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The reinvented Austin Psych Fest returns NOV 7-10 at venues around Austin with a great lineup of alt, indie, goth, psychedelic rock music.

There are great bands beyond the obvious headliners for fans to discover new music.  Check out the Spotify Playlist to check them out ahead of time.

Check out great Austin local bands like Hundred Visions, The Black Angels, Ringo Death Starr.

Check out Black Moth Super Rainbow, John Cale, Frankie & the Witch Fingers, Black Marble, Death Valley Girls, Ioanna Gika, BRONCHO, Night Beats.

Chelsea Wolfe will be performing at an all acoustic set on Saturday night.

Venues on this year’s schedule include many of Austin’s famous iconic locales:

Barracuda: 611 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701 | Website
Cheer Up Charlies: 900 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 | Website
Central Presbyterian Church: 200 E 8th St, Austin, TX 78701 | Website
Elysium: 705 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 | Website
Empire Control Room: 606 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701 | Website
Hotel Vegas: 1502 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 | Website
The Mohawk: 912 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 | Website
Stubb’s: 801 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701 | Website

Tickets and 4-day passes are on sale!

More info on their site: http://www.levitation-austin.com/

by Brianna Caleri

A week after the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the internet is buzzing about another Austin concert that happened right after the fest. Maggie Rogers, the young dance music sensation, returned to Austin for 3 sold-out shows at the iconic ACL Live at the Moody Theater. Rogers went viral as a student, when Pharrell Williams appeared on video during a class workshop and declared that her song, “Alaska”, was beyond criticism.

On Saturday, at ACL Live, as Rogers reflected in a speech about her journey, she was interrupted by a fan at the back of the crowd. “Free the nips!” he yelled. Rogers pressed on, finishing her speech with a reminder that her show should be a safe, joyful and vulnerable experience. “We create that space for each other,” Rogers said. “Don’t forget that.” That impressed us.

Rogers takes time during her show and extends support not just to the audience and the tumultuous emotions that lead fans straight into her empowering arms, but to others on her tour. She heard opener Jacob Banks’s grave, soulful voice at a festival and said she “had to have him onstage with her”. Banks’ powerful voice and folk roots complemented the headliner’s, while his statue-like performance starkly contrasted hers.

On night 2 of her 3-night ACL Live run, Rogers brought on a surprise guest: a refugee from Eritrea who helped her perform an upbeat song from his home country, “Shalala.” Always supporting a cause, Rogers made time to support partners Planned Parenthood and HeadCount.Rogers also gave effusive credit to her crew, which was well-deserved, especially by the lighting crew. They crafted a dramatic opening to the folksy sounds of “Color Song” (complete with chirping crickets) by casting shadows on a gigantic sheet in front of the stage. When the sheet dropped, Rogers christened the show with a mighty first note, high, clear and even fuller than that of the studio version of “Fallingwater.”

The stage, divided in three tiers (and looking a lot like a late-night set from the ‘60s), was almost sterile if not for the strobing lights that became a character themselves. In an exciting rendition of “Light On” that ditched the studio version’s gentle arrangement for something more electric, lights pulsed in reassuring patterns and Einstein bulbs glowed.

Even in an empty room, Rogers would be a captivating performer. She moves as if she can’t help it, punching the air in sync with the drums that define her sound, and stepping in time. She merges confidence with whimsy, while maintaining a solid musical performance. Miraculously, her voice always remained pure and powerful, even while she pranced across the stage with a pride flag handed up from the audience during “Dog Years.”

Maggie finished as expected with an acoustic version of “Alaska” for the short encore. Her voice unwavering but missing a few beats in her strumming, and rushed off the stage. Thankfully, despite getting derailed in its last moments, Roger’s show was a stunning success; a beautiful example of the intersection of professionalism and vulnerability. And she repeated it the next night, without a hitch, successfully ending her tour and redeeming her Austin experience.

That first night, fans left lamenting the unwelcome guest who harassed their candid hero. But having mostly recovered, Rogers gets the last laugh. Her show is at the tip of everyone’s tongue, and she used the opportunity to set a strong example for other sensitive fans who admire her unguarded power.

See all the show photos at Austin 101

Set list:

Color Song
Fallingwater
Burning
Say It
The Knife
Give a Little
On + Off
Dog Years
I’m Gonna Love You for a Long Time
Past Life
Overnight
Retrograde
Back in My Body
Light On
Encore:
Alaska

by David McCready

In their anticipated return to Austin the comedy/rock duo, Jack Black & Kyle Gass-Tenacious D-presented the  audience with a performance of hilarity and rock music to support their new film and album, “Post Apocalypto”.

Tenacious was joined during the show by country band Wynchester, which features Kyle Gass Band singer Mike Bray and Tenacious D guitarist John Konesky.

A large screen over the stage projected a raunchy animated short movie/rock opera film for their new album, Apocalypto. The film followed the duo’s epic misadventures ranging from discovering an all-female inhabited island quickly turning against them, to fighting their way through swarms of Nazi’s and Klansmen guarding a sacred treasure to save the world.

