10 Acts Not To Miss On The Bonnaroo Undercard
With over 150 acts on the Bonnaroo Music And Arts Festival lineup, it’s pretty easy to have a full schedule by the time you’re only done reading half way down the lineup, but you’re not getting the full Bonnaroo experience if you don’t check out some undercard acts. Every major band you want to see at one point has been at the bottom of a lineup. You could stumble upon your new favorite band or the next big thing, so don’t undercut the undercard! Check out our top 10 not-to-miss undercard acts on this year’s lineup:
10. Glass Animals — Thursday 9:45 PM The Other Tent
Hailing from Oxford, England, this four-piece have been friends since they were only 14 years old. They are currently riding high on their debut EP Zaba, which was released in 2014 and produced by band members Bayley and Epworth. The band does a wonderful job blending indie rock with R&B, trip hop and psychedelic pop to create a unique sound that will give you all the feels.
9. Nuri — Saturday 12:45 AM Silent Disco
EDM artist NURI dreams up dance anthems that capture the magic of memories and moments. His imaginative work celebrates life’s vibrancy and helps fans forge emotional connections between music and their own personal experiences. Influenced by his background in hip hop and the colorful spectrum of EDM, his fine-tuned ear for musical balance sparkles in the layered melodies, infectious, danceable beats and detailed harmonies he mixes together that resonate with the work of his own inspirations. NURI’s energetic mixes create a spellbinding atmosphere that keeps listeners on their feet.
8. Houndmouth — Thursday 9:15 PM That Tent
Formed in 2011 in New Albany, IN, it didn’t take Houndmouth long to get their country-informed rock & roll tunes noticed. They have opened for the Alabama Shakes, the Drive-By Truckers, the Lumineers, Lucero, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and are now on a headlining tour in support of their recently released Little Neon Light.
7. Benjamin Booker — Thursday 11:00PM The Other Tent
New Orleans-based guitarist Benjamin Booker draws equally from post-war electric blues and trashy garage punk. This much was evident from his self-titled debut, released on ATO Records in August of 2014.
6. Dopapod — Thursday 8:00 PM That Tent
Boston-born Dopapod has a sound that bring you back to Bonnaroo’s jam roots. Psychedelic riffs combined with dreamy lyrics are the backbone of this group and what has granted them major attention. Over the past three years, Dopapod has played on average 150+ shows each year and still found time to release quality studio albums along the way, including their latest Never Odd Or Even, which was released this past November. They also release almost every live show on dopapod.bandcamp.com.
5. Son Little — Saturday 1:3o PM Miller Lite Tent
You may know Son Little as Aaron Earl Livingston, the artist who lent vocals to tracks with The Roots and, most famously, producer RJD2. After a brief hiatus, Livingston has reemerged as Son Little with an undeniably catchy mix of acoustic blues, vintage soul, and conscious hip hop. His most recent EP, Things I Forgot, is on your must-check-out list.
4. Courtney Barnett- Thursday 10:45 PM This Tent
Courtney Barnett puts a lot of effort into sounding effortless. Her songs are wild and wooly and wordy, her lyrics plainspoken and delivered like she’s making them up on the spot. In 2012 Courtney started Milk! Records and released her debut EP I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris. Her second EP How To Carve A Carrot Into A Rose (2013) received international acclaim, taking her and the band, Dave Mudie (drums), Bones Sloane (bass) and Dan Luscombe (guitar) all around the world. In 2014 her EPs were re-released as The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas. The Melbourne babe just released her debut LP Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit in March of 2015 and has been receiving rave reviews.
3. Elle King- Friday 4:00 PM The Who Stage
Singer and songwriter (and occasional actor) Elle King was born Tanner Elle Schneider in 1989 in Los Angeles, the daughter of London King and Rob Schneider (the actor and comedian and former cast member of Saturday Night Live). She grew up in Ohio and began street busking and gigging around New York at the age of 16, moving to Philadelphia to attend the University of Arts, majoring in painting and film. After college she spent time in Copenhagen and Los Angeles before returning to New York to settle in Brooklyn. Signing to RCA Records, she released a debut four-song EP, The Elle King EP, in 2012. Her debut full-length album, Love Stuff, arrived from RCA early in 2015. Her soulful voice and bad-ass attitude demand your attention when she’s on stage.
2. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard- Friday 3:00 PM
Although they formed in 2011 in Melbourne, Australia, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s sense of unfettered sonic exploration makes them easy to mistake for a long-forgotten relic of the psych explosion of the ’60s. With a far-out sound that, at times, feels barely held together, the band evoke the eclectic rock experimentation of Frank Zappa’s early work with the Mothers of Invention as they follow their musical flights of fancy wherever they might go and let the rest just fall into place on its own. In 2012, the band released 12 Bar Bruise, which they followed up just five months later with 2013’s Eyes Like the Sky, which the band somewhat enigmatically self-described as a “spaghetti-western audio book.” A third full-length album, Float Along, Fill Your Lungs, was released in 2013 and was quickly followed by 2014’s Oddments and I’m In Your Mind Fuzz.
1. Twiddle- 11:15 PM Friday The Who Stage
If you couldn’t tell, we’re super-stoked for Twiddle to be on the farm this year. The Vermont-based quartet spins tall tales over an intricate soundscape of hi-def shred. Their fresh multi-genre approach conjures up jazz, classical, and bluegrass but, above all, masterfully blends reggae and funk. Obliterating laws of improvisation, their complex arrangements never fail to leave crowds lusting for more. With sage songwriting and unmatched variety, Twiddle’s thrilling infancy continues to exceed all expectation. These guys embody old school Bonnaroos jam roots and will definitely continue to grow with the festival.
Tell us who you’re most excited to see in the comments!