By Ken Paulson
The final day of the Bonnaroo festival was amazingly eclectic,and the rain held off. That’s as good as it gets.
The Beach Boys are not an Americana band, but they’re arguably the American band. Their 50th anniversary appearance was astonishing. Yes, they show their age and Brian Wilson seemed a little unsettled and lost, but the harmonies (with a little help from their friends, particularly Jeff Foskett) are intact. They played songs from every era of the band and an audience roughly five decades younger sang along with joy and exuberance. Magical.
Sarah Jarosz played a fine set in one of the tents, and engaged the audience throughout. Her stage presence and confidence are now matching her musicianship.
The Deep Dark Woods played the Solar Stage, a small, but very pleasant venue, in front or a small, but very pleasant crowd. Much of the set came from their excellent second album. They also had to endure a mini-interview that included a question about how each of us can make the world a better place. The Deep Dark Woods’ response: Be good to others. We’ll second that.
Ryan Adams’ Ashes & Fire holds on to first place on the Americana Music Chart for a second week, with Robert Earl Keen remaining in second with Ready for Confetti.