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denise enriquez

Besides the constant threat of weather issues (that mostly didn’t transpire except for a minor late start one day and hot and humid 90’s), the festival seems to be a huge success. Although we heard many fans express some disappointment in this year’s lineup, many came from far away to see amazing musicians from around the world across many genres. Check out the festival lineup ACL Fest. Politics and social consciousness were big themes at this year’s festival. From Chvrches to The National, everyone was talking about this critical time in our country, with mid-term elections right around the corner. and a tight Senate race in Texas. Hoping to get young voters to turn out, almost many artists used their platform (similar to Taylor Swift recently) to try to make a difference. Our goal was to get to as many stages and acts as we could, despite having to weave through a packed crowd of over 75,000 people, we made it to tons. In addition to the main festival, there were tons of great ACL Late Night Shows this year and we caught several. Check out all the photos on Austin 101.

Day 1 Highlights

Our short list included: Asleep at the Wheel, Gang of Youths, Alvvays, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Odesza, Brockhampton, The National, Lovely the Band, Mikky Ekko, Bishop Briggs, David Byrne.

By far, headliner Paul McCartney was the biggest draw and highlight of this year’s ACL Festival. Fans showed up hours early to get a good spot to see an icon of the Beatles. He played epic Beatles songs plus a little from his new album. Egypt Station was released in September and saw Paul score his first US #1 album in 36 years.
The next best thing we saw was David Byrne, who many hadn’t seen in years, but we were fortunate to cover recently in Houston. A music legend in his own right and founder of Talking Heads. Always interesting and controversial, Byrne is still on fire and as provocative as ever. “Once in a Lifetime” and all the oldies and some of the new stuff was awesome. Byrne plays barefoot holding a model of a brain and has a full band and singers behind him. He went back and forth between playing guitar and just singing. We loved the unique choreography with his band. We heard fans talking about this set the entire festival. It was the highlight for many, including fans from Colorado that came to the fest to see him after attending his show in Denver.

Khalid (Robinson) was a fan fave as he’s a local boy made big. From El Paso and blowing up in the last year (not to be confused with DJ Khaled), we love any opportunity to see this kid. He has a sweet, soulful voice far beyond his years (19). The set was a highlight for many young kids and a true sign of a festival focused on including many music genres to appeal to a wide population.

We knew the word would be out on young Michigan rockers Greta Van Fleet-sure enough it was impossible to get close to the stage on this one. We were lucky enough to cover their show at Stubb’s this year and they will definitely be on our BEST SHOWS OF 2018 list. These young guys, brothers and friends, have been called the ‘post millennial Led Zeppelin‘ since they sound exactly like them.  They say they truly bonded initially on blues music. Lead Josh Kiszka is compelling and haunting, and the brothers on guitar are master shredders-incredibly talented and they’re so young! These guys will be headliners sooner than you think. Next to Byrne, GVF was one of our top picks.

jerri starbuck

The National was another huge draw for tons of fans who hadn’t seen them in years. Without Sir Paul, these guys might have been festival headliners. Another band of brothers and friends, their indie rock sound is unique and critically acclaimed. Although lead Berninger seemed to be a bit out of it at times, the set was definitely a highlight and we love how animated and engaged he is. He jumped into the crowd on several occasions and ran to both sides of the mega stage so that all the fans could get a close up of him. It included tons of new and old stuff and the crowd went crazy. We love that he’s passionate about politics and philanthropy and that they use their platform for good. He made several references to the upcoming elections, “It’s up to you guys”.

(aclfestival.com) 

Bishop Briggs (Sarah Grace McLaughlin)  is a rising star and we were lucky enough to catch her at SXSW in Austin this year so we knew she was special. This British rocker has a great presence and fun but haunting appearance and is definitely one to watch. Many have called her a huge 2018 breakout artist. Her set was very popular and showcased here blended music style of pop, folk, rock.

Golden Dawn Arkestra was one of the most colorful sets. They played to a packed Titos stage. The costumes are incredible and resemble intergalactic meets ancient Greece. Freakishly long nails. Party eerie, part belly dancing, the lead vocals are stunning. It’s  a big band with dancers for a little stage- brass, guitars, tambourine, xylophone, dj, etc. The music is transcendent and a bit psychedelic rock and fits perfectly with the ‘Keep Austin Weird’ theme.

