Weekend two at Austin City Limits Festival dawned hot, humid and- most importantly- dry from the first weekend’s chaotic storm that turned Zilker Park into a giant mud puddle. Thousands of fans flocked to Texas to catch the likes of Rufus du Sol, Kings of Leon, Turnstile, Lorde, Charlie XCX and so much more across the event’s seven massive stages. The park was also filled to the brim with activities, food and activations for fans to have some fun between sets. Atlas jumped into the pit for all the madness of day one- check out our favorite moments from Friday!
ACL’s Girl Power Posse Dominates Day One
Friday boasted a diverse lineup with everything from EDM to hardcore, but it was the ladies on the bill that stole the show at every turn. In the intense heat of the early afternoon, Texas darling Bella Kay took a turn on the T-Mobile Stage, performing to an adoring crowd of hometown fans. Her charming personality underscored a powerful vocal presence as the audience cheered raucously and held up handmade signs declaring their love for their local favorite.
A nice meander (or powerwalk for the fans looking to catch as many acts as possible) across the length of the park brought attendees to Faouzia’s set on the American Express Stage close to the entrance of the festival. Dressed in an ethereal white gown with billowing sleeves and enviable waist-length ringlets, Faouzia immediately captivated anyone walking by with her compelling voice. She whirled and twirled across the huge main stage, soaking up the love from an enraptured audience during “Lost My Mind in Paris” and “Sweet Fever”.
Her aesthetic and energy segued perfectly into Paris Paloma’s Miller Lite Stage set, as the British singer-songwriter also appeared in a stunning blue lace gown and the theatrics to match. Paloma’s music stretches far beyond the virality of “Labour” as she wowed a growing crowd of observers with “Stem the Flow” and “Good Boy”.
Paloma also shared the stage with Sienna Spiro, another viral sensation who emerged to a massive crowd very early in the day. Spiro- with her vintage go-go dress and teased hair- seemed to drop in directly from the 60s as her raspy voice and incredible band put in work throughout her time onstage. Faouzia, Spiro and Paloma all demonstrated a well of emotional vulnerability and depth of talent during their performances, cementing the ladies as the acts not to be missed on Friday afternoon.
Real Rockers Take Center Stage
Speaking of unmissable performances, Amyl and the Sniffers left a mark on the main stage with a set that shook the fest to its foundation. Led by the chaotic and charismatic Aussie Amy Taylor, the quartet put up defiant middle fingers and proceeded to metaphorically burn the place down- all before sunset. Taylor’s spangled and fringed outfit shimmered in the golden hour light as she prowled down the stage’s catwalk to “Do It Do It” and “Tiny Bikini”, pulling focus as the rest of the band shredded behind her right into a beautiful sunset.
Another stroll across the park brought fans past loads of free candy at the Mike and Ike stand, cocktails at the various bar stations and breakout parties happening at the houses various alcohol brands built. From taking pictures under the festival’s iconic flags and their very own ACL Hollywood sign, fans were spotted documenting every moment of day one before the dust kicked up in a hurry back at the T-Mobile Stage for Turnstile.
The Atlas crew is no stranger to a Turnstile set and their sunset performance at ACL was just another in a long list of accomplishments being smashed by the Baltimore hardcore outfit. Per usual, the band said not one word to their buzzing audience, launching right into the frenetic energy of “Birds” while the first of several mosh pits broke out near the barricade. By song two, singer Brendan Yates had already left the stage to balance on the barricade with the fans, shouting right along with them to “I Care” and “Dull” and bringing out Faye Webster for a verse on the former to the delight of the massive crowd in front of them.
The band also revisited their earlier material on “I Don’t Wanna Be Blind” and “Drop”, two back to back moments that set off more moshing in a hurry. The majority of the set was dedicated to Glow On and Never Enough, all of which perfectly meshed with the late afternoon cooldown that Turnstile was quick to heat back up again with their boundless energy. Totems were lifted, crowd surfers were caught at the barricade and thousands of excited onlookers experienced the magic of another incredible Turnstile performance.
As the night deepened and the crowd divided up between Kings of Leon and Charlie XCX, Leon Thomas drew a respectable audience of his own for a headlining performance at the Miller Lite Stage. The former teen star turned prolific singer-songwriter took the stage to huge cheers right into “How Fast” and “Dancing with Demons”. He showed off his musical prowess with savvy guitar solos between silky smooth vocals that brought the night to a satisfying end for everyone in attendance (with maybe a glimpse at the technicolor party happening for Charlie XCX on the way out).
ACL Fest day one was a beautifully woven tapestry of sights and sounds, starting another stunning weekend for the festival’s 25th anniversary- stay tuned for more from the weekend!
