Alicia Keys at Moody Center

Concert Review: Alicia Keys - Keys To The Summer Tour

Date: Monday, July 24, 2023

Venue: Moody Center

Alicia Keys delivered a mesmerizing and soul-stirring performance that left the audience in awe at Moody Center last night. Taking the stage with her signature grace and talent, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter showcased why she's a true icon in the music industry.

From the very first note, Alicia's powerful vocals and impeccable piano skills captured the hearts of everyone in attendance. Her connection with the audience was palpable, as she shared personal anecdotes and heartfelt stories behind some of her biggest hits, creating an intimate and immersive experience for concert-goers.

Photo Credit: Theo Wargo

Photo Credit: Theo Wargo

The setlist was a perfect blend of her timeless classics and newer tracks, ensuring that both longtime fans and newcomers were thoroughly entertained. Songs like "Fallin'," "No One," and "If I Ain't Got You" had the crowd singing along, while her newer material showcased her ever-evolving artistry and musical prowess.

Alicia's stage presence was captivating, and her band's tight performance complemented her every move flawlessly. The seamless transitions between songs and occasional improvised moments demonstrated her versatility as a performer and further elevated the concert's energy.

Photo Credit: Theo Wargo

One of the most memorable moments of the night was when Alicia took a break from the piano and engaged in an acoustic session, showcasing her raw talent and ability to connect on a deeper level with the audience.

In addition to her musical brilliance, Alicia used her platform to highlight important social issues and advocate for positive change. Her heartfelt messages of unity and empowerment resonated with the crowd, leaving a lasting impact beyond the confines of the concert hall.

Photo Credit: Ramon Rivas

Photo Credit: Ramon Rivas

The production of the show was visually stunning, with mesmerizing light displays and captivating visuals that complemented the emotions conveyed through Alicia's music.

In conclusion, Alicia Keys' concert was an unforgettable experience that exemplified her status as an incomparable artist and a true entertainer. Her soulful voice, unmatched piano skills, and genuine connection with the audience made for a night that will be cherished by fans for years to come.

Photo Credit: Ramon Rivas

Photo Credit: Ramon Rivas

Melanie Martinez at Moody Amphitheater

Concert Review: Melanie Martinez - Portals Tour

Date: June 17, 2023

Venue: Moody Amphitheater

I had the incredible opportunity to attend Melanie Martinez's Portals Tour at Moody Amphitheater last month, and it was a mind-bending experience that surpassed all my expectations. From the moment the metaphorical curtains lifted, the atmosphere became an enchanting blend of whimsy and dark enchantment, characteristic of Martinez's unique musical style.

Melanie Martinez took the stage, adorned in her signature prosthetic mask, captivating the audience with her ethereal presence. The set design was a visual feast, transporting us into an alternate universe filled with giant props, vibrant colors, and imaginative backdrops that seemed to bring her music videos to life.

The concert was a seamless blend of Martinez's Portals Album, each performance was meticulously choreographed, showcasing her exceptional stage presence and ability to immerse the crowd in her storytelling.

One of the highlights of the night was her rendition of "Powder," which had the entire audience singing along to every word. The intimate moments, such as her heartfelt acoustic performance of "Milk Of The Siren," brought tears to many eyes, showcasing the vulnerability and raw emotion in her music.

The interludes between songs were just as captivating as the performances themselves. Martinez took the audience on a journey through various "portals" that represented different aspects of her artistic universe. These interludes featured stunning visuals, spoken word segments, and even interactive elements, further deepening the connection between the artist and her fans.

Throughout the night, Martinez's vocals were flawless, effortlessly navigating between hauntingly soft melodies and powerful anthems. Her band and backup dancers were equally impressive, adding layers of depth and energy to each song.

Melanie Martinez's Portals Tour was a true testament to her creativity and ability to create a fully immersive experience for her fans. It was more than just a concert; it was a visual and emotional journey through the intricacies of her artistry. By the end of the night, I left the venue with a renewed appreciation for her music and an unforgettable experience that will resonate with me for years to come.

Artist Interview: Me N Adam ACL 2022

So I know y'all had an early set today I was there. Headlined Tito’s.

Yes. We headlined the 12:45 PM slot at the Tito’s stage. They offered us to Mc the rest of the day, keep things moving and hype, but we are busy. Flea wanted to actually join us on stage. Right. He asked me for a bass lesson, but I said I was busy, so.

How's this festival treating you off so far?

We have been knocking through press interviews like Albert Pujols has been knocking them out of the park this year. I feel like I'm hitting home runs every minute. I haven't said anything that's not funny this entire time. It's been.. Honestly, to be serious for two seconds. This is a dream come true. I couldn't imagine a better moment, you know, to live through. So I'm just so related. I really am. I'm not being sarcastic.

