Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, comedian Nick Thune, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!, Elle King, Ryan Miller of Guster and Jonny Fritz all came together for a press conference during Bonnaroo to discuss interacting with fans, performing at festivals and their lives.
Daughter of actor and comedian Rob Schneider, Elle King said one of the most rewarding parts of her career has been the fan involvement in her shows.
“I think the coolest thing is seeing everyone singing along,” King said.
Alternative country musician Jonny Fritz discussed a documentary he starred in called “Heartworn Highways: Revisited,” an updated version of the 1975 documentary “Heartworn Highways.”
“The second one makes more sense,” Fritz said. “A lot of the names are really well known and a lot of them you’ve never heard of before.
“Heartworn Highways: Revisited” is a documentary that “celebrates the authenticity and expresses the feelings of the legendary original, via a community of contemporary ‘outlaws’ living and creating music in Nashville, Tennessee,” according to the official Heartworn Highways website.
This year’s Bonnaroo marked transgender vocalist Laura Jane Grace’s third performance with Against Me! at the festival. Grace said making music for a cause has always been her aim.
“To me, music and politics have always gone hand-in-hand,” Grace said. “It’s always been a part of the culture.”
Bonnaroo saw the rise of folk-rock band Dawes whose guitarist Taylor Goldsmith recalled playing one of the smaller stages at the festival.
“We played the tiny tent where if your songs were too quiet then you were just overpowered by everything that was going on behind you,” Goldsmith said. “That was our first Bonnaroo [performance]. It’s been incremental steps for us that have been very different.”
This year marks the third performance from Dawes, and this year they will play the “What Stage” which is the biggest stage Bonnaroo has to offer.
Ryan Miller of alternative rock band, Guster, said that Guster is always evolving and getting better.
“Our band is constantly trying to affirm that [Guster] is better than we were on our last record,” Miller said. “We’re very different than we were 15 years ago playing at your college and sleeping on the floor of your fraternity house.”
One of the main ideas common throughout each member of the panel was the desire to enjoy themselves and have a good time at Bonnaroo.
“I’m at Bonnaroo so I know what I’m going to do,” King said, adorned in pink pants and a fanny pack that lit up with different colors. “I’m going to party.”
