Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mumford & Sons, Bjork and R. Kelly are headlining the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival this year, marking a lineup that has hedged a little bit away from the fest’s jam-oriented roots.
Organizers announced the complete lineup today during an hour-long press conference by “Weird Al” Yankovic, who’s also headed to Manchester, Tenn. for the four-day event, which runs June 13-16.
Other big names to join the bill are The National, the reunited Wu-Tang Clan, David Byrne and St. Vincent, Immaculate Noise favorite Kendrick Lamar, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Of Monsters and Men, Nas, ZZ Top, Cat Power, Jim James from My Morning Jacket and more.
Early bird tickets already sold out, but general onsale begins on Saturday (Feb. 23) at noon EST. Like years previous, only 4-day tickets can be bought, no single-days.
It’s good seeing names like McCartney and Petty on festival bills like these: normally, we’d see such veteran artists only do headlining tours or one-offs. It looks like Bonnaroo is interested in full catalog artists instead of long-termers who merely have a new album to promote. McCartney puts on a damn fine show, with more than three hours of legwork ahead of him with each date, so I’m curious how long his slot will be at the festival. Not bad for a septuagenarian.
And I love seeing at least one female top-lining here: Bjork’s beautiful live shows deserve superstar status, no matter how challenging her latest material is. David Byrne and St. Vincent’s collaboration also amps a female closer to the marquee, and with a full brass band backing, it should be a big-stage worthy concert performance.
Speaking of brass bands, Jim James is heading up the “superjam” this year, combining with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, John Oates of Hall & Oates and Zigaboo Modeliste of the Meters. Ed Helms (yes, that Ed Helms) and his Bluegrass Situation is also lining up a superjam.
Mumford & Sons are actually returning Bonnaroo alum, this time with a massive Grammy under their collective belt. Other folkie Grammy favorites like the Lumineers, radio-embraced Of Monsters And Men, critical darlings Grizzly Bear and on-and-off-again stage lover Cat Power also made the list.
Daniel Tosh is the comedian that made it highest on to the lineup, and according to his video message below, he’s probably relieved the Postal Service isn’t playing. Other comedy offerings include “Weird Al” and Mike Birbiglia, with more comics to be added.
Wu-Tang is already headed to Coachella, but Wilco’s announced festival stops have been few: perhaps they were waiting to clear up their own Solid Sound sked.
Pretty Lights is the highest-billing electronica act, which is weird but OK, and since fans can’t see R. Kelly on a boat, at least now they can see him in a field.
Blink: did you miss the inclusion of Billy Idol?
Here is the initial lineup of Bonnaroo 2013:
Paul McCartney
Mumford & Sons
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Bjork
Wilco
Pretty Lights
R. Kelly
Wu-Tang Clan
Daniel Tosh
The National
The Lumineers
David Byrne & St. Vincent
Passion Pit
The xx
Kendrick Lamar
Grizzly Bear
Animal Collective
Of Monsters And Men
Soul Superjam Ft. Jim James With John Oates, Zigaboo Modeliste, And Preservation Hall Jazz Band!
Ed Helms Bluegrass Situation Superjam With Special Guests
Nas
ZZ Top
Beach House
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Cat Power
Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeroes
A$AP Rocky
Jim James
“Weird Al” Yankovic
Tame Impala
Boys Noize
Glen Hansard
Gov’t Mule
Gaslight Anthem
Portugal. The Man
Wolfgang Gartner
Billy Idol
Sam Bush & Del Mccoury
Dwight Yoakam
Foals
Porter Robinson
Local Natives
Matt & Kim
Dirty Projectors
Trombone Shorty
John Mclaughlin And The 4th Dimension
Noam Pikelny & Friends
Amadou & Mariam
Alt-J
Father John Misty
Baroness
The Tallest Man On Earth
Walk The Moon
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
A-Trak
Earl Sweatshirt
The Vaccines
Paper Diamond
Holy Ghost!
Divine Fits
Mike Birbiglia
Purity Ring
Swans
Frank Turner
Big K.R.I.T.
Allen Stone
Cults
Lee Fields & The Expressions
Fatoumata Diawara
Two Gallants
The Sheepdogs
Four Tet
Calexico
Japandroids
Death Grips
Conspirator
Wild Nothing
Araabmuzik
John Fullbright
Django Django
HAIM
Killer Mike
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Action Bronson
Clockwork
Twenty | One | Pilots
Reptar
DIIV
Milo Greene
Lord Huron
Futurebirds
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
Charli XCX
Jeff The Brotherhood
Drew Holcomb And The Neighbors
Sea Wolf
JD Mcpherson
Trixie Whitley
Deap Vally
Patrick Watson
Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers
The Stepkids
Aoife O’Donovan
Bombino
Bernhoft
Matthew E. White