Bonnaroo Music Festival // June 15, 2017 // June 8, 9, 10, 11, 2017 // Manchester, TN
Photos by Kyle Somers
Somers talks about his favorite acts at Bonnaroo 2017. Check it out below.
1. Cold War Kids – I’ve seen Cold War Kids play in Nashville before and our local radio stations tend to play their music in the 615. Shooting for Highlight and then some other Nashville organizations, I figured it would be a great opportunity to capture. Their energy was high and the crowd was enjoying the set, especially when their hit singles started to play.
2. D.R.A.M. – Bonnaroo always has a handful of rappers who show out for the festival, D.R.A.M.’s performance didn’t disappoint. Being a big fan of his music, it was surreal taking his photos. I could feel the bass vibrating my whole body and feel the Earth move from the huge crowd’s movements. Hands down, the most hype set of Roo.
3. Gallant – Almost immediately, Gallant took the crowd over with his falsetto and high energy. Running all over the stage and hitting some of the highest notes I’ve heard a male singer make. My friends won backstage tickets to see Gallant in Nashville last year and it wasn’t until a week before Roo did I start to listen to his music. Not knowing what to expect from his live show, I was blown away by his showmanship and the power of his band.
4. Kaleo – He walked onto The What Stage, Bonnaroo’s largest stage, with a cool attitude – unfazed by the thousands of festival goers. Not recognizing his name on the bill, I decided to shoot for them anyway due to the stage size. What I came to find out is that I knew a lot of their songs. What stuck out to me were the on stage lights Kaleo utilized and the constant guitar, to mandolin, and banjo changes he would make.
6. The Strumbellas – I didn’t expect to shoot for this band but after making some friends in the press tent, I decided to walk over with them to The Which Stage and catch the Strumbellas. Already into their second song, their stage presence was unlike anything I’ve seen from an alternative band at ‘Roo this year. Jumping around, hyping up the crowd, the audience really seemed to enjoy it.
