Bonnaroo Sunday Report (June 14, 2009)

I woke up with the sun on the final morning of Bonnaroo, ready to take in the final acts that the festival had to offer. Somehow, even amidst the hedonistic and psychedelic environs, I got off on the path of righteousness. 

Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue

Mike Farris is not necessarily the most likely act one might stumble upon at Bonnaroo. His biography includes an addiction-riddled past, a near-fatal overdose, and the desire (not to mention pipes) to declare his faith in Jesus. I stopped by the spirited fellow’s stage on Sunday morning because I figured it’d be kind of like going to church, and as it turns out, it was pretty close. Farris, his trio of African-American soul sisters, a lineup of bass/drums/organ, and a small horn section consisting of sax, trumpet, and trombone gave us this day our daily dose of gospel. And they did it convincingly, too. Farris, at his best vocally when he’s belting throaty riffs, covered Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” over the wide, textured vibratos of his background singers. The tune was especially poignant given his past and considering the route he’s chosen to counteract it. 

At one point, Farris pointed out that we should feel free to sing along with “O Mary Don’t You Weep,” which we almost certainly would have, if we knew the spiritual. But he seemed to be all right without our help. I wouldn’t expect to see Mike Farris headlining next year, but I can say that it’s definitely an act worth checking out; if nothing else, do it for your soul.

Citizen Cope

Though I was only able to watch a few songs by Citizen Cope, I think it’s worth mentioning that the dark, somber, bluesy nature of Clarence Greenwood’s music is only intensified in live performance. The beauty of his songs lies somewhere between the palpable pain in his voice and the inherent coolness of the agonizing beats and chord structures. He brought Alice Smith on stage for “107 Degrees,” during which she unleashed some haunting wails that stuck with me for a good while after departing the show in an effort to procure choice seating for:

Andrew Bird

It took about two minutes of Andrew Bird’s performance to convince me that he was the most talented musician I would see at Bonnaroo. After a quick “hello,” Bird went immediately to work with his violin and his looping pedal, showcasing his classical training in creating the equivalent of a string quartet within the first two measures of music. As his band members filled in the background with light bass, drums, and guitar, Bird continued adding loops of snaps and whistled melodies which worked into a dizzying orchestral composition before a silencing stomp of a pedal, and there Bird would be, delivering brilliant vocals over his strummed electric guitar. A quick note about the whistling: he’s the best whistler I’ve ever seen. Not only can he elevate the pitch to ridiculous soaring falsettos akin to a singing saw, but he also controls the melodies and vibrato of the wavering little technique with incredible precision. 

Listening to Andrew Bird is almost edifying; his music teems with high culture (appropriately, in the case of Bonnaroo), and his clever lyrics typically require a dictionary within reach. The degree of difficulty in most every song is extreme, amidst shifting time signatures and quick, jumpy transitions. Bird’s obsessive mannerisms made an appearance at one point in the set when, as he was layering a number of plucked violin parts together, he started over four or five times because, “It’s gotta be perfect.” After delivering a number of crowd pleasing songs including “Imitosis” and “Anonanimal,” the band took a break while he made it pretty clear that he could tour as a solo act. The band members returned to play “Don’t Be Scared” to conclude the set. In all, it was easily one of the most impressive and memorable displays of musicianship I’ve ever seen.

Band of Horses

The rumbling bass from Snoop Dogg’s show around the bend had no apparent effect on the leisurely twang of Band of Horses, another pleasant first encounter. Vocalist Ben Bridwell began the set seated before a lap steel guitar, crooning mellow tones over a rich palate of deep southern bluegrass. The songs never shifted from 4/4 time, nor did they become very adventuresome in terms of chord progression, which was a stark difference from the preceding nature of Andrew Bird, but Band of Horses was doing something right. Songs like “The Funeral” loped along confidently before exploding into warm, triumphant choruses. 

“The General Specific” was a big crowd-pleaser, and by the time the band played it near the end of their set, they had accrued quite a large gathering since the less-than-capacity crowd in attendance at the beginning. Serendipitously, the sun dipped below the mountainous landscape as the band closed up shop, and I couldn’t help but notice that it was great sunset music. Since they were the last group to perform on their particular stage, Band of Horses returned for a couple encores to the delight of the crowd (and The Boss, backstage), before hanging up their boots after a solid day’s work. 

DOWNLOAD: - Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost (live) (MP3) or Follow us for more MP3s (Twitter)

review to your liking? You'll sweat:

Bonnaroo Thursday Report (June 11, 2009)

Bonnaroo Friday Report (June 12, 2009)

Bonnaroo Saturday Report (June 13, 2009)

True Roo Part 3: Bonnaroo Sunday (Manchester, TN; June 14, 2009)

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