And y’all are from Austin

Yeah, so I think what Vince is trying to say is that, you know, we're born and raised here. We've been coming to this festival forever and we've worked this festival for other bands. We've driven golf carts and taken out the trash. I've never worked here. And to finally to be on the stage is a nice new kind of job to have at the festival and we really enjoyed it. Seems like the best job at the festival is to play it. So here we are and we did the best job.

How do y'all feel being from here playing at one of the biggest festivals in this town?

It really is like a bucket list, life experience. I think Adam could tell you how it came about because he was relentless in trying to get us here and he never stopped until they let us play. They barely let us play, but you know, they did let us play at one o'clock at the Tito stage. So there you have it. No we seriously, thank you so much to ACL festival having us out. It really means the world to us. So much to us. Yeah, it's a lot for this band and the only thing that made it a little better was that I had a few shots of still Austin whiskey in me when I got up there. Yeah, I had Still Austin. I was carrying the bottle around for 30 minutes prior to the show and just thinking about how much shitty whiskey there is in this world and how good Still Austin whiskey is. I just, I think to myself, I say, oh my God, how did they make this whiskey? And then they took me on a tour and I went through the factory and I was like, oh my God, this is real whiskey. And Willy Wonka was there. Stillery the Whiskey factory. That's the name of our country album. Whiskey factory.

Y'all were recently toured with The Killers

Yes. I mean, well that sounds, who wouldn't want the hottest band in Austin to open for them at The Moody Center? You know what I mean? That's true. All real statements

What is y'all's songwriting process?

Songwriting processes… There's a couple ways it works. We try to write a good one. First we think about whether the song will or will not be good and then we stop and don't write a song. No. What we do is either Adam has like some sort of crappy idea that I have to fix or I have a great beat that he tries to ruin and that's usually how it goes. Yep. Then we land somewhere in the middle of that. Yeah. And then we figure out somewhere right down the middle path.

I know y'all have a very unique sound. So how would y'all describe it?

What would you call it? Trash Wave. We invented in it. First band ever. You know, everybody likes all kinds of music, but most people just play, you know, rock one kind of music even though they like it all. We like it all and we just play it all cause we like it. Especially jazz. We're working on a new cover of Autumn Leaves. I thought we were doing Cantaloupe Bound. No, we're doing Mr. Pc. This is a really deep, deep and stupid jazz joke. We can move on now.

Are there any other bands that y'all would like to tour with in the future?

Yeah, we were really bummed out when Blink 182 didn't announce that we were opening for them. They had advanced that, but they changed their mind last second.

If y'all were in charge of booking ACL headliners, who would be y'alls top three, top five headliners?

It would be Me Nd Adam. Three sets in a row. I would do Me Nd Adam, Sean Paul and Terror Squad. I would do Polo G, Me Nd Adam and Blink 182.

We wanna say we are Me Nd Adam, Austin Texas's, American Rock Band.

Artist Interview: Jake Wesley Rogers ACL 2022

How is ACL treating you so far?

It's beautiful. It's my first time ever coming the last two weekends and the crowds have just been so good.

Is there anybody here excited to see at the festival?

Last weekend I was absolutely too dead to do anything. We did a red eye last night from Portland, so I might also be a little too down to see anyone. I would love to see Paramore and Kacey Musgraves. So maybe I will shotgun a cold brew and then go.

How has it being on tour with the panic at the disco?

Oh, it's beautiful. It's been really special. It's just really good crowds and first time playing in arenas. Yeah, so fun.

How did that come about?

Someone in their camp came to my Troubadour show last fall and they asked me to go out and I of course said yes.

Is that usually how it happens in the music industry?

It depends. I mean this one's a little weirder where like, I think the manager heard me because like someone's son found me on TikTok or something. I don't know, it was like old, you never really know how it happens. That's why you just have to keep doing what you're doing and trusting that people are seeing it.

Your song Hindsight is featured in the movie Bros. How has that movie helped the success of the song and your career?

Well it has a ton of shazams, which is cool. So it's cool that like literally people in theaters are like wondering what song it is. That song obviously helps streaming and it's a very historic film so it is cool to be part of it.

How does that work, like getting your song in a film?

So the person who signed me to my record label, Justin Trencher, he's a a very fabulous queer, super successful songwriter. Him and I write a lot of my songs together and we were just writing, I mean we write a lot of songs together and he knows Billy Eichner and literally two days after we wrote that song, Billy texted him cause they hadn't found an end credit song yet. Justin is just a huge advocate and knows so many queer artists. So Billy texted Justin to say, do you know any like young LGBTQ+ artists that have a song that might work for this? And he's like, well I just wrote this two days ago. Billy was like, that is literally perfect. Don't change it. We're putting it up. So that's really good. You don't really know that I didn't write that song for that movie, but it just ended up working.

