The Strokes, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Djo, and More Reviews From Saturday at ACL

Saturday at Zilker Park, the pop girlies reigned. MARINA, Doechii, and Sabrina Carpenter – who didn’t allow photographers, but did allow Shania Twain to join her for a rendition of “That Don’t Impress Me Much” – all put on crowd-pleasing performances, while returning acts the Strokes and Modest Mouse checked off the rock box for the festival’s millennial contingent. 

S.L. Houser Credit: Gary Miller S.L. Houser Comes Out Rocking 

Insane that gates opened at noon Saturday and Sara Houser went on first 15 minutes later. When the Austin singer-slinger-keyboardist and all-around multi-everything-A-lister bounded out onto the BMI stage with a backing quartet, 50 hardcore Austinites congratulated themselves for sticking the day-two festival opening. Thirty precious minutes whisked by all right, but the stage felt bigger than the smallest one on the grounds. That lies with Houser, whose inveterate spirit and veteran local status manifests a powerful uplift. “Big thank you to BMI for having us,” said the bandleader, acknowledging the song publishing behemoth. “Let’s have some fun.” Slipped into all-black cowboy attire, with a red bandana choker and red bracelets, the SLH band came out rocking, ’cause that’s what you do at The Big Show. Mowing down 2023 breakout Hibiscus, openers “Fever in My Eye” and “When I Want To” punched above weight, the latter’s Fleetwood Mac-like thrum and thump immediate and lasting. Taylor Wilkins inlaid a mother-of-pearl guitar solo as Eric Garcia and Geena Spigarelli pulsed perfect rhythm and keyboardist Rae Mascardo overlaid melody. For her part, Houser reared back and let soar her creamy, dreamy, lucid voice, one perfectly fit to take on Annie Lennox on new cover single “Here Comes the Rain Again.” At the end – crowd tripled – she dedicated gorgeous Hibiscus (Deluxe) closer “Grand Canyon 95” to her mother Eva, holding down the front row. “She’ll tell you my life story, if you let her.” Go on, then!  – Raoul Hernandez

Next of Kin Credit: David Brendan Hall Next of Kin Serenades With Snark 

Contagious criers, like yours truly, were in for a bit of a challenge at Next of Kin’s inaugural ACL performance. The Austin-based project, started by Lili Hickman, Madison Baker, and Caelin just a year and a half ago, has easily made emotionally belted choruses their bread and butter. Precluding their powerful voices with speeches of gratitude and affirmation ahead of “Jekyll & Hyde,” the trio’s debut single, the passion and pride for their work was evident – and getting a little stuck in the back of their throats. The sentiment hardly got in the way of the queer country outfit’s dynamic vocal arrangements, however, as the masterful vocalists raised hairs and cheers with their lilting harmonies. Drawing on the clever campiness of the Chicks and forlorn, loveless songs of Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt’s Trio, Next of Kin’s performance of their Homemaker EP celebrated relatable songwriting and a contemporary twist on classic Americana sounds. Dressed in Seventies-inspired linen and denim, accented with turquoise eyeshadow and chunky jewelry, it was only fitting that the soulful singers’ set ended with a stirring cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” but not before the fashionable band debuted their upcoming single. “The Alley,” out Oct. 24, is a plucky barstool harassment revenge fantasy that earned angsty delight from the boot-stomping crowd under the Tito’s tent.   – Caroline Drew

Clover County Credit: Gary Miller Clover County Finds Her Festival Footing

“This is only my second festival in life, I don’t know really know how all this works,” confessed Clover County, aka A.G. Schiano, from the BMI stage on Saturday afternoon. The Athens, Georgia, songwriter rambled charmingly nervous between songs, and took several songs to finally find her festival footing for the intimate tunes that might be better displayed in a dark club than harsh ACL sunlight. The mix onstage for the trio felt off for openers “Black Leather Daydream” and “Limbo,” wanting a fuller sound that came with the reverbed vocals of “Midnight Crow.” Schiano leaned into her Southern twang as the set congealed around songs from this year’s debut LP Finer Things, displaying her instinct for sweetly lilting melodies through “Yours Too” and vocal power on the swell of “Angels.” Paradoxically, she seemed more assured when her rhythm section left the stage and she delivered new tune “Suitcase” and March single “Nothin’ at All” solo. When the bass and drums returned for breakout “Ultraviolet,” the homestretch of the 15-song set proved her place on the festival stage behind the indelibly catchy and clever “Good Game,” “Whiskey Cherry,” and closer “Virginia Slim.”  – Doug Freeman