This was our first time seeing Mikky Ekko (John Stephen Sudduth) and it was awesome at the small BMI stage. A guy with tons of soul, cool hair, the girls were swooning. Best known for his collaboration with Rhianna on “Stay” he is making a name for himself this year and we will see much more of this guy.

Asleep at the Wheel and Ray Benson are always a highlight. Having been one of the original influences for ACL Fest, they play every year on Friday. They bring their local Texas sound (they live in Austin) and keep the Texas roots and country/swing alive and well at the fest. Read our interview with Benson HERE.

We thought the Silent Disco was an interesting and odd choice for a headlining slot but fans seemed to enjoy dancing around with their headphones on to a DJ with glowing lights.

Day 2 Highlights

Some of our Day 2 picks included local Jackie Venson, Verite, Chvrches, The Wombats, The Breeders, Sofi Tukker, Japanese Breakfast, Brandi Carlile, San Halo, Nelly, St. Vincent, Metallica. We were also pleasantly surprised by artists that weren’t on our radar before: Blood Orange, Naked Giants,  Residente, and Sweet Spirit. St Vincent and Metallica were probably the biggest draws we saw Day 2. Mon Laferte, IAMDDB, SupaBwe & Cuco made their mark as breakout artists, “ones to watch”.

St. Vincent (Annie) was challenging to get close to the stage for since fans camped out for hours to get in front. Annie was stunning as usual with her gorgeous short tight red outfit, knee-high boots, sleek hair, and perfect makeup. The stage was set far back so some fans couldn’t see Annie if they were on the sides. We were a little surprised she wasn’t on a bigger main stage. She started in some fog and cool lights with great videos behind her that reminded of Talking Heads. She played some faves including “Pills” and “New York” and tons more. Her guitars are stunning and the robotic choreography is memorizing. The faces of the drums and keyboard were a bit creepy with their pantyhose heads, but other than that, the set was incredible. We like she can joke about a glitch with her gloves during “New York” which she changed to “Texas”. We love she shouted out to Beto (running for Senator against Cruz), Congress Ave, and ‘mother f***ers’.

Metallica made so so many fans happy by being a hard rock, metal headliner that many haven’t seen perform in years. People got there hours ahead and the only competition for this major band in that slot was Justice and the Silent Disco. The boys performed in true fashion with epic guitar shreds and high energy vocals you could hear across the park. They played 2 hours of hard-hitting music, including all of their beloved classic anthems like “One”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Seek and Destroy”, “Enter Sandman”, “For Whom The Bell Tolls” and many others and spared no detail on their massive stage & lighting setup. There were even fireworks.

Japanese Breakfast- This was a fun surprise. Michelle Zauner has a unique presence on stage.Plus the name is awesome. The music actually fits the album title, “Soft Sounds from Another Planet” as it’s very etherial. We love that Zauner is not Japanese at all, but Korean and jewish.  It’s hard to define the sound but she sounds a bit synth pop and a bit emo. We love that she plays guitar and sings. The band is great. Her outfit and her style were super cute and sexy with tatoos, bright pink makeup, bra, and shorts. Backkup vocals could be stronger. These guys filled up a decently large stage and will me moving up quickly.

Sofi Tukker-  a musical duo based in New York consisting of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. It’s kinda EDM but these guys are super original. We kept hearing great buzz about them and they packed the small Tito’s stage spilling far out into the festival grounds. Everyone was trying to get a glimpse. He was on synth and drums and vocals, she on guitar. Super sexy persona and outfit with guitar moves made to look phallic, and amazing colorful outfit and set, she totally engaged with the crowd and used all parts of the stage to connect. They sing in Portuguese which makes their sound and set even more alluring and mysterious. It was by far one of the  funnest sets of the fest.

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The Breeders– with lead vocals and guitar -music legend Kim Deal (The Pixies) brought a huge crowd of indie fans to the fest and wowed the crowd with stories about music legend Kurt Cobain who listened to her music and was a fan. They even toured together in the 90s. She has some killer guitars too with great memories and history. There’s a good story about her stolen guitar too. This band has been playing together 30 plus years and are still rockin’ and drawing big crowds. We love that she gets political and also candid about struggling with addiction and wanting to help others. The set was filled with the fave sing-along songs that took the alt rock fans back in time and the Seattle sound.