What is the process when you're writing your songs lyrically?

It's never the same. I journal a lot and then I sit down at the piano and sometimes they just come out, and sometimes they don't.

Who are some of your musical influences?

I have a lot. From songwriting, I love Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith, Florence, and The Machine. Visually I love Bowie, Elton and Freddy.

If you were to put on headliners for ACL, who would you choose as your main headliners?

Me Stevie Nicks, my friend Joy Oladokun, she's amazing. Maybe Florence and The Machine. Lil Nas X again. I could probably keep going, but that feels good.

Festival Preview: Austin City Limits 2023

The annual Austin City Limits music festival is back and better. This year ACL organizers have brought one of the best lineups in recent years. After being in Austin last summer for his Big Steppers Tour, Kendrick Lamar is coming back to Austin to headline ACL. Along with Kendrick will be, Foo Fighters who have had their shares of headlining ACL in the past. Kali Uchis, The Lumineers, The 1975, Mumford & Sons, Hozier, Alanis Morissette and the country queen of pop Shania Twain will all be performing at Zilker Park this fall. The supporting acts include the likes of Lil Yachty, Glorilla, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Niall Horan, Tove Lo, and Portugal. The Man amongst many others.

There are quite a lot of artists who will be making their ACL Fest debut this year and we are excited to see them in our wonderful city.

One of our must see artists are Niall Horan. He is a member of the former boy band sensation One Direction. He last came to Austin in 2022, so he is no stranger to the Live Music Capital of the World. Another is Glorilla. She is part of the XXL Freshman class of the year for 2023. She is quickly rising up in the ranks of some of the best females to take over the rap scene. We also have to add Lil Yachty to this list as well. We were supposed to have seen him at SXSW at the Billboard event at the Moody Amphitheater, but due to severe weather the show unfortunately got canceled. Here’s to hoping weather is nice and sunny during both ACL weekends.

Festival Review: Austin City Limits 2022

This year at Austin City Limits Music Festival seemed more country than previous years. Zilker park was flooded with festival goers who were ecstatic to see their favorite artists perform live.

This year was headlined by the funk rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Texas’ own The Chicks and Kacey Musgraves, pop superstar P!NK, and Lil Nas X. ACL also saw the return of one of the greatest pop punk rock bands of the 2000s, Paramore.

One thing that we love about ACL is the supporting acts that make the festival worth going aside from just the headliners. We enjoyed seeing Diplo who wore a Buc-ees pajama onesie during his set, Japanese Breakfast who always puts on a great show when we see her perform live, as well as Noah Cyrus, Conan Gray, Wallows and Omar Apollo.

Paramore was probably our favorite from the weekend since they got the band back together again and performed so many of their greatest hits and brought the nostalgia to Zilker park as more than 10,000 fans sang together. Seeing them back together after so many years away is definitely one of the all time moments to happen at ACL music festival. We’re excited for the years to come to see who will be on the lineups in the future and if any bands come back together to play ACL.

Quinn XCII at Moody Amphitheater

Reviewed by: Clinton Camper

May 20, 2023 at Moody Amphitheater

Quinn XCII stopped by Moody Amphitheater with The People’s Tour on May 20th in Austin, Texas. The tour had a stacked roster which included singer Julia Wolf and ARIZONA to start the night off.

Finally, it was time for Quinn and his band to hit the stage, and in true to the album of The People’s Champ, each band member got a walk out song. He opened with “Common” that features Big Sean off of his most recent album. Throughout the setlist, there was a mix of old songs like “Stacy” and “Straightjacket” as well as ones he played live for the first time like “Georgia Peach.”

With his talent and pitch perfect vocals, it’s very clear why everyone comes to see Quinn XCII whenever he is in town. His songs are relatable and despite his set not ending till almost 11pm, no one tried to slip out early, that dedication was clear. I cannot wait to see what he has planned the next time he comes to Austin.

The Backseat Lovers at Moody Amphitheater

Reviewed by: Clinton Camper

May 17, 2023 at Moody Ampitheater

Salt Lake City’s indie rockers, The Backseat Lovers, have truly blown up in the past few years. The band launched their nationwide Waiting to Spill tour in April, playing new jams off their latest record while continuing to expand their fan base in every city they visit.

I attended their Austin show at Moody Ampitheater on Wednesday, May 17 and was shocked to see that their Austin fanbase had tripled in size since seeing them in November of 2022 at Stubbs. Fans had been lined up on Trinity St with chairs and umbrellas since early that morning in hopes of getting a good spot for the concert.

