"Tom Petty, if you're looking down, this one's for you, brother … you did not die in vain," Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Keidis said during the band's headlining set at Austin City Limits this past weekend. With the passing of Tom Petty earlier in the week, prominent ACL artists paid their respects in memorable ways. In fact, the festival was actually filled with positivity after the news of Petty and the tragedy in Las Vegas all in the same week. “There’s a lot going on in the world … a lot of hate and a lot of evil. I want y'all to know that love will always conquer hate," said Jay-Z during his headlining set on night one. In its 16th year celebration, Austin City Limits was exactly what people needed. If music can truly heal, then these were the artists that mended souls this weekend.
The xx
Quiet, brooding, and sexy, the xx's music sinks deep inside. Does their music scream headliners? Well, let's just say, the London snyth-pop act turned minimalism turns maximum for their 100th show this year. Led by vocalist/guitarist Romy Madley Croft, vocalist/bassist Oliver Sim, and producer Jamie Smith, they opened with the instrumental track, “Intro” followed by their first breakout single, “Crystallized,” from 2009’s self-titled debut. “Lips,” “Dangerous,” and “On Hold,” all hailing from 2017’s I See You were also thrown into the mix. The music from the London act may come off a bit serious, but for Croft and Sim, the two have a lot of fun on stage while dancing. Sure Croft became pensive when she stripped down the song "Performance,' an emotional highlight. With the stage illuminated by rainbow lights, The xx finished their hour-long set with “Say Something Loving” and “Angels," as the crowd became lost in both sounds and visuals.
Ice Cube
“For all the people that didn’t think Ice Cube could get onstage and still rock the mic, I got one thing to say to yo’ ass: You better check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self!," said the 48-year-old gangsta rap legend. Cube kicked off his ferocious set with “Natural Born Killaz,” one of the most menacing tracks from his three decade career. Dressed entirely in black, O’Shea Jackson looked to be having a blast doing his thing and reminding everyone he was once AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. He performed N.W.A favorites, “Straight Outta Compton," “Gangsta, Gangsta” and his solo diss track of his former collaborators, “No Vaseline,” from 1991’s Death Certificate. The rapper closed it out with “Today Was A Good Day” from 1992’s The Predator and from the smiles emerging from the smoke, it was definitely a good day.
The Killers
The Killers proved why after fifteen years, they're still the kings of rock. The charismatic Brandon Flowers got things rolling by covering Tom Petty's “American Girl.” By the fourth song, Flowers showed solidarity with his fans. “Coming from Las Vegas, and as musicians, I want to say thank you,” he said. “Don’t you ever let any (expletive) get in the way of doing what you want to do.” Afterward, fans were on board with just about every song. "Smile Like You Mean It," "Human," “Mr. Brightside,” “Read My Mind” and “Runaways” were all played, not being a shocker to anyone. Surprisingly, “All These Things That I’ve Done,” was a more powerful set-closer than “Mr. Brightside” with the audience instinctively and repeatedly chanting its memorable line, “I got soul but I’m not a soldier.” The ninety-minute set was capped off with Hot Fuss deep cut “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” and 2006’s “When You Were Young” from Sam’s Town.
Bonobo
The British DJ experimentalist, Bonobo, performed at ACL with warm and yellow lights behind him and his live band. The aesthetics were a cool backdrop to the layered textures and hazy melodies. Earlier this year, Bonobo released his sixth studio album, Migration. The producer focuses on a mostly downbeat tempo with his songs. For some original tracks, he drafts vocalists to lend their talents. Through sharp synths and climatic finishers, the instrumentation had a deep balance of serene rhythms and hypnotic echoes. With tracks “Towers” and “Surface,” from 2013’s The North Borders, singer Szjerdene aided Bonobo on stage. Migration songs “Figures” and “7th Sevens” demonstrated the artist’s knack for affecting compositions, which highlighted a performance by a DJ that was impressively uncommon.
To catch the artists listed above on the road, visit LiveNation.com
Check out our portraits from the festival below:
