Everyone You Should See Friday of ACL Weekend

By: Sofia Gualy

Music Journalist

The weather is getting cooler and Austin City Limits (ACL) is just a short ways away. This will be my seventh year attending the festival and I am so excited to be back at Zilker Park. Like most people, I have my list of all the artists I need to see ready and scheduled. This year so many incredible and iconic artists are making their comeback and you simply can not miss out.

My days at the festival are typically go-with-the-flow type of days, but there are many attractions and performances that are hard to miss. Food vendors, performances, and merch lines are where you will likely find me all day.

Friday is the day I am most excited for of all three days. All of the artists I am planning on seeing are artists I have never seen before. Here is my list of all of the artists you should definitely make time to see Friday, October 14th at ACL.

Wet Leg- 2:30 at the Honda stage

Start your day off right and catch this British duo performing at the Honda stage. I have seen videos of their performances online and am so excited to see it for myself. They bring so much energy to the stage and are the perfect way to start off your Friday. Songs such as “Ur Mum” and “Supermarket” are what you should look forward to hearing from them.

Vacations- 3:15 at the Miller Lite stage

Most of us have heard the Tik Tok sound of their song “Young” over videos of outfits of the day or days in my life’s. Their entire discography has been my walking-to-class soundtrack, and I simply can not wait to watch them perform. The band is making their way all the way from Australia, so you must catch them. “Lavender” and “Avalanche” are songs you should definitely learn the lyrics to before catching their set at ACL.

Genesis Owusu- 4:00 at the Tito’s stage

This groovy act is the perfect mid-day chill performance you are gonna need. The Ghanaian-Australian singer is bringing his funky music to Austin, and he is not one to miss. All of his songs are energetic and the perfect music to dance around to. His songs “Good Time” and “WUTD” are songs that would be so fun to watch live, and I highly recommend catching this set.

L’imperatrice- 5:00 at the Barton Springs stage

Keep the groovy nature of your day alive and catch L’imperatrice perform at my personal favorite stage of the whole festival. Surrounded by trees and a mini food court nearby, you are set for dancing around to songs like “Vanille fraise” and “Anomalie bleue”. This french band is the band I am most excited to see all day, so you will definitely find me at this stage. Their music is genuinely so fun to listen to, and seeing this band live will surely make you fall in love with their music.

Phoenix- 6:00 at the Honda stage

Phoenix has long been making music and is actually my favorite childhood band. I remember listening to their 2009 album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix in the car with my brothers and thinking it was some of the coolest songs ever created. Songs like “1901” and “Lisztomania” are so nostalgic, and I am not physically prepared for the excitement that I am going to experience from hearing these songs live.

Omar Apollo- 7:00 at the Miller Lite stage

I could not have chosen a better sunset performance than Omar Apollo. His music is like silk and is a great set for winding down for the night. The Mexican-American singer has recently gained a lot of popularity from his song “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)”. I am expecting this crowd to be quite large, meaning this is a performance you certainly should not miss out on.

The Chicks- 8:00 at the American Express stage

End your night with an iconic performance from Dallas natives, The Chicks. Closing out the festival this day, The Chicks are performing two hours worth of their best hits and more. This is the ideal performance for resting near the back and singing your heart out as you reflect on all the amazing performances you got to see that day. Don’t forget to remember all the lyrics to ‘Wide Open Spaces” and “Cowboy Take Me Away” and enjoy a truly iconic set.

These are just a few of the truly incredible performances that you shouldn’t miss out on at ACL. Remember to stay hydrated and have a blast.