Fumo and I are both big fans of Umphrey’s McGee so we headed to the stage where they were going to be playing and did our best to find a shady spot, a practice we engaged in every afternoon as we tried to maximize the shade by calculating the sun’s path and what objects we could keep between it and us. When last I caught them at Vegoose, I was critical of Umphrey’s performance because I didn’t think they engaged the crowd, but at Bonnaroo they made up for it in spades with a dynamic set. The music and performances were lively and well paced, and I was delighted to hear my current favorite UM song, “Wizard Burial Ground,” at the center of the set list. No doubt a tip o’ the hat to the day’s headliner Metallica as the guitars shredded something fierce. Saxophonist Jeff Coffin joined in on two songs. “Higgins” received a reggae treatment for part of the song, and they all closed out with a reprise of “Miss Tinkle’s Overture.”

Thinking we were going to shift gears, we headed over to hear The Bluegrass Allstars featuring the likes of Sam Bush and Bela Fleck, but shortly after we settled in, they played us a tune with a reggae beat as well. Fleck offered up a sample of a new hybrid he’s been working on, a combination polka and bluegrass, which he calls “polk-ass music.” No surprise coming from the fingers of Fleck, it sounded glorious no matter what he called it.

Fumo chose the indie-pop stylings of The Swell Season, and I am glad he did because I had no idea they were the duo from Once. In the spirit of Bonnaroo, they decided to jam together and asked who in the audience had a poem they wrote and would like to recite. It was a special moment as they knocked down the barrier between fan and artist to create something together.

As is customary at a festival with so many choices, people started to walk out, prompting someone from The Swell Season to shout out, “The next song isn’t called ‘Leave,’” and then went on to say it wasn’t a competition, which contradicts his insecurity. It began to get dizzying, bouncing back and forth between stages trying to get in a much as we could. Les Claypool and his band gave the audience a good mixture from surf music to Zappaesque jazz led by his amazing bass, keeping a good many engaged. I overheard a person say there were more people here than over at the main stage where The Raconteurs were playing.