Since 2002, Austin City Limits has been attracting people from all walks of life. This time around it was no different. With the likes of Pearl Jam, Kongos and Fitz and the Tantrums, just to name a few, Zilker Park was crowded as ever.
Despite the intense Texas heat during the first weekend and the rain and mud the second weekend, the vibe in the park was incredible. It seemed like everyone was there to see their favorite band and just have the time of their life.
Coming all the way from South Africa, Kongos played on the Samsung Galaxy stage with the setlist from their first album Lunatic. The brothers’ performance was on point, as they introduced new material and sang along with the crowd to their hits “I’m Only Joking” and “Come With Me Now.”
Fitz and the Tantrums were over at the Honda stage with one of the biggest crowds of weekend one. Lead singers Noelle Scaggs and Michael Fitzpatrick worked the crowd into a giant dance party. They had everyone singing along to their cover of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” and jumping around to their number one hit “The Walker.”
Back together for the third time, The Replacements brought memories of the ‘80s to their eager fans. They took the stage with tracks from their 35 years and 12 albums of working together, closing their one hour set with their hit, “Androgynous.” Many of their fans, who had been waiting to see them all day, had tears of incredible joy and were happily belting the song along with the band.
Closing weekend one was Pearl Jam. Many of the attendees waited for hours to see the band take the stage and as soon as Eddie Vedder and Matt Cameron came out, the tiredness went out the window and the heat was suddenly gone.
In true rockstar fashion, they played 28 songs from all of their 10 albums, hits like “Jeremy,” “Daughter” and “Alive” that have been a staple on the band’s setlist since their beginning in the ‘90s.
One of the best parts of the show was seeing Eddie Vedder use his platform to speak about things we care about. He asked his faithful fans to remember to register to vote and women’s rights, saying his daughters and all women deserve the right to choose what they do with their bodies. As controversial as his thoughts might be, it was refreshing to see a rockstar use his platform for something greater than fame