JJ, he's a basically a rock god.
Portugal - Second half of set at Roo '11. Didn't know anything about them except from praise on here. Was a good show, but I was really far back. Not enough to really judge them. Huge fan now though.
Matt & Kim - Small indoor venue. As others have said, really high energy, fun to dance too. But they're like the camp counselors Addam's Family 2, waaayy too cheerful and sugary. I was left wanting a little edge. B-
Walk the Moon - Cafe Roo '11 and Small indoor venue this past January. A high energy show that is really fun to dance to. But unlike Matt & Kim, it seems more authentic. Highly recommend seeing them. A-
Holy Ghost! - Opened for Cut Copy on their tour in '11. Never heard of them going into the show, but came out a big fan. Likely my favorite unknown opening act ever. A must-see show for me this year. A-
Milo Greene - Small venue in March. Decent show, a little boring/lacking in energy. Overshadowed IMO by their opener, The Kopecky Family Band. C+
Futurebirds - Forecastle '12 - Great live band. Was surprised since I am not of fan of their first album (their new one is a different story though). B+
Sir Paul - Yankee Stadium. I'm not a Beatles fan, but he sounded great. B+ Wilco - Bonnaroo 09, did not like them much. C- Pretty Lights 10x - One of my favorites. I even went to Chicago (from Jersey) to see his NYE shows a couple years back - always a good time. A+ Wu Tang - Rock the Bells 07 Randall's Island. Really enjoyed their set. B+ The National 10x - The other of my favorites. I once saw them four times in six nights at the Beacon Theater. Top notch. A+ Passion Pit 5x - Always a fun show, good energy. A- The xx 2x - Saw them at night and it was great, saw them in the late afternoon and it wasnt quite the same. B Nas - Hammerstein Ballroom. B+ Empire of the Sun 3x - It's a lot of fun to see. Ridiculous outfits, dancers, good visuals. A Grizzly Bear 2x - Do not particularly like them, seem boring to me. C Cat Power 2x Apollo Theater. She sounds really good and has a solid backing band. B Ed Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Lollapalooza '10. Really, really enjoy these guys and am looking forward to their hopefully not incredibly crowded set this year. A Jim James - Webster Hall. I thought the actual songs sounded great, but each one was followed by a long and drawn out jam session that bored the crap out of me. C+ Local Natives - Looking forward to finally seeing them again since Bonnaroo 2010. B+ Matt and Kim 4x - Not the greatest musicians, but their shows have tons of energy and they're always into it. A- Father John Misty - Webster Hall. Not a huge fan, but the show was enjoyable. B Walk the Moon 2x - Both were festival sets and were a great time. I'm really looking forward to their set Thursday night. Not sure why they're at The Other Tent, though. A- Preservation Hall - Brooklyn Bowl. Outstanding musicians that just put on a party the whole time they're on stage. Cant wait. A Killer Mike - Webster Hall. My first introduction to Killer Mike stuff was seeing him live and I loved it. Another show from the stacked Thursday this year I'm looking forward to. B+
My grades basically go on a fun factor, not musical ability or overall song catalogue.
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Saw them at Coachella in 2011. They played briefly and the singer had a meltdown of some sort and spent the rest of the set with his back to the audience, not singing, in a staring contest with his finger. Very strange. I'd like to check them out again, though!
lol I watched a video of this recently. What's up with Ariel Pink?
Yes, I just saw him at Buku'13 in March. I LOVE Earl and anyone else from OF for that matter. That being said, the show completely depends on the crowd. Earl truly thrives off of crowd reaction so it important that they know his music and what OF is like. And because such a small percentage of festival-goers are THAT into OF/ Earl, a festival is not the ideal place to see them. I experienced this at Buku, the crowd SUCKED, resulting in a lackluster show. However, the Roo crowd is known for reacting great to performers. So, if the crowd is into it and they let him know, he will absolutely dominate. But if you personally love his music as much as I do, it is worth it just to hear him live because it is rare that you get the chance to do so. My advice, if you don't know Earl or his music, don't waste your time. But I will be there singing every word along with him, hope to see some of y'all there!
