Schedule
Friday, September 12, 2025 at 8:00 pm (Main Stage)
Thundercat aka Stephen Bruner gravitated to the bass guitar at the age of four. One wonders if it was a full-sized instrument, but given his prodigious talent and the fact it launched him into the mega-star he is today, we’re guessing yes. Being a tyke, he practiced along with the Ninja Turtles soundtrack. But then papa Ronald Bruner, Sr. (a former drummer for The Temptations) laid the needle in the groove of some Jaco Pastorious and the rest, it might be said, is history.
As a teen, Thundercat joined thrash-punkers, Suicidal Tendencies, from 2002-2011, adding a thunderous, funky presence. When that gig ended, it wasn’t long before his prowess on the bass was in high demand. He’s toured and/or recorded with Stanley Clarke, Herbie Hancock, N.E.R.D., Travis Scott, HAIM, Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson.Paak), Kaytranada, Stevie Wonder and Erykah Badu.
That bass has unleashed a solo career that has seen the release of acclaimed albums, including a Grammy in 2020 for It Is What It Is, for Best Progressive R&B Album. That record featured a host of collaborators, including featuring Ty Dolla $ign, Childish Gambino, Lil B, Kamasi Washington, Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, BADBADNOTGOOD, Louis Cole, Pedro Martins and Zack Fox. The other Grammy on his mantlepiece is for his work with Kendrick Lamar for the song These Walls, off Kendrick’s 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly. And his collab with Tame Impala on 2023’s No More Lies is a percolating little dreamy R&B excursion that hearkens back to the glossy soul sounds of Philadelphia.
To have Thundercat headline our festival is a bold step into a world were genre goes out the window. This cat’s sound is a potent mélange of blues, R&B, jazz, and funk. We guarantee blown minds and booty-shaking. Hear the Thunder!