In between segments of the film, the duo performed songs from their new album that followed with the film’s storyline that never ceased to amass a wave of laughter from fans. As the animated film concluded singer, Jack Black took the stage to thank the audience for their premiere and was instantly met with roaring applause.

With all the formalities out of the way, Tenacious D then launched the explosive second part of their performance which included playing all their well-loved classics, leading with “Rize of the Fenix”. In true comedic fashion, Black came sporting a large tiger print shirt in which he would tuck both his arms into and exchange satirical jokes with guitarist, Kyle Gass.

The entire night was filled with laughs and humor and seeing the duo entertain the crowd alone, was nothing short of an incredible experience. As the night came to a close, the duo thanked the audience and departed the stage with thunderous applause. Tenacious D’s unique performance brought many laughs and entertainment to ACL Live, and will be remembered as one of the most interesting and creative shows of 2019.

See all our photos in our photo gallery.

ACL Festival Weekend Two Review

Austin, TX,

Edging ever closer towards to 2 full decades at Zilker Park, this year’s Austin City Limits brought 2 weekends full of local and international music (up-and-comers and big headliners), great eats, and lots of great times.

Weekend 2 was certainly a dramatic weather shift from the hot and muggy weather from ACL weekend 1. Both weekends broke weather records. The first was one of the hottest, the second the coldest. The first day of weekend 1 had temps in the 40’s and 50’s- people wearing hats, coats, and scarves and each day the temps got slightly better in the 60’s and 70’s but was mostly cloudy. We felt we won the weather lottery.

As festival fever sweeps the nation this time of year, thousands of fun-loving people gathered at Zilker Park in Austin to listen to an electric lineup of musicians from a lot of genres, styles and generations. Don’t think that ACL is just another festival to check off the list, Promoter, C3 did a great job bringing a great mixture of up-and-coming artists, viral sensations and musical legends. ACL truly did a great job bringing something for everyone. Come with us as we recap some of the bands that we felt were highlights, some of them you may have heard of and some you may not and will quickly add to your playlists.

(the Band Camino)

Friday

The Band Camino, Houses, Savannah Conley and Madison Beer, Cherry Glazerr, Jai Wolf, King Princess, K.Flay, Lil Uzi, The Raconteurs, Tame Impala and Guns n’ Roses

We started our ACL experience checking out some awesome lesser known artists during the coldest hours on Friday.

The Band Camino was on the early part of the first day lineup. This band is dominating the indie rock scene and with good reason. Their musical magnetism is undeniable and even if you don’t know the song they’re playing, you often feel like you should. The band showcased powerful vocals, vibrant guitar solos and heart pounding drums. Their energy was undeniable and they proved what makes them one of the hottest up-and-coming indie rock bands.

The band Houses from Chicago brought their indie pop tunes to ACL. The band’s huge acoustic drum beats and slow burning guitar tones support the dreamy music box samples and the lush vocals. I enjoyed the dreamy and almost hypnotic rock and their explorative sounds.

Savannah Conley dazzled us with a rich set of singer-songwriter organic pop songs. Her quirky lyrics, moody instrumentation, and sarcastic lines make her music engaging. As you listen to her music, you can hear the abundance of her Nashville roots along with the rock undertones. I loved her crisp and vulnerable vocals.

Madison Beer started posting videos of popular songs early in her musical career. After she gained the attention of Justin Bieber, she became a musical sensation. Her positive lyrics and presence could be felt throughout her set. Her music was fun, melodic and upbeat.

(Cherry Glazerr)

The Los Angeles trio Cherry Glazerr burned up the VRBO stage with their hi-energy noise pop tunes. I covered the band during their ACL Late night showcase and was looking forward to seeing them again. Clementine Creevy’s scrappy idealism, punk lyrics, and her grungy guitar riffs were felt through the speakers as the weather turned from brisk to nippy. I have followed this band for a few years now and am impressed at how they have stayed true to their alternative rock roots. I loved how they oscillated from fragile to ironclad and back to fragile.

To mix things up, I was ready for a little electronic music. Jai Wolf has taken the world of electronic music by storm with tracks that awaken the internal euphoria we all have inside. From the beginning of the set, Jai had the cloud dancing, jumping, and pushing against each other. He brought his hi energy synth-pop electronic sounds from a semicircle of pads in front of him. The awesome neon landscapes and the occasional videos only added to the need to dance. For anyone that thinks electronic music is past its prime, I highly recommend checking out Jai.

(King Princess)

Brooklyn’s King Princess was the next must see of the day and she did not disappoint. Her style is as close to perfect as pop music can be. Think sparse drums, bubbly guitar riffs and memorable choruses and you have King Princess. The lead singer Mikaela Straus leaned on her wicked sense of humor and her whip-smart comments to keep us all smiling and wondering what she would say next. Her set was full of joyful harmonics and vulnerable lyrics. Straus has been vocal about politics and queer identity and wants to help the next generation of queer youth. This year brought a lot of ‘out’ artists and they were embraced.

It’s surprising that K.Flay is not the next megastar yet. It might not be long until this happens. I would call her style a sophisticated blend of indie rock, electro and pop rock blended with her signature raspy voice. Her devoted following was in full force and enjoyed the set. Her set was entertaining and powerful. I loved how passionate and honest the band’s lyrics were.

