What I'm Listening To (May 11, 2023 ACL Lineup Edition)
ACL Lineup just dropped and I really liked it. I don’t want to say too much as I’m leaving that for my next upcoming post but please believe me when I say I am really happy with the lineup this year. Big headliners are back in a big way and a deep billing of great bands and artists. But most importantly, they booked DEATH GRIPS. Like lmfao dude! What!? At ACL? Oh my god it is going to be insane, no one is going to be ready for that. Except for us psychos with tickets to their show at Emos already. I mean they really went out all out, Kendrick, Foo Fighters, Alanis, The 1975, Death Grips, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kali Uchis, Rina Sawayama, The Mars Volta….I mean the list just keeps going. Its fire.
This is what I’m mostly excited about at ACL this year.
To give some talking points on my personal highlights quickly:
Death Grips. Just. wow. It’s going to be crazy and like where are they even going to play??? It’s going to be one hell of a ride.
Kendrick Lamar back to headlining. Last time I saw him headline was on basically the last tour stop for To Pimp A Butterfly tour. That album is now considered his magnum opus and he’s still putting out great music. I saw him last year and he absolutely killed it. I cannot wait to see Kendrick again.
So much rock this year. I am like, in awe. And its like some real dope stuff too, Alanis is a welcome addition alongside Foo Fighters, Yves Tumor, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more.
Pop is also back in a big way with people like Rina, Kali Uchis, Coi Leray and Jessie Ware.
Just all around great booking? I feel like last year was almost looking a bit TOO ahead at the time. Its still perceived as a bad lineup anecdotally amongst many of my friends. But looking back I have a better understand at what their booking was doing but sometimes you just need to go out with a bang. The way I see it, Rock and rap got a big upgrade this year while EDM and latino music took more of a backseat, country looks to be sorta been replaced-ish with folk bands like Lumineers and Mumford and Sons. I mean that is also wild that they are here lol.
Overall I really liked the lineup and will write some more about it soon.