David Byrne keeping an eye on Norwegian music. Photo: Tom Sheehan
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four-day giant bonanza that takes place in Manchester, Tennessee every June. Rolling Stone once called the festival “one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock’n'roll”.
Bonnaroo brings together some of the best performers in rock and roll, along with dozens of artists in complementary styles such as jazz, Americana, hip-hop, electronica, and just about any contemporary music you can think of. In addition to dozens of epic performances, the festival’s 100-acre entertainment village buzzes around the clock with attractions and activities including a classic arcade, on-site cinema, silent disco, comedy club, theater performers, a beer festival, and a music technology village.
This year, Bonnaroo have decided to try something new – letting an artist curate one of their stages. They picked none other than renaissance man David Byrne for the job – former front man for the Talking Heads, Brian Eno-collaborator, globe-trotting solo-artist, net pioneer, artist, writer and much more.
He has picked an eclectic list of acts to share the stage with Byrne & Eno on Friday June 12 – Santigold, The Dirty Projectors, Ani DiFranco, St. Vincent and … wait for it… Katzenjammer!
“We’ve been interested in inviting artists to play a curatorial role in Bonnaroo for some time now,” says festival founder and producer Ashley Capps. “David was the logical choice for us and we were thrilled that he agreed. His love for music of all kinds and his passion for sharing that music make him the ultimate musical guide.”
“This was an easy one”, says Byrne. “I basically reeled off a list of what I was listening to recently or who I had seen live recently and Ashley and Co did the rest. It’s not like these folks need me to introduce them to a wider audience, at least I don’t think they do…I’m just thrilled they’ll be added to the festival lineup”.
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