(Lil Uzi Vert)

Lil Uzi Vert cancelled his weekend one performance so he was on my must see list for Friday. I started to get worried when he was not on stage after 15 minutes but he eventually showed and dropped a solid set. It was the chest-shaking bass and the half-sung, half-rapped vocals that everyone was all there to see and he brought all that and more as he flew back and forth across the stage. The rapper commented how effortless it is for him to perform. Indeed, his well known energy and vocal skills did make it look so effortless. In the end, it was a great set and most definitely worth the wait.

(photo Chad Wadsworth)

The Raconteurs- One of the biggest sets we planned to cover this year- Jack White doesn’t tour much so this was a huge deal. From the guitar-laden “Bored and Razed” which rattled the soul of the crowd with deep pounding chords. “Don’t Bother Me” and “Only Child” followed from “Help Us Stranger”, the first release from The Raconteurs in over a decade. Jack White and Brendan Benson traded off on vocals, guitar riffs, and songwriting contributions. Bassist “Little Jack” Lawrence, drummer Patrick Keeler, and touring member keyboardist / back-up guitarist Dean Fertita (QOTSA) also shared their master musicianship. Their communal spirit awed in “Shine The Light on Me”, one of the songs that motivated The Raconteur’s to return to the studio.

(Tame Impala)

Tame Impala had the very tough job of co-headlining the day with the legendary Guns n Roses. I love both bands so I had to make it to both of their sets.The Australian band fused their psychedelic pop melodies and modern electronic production to delight the tens of thousands that were in attendance. I love the blend of visuals, the synthesizers and tight drum programming that the band puts together to create dope dance floor melodies. I would have loved to catch all 90 minutes of their set but I couldn’t. The pull for GNR was too strong and I headed toward the American Express stage on the other side of the festival in Zilker Park.

(GNR by Katarina Benzova)

There are bands that take you back to a place, whether that place is good or bad, the music has the power to take you there. GNR (Guns n Roses) is one of those bands for me. As I sat on the lawn listening to Axl and Slash rock the stage I remised about my youth and whatever it was that I was doing in the 90s. The band sounded as good as I remember when I saw them many years ago. Axl’s legendary powerful vocals and Slash’s unmatched guitar skills (often considered one of the best guitarists) were in full display as the festival closed its first day. The band played hits like “Sweet Child of Mine”, “November Rain”, “Live and Let Die” and “Welcome to the Jungle” and many more songs in the crazy-long 2 ½ hr set.

See all our photos from the festival at Austin 101.

Late Night Shows: There were tons of great official ACL Late shows this year at venues all around downtown Austin. The highlights were Pink Sweat$, Banks, Cherry Glazerr, Jenny Lewis.

Saturday

After a few much needed hours of sleep, it was time to get back into the groove. The artists today were separated in mostly two categories: love them and can’t wait to see them again or love them and have wanted to see them for a long time.

Diamante Electrico was a band that I’ve been wanting to see for a long time. The Colombian Spanish-rock band took the stage and they meant business. The trio played a great set filled with smooth Spanish rock with great vocal hooks and catchy riffs. The band’s sound has evolved during the past several years incorporating funky guitars and garage-rock tracks. Whether you speak Spanish or not, you can feel the musical influences from the Stones, Led Zeppelin and a bit of Muse. If you already love Spanish rock this is a band to check out.

Shifting gears and musical genres, Florida rapper Denzel Curry came to ACL prepared to do his thing. Curry’s gained a lot of recognition and has broken into the mainstream largely because of his fresh take on the rap. Curry leans on the confusion of youth, chaos and troubles of our current society to create beats with a high level of emotional resonance and insightfulness. The set was super high energy with big jumps and cruising from one end of the stage to the other. The crowd loved the beats and the distinctive blend of dynamic hip hop. In the end, the lyrics pulled us closer to the stage and offered us a chance to listen in to the message behind the rhymes.

ACL was the first stop of 17 scheduled performances for California duo Hippie Sabotage. The fans packed in at the Miller Lite stage to dance to the hi-energy psychedelic electronic inspired tracks. The crowd went completely wild, starting mosh pits and crowd surfing while the brothers joined in and mixed their unique blend of EDM and hip hop. Sitting down was not an option as we heard the Saurer brothers mix, remix and blend electronic vibes.

(photo Sydney Gawlik)

The local artist Dayglow made his debut at the BMI stage during the ACL festival. With a massive 9 million plus plays on Spotify, the Texas native knows something about putting together catchy tunes. The synth ripples and the smooth reverb shuffles ran wild through the 60 minute set. I particularly enjoyed the refreshing mix and the vocal echoes of the song “Can I Call You Tonight”. Sloan Strumble’s climb to the top of the music world may just be getting started; we’ll hear a lot more from this bright star.

