Live music review: Eight artists that stood out at ACL Festival 2025

Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL Fest) 2025 weekend one on October 3 – October 5 marked another successful installment at Zilker Park, with an eclectic array of acts making their way to Austin for yet another October in the heart of the city. The talent performing featured acts from all over the world, bringing all genres to generations of music lovers who make their way to Central Texas by the tens of thousands for the musical extravaganza. Between legacy acts and rising artists, there was no shortage of spectacle to behold during the first weekend at the big park with