Joshua Harmon (lead vocals and guitar), Jonas Swanson (lead guitar and vocals), KJ Ward (bass guitar), and Juice Welch (drummer and vocals) took the stage and were immediately drowned with applause, entering their signature live opening – a passionate, instrumental jam session that grabs the crowds attention while building into their first track.

The Backseat Lovers have quite literally become more comfortable playing together live, it was very evident in the way they seemed to experiment while performing. They opened with “Know Your Name,” one of the band’s most popular tracks off their new record. It was evident how stoked the band was to start their set with such a powerful song about growth.

In past performances the band would keep to a high-energy setlist. This time around they delved into a more emotionally intimate set with songs from Waiting to Spill. At the end of the night, an encore was certainly what they delivered – a live version of “Snowbank Blues” and “Words I Used,” switching to an acoustic duet between Harmon on the acoustic guitar and Swanson on keys. The vocal harmonies of Harmon and Swanson were highlighted as the audience lowered their volume out of sheer captivation from the emotionally gripping acoustic moments.

It is evident, The Backseat Lovers will only continue to grow, gain more fans, and perform in larger venues, so make sure you get a chance to see them live this tour, you will not be disappointed!

Hippo Campus at Moody Amphitheater

Reviewed by: Clinton Camper

May 19, 2023 at Moody Ampitheater

Hippo Campus sounded even better in person at the Moody Amphitheater last month.

The Minnesota band took to the stage and was met with a roaring applause. Opening with “2 Young 2 Die,” a song from their 2022 album, “LP3,” the band began their 20-song run at 8:30 p.m.

Besides having a bold stage presence and a loud sound, the band has a dynamic relationship with each other while performing. Jake Luppen, lead singer of the indie band, only stopped the show to say hello to the audience, thank fans and announce the band has been officially together for over ten years.

Hippo Campus played a wide variety of their discography but focused on their newer music. The lights were dim, casting a shadow over Luppen, who showcased his wide vocal range, often singing in his signature high falsetto for songs like “Ride or Die.”

Next, the lights became white and fully fluorescent only for the performance of “Way it Goes,” which the band played before the finishing encore.

Concluding the concert with “Buttercup,” the audience sang along and danced to every word. Everyone in the audience was captivated throughout the 90- minute set, in which the band was cheerful to be on stage in Austin, TX.

Panic At The Disco at Moody Center

Reviewed by: Clinton Camper

September 8, 2022 at Moody Center

Panic! At The Disco put on one heck of a show at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. As part of their Viva Las Vengeance Tour, they performed their new album in its entirety plus a handful of previous hits.

A few minutes before Panic! at the Disco appeared on stage, a timer came up on the big screens. It was fun to know exactly when to expect the show to start and the crowd joined together to countdown to the very last second. Brendon Urie appeared as if from nowhere and started singing the first song of the night “Say Amen (Saturday Night),”. They continued the concert by playing other fan favorites such as “This is Gospel” and “Miss Jackson.”

During an intermission, Mr. Urie changed his outfit to mimic the new album, Viva Las Vengeance, and began to play the title track. PATD! played the entire new album in full. Fans happily sang along to the more popular hits “Don’t Let the Light Go Out,” “Say it Louder” and “Something About Maggie”.

After getting thought the entirety of Viva Las Vengeance, they got back to their roots. They started off with “Girls/Girls/Boys,” to which the crowd sang every word. They followed that up with the bands biggest song of all – “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” Brendon was in a stupor after they ended the song, saying he had never heard a crowd sing as loud as we did in Austin that night.

Panic! at the Disco ended the night with the song that made them reach the top of the charts – “High Hopes.” With a strong start and victorious finish, the audience filed out of Moody Center with huge smiles on their faces.

Gorillaz at Moody Center

Reviewed by: Clinton Camper

September 30, 2022 at Moody Center

In anticipation of their eighth studio album “Cracker Island,” the U.K.-based electronic band Gorillaz took over Moody Center, which was filled to the brim with thousands of fans. The group’s music spans a wide range of genres including hip-hop, alt rock, and funk among others. Gorillaz is a band that has always been ahead of its time and continues to be on the cutting edge of modern music.

Gorillaz’s long lasting popularity and creativity was undeniable. Long-time fans and new devotees eagerly sang along to every hit – from ‘Clint Eastwood’, the lead single on their debut album, to their latest release, ‘Cracker Island’. Along the way, there were plenty of favorites such as ‘Feel Good Inc’, and offerings from their recent collaborative project Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez.

It was a high-energy, joyous show from beginning to end, satisfying fans without difficulty. There is something gratifying about seeing an electronic band perform live, when the people behind the machines are revealed.