I was looking forward to hearing Pink Sweat$ for the second time this week. I got to hear his ACL Fest Late show at Antone’s earlier in the week and was blown away by the soothing vocals and the subtle percussion. The Philadelphia singer’s version of R&B is undoubtedly fresh and unlike other artists being heard now in the genre. The set was tranquil and harmonic, filled with acoustic instruments, infused with drums and augmented by intentionally unassuming lyrics. As David Bowden performed the hit song “Honesty”, his remarkable talent was in full display and the crowd could not help but sing along. The rest of the set was unique and personable, with a lot of stunning melodies and memorable lyrics. Now we know why this guy has been blowing up since his 2019 SXSW appearance.

Christian singer Lauren Daigle would fill the spot on our hit list with her chart-topping pop music. Daigle’s been blowing up since 2018 topping the Billboard 200 and racking up fans worldwide. She’s been called the Christian Adele and has pushed Christian rock songs into the secular mainstream. Her set was emotional, dispensing smoky powerhouse vocals and memorable arrangements. Daigle’s soft pop united the fans in the crowd; Christian, Jewish, Muslim, secular, conservative, liberal, young and old. Isn’t that what music is made to do?

You may have heard a small band called the Foo Fighters before. Chris Shiflett is their amazing guitarist and a must see on our list. He’s recently branched out with a side hustle and gaining some buzz. Although his music doesn’t exactly resemble that of his “other” gig, his solo work embraces his twangier side. He brought the look too, with his attire and boots. His rock and country guitar skills, as well as the top notch group of musicians that comprise his band added depth and emotion to his performance. Undoubtedly, both fans and newcomers in the audience loved listening to his well forged songwriting and his killer riffs (and seeing a Foo band member).

(photo by Greg Noire)

The time came for one of the most anticipated set of the festival. She was also the youngest performer to ever play at ACL. What can I say about that hasn’t already been said about the 17 yr old megastar pop idol Billie Eilish? Fresh off her SNL appearance, she’s becoming a household name-certainly among younger fans. She’s one of the fastest rising stars to emerge in the past years and she is showing no signs of slowing down. She’s a global sensation and has sold out every stop of her “When We All Fall Asleep World Tour”. Her music is broadly appealing and catchy. She uses pulsating beats and soft melodies mixed with spooky industrial sounds and hushed whispers on her unique songs. Eilish stepped on the stage in her traditional baggy clothing with colorful hair and just killed it. Her set was one of the most popular of the fest. She was relatable, likeable and fun.

Headlining for the first time at ACL Fest, local Austin hero and Grammy winner Gary Clark Jr. had his minute in the spotlight. Unlike past years, this time he was at the massive AMEX main stage. He came out in his cool fashion, all black, leather jacket, silver chains, the pimp’n hat, the sunglasses, the boots, the guitar. He was backed by his killer band and group of singers-13 piece band including horns and two drummers for a rich sound. Playing hits like “This Land” and “Bright Lights Big City” Clark shined in his unique blend of blues and rock and seemed to be truly having a good time. Clark now shares the stage and seems to be grooming young musicians. Highlights included bringing out they bluesy Peterson Brothers, and his Blackillac group (Zeale and Phranchyze), rapper Trae The Truth, playing his Flying V, and the seeing the sun setting during his set was truly spectacular. He’s come a long way since first playing the fest as a teenager.

Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes) had a killer set. With a full band and back-up singers, Howard proved why she can have her own solo gig. At times she sang and others she played guitar and sang as well.  The depth and power of her voice are inspiring and her energy dancing around the stage was infectious.

(by Sydney Gawlik)

The Canadian alt band Metric would be the next stop before the 2 massive headliners. Most have heard them before as they’ve been touring awhile, and are familiar with their synth-heavy, moody music. The gritty vocals, the killer electric riffs and the hard hitting bass make for a really enjoyable live music experience. Judging from the size of the packed crowd, fans agreed. Overall, the set was high energy, offering us dance-floor ready tracks, pop rock raucous melodies and blistering rock tracks. Simply all that you need and nothing that you don’t.

(photo Ryan Hackleman)

Actor, comedian, writer, producer and musician Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) made his presence felt during his headlining performance on Saturday night. As fans packed in to watch the artist the air was full of joyful anticipation. It was one of the biggest crowds of the fest. Early in the set, Glover announced that this would be his last show, and end to his Childish Gambino persona and therefore it would need to be the craziest, wildest show ever. Glover had already sung, rapped, jumped and danced so much that it was hard to conceive how it could get any wilder or crazier. Glover turned it up another notch as hordes of screaming fans sang and danced along with him. Glovers set had all the crowd favorite tunes like “This is America”, “Awaken, My Love!” and “Redbone”. Fans said it was the best set of Childish they’d ever seen. We love that he engages with the audience a lot and in the beginning said “keep your phones down… this is an experience”.

The legendary British post-punk band The Cure was headlining at the other end of the festival and  sounded great. These rockers aren’t young anymore so I were impressed. I’ve seen The Cure many times and they always blow me away with their well known songs that almost make time stand still. As I sat on the grass on a brisk Saturday night, surrounded by 60,000 of my closest friends, it felt like no time had passed since I first heard songs like “Pictures of You”, “Just Like Heaven” and “Friday I’m in Love”. Robert Smith stays true to his goth look persona wearing black, crazy red lipstick, and hair that looks like he’s been electrocuted. He made a slow, moody entrance to the mic, pausing just to stare at the crowd in awe. The Cure’s performance was simply timeless, delighting fans with their distinctive vocals, the clean guitars and rich drums. Even though their music was conceived many decades ago, it’s clear to see why their music is able to transcend time and touch people so many years later. It was a fitting ending to a full day of amazing music.

