Austin City Limits Music Festival 2019 – Day 2, Weekend 2
Zilker Park, Austin, TX,
October 12, 2019
Photos and review by Jim Chapin
What is it with hip hop artists? Last week it was Lil Uzi Vert canceling – even though by many accounts he was on the ACL premises. This week it was Houston artist and hot-rapper-of-the-summer Meghan Thee Stallion who bailed. A huge crowd arrived for her early set, but she never showed. After waiting for a little over twenty minutes past the 1:15 p.m start time, word from ACL organizers was that she had just left her hotel, There was no way she’d make it onto the grounds to perform in time. And then, as if to add insult to injury, it started to rain.
Luckily, fest-goers are a resilient bunch. No way was this going to put a damper on the day. Many headed to the adjacent Honda stage to see Florida rapper Denzel Curry. Although he was ten minutes late, the crowd came alive when he finally took the stage with his staccato raps and enough energy to get things back on track.
Sacramento, California brothers Kevin and Jeff Saurer – otherwise known as Hippie Sabotage – wasted no time bringing the fun to their hippie-hop set. With cannabis-themed graphics on the screen behind them, Kevin climbed off the stage and leaned into the crowd, giving high fives and hugs before eventually diving in for some expert crowd surfing.
The hip-hop continued with Philadelphia rapper Tierra Whack. With her colorful rapid-fire lyrics and positively delightful attitude, she gave the crowd exactly what they wanted – and then some. At one point she flapped her “shirt-boobies” and asked the audience to guess what was inside. She showed they were all that by pulling out a bag of chips from each one and tossing them to the outstretched arms in the front row.
Hot on the heels of her fantastic solo album, Brittany Howard let her vocals run wild on songs that oozed funk and soul, finishing with her own take on Nina Simone’s cover of the Beatles’ “Revolution”
Eschewing last week’s facemask, Kali Uchis was truly hypnotizing on the Miller Lite stage as she strutted and writhed to songs from her 2018 album “Isolation.”
Over on the AMEX stage, Austin’s own Gary Clark Jr. expanded his band by adding a DJ, a horn section, and several other musicians -13 pieces in all. After opening with a stellar version of his hit “Bright Lights,” he called on Houston rapper Trae the Truth to join him onstage. As Trae laid down his lines, Clark just laid back and smiled, all the while playing some fiery licks on his six-string. Later in the set, he brought up the Petersen Brothers and Blackillac. Across the park, Billie Eilish held court with an animated set for her minions of young fans, including the McConaughey kids, joined by Matthew and Camilla.
21 Savage stood atop his mountain on the T-Mobile stage, pacing back and forth and spitting his rhymes for a very worked-up crowd, while back on the Miller Lite stage James Blake performed his own brand of smooth Electronic R&B. While the genres were different, both artists seemed to have trouble truly connecting with their fans, who nonetheless enjoyed every moment. The same can’t be said for Canadian indie rockers Metric, playing at the same time over on the VRBO stage. Singer Emily Haines bounced around the stage with a never-ending supply of energy, pulling the audience in with each number.
Goth icons and recent Rock and Roll Hall of fame inductees The Cure closed out the day on the Honda stage with a set that was…. Fun (?) Vocalist Robert Smith alternated between dour expressions and sly smirks, seemingly keeping in character but enjoying himself immensely. Sounding as good as they ever have, the band ran through their greatest-hits catalog. As the show closed, Smith declared that they will be back, to rousing cheers from the all-ages crowd.
The same won’t be said for the night’s other headliner, Childish Gambino. Donald Glover has said this was his last show (under that moniker, anyway!)
Weekend Two of the Austin City Limits Music Festival continued on Saturday, October 12, 2019 with performances by The Cure, Childish Gambino, James Blake, Metric, 21 Savage, Gary Clark Jr., Masego, Billie Eilish, Kali Uchis, Natalia Lafourcade, Chris Shiflett, Judah & the Lion, Lauren Daigle, Pink Sweat$, Bears & Lions, Brittany Howard, Hippie Sabotage, Briston Maroney, Dayglow, Tierra Whack, Rob Baird, Sigrid, Madison Ryann Ward, Ray Emmanuel, Denzel Curry, Diamante Electrico, LAUNDRY DAY, Taylor Bennett, Flora Cash, Abhi the Nomad, Imagination Movers, Orville Peck, The Aquadolls, Blackillac, Wesley Bray & The Disciples of Joy, Vanessa Zamor, Armani White, and the Barton Hills Choir.
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