Gorillaz proved that their music is equally bewitching, whether it pours from fantasy characters twisting through space, or from Damon Albarn on stage playing a melodica. Either way, you can be sure to believe that everyone left the concert feel(ing) good.

Florence + The Machine at Moody Center

Reviewed by: Clinton Camper

September 27, 2022 at Moody Center

Florence Welch is always moving when she performs. The captivating British singer-songwriter is constantly on her feet, her body using as much space on stage as possible, all while singing with unshakable glee. We were lucky to witness Welch’s enchanting moves and hear her signature voice with her backing band The Machine at the 15,000-capacity Moody Center on Tuesday evening (September 27th).

The London native transformed Moody Center into a sort of spiritual revival tent for the night. In the years since her band Florence + the Machine’s 2008 breakthrough hit “Dog Days Are Over,” they have built an extremely loyal, worldwide following. FATM offered 12 of the 14 tracks from "Dance Fever," which is about the revelatory powers of dance. Welch has explained that the project was inspired by choreomania, a medieval European practice where you have the uncontrollable urge to dance, especially in a frenzied, convulsive manner.

Between her Titanic vocals, Welch, 36, spoke in a remarkably soft voice. She pointed out that much of "Dance Fever" was written during the pandemic when her anxiety was at its highest.

Welch resurrected songs from earlier albums, including the springy "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)," the swaying "What Kind of Man" and the electrifying 2009 hit "Dog Days Are Over," during which she paused and asked the fans to put away their cellphones so that we could really experience the moment.

For Welch, this appearance on her current North American tour was highly emotional and liberating. We can’t wait to catch her the next time she floats through Austin.

Lady Gaga at Globe Life Field (Arlington)

Reviewed by: Clinton Camper

August 23, 2022 at Globe Life Field

Lady Gaga brought the gamut to Globe Life Field on Tuesday night to a sold-out crowd of her dedicated fans, dubbed “Little Monsters,” in her first concert visit to DFW since 2017. And the little monsters added to the spectacle with their own fashion choices. The field, typically home to baseball jerseys, T-shirts and shorts, was awash in leather, glitter, feathers and alarmingly high heels.

Gaga’s outfits were sufficiently outlandish with sharp angles, alien-like silhouettes, eye-popping masks, gold lamé and plastic-like see-through outfits. Her lips were the deepest of red hues, her eye makeup New Wave ‘80s, her hair bleach blonde.

Gaga also ensured this was the type of show that would play well for those in the nosebleed fourth-tier seats as well as those in the pit. That meant five monstrous five-story high screens, a dozen writhing back-up dancers, two separate stages, two catwalks and occasional missiles of fire shot up into the sky.

Vocally, she was flawless. Her ability to dance and contort about while maintaining perfect pitch could almost be taken for granted given how often other artists (you know who you are) shamelessly incorporate lip-syncing to smooth over the rough edges.

The show was also structured in a way that limited spontaneity, meaning the setlist has remained largely the same throughout the tour, which began July 17 in Dusseldorf, Germany, and concluded Sept. 17 in Miami.

After an elongated instrumental buildup, she opened with three of her biggest early hits in a row: “Just Dance,” “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face.” They are a testament to how she barreled into the pop music world in 2008 with originality and spunk.

Act 1 featured Gaga splayed out on what appeared to be a slab of concrete, prostrate to the world singing “Alice” seeking a harsh “Wonderland” that Lewis Carroll would certainly appreciate. By Act 2, she hit energy peaks with intense takes of “Telephone” and “LoveGame.” Act 3 was transitional, with Gaga moving from the main stage during “Free Woman” to a piano on a stage in the round where shallow centerfield would be during a Braves game.

We then got the more confessional Gaga, who talked about the tough challenges of recent years, alluding to the pandemic, noting how “it felt dangerous to be together.” Now before 40,000-plus fans rubbing shoulders, “when I look back on our life,” she said, “these shared memories, I want to remember us like this.”

Gaga placed a heavy focus on her “Chromatica” record, playing 10 cuts from that album. The tradeoff: She omitted a few of her most notable hits such as “Alejandro,” “Papparazzi” and “Applause.” And she didn’t end the concert with glorious crowd-pleasers like “Born This Way” or “The Edge of Glory.”

Instead, she chose a song that didn’t ultimately become a hit but was part of the soundtrack of the biggest film of 2022 “Top Gun: Maverick.” Dubbed “Hold My Hand”, it’s hopeful and anthemic, a way to leave fans with positive vibes.

“Be yourself and love who you are and everything will be OK!” she told the crowd before leaving the stage with a dramatic bow.