Brandi Carlile- although she plays in Austin a lot, we check her out every time. We love that she speaks out and gets political too. She made comments about Kavanaugh and how critical it is to get out and vote in the midterms. Although she has a new album, most fans were singing along to all her favorites. She’s an amazing multi-instramentalist, playing piano, guitar, and vocals. She plays with a full band, brothers on guitar, drums, keyboards, and some strings. For weekend two, fans were lucky to see Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready play with her and surprised everyone playing Zeppelin covers. The two are from Seattle and the legendary music scene there.

Day 3 Highlights

The last day of ACL Weekend 1 did not disappoint. Perhaps the weather did a bit, but certainly not the music. A large part of the crowd that was in full attendance during Friday and Saturday stayed home because of the less than positive weather forecast. Needless to say, our favorite bands provided all the motivation we needed to take a chance on the weather and have a great time. There were so many bands we included in our preview, Youngblud, Arizona, Phoenix, Arctic Monkeys, Travis Scott, Sylvan Esso, Camila Cabello (who we just show with Taylor Swift), Houndmouth, Tinashe, Lisa Loebe, The Revolution (Prince), Elle King, Janelle Monae, XAmbassadors, and local fave Shakey Graves.

There were so many great bands on Day 3 but these are some of our favorites. One of the top buzz bands we wanted to see- Alternative-pop group Arizona (no relation to the state) brought their synth masterpieces and their dance-along-the-way pop songs to the festival. The undeniable catchiness of their songs made these guys so much fun to listen to. We love “Freaking Out” and “Cross My Mind”. We also got to cover their ACL Late Night Show.

Parquet Courts showed us that your music can be spunky and passionate without seeming overly sentimental or sticky emotional. The relief of listening to a band that makes you jump up and down and lift your hands and rock side to side is so life-infusing. Lots of fans at this one. Despite being in Austin recently, it was a set on our short list.

XAmbassadors brought their hard-hitting rock sounds along with a message of unity and support for sexual assault survivors. You must know that they are one of my favorite bands from this year’s line up and I couldn’t wait to see them perform. I loved every second of their set. As you looked around the crowd, it was clear that the high energy, sing-along-to-every-song energy was shared amongst all of us.

Last but certainly not least, was headliners Arctic Monkeys. This is a band that has evolved and has reinvented itself ,both musically and artistically. We wanted to see what their new sound felt like. The band played songs from a long history of hits and the crowd loved it. They have recent music in 2018 (“Four Out of Five” is sweet) but we love their old stuff the most. We love that their music can be experienced not just in the sound, but in the rhythm as well. It was clear to see that they are still at the top of their game and they were an amazing way to bring the festival to a close.

Once opened September 19, 2018 and is currently running at Zach’s Topfer Theater. We first saw the movie a few years back and when we heard the musical was coming to Zach, we had to check it out. It’s a perfect story for Austin as it’s about a struggling musician who almost gives up on his dreams. It’s set in Ireland and filled with tons of emotion and a great story of love, family, and friendship. The film written and directed by John Carney, was based on the music of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (who perform in Swell Season). It was a great little indie movie, a sleeper, that did well. The soundtrack is awesome and the main track, “Falling Slowly” is a highlight.

‘Based on the 2007 Academy Award®-winning film, Once is an enchanting, modern love story about the complexities of relationships and the power of music to connect us all. Once tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant drawn together by their shared love of music’ (Zach.org).

The male lead. “Guy”, Corbin Mayer, had a powerful voice with a great range- great highs and lows. Very, very difficult and rare. He reminded me of Ethan Hawke-who lives in Austin-and totally mirrors the lead in the movie as well. At times, the female lead, “Girl” Olivia Nice‘ character resembled music legend Carole King (minus the thick Czech accent). They both write and play beautiful songs. When Nice sat at the piano, it was beautiful. There was a full ensemble of musicians with several guitars, strings, accordion, sax, drums, and more. We especially loved all the strings, and the lead violinist also sang and was a standout. Everyone played, acted, and sang.

The set was very simple and the scenes are mostly in the bar where they work, and the roommate-filled apartment, and the shop. We would’ve loved a little more set change but it made sense. The band came out and played and there was a soft open, and for a moment we weren’t sure if the show had started. At times the story was a bit confusing and hard to follow, especially between the two leads. Was it a budding friendship or did they have a relationship in mind? She seemingly saves him from his own demise and depression, pushing him and inspiring him to pursue his dreams. There were times it felt a little slow, or long (but it worked well and followed the film). Adding complexity to their situation was that she had a daughter and the estranged husband lived far away. They both came off bad relationships to find love and adventure (we think) in New York. They recorded an album which we assume, leads to their success and happiness.

