Minutes before 26-year-old pop music 'femininomenon' Chappell Roan—born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz—took the Bonnaroo stage, screens showed an aerial video of her massive crowd stretching halfway through the festival's grounds.
Fans had waited hours in the 92-degree heat to grab a good spot to Roan's set.
One fan, Ashley Drury, said she set up camp six hours before Roan’s set for a chance to get into the pit seating. “At nine o’clock, there were already 30 people in front of us,” she said.
Drury said she’s been following Roan’s explosive rise to fame since her early days. “Seeing everyone finally f****** appreciate her for what she is, is absolutely everything,” she said. “We haven’t seen anyone like her in a while. She’s the next Lady Gaga.”
Bonnaroo backstage: Chappell Roan had a 'Casual' fan waiting after her Bonnaroo performance — Kacey Musgraves
Drury’s friend Anna Kekelis said she was ready to cry. "She’s so amazing. And I’m probably going to bawl my eyes out when I see her,” she said.
Fans were in for a treat.
As the "Midwest Princess" intro played with sparkling synths, a screen showed an "Am I Gay?" Google quiz as Roan's band played.
The band wore spandex nurse's outfits and dramatic eye makeup. Roan strutted out in the same, with her red curls flowing behind her. She wore red plastic gloves and held a tray with a large needle syringe as a stethoscope hung around her neck.
Roan's "Rocky Horror"-esque nurse look could've also doubled in an episode of "American Horror Story." Alongside a fully powdered white face, rainbow eye makeup and drawn-on "Cabaret" eyebrows, she wore a spandex dress and white go-go boots with first aid crosses on them.
Roan even had black first aid crosses over her breasts, peeking out of her dress and showing the singer-songwriter's already well-known dedication to a good theme.
She started the set out with "Femininomenon," singing "Get it hot / make it b****!" and dramatically kicked her legs with her dancing bassist and guitarist.
"Are you ready to get naked in Manhattan, Bonnaroo?," Roan said before singing her next song, "Naked in Manhattan."Her soaring vocals flew over the glitzy pop music.
"Can you believe it? We’re at Bonnaroo," Roan said to the crowd.
"I’m so happy to be here. My name is Chappell Roan. We’re gonna have so much fun today, but if someone in the crowd needs help, just point to them," she said, referencing the heat. "I have direct communication with security, so I can send them out! Let’s be safe out here, okay!"
Roan said she could help 'cause "she's the doctor."
At one point, Roan did call out to help a fan.
"I feel like some people here need mouth to mouth," she said later, alluding to her nurse get-up.
Club-like bass thumped during "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl," bringing a dancey Depeche Mode vibe to the 'Roo crowd. She cycled through her hits and even played a new, unreleased song, "The Subway," a sad break-up tune.
She sang, "I’m still counting down all of the days / til you’re just another girl on the subway."
At one point, Roan put a wig on the mic stand and serenaded her imaginary "wigalita," for song "Picture You."
One highlight of Roan's set was when she taught the crowd her "Hot To Go!" choreography, saying, "I’m gonna teach you a dance. I know it’s really hot so you don’t have to do it a lot, but you can do it with your hands!"
Then, thousands of fans performed a slightly-more-complicated version of the "YMCA," moving their arms in unison on the chorus to spell out "Hot To Go." With an aerial drone shot on the screens, it was a sight to see.
On song “After Midnight," Roan strutted along fanning herself with a fan that said "c**t," telling the crowd: "We’re all in full latex looks, b****!"
She closed out her set with hits "Red Wine Supernova," "Good Luck, Babe!" and "My Kink is Karma," before ending with her biggest song, "Pink Pony Club."
She sang the song’s fitting lyrics, "Don't think I've left you all behind / Still love you and Tennessee!”
What songs did Chappell Roan sing at Bonnaroo? Here's the setlist.
Femininomenon
Naked in Manhattan
Super graphic ultra modern girl
Love Me Anyway
Picture you
Hot To Go!
After Midnight
Casual
The Subway
Red Wine
Good Luck Babe
My Kink is Karma
Pink Pony Club
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Chappell Roan makes her Bonnaroo debut to huge crowd. See the setlist