Modest Mouse Credit: Isabella Martinez Modest Mouse Floats On

Modest Mouse was all business Saturday afternoon on the T-Mobile stage for their only ACL Fest appearance. The Pacific Northwest indie rock stalwarts blasted open with the double-shot of “We Are Between” and “Float On,” setting the pace for the full-throttled, anxiety-rattled set that pulled fully from their three-decade discography across the 13 songs. Isaac Brock emerged in a full suit, which made it through half of the set until he traded in alongside an acoustic guitar on “Gravity Rides Everything,” but otherwise the frontman and dual-percussioned sixpiece only amplified the blazing heat with their own kinetic energy. The band largely leaned on older material – especially 2007’s We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank with “Fire It Up,” “Fly Trapped in a Jar,” and the sharp guitar jabs of “Dashboard.” Yet new song “Third Side of the Moon” delivered the set’s most arresting moment, offsetting the familiar jagged, jangly, and jittery mode of the outfit with a slower and darker existential dread and loss supposedly inspired by the death of founding drummer Jeremiah Green. “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” reset as Brock gnawed on his guitar against the almost dance-punk edge of the song before closing with the banjo-plucked “King Rat” and cacophonous “Broke.” Modest Mouse may have understandably relied on familiar territory for the festival set, but proved they still have a vital voice and something to say in the fourth decade of their career.  – Doug Freeman 

MARINA Credit: Pooneh Ghana for Austin City Limits Fest MARINA’s Midday Disco-Pop Dance Party

Clad in knee-high leather boots, a black corset, and a hip-slung fringe belt, MARINA met the Texas heat head-on and outshone it. With a set list molded from her discography’s crown jewels, the Welsh songstress brought bubblegum pop excellence to the festival’s second day that left festival goers dancing until they dropped (from heat exhaustion and dehydration). The bulk of her 13-song set came straight from her still-fresh sixth studio album, PRINCESS OF POWER, where the hitmaker explores empowerment and rebirth through a disco-pop lens. To the delight of many, the vocalist revisited her roots through 2012 Tumblr staple Electra Heart with satire-soaked gems “How to Be a Heartbreaker” and “Primadonna.” Her full-bodied vocals echoed through her Technicolored soundscape, reflecting off her tracks’ gleaming synths with precision and valor. MARINA closed her ACL debut the same way she began it – commanding, confident, and effortlessly strutting across the stage despite the mascara-melting Austin heat. – Miranda Garza

Doechii Credit: David Brendan Hall Doechii Strips Down

Doechii might enjoy a dancer-filled big stage production, but the quick-witted rapper/singer doesn’t need all that to captivate a crowd. For her ACL performance, the swamp princess emerged on a moss-covered platform in a simple white tank top and low-cut jeans, joined on stage only by DJ Miss Milan. Doechii addressed the massive audience casually, shouting out her longtime fans and introducing self-described deep cuts “Persuasive,” “BULLFROG,” and “Crazy” with pride. Milan skillfully worked the crowd, teaching call-and-response “affirmations” and raising cheers and hollers. The red-haired DJ also hopped into the character parts of Alligator Bites Don’t Heal, leading the breathing exercises in “DENIAL IS A RIVER.” Compared to her multi-act Outside Lands performance and headline-snatching Lollapalooza set, the production Saturday night was stripped down, leaning into Doechii’s multi-hyphenated vocal talents, with a freestyle portion and plenty of melodic trills on singing-forward tracks like TikTok favorite “Anxiety,” which received a refreshing heavy metal-derived intro. Even as the sole dancer on stage, the Florida native threw down, ripping a small tear in her denim seat to a half ass-bearing gash halfway through her set. “Y’all don’t look at my booty, please!” she implored the crowd coyly, before giving up altogether in favor of talented twerking before a slowly darkening swamp scene on screen. The crowd laughed, bounced, and sang along with every direction, drawn into her down-to-earth presentation that persisted as Doechii closed her performance proclaiming her love for Austin and eschewing industry boxes with “BOOM BAP.”  – Caroline Drew

Japanese Breakfast Credit: David Brendan Hall Japanese Breakfast Goes Back to Bedroom Pop 

The difference between Japanese Breakfast at ACL Fest 2018 and the Philly indie rock favorites’ return to Zilker Park here in 2025 parallels the divide between the group’s March release For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) and breakout predecessor Jubilee. The titles tell the tale. Pre-pandemic, Michelle Zauner’s troupe toured second LP Soft Sounds From Another Planet, whose moniker belies its commercial ascension in the wake of 2016 bedroom- pop debut Psychopomp. That disc paved the way for the joyous burst of Jubilee in 2021, the same year Zauner scored a bestseller with stunning memoir Crying in H Mart. Japanese Breakfast kicked off their 7:30pm pre-headliner set Saturday with Jubilee greeting “Paprika,” providing perfect soundtrack to the group’s whimsical undersea set design complete with a monstrous clam centerstage. Counterintuitively, the performance never matched that hook, verve, or magic. Moreover, their slot just prior to Sabrina Carpenter and the Strokes emptied satellite stage Beatbox before they finished. To be sure, the fivepiece hit highs including Soft Sounds’ “Boyish” and new mythological Greek riff “Leda,” but like the name of the new album, its delicate material feels far more bedroom than the previous decade. One exception proved “My Baby (Got Nothing at All),” the end credit tune from summer film Materialists. And when Zauner climbed into the giant clam, she became the pearl, no doubt, even if melancholy sets make for disappointing festival fodder.  – Raoul Hernandez