It’s obvious now why Once received 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show runs through October 28th. We love that theater in Austin is fantastic and yet affordable. Tickets start at $25. Check out more info at Zach Theater.

CAST

Corbin Mayer – Guy

Olivia Nice – Girl

Ben Hulan – Billy

Scotty Roberts – Da

Christabel Lin – Ex-Girlfriend

Beau Moore – Andrej

Ginna Doyle – Reza

Johnny Newcomb – Svec

Cami Alys – Baruska

Anya Gibian – Bank Manager

Luke Linsteadt – Emcee/Eamon

PRODUCTION TEAM

Dave Steakley – Director

Allen Robertson – Music Director

Cassie Abate – Choreographer

Donald Eastman – Scenic Designer

Susan Branch Towne– Costume Designer

Serret Jensen – Hair and Makeup Designer

Sarah Maines – Lighting Designer

Craig Brock – Sound Designer

Scott Groh – Properties Designer

Catherine Anne Tucker – Stage Manager

Megan Smith – Assistant Stage Manager

Diane Irwin – Assistant to the Director

Benson has been busy for decades. He puts out an album about every two years (26 albums, 10 Grammys, and many awards) and tours over half the year-a life he agrees with a chuckle, is not for everyone. He takes a little time off here and there but doesn’t for-see retiring. When asked how he does it, he answers simply, “coffee”. He has a new album, “New Routes” and is hosting The Texas Dance Hall Tour in November-saving the history and legacy of epic music venues is a passion.  Since he was the original inspiration into the ACL Music Festival, we thought it was perfect to chat with him this week. He plays every year on the main stage on Friday. Here is what he shared with us (in his unforgettable deep bass voice).

(Shorefire Media)

What do you think of all the huge changes in our city?

I think it’s inevitable and the town has changed quite a bit. It’s a combination of things- decrease in affordability of real estate, the type of people who come to town is different, the traffic. I had to sell my studio after 27 years. Compared to L.A. and other cities it’s still a great city. My grandfather bitched about the cost increase of things from 1920 to 1970, but I focus on things that can help our quality of life- solving traffic problems with mass transit and highway improvements, remote work, etc. There are solutions. I would love to have the train (Metro rail) go to the airport but might not happen in my lifetime. There are good things though, I love Central Market and Whole Foods- my neighbors started it-with access to great organic food.

You started out your career in iconic Austin venues like the Broken Spoke, Threadgills, Gruene Hall.

Yes, I started in 1973 at the Armadillo, Broken Spoke, Shoal Creek Saloon and were the first touring act at Gruene Hall in 1975. The first place, which is gone now (last month) was Hills Cafe on Saint Elmo road in South Austin. It’s important to preserve the remaining venues and it’s why we’re doing the Texas Dance Hall Tour. They need help with repairs.

We still love playing the Moody Theater (ACL Live), Broken Spoke, etc. and we were the first show to play ACL Live. It’s sad that some of these great venues might not be around.

What’s the story on the Nashville vs Austin music scene and are we losing great songwriters and musicians?

Yes, we are brother and sister. Both have a great variety of music of different genres. Nashville has the infrastructure for the writer, and Austin doesn’t. If someone is good and can break into the mainstream, they can get a publishing deal and get some money and hit the big time. There are 12 publishing companies there. Here, it’s more for the solo artist and bands doing it on their own. There’s a benefit of doing it on your own and doing it your way.

Love the new album cover and the Avett Brothers song.

Yeah, we have a new band, new members, we change them out like Fleetwood Mac (laughs). Katie is our new fiddle/vocalist. We started by doing a demo in the studio and then decided to make an album. It’s based on swing music, some folk, rocknroll. The album was actually done and then they sent us this song (“Willie Got Their First” an ode to Willie Nelson by Seth Avett), and I sent it to Willie, he loved it. We were in town at the same time and recorded it and added it to the album (released in September). Check out the song. Check out the band.

How did your sound start and how has it evolved?

