After 2 years things are finally looking better for all music and concert lovers! Austin City Limits Festival returned to the Texan capital this weekend under special measures to prevent Covid-19 infections and we were there to tell you how things were.
To enter the festival, the security team requested a copy or original card of the vaccine or negative results of Covid-19 from all attendees. Better safe than sorry!
In certain closed areas the use of face masks was required and it did give a little peace of mind.
As in previous years, the heat and humidity cannot be absent during the month of October in Austin and you have to stay well hydrated, but the festival’s 8 stages are distributed in a super practical way so that you can move from one to another without having to to walk kilometric distances and wear yourself out so much. Food and drinks can also be found everywhere.
This year’s line-up was a bit more varied than previous years as it included country music with one of their headliners, George Strait as well as Charley Crocket and Cam. Also among the new styles that were heard in this edition was Karol G’s urban/reggaeton music, a bit of salsa with La Doña and the Latin pop of the Colombians Superfónicos.
Of the acts that caught the most on the first day were those of Machine Gun Kelly, who climbed to the top of the sound tower to hang down while he continues singing, Megan Thee Stalion, festival rookie who with her dances and voice also gave a show worth seeing, turned on fans and not so fans. The Texans from Black Pumas threw themselves into a great concert and the people really give themselves in each one of their songs. Miley Cyrus, I had never seen her live and my respects, very good voice, very good show and very good songs! From hits like “We Can’t Stop,” “Wrecking Ball” and “Party in the USA” to covers of Blondie’s “Heart Of Glass” and Janis Joplin’s “Maybe.”
We knew in advance that Saturday would be a very varied day full of good proposals, so we arrived early to see the presentation of Girl In Red. At 22 years old and with such a short career, she showed that she knows how to handle a big stage well and brings an entire Generation Z behind her.
Charley Crocket’s presentation was great, a real contemporary Johnny Cash! If you haven’t heard it, look it up because it’s worth it. From there we went back to the main stage where Phoebe Bridgers was performing. The Californian since she went on stage did not take the smile off her face. People really adore her and she just let herself be loved. Songs like “DVD Menu”, “Kyoto”, “Moon Song” were sung by the large enough public that he had but his show was left with a bitter pill to cut off the booming sound of his song “I Know The End” supposedly because the singer had exceeded the limit on stage. That same afternoon Phoebe posted on her Twitter account “Lol f * ck acl” message that was later deleted.
Changing to a different music style, it was time to see Doja Cat’s. She’s definitely quite a performer. Choreographies and good pop were the perfect mix for a good show and obviously there was no shortage of people who started to dance their tik-tok steps where their songs have gone viral. To take a short break we went to see the talk with Brett Goldstein, better known as “Roy Kent” from the Ted Lasso series and the same actor / writer was surprised by the number of people who went to see “This is f… nuts!” he said as he walked out onto the small stage where he was performing. He talked about his companions on the show, anecdotes and refrained from telling spoilers for the third season that is already in the works.
Almost to end the night on one side of the field the Australians from Rüfüs appeared
Du Sol with his electronic music. It really is a treat to see them! The mix of his music with the screen production takes you to another plane. And on the other side came out on stage Billie Eilish. The success of the singer has reached incredible levels in such a short time. More than 20 songs were the ones that Billie sang. From “Bury A Friend”, “Ocean Eyes”, “My Future” and without missing “Bad Guy” and closing with “Happier Than Ever” they were chanted by an audience that enjoyed them to the fullest.
On the last day of the festival we kicked off with Cam’s country music for a bit of a change. Without knowing anything about her, it was a pleasant surprise to listen to her and see her live. Charismatic and in constant conversation with her fans.
It was the turn to see Band Of Horses. The Seattle band led by Ben Bridwell, really gave a concert full of good music. It was only 12 songs that the group played, including the INXS cover “Never Tear Us Apart” leaving their audience wanting more.
The occurrences and extravagances of Marc Rebillet occurred the second he stepped on stage. Wearing only a black silk robe and shoes, he emerged to the shouts of an audience desperately waiting for him. As soon as he was in front of everyone, the people asked him to take off his robe. “Take it off” they asked him. Phrase that he sampled and began to play. It didn’t take a few minutes for him to throw away his robe and stay only in his boxers for the rest of the concert.
Changing gears, it was the turn of the Colombian Karol G. Another rookie in this type of American festivals but who managed to conquer quietly. Without knowing much English, she tried to interact with the public that received her with open arms to the point of having to repeat her hit “Tusa” almost unplugged version because people wouldn’t leave. “El Makinon”, “Bichota”, “Secreto” and “Ay, Dios Mío” were some of the most chanted.
And to end the day, Duran Duran came out on stage. It was a perfect way to wrap up our visit to ACL 2021. Starting their set with “Hungry Like The Wolf” people immediately went wild. Simon Le Bon and company continue to be one of those groups that hardly exist anymore. “Notorious”, “Ordinary World”, “Come Undone” took us on a journey to the past. Almost to finish his presentation, Simon asked the public to turn on the lights of their cell phones to sing “Save A Prayer” and immediately finish with “Rio”.
And so dear friends, this was how we lived the experience of being at a music festival again with the new modality of these times of Covid.
We hope you enjoy the photo gallery that we share here!
