This year marked the 10th anniversary of the legendary Austin City Limits Music Festival. With a star-studded lineup and  perfect temperatures from rain clouds overhead almost all weekend, it was a festival for the record books.

 

Friday

Although musically inclined, Smith Westerns fail to engage audience

Smith Westerns, a young band from Chicago, played a solid set on Friday afternoon. The members of Smith Westerns all range in age from 19 to 20, but their youth does not hinder their musical ability.

Guitarist Max Kakecek impressed the crowd with his solid solos. While the band does not lack in talent or dreamy garage-rock melodies, their stage presence leaves something to be desired.

Frontman Cullen Omori seemed more concerned with pushing his long brown hair out of his eyes than with his fans. Bassist Cameron Omori, on the other hand, allowed his hair to obscure his eyes completely. Despite their tight set, many in the crowd seemed disinterested by the end of Smith Westerns’ performance, presumably because the band failed to interact with fans at all.

After experiencing some technical issues with their sound, the band left at the end of their set looking somewhat annoyed.

 

Coldplay gives ACL crowd a sneak peek at upcoming album

As Friday night began wrapping up, the AMD stage suddenly came alive with lights and sounds revealing the iconic British band Coldplay.

Opening with “Mylo Xyloto,” the crowd cheered and jumped in unison. The show continued as the band played most of their greatest hits, such as “Yellow”,  “In My Place” and “The Scientist.”

The band put on more than a show—it was a production. Lights were set to complement each drumbeat and every lyric.  Though sweat was soaking through his clothing, lead singer Chris Martin showed no signs of slowing down but instead kept the crowd enchanted throughout the whole set.

Twenty minutes before their scheduled end time the band said goodnight and teased the masses that were waiting for an encore. Reappearing, the band began their encore with their 2002 sensation “Clocks.”

They opened their second encore song, “Fix You,” with opening lines from fellow Brit, the late Amy Winehouse’s tune “Rehab.” They ended the night in front of a crowd of thousands with a new song, “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall,” from their upcoming album “Mylo Xyloto,” to be released this October.

 

Kanye West closes first night of festival with captivating performance

Kanye West isn’t just a rapper. He’s a performer. And he let the crowd know this on day one of Austin City Limits music festival.

West performed on the festival’s Bud Light stage in front of a crowd that easily numbered more than 10,000 fans.

As the audience awaited his appearance on the stage, West made a surprise entrance on top of a riser in the middle of the crowd. The amount of lenses flashing was blinding.

West then walked down an aisle and onto the stage, where he was accompanied by about 15 dancers who enhanced West’s songs such as “Lost in the World” and “Runaway.”

West performed a set list that spanned his entire discography, including crowd favorites like “Jesus Walks,” “Heartless” and “Flashing Lights.”

He ended his hour and a half performance with “Lost in the World,” and thanked everyone involved in the show, including his dancers. He praised their talent and expressed his admiration for their enduring hard work and dedication.

 

Saturday

Indie rock band Telekinesis wakes up crowd with energetic show

“Hi, we’re a band called Telekinesis from Seattle” was the mantra of excited Telekinesis frontman Michael Benjamin Lerner on Saturday morning. While Lerner recorded Telekinesis’ albums as a solo act, he tours with two other band members.

This energetic threesome kept the crowd nodding along as they played pop-punk infused indie rock anthems. Lerner, who switched between playing drums and acoustic guitar, was obviously ecstatic to be playing the festival. He thanked the audience numerous times for its support and beamed throughout the band’s set.

The other two members of the band, bassist Jason Narducy and guitarist Cody Votolato, kept the positive energy going, jumping and head-banging while providing background vocals.

Most of the band’s songs were short—no longer than three minutes. These short anthems kept the crowd’s attention until the end of Telekinesis’s set, when Lerner stood on his drums and thanked the crowd again.

 

Twin Shadow hypnotizes crowd and band with synth-driven set

Twin Shadow entranced the audience on Saturday with his dreamy, new wave-inspired indie rock. Twin Shadow is the moniker of Dominican-born musician George Lewis Jr.

Lewis was supported on stage by a band of three other well-dressed musicians who helped him perform his richly textured songs. The band’s electronic sound is obviously inspired by ‘80s synth music.

The crowd and the band both appeared hypnotized by the driving rhythms and soaring vocals. The audience danced through more upbeat songs and swayed through slower songs, but it certainly never stopped moving throughout Twin Shadow’s set.

Although they only played a 45-minute set, Twin Shadow had such a hold on the audience that time seemed to stand still while they played. Lewis did not interact with the audience much, but the music and the movement connected the band and the crowd.

The band closed with fan favorite “Castles in the Snow” before leaving the stage and breaking the spell they had cast on the audience.

 

Alexander gives first festival performance

Alexander Ebert, front man of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, performed his solo work at a festival for the first time on Saturday. Ebert was backed by a band that consisted of several Magnetic Zeros and a few new faces.

His dynamic set included songs from his self-titled solo album, a cover of an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros song and a few new songs.

Ebert knows how to work a crowd, and he proved throughout his set. During his song “Glimpses,” Ebert jumped off the stage and sat on the railing to lead the crowd in a sing along. He created a strong sense of community and love with his audience, even holding fans’ hands while he sang.

At one point, Ebert admitted to the crowd that he didn’t know all the words to some of the new songs he was performing. During one new song, the band appeared to be improvising, and Ebert guided his trumpet player through a solo.

Despite what might come across as a lack of preparation, the new songs still kept the audience entertained.

 

Sunday

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. gives fans relief from the heat with popsicles

Detroit duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. kept the crowd dancing on Sunday afternoon. Those willing to brave the heat were rewarded with the group’s cool indie pop.

Clad in matching bow ties and fluorescent checkered blazers, multi-instrumentalists Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott kept the energy high and the atmosphere fun. They pleased the crowd with their upbeat electro-pop, and they repeatedly encouraged the audience to sing and dance along.

The band’s vocals shifted between angelic harmonies, such as those on their  The Beach Boys cover “God Only Knows,” and energetic shouts like on the track “We Almost Lost Detroit,” during which the band donned Detroit Tigers jackets. The crowd was also amused by the band’s banter.

Midway through their set, Zott and Epstein were joking about the heat when Epstein asked the crowd, “Wouldn’t a popsicle be nice?” Epstein proceeded to pull out a cooler and throw popsicles into the sweaty mass of fans.