A hundred people have been in and out of the band. We are basically a string band with fiddles, steel guitar, bass drum, sax, clarinet, vocals with rhythms based on swing and 40s music and rockabilly and we put it all together. We’re a little Willie, Andrew Sisters, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard. Everyone who comes in the band adds their own twist to our songs and we keep evolving-as long as we can convince talented people to come on the ride. (Why wouldn’t they?).

We recently covered the Beto-Willie rally in Austin. Do you get involved in politics and events?

I’m the one who introduced Beto  to Willie. I texted him and said this guy is good and we first jammed at COTA at Willie’s 4th of July Picnic this year. I had to be in California during the rally for my sons wedding and there was no way I could miss that. Read more on Beto and his momentum for Texas Senator.

Diego Donamaria

On being Texan

I moved to Texas to become a Texan. There are some things that are purely Texan, that one can learn. We are an oil state with a strong economy because of it. We are aware of that. But Texas includes all type of people and values. You can be a vegetarian, and still have Texan qualities (pride, manners, helping neighbors, kindness, southern hospitality) and we have a unique and diverse outlook of fairness, equality, inclusiveness, independence. You can be a writer or an artist- with UT we attract creative people from music, literature, film, and art. Rouchenberg (Robert) is from Texas. The history of Texas is important and that of Mexican Americans. Michener came here to write his famous book (Texas). I met him and it’s a good book. His books are all based on history, with some fiction.

Diego Donamaria

Patrick Haines

Patrick Haines

Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour: NRG Stadium in Houston, TX

By Waraporn Bollenbacher

REPUTATION. According to Taylor Swift, hers has never been worse—but her fan base, known as the Swifties, is still behind her as much as ever. On September 29th, 2018, thousands of eager fans converged on a rainy Houston, Texas to marvel at how the American singer-songwriter would bring to life the album that kept her out of the public eye for most of 2017. She wanted to do a stadium tour for the first time, where she only played massive venues like NRG (Superbowl) with 72,000 filled seats. It is one of the top shows and tours of 2018.

Openers for the concert were English singer and songwriter Charli XCX and Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello. Both talented and prominent female artists got the crowd hyped with popular radio hits that brought many to their feet dancing. Charli XCX made her entrance in a shiny clear jumpsuit that brought pure energy to the stage, setting the mood for the rest of the night. Camila Cabello was more interactive with the crowd, telling a little more about herself and the heart behind her songs. After seeing the strength in their performances, there’s no question why Taylor invited these women onto the Reputation tour.

The main event opened with Reputation and a video compilation of comments in the media from the past months that critiqued Taylor Swift’s lifestyle choices, habits, song lyrics, and the list goes on. When she took the stage, all eyes locked on her, she spoke openly and candidly about how she let her fear of a bad reputation get in the way of experiencing real love and friendships. With a true knack for connecting with her audience, Taylor Swift poured her heart out from center stage with full honesty and sincere passion. Even though the famous lyrics in her top-hits Delicate and Look What You Made Me Do claim that the “old Taylor is dead,” seeing her stand there with nothing but guitar performing ‘Wonderland’ acoustic , showed her fan base that the Taylor we all fell in love with a decade ago is still, in fact alive. Sure, she has grown up and her musical personality has changed, but don’t we all? Taylor Swift is back and better than ever—and she knows it. She loves her fans fiercely, and she knows now that no matter her reputation, we will stand beside her. See our complete concert photo gallery here.here

Production wise, the show went on without so much as a bump. Start to finish was flawless—not to mention that Taylor’s production team is very much in touch with modern technology. Upon clearing the security check each fan was handed a Pix Mob wristband that lit up in different colors and patterns to sync with the show. Taylor incorporated these into the program with one goal in mind. “I want to see each and every one of you,” she said, “and these bracelets let me do that.” The ambience created by the glow of thousands of bracelets was just a bonus. The floor was laid out with an X-shaped main stage in the front and two smaller stages toward the back. Taylor wanted to be able to travel between the stages to see the stadium and fans from different vantage points throughout the night. And travel she did—with the help of suspension mechanisms that flew her from one stage to another. There were massive screens with amazing videos and special effects including lots of pyrotechnics (making it really hot), plus videos of her telling stories about herself, fans, the songs, lyrics, kindness etc. (with a lengthy intro before she came out on stage). There were times of serene beauty with the stadium filled with fan phone flashlights looking like twinkling stars.

