A kaleidoscope of sound and emotion!
Day Two of ACL Fest 2025 glowed like a living mixtape — vibrant, unpredictable, and perfectly balanced between groove and grit. As the sun slipped behind patches of clouds, Zilker Park became a sea of denim, sequins, and vintage band tees — a living mural of Austin’s restless soul.
The energy built in waves: from the soulful shimmer of Olivia Dean to the kaleidoscopic swagger of Ocean Alley, the introspective dream-rock of Spacey Jane, and the wired poetry of Car Seat Headrest. The afternoon carried a multicultural spark with Latin Mafia, while Magdalena Bay and Doechii turned the park into a neon fever dream before Djo and The Strokes closed the night with a euphoric one-two punch.
Every set felt cinematic — soundtracking moments of connection, discovery, and pure, sweaty joy. People danced barefoot on the grass, traded friendship bracelets, and screamed lyrics into the night. Day Two wasn’t just a lineup — it was a heartbeat.
OLIVIA DEAN
Olivia Dean opened Saturday like sunlight pouring through stained glass — her blend of London soul and warmth setting the perfect tone for the day. With songs like “Nice To Each Other” and “OK Love You Bye,” she radiated pure sincerity, chatting with fans between songs and beaming as the crowd swayed along. Her vocals — effortless yet textured — carried across the field with a softness that still had bite, particularly on “Dive,” where her delivery felt like both an invitation and a confession.
Dean’s charm wasn’t performative; it was human. Every lyric landed with an emotional wink, every melody like a letter sent from someone who’s figured out how to be gentle with themselves. The breeze picked up mid-set, and somehow, her voice seemed to ride it. In a festival stacked with spectacle, Olivia Dean’s gift was intimacy — proof that calm can captivate just as powerfully as chaos.
OCEAN ALLEY
From the first shimmer of “Tangerine,” Ocean Alley brought the coastal heat straight from Sydney to the heart of Texas. Their set was drenched in groove — all smooth basslines, rolling guitars, and vocals that felt equal parts sunburn and slow dance. Tracks like “Knees” and “Confidence” had the crowd moving like a tide, a rhythmic push and pull that turned Zilker’s mid-afternoon into a beachside daydream.
Frontman Baden Donegal sang with a half-smile that made it seem like he knew a secret — and maybe he did. Their blend of psych, funk, and surf-rock shimmered with understated confidence, never rushed, never forced. By the time “Touch Back Down” closed the set, the audience was fully under their spell — arms up, eyes half-closed, lost in a groove too smooth to resist.
Ocean Alley didn’t just play; they transported. Their sound was a lazy wave that crested perfectly with the Texas sky.
SPACEY JANE
If Ocean Alley was a slow burn, Spacey Jane was a spark. The Australian indie darlings lit up the afternoon with jangly guitars, sing-along choruses, and the kind of emotional honesty that makes even heartbreak sound anthemic. Opening with “Through My Teeth” and “Estimated Delivery,” the band’s chemistry was instant — tight but unpolished in the best way, full of movement and muscle memory.
Caleb Harper’s voice cracked and soared, pulling the crowd through crescendos that hit like warm nostalgia. By “So Much Taller” and their closer “Lots Of Nothing,” Zilker was fully alive — friends with arms around each other, shouting lyrics to the sky. There’s something timeless about Spacey Jane’s sound; it bridges eras, living somewhere between 2000s alt-rock and the sincerity of 2020s indie.
Their ACL set felt like a shared coming-of-age moment — the kind that lingers long after the amps cool.
CAR SEAT HEADREST
Car Seat Headrest turned the park into a surreal cathedral of noise and emotion. Will Toledo emerged like a prophet of controlled chaos — all angular movements and fevered conviction. Opening with “CCF (I’m Gonna Stay With You)”and “The Colossus,” the band unleashed walls of distortion and catharsis that tested the limits of the field’s soundscape.
When they launched into “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales,” the crowd roared in recognition — that blend of melancholy and mania that defines Toledo’s genius. His lyrics cut deep but danced in abstraction, like diary entries left open to interpretation. The performance felt more like a ritual than a set, especially during “Planet Desperation,” which built into a climactic storm of noise and light.
Car Seat Headrest didn’t just perform; they exorcised. Every scream, every riff, every pause was purposeful — an invitation into beautiful disorder.