Twenty One Pilots at American Airlines (Dallas)

Reviewed By: Clinton Camper

September 13, 2022 at American Airlines Center (Dallas)

Tyler Joseph, the 33-year-old lead vocalist for Twenty One Pilots, went out of his way to acknowledge many of the people who made Tuesday night’s show at American Airlines Center in Dallas the successful spectacle that it was. There were the obvious ones, like his duo-mate and drummer Josh Dun; and, of course, Todd Gummerman, Dan Geraghty, Jesse Blum and Skyler Acord, the four guys who made up their live backing band for the many songs that needed a fuller sound than just the two founding members could produce on their own. There were the behind-the scenes folks, like “Russ” and “Dave” from the crew; like that random arena staffer who was captured on camera and shown on the big screen getting a fist bump from a grinning Dun; and like lighting director Tyler “Shap” Shapard (who — somewhat ponderously — was called out by Joseph as having “messed up three times,” then soundly booed at Joseph’s request, only for the singer to chuckle and admit: “I made that up. ... He’s actually been killin’ it tonight.”)

And there were, of course, the 20,000-plus fans who backed up Joseph on vocals all night while also frequently taking the lead, collectively singing full verses on songs ranging from jazzy hit “Morph” to Americana-infused “House of Gold” to rap-rock banger “Car Radio.”

But there was also an unsung, unnamed hero out there, or maybe several, who did work that supplied Twenty One Pilots with some of the most breathtakingly crowd-pleasing moments of the night. So I’ll say it, since Joseph didn’t: Thank you, whoever you are, for always getting that big ol’ TØP mattress right where it needed to be. It was there to catch Joseph when — after performing new single “No Chances” in their familiar full-face masks, Joseph’s outfitted with a mechanism that caused smoke to pour from its eye sockets — the singer removed his head covering to fans’ screams ... and then took a flying pile-driver leap off of the stage.

It came out again an hour into the show, when Joseph needed his ukelele for a “campfire-style” mini-set with the full band but realized he’d “accidentally” forgotten the instrument on a small stage toward the rear of the floor section, where he’d been using it minutes earlier. “Would you be so kind as to surf it up to me?” he asked the throng in the GA section. There, suddenly, was the mattress, onto which the ukelele was placed. A collection of stiff, upright arms then began guiding it across the floor. “If you drop her, this show is over,” Joseph kidded. Joseph then topped that by doing a swan-dive face plant onto the mattress and taking a ride across the arena on it himself during (appropriately) “Ride,” the reggae-infused 2016 hit that helped make the duo a household name.

Later, in an effort to give non-floor fans a treat: After performing the first part of “Ride” on that mattress, Joseph continued an extended live version of the hit by venturing up into both sides of the lower bowl to sing portions while standing on portable podiums amid masses of quivering fans.

And right before the end of the night, Joseph made it seem like he believed there was no guarantee they’d be back; “I always like to mention this, but I mean it when I say it: We would love to come back sometime. So please, have us back.” At the rate Twenty One Pilots is going, though, we will surely see them again.

Barns Courtney at House Of Blues (Dallas)

Reviewed by: Clinton Camper

September 19, 2022 at House Of Blue (Dallas)

For his first time headlining a show in three years, UK alt rock singer-songwriter Barns Courtney burst onto the stage with pent-up infectious energy, and the packed crowd at House Of Blues in Dallas returned that elevated energy.

Courtney was out on his Out With the Old Tour, which plays North America for the next two months, with Bristol UK band The Ramona Flowers opening many dates on the first leg.

As for Courtney himself, he’s still out in support of 2019’s full-length 404, but has many new songs, ahead of a new album expected late this year.

He started fiercely, with a rapid drum beat introducing “London Girls” and prowling the stage from end to end, singing, “I should have cut my hair and changed my name” when in fact, he’s let his hair grow out, dyed it a platinum blonde, and kept his name.

With additional red blush on his cheeks and a devilish smile, he took on a Dark Knight-era Heath Ledger appearance, grinning similar to Yungblud or a younger Steven Tyler.

Courtney had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the beginning, as many had originally bought tickets over two years ago and had been waiting since and showed their loyalty back early on with “whoa-oh” responses back to every verse of 2019’s “Fun Never Ends”.

The three-piece band was solid all night, and each played with a reserved flourish. In addition to being his first headlining slot, the Dallas crowd got to hear several, yet-to-be-released songs including the new “Wanna be a Star” and “Guillotine”.

No one had to tell the capacity throng to clap along to 2017’s “Hands” as they just did, and on current single, “Supernatural” Courtney sang, “You’re terrifin’, beautiful, like a thunderbolt through my body”, maybe speaking of his own blast of frenetic energy that helped propel the set.