There was a massive cobra snake on a back B stage that she flew to in a cage and did a long set to be closer to fans in the back of the arena. The dancers were amazing and at one point looked like she brought fans on stage. She did a gorgeous acoustic set here playing ACT 3 listed below. Then she flew off to the other B stage for another act close to fans. The crowd rushed over to get close to her.

The time it took her to change outfits was also impressive. Each set was intentionally designed to play into Reputation’s theme—glittery, yet edgy, one of which was the sequined rock jacket. That was indeed eye-catching, sparkly, and so Taylor Swift! The coolest part of production, however, was watching her walk on the floor engaging with fans up close, shaking their hands and giving hugs to anyone who could reach. The joy on her face was undeniable, and Taylor is not shy with her facial expression. Her dancers were impressively in-sync throughout the acts and definitely living the moments. Upon getting back on stage, she took a deep breath, looked right, looked left, praised the fans for giving “113% effort” on their costumes, and then expressed utter thankfulness to be sitting in NRG stadium that night. According to Taylor, even her wildest daydreams as a child didn’t look as cool as this. She gave a shout out to her mom who is from Houston, which made the show a special one.

Simply put, the show was outstanding. Even now, I am still speechless. It was clearly well thought-out and executed professionally, none of which is lost on Taylor. She expressed genuine appreciation for the band, dancers, and crew who all left their families to be a part of this tour so that she could live her dream. The atmosphere in NRG stadium after the last song was excited anticipation for what Taylor Swift will come up with next. This was the tale end of this tour, with only a couple shows left.  Rest assured there will be more of Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift NRG Reputation Tour Set List:

Bad Reputation
(Joan Jett and the Blackhearts song)

Act 1
Reputation
(Video Introduction)

…Ready for It?

I Did Something Bad

Gorgeous

Style / Love Story / You Belong With Me

Act 2
Look What You Made Me Do
(Video Interlude)

Look What You Made Me Do
(With Tiffany Haddish speech)

End Game
(Shortened)

King of My Heart
(With extended outro)

Act 3
Delicate

Shake It Off
(With Charli XCX and Camila Cabello)

Dancing With Our Hands Tied
(Acoustic)

Wonderland
(Acoustic, Tour debut)

Act 4
Blank Space

Dress

Bad Blood / Should’ve Said No

Act 5
Don’t Blame Me

Long Live / New Year’s Day
(On piano)

Act 6
Why She Disappeared
(Video Interlude, sequel to “… more )

Getaway Car

Call It What You Want

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together / This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Metallica by Jerri Starbuck

This years festival is shaping up to be a fun one. With major headliners Metallica and Paul McCartney (probably the biggest in history), over two weekends fans will get a mix of music genres and a healthy dose of the Austin food scene.

David Byrne by Jason Bollenbacher

Staff Picks:  Some of our photographer and writer picks include amazing bands that we’ve covered in Austin before during their tour stops- Hozier, Deftones, St. Vincent, Wild Child, Parquet Courts, X Ambassadors, Gang of Youths, Houndmouth, Tinashe, Brandi Carlile, The Wombats, Father John Misty, Charley Crockett, Greta van Fleet (our biggest hugest pick), Borns, David Byrne, and locals Shakey Graves, Asleep at the Wheel and Kydd Jones.

But we are most excited to catch a few bands we have missed including: Arizona, Khalid, Camila Cabello, Lily Allen, Brockhampton, Bishop Briggs, Janelle Monae, Childish Gambino, Arctic Monkeys, The National, Natalie Prass, Nelly, Vince Staples.  We’re listening to some of the newer artists to see what sparks our interest. We like Mikky Ekko, Arizona, Japanese Breakfast, Bishop Briggs, and  Naked Giants.

Late Night Shows – This is one of the best parts of the fest, especially for fans who couldn’t make it to Zilker park for the main festival. These shows are held all around Austin, with a heavy amount at iconic Stubbs Amphitheater on Red River street. St. Vincent, Brockhampton, The National, and tons more!

You can still get tickets, but hurry! See the full fest schedule

Watch this killer music video from Arizona. We love these guys!

There’s a lot of cool new stuff at the festival this year too- check it out- new stuff

Check out the ACL Fest playlist on Spotify too!

