There was an abundance of sunlight on Friday. Several passionate music lovers had sunburnt skin by midday. 

Twen kicked off music on the American Express stage around 1:15. The indie rock band from Boston brought a raw form of garage music to the fresh faces in Austin. 

Noah Cyrus performed on the American Express stage early on Friday. Austin City Limits Radio interviewed Cyrus at the festival. Her set on Friday was hot as a Carolina Reaper. Cyrus is the fifth child of Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, and she is the youngest sibling of Trace, Brandi, and Miley Cyrus. Noah’s set displayed a young generational talent.

Happie Hoffman also started things off with live acoustic music from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her angelic vocals mix well with the acoustic guitar. Her live set opened entertainment on the Honda stage. 

Wet Leg performed next on the Honda stage. The British indie rock band from the Isle of Wight brought a burst of energy to Weekend 2. This band could be one of the future headliners of tomorrow. 

One intriguing element to having two weekends of live music is the diversity of music between weekend one and weekend two. Wet Leg was an exclusive act for Weekend 2. The headliners are booked for both weekends, but some of the emerging acts are dedicated to one weekend. 

The concept of different bands playing each weekend is reminiscent of the entertainment diversity at SXSW. 

Jasmine Sullivan brought the R&B from Philadelphia to the Honda stage on Friday at ACL Fest 2022. Her dynamic vocals delivered soul and heart to the festival. The two-time Grammy award-winning is one of the hottest new artists on the scene. Her performance on Friday was as hot as a two-dollar pistol.

The music continued throughout the park as live acts performed on multiple stages. Attendees moved between the vendors at ACL Eats, the drinks at Barton Springs Beer Hall, and the wine at the ACL Wine Lounge. 

Phoenix was a Weekend 2 exclusive live act. The band hails from Versailles, France. This veteran rock band has been performing for 25 years. In addition, the band also announced their seventh album Alpha Zulu, which is set to be released on 4 November.

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats were rattling bones with their live rock music across the festival grounds during the same time as the Phoenix set. Attendees were left with a tough decision between the two acts. The American Express stage was lit by the fire of the 8-piece band. Fans danced and rallied behind the spirit of the band. They trailblaze a new sound of folk, R&B, rock, and soul music. This band was featured on both weekends and kept fans wanting more. 

Billy Strings headlined music on the T-Mobile stage. His current tour is selling out shows across the globe in support of his upcoming album Me / And / Dad. The album is set for release on November 18. This form of bluegrass music has a little heavy rock blend mixed with jamgrass. The band’s set was as tight as a fiddle string. His late-night set at Stubb’s contained 34 songs. 

The main headliners for Friday featured SZA and The Chicks. It left the audience with another difficult decision about which act to end the day with. My significant other is from West Texas and loved the vibe in the crowd during their set.

The Chicks made the most out of their 2022 tour with multiple festival stops. The Chicks are an American country music band founded in Dallas, Texas. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer. The group has won 13 Grammy awards. 

Their live set on Friday, October 14, was packed with beautiful moments. The set was so jam-packed it pushed the stage time to the limit. Natalie Maines brought out her father and son for a couple of songs. It was Maines’ birthday, and she celebrated in grand fashion. 

This show marked the last time the band would be playing in 2022. The passion of the band and the crowd was crystal clear. 

"If we get charged for going past time, **** it. My dad needs to take his videos." - Natalie Maines

Late Night: Big Gigantic at Emo’s Austin

Festivities continued into the early morning hours across Austin. We decided to attend a Denver-based group called Big Gigantic at an intimate venue. Emo’s Austin has a distinctive atmosphere that flows with the city of Austin. One thousand seven hundred guests can fit within the venue on any given night. 

Big Gigantic is an electronic-rock duo that continues to push boundaries and stages all over the globe. Their first weekend set on the Titos Stage was packed with some guests requesting a larger stage since the overflow was so noticeable. 

My personal journey with the duo started in 2011 and has continued across the United States. Seeing them in a smaller venue after an intense day in the heat was a treat. The bass and vibe in the venue gave me goosebumps. New music was curated within the setlist. 

Big Gigantic is working on a side project, a soul-jazz supergroup known as the BTTRFLY Quintet. The group is made up of artists from Lettuce, Big Gigantic, and Break Science.