Sunday

After an outstanding day of musical performances on Saturday, Day 3 had indeed a lot to prove. The weather was outstanding and it was time to close out the festival’s second week strong. The day had a lot of memorable performances and great vibes. The day also had Lizzo-one of the most anticipated sets of the fest this year. Her performance was so tremendous on Weekend 1 that the organizers had to make special changes so more fans could enjoy her music. The day was filled with so many must see performers and the fandom was ready to go.

(by Roger Ho)

The funky, edgy and irreverent musical force Caroline Rose made her appearance at ACL. The punchy pop artist brought her playful style and tunes from her 2018 album Loner to get the last day of the festival started. Rose delivered a blended cocktail of pop, folk, rock along with a fun list of catchy pop melodies. As the crowd warmed up to Rose’s bright melodies, synths, organs and her funny sense of humor it was impossible not to nod your head and hum along.

As the day warmed up, the L.A. rapper Duckwrth jumped onstage at the T-Mobile stage with his bouncy beats and warped electronic production. The rapper had enough energy to provide power to a small factory as he delivered catchy hooks, dope rhymes and smooth beats.

The UK punk rockers IDLES wasted no time setting the stage for an intense head banging, heart pounding, highly danceable tempo that would carry them through the 60 minute performance. The band is well known for their furious punk rock with post punk angularity. What exactly does that mean you ask? Well, this is something that is better to experience than explain, but in short, the band delivers powerful songs that also carry a brilliant (and just as powerful) message. The band touched on hot topics like immigration, love, toxic masculinity and so many other, less discussed areas, all in a memorable punk style. Like I mentioned earlier, this is best to be experienced (go check them out!)

Exotic Flamenco pop star Rosalia lit up the Honda Stage later in the day. To say that she is quite talented is a complete understatement. She is actually a force to be reckoned with. The Latin artist walked onstage featuring an eye popping outfit, long nails and 5 dancers dressed in white ensembles. The thousands of fans excitedly witnessed a 60-minute spectacle full of emotional Spanish songs, great choreographed dancing, amazing Andalusian guitar rhythms and powerful clapping (there was a lot of clapping). Rosalia even performed a heart stopping acapella song that left us all completely awe-struck. Ole!

One of the performances I was most excited to see was the California iconic screamer band Third Eye Blind. The rockers have been around since the 90s and have delivered a large number of hits over their career. Some artists sprinkle a few hits during a set and mainly showcase their new material. While Stephan Jenkins and the band did play a lot of new material, they delivered all the hits that we were excited to hear. They just slayed with classics like “Graduate”, “How’s It Going To be” and “Semi-Charmed Life”. The band did not slow down and kept the hi level of energy throughout the set.

(Kacey Muscgraves)

Texan and Grammy-award winner Kacey Musgraves has been making waves on Billboard charts for quite some time. Backed by a full band, The country queen brought good vibes, irreverent banter, yee hawing and crowd favorite songs from her Grammy winning album, “Golden Hour” to the ACL stage. She was gorgeous, doll-like, in her matching dress and boots and made sure to walk out on the cat walk to get closer to her fans. She alternated between playing her acoustic guitar and singing. Her sweet simple country voice and her two stepping magic delivered an entertaining show to thousands of fans that resisted the urge to leave early to grab a close spot for Queen Lizzo.

Houston’s singer/rapper Lizzo performed for one of the biggest ACL Fest crowds. If you saw weekend 1 or had friends there, you heard how huge the crowd was. Massive is a better description and it was impossible to get close to the set if you weren’t there early. She was likely booked for the fest before her recent hits and the crowd was displeased at the smaller stage she was on. To counter that, the fest had her set on the screens at nearby Honda stage. The meteoric rise of this young star was on full display by the huge numbers of screaming fans that sang, danced and hi fived each other during the set. Of course, Austinites have been lucky to see her many time over the last few years and loved her before her huge blow up this year with “Juice” and “Boys” (the video has over 24 million views). She even brought her famous flute out later in the set. Her positive message of self love and acceptance (against body shamers and bullies) reverbed through her words, her music and even her entourage. Of course she performed crowd favorites like “Boys”, “Truth Hurts”, “Good as Hell” and “Juice”. I read somewhere that it’s now Lizzo’s world and we are just living in it. I tend to agree.

(by Chad Wadsworth)

The very popular British band Mumford and Sons headlined the final day of ACL 2019 for the second time. The excitement was palpable and we all knew that the folk-rocker band had several surprises for us. The band has became well known over the years because of their unique blend of authentic lyrics, banjo hammering rhythms and sharp guitars in a format that takes the shape of modern rock. Marcus Mumford and his band set the tempo early by opening the show with the hit “Guiding Light”. They would then go on to play a number of hits and new material from behind the beams of light that illuminated the state. Mumford and his band had also rehearsed earlier with the Austin High band and had invited the teens to play with them onstage Sunday night. About halfway through the show, the students piled in the stage to play one of the band’s hit song “The Cave” . The crowd erupted in cheers and we all enjoyed the unique take on the song. After the encore, the band closed an outstanding ACL weekend 2 festival with hits like “I Will Wait for You” and Delta”.

We can’t wait to see the line up for next year even though we’re still recovering from the festival. Check out all our festival photos and more at Austin 101.

This year’s ACL Fest included a slew of great Texas talent including: Kacey Musgraves, Lizzo, Gary Clark Jr., Black Pistol Fire, Jane Ellen Bryant, Asleep at the Wheel, Blackillac, Otis the Destroyer, Kady Rain, Alesia Lani, Megan Thee Stallion, The Barton Hills Choir, Stone Wheels, NightCap, Pike & Sutton, Wesley Bray & The Disciples of Joy, Abhi the Nomad, Shandon Sahm. Check out a few of our favorite photos.

by Sabrina LeBoeuf

On a stage of flowers and colored lights, Julia Michaels sang her inner monologue aloud. Through her contagious, relentless smile and incessant dancing, a random person would not have guessed she was singing about the anxiety she experiences and her past heartbreaks.

But Michaels fans knew. When she entered the stage at Emo’s Austin with blue eyeliner, polkadot pants, and a skip in her step for her first song “Pink,” the crowd immediately filled in an entire verse without any help.

The jumping crowd Michaels ignited was a stark contrast from opener Rhys Lewis. His songs like “Living In The City” and “No Right To Love You” touched on similar subjects to that of Michaels’s songs. But Lewis didn’t jump or dance to his heartache like she did. With eyes closed, he belted like his heart was being broken all over again. His falsetto felt like a glimpse of hope.

That’s not to say Lewis was a downer. He was raw in every emotion. For “Some Days,” a lighter song, he filled the room with love. Couples swayed in harmony under the blue light. Friends put their arms around each other for his final song “Things You Can’t Change.”

Before Michaels sang “Worst In Me,” she announced that it was her first headline show in Austin. With that sentiment, she asked for cellphone lights and everyone followed suit. All darkness left the room.

For a song about about remembering lost happiness, the crowd, submerged in sound waves, threw their arms side to side, and Michaels whipped her hair like a rockstar.

Throughout the show, Michaels emphasized how this was a judgement-free zone for people to sing, dance, jump, laugh and feel. And she meant it. There was a sign to prove it.

In the middle of her set, Michaels walked down the middle of the crowd to stand with her people. She wanted to see everyone in the back and to the sides. At first, people gave her a ring of space, assuming the security guards wanted them to stand back. Michaels didn’t want that. She beckoned them to come as close to her as they could.

After playing “Falling For Boys,” Michaels started her walk back to the stage and ran into someone who was visibly not having a good time. She reached out and asked them if they were okay before resuming the program and displaying her true emotions onstage.

Holding back tears, she spoke about how she wrote “Anxiety” over a year ago in response to dealing with panic attacks. She asked for a show of hands for anyone with anxiety or depression. The majority raised their hands.

Then, she prompted an exercise of two cathartic screams and one hug from a neighbor.

Immediately after Michaels said goodnight and ran offstage, the crowd chanted “Julia” loud enough for a quick encore.

First, she brought Lewis back for the duet “What A Time,” a song Michaels released with Niall Horan. The second, and last song, was one the crowd expected. The song that started it all: “Issues.”

A confetti-cannon finale sent colored pieces of paper raining down, and the first light to leave the room was Julia Michaels.

Setlists

Rhys Lewis:
End Like This
Living In The city
Under The Sun
Some Days
No Right To Love You
Better Than Today
Things You Can’t Change

Julia Michaels:
Pink
I Miss You
Make It Up To You
Worst In Me
Heaven
Deep
Into You
Hurt
Happy
Fuck You // Apple
Falling For Boys
Priest
Anxiety
Uh Huh
Julia Michaels Encore
What A Time (feat. Rhys Lewis)
Issues

by Dan Radin

From the moment a dozen cheerleaders with pom poms stepped onto the stage for the opening song, we knew it wasn’t going to be a typical Third Eye Blind concert.

The band sold out the outdoor backyard stage at Stubb’s, where most fans presumably bought tickets to drunkenly sing along to TEB classics like “Jumper” and “Never Let You Go.” Between weekends of mainstage slots at ACL Fest, and with a new album to showcase, Stephan Jenkins and company had other plans: they told the crowd they weren’t going to play any songs they’d be performing at ACL the following day.

“We’re gonna play side A of our new album “Screamer” that just came out today!” Jenkins shouted excitedly after opening with the title track. A few folks promptly exited. “K guys, see ya! Thanks for coming!” the singer joked and waved.

Third Eye Blind continued to play a string of new songs to a very patient but eager crowd. The band played tightly, and the songs seemed to be received just fine, but there was still an uneasiness from unfamiliarity. The audience was waiting to hear their favorite songs.