Djo Credit: Isabella Martinez Djo’s Synth-Infused Sunset

Like a shot of adrenaline straight from the stage, Djo’s electrifying set revived the Saturday evening ACL crowd with pulsing energy. His slot unfolded alongside the sunset, with each melody amplified by the warm, radiant spectacle. The Massachusetts-born singer zipped between funk-infused textures (“Potion”), raw guitar-driven indie rock (“Roddy”), and shimmering synth anthems (“Link”) throughout his hour-long set. He worked fan favorites into the mix with the jaunty piano-led “Charlie’s Garden” and the confectionery “Gap Tooth Smile.” The multi-instrumentalist spanned everything from stripped acoustic strings (“Awake”) to techno-drenched synths (“Listen”), navigating each track with precision. His stage presence was subtle, yet gracious, but that restraint let the sonic shifts and crowd-pleasers shine. Djo closed his performance with the cathartic “End of Beginning,” where his exploration of growing pains and the weight of change brought a pensive and almost bittersweet end to his set.  – Miranda Garza

Julian Casablancas of The Strokes Credit: David Brendan Hall The Strokes Aren’t So Punchy Anymore 

At what point does the festival act crossover from headliners to sub-headliners? At Sabrina Carpenter, also closing out Saturday, the waves of humanity flowing toward the Amex A-stage felt tidal. Across at T-Mobile for the Strokes, the exodus appeared the same. Founded on classic rock from Dylan and Petty to Oasis and Radiohead, ACL Fest finally buckled said genre under the mythic weight of the Strokes. Where sixth and most recent effort The New Abnormal from 2020 followed the New Yorkers’ debut 2001 smash Is This It in greatness on the strength of Julian Casablancas’ downright exquisite vocal performance, the opposite proved true inside Zilker Park. 

Typically mush-mouthed, the frontman put in as much effort as the rest of the quintet: eh. Make no mistake, the Strokes sounded great, guitar tandem Albert Hammond Jr. and Nick Valensi fulfilling the Stonesian ideal. Watchability, however, matched fashion week runway mannequins. Casablancas, obviously essential same as Liam Gallagher, rivals his English counterpart for knuckle-dragging stage presence. Hard as he genuinely tried, it still spilled forth thusly: “Ugh. Oh yeah, Austin. Sweet place. Such a sweet place. We live here now. I can see the sign in the distance, Cheesecake Factory.” 

Opening with Abnormal’s “Bad Decisions” into HOF riff gator “Reptilia,” righteous, yet by set’s end in the cascade of Is This It classics “Someday,” “Last Nite,” and encore tandem “Is This It” and “Take It or Leave It” – and choice Abnormal insert “The Adults Are Talking” – the band and singer sounded as if they got different set lists. Correct lyrics or cough syrup? When did the Lizard King become self-parody? Is Hammond’s Lou Reed tee the hardest rocker onstage? “They take us out of our cryogenic chambers,” concluded Casablancas at the end.” No shit.  – Raoul Hernandez

Fans and Friends Sing Along With Sabrina Carpenter

Yes, at her Weekend One debut ACL performance, Sabrina Carpenter welcomed Shania Twain for a duet performance of the late-Nineties pop-country icon’s snarky hit about brains, beauty, and beloved cars not equating good love, “That Don’t Impress Me Much” – fitting. And yes, the Short n’ Sweet songstress all but wrapped “Juno”’s fuzzy pink handcuffs around Djo singer, and Stranger Things star, Joe Kerry – “You are under arrest for being too hot,” proclaimed the big-screen ticker tape.

In and around these guest appearances, Carpenter – who did not allow photographers – sashayed with all the poise of Disney-raised musicians, plus a twinge of wide-eyed wonder. True to her girl-next-door persona, Carpenter took a beat, sitting beside longtime guitarist Caleb Nelson, to reflect on her whirlwind year and “checking off [the] bucket list item” of playing ACL.

If the irreverent singer hasn’t already made you fall in love, this was likely not the set to do it. Carpenter’s charm lies in the catchy in-joke voice of her sarcastic, self-effacing lyricism, perhaps not best heard echoed by thousands of screaming fans. Carpenter opened with Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe) cut “Busy Woman,” peppering other fan favorites from her earlier discography like “Feather” and retrofitted versions of “because i liked a boy” and “Nonsense.” In between innuendo-filled Seventies-style TV ads and a Soul Train-inspired dance break, Carpenter doled out her hits theatrically, crescendoing as she crooned, “Don’t smile because it happened baby/ Cry because it’s over” from a raised mid-crowd platform before hopping back on center stage for the song that started it all: “Espresso.”  – Caroline Drew

The post The Strokes, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Djo, and More Reviews From Saturday at ACL appeared first on The Austin Chronicle.