After the first day of the 15th annual Austin City Limits festival, some fans may have been left wanting more, but it was nearly impossible to ignore the night’s headliners.
Best: Radiohead stole the show on all levels, delivering a performance worthy of their clout. Highlights included a plethora of new songs from their most recent LP A Moon Shaped Pool, along with enthusiastic performances of “The National Anthem,” “Reckoner” and “Idioteque.”
No matter how much he joked about his status as Radiohead’s “opener,” Flying Lotus stood out amongst a sea of producer and DJs on Friday. Playing some of his more widely known beats and rapping on top of them, FLOTUS played an extremely active role by remixing his set at every opportunity. Paired with some of the best visuals of any act that day, Flying Lotus’ performance was a must-see.
Worst: Die Antwoord lacked anything beyond showmanship to draw in audiences, relying on gimmicks to distract from their lackluster performance. The group was placed surprisingly high on this year’s bill, and their overvaluation showed on Friday as the group relied on theatrics to get through their one hour set.
Banks & Steelz might be known as a supergroup, but their set on Friday proved otherwise. RZA serves much better as a producer than as a rapper, as shown in the breathy delivery of his vocals. When Paul Banks came in for the choruses, he often missed notes and didn’t seem to give his all during the performance.
Today’s lineup should be less headliner-heavy, so look forward to a well-rounded day of music fun.