Day one of the 2019 edition of Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL Fest) was stacked with incredible talent at Zilker Park. Tame Impala delivered another stellar performance while Guns n Roses played at the opposite end of the park. Thom Yorke (Radiohead) performed on the Miller Lite Stage as Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes. The Raconteurs played the American Express stage after an exceptional Austin City Limits TV episode taping Thursday before the festival got underway. Los Angeles singer Weyes Blood raised eyebrows at the BMI Stage. Austin-based rock duo, Black Pistol Fire thrilled fans early in the day at Miller Lite.
We started the day walking into the park and heading straight for the Honda Stage where Austin outlaw country mainstays Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel played their traditional fest opening set as they do every year. In fact, Benson is the only Austin artist (not even Willie Nelson) who gets invited back to play ACL Fest every year. Hearing the towering Benson singing along with his band felt like the perfect way to kick off a day balanced between familiar sounds and new music discovery. We even managed to catch an official ACL Fest Late Night show by breakout avant-garde UK jazz masters The Comet is Coming at the Historic Scoot Inn.
Tame Impala at Honda Stage
Before we move on to how great Tame Impala was on the Honda Stage, we’ll admit to being torn between covering Guns n Roses, who haven’t ever played ACL Fest, and seeing the Aussie favorites. After making a game-time decision by posting up for the Kevin Parker-led psych-rock act, we’re glad we did. Tame Impala performed a near-perfect 16-song set that packed the area in front of the stage to well beyond the nearby BMI stage. The crowd was massive and filled with younger fans.
Maybe we’re a kid at heart but it was hard to pass up another performance by the group. Every performance we’ve seen has impressed. In fact, we became fans after catching the group’s first ACL Fest appearance in 2013. This year was no different, with the Aussies kicking off the festivities with the lead single from 2015’s Currents, “Let It Happen.” Parker included a deep cut early in the set list with “Lucidity”, the lead single from Innerspeaker (2010). It was only the second time the group has performed the song in six years after reintroducing the song to live audiences two days prior in Irving, Texas near Dallas.
The best part of the show was the perfect trifecta of “Elephant,” “Apocalypse Dreams,” and “The Less I Know the Better”. Parker teased the crowd a bit before launching into “Elephant”, the 2010 radio hit that put the band on the radar of music fans worldwide. He also asked the audience if they’d rather watch Tame Impala instead of Guns n Roses. After affirmative cheers from the crowd, he remarked, “Fucking grateful you’re here. I promise to make it worth your while.”
Parker and company indeed did deliver, wrapping up the 75 minutes of bliss by closing with a spot on version of “Feel Like We Only Go Backwards.” Parker suggested the song would be good to sing along to before delving into the beloved song. The group wrapped up the show with “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.” Check the full set list here.
Thom Yorke as Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes at Miller Lite Stage
When ACL Fest announced Radiohead front man Thom Yorke’s synth-driven trio had been booked for the festival at the Miller Lite Stage, visions of an oversized crowd came to mind for that location’s headlining set Friday. While that vision failed to materialize, with a smallish crowd of hardcore fans and casual onlookers, the set provided a glimpse into the Englishman’s electronic musical vision. Hence the name Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes as in the computers, synthesizers and electronic keyboards creating the music along with Yorke’s vocals and bass guitar.
The smallish crowd seemed not to phase Yorke, who moved about the stage as his usual frenetic pace, roving across the platform, bouncing along to the heavy bass beats that characterize the music. The majority of the songs in the set list were selected from recently released, Anima, which dropped this year. He also included some song from his Atoms for Peace side-project, which played the festival in 2013.
The sundowner set took on new life as light gave way to darkness and the curved LCD screen behind the band began projecting visuals to complement the music. While many fans left the stage before the performance ended to either grab a good spot for Tame Impala or head to the other end of the park for G n R, we feel like we saw something special most did not Friday at ACL Fest, and for that we’re thankful.
Wayes Blood at BMI Stage
The best part about music festivals is discovering newer acts, like the buzz worthy Weyes Blood who played the 5 p.m. slot at BMI on Friday. The singer, whose real name is Natalie Mering has been garnering critical acclaim since the release of her fourth studio album, Titantic Rising, this year on Sub Pop.
The chanteuse appeared on stage dressed in a white suit with aviator sunglasses looking every bit the Los Angeles-based artist that she is. Then she backed up that cocky look with breathtakingly beautiful songs. Most of the 13-song set were tracks from this year’s release including set opener, “A Lot’s Going to Change” and the first single from Titantic Rising, “Andromeda.”
While Mering nailed her performance at the festival, it’s clear her music is better suited for club setting. The fact that she delivered one of the day’s better performances at ACL Festival demonstrates her skill at adapting her music to the larger stage.
Black Pistol Fire at Miller Lite Stage
Canadians turned Texans, Black Pistol Fire turned in a blazing rock performance at Miller Lite early in the day Friday. The duo comprised of Kevin McKeown (guitar, vocals) and Eric Owen (drums) brought the energy. While McKeown cavorted about the stage, at one point jumping off the edge and into the photo pit, Owen wailed on his kit like a madman, shirtless with his mane of curly hair flying about with abandon. It was enough to get the Miller Lite crowd into it, raising their fists in the air in triumph.
The set highlight was Austin rap duo Blackillac (Phranchyze and Zeale) joining the band for “Well Wasted.” The union injected some playful fun a la hip-hop into what was expected to be a standard hard rock performance.
All photos by Maggie Boyd.
