UPDATE: the official lineup has been announced!
Earlier today, the 12th Annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival announced that ticket pre-sales will begin on Monday, November 26th (known to some as Cyber Monday). Fans can check out the promo video for the pre-sale way down at the bottom. While I’m just personally getting over the fact that Bonnaroo is now well into its second decade of existence (remembering vividly the exciting, zero-expectations-of-what-to-expect sensation of entering the Roo farm’s rickety and hallowed gates almost ten years ago for Bonnaroo 2003), it will once again be interesting and worth looking forward to seeing who headlines this year’s festival after last year’s strong-to-quite-strong Radiohead, RHCP and Phish trio of headliners.
With Bonnaroo on the brain today, here are a few educated guesses to go along with a handful of completely uneducated and SPECULATORY wishes as to which artists and bands might-should-potentially-maybe make an appearance on the farm at Bonnaroo 2013.
PURE SPECULATION, WISHES & A FEW EDUCATED GUESSES – WHO DO YOU WANNA SEE APPEAR AT BONNAROO 2013?
SIGUR ROS
With Sigur Ros setting out on a massive North American tour this spring, perhaps the unclassifiable Icelandic band is ready for a big headlining performance on What Stage (Sigur Ros also appeared at Bonnaroo in 2008).
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS
Weeping Elvis has a hankering from an unrevealed inside source that Petty & Co. will return to the farm for their first headlining performance since 2006.
NINE INCH NAILS or HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS
Also, the buzz around the possible returns of Nine Inch Nails (Roo 2009) and Reznor side project How to Destroy Angels could perhaps indicate a headlining NIN return or middle-card/much-hyped HtDA set in 2013.
DAFT PUNK
Although predicting the future of robot rocker duo Daft Punk is a bit of a lost cause (or, merely great fodder and obligatory guesswork for website/magazine/blog festival wishlists), there have been strong indications that Daft Punk may return in 2013 (website under construction, Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers’ comments that he recorded with them earlier this year). After famously doing Coachella already in 2006, perhaps it isn’t too crazy to think that if DP is going to do one American festival in 2013, perhaps it’ll be Bonnaroo or a return to Grant Park for Lollapalooza (LTP Lolla ’07). Wouldn’t put down a nickel on Jazz Fest, although wouldn’t that be something…
THOM YORKE / ATOMS FOR PEACE
…Now wouldn’t this be something: One headlining band combining members from two of the previous year’s headliners (Thom Yorke from Radiohead and Flea from RHCP). Atoms for Peace, like any Thom Yorke/Nigel Godrich-involved project, has been talked about for what seems like a decade (yes, we know, not that long) without any major tour going down. The time is now? (CNN Feature on Atoms for Peace).
SOUNDGARDEN
As we inevitably move further away from the epic decade of music that was the 90s, bands and artists that became popular during the decade have been popping up with regularity the last seven years at Bonnaroo (Radiohead in ’06, Pearl Jam in ’08, Nine Inch Nails in ’09, Red Hot Chili Peppers in ’12) and with Soundgarden releasing their first new album in over 15 years King Animal, an appearance by Cornell & Co. at Bonnaroo would be the band’s biggest headlining slot in some time. After seeing them knock it out of the park at 2011’s Voodoo Experience, this would be a welcome addition to the Bonnaroo festivities.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Somewhat unlikely here, but this may rival Metallica in the high-voltage category as the heaviest band to ever headline the What Stage. For what it’s worth (probably not much), RATM did just turn 20.
MUMFORD AND SONS
Regardless of whether you loved or hated their chart-busting 2nd LP Babel, it appears Mumford and Sons have already reached festival-headlining popularity and if the massive and overflowing crowd for their set at Which Stage in 2011 was any indication, they could fill out the field in Great Stage Park at What Stage. Perhaps as the earlier act on a dual headliner set up a la Jack Johnson / Pearl Jam in 2008, Stevie Wonder / Jay-Z in 2010 and MMJ / Arcade Fire in 2011.
WU-TANG CLAN (LATE NIGHT – RUMORED (EVIDENCE via CoS))
WHY?: Because it would be one of the best post-midnight parties Bonnaroo has ever seen. And that is saying a lot. Also, because they have a new LP on the way next year, following up RZA’s new kung fu flick The Man with the Iron Fists (w/ accompanying collaboration with The Black Keys on “The Baddest Man Alive”). (Further support via Weeping Elvis)
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE (LATE NIGHT)
With a 2012 album coming out after the most of the 2012 festival season had passed, a full, proper run through the 2013 festival gauntlet may make sense. Although, making sense of anything AnCo has done up to this point has often been difficult. One can hope to see that amazing set design on Which Stage at a midnight set.
OTHER WISHES
Late Night Ramble featuring Friends of Levon Helm
Queens of the Stone Age (never played)
Beach House (never played)
Janelle Monae (late night)
Manu Chao (LTP Roo – 2007)
Phoenix (LTP Roo – 2009)
AIR (never played)
STS9 (LTP Roo 2011)
Al Green (LTP Roo 2009 and damnit it was sexy)
George Jones (could be this year’s Kenny Rogers?! – Plays his final show on 11/22/13 in Nashville)
Tame Impala (could be the next great Bonnaroo late night kings?! – a la MMJ / STS9 / Galactic)
The Meter Men with Page McConnell Super Jam (no basis for this happening in Manchester, but would be an excellent late night)
Kill The Noise (already confirmed for Coachella)
Furthur or Phil Lesh and Friends
Father John Misty
Tedeschi Trucks Band and/or The Allman Brothers Band
M83
Bobby Womack
Dinosaur Jr.
Jim James Solo (New LP out in 2013)
MGMT
moe. (LTP Roo – 2009…’til sunrise)
Toro y Moi
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood
K’NAAN
Alt-J
Tomahawk
Bomba Estereo (LTP Roo – 2010 / One of the best festival bands out there imo)
The Revivalists
Alabama Shakes (played last year to over-packed crowd – has led to subsequent invite back the following year for a handful of bands)
Down
Galactic
Cake
Yeasayer
Dirtbombs
Lord Huron
White Denim (LTP Roo 2012 – playing 2012 Bonnaroo Buzz Tour currently)
Maps & Atlases (playing 2012 Bonnaroo Buzz Tour)
Robert Glasper
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Andrew W.K.
The Gaslamp Killer
Nick Waterhouse
Lee Fields & The Expressions
Anders Osborne
Baroness (if recovered and back on the road in time!)
Jeff Mangum (Touring in 2012)
The Tallest Man on Earth
The Lumineers
Lost Bayou Ramblers
Of Monsters and Men
Wild Nothing
Futurebirds
Dam-Funk (LTP 2011 – should play every year?!)
Shpongle
Gabriel & The Hounds
Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers
Menomena
Jamey Johnson
Poolside
Django Django
Marco Benevento
Bombino (New Dan Auerbach produced LP out in 2013)
Washed Out
Divine Fits
Moon Taxi
Black Mountain
The Orwells
NVO
Ivan & Alyosha
Thundercat
Natural Child
Woods
Nicolas Jaar
Tycho
Jonathan Wilson
Lance Herbstrong
Kid Koala
Monster Rally
MORRI$
________ [INSERT AS-YET-FORMED JACK WHITE PROJECT HERE]
^^ EDITOR’S NOTE: If even 25% of this happened, there would be zero chance of me missing out on making it cross-country for my tenth Bonnaroo.
FACT: 85% of Bonnaroovians believe in love and 87% believe in getting weird.
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