The second day of Austin City Limits Weekend Two continued with a second consecutive scorcher, but another massive crowd gamely gathered to take in the day’s sets, led by an array of charismatic pop stars and rockers. Here’s a quick daily dispatch with highlights from Saturday (10/12):
- For those braving early afternoon heat, Austin rockers Being Dead delivered an eclectic, entertaining set to kick off the IHG Stage. With sounds ranging from lo-fi jangly rockers to fast bursts of punk rock energy to sludgy, heavy guitar breakdowns, the band’s rock sonic palette was broad and consistently keyed by the strong vocal interplay between the band’s two singers.
- An entertaining storyteller, Goldie Boutilier kept the crowd engaged by weaving tales of the inspiration for rollicking cuts like “Penthouse in the Sky” and “Cowboy Gangster Politician.” Aside from her strong vocals, her backing band delivered excellent, old-school rock ‘n’ roll guitar riffs.
- The Beaches toasted the final days of their Blame My Ex Tour, showcasing their road-tested chemistry as they grooved across the stage with each other. Of course, no other song could close out this era other than “Blame Brett,” with lead singer Jordan Miller leading a rousing call-and-response with the crowd.
- Remi Wolf got the fans gathered shaking their hips from the get-go, starting with the funky pop cut “Cinderella.” The Bay Area singer commanded the crowd with ease, whether it was leading synchronized dance moves or a Freddie Mercurian series of “hey-oh” call-and-responses with the audience.
- Benson Boone had the crowd flipping out – with his flips. The crooner seized the attention of the audience from the jump by leaping off his piano on early cuts “Be Someone” and “Coffee Cake,” while also showing off his soaring vocals on tracks like “Drunk in My Mind” and “Slow It Down.”
- A raucous cheer of “Reneé! Reneé! Reneé” rippling through the crowd heralded the arrival of Reneé Rapp. The fast-rising pop star thrilled fans with her charismatic stage presence while also leading several loud singalongs, like on early cuts “Poison Poison” and “Bruises.”
- Dua Lipa helped the crowd “dance the night away,” dazzling with her energetic choreography on tracks like “Training Season” and “Pretty Please” – and a mid-set outfit change into a personalized Texas Longhorns jersey certainly earned even more favor with the local audience. Some of the more downtempo songs – like “Illusion,” “Be the One,” and “These Walls” – served as strong showcases for the pop superstar’s mighty vocals.