More staff picks:

Kevin’s picks:

Friday Oct 5th :
-Paul McCartney (classic, no explanation necessary),
-Odesza (Very popular EDM artist that has produced multiple hits),
-Brockhampton (this group is very trendy right now among college campuses)-Gryffin (successful EDM DJ, his music appeals to women more than men),
-Noname (this artist is growing in popularity very fast. She has a similar sound as SZA)

Saturday Oct 6th:
-St. Vincent (great multi-instrumentalist, so pictures should be dynamic)
-San Holo, (This DJ is very popular right now in the Texas EDM festivals)

Sunday Oct 7th:
-Arctic Monkeys (Wildly successful band that is nearing the end of a worldwide tour, so their performance should be fine-tuned and awesome to watch)
-canceled-Childish Gambino (comedian, writer, director, producer, actor, and musician, this man wears a lot of hats and never disappoints. He is a famous rapper that is sure to draw a large crowd)
-Rezz (A DJ with a very unique sound and a cult following. Recipe for a great set)
-Tinashe (up and coming artist with groovy, melodic beats)

Denise’s picks:

Nelly, Asleep at the Wheel, The Texas Gentlemen, Paul McCartney, Deftones, St. Vincent, Metallica, Elle King, Shakey Graves, Charlie Crockett, Khalid, Lo Moon, Rustin Kelly, Shawn Mendes

Jerri’s picks:

Greta Van Fleet, David Byrne, Lily Allen, Gang of Youths, Nelly, San Halo, Mikky Ekko, Bishop Briggs, Tinashe, The Wombats, Charley Crockett, Phoenix, Camila Cabello, Janelle Monae, Houndmouth, The Revolution, Wilderado

Stay safe and we will see you soon!

Austin 101 Staff

by Denise Enriquez

On July 18th The Rock & Roll Express Tour pulled up to Austin making its stop at The HEB Center at Cedar Park, where big 90’s bands 3 Doors Down & Collective Soul with Soul Asylum disembarked, to the excitement of new and tenured fans alike. Home of the hockey team, Texas Stars, there was not a bad seat in the house at the The HEB Center allowing all in attendance a great view of the evening’s performances.

Soul Asylum kicked off the night with a short, but sweet set – just enough to get the crowd completely riled up by their final two songs, the 1992 hit “Runaway Train” and “Stand Up and Be Strong”.

See our full gallery from the show 

Next up, Collective Soul hit the stage to “Now’s the Time” – stage lights were fully engaged and ablaze, ensuring something big was about to happen. Full on showmanship was embodied by frontman Ed Roland, only pausing his very animated and enthusiastic crooning to take a seat at his white piano – like he did to sing crowd favorite 1993 hit “Shine”. Other songs that evoked a strong reaction from fans were “December”, “The World I Know”, “Heavy”, and the final song – an hour & 14 songs later – “Run”. After such a wildly spirited and song-packed set, fans could have easily felt like they had just watched an entire concert, but more still to come.

Next up, 3 Doors Down unveiled their changing LED stage setup complete with guitarist risers at the front two corners and topped off with a huge round lighting truss hanging in the background for maximum effect. And they were off, jumping right into their set beginning with “Duck and Run” followed by “Running Out of Days”. Lead singer Brad Arnold also belted out hits: “Kryptonite”, “It’s Not My Time” & “Let Me Go” and delighted fans with their rendition of Charlie Daniels Band’s “In America”. The patriotic theme of the night was accented by Arnold’s several expressions of gratitude to our country’s brave service men and women, an America flag on a mic stand & another folded setting on the drum riser, as well as images and symbols that represent the United States flashing on the stage LED screens. The band closed out the night with “Kryptonite” only to return to the chanting fans to play “Here Without You” & “When I’m Gone”. If you get a chance, don’t miss this ride – jump on the Rock & Roll Express.

SOUL ASYLUM SETLIST:

Somebody To Shove
Misery
Lately
Watch Need
Runaway Train
Stand Up and Be Strong

COLLECTIVE SOUL SETLIST:

Now’s The Time
Over Me
Shine
Heavy
Why, Pt 2
Better Now
Precious Declaration
December
Right As Rain
Observation of Thought
The World I Know
Gel
Where the River Flows
Run

3 DOORS DOWN SETLIST:

Duck and Run
Running Out of Days
It’s Not My Time
Away From The Sun
Let Me Go
Going Down In Flames
The Road I’m On
Be Like That
Citizen/Soldier
Still Alive
In America
Behind Those Eyes
My Way
Loser
Kryptonite
Here Without You
When I’m Gone