Historically speaking, musicians use their platforms to make statements about political and social issues, so it stands to reason that a massive music festival could represent the ideal place to do it. This raised the question of whether that might be a theme during the first weekend (October 3 to 5) of the 23rd edition of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which drew 75,000 people per day to the Texas capital’s sprawling Zilker Park.
The resounding answer: not really.
Save for a comment by Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel (who have opened nearly every ACL Fest since its inception in 2002) and a statement at the end of Hozier’s headlining set, where the Irishman pontificated for several minutes on the importance of unity and compassion in the face of myriad affronts, the remainder of the roster’s 100-plus artists didn’t delve into current issues. It was a little unexpected given many recent high-profile cases, but perhaps also unsurprising since a music festival is just as powerful as a safe space where people can celebrate what should be considered another sort of baseline human right: the freedom to embrace unpoliticized joy and pure, old-fashioned fun.
Exuberance abounded consistently throughout the three days. Friday’s highlights kicked off with French-Korean artist Spill Tab, whose performance ranged from uber-chill (“Hold Me,” “Assis”) to explicitly energetic (“Pistolwhip,” “Crème Brûlée!”). Animal Collective’s Panda Bear continued in that vein, kicking off his set with the floaty 2015 number “Selfish Gene” before launching into more of the upbeat, guitar-driven selections from this year’s Sinister Grift. King Princess offered up a healthy helping of tunes off her new album Girl Violence, equal parts sultry-smooth (“Jaime”) and raucous (“I Feel Pretty” was bookended by ripping guitar solos). Finneas and Ashe, performing as The Favors, then delighted with their first-ever festival set (and just their third show to date), while Empire Of The Sun worked one of the day’s largest crowds into a dancing delirium, climaxing with mega-hit “Walking On A Dream.”
Saturday’s lineup featured another slew of bangers. Riize, the festival’s first K-pop band, absolutely astounded with their flawless choreography and kinetic cuts from the full-length debut Odyssey, proving that ACL might benefit significantly from booking a K-pop headliner in the future. Early on, one of Austin’s biggest recent success stories, the powerhouse trio Next Of Kin, shifted effortlessly between southern-tinged, show-stopping stompers like “It’s a Shame” and heartfelt ballads (“Jekyl And Hyde” and “Homemaker”), all of which featured the three singers delivering hypnotizing harmonies and trading lines with lightning-quick sass. Keep an eye on their meteoric rise in the ranks of downhome hotshots – they might just be the Destiny’s Child of queer country.
Though Japanese Breakfast thrilled with her inclusion of premier ATX drag queen Louisanna Purchase to bang the gong on set opener “Paprika” and Magdalena Bay to collaborate on a cover of MGMT’s “Time To Pretend,” Sabrina Carpenter won the accolade for best cameo, bringing out Shania Twain to duet on “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Though many might’ve been disappointed they didn’t get Taylor Swift — it was heavily rumored she might show up to perform the title track to her just-released twelfth album, The Life Of A Showgirl — it was a momentous occasion that solidified Carpenter’s role as a superstar torchbearer. Interestingly, however, The Strokes garnered an equally large audience across the field, proving that indie rock nostalgia is just as viable in today’s music industry (see also: Modest Mouse, whose classics-dominated set saw a surprising number of teenage fans losing their sh*t at the barricade).
The day’s true headliner, however, was Florida rapper Doechii, who easily drew the largest crowd of the session. Even without a band, backup dancers, and dazzling production like she brought for her dazzler at Lollapalooza — instead opting for a simple swamp-themed setup with only her DJ for support — she retained command for the entirety of the hour-long set. The rapid-fire run of heavy hitters from her 2024 debut album Alligator Bites Never Heal, deep cuts (“GTFO,” “Crazy”), and even a ferocious freestyle over Beyoncé’s “America Has A Problem,” saw her running, thrashing, and twerking non-stop to fill up the empty space. The display revealed Doechii as a chief ambassador for retaining the old-school rap spirit while leading the pack in cutting-edge technique, solidifying her path to a rightful place among contemporary rap’s greats.
Honestly, she should’ve been elevated to Sunday night headliner when Doja Cat dropped out. The Killers are not a like-for-like choice, and their fest finale felt slightly contrived. To that end, two Willie Nelson covers — “Whiskey River” featuring local artist Guy Forsyth on harmonica to kick things off, plus a take on “Always On My Mind” — somewhat reeked of desperation to win over an Austin-centric audience who didn’t get what they originally paid for. Even so, the Las Vegas band’s audience was enormous, and they visibly exhilarated with a hits-laden set that resulted in the largest sing-along of the weekend during the “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier” refrain of “All These Things That I’ve Done.”
And there were plenty of other artists who helped the festival go out with a bang: The Dare, despite being slotted in the afternoon heat instead of a more appropriate nighttime setting to complement his dance club vibes, swept his fans into a frenzy of fun for his first live show in Austin. Wet Leg satisfied the rock itch with their massive main stage maelstrom. T-Pain staged a western-themed, hits-heavy sunset shebang for the ages. Phantogram harnessed the ultimate potential of darkness to conjure a superior industrial rock-electro dance party.
It all goes to show that the festival didn’t require a litany of comments critiquing our current political climate — even if those that were offered were truly heartfelt — to proliferate widespread compassion and safety. Healing was achieved through the immortal jubilation derived from sharing live music, with more to come during ACL Fest’s second weekend.
Djo
Doechii
The Favors
King Princess
Magdalena Bay
MJ Lenderman
Modest Mouse
Olivia Dean
Role Model
The Strokes
