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The Foxies

The big news about the first day of Bonnaroo this year is that there’s an official headliner — Pretty Lights is on deck for a two-set show worthy of your favorite jam band. But there’s a ton more for you to see as you get your body and mind running on Bonnaroo Farm Time.

There’s a full complement of electronic music to help you pregame. English DJ HoneyLuv captains this year’s maiden voyage of The Other Stage with her set at 7:45 p.m., while Grammy-nominated Aussie EDM star Fisher takes the day’s final slot there at 12:45 a.m. The Plazas dotted around Outeroo, which began hosting activities for early birds on Tuesday, will be bustling by this time; among them is Where in the Woods, where Fisher rides again from 3 to 5 a.m., and the Galactic Giddy Up, where country trio Chapel Hart plays at 11 a.m.

You have heaps of other options if that’s not your preference. We’ve got a separate roundup of Nashvillians who’re Rooing it up, but rockers The Foxies (playing Who Stage at 9 p.m.) and Michigander (2:30 p.m. at That Tent) are some top picks for locals to catch on Thursday. That Tent also hosts disco-schooled outfit Say She She at 3:45 p.m., Medium Build (the project of onetime Nashville songsmith Nicholas Carpenter) at 6:30 p.m. and Chicago glam-funk-rocker Neal Francis at 11:45 p.m. Joining Francis will be the 11-piece band that played with him on the tour recorded for his 2023 live album Francis Comes Alive. (For clarity’s sake: Be aware that a chill funk duo called Neil Frances is playing Saturday afternoon at The Other Stage; also cool but totally different.)

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Gwar

Highlights of Thursday’s offerings at This Tent include electronically enhanced post-punks Nation of Language at 7:45 p.m. and deep-voiced Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug, who makes firing off heavy bars sound easy, at 9:30 p.m. If you’ve had your fill of Pretty Lights, head to This Tent at 11 p.m. for L.A. rockers Militarie Gun. And if you like your metal with heavy doses of gore and lore, stick around for Gwar at 1 a.m. — they’ll be ready to spray stage blood and other fluids on all bohabs in spurting distance.