Post by gardenfresh on May 14, 2013 4:56:23 GMT -5
Action Bronson
I need to post this in here because I need to warn the masses before it's too late. I don't understand everyone's hype with this fat bastard. I saw him open for another band one time, and he was absolute garbage. He went out in to the crowd, as I guess he does at like every show he does, and just spit stupid lyrics and a carried better-than-most attitude expecting everyone in the crowd to fawn over him for being so cool for walking amongst the "fans." I was not impressed, as it seemed like just a cheap way to grab everyone's attention.
It wasn't cool. Nobody was into his music, he was angry and his demeanor showed it. He ended up "freestyling" the same song for like fifteen minutes with no backing music. Nobody knew wtf he was doing, he ended up going overtime. The house had to turn his mic off and he got booed off the stage. Rightfully so.
Again, I don't understand everyone's obsession with Action Bronson and why they think he is the new upcoming name in hip hop. I saw him with my own eyes and he was garbage. Just my opinion.
Post by FuzzyWarbles on May 14, 2013 10:04:50 GMT -5
I caught the end of Action Bronson at Coachella and the entire crowd was just going nuts. The group I was with didn't want to get anywhere near stage but remarked "look they love him". I only caught a couple of songs so I can't comment on if it was a good show or not. With the time slot he has at Roo and nothing else I'm interested in going on at that point I'll probably check his set out.
Petty - Saw him at Roo in 06'. I love Petty, show was solid, bringing out Stevie Nicks was great. Aside from that, if you like Petty you will enjoy his show, but nothing over the top special. Pretty Lights - Roo 11' One of my favorite shows ever at the farm. Jim James (MMJ) Another Roo, i forget which year, but they were rockin' i enjoyed it. Preservation Hall Jazz Band - I think they have been to every almost Bonnaroo I have, but I have never really listed to an entire set. Cat Power - I know I have seen them, but I flat out do not remember anything.
Paul McCartney (x2) - simply a phenomenal show each time. If you're even a casual Beatles fan, you won't be disappointed. (A+)
Wilco (x10) - one of the most consistently amazing live bands in music today. (A+)
Pretty Lights - Roo '09. Meh. (C-)
Passion Pit - forgettable. (C-)
Animal Collective - I caught the much-maligned Roo '09 daytime Which set. I will grant that they were working against their normal performance elements (daytime show, outdoors, large crowd), but any truly worthy band would've been able to work past that IMO. The only Animal Collective worth catching is the TBA Grizzly Bear, Cat Power and Gov't Mule superjam! (F)
Of Monsters and Men - at Newport Folk Fest last year. Quite a fun show actually, and surprisingly high energy. (B+)
Cat Power - Chan's days as an unreliable performer are well past her - I saw her about three years ago and she was just fantastic. (A-)
Jim James - okay, I'm cheating a bit; I haven't actually seen Jim solo yet, but I've seen My Morning Jacket about 8 (I think?) times, and only once have they fallen short of excellence - not a shabby track record overall. (ranking withheld)
Glen Hansard - I have not seen Glen solo yet - but I saw him with The Frames earlier this year, and I'm fairly certain that will be a top three show of the year for me. Highly, highly recommended. (A+)
Matt and Kim - I saw them open for Cut Copy a few years ago and was very unimpressed with their show. One of my least favourite shows of that year, actually - thankfully Cut Copy saved the night, and another crisis was averted. (D-)
Conspirator (x2) - (B-)
Futurebirds - at Roo last year. It was a decent show to kick off the weekend then, so I'd expect no less now. (B-)
Jeff the Brotherhood - I saw them open for The Kills a couple years ago, and to be honest, I think they might have outperformed them. Worth a chance if you don't have any conflicts. (B)
Mumford and Sons - 1x -Not really a fan, to put it nicely, but the show was pretty good; if you like 'em already, you'll think it's awesome; if you don't like 'em, skip it; if you've never heard 'em, I envy you check it out, you'll probably enjoy yourself - B- (won't see) Wilco - 3x - One of my all-time favorite bands, every show is excellent, and different; best current American rock band, imo - A+ (will probably see) The National - 4x - Another favorite, higher energy than you might expect for mopey sad guy rock - A+ (might skip half for Divine Fits) Kendrick Lamar - 1x - Love him on record, but wasn't too impressed live - C (won't go out of my way to see or skip) Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - 1x - Really fun show, see 'em if you haven't; imo, one of the only new "folk/pop" bands worth seeing (ie Lumineers, Of Monsters...) - B+ (likely won't see again) Portugal. the Man - 1x - Loved these guys, excellent live set; psychedelic rock with a lot of soul - B+ (skipping for Tallest Man on Earth, really bummed about it) Local Natives - 2x - Both times were supporting their first album, including one of my favorite sets from Roo 2010; excellent, tight indie rock band - A (will probably see) Tallest Man on Earth - 1x - Live show is simple but awesome, just a (very charismatic) guy and a guitar - A+ (will definitely see) Futurebirds - 1x - Good live band, I really love their sound; if you like Neil Young, check 'em out - B (will see) Jeff the Brotherhood - 1x -High energy rock show; didn't really grab me, though - C (won't see) Matt & Kim - 1/2x - Packed tent in 2011; super high energy, dancey pop music; not my thing at all - D (won't see)
Didn't realize until just now how little of the lineup I've actually seen.
