A lot of great music went down at Bonnaroo 2011 — from Eminem to Weezy to Alisson Krauss — but these 10 sets were every bit as hot as the Manchester, Tenn. weather.
6.
If a best-selling, Grammy-nominated band is still allowed to have a “breakout moment,” Mumford & Sons enjoyed one during their Saturday set, which reportedly drew a crowd of 50,000 to the second-biggest stage. The U.K. folk rockers hit all the right notes: the crowd obliged when Marcus Mumford asked, “Shall we dance?” before “Little Lion Man,” and the Old Crow Medicine Show-assisted rendition of “Amazing Grace” that closed the set truly was amazing. Those who doubted Mumford’s ability to command a massive crowd were left speechless after Bonnaroo.
2. Arcade Fire
Before performing “Wake Up,” Arcade Fire leader Win Butler took a minute to describe the incredible feeling of playing a song that the group first performed in living rooms for their friends to a field full of thousands of people now. The moment not only reminded the crowd how far the Canadian indie rockers have come in such a short time, but how even the group’s early material — “Neighborhood 1,” “Rebellion (Lies),” “Haiti” — was naturally destined to be played on the largest of stages. The group, who leaned heavily on their Grammy-winning album “The Suburbs,” seemed to be full of childlike wonder and hard-fought confidence at Bonnaroo, and the combination made for an extremely satisfying headlining set.
1. Robyn
Swedish pop star Robyn celebrated her 32nd birthday on Sunday, June 12, and she celebrated by bestowing upon Bonnaroo the gift of an impossibly high-energy set. Her “Body Talk” CD series proved that she is capable of pushing electro-pop in exciting new directions in the studio, but from the moment she walked onstage in a West Point football jersey and puffy yellow jacket, Robyn proved that the records can’t compare to the real thing. The singer purged her sorrow on “Dancing On My Own” by joyfully twirling in place at the end of the track, navigated through a glitchy remix of “Be Mine,” and somehow made eating a banana seem badass on “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do.” But best of all, Robyn masterfully connected with the audience, leading claps and fist-pumps as electronic blips floated around her. In the end, the birthday girl helped make Bonnaroo’s 10th anniversary an unforgettable one.
Honorable mention: Explosions in the Sky, Grace Potter, Girl Talk, Graveyard, School of Seven Bells, Dallas Mavericks.