LATIN MAFIA
Latin Mafia brought a different kind of fire — suave, spiritual, and irresistibly danceable. From the moment “Siento Que Merezco Más” began, the trio had the crowd hooked, merging Latin pop’s emotional depth with modern rhythm and indie sensibility. Their charisma was magnetic — smiles flashing, beats dropping, and fans singing every word in Spanish and English alike.
“Vivo Si Me Exiges” and “Ven” turned the park into a pulsating block party, a moment of pure cultural fusion that Austin’s crowd embraced completely. Their closer, “Tengo Mucho Ruido,” hit like a manifesto — joyful, self-aware, and bold.
Latin Mafia proved that representation isn’t a trend; it’s the pulse of today’s global sound. Their set shimmered with pride and playfulness, bridging worlds with beats and sincerity. ACL felt more connected — and more alive — because of them.
MAGDALENA BAY
Magdalena Bay made Zilker feel like the inside of a vaporwave dream — all pink light, synth sparkles, and hypnotic choreography. Mica Tenenbaum and Matt Lewin turned their stage into a living, breathing art installation, where every beat, gesture, and pixel of light felt intentional.
“Image” and “Secrets (Your Fire)” set the tone — glossy, clever, and seductive — before plunging into “Death & Romance” and “The Ballad Of Matt & Mica,” where the duo blurred the line between irony and intimacy. The crowd didn’t just watch; they moved like part of the loop.
By the time “The Beginning” closed the set, it felt like stepping out of a dream you didn’t want to end. Magdalena Bay didn’t need pyrotechnics — they created their own digital universe, one bass drop and eye-roll at a time.
ACL hasn’t seen synth-pop this self-aware and cinematic in years.
DOECHII
Doechii tore through her ACL debut like a supernova — confident, raw, and completely magnetic. From “Nosebleeds” to “Bitch I’m Nice,” she commanded every inch of the stage, her movements sharp and intentional, her flow feral but flawless. Between tracks, she toyed with the audience, switching from playful to powerful in seconds.
When “Alter Ego” dropped, the field erupted — a chorus of screams, phones, and pure awe. The choreography, the fashion, the energy — everything about her set screamed star power. “Anxiety” and closer “Boom Bap” showcased her range, blending pop hooks with underground grit.
Doechii isn’t just one of hip-hop’s most exciting voices — she’s rewriting the rulebook in real time. Her ACL set was proof: confidence isn’t attitude, it’s artistry.
DJO
As dusk rolled over Zilker, Djo stepped into golden-hour perfection. Dressed in a relax outfit and surrounded by bright neon lighting, Joe Keery transformed the park into a hazy fever dream of nostalgia and self-discovery.
“Awake” and “Uglyfisherman” shimmered with psychedelic grooves, while “Charlie’s Garden” became a crowd-wide singalong that felt both cosmic and deeply personal. Keery’s quiet charisma balanced irony and sincerity in equal measure — he’s not performing a character; he’s dissecting one.
When “End Of Beginning” finally arrived, every voice in Zilker joined him. It wasn’t just a song — it was communion. Djo’s performance reminded us that pop doesn’t have to be polished to feel profound; sometimes, the flaws are what make it holy.
THE STROKES
When The Strokes hit the stage, the night shifted. The field surged forward as Julian Casablancas strolled out, his trademark drawl dripping through “What Ever Happened?” and “Bad Decisions.” The band played like they had nothing left to prove — and everything to enjoy.
“Reptilia” and “You Only Live Once” sounded sharper than ever, a testament to how their garage grit still feels essential two decades in. Casablancas was as cryptic as he was charismatic, tossing deadpan jokes between songs and letting his bandmates drive the chaos.
By “Last Nite” and “Take It Or Leave It,” Zilker was a full-blown frenzy — every generation screaming the same lyrics under the same sky.
The Strokes didn’t just headline; they reminded us why rock still matters.
As the night cooled and the lights faded, ACL Day Two felt like a masterclass in rhythm, reinvention, and release. Each act — from Olivia Dean’s warmth to The Strokes’ fire — added a different heartbeat to the festival’s body. Zilker Park pulsed with unity; strangers became friends, dancing barefoot in the dust, trading laughter under streaks of light.
Austin proved, once again, that live music isn’t just entertainment — it’s communion. It’s the shared heartbeat that turns noise into memory.
Day Two wasn’t about one genre or moment — it was about connection, and the magic that happens when art meets atmosphere.