Mumford and Sons - 1x -Not really a fan, to put it nicely, but the show was pretty good; if you like 'em already, you'll think it's awesome; if you don't like 'em, skip it; if you've never heard 'em, I envy you check it out, you'll probably enjoy yourself - B- (won't see) Wilco - 3x - One of my all-time favorite bands, every show is excellent, and different; best current American rock band, imo - A+ (will probably see) The National - 4x - Another favorite, higher energy than you might expect for mopey sad guy rock - A+ (might skip half for Divine Fits) Kendrick Lamar - 1x - Love him on record, but wasn't too impressed live - C (won't go out of my way to see or skip) Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - 1x - Really fun show, see 'em if you haven't; imo, one of the only new "folk/pop" bands worth seeing (ie Lumineers, Of Monsters...) - B+ (likely won't see again) Portugal. the Man - 1x - Loved these guys, excellent live set; psychedelic rock with a lot of soul - B+ (skipping for Tallest Man on Earth, really bummed about it) Local Natives - 2x - Both times were supporting their first album, including one of my favorite sets from Roo 2010; excellent, tight indie rock band - A (will probably see) Tallest Man on Earth - 1x - Live show is simple but awesome, just a (very charismatic) guy and a guitar - A+ (will definitely see) Futurebirds - 1x - Good live band, I really love their sound; if you like Neil Young, check 'em out - B (will see) Jeff the Brotherhood - 1x -High energy rock show; didn't really grab me, though - C (won't see) Matt & Kim - 1/2x - Packed tent in 2011; super high energy, dancey pop music; not my thing at all - D (won't see)
Didn't realize until just now how little of the lineup I've actually seen.
I just cannot get into Wilco. Not sure why. I am skipping them at 'Roo only because I will see them two weeks later at Americanarama. I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised by them live.
And Inwas wondering that about The National so glad you cleared that up: back on my list!
Post by patrickewing on May 31, 2013 8:35:56 GMT -5
Wilco (3 times) –They kick ass. One of the absolute best live bands around. Don’t fuckin miss em!
The National (3 times) – Roo 2010 show was my second time seeing them (first time being 2008). Roo 2010 show was one of my favorite ones ever. I still listen to a copy of that NPR stream.
The XX (1 time – Roo 2010)
Nas (1 time – Roo 2010 with DM)
Jim James (None solo but MMJ 4 times)
Weird Al (1 time)
Dirty Projectors (1 time)
Tallest Man on Earth (1 time)
Baroness (1 time – Roo 2010)
Four Tet (1 time)
Japandroids (1 time)
DIIV (1 time)
Might be missing some stuff. Tried going down the list.
Mumford - Roo 2011 - Kicked up some dust, good show.
Tom Petty - 2002 in Dallas, great show, saw my dad get offered a joint, but he refused in front of his 15 year old son - ACL 2006 in the pouring rain, one of my favorite shows of all time.
Wilco - amazing every time. Seen em 3 times. Saw them at Roo in 2009, first time I'd ever tripped and I can't explain how awesome it was to lay in the field soaking their set in.
Pretty Lights - Roo 2011, obviously amazing - 2012 at the Shrine Auditorium, after having glow sticks confiscated I still had a great time dancing on the upper balcony.
Passion Pit - Outside Lands Fest 2012 - his voice was not as high pitched as the CD so that took a little out of it, but the music itself had the crowd in a frenzy.
