Austin City Limits Music Festival (Day 1) Gets in a Groove With Maggie Rogers, The Mars Volta, The Lumineers The National Parks(FESTIVAL RECAP/PHOTOS)

Austin’s Zilker Park welcomed thousands of guests for the opening festivities of Austin City Limits Music Festival’s first weekend. Sunny skies and warm – but not scorching – temperatures ruled the early afternoon, but thankfully shade was plentiful, whether fans were nestling underneath trees, knocking back brews at the Barton Springs Beer Hall, or dining on local favorites in the tented areas by ACL Eats, where the smell of barbecue wafted over the breeze. (Day one food highlight: The Original Black’s BBQ’s chopped brisket sandwich.) The most notable hitch on day one was Kendrick Lamar taking on an abbreviated set due to plane issues. But in the northwest corner of the festival, the Honda Stage and Miller Lite Stage traded off sets smoothly, so there was always music playing through the end of the night, capping things off with The Lumineers’ headlining performance. Here are four sets that stood out from Day 1 on October 6th:

The National Parks

With the sun beating down on the crowd early in the afternoon, the energy by the Miller Lite Stage started off laid-back when The National Parks took the stage. The Utah outfit dutifully won the crowd over throughout their set with their upbeat and anthemic folk anthems, led by singer Brady Parks’ soaring vocalists. The lead-in to memorable mid-set track “Monsters of the North” saw Sydney Macfarlane (keyboards) and Megan Taylor Parks (fiddle) both trade in their usual instruments in favor of a shared drum kit, creating a rollicking beat alongside drummer Cam Brannelly. By the time the set’s closer, “As We Ran,” came around, the crowd was fully engaged, crouching to the ground at Parks’ request before jumping up in unison in a final exuberant moment. 

The Mars Volta 

The Mars Volta delivered some of the most unique sounds of ACL’s first day with their expansive instrumental breakdowns, smashing drum hits, squiggly synths, and otherworldly guitar riffs (led by standout work from Omar Rodriguez-Lopez). But at the heart of it all for the Texas prog rockers was Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s electrifying stage presence, as he tossed the mic stand, twirled the microphone, and leapt around the stage. The slow-burning mid portion of “L’Via L’Viaquez” showcased Bixler-Zavala’s sturdy vocals before giving way to a chaotic breakdown. 

Maggie Rogers

“I’m so excited to be at ACL,” Maggie Rogers told an eager crowd. “I came for the first time when I was a sophomore in college … I saw Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards play, and it changed my life.” This time, it was Rogers’ turn to perhaps spark an aspiring young musician in the crowd with her joyous set. Early cut “Want Want” showcased the singer’s strong stage presence and command of the crowd, while low-key new song “Don’t Forget Me” let Rogers’ voice shine. The mid-song transition from “Retrograde” to the cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” had the crowd grooving. At the song’s coda, Rogers paused for effect, letting the cheers build before unleashing a soaring sustained note. And in the waning moments of daylight, a sea of illuminated cell phone lights fittingly bobbed throughout the crowd to the electrifying hit “Light On.” 

The Lumineers

The Lumineers seized the attention of the audience from the get-go, bringing the band onto the b-stage that jutted into the heart of the crowd and opening with some of their hit singles, like “Cleopatra” and “Ho Hey.” Lead singer Wesley Schultz’s voice shined bright on “Dead Sea,” backed by the solid thump of Jeremiah Fraites’ drums. “Slow It Down” also saw just Schultz and Fraites take the b-stage again, led by the solid backbone of the kick drum and the jangle of the tambourine, with a huge disco ball lowered and reflecting light in the backdrop. 

Covers also made the set memorable, with “Leader of the Landslide” bleeding into a folksy rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” After that, Schultz teased the crowd: “Since we’re in Austin, we want to do something special for y’all.” He explained that Austin legend Willie Nelson is one of their music heroes, so the band delivered a cover of “A Song for You,” set to dramatic piano flourishes and Schultz’ robust vocals.

Related Content

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter