Top Ten Bonnaroo Sets 2018

1. Bon Iver 2nd Set (pit) - Every single guest killed it. It was such a unique experience where you didn't know what to expect next. Francis and the Lights singing "Reborn" off of Kids See Ghosts was a huge highlight for me personally (even if it was only for like 60 seconds). I do feel bad for anyone that missed the first show and expected the second set to be just another straight Bon Iver concert. It should have been advertised "Bon Iver and Friends" or something like that. But a Bon Iver Superjam late night on the Which Stage seems like something the "old Bonnaroo" would have done, so I really appreciated that. 

2. Thundercat (rail) - Perfect way to end my Bonnaroo. I really enjoyed both the simple catchy parts of the show and the more complicated free-form Jazz sections. Being front and center was also nice because I could really pay attention to the musicians on stage and how awesome they were playing. Especially the drummer who blew me away. 

3. Anderson .Paak (pit) - One of my favorite parts about Bonnaroo is getting pit for a main act after the sun goes down. You're at the very front, everyone around you is a superfan, and there's so much room to dance and jump around. The entire show was a non-stop party. Anderson .Paak looked like a headliner up there. The production was super on point and he really took advantage of the What Stage. 

4. Bon Iver 1st Set - It was my very first time seeing Bon Iver and obviously did not disappoint. It was pretty much just a normal Bon Iver concert. For the most part I got to hear everything I wanted from him in that one set.  I got very lucky maneuvering my way around the Which Stage and then seeing the line for the second set. I got in the pit line about halfway through the show and still had a perfect view of the stage. It was pretty surprising how many people were in line while the first show was still going on. 

5. Cage the Elephant (secret set) - So obviously Thursday shows aren't even close to what they used to be. But seeing Cage the Elephant inside a small packed venue with only 700 people inside definitely made up for that. We saw the announcement around 9pm and decided to head over there right then to beat the crowd (also there wasn't really much else to see tbh). I can't say I'm even the biggest CTE fan, but I needed to have at least one rowdy Thursday night Rock concert and they filled that void for me. 

6. Denzel Curry - Holy shit this show destroyed me for the entire day. The moshpits were so much fun and so fucking intense. I've never felt so sweaty in my life. It makes me wonder how crazy Brockhampton would have been at 1:30 am.  

7. Pond - Such a great band to see live. The sound was on point, the visuals were great, and their singer is just so damn entertaining. They all seemed like they were having a great time onstage. 

8. Daniel Caesar - Such a flawless singer with an amazing band. The crowd's enthusiasm also really added to the show. A perfect artist for sunset at Bonnaroo

9. Ron Gallo - I wasn't sure what the hype around him was about until I saw him play. I thought his songs were good but nothing really special. But holy shit his band fucking shreds. I also really appreciate artists who can make me laugh constantly throughout their show. 

10. Rufus Du Sol - This show was so fucking magical for me. We started out on the side rail towards the front right next to VIP but then moved outside the tent after a few songs. I spent maybe 15 minutes laying in the grass looking up at the stars thinking "holy shit I'm at Bonnaroo what is my life right now" before getting up to dance again. Hearing "You Were Right" played live hit me in all the right feels. 

Honorable mentions to Broken Social Scene, Japanese Breakfast, Amadou & Mariam, The Regrettes, Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers, T-Pain, Clozee (silent disco set), and Westside Gunn. I can't believe how many great shows I saw this year.