The XX - Roo 2010 - laid outside the tent on my back - it was one of the best Thursday night shows I've seen on the Farm - 2012 in LA - 4 people off the rail, the energy was so tense, they really build it up.
Of Monsters and Men - Outside Lands 2012 - the most packed non-headliner show of the weekend, do not miss them.
Jim James - March 2013 in Dallas - Scored these tickets from a friend. I love MMJ, and his solo material. Played two sets, one of his solo material and then one of MMJ/Monster of Folk tunes. He played 'Hopefully' acoustic and a single tear came out of my right eye.
Portugal. The Man - Roo 2009 - Caught the end of their set and have been a huge fan ever since - Dallas 2010, 2011 - Outside Lands 2012 - If you dig their sound, they put on a great live show. You can see the emotion behind the lyrics.
Porter Robinson - LA 2012 - One of the best EDM shows I've ever seen. From start to finish he was keeping the entire crowd moving. Dropped 'Bass Cannon' by Flux Pavilion and I thought the roof was going to cave in.
Matt and Kim - LA 2012 - Went in to the show with a friend, not really knowing more than 4-5 songs. Left with the utmost respect for this duo. Such high energy!! Kim 'crowd-walked' out about 50-60 feet on the hands on the crowd.
Conspirator - Euphoria Fest 2013 - Started the day off right on the main stage. Played at sunset and threw it down. A great mix of EDM beats with guitars/bass/drums/keys to spice it all up. I know they play at the same time as the XX and Jim James, but if you get to see any of their set you will know why they're near the top of my list - A++
Paper Diamond - Saw him open for Excision and I think he catered his style that night more towards the 'hardcore' style of EDM that Excision exhibits. I'd like to check him out at Roo to see what he plays when he has no expectations.
Araabmuzik>Walk the Moon>Django Django>Purity Ring>Japandroids>Alt-J>Camp Reddaroo Rave
Local Natives>Of Monsters and Men>Passion Pit>Wilco>Conspirator>Sir Paul McCartney>the XX>ZZ Top>Wolfgang Gartner>Porter Robinson>Animal Collective>Pretty Lights
Portugal. The Man>Dirty Projectors>Matt & Kim>Dwight Yoakum>the Lumineers>Mumford>R Kelly>Rock n Soul Super Jam>Empire of the Sun>Boys Noize
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis>Holy Ghost!>Tame Impala>the National>Tom Petty and the Hea
Jim James - March 2013 in Dallas - Scored these tickets from a friend. I love MMJ, and his solo material. Played two sets, one of his solo material and then one of MMJ/Monster of Folk tunes. He played 'Hopefully' acoustic and a single tear came out of my right eye.
Hey, I was at that show. It seems like the encore has been the same songs for most of the tour. I'm hoping he brings up some MMJ members at Bonnaroo since at least Hallahan seems to enjoy attending the fest every year whether playing or not.
Jim James - March 2013 in Dallas - Scored these tickets from a friend. I love MMJ, and his solo material. Played two sets, one of his solo material and then one of MMJ/Monster of Folk tunes. He played 'Hopefully' acoustic and a single tear came out of my right eye.
Hey, I was at that show. It seems like the encore has been the same songs for most of the tour. I'm hoping he brings up some MMJ members at Bonnaroo since at least Hallahan seems to enjoy attending the fest every year whether playing or not.
I was really psyched to get those tickets (I couldn't really afford them at the time) because of the huge conflict on Friday between Wilco > Jim James > the XX > Conspirator. Now I can see Wilco and Conspirator and not be upset that I missed Jim James. Plus I can see him at the Super Jam too.
Araabmuzik>Walk the Moon>Django Django>Purity Ring>Japandroids>Alt-J>Camp Reddaroo Rave
Local Natives>Of Monsters and Men>Passion Pit>Wilco>Conspirator>Sir Paul McCartney>the XX>ZZ Top>Wolfgang Gartner>Porter Robinson>Animal Collective>Pretty Lights
Portugal. The Man>Dirty Projectors>Matt & Kim>Dwight Yoakum>the Lumineers>Mumford>R Kelly>Rock n Soul Super Jam>Empire of the Sun>Boys Noize
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis>Holy Ghost!>Tame Impala>the National>Tom Petty and the Hea
- ACL 2006 in the pouring rain, one of my favorite shows of all time.