Bonnaroo 2023: 6 wild moments from Saturday featuring Lil Nas X, Tyler Childers

Saturday at Bonnaroo provided plenty of fireworks — and we're not just talking about the ones that closed EDM artist Odesza's headlining set in the early morning hours.

While pop star Lil Nas X and independent country storyteller Tyler Childers both delivered energetic, crowd-pleasing sets that left the festivalgoers buzzing late into the night, the marathon day of music also included a Nashville soulman, a dream-chasing showstopper and the newest member of Rock Hall royalty. These are our highlights from Saturday in Manchester.

Lil Nas X brings 'nonstop, wild euphoria'

Lil Nas X delivered like no other Saturday night at Bonnaroo. Complete with giant costumed creatures and stellar outfits, his performance was a celebration of Black joy and queerness, while at the same time exuding seduction and sex appeal.

Appearing on the What Stage wearing a gold breast plate, Lil Nas opened with "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," immediately sending the crowd into a nonstop, wild euphoria.

Throughout his set, Lil Nas X performed hype song after hype song, like "Don't Want it," "Down Souf Hoes" and his 2019 industry-shaking hit, "Old Town Road" which earned the singer and country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus a pair of Grammy Awards, ultimately launchinh the young showman into stardom.

But besides his trademark charm and energy, what set Lil Nas X's set apart from others was the unapologetic and raw way in which he showcased his persona.

Tyler Childers brings a huge crowd together

Tyler Childers, the Kentucky troubadour from the heart of Appalachia who's built a die-hard following, has drawn comparisons to popular bluegrass picker Billy Strings, and sometimes vice versa.

But Childers, who took the Which stage at Bonnaroo in support of his deeply spiritual 2022 album “Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven?,” has a sound and a following all his own.

In an hour and a quarter, the artist and his backing band, an ever-reliable collective called The Food Stamps, traveled through gospel, bluegrass standards, originals and straight-fire, meat-and-potatoes country music. The crowd was filled with bubble-blowing hippies, blue-collar festival maintenance workers, families and Instagram models. They all somehow found common ground in Childers' music.

That Childers opened his set in front of what amounted to a capacity crowd only serves to underscore the musical diversity of a festival that can follow Lil Nas X and all of his pomp and circumstance with a comparatively gentle trip to the holy land just a few hundred yards away.

Sheryl Crow soaks up the positive vibes

Sheryl Crow shared an abundance of joy and positivity - in true Bonnaroo fashion - Saturday evening on the What Stage.

The activist and soon-to-be Rock and Roll Hall of Famer used her platform at 'Roo to speak on mental health and transgender rights. On stage, Crow recalled during her record-making days in 1990s Pasadena, California, she witnessed a transgender person being kicked out of a coffee shop for “disturbing” other patrons.

After being booted, she said the person left a note that read, “If I’m not here, then you’re not here.” Crow, now a Nashville resident, wrote her 1996 song “Hard To Make A Stand” about the person.

“I’m happy that although 30 years later, all of us can live in this country free and be our true selves and love who we love,” she said.

As Crow progressed through her set, she also took time to reflect on dark moments in her life. The timeless hitmaker shared empathy toward young people who could be experiencing the same. She talked about experiencing anxiety, and finding peace after moving to Tennessee roughly two decades ago.

She dedicated “Cross Creek Road” to all of those “struggling with their low lows.”

“Sometime you’re just born with melancholy," she said. "I was."

Remi Wolf's roll call

Remi Wolf has been officiating weddings all weekend. Four in total. Add that to her resume.

The 27-year-old California-based singer, once a contestant on "American Idol," formed her first band at age 14. The indie-pop artist since gained a big following, and her fans spilled out of That Tent and spread out across the lawn Saturday evening. Wolf could have filled a venue three times the size of the area. Five minutes before she was even scheduled to appear, the crowd was chanting her name.

When Wolf emerged on the stage, the little performer with a giant voice commanded what would be an hour-long singalong. Highlights of her performance were “Sexy Villain” and the catchy “Anthony Kiedis,” both from Wolf’s 2021 album “Juno.” She also led a funkier version of the otherwise spare and creepy 2011 hit “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye.

Wolf’s ability to stir up a crowd is as notable as her ability to fill a room with her voice, and she led one of the most energetic daytime performances on Saturday at Bonnaroo. Here’s hoping she gets a better time slot and a bigger stage in the future.

Danielle Ponder lives a dream

Danielle Ponder left a job as a public defender in her hometown, Rochester, New York, to pursue her dream of becoming a musician.

Saturday, as she kicked off performances on the Which Stage, she announced that she was living her dream.

And her early afternoon set served as an inspiration for those in the audience that it's never too late to follow a dream. The R&B singer made for a smooth start to the day with her powerful vocals and soulful covers of Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By," (taking inspiration from Issac Hayes funk-rock version) and Radiohead's "Creep," which closed her show.

But perhaps the true highlight was her tribute to Tina Turner. She took a slowed-down approach to Ike Turner and Tina Turner's Phil Spector-produced classic "River Deep - Mountain High," showcasing her luscious vocals.

Devon Gilfillian's on the right time

Devon Gilfillian, the charismatic Nashville-based soul singer-songwriter and guitarist, took the stage with his band at 3 p.m. Saturday — right on time. And he stayed right on time throughout a soulful, soaring performance that threatened to blow the roof off That Tent.

Gilfillian, with his sunny yet commanding stage presence, took a hold of the crowd immediately and never released his grip throughout a show that featured high-flying guitar riffs, old-school funk beats and sultry R&B vocals. His band, clad in silk lavender lounge shirts emblazoned with his initials, smoothly segued from one song to the next, driving the beat and keeping the energy high.

Highlights included the title track off the artist’s new album, “Love You Anyway,” a song about healing relationships in a fractured political climate. Gilfillian’s crooning soul anthem, “All I Really Want to Do,” was a welcome breather in an otherwise blistering set. But perhaps the most moving moment was when Gilfillian delivered Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” with his brother Ryan Gilfillian, a talented crooner who performs in a wheelchair after a 2009 car accident left him paralyzed. Ryan Gilfillian’s golden voice, eerily reminiscent of Gaye’s, rendered the already rapt crowd completely silent.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Bonnaroo 2023: 6 unforgettable Saturday moments