As if. Jay-Z's closing set on the main stage Saturday illustrated a lot of things, some of which weren't exactly news (e.g., Jay-Z is a great rapper and a great showman). But it was interesting how completely he owned the Bonnaroo collective. The under-25 crowd knew all the words to songs that came out a decade ago or more. If you don't think of "Big Pimpin'" or "Jigga What, Jigga Who" as classic rock yet, their reception from 70,000 or so Bonnaroovians says it's probably time to start.
So anyway, Jay ruled the main lawn. And he did it following a terrific set by Stevie Wonder, who ran through hits from "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" to "Superstition," and showed off the continued relevance of the keytar. Stevie was great. Jay was a level above that, a guy at the peak of his career playing to a field filled with kids who grew up on his music. When he brought out "Young Forever," to a crowd of raised lighters, cell phones, and glowsticks, the song shed the cheesy sense of pandering that clings to it on The Blueprint 3 and turned into something heartfelt and huge.
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