Chappell Roan, Fred Again.. and More Close Out Bonnaroo

Sunday, sweaty Sunday: Tennessee’s signature summer heat made a strong return to the stage for Bonnaroo’s 2024 finale. We started off the last day with an early-afternoon performance from singer-songwriter S.G. Goodman, who lives in Kentucky and is closely associated with the Bluegrass State. Goodman wrapped up her spellbinding set with an announcement in her charming Southern drawl that her family has deep roots in Coffee County, wherein lies The Bonnaroo Farm. Stories about home and family — whether you’re related by blood or by choice — are prominent in Goodman’s catalog, and it seemed only right for the audience to offer her a hearty welcome home.

The thread running through Sunday’s lineup was a wide-ranging celebration of pop, with a special focus on women. Nashville funk-pop sensation Molly Grace stood out. Her unique blend of retro funk and modern, hyper-feminine pop captivated the audience from the second she made her spectacular entrance on Who Stage. Wearing a dazzling array of red sparkles, she shimmied her way into the hearts of the small crowd, singing “Lovin' on You” with the commanding assertiveness of Donna Summer in “Bad Girls.” Grace's presence and energy were magnetic; she sang passionately about her high school loves and deep yearning for romance in “Lover (Love Her),” “Prove Me Right” and the not-yet-released “Taste.”

“Happy Pride,” she said, popping a hip. “I like women.” That served as her introduction to the sultry “Lady Lady”; a little later, she was wishing for karma to catch up with her ex in “Little Bit of Hell.” Her soulful voice and dynamic stage presence highlighted her potential as a rising queer pop-funk star. Her 2023 EP Lovesick doesn’t do her pipes justice — if you want the full enchanting experience, you’ll have to catch her in person.

The Feminomenon herself — Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, better known as Chappell Roan — closed out the second leg of her Midwest Princess Tour at Which Stage, Centeroo’s second largest stage. Minutes before the rising pop star went on, the side screens showed drone footage of the massive crowd that seemed to fill every available nook and cranny as far as you could see. Roan’s was one of the most eagerly awaited performances of the weekend, and the turnout rivaled the headliners. Just a few days earlier, fest organizers wisely moved her set from a tent stage, likely taking into consideration the size of the crowds at recent fest stops like Boston Calling and Governor’s Ball. 

If you waited in the 90-plus-degree heat, you were in for a treat and a doctor’s visit you didn’t know you needed. “I feel like some people here need mouth-to-mouth,” Roan said as she graced the stage in a latex nurse costume and her signature dramatic drag-inspired makeup. She launched into the sexy “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” before cycling through more glitzy, glammy dance-pop fan faves from her debut LP The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. She taught the crowd the dance to “Hot to Go!” — something she has lots of practice with, having even schooled her grandparents on the moves — but one look around the crowd showed that Bonnaroovians had it down pat.  

The end of the set featured more massively popular tunes like “Red Wine Supernova,” “Good Luck, Babe!” and “My Kink Is Karma.” She drew to a fitting close with her 2020 single “Pink Pony Club,” singing: “Don’t think I’ve left you all behind / Still love you and Tennessee / You’re always on my mind!”

Shortly after the Midwest Princess sashayed away, the reigning pop monarch ascended What Stage. Carly Rae Jepsen has been providing us earworms since her breakthrough hit “Call Me Maybe” back in 2012, and she’s only gotten better with time. Belting underrated bops like “Now That I Found You” and “Run Away With Me” (with a sax solo!) Perfectly dressed for the occasion in a breezy blue outfit and sunglasses, Jepsen was on a roll as she wound through her extensive catalog. Unfortunately, the show came to a screeching and darkly ironic halt mid-lyric in “Western Wind” when a lightning threat put the entire festival on pause. Even just six-and-a-half songs would have been the perfect afternoon set, but luckily Jepsen got to come back to the stage about an hour later and put a cap on it — delays be damned, she was still able to “Cut to the Feeling” effortlessly.

The dark clouds cleared to reveal a fiery yellow-and-orange sky, the perfect backdrop for the Hot Girl herself, Megan Thee Stallion;  the last sunset over Bonnaroo 2024 even matched her sparkly ombre bodysuit. The heavy rhythmic beat to “Hiss” played her to her mic. Dancers joined her for “Thot Shit,” her clapback at haters who have something against sex positivity, as well as the high-intensity “Megan’s Piano.” Introducing “Freak Nasty,” Thee Stallion issued a command to the OG hotties in the crowd: “I better hear y’all singing this shit at the top of your lungs!”

And that was just the master MC clearing her throat. During a brief lull due to a technical malfunction that delayed “Cobra,” she got personal with the crowd. “I love y’all,” she said. “I want you to know you do matter. You are loved and you are appreciated.”

After a quick costume change to a blue denim ensemble, she brought the feminist power and proclaimed it “self-love summer.” She danced through another wave of hits, twerking to her Cardi B collab “WAP” and showing the crowd how important it is to love yourself with “Body.” She finished her set, a truly “savage, classy, bougie, ratchet” affair, with the 2020 remix version of “Savage.” The song no doubt transported the crowd back to the summertime of COVID-19, but also served as a reminder of how much Megan Thee Stallion has evolved ahead of her forthcoming LP, Megan, which reportedly will explore themes of rebirth as she redefines herself as an artist, is set to drop June 28.

Which Stage closed out its 2024 run with local favorite rocking songwriter Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. Between songs from the band’s lauded 2023 album Weathervanes, Isbell shouted out some sets he’d attended over the weekend, including Chappell Roan, Reneé Rapp and the inimitable Brittany Howard. Isbell upheld his reputation for always putting on a solid show, complete with several extended solos on songs like “King of Oklahoma” and “Middle of the Morning.” Classic 400 Unit staples like “If We Were Vampires” and “Cover Me Up” made appearances in the set as well. The performance was steady and solid, but a careful ear couldn’t help but miss Amanda Shires’ fiddling and sweet harmonies on the softer songs. Like ice cream without sprinkles, it was great, but missing that little something extra. 

Sunday headliner Fred Again.. remarked in his Instagram stories that he’d heard Bonnaroo was America’s Glastonbury. While the Scene has never covered the U.K.’s most famous festival, it seems like that comparison doesn’t quite pan out. 

Fred Again..’s particular artistry seems like it would lend itself to situations where the crowd is in a more contemplative mood, or at a fest tailored to folks who get truly hype for dance music. His set Sunday was highly referential, incorporating samples from memes and pop culture frequently throughout the mix. Sometimes, though, it came across like what you’d hear in an H&M at a suburban mall — pleasant, but maybe not the celebratory exclamation point you might hope for. A few songs, like “Places to Be,” his recent collaboration with Anderson .Paak, went over particularly well with dedicated fans, and plenty cut loose and let the beats flow through them. 

The rhythm of Bonnaroo lends itself to ending with a big bang, part of the reason that rock legends like Stevie Nicks or Foo Fighters have been such effective choices for main stage closers in recent years. DJs and electronic composer-producers do fare well at Bonnaroo but generally at other times during the run, when Bonnaroovians haven’t been baking in the sun for days and need a distraction from the reality that their favorite weekend of the year is coming to a close. There’s always next year, though: Early-bird tickets are already on sale.

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