The final day of Bonnaroo 2019 dawned bright and sunny and was the first scorching day of the festival. Rain clouds threatened the countryside throughout the day, creating a sweat-drenched humid environment sending festival goers to watery refreshment. Many concertgoers were beginning to show signs of fatigue after four nonstop nights of partying. People could be seen passed out in shady spots all across Centeroo throughout the day. But another day of incredible music revived many in the crowd.
The music on the Which stage began with a pair of brass-infused bands with funky horn sections. Ripe from Boston and The Soul Rebels from New Orleans got a steamy crowd dancing in the hot afternoon sun. Zachary William "Bill" Dess, known by his stage name Two Feet, brought an electro-rock vibe to this Tent followed by the young, punkish glam band The Lemon Twigs. Both groups hail from New York, but The Twigs have a much more traditional rock sound. Fronted by brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario the band's antics were akin to those of an early Sex Pistols. The set was a bit of a disaster with Brian falling backward on his guitar rack and coming unplugged from his guitar later in the set while writhing onstage. But it was a beautiful disaster infused with sheer energy that evoked the glory of the early punk movement.
Bonnaroo veterans Trample by Turtles brought classical Bluegrass music to the main What stage followed by the triumphant return of Brandi Carlile and her brilliant band of rockers. Carlile seems to reinvent herself with each tour offering up different takes on her classic catalog of Grammy-winning material.
Another Bonnaroo veteran act followed with an impressive set by the American rockers The Lumineers. Much like the hilarious band The Lonely Island the night before, the group Princess brought comic relief to the festival. Actress Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum led a rock band in a sing-along set of Prince covers. The pairs onstage antics had the crowd rolling with laughter while singing along to the hits.
Walk the Moon played a triumphant set on the main Which stage led by hypnotic singer Nicholas Petricca, who wowed the crowd at the Superjam two nights before. They were followed by one of the biggest draws of the festival Cardi B. The new queen of hip hop created a sensation when her wild twerking caused a split in her colorful leotard. The consummate performer quickly went backstage and grabbed a hotel bathrobe and returned unscathed to finish her set.
As the sun began to set Centeroo went quiet, leaving only headliners Phish to finish the evening with a two-set performance. The band opened the first set with a new song “Set Your Soul Free,” followed by a guitar-drenched “Blaze On.” Singer-guitarist Trey Anastasio then addressed the crowd telling them, “You are about to hear a message song so you can catch your breath.” That message came in the next tune, "Death Don’t Hurt Very Long.” That was followed by more well-known songs from the bands older catalog including, “Reba” and “Free.” The band experimented on the tunes “Sand” and “Wolfman’s Brother.” The first set ended with a thunderous jam of the song “Cavern.”
After a short intermission during which the night sky filled with stars and temperatures began to cool, the band returned in an explosion of light and sound opening with “Mike’s Song,” which segued into the tune “Fluffhead.” The group then played “Twist,” segueing perfectly into “Weekapaug Groove.” In the middle of that song, the band snaked into “No Men In Man’s Land,” before returning to finish “Weekapaug Groove,” and ending with a few licks of “Twist.” It was easy for Phish fans to get lost in the maze of twisting tunes fading back and forth. The band then went into full jam mode on the song “Fuego,” which led to another jam on “Ghost,” and finished the second set with yet another intense jam on “Bathtub Gin.”
A crowd-pleasing double encore featured the tunes “Wilson” and “First Tube.” The show ended a bit earlier leaving the vast crowd at the festival and many more listening on the live webcast wanting more, but Phish fans can never get enough of their favorite band. It was a tribute to the group how many people remained to the end after nearly five grueling days of nonstop partying. Many returned to Into The Woods in the campground and continued the party until dawn on Monday bringing a successful close to Bonnaroo 2019.
Check out more photos from day 4 at Bonnaroo 2019.
