Photo by Linda Nguyen // Buy this photo
Beth Ditto, lead singer for The Gossip, performs at Bonnaroo on June 11, 2010.
Photo by Linda Nguyen
Beth Ditto, lead singer for The Gossip, performs at Bonnaroo on June 11, 2010.
The Friday Bonnaroo line-up was quite possibly the best set of dance music I’ve ever experienced at the festival. And you didn’t need to make it to the LCD Soundsystem at 2:30 a.m. to get your groove on.
My personal dance party started early. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue opened the Which Stage at noon, where jazz and horns had the hippies up and moving.
From there, I stopped by Troo Music Lounge and caught The Young Veins, a rock band from Los Angeles, who had an enthusiastic audience that was banging their heads and raising hands to the beat.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops played to a packed That Tent. I stood in the center at one point and it felt like the crowd bobbed in unison to the bluegrass. A similar experience happened during The Gossip’s performance, where eclectic soul met alternative pop, and lead singer, Beth Ditto, encouraged the crowd to move despite the mid-afternoon heat. The crowd complied.
I took a dinner break and returned to Centeroo for Tori Amos. Amazingly, people were even chucking and jiving during her sleep piano set. I’m convinced all that’s needed to dance at Bonnaroo is music.
Michael Franti & Spearhead capitalized on this idea, telling the audience several times, “we all deserve good music.” Franti’s sound blends hip-hop, funk, reggae and rock with lyrics promoting good vibes and peace for all. The crowd ate it up and I shook my groove thing from the bleacher seats.
My night ended with Kings of Leon on What Stage opening with “Crawl,” a song that once began my favorite gym play list because it gets me moving. I wanted to show my summer intern what 80,000 in one venue feels it. And when you’re dancing together It’s surreal every time.
© 2010, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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