Austin City Limits Music Festival 2019 – Day 2, Weekend 1
Zilker Park, Austin, TX,
October 5, 2019
Review by Stacey Lovett
Billie Eilish was the buzzworthy artist of day 2 and easily the stage that drew the biggest Saturday crowd. A few hours prior, the 17-year-old singer-songwriter held a Bonus Tracks Q&A session with NPR following her brother, Finnias’, performance on the Miller Lite stage. As fans sat atop each other’s shoulders to catch a glimpse of the young superstar, she fielded questions from the younger members of the crowd opting for the ones holding more content of her artistry than ones of image, and further surprising everyone by giving out a hug to one unsuspecting fan. The moderated questions brought light to the great amount of involvement she has in every aspect of her art including her videos, her close relationship with her brother and support of their parents, and plans to write her next album on the road. Bold with her words, yet humble with her gratitude Eilish summed it up with the honesty of happiness leading the way in her life over the numbers, though she’s undoubtedly grateful for her success. Those numbers showed up for her set, the crowd stretching back towards the opposing stage to watch the “Bellyache” singer perform a high energy set despite sporting her ankle boot. Eilish also sports this ‘power to be’ attitude, performing in pure confidence to her own tune in life modeling a new standard for her female fans who were not much younger, but more the wiser to follow her role.
Festivalgoers were of two camps – those who sought out any bit of shade they could or those willing enough to soak up the sun. Hippie Sabotage drew a considerable weekend crowd for their first time ACL set bridging a sound gap from the staple EDM beats by mixing in their more radical hip hop blend. A show full of crowd surfing and chants, they doused the fans with water as they soaked up their own heat from the set.
Brittany Howard, the frontwoman of Alabama Shakes, performed songs from her debut solo album, Jaime, with every bit of her signature strength and confidence portraying some deep inner soul searching. The entire set exuded this spirit from the rising out of the darker times of “Goat Head” to all of the heartfelt sound of “He Loves Me.” Speaking from her own journey she spread the message to all to just give it to love, lending a voice for those who cannot speak and helping spread the message of love, peace, and prosperity, even giving negativity its own bit of love. Her campaign of this and her performance raised the energy, extending her own words into the reminders of others with covers of Prince, Jackie Wilson, and The Beatles who have all worked towards spreading the same message.
Nashville’s Judah and the Lion gave their own pep talk to the crowd during their time on the T-Mobile stage culturing a high energy rally for raising the collective spirit of their fans. At one point, dividing the audience into two teams to lend their voices to each part of the song. Amping up the crowd for “Alright,” the band introed with arguably the most cheer-inducing tune “The Hey Song” that did indeed spur a huge response and topped off their feel-good set.
James Blake was another notable act on day two especially as someone who followed Billie Eilish on the nearby Miller Lite stage. The juxtaposition of his easy voice with heavy electronic beats mirrors her same tender power and speaks to the heart behind multi-dimensionality in music, which he continues to evolve for himself and in his notable collaborations.
Summing up the day as one of the headlining acts was fellow Englishman Robert Smith with The Cure. Not any band could so simply pull off a seven-song encore but as one so pivotal in bringing the darkness to light in popular music their truths speak to the masses long after their arrival on the charts. Marking the 30 year anniversary of their highest-charting album to date, they played the bulk of their songs off of it over their two-hour show to fans of all ages. Their influence and timelessness plays to the part of ACL that reveres musical history; what came before to create the present and what should be, and is, drawn upon to really reach the masses. Because, as day two’s artists summed up – from the powerful youth on the scene like Billie Eilish, to Brittany Howard who has continuously shared her journey with music lovers in her career, to The Cure who made it all ok to do so in any light – they all share their own juxtaposition of the inner mind and heart, to heal themselves and influence the masses do follow suit for the present and for all of time.
Austin City Limits Music Festival, Day 2 on Saturday, October 5, 2019, featured CHILDISH GAMBINO, The Cure, 21 Savage, Metric, James Blake, Gary Clark Jr. Masego, Billie Eilish, Judah and the Lion, BONES UK, Natalia Lafourcade, Kali Uchis, Lauren Daigle, Pink Sweat$, Koo Koo Kanga Roo, Brittany Howard, Tierra Whack, Patrick Droney, MisterWives, HIPPIE SABOTAGE, Rob Baird, Gustager Yellowgold, Sigrid, Madison Ryann Ward, Men I Trust, Superet, FINNEAS, Briston Maroney, Taylor Bennett, Flora CAsh Night CAp, Bayonne, Q Brothers, Diamante Electrico, Ingrid Andress, Disciples of Christ, Stone Wheels, and the Aquadolls..
Click to View Full Images
About the Author
