St. Vincent, Megan Thee Stallion, Charley Crockett and the Best of Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits got off to a rocky start on Friday. The festival’s gates, which were supposed to open at noon, delayed fans’ entry until 3 p.m. due to heavy rain  the night before, creating a traffic jam on the streets and at the entrances.  

Once fans made their way into Zilker Park, they were treated to acts such as Machine Gun Kelly kicking off at 4 p.m. on the Honda Stage. Live music was back in a big way. MGK’s set was just the tip of the iceberg on Friday. Shortly after his set, Megan Thee Stallion – one of many Texas artists on the bill – blew the roof off the stage and was even joined by Miley Cyrus at one point. One might even say it was … “savage.”

A real treat on Friday though was up-and-comer Dermot Kennedy’s set on the VRBO stage, making it a clear opportunity for the audience they were watching on the precipice of breaking out.

Saturday’s shows smoothed out all the rough patches from the day before, and kicked off like normal. Performer Gracie Abrams, daughter of TV and film royalty J.J. Abrams, sported a “Bans off my body” hat for her set, something that was a running theme among the women performing during the weekend. The ladies ruled the day on the Lady Bird stage, where Girl in Red tore up the stage kicking her shoes off –  then instantly regretting doing so on a stage that was baking under the sun.

Phoebe Bridgers performed her brand of emo tunes, chuckling as she dedicated one tune to “anyone who’s ever had to lie to CPS for their parents.” Doja Cat hit the Honda stage right after, changing the vibe completely with a jungle set and backup dancers. It was a visual feast and the crowd couldn’t help but nod along to the catchy beats.

The male performers also had their moments on Saturday. North Texan Charley Crockett lit up the VRBO stage bringing a heavy dose of classic country to the fest. Crockett feels plucked out of the Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard generation and was a welcome bit of variety on a weekend full of mostly contemporary music acts.

Jack Harlow closed out the Miller stage on Saturday, pulling a massive crowd. Easily one of the biggest draws of the day, Miller even had singer Shawn Mendes grooving out in the crowd. The level of swagger on Harlow alone could fill a stadium, making his a must-watch performance.

On Sunday, the final day of weekend one, Dallas native Marc Rebillet, aka Loop Daddy, tore up the T-Mobile stage, improvising songs on the spot. One was about being able to “see your penis through your pants.” Rebillet’s was probably the most insane set of the entire weekend – and wildly entertaining.

Another gem from Dallas, St. Vincent, hit the T-Mobile stage after sun down, bringing her brand of glam rock to the fest. Her fans ate it up. Performing several songs from her latest album Daddy’s Home among a downtown-style cityscape backdrop in true St. Vincent theatrical fashion, her show was complete with subtle choreography.

Tyler, the Creator closed out the lineup, and his performance was complete with a full-sized boat, fireworks and enough energy to power Texas in a blizzard. A late addition in place of Da Baby, who was replaced due to recent homophobic comments, Tyler’s crowd wasn’t as large as you would have expected, an unfortunate effect of being the closer on Sunday. It was a fantastic set nevertheless, a full visual spectacle to go with his carefully crafted songs.