Well, the second day of Bonnaroo is almost over, at least for me. The night closes with Tool and the SuperJam. Uh, metalheads and a bunch of jammers playing one song for three straight hours? i think I’ll pass.
But the day? Wow. I saw three bands, each one better than the first.

I began just after 1 p.m. with the Cold War Kids, a rising band from California. Despite some technical snafus early on (blown amp, feedback, mike troubles), the Kids staged a fantastic show. It’s difficult to describe exactly what the Kids sound like, but I settled on Franz Ferdinand without the fuzz. Frontman Nathan Willett swapped piano for guitar throughout the set, but his keyboards and high-altitude vocals set the band apart. Check out “Hang Me Out To Dry” or “Saint John” from their debut, “Robbers and Cowards.”
Next came English guitarist Richard Thompson, long lauded for his playing and songwriting. Bonnaroo stuck Thompson off on one of the smaller stages, but it quickly filled, primarily with his older fans. Thompson was brilliant. His playing was melodic and intense, whether electric or acoustic. His backing band featured drums, an upright bass and a guitarist who also played horns. His soprano sax sounded so sweet, filling the tent. Fantastic chance to see the legend Richard Thompson in action.
But the revelation of the day was Gillian Welch, with her musical partner David Rawlings. Welch has been drawing raves for years, but I somehow missed picking up any of her records. My loss.
She was utterly fantastic, captivating a tent with her mellow folk/country/Americana sounds despite the general loudness of the festival. Welch played acoustic guitar (she wasn’t plugged in, instead playing her guitar into a mike), banjo and harmonica. And I’ve never seen a player look happier than Rawlings when he had his guitar in hand. In a special treat for those watching, Welch and Rawlings brought out legendary Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones to play mandolin on a few songs.
Welch was absolutely astounding, spending an hour and a half singing about the world and her place in it. As soon as I get back to Memphis, I’m buying her records.
Tomorrow promises to be a fantastic day: Franz Ferdinand, the Flaming Lips, the Police and one of my favorite bands in the world, Fountains of Wayne. I’ll tell you all about it later.

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