Bonnaroo 2018 kicked off yesterday, delivering the usual friendly and fun atmosphere full of random acts of kindness, pop up experiences, and 24/7 entertainment throughout the stages and campgrounds. As you get ready for Roo day 2, read up on the music highlights of Thursday below!

Jade Bird Made Her US Festival Debut

British singer songwriter Jade Bird hit the ground running during her first US festival appearance by not only playing a late night set at The Who Stage, but by playing a stripped down set at Coleman's The Campout experience out by plaza four. Jade's raw vocal power and fiery spirit shone through just as much at the early afternoon set as it did during her main performance. The enthusiastic Thursday night crowd welcomed Bird with open arms as she played through songs on her debut EP like "Good Woman" and "Cathedral," as well as a couple covers of songs by The Pixies and Kate Bush. Bird's performance of her popular single "Lottery" acted as the highlight of the set, the crowd all singing along to the belter of a chorus. "I've been Jade Bird and you guys have been the best audience I've ever had," Bird said at the end of her show.

Jade Bird at the Coleman Camp Out experience

Ron Gallo Said Sorry a Bunch

Self-proclaimed really nice guy Ron Gallo and his band packed the tent for their energetic early evening set at the That Tent. Gallo displayed his usual quirky antics during the show, incorporating a trumpet into their songs, introducing his band and himself in a monotone voice as he read off a piece of paper, and saying "sorry" a bunch of times mid-song. Although the live band is usually a trio with Joe Bisirri on bass and Dylan Sevey on drums, the group was joined by the band's tour manager on keys yesterday and during the last song, the band added an impromptu new member. Gallo invited an audience member onstage to play his guitar, ending the set on a high note.

FRENSHIP Took Their Pants Off

Los Angeles duo James Sunderland and Brett Hite, better known as FRENSHIP, played their first Bonnaroo last night to an eager crowd at the This Tent, and they were shocked at the Thursday turn out. "Nobody comes on a Thursday," Sunderland said in awe of the overflowing tent, which was full of fans singing the lyrics back to them. In addition to playing their popular tracks like "Carpet" and "Capsize" from their first EP, Hite and Sunderland treated the crowd to some of their newer singles like "LOVE Somebody" and "MI Amore." The duo also made sure to dress their best for their Bonnaroo debut by wearing matching pants. "We're wearing the same damn pants. We wore the same pants for you, Bonnaroo," they admitted. The audience was so enthusiastic that they started a "take them off!" chant about the pants, and Sunderland made a promise that they would take them off by the end of the set if the audience promised to stay with them through their entire career. True to their words, during the final song "1000 Nights," Sunderland took his pants off, ending their set with another memorable moment.

James Sunderland finishing FRENSHIP's set sans pants

Durand Jones & The Indications Brought Soul to The Farm

Soul outfit Durand Jones and The Indications delivered the smoothest set of Thursday, bringing their full, rich big band sound to the That Tent. The band displayed incredible chemistry and musicianship as they played through their hour long set, horns and woodwinds complementing the sheer power Durand Jones' vocals. Their groovy, R&B songs have a retro quality to them, but their tight sound and Jones' showmanship put a refreshing spin on a vintage sound. Drummer Aaron Frazer also displayed his incredible multi-tasking skills when he lent his vocals to a few of the songs during the set. The group will take part in the "Into The Great Wide Open" Superjam tonight, so if you missed them on Thursday, make sure you catch them during this all-star packed set tonight.

Durand Jones and The Indications Bringing Soul to The Farm

Cage The Elephant Played a Surprise Set

If you're camping at 'Roo, you might have noticed the permanent party set up in Plaza 9, which has been curated by none other than Cage The Elephant's Matt Shultz. The set up in Plaza 9 includes birthday decorations to celebrate Roo Day, as well as pop up experiences with some of the performing artists; like karaoke with Okey Dokey, watercolor painting with Lissie, DJ sets, and yoga. Thursday at Plaza 9 ended with a huge bang when Cage The Elephant played a surprise full show, which they had teased with a now deleted Instagram post. If you weren't in the know for the secret show, you can also catch Shultz and his bandmate Nick Bockrath partaking in the "Into The Great Wide Open" Superjam tonight.

Cage the elephant surprise bonnaroo set it’s good to be back on the farm pic.twitter.com/7gX4p01plh
— Jacob (@JacobShebek) June 8, 2018

ANCHR Magazine

Bonnaroo 2018 Thursday Highlights