Hey, do you know Kendrick Lamar was late to his set? After all you probably did. We had been sitting within the grass, getting X (née Twitter) updates earlier than we even noticed the bulletins on the large display. The headliners are thrilling, however that is not all that goes on on the annual pageant.
Bands traveled from all over the place — together with many from their houses throughout city — to share inspiration and good vibes with tens of 1000’s of music lovers. As with all pageant, ACL supplied us well-planned moments that’ll nonetheless be simply as contemporary for subsequent week’s guests, in addition to ephemeral greatness which will by no means be seen once more.
Whether or not you are checking up in your favourite bands or on the lookout for some Weekend Two inspiration, we hope you get pleasure from our favourite moments from the kick-off. Our favourite photographs from the weekend are additionally on show now.
Much less sweatingAfter a summer season of brutal warmth, the superbly cool weekend climate made for a unbelievable first pageant expertise. This previous Saturday was, by far, the closest Austin has gotten to fall this season — and it actually confirmed in the best way folks handled one another within the crowds. It felt like Friday festival-goers had been all on edge to get by means of the night with temperatures within the mid-80s, however Saturday’s mid-70s climate was a breeze, punctuated by constant wind. There have been extra encounters with well mannered guests keen to interact in informal dialog than on some other day. Sunday fell someplace in between, with many three-day wristband wearers positively wanting just a little worse for put on after the lengthy weekend. Let’s hope weekend two is simply as good as Saturday, and don’t overlook to hydrate both method. — Amber Heckler, Community Author
Dave Grohl and Brené Brown get all the way down to basic pop songsLook — I do know we mentioned no headliners, however this occurred on a aspect stage and flew underneath a whole lot of of us’ radars on the time. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, who is almost universally appreciated for his pure steadiness of true grunge and affable persona, in some way snuck onto the schedule (actually within the small print) on the intimate Bonus Tracks stage. The equally extensively appreciated researcher Brené Brown performed one thing between an interview and a singalong, which rapidly grew to become a best hits recap of Grohl’s finest interview moments: his Christopher Walken impression, the story of the Foos trolling Westboro Baptist Church protestors, and a studying of recent writing that sounds quite a bit like his wonderful memoir. Brown even obtained an impromptu air drum solo over Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” and a few a capella singing (the opening strains of “Greatest Of You”) out of the enduring performer. — Brianna Caleri, Austin & San Antonio Editor
Declan McKenna exhibits expertise past his ageDeclan McKenna may solely be 24-years-old, however he’s been a rising star within the music world for fairly a while. His spirited efficiency on Saturday afternoon felt like one thing you’ll count on from a a lot older, well-seasoned musician. His politically-charged setlist consisted of songs that criticized right-wing media (“Isombard”) to FIFA (“Brazil”), and even his personal British authorities (“British Bombs”). A lighthearted quirk heard in the course of the efficiency was McKenna referring to Austin as “Austin Metropolis.” — AH
Tash Sultana’s menagerie of instrumentsThere’s been a whole lot of buzz not too long ago about Tash Sultana, and it’s very well-earned. The multi-instrumentalist may have held it down on their own, and he or she did for a bit — looping guitar, percussion, synths, trumpet, saxophone, and even Native American flute, that are only a fraction of what she performs. However when the band got here in, she was capable of settle into longer jams. ACL Fest sees a number of proficient artists, however the straightforward feeling of improvisation (nevertheless rehearsed it was or wasn’t) is all the time a particular deal with. — BC
Niall Horan units a boy band milestoneIrish singer-songwriter Niall Horan exceeded expectations as the primary former One Course member to grace the stage on the pageant. Horan greeted his viewers with “Good To Meet Ya,” the lead single from his sophomore album Heartbreak Climate. Following some classically European feedback concerning the nice and cozy Texas solar (and about his less-than-breathable outfit), Horan took a deep dive into his set, stunning this informal listener along with his straightforward command of the stage. 1D followers had been enamored with Horan’s rendition of “Story of My Life” from the boyband’s 2013 album Midnight Recollections, and any older of us within the crowd had been certainly happy along with his cowl of Tears for Fears’ “All people Desires to Rule The World.” — AH
Standout live performance tees by a neighborhood printerIt’s all the time enjoyable to see folks in every year’s ACL merch, however one native vendor introduced some even cooler band tees that upped the ante. Feels So Good, a neighborhood display printer and report label, arrange store in a tent packed to the brim with trendy and distinctive merch, in addition to some extra crude and generic hits. Whether or not ironic or surprisingly stunning, these elevated band-tee trend from a recognizable emblem to a wearable piece of artwork — very 70s of them. We additionally noticed a number of {couples} (presumably) in matching outfits, so if you happen to’re going to Weekend Two, it’s time to begin convincing your important different to get in your fashion wavelength. — BC
Improbable FlagsWell-prepared teams usually enjoyment of making a foolproof approach to hold observe of one another’s whereabouts, and this 12 months there have been loads of conversation-starting identifiers. Flags are the obvious. One It’s All the time Sunny in Philadelphia-inspired flag learn, “The Gang Goes To ACL”; one other simplified, brilliant yellow flag learn, “Aquí P*ndejo,” printed in an unassuming font. Even Hozier couldn’t assist himself from studying out a flag that mentioned, “I coronary heart DILFs.” Different enjoyable pageant totems included a six-foot-long fishing pole with a luxurious toy fish connected on the finish and crammed with LED lights, and a drunk Kermit the Frog flag. Photographer Daniel Cavazos is sharing a gallery of his favorites right here mid-week. — AH
Half Alive’s elaborate dance routineIt generally is a little demoralizing lining as much as see artists get swallowed up by big levels, however Half Alive labored each inch of the T-Cellular stage on Friday, kicking issues off with a efficiency straight out of artwork college. Followers of the funky indie group have doubtless seen frontman Josh Taylor grooving to the music within the inventive video for “Nonetheless Really feel,” and he introduced again a few of these strikes and extra onstage with two dancers. It’s all the time enjoyable to see choreography, nevertheless it’s one thing else totally to see choreography that breaks out of the widespread pop mould. — BC
Hozier within the sunsetAnother Irishman, Hozier, blew away his viewers instantly along with his uncooked, heartfelt vocals on “De Selby (Half 2)” from his most up-to-date album, Unreal Unearth. Different particular moments included his acoustic efficiency of “Cherry Wine” and his spectacular falsetto on “Eat Your Younger.” Hozier’s sentiments in regards to the Saturday solar echoed Niall Horan’s earlier remarks, however he appeared effortlessly cool at golden hour behind his darkish sun shades as he continued belting his method by means of to the top, ending his set along with his largest hit: “Take Me To Church.” — AH
Sunrose making previous music new againThere are two equal and reverse beauties in music festivals: first, nullifying hard-to-get tickets by reserving en masse, and second, by chance studying one thing from smaller acts. A kind of acts was Sunrose, a Los Angeles rock band enjoying a number of the weekend’s heavier music. These guests made their ACL debut with vigor, drawing a rising crowd of extra various wanting of us. The band closed out the set by reprising a canopy from earlier: “Conflict Pigs.” In what appeared like an unadulterated show of mansplaining, somebody advised a youthful girl, “This rock band known as Black Sabbath — they launched that tune in 1970 they usually simply coated it.” She nodded in nice contemplation. Music historical past is transferring alongside. — BC
See you again there for extra subsequent weekend — as soon as we get better. And watch each Dave Grohl and Hozier video on YouTube.
