People from all over Austin flocked to Sagebrush Bar in South Congress to see a local band, Briscoe, for a hometown night concert. Folk sounds filled the space with instruments like the fiddle and mandolin. A hometown homage, Briscoe returned to their roots, bringing together country, rock and folk listeners.
Playing Austin City Limits on Friday afternoon of Weekend One, the duo said they feel excited to play the festival for the first time. Lead singer Philip Lupton said their performance will feature some songs from their latest album, Heat of July, as well as popular tracks like “Easy Does It.”
“We’ve seen bands that we loved at ACL when they were small (and) we’ve seen big bands,” Lupton said. “ACL is a defining institution of the Austin music scene, and as Austin musicians, it’s an honor to be a part of it.”
Founding members Lupton and guitarist Truett Heintzelman originally met at a summer camp in middle school called Lady Lodge Youth Camp in Kerrville, Texas. Since then, Lupton said the two have been best friends.
“He’s from San Antonio,” Lupton said. “I’m from San Angelo, and we stayed buddies year after year, until in high school, I kind of started Briscoe as a way to release some demos I made. Then, (Heintzelman) and I both ended up at UT, and that’s when we really started to gig around and record more music and take it a little bit more seriously.”
After graduating, Lupton and Heintzelman said they found Austin proved a great city to start their music career with places such as Hole in the Wall, located on The Drag. The two reflected on their time in college and how that led to their “big break.”
“The city of Austin (has a) ridiculously rich music history,” Heintzelman said. “(It) has so many great venues that you can play and work your way up through, and so that’s exactly what we did. On top of that, being in college, you’re meeting and are friends with more people than you ever are (at) any other point in your life, and you’ve got built-in support right off the bat, which is pretty crucial early on.”
Lupton said they attribute their inspiration to the South, the Midwest and the ‘60s and ‘70s rock music they were raised on. Heintzelman said there have been two big moments that inspired their latest album: touring after their debut album’s release and marrying their wives.
“Going from dating to engagement to getting married, there’s just a ton of sweet reflection and thinking about how you got to where you are in that moment,” Heintzelman said.
Briscoe fan Anna Rodgers said she has followed the band since they played at Longhorn City Limits in 2023. Rodgers said she has enjoyed watching the band grow over the past two years.
“It’s really good to see two really kind UT students start from a humble beginning and really rise up,” Rodgers said. “I heard they opened for Caamp. That’s huge. They’re high on the list (at) ACL, (and) it’s been really great to see them live.”
