By Gaby Deimeke
It was a sticky and somewhat sweltering 93 degrees in October here in Austin, Texas, which means it’s officially time for one of the best music festivals of the year. Fans continue to look forward to this two-weekend festival held every year at Zilker Park in the heart of the city, overlooking the contemporary skyline. Originally inspired by the television series of the same name where emerging artists were invited to perform their music, the festival debuted in 2002 and is now one of the largest music festivals in the United States.
Every year, over eight stages, the best of music performs across all genres, and this year was no exception: artists from rock, indie, country, electronic, reggaeton, pop and hip hop showed up to deliver electric performances to fans. Additionally, there were many other activities to take in around the festival grounds, from local food vendors to an art market, and even a kid’s area for families to enjoy.
The gates opened on Friday and fans rushed to grab spots in the front row to see their favorite artists. Country artist Willow Avalon kicked off the party with her contemporary take on Americana music, while indie pop artist King Princess jumped into the pit and played hits, “1950” and “Jaime.” The Favors, a side project by writers and musicians Ashe and Finneas, played their third set ever, switching off between playing piano and crooning Fleetwood Mac inspired love songs.
The first evening of ACL ushered in Cage the Elephant, known for their high-energy garage rock performances and high jumps, and contrasted with Australian electronic pop duo Empire of the Sun and their synth-driven disco sound. With his charming smile, cowboy hat and acoustic guitar, Tucker Pillsbury, also known as Role Model, had the girls in the front row literally barking. As part of his live performance tradition, he brought out Hilary Duff as a surprise guest for his finale song “Sally When The Wine Runs Out.” Dallas-raised Maren Morris performed her country pop hits on the Beatbox Stage, including EDM Zedd song, “The Middle,” and songs from her newest album “Dreamsicle.”
Friday night held a wide range of headlining acts, starting with Hozier at the T-Mobile stage. The Irish singer-songwriter known for blending soulful blues and gospel influences with poetic lyrics brought his signature long hair and crooning vocals. He headed to the B-stage for a few songs halfway through the set, and ended with “Too Sweet” and “Take Me to Church.”
Across the festival at the Amex stage, popular country music artist Luke Combs strummed his acoustic guitar. With a raspy voice, he shared stories of his life in a small town before getting famous, and played hits, “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” and “When it Rains it Pours,” as well as his country rendition of “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman and “Dive” by Ed Sheeran. An exciting fireworks display ended day one.
There were lots of activities to do in between sets. The Bonus Tracks stage had DJs and dance lessons. Amex experience had personalized merch, the Coca-Cola Refresh Lounge had spots to enjoy the shade, DoorDash gave out food vouchers, and Electrolit handed out hydration packs to help keep fans hydrated. For kids, HEB had a mini grocery store area where kids could “shop” for food and learn how to recycle. Patron hosted a two-story hacienda with vinyl DJ sets and cocktails. And how could we forget the Tito’s Chillmaster5000: a giant walk-in fridge where folks could cool off between sets. ACL Eats and Sweets was back featuring Austin favorites like The Mighty Cone, JuiceLand, Veracruz tacos, and Gati ice cream. The Rock & Recycle program encouraged attendees to pick up a bag of recycling in exchange for a free ACL lineup tee.
Saturday was, as they say, “for the girls” with coveted sunset sets by electronic artist LP Giobbi and rapper Doechii, and a closing-out performance by Sabrina Carpenter. Leah Chisholm, who goes by LP and is classically trained in jazz piano, is known for her production and piano skills in the electronic space. She’s also the co-founder of Femme House, a nonprofit that advocates for gender equality in the EDM music scene. LP had an entertaining set complete with a sleek white baby grand piano and a women’s choir singing her songs.
With her genre-bending style and theatrical persona-shifting performance, Doechii kept the crowd entranced, blending rap, R&B, and pop into her fast-paced set. Wearing a white crop top and denim (with a slight wardrobe malfunction on the jeans), she sang hits “Nissan Altima” and led breathing exercises to go along with “Denial Is A River.”
Djo, the psychedelic pop project of Joe Keery (best known as Steve from “Stranger Things”), used his time to blend retro synths, dreamy vocals, and experimental production. Interestingly, his sound was a mix of nostalgic with futuristic. Rock band The Strokes closed the T-Mobile stage on Saturday, combining raw, stripped-down guitar riffs with lo-fi vocals and effortlessly stylish swagger.
One of the most highly anticipated sets of the weekend was pop princess Sabrina Carpenter. Known for her sharp hooks and charismatic delivery (if not a bit brash at times), Sabrina proved that she was worth the headlining spot this year at ACL and delivered a powerhouse performance, with big, Dolly Parton-esque blond hair, a yellow checkered shirt and bedazzled short shorts. She brought out Shania Twain to sing her 1997 classic song, “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” and Joe Keery got “arrested” during her Juno song intro. Sabrina changed into a sparkly blue babydoll dress and rolled around on a sofa for her song “Bed Chem” which turned into a mashup of “Pony” by Ginuwine, and ended the set with “Espresso” and a vibrant fireworks display.
On Sunday, The Dare performed in their classic black and white suits on the Miller Lite Stage. Gigi Perez helped fans get in their feels at the Ladybird Stage, ending with her hit track, “Sailor Song.” The BMI stage, known for highlighting up-and-coming artists in the industry, showcased Puerto Rican artist Chuwi and Philly-based singer-songwriter Zinadelphia. The Tito’s tent ended with the iconic Silent Disco, showcasing three different DJs and letting fans choose which channel they’d like to listen to.
There was yet another wide range of genres on Sunday evening. Mk.Gee created an indie pop, lo-fi haven, while Colombian reggaeton singer Feid blended traditional Latin rhythms with fresh urban sounds to the delight of Spanish fans. He had a green-themed set with fire and a giant inflatable head with speakers emerging out of it, and donned a white mask over his face.
T-Pain, the “Buy U a Drank” rapper, fully brought the “yee haw” to ACL in one of the best performances of the night. He emerged from a Saloon themed stage (complete with life size statues of horses) in an all-leather country western outfit. He and his backup dancers brought the 2000’s dance moves, snapping fingers, and auto tune, and the crowd recited every word back.
To end weekend one of ACL, female rapper and producer Doja Cat was supposed to perform, but she cancelled due to a scheduling conflict and The Killers stepped in to replace her set. House music also reigned on Sunday, with Colorado-based DJ Disco Lines taking a sunset spot and playing his viral song “No Broke Boys.” French DJ duo Polo and Pan had a 70’s dance-meets-outer space themed set, with singer Zoe Madimmi adding vocals to the tracks.
Producer and EDM artist John Summit closed out the festival on Sunday night. His tech-house tracks blended into deep baselines and uptempo melodies, all while mixing in popular songs for the crowd to sing along to. Summit brought out singer Hayla to belt the vocals of the songs they have together. His backup dancers felt more like ravers enjoying a late night at a club, and the black and white visuals on screen added to the effect, with a series of fireworks shooting off at the end as he ripped his shirt off.
After experiencing the variety of artists all weekend long, this has truly been one of the most diverse lineups in modern ACL history. Having so many genres and crossovers brings music to so many fans and exposes folks to artists they might not normally get to experience or see live. With its rich history and diverse lineup selection, this year proves that ACL Music Festival continues to be a highlight of Austin’s vibrant music scene, and a harmonious treat for locals and visitors alike.
