Austin City Limits Music Festival 2019 – Day 1, Weekend 1
Zilker Park, Austin, TX,
October 4, 2019
Review by Stacey Lovett
With summer having already passed, the 2019 Austin City Limits Festival still managed to bring the heat. The first day of this three-day festival is usually spent getting acclimated to all of what is offered, from wristband activation to scoping out the grounds and making your plan of action for what stages and shows to hit – or you just wing it and let the experience come to you. Whatever your festival going method, this one offers up a healthy taste of Austin and more, and a lineup suited for all styles with plenty of time to experience it.
Music kicks off around 12:30 on each of the eight stages that are situated around Zilker Park, and while a good crowd shows up with the opening of the gates, the peak hours for arrival aren’t until mid-afternoon. The die-hard festival-goers braved the Texas sun early and got to experience bands like Austin’s own ACL staple Asleep at the Wheel, the faces and sound of modern rock coming out of the UK with The Amazons, and eccentric characters like Oliver Tree. Black Pistol Fire brought more hometown recognition and kicked off one of the first longer sets of the day on the Miller Lite stage. Contending with the cheers from the Astro’s game that was televised next door at the Beer Garden, the duo received their own with their stage antics of ripping a guitar solo mid-shoulder stand and jumping into the pit to join the crowd. Blackillac joined onstage as a sea of hands went up, joining not only local forces but two different genres in collaboration – something truly unique at the core of this festival. Following a Rolling Stones cover of “Sympathy for the Devil,” Kevin McKeown walked out onstage with his toddler son in his arms to greet all of their ACL fans, a touching moment of success shared with the next generation before handing him back offstage and ending the show in true rock fashion stage-diving into the crowd as he surfed out one final solo.
While many of the bands overlap you can’t always catch the entire set of everyone on your list to see – you have to choose to split the time between the two, sacrifice one, or try and just roam among them to catch a little bit of each sonic wave serving as the soundtrack to the whole experience. The latter usually occurs while roaming the many music-themed sponsored activations at the festival. American Express sponsored both the American Express Experience which showcased local Austin businesses with a record pop-up from Waterloo Records, JuiceLand juice bar, and airbrushed tattoos from Resurrection tattoo, as well as a Card Member Lounge on the second floor with a rooftop bar and stage-view seating area with a refresh bar from local day spa Milk + Honey. Bumble hosted a spin-off ‘find your festie’ spot that festivalgoers could use as a meeting place via the app for friends while they rehydrated and recharged. The art market gathered Austin-based artisans with their unique wares, from ethically handmade shoes to jewelry, to images of the Capital City, and more. Always well represented at ACL is the foodie scene with the food court featuring an extensive selection of local fare from the expected Texan dishes of BBQ to the more eclectic like kimchi fries. All come together to mix the familiar with the tastes of something new that you can use to curate your own experience playlist with at ACL.
The Raconteurs played a highlight set for day 1 – with the sun in their faces, they shined along with fans braving the heat to experience such great influence in modern music. Frontman Jack White sported a Daniel Johnston ‘Hi How Are You?’ frog shirt in memoriam to Austin’s own influential musician just recently lost while drummer Patrick Keeler gave Willie Nelson’s image some recognition on his, appreciating all Austin brings as much as Austin appreciated their presence at ACL. Half of their set were songs from their latest album Help Us Stranger as they filled in a few staple favorites like “Level” and “Blue Veins.” Fans new and old alike were thanked by a sympathizing White for bracing through the harsh late afternoon sun during the set as he hopped from guitar to keys soaking a heavily classic sound into the music that has been brewing within them over the last decade since their previous studio release. Those who didn’t stay at the American Express stage to stake their claim on a spot for the night’s headliner Guns N’ Roses set to take stage an hour later, could wander and hear the likes of Jenny Lewis, RL Grimes, or Thom Yorke on his latest endeavor Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes.
In the battle of the headliner bands for the overlapping nighttime ACL sets, Guns N’ Roses drew the considerable crowd for this festival feature of their “Not In This Lifetime” Tour, though Tame Impala – a beacon of laser lights from the opposing stage – claimed a significant following with their infusion psychedelia with the EDM fans of the festival. GNR delivered all that was expected at their show with the classic lineup of Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan unseen together in over two decades, doling out all of their beloved hits – the flannel, GNR shirt, red bandanna, doc martin clad audience singing and snake dancing along with every word. Their set was both one of nostalgia and timelessness drawing in fans of all ages who came together to share their love of such groundbreaking rock and roll that influenced so many after them, including many of the other stages that day. Their music will forever stand alone but also continue to be drawn upon as a standard sound of all that moves a heavier message in the scene. While their arena shows brought more pyrotechnics and additional screens for their lavish display of graphics, this outdoor performance allowed for fireworks to bring a bigger band to this rock extravaganza.
However you experienced day one of three – through mirrored glasses, filled with glitter and heavy driven beats, or rocking out in the heat of the sun – the next two days bring vast opportunity to switch up or amplify your own experience much more with everything that is ACL!
Austin City Limits Music Festival opened on Friday, October 4, 2019. The day featured Guns N’Roses, Tame Impala. Thom Yorke Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, Jenny Lewis, RL Grime, Jai Wolf, The Comet is Coming, THE RACONTEURS, Kaytranada, Weyes Blood, K.Flay, Gustafer Yellowgold, TroyBoi, King Princess, Monsieur Perine, tyler Childers, Black Pistol Fire, Palm Springsteen, Cherry Glazerr, Scarypoolparty, School of Rock, Oliver Tree, FIDLAR, Houses, Ladi Earth, Kim Viere, Alesia Lani, Asleep at the Wheel, Erin Rae, The Amazons and The Barton Hills Choir.
Click to View Full Images
About the Author
