Masses of feathered cowboy hats and fans in bubblegum pink sit in the hot Austin heat waiting for Chappell Roan. The pop star’s set begins at 6:45 p.m. but crowds formed even before the festival doors opened at 11 a.m. Among them sit government alumni Eva Escobedo and Marissa Muro, who arrived at ACL at 10:30 a.m.
“We’ve been to ACL every year since 2016,” Escobedo said. “We’ve done crazy things, but this is the craziest thing we’ve done to see an artist.”
The barricade at the American Express stage was already full by 11:50 a.m. As the crowd builds farther and farther from the stage, ACL staff spray water at festival goers to keep them cool. Escobedo and Muro said they had not seen anything like this, even at Travis Scott’s packed 2018 ACL set.
Olivia Davenport, a human dimensions of organization junior, arrived at 10 a.m. and said despite the large crowds she expected there to be more people. After seeing Chappell Roan open for Olivia Rodrigo last fall, Davenport said she fell in love with the music and looks forward to seeing her again live.
“Some performers have great music, but their live performances are not as fun,” Davenport said. “She is so much fun on stage. She’s singing and dancing and everything.”
Davenport arrived with a group of friends and they plan to sit at the center stage barricade for the nearly seven hours between the festival opening and Roan’s set.
“Everyone that we’re with is so positive,” Davenport said. “They’re so excited because we’re going to have so much fun. The vibes are already good.”
A hallmark of Roan’s music and message is her position as a member and advocate for the queer community. She has proudly used the traditionally taboo term “lesbian” and stresses the importance of the particular word’s usage.
For ACL goer and audience member Reagan Masengill, Roan’s music is particularly special for her since she came out as a lesbian to her religious family at age 16.
“(Lesbian) was not a word that resonated with me for a long time,” Reagan said. “I wasn’t in an environment where it could. To have a bunch of artists using that term, queer and lesbian, very proudly, it’s awesome. It makes me feel cool. All my friends love lesbians now and I’m like, ‘I’ve been here this whole time.’”
Reagan waits for Roan’s set with her older sister Alexis Masengill. The sisters said they see the wait and Roan’s music as a sibling bonding experience.
“(Our older sister), even she can relate and have fun with it,” Alexis said. “We can all listen to the same music. We’ve always been close, but (this helps).”
Roan’s powerful message and incredible stage presence have stunned festivals like Chicago’s Lollapalooza, where she drew the largest daytime crowds in the festival’s history, according to CNN. Her authenticity is a huge draw for many fans including Muro.
“She does a really good job of putting into words women’s sexuality and the fluidity of that,” Muro said. “Sometimes in our generation, sexuality can be viewed rigidly. I appreciate the fluidity and awareness (she is bringing).”
