ACL Day 1: Tame Impala

One of the festival’s most diverse crowds was packed in front of the Honda Stage as the Australian psychedelic sensation, Tame Impala, blew the minds of hard rockers and pop fans alike. With an expansive setlist that kicked off with the upbeat Currents hit “Let It Happen,” the Kevin Parker-led pop-rockers utilized an other-worldly lighting design complete with an illuminated rotating spaceship and ultra-powerful laser beams.

Although the performance was disappointingly short for a talented band with an enormous discography, lasting less than 1 hour and 15 minutes, Kevin Parker’s often-angelic vocals juxtaposed with the funky basslines and synths under the stunning visuals of lasers and a UFO made for an unforgettable start to the weekend’s festivities. – Davis Mendoza Darusman 

Photo by Katrina Barber courtesy of Austin City Limits Festival.

With overall incredible production and visuals, Tame Impala transported us into their magic world for just a little bit, as we left reality behind and vibed out to their sound. I couldn’t help but think about last year’s incredible headliner Travis Scott, as his project Astroworld had been freshly released when he performed at ACL in 2018. Astroworld‘s massive success was in part due to the cross-genre collaboration with producers like Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and James Blake (who performed on Day 2 of the festival).

With ACL’s diverse lineups allowing you to experience a whole spectrum of sound in one weekend, it can really deepen the connections and blur the lines between genres and help us realize that the biggest successes come from stepping outside of the box and crossing lines.

You don’t want to miss your chance to check out Tame Impala again, get your tickets while you can!