Jenkins played his frontman schtick well in defense of the new album. “Alright! We only have one more song on side A!”, lightening the mood. Following “Turn Me On,” he knew it was time to re-engage the crowd. “Let’s play some old songs.”

“We haven’t played this song in about 16 years… This is a song about the night I almost died on my motorcycle,” Jenkins voiced before “My Hit and Run.” He then strummed a phenomenal solo rendition of “Slow Motion” on electric guitar. The audience started to come around.

Even though Third Eye Blind had an alternate agenda for the evening, the band made good use of their stage time to highlight extracurriculars. Jenkins, who had spent a day this week at St. David’s Hospital playing to patients, made sure to tell the crowd they were acting charitably by coming to the show, and that a cut of the ticket sales were going to support Gilda’s Club/Breast Cancer Research. “My mother is… my mother was… a breast cancer survivor,” Jenkins told a silent audience. This is the one song I just sat down and wrote,” going into “Who Am I.”

The memories of the songs seemed to wear on Jenkins as the night went on. “I want to invite you all to show each other kindness tonight,” as he reached his own arms out. “This is how we do it at Third Eye Blind shows. Reach out to a stranger and say, ‘Hello, I hope you have a beautiful night.” The atmosphere instantly lifted.

The band did finally go back on their non-ACL set promise, and play “How’s It Going To Be,” to wildly enthusiastic response. They then followed up with deep cuts for the encore, “Narcolepsy” and “The Background.” It was a beautiful ending to an unorthodox TEB show.

Third Eye Blind didn’t play the hits on Saturday, but they reminded us often that this “semi-charmed life” is really about taking care of those around us. After all they’ve given others, listening to the new songs and the band’s heartfelt message is the least we could do to reciprocate.

Billy Joel @ Globe Life Park
Texas Rangers Ballpark
Arlington, Texas

It was a goodbye of sorts, with the Texas Rangers baseball stadium being retired. This was the last concert, to be held there.

Grammy winner Billy Joel is a music legend and doesn’t often tour, but when he does, it’s one of the biggest tours of the year. He’s in the middle of a monthly stint at New York’s Madison Square Garden, but took a break to squeeze in the sold-out Dallas show, so we knew this night was going to be special. No opener necessary.

He’s been recognized for his work for decades including: Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Gershwin Prize, and Kennedy Center Honors. Joel was also the first to perform a rock concert in the old Soviet Union.

The park was packed, the stands and field were full of excited fans, generally an older crowd from all over Texas and neighboring states for a rare chance to see this legend in concert.

All the arena lights went out before a spotlight beamed on Billy sitting at his piano wearing a sharp black suit with a black tie with tiny white polka dots & skulls. After his opening song, he enthusiastically greeted everyone & told the audience how excited he was to be there.

Billy jokingly, almost apologetically, said “I don’t have anything new for you, it’s the same old shit”. Which of course it isn’t.

At one point, Joel held up 2 separate sheets of paper & asked the crowd “which one should I follow?”. He let the crowd be involved with the setlist. One sheet had a bunch of his so-so shows & the other was a set list made up of all of his hits – the crowd went crazy! He played mostly hits, of course, and packed a ton of them in 2 short hours. Fans (seated on the field) were on their feet & singing along during the entire concert.

Joel spent much of the night jamming on the spinning piano that was perched high in the center of the stage. The giant screens all around the stage alternated between live footage of him and his old music videos. At times, Joel let some of his backup singers take center stage and sing lead vocals while he accompanied them on his piano. Joel was also backed by a full 8-piece band.

Joel played most of the hits including “Just the Way You Are”, “Movin’ Out”, “She’s Always a Woman”, “Don’t Ask Me Why”, and of course “The Piano Man, and “Only the Good Die Young”. We love that he didn’t just play his own hits, but incorporated ZZ Top, The Eagles, Randy Newman, and Zeppelin. He even included a little “Yellow Rose of Texas” into the intro.

After he played his final song of the main set, he thanked the crowd and said farewell. While the crowd waited for him to come back, the stadium was lit up with lighters.

He came back out for a long encore of “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, “Uptown Girl”, It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”, “Big Shot”, and “You May Be Right”.

At 70, Joel shows no signs of stopping and we might just have to head to NYC where it all began to catch his Garden show.

Set list:

The Natural (The End Title) (Randy Newman song)
My Life (with ‘Yellow Rose of Texas’ snippet)
Pressure
I Go to Extremes
Just the Way You Are
Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
Honesty
Modern Woman
Tush (ZZ Top cover) (live debut by Billy Joel)
Shameless
Allentown
The Downeaster Alexa
Don’t Ask Me Why
She’s Always a Woman
Only the Good Die Young
The River of Dreams
Take It Easy (Eagles cover) (followed by “The River of Dreams” reprise)
Nessun dorma (Giacomo Puccini cover) (Mike DelGuidice on lead vocals)
Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
Piano Man
Encore:
We Didn’t Start the Fire
Uptown Girl
It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me(with ‘Be Bop A Lula’ snippet)
Big Shot
You May Be Right (with ‘Rock and Roll’ by Led Zeppelin snippet)

(photo courtesy Nasty Little Man)

Nick Cave returned to Austin after a short absence with a new format that was highly underrated. Cave is the frontman for the Bad Seeds- a revolutionary post-punk/goth band from Australia that has had 4 decades of success and over 17 studio albums. We’ve covered his concerts and he’s a true performer. Tonight was different.

