Happy Bonnaroo weekend! The Tennessee-based arts and music festival effectively kicked off the season on Friday. Per USA Today’s recap, he weather was appropriately mild and the rain that threatened for the entire day never came through, letting crowds enjoy the show free from sweltering heat and soaking rain – a good thing, considering that the lineup, including the likes of Phoenix, CVRCHES, Vampire Weekend and Neutral Milk Hotel were not to be missed. And then there were the headliners.

CHVRCHES
CHVRCHES were just one of the bands playing Bonnaroo Friday.

Kanye West kicked off his set late at night on Friday. As usual, West’s performance was on point, but due to the large crowd and somewhat poor technical execution, it was difficult for many fans to connect. A number of the people, who were too far from the stage, reportedly booed the rapper.

More: Kanye, Elton, Jack And Lionel: Say Hello To Bonnaroo's Festival Lineup 2014

More: Janelle Monae And Skrillex Set For Most Ecclectic Bonnaroo Festival Superjam

Sam Smith, who garnered a lot of buzz recently with his debut record, In The Lonely Hour, proved that his talents extend well beyond just songwriting. The Brit, who currently has three hits in the charts - his own Stay With Me, plus featured spots in Disclosure's Latch and Naughty Boy's La La La, played his only US date at Bonnaroo. The crowd of people, singing along to his songs, reportedly spilled out well beyond the posts of Bonnaroo's Other Tent.

Sam Smith
Sam Smith showed off his live skills at his only US show this summer.

Janelle Monae’s conceptual set was definitely one of the highlights. Monae, tied up in a straitjacket, was wheeled out onstage by too “orderlies”. During her beautifully choreographed set, she managed to escape a couple times, culminating in her jumping offstage and running through the crowd.