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Countdown to Bonnaroo: 20 Days – Artist of the Day: G. Love & Special Sauce

20 May

There is nothing like seeing G. Love & Special Sauce perform live.  Having seen more than a dozen shows and while I have found the more intimate settings always the better performances, the grand stage at Bonnaroo is going to be rocking in a few short weeks and a set I am not going to miss.  Ready to get down with some blues music and hip-hop from the Philly born and breed artist, the only two disappointing things will be the set length and still coping with Jimi Jazz no longer in the band (I know it has been a couple years but still).  Fresh off the recent release of the latest LP, Fixin To Die (sick album produced by The Avett Brothers) and with a career that has spanned nearly two decades and provided countless memories through music, let the sun shine because this is going to be a bright spot on the festival.

The Band:  Sunday 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM – Which Stage

Solo: Sunday 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM – Sonic Stage

Countdown to Bonnaroo: 21 Days – Artist of the Day: Portugal. The Man

19 May

To this day I’m not really sure when or how I stumbled upon Portugal. The Man but what I do know is I am a fan of their music.  What I really love more than anything about the experimental/psychedelic indie rock outfit are the vocals of frontman John Baldwin Gourley. He has such a distinctive voice that is hard not to have linger in your head and crave more.  One of my favorite songs from the catalog of tracks spanning six albums (number seven will be released in July) is “People Say.”  Give a listen below and I’ll see you at the show.

Saturday 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM – That Tent

Countdown to Bonnaroo: 22 Days – Artist of the Day: Amos Lee

18 May

I still can’t believe I haven’t had the chance to see Amos Lee perform live, that is until a little more than three weeks from now.  The Philly singer-songwriter brings it all to the table, a little folk, soul, country and R&B to project a magical sound that is soothing and relaxing.   Currently supporting the release of his fourth album, Mission Bell, released earlier this year, Amos Lee continues to get better and better.

Two shows at Bonnaroo

SATURDAY 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM – SONIC STAGE

SUNDAY 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM – WHICH STAGE

Countdown to Bonnaroo: 24 Days – Artist of the Day: Anthony B

16 May

I don’t know about anyone else but my thought is you can never listen to too much reggae.  One of the artists I have been listening to a lot lately is Anthony B.  His new disc, Rasta Love, dropped in February and features guest spots from a handful of power players including Peter Tosh and Gyptian.  Anyone attending Bonnaroo should be jazzed for what is sure to be a high-energy performance.

Friday, June 10 – 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM – What Stage



Countdown to Bonnaroo: 25 Days – Artist of the Day: Ryan Bingham

15 May

To most, Ryan Bingham is known as the Oscar winning recording artist for his song “The Weary Kind” in the Jeff Bridges movie, Crazy Heart.  Really this is just the icing on the cake because his works before are even better and hopefully the rise in popularity gave people a chance to give a listen.  With a raspy voice and one heck of a band in The Dead Horses, Bingham is a nice slice of Americana that you can’t get enough of.   I got hooked on his album Roadhouse Sun but it was his disc Mescalito that really made me a huge fan.

Definitely can’t miss next month at Bonnaroo.

Scheduled to perform:  SUNDAY 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM – THAT TENT



Countdown to Bonnaroo – 26 Days – Artist of the Day: Black Joe Lewis

14 May

Holy Bonnaroo! Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears are going to make some new fans. From the first 10 seconds I heard “Sugarfoot” I was hooked as a BJL fan (Funny enough I discovered them while looking up some Donavon Frankenreiter info on the Lost Highways site a few years ago). Anyways, what can I say about this Austin based band except they will blow your minds with a gritty rock show. Having seen them half a dozen times live, they get better every time and are currently touring in support of their new record, Scandalous.

Bonnaroo X Schedule Released Today

13 May


Finally the Bonnaroo schedule has been released! Click HERE to take a look. As expected when the schedule came out, there are  many many conflicts and overlaps with artists and set times. Of course for me there are the staple artists that are marked as must sees (Widespread Panic, String Cheese Incident, Buffalo Springfield, Mumford & Sons, Gregg Allman, Robert Plant, G. Love, The Black Keys, Warren Haynes, etc.) and after that, time to figure out the rest. Who knows, my ideal schedule today may end up being completely different when I arrive. All I know is there is a ton of great music and I can’t wait to be surrounded by 90,000 of my new closest friends.


Countdown to Bonnaroo: 27 Days – Artist of the Day: Smith Westerns

13 May

Smith Westerns was a complete surprise to me as part of the line-up but I’m thrilled they will be performing.  Fresh off the heels of their second release, Dye It Blonde, the Chicago group has been gaining steam all throughout 2011.  As we wrote about back in back in January, with an upbeat retro rock and pop sound (think 60s and glam rock eras), they kill it with whinny guitar riffs and not complex lyrics.

Their set is scheduled for Sunday, June 12 at 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Countdown to @Bonnaroo: 28 Days – Artist of the Day: The Band of Heathens

12 May

Everything is bigger in Texas and the same should be said for The Band of Heathens as the Austin based group is continuing a rise to stardom.  They are not a new band by any means but I only wish more people would know these guys, a little slice of Americana if you please.

They’ll be playing one of the Café stages on Friday, June 10 and time is TBD right now.  See you at the show!

Countdown to Bonnaroo: 29 Days – Artist of the Day: GIVERS

11 May

Stoked that GIVERS has earned a slot at Bonnaroo this summer.  The rising band from Lafayette, Louisiana already rocked SXSW earlier this year and are set to drop their debut LP In Light just a few days before performing at Bonnaroo (June 10 is their date FYI).    Since hearing “Up Up Up” this has been one of my favorite songs for the sheer good vibes and energy you get from listening to it.