If you came to the show thinking you knew Cave, you quickly realized that you didn’t. Over the course of a few hours, you became close friends.

(photo courtesy ACL Live)

The setting was intimate- the ACL Moody Theater seats about 2,700, and tonight there were also a few lounge-act style tables on the stage near Cave and his piano. Best seat in the house. It was the perfect place to dive into discussions of both grief and love.

He mostly played at his piano, sometimes taking song requests and flipping through his sheets to find it. But the rest of the time he stood on the front of the stage telling stories and talking with the audience.

(photo credit Andrew Dominick)

The conversations of the night blew us away. It wasn’t a simple Q & A. The depth and intimate connections with the audience is something very rare today. We were surprised by the realness, sharing his raw feelings, palpable from the unspeakable tragic loss of his teenage son only 4 years ago. He talked of being in a scary place. Of not knowing what to do with his grief. The show is about turning that corner and moving forward.

Ghosteen- the only album solely written after his son’s death, is a new two-part album from Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. The album was first revealed by Nick Cave on The Red Hand Files in direct response to a question from a fan.

(courtesy of Nasty Little Man)

One of the things that impressed us most, besides his incredible transparency, compassion, and vulnerability, was his willingness to answer every single question-and he was thrown some doozies by patrons who maybe were deeply depressed and at times a little hard to understand. He wasn’t offended by their sometimes long stories. He handled them with grace and humor.

Cave talked about his roots in Australia and the memories he has of living a free life as country boy in a tiny town. He talked about his mom and how she still gives him advice at 92 and how he still doesn’t listen.

When asked about his inspirations and influences in music, he shared how watching Johnny Cash when he was 9 changed his life and how meaningful it was to finally get to record with Cash (“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”). And at 14 how he felt different, disconnected in his small town, then heard Leonard Cohen and that changed everything. Topics resonated with so many and created a common bond.

He was briefly political (Austin is a safe place for this) when guns came up in the conversation. He pointed out how different Australia is from America- that when an incidence of gun violence occurs, leaders there quickly refine laws to prevent access to guns.

(photo Matthew Thorne)

Some fans really wanted to know all about the songs and his songwriting process. Some were songwriters themselves and asked good heartfelt questions. Cave said all songs start with aloneness and that he is a true lyric writer. He sits alone with his pen and pad. His songwriting is influenced by his love of poetry.  He said he believes it’s an artists goal to cross the line of going deeper and connecting on an emotional level.

One fan said ‘this is the only music festival in town’- referring to the massive Austin City Limits festival that was about to descend on Austin.

One question was about the song for “Peaky Blinders”. Cave expressed satisfaction with Snoop Dogg’s version of Bad Seeds hit “Red Right Hand” and he ‘loves being embraced by hip hop’.

With this tour, and the new album, Cave seems to be transforming beyond his grief into a purpose that helps others dealing with depression, loss, and more. Questions seemed to flip flop between lighter subjects and the darker ones. Cave knew he’d be getting questions about  grief and his son’s tragic death and knows it helps others. Things got deep fast. One fan came right out and said “You healed us. Have YOU healed? How?” After pausing, he talked about the beauty and the fragility of life. For all of us.

Some were bold and asked for hugs and he invited them up to the stage and fulfilled their wishes. Cave maybe got as much out of this connection as they did. The embraces were real. Authentic. We had tears in our eyes throughout the night, as did many in the room. This was truly the most meaningful exchange we’ve ever seen between artists and fans. It’s rare. It’s vulnerable. It’s powerful in healing.

Cave’s sincerity is also evident on his website for Red Hand Files. Although he can’t answer every question that’s submitted by fans (he says he’s only answered about 64 out of 13,000), the fact that he offers a service where people could feel heard, and maybe, just maybe, get a response from Cave, is indeed special.

When a woman from Poland submitted her question about loneliness, it took him 9 months but he eventually responded with honesty and kindness that likely left her with hope and a feeling of connection (something we all need).

(excerpt from –viewer question) “Having spent much time travelling on this tour alone, it struck me that your question didn’t have to be answered, but simply acknowledged; that to reach out to you, as you reached out to me, could in itself be the answer and, perhaps, a remedy – to say to you, you are not alone, we are here, and that we, a multitude, are thinking of you.

Love, Nick

In today’s society where so many feel alone or isolated, or are dealing with depression, the opportunity Cave offers with this tour is priceless. We left in awe of being a part of something so special and moving.

Set list:

The Ship Song (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
The Weeping Song (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
The Mercy Seat (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Avalanche (Leonard Cohen cover)
(Are You) The One That I’ve Been Waiting For? (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
O Children (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Jubilee Street (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
As I Sat Sadly by Her Side (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Shivers (The Boys Next Door song)
Into My Arms (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Palaces of Montezuma (Grinderman song)
Stagger Lee (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)
Skeleton Tree (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds song)