Review by Stacey Lovett
Jon Batiste summed it all up on the final day of ACL Festival 2021– “This is more than a concert – it’s a spiritual experience!” Despite the heavy inequalities in the world being discussed, pockets of lineup drama and the stresses of the unseasonable heat the New Orleans native summed up what it’s all about – coming together, rising up and exchanging that negativity for positive vibes as one, as music lovers.
As he and his band belted out the sunset gospel-thick set, including his gentle piano rendition of classic “Lean on Me,” Batiste sparked the soul needed to remind us to keep carrying on despite the hardships and injustices in life. Having scored the 2020 Pixar film Soul, he reminded concertgoers what it was to be in touch with it, to feel that passion in the moment, and that it takes standing up in solidarity to keep it going.
Greta Van Fleet was another band on the Sunday lineup who took fans to a mystical level with the throwback look and feel of their ethereal rock. They knew how to curate a rock show and many relived their ideas of festivals of the past through their set. The younger female crowd especially bought into the neo-aquarian rock persona professing their love for the band with homemade signs within the sea of people. Nevertheless, they entertained with their flamboyant stage show and drew a considerable crowd to enjoy a perceived higher side of rock made for this generation.
Some local licks were represented by BMI with Austin-based acts Zach Person and Superfonicos taking the stage for their inaugural ACL. Texas indie-blues-rock and Columbian funk got their respective and deserved spotlights at the 20th-anniversary festival – a pivotal year for the institution and for the music itself as it shifts into a new era of collective soul.
The digital age and the prior year that marked its reverence brought Dallas-native YouTube music sensation Marc Rebillet a solid following to his set. Fans came prepared with props, signature robes, and improv themes ready for the “loop daddy” to interact with their material and unleash his “great prophecy” at the stripped-down dance party. While a lot of his shows are novel in the on-the-spot material, fans also were able to expect his signature antics of throwing things – including himself – into the audience and he delivered with the stage diving.
The crowd interaction was heavy before “Rapstar” Polo G’s set but in anticipation for the artist to take the stage as he was half an hour late to his set following an early departure the week before claiming the crowd wasn’t “into it.” Chants of “Marco Polo” in search of the artist finally saw it through but not after a couple of altercations broke out in the thick of the pit as fans grew impatient. Once the “Pop Out” rapper did just that, the party started and he stole back the show.
The headliners who closed out the show pretty much became a house divided in the crowd on preferred genres. Both acts were replacements for the original two who dropped out for different reasons – Stevie Nicks over COVID concerns and Da Baby for a negative PR incident– but neither were a second-string act. 80’s pop favorites Duran Duran kicked out the singalong hits reminding the crowd of just how many they’ve had over the years and how they also stand the test of time with a feel-good nostalgia. Tyler the Creator gave fans quite the experience with his dynamic stage setup complete with pyrotechnics and a moving boat that he hopped on to start the show. He promoted his latest album, Call Me If You Get Lost, with many of the fans donning shirts and signs with the slogan and nods to his signature shock value.
Pushing artistic and social boundaries were themes in full force for this year’s festival, doing so in the name of creative growth and using the stage as a platform for reform. Nurturing this growing self-awareness and authenticity through art, and seeing the widespread response of it offstage, proves we’re heading in the direction Jon Batiste and so many others stated we needed to – a journey into a reflection of the past and self-love in the present. Through this, through the unifying power of music, we rise up and 20 years of good vibes on the shores of Austin has made its mark with it in music history.
