GRWM: A Playlist For My First ACL

Evelyn Lopez

Music Journalist

Weekend one of ACL has wrapped, and many are anticipating more that Weekend Two will bring. I have seen multiple Tweets and videos from this past weekend showing how big the crowds were. An aerial view over Chappell Roan’s set showed Zilker Park at its fullest and almost unrecognizable.

People have advised me to wear comfortable shoes, stay extremely hydrated, and protect my lungs from the dust by wearing a cover. Since this is my first time going to an official music festival, I have to plan my outfits accordingly and, more importantly, my schedule. I am listening to my favorite tracks from the artists and bands I am most excited to see.

Friday:

Since I have a later start in the afternoon for my Friday schedule, Thee Sinseers start off as the first act on my lineup. Joey Quinones, the lead vocalist and founder of the group, has been in my rotation for the past two years. Their solo work surged my appreciation for listening to oldies while tidying up my space and keeping myself grounded. They refer to their sound as “Chicano-Soul” and “Souldies.” It is heavily influenced by the culture and sounds of 50’s and 60’s funk, r&b and doo-wop. Quinones has me stumped at my first listen, as I was blown away when I realized my favorite track had only been released in 2019. The first song on my Get Ready With Me playlist for ACL is a slow one, but it was in my top 5 for Spotify wrapped in 2022.

“The World I Know” by Joey Quinones

Leon Bridges has been making his appearances around Austin this past week. Performing intimately at the Continental Club and signing records at Waterloo Records at 11 a.m. Bridges is an amazing vocalist, and I admire his collaborations with other artists, such as Khruangbin. As much as I love Texas Sun, I will never sleep on Texas Moon. An honorable mention for my playlist is “Mariella,” but to follow up with that oldies feel, I will pull a favorite from Coming Home (2015). This one is more upbeat and something that would pull me to the dance floor if I had the chance to hear this at a club.

“Outta Line” by Leon Bridges

Closer to the end of day one is L.A. indie staple, The Marias. The Marias have been with me since the beginning of my own musical liberation. The 2017 release of their first single, “I Don’t Know You,” was played religiously during the start of my indie era. I am excited for their older work more than the recent album, to be honest. The first EP, Superclean (2017), feels like a classic, but not much has changed in their sound in Submarine (2024) since CINEMA (2021). It has some solid hits like “No One Noticed” and, of course, “Run Your Mouth,” but for me there are quite a few skips that deduct points from the project as a whole. That being said, I revisit the classics and the nostalgia their earlier work fills me with.

“Dejate Llevar” + “Heavy” by The Marias

Saturday:

Lola Young, an artist I discovered through Tiktok, captivated me for her alto-powered voice with an attitude reminiscent of Amy Winehouse. I enjoyed watching her DIY videos with her mic on a wire and her cool haircut. These short clips of her got a lot of attention, a lot of love and a lot of hate. Call me basic, but I’d love to hear this song live.

“Don’t Hate Me” by Lola Young

Remi. Wolf. She is genuinely one of the most underappreciated powerhouse vocalists of this generation. I have plenty of songs from Wolf’s discography that I would die to hear. From Juno (2021) and the Deluxe, “Liz” and “Street That You Live On” are more than honorable to mention. However, their recent release, Big Ideas (2024), helped me get into the groove for preparing my ACL playlist. “Motorcycle” has been spinning on high rotation at KTSW, but in my own rotation, I prefer these:

“Toro” + “Frog Rock” by Remi Wolf

Sunday:

My last day at ACL weekend two has a couple of my all-time favorite artists. Kevin Abstract’s American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story (2016) and Tyler The Creator’s Flower Boy (2017) were at the heart of my freshman year of high school playlists. My first introduction to those artists was around seven years ago, today. It blows my mind that it has been that long, especially since it’s going to be my first time seeing both of these artists live.

I have seen clips of Abstract performing “RZA” from The Family (2022) at ACL last weekend, and it got me excited. As much as I love that track and especially his work with MJ Lenderman, I am more excited for the classics. Anything from his debut album would probably bring me to tears, but for this playlist, I choose to go deeper. My pick is from the mind of 17-year-old Kevin Abstract and his pop project MTV1987 (2014). Hoping to hear this live is a long shot, especially since it can’t be found on streaming.

“Degas Park” + “Madonna” by Kevin Abstract

When it comes to Tyler, The Creator, I find music from all over his discography that I love and would be excited to hear. I became a fan after getting swept up in the pop instrumentals and intense rap verses of Flower Boy (2017), but every project since has been just as impressive. It’s tough to choose just one song to get hyped for, so instead, I plan to dive into something from each of Tyler’s eras.