Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Make Converts at Bonnaroo

They already conquered the West Coast when they signed, sealed and delivered it at Coachella. Now, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are out to conquer the heartland with a set at Bonnaroo that was one of the most hyped of the weekend. The crowd of onlookers, curiosity seekers and genuine fans numbered more than twice the capacity of the tent itself, overflowing on all sides to the sonic horizon.

Meanwhile, frontman Alex Ebert said, "It's too hot to talk," which was pretty much true but apparently it wasn't too hot for him to cross the barrier and partake of some softcore stage diving. It was a rare sight for the hippie Bonnaroo crowd but it went over like the Magnetic Zero's set; in other words, people loved it. And while it may have been their first time getting to see this band live, thousands sang along to songs like 'Janglin,' '40 Day Dream' and 'Home.'

"I bet you've never seen this before," Ebert said during a lull between songs. But he wasn't talking about his antics. He was referring to "people onstage not knowing what to do," as they settled some stage issues and then launched into 'I Come in Please.' Truth be told, it was the first time most people in the crowd had seen any of it. Consider them converts.

As for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, consider them converts too -- to the Bonnaroo experience. The band was seen playing ping-pong backstage in the artist compound and in the middle of the night Ebert could still be seen wandering around the festival, headed to the late night shows. Unlike Aziz Ansari, Wayne Coyne, and members of Kings of Leon, Ebert was not headed to LCD Soundsystem. He was taking in everything else.

"Do you believe what a dork I am right now?" Ebert laughed towards the end of his set. He was referring to the fact while he was the frontman, he was also turning into just another fanboy. It's cool. We are too.