“They’re all Champions!” referring to his bassist, guitarist, and drummer for learning the set so quickly, before launching into the 2017 anthem, and the energy went to an even higher level for the rousing stomp of 2017’s “Glitter and Gold” with the crowd’s voices even drowning out the band’s, on the choruses.

Fans went back in time to the seemingly simpler 1990’s for the melodic radio hit, “99”, Courtney leaned on his own upbringing (living in Seattle from age 4-15) on the new “Young in America”, and the set found its fifth (maybe sixth) gear towards the end with 2017’s primal and booming “Kicks” and the main set closer, “Fire”.

Courtney had everyone crouch low to the ground, to then explode into a total jump-a-long on the floor with the man himself venturing out in the middle to spur things on further.

By the end of the main set, both band and crowd were happily exhausted, but the audience found it still in them to chant and applaud for more, even though it would be hard to top the end of the main set. Though a set of encore songs was listed, the band chose to end the night as-is and on a definite high.

While most bands returning to the road simply say how grateful they are to be playing live music again, a few acts really show you how excited they are, and that energy often translates back into equal or greater energy from the crowd, resulting in a truly interactive and experiential evening. Barns Courtney is one of those performers.

Festival Preview: Austin City Limits 2022

Austin City Limits is back again and even better with a great lineup heading our way to Zilker Park this fall.

The main headlining acts consist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, P!nk, The Chicks, SZA, Kacey Musgraves, Flume, Paramore and Lil Nas X amongst others. It is a star studded lineup with a variety of different acts across all genres of music.

Quite a bit of artists are playing a specific weekend so you want to make sure you plan ahead of time to secure your tickets for either that weekend or that specific date your favorite artists are performing on.

A few must see acts that you surely don’t want to miss is of course Paramore. The pop punk scene went crazy when front-woman Hayley Williams reunited the band for the first time in 4 years and said they will be working on a new album together. Maybe they will perform some new music at the festival or maybe drop the album before. Only time can tell!

You also don’t want to miss some very popular supporting acts such as Japanese Breakfast, Omar Apollo, Conan Gray, Oliver Tree, Muna, and The Marias. These artists aren’t new to Austin as they all have had their fare share of performing around Austin in previous years.

This ACL Fest is looking to be the best one yet. We are glad to be back for another consecutive year of live music since the pandemic. We are excited to be back at Zilker Park this fall!

Festival Review: Austin City Limits 2021

Words and Photos By: Joshua Guerra

The 2021 Austin City Limits Festival was one to remember. The first year back since 2019 and it gave us what we wanted and missed over the past 2 years without live music and festivals. Tyler The Creator was added as a headliner after the initial lineup was released and he put on an amazing show that fans will always remember as his first time headlining ACL.

The king of country George Strait brought the country vibes and all the dancing and singing to the festival during his headlining set. He is no stranger to Austin, and he drew a big crowd to sing along to all of his hit songs texans grew up listening to.

Miley Cyrus drew a younger crowd than George Strait did. Her set was full of surprises and did not disappoint. If you never seen Miley Cyrus live, it is exactly how you imagine her show would be.

Another texan on the lineup was Megan Thee Stallion. She was on the 2019 lineup but did not show up due to conflicts she had. She definitely made up for missing out on her set that year and she was even put on a bigger stage which she deserved and gathered all the Texas hotties to a whole lot of twerking and dancing.

It felt so great to be back hearing live music and being around people who were vibing at the festival. The festival scene was surely missed especially in the live music capital of the world. We can’t wait to see what is in store for next year when the festival returns yet again to Austin, Texas.

Artist Interview: Tate McRae ACL 2021

Interview and Photos By: Joshua Guerra

How is ACL treating you so far? 

It's very hot and everyone is nice and it's been great so far. I've only been here for a few hours. 

Your set was early on, so how was the reaction with the fans? 

It was amazing. I think festivals are like the weirdest rush ever, and I love my band, love my dancers. It's just a very fun time. 

Are there any artists you're excited to see? 

I think we have to leave like right after this, which kind of sucks, but if I could, I would watch Tyler, The Creator. He's like on the same stage as me I think. 

 You're only 18 years old and already gained so much success through social media, Tik Tok. So how has all of that felt like at a very young age? 

I mean, sometimes I feel like it's hard to wrap my head around what's even happening. Honestly, I'm just really grateful because I never really thought that my own diary, feelings would relate to so many people and they would initiate it. So it's really cool and I honestly just feel like everything feels surreal. 

Are you working on a full album? 

Yes, I'm writing my debut album right now, which I'm terrified for and also super excited. The next song I'm releasing is very sad and it's based on a true story and I feel like I just went through like a really weird stage in my life with a lot of different emotions and I wrote everything about I 

What else can fans expect from the album? 

They can expect to cry. They can expect to feel a lot of anger and honestly, there is like a few like really fun dance pieces that we can jump to on tour. 

So how have you felt that social media has helped you, like, grow your career 

I feel like social media is like such a weird beast. It's the only way you can connect to your fans like that closely and so obviously I am super grateful that many people have connected with me. But it's also like finding the line of you know, what social media is and what real life is, and not getting lost in comparisons of it. Insanely hot on your mental health cause you are like trying to juggle this. I'm trying to build a career while I'm, you know your face is everywhere online and it's a weird thing to go through. 

 How excited are you about your tour to start pretty soon? 

Well, we got a few festivals left. I'm doing Jingle Ball in December and then I've got like 3 tours next year, then opening for Shawn in the next summer. 

Is there any specific country or city you're excited to visit? 

I'm really excited for Paris. I went when I was like 2, but I don't remember anything so I'm just very excited to go back and eat some crescents. 

Artist Interview: CAM ACL 2021

Interview and Photos By: Joshua Guerra

How is ACL treating you? 

So far good. We just flew in. It's hot, but it's so nice to see. The vibe as we rolled in. There's like parties and music everywhere. 

Have you been to Austin before? 

Yeah, a bunch of times I love it. We got to come here when I opened for Sam Smith, and I stayed over at the saint Cecilia. 

Are there any artists you're excited to see here today? 

Trixie Mattel is going to be here. I think she's performing today. If I have the ability, I think it's near my set time I want to run over. George Strait. 

So you recently released an album last year called The Otherside, what was the process of recording it? 

Getting all of that together was lucky cause the first album I put out had Burning house on it and that was such a success. A very different kind of song in country music. I definitely got to go into the second album like lead with my gut and make what I want to make. I didn't feel as much pressure as trying to fit into something because the one that really worked for me was so different in the beginning. I also have a psychology background and I like to cover all the emotional bases. So, there's like anger and sadness and grief and regret and love and so the whole, it's like full spectrum. 

You learned to sing in 14 different languages. How was that like? 

It was fun. I loved it. The way other cultures have, like value different intervals and time signatures. It's fun to realize we're all saying kind of similar things to each other, but we have these different colors we're painting with. It's fun to mess with all of them, and sort of get introduced to all of them. 

Are you still able to sing in all those languages?  

I could yeah. Well singing is kind of like just sort of like imitating. You know what I mean? When I went to Paris for the first time to perform my music. I learned a cover of a French song by this incredible artist which was super fun to be able to sing 

Any artists you would like to open for or work with in the future? 

I just got to sing with the Indigo Girls this week and they're like my all time favorite band ever. I love Saint Vincent, I. think it would be so sick to do something with Saint Vincent, so I'll say that for now. 

Artist Interview: Bexley ACL 2021

Interview and Photos By: Joshua Guerra

So how is ACL treating you so far? 

We've had a really cool experience. This is our first festival that played as a band. We got kind of thrown for a Loop at the beginning of the day they had to cancel all the bands before 3:00 o'clock because of flooding. But they were able to reschedule later the stage. 

Are you excited to see any of the artists here? 

We are going to be here all three days, but we are just playing today. But I am really excited to see Saint Vincent on Sunday. I love Miley Cyrus so excited to see her. Blackpool must be cool. Billie Eilish, love her. 

Who are some of your favorite bands Growing up, I know you grew up in Seattle in a huge grunge scene. 

Yes, I was like heavily influenced by Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. I was also like super into The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, so it's kind of those kind Of bands. 

How was it growing up there and knowing that a lot of amazing grunge bands came out of there and then starting your own band. 

It was honestly really, really cool. 

Because everyone that came out to the shows either knew the people from back then or, you know, had stories to tell. We ended up playing all the same small venues that the grunge bands played in the 90s. So just to know they were there at some point, it's pretty cool. 

What is your Lyrical writing process like? 

Geez. Well, sometimes the music shifted. Sometimes I hear something that someone will say and I'll write it down. Like a random thought and sort of pen it out and try to just go from there, but a lot of times it is just whatever comes to mind 1st and then it flows. 

What is a band that you would like to open for? 

I would love the opportunity to open for a band called Wolf Alice. I just I love all their music. It could be a good fit. 

So let's say you're in charge of putting on the headliners of ACL, any genre, who would they be? 

Oh, let me think. I mean, I think Miley Cyrus is a great headliner and they got that one right. They're all great, but I love her. I think it would be cool to bring more rock bands back cause. I think people are really into it now, so you know you could bring back. Weezer for a headliner. That would be awesome. Or I think Pearl Jam would be a great option. Rage Against the machine would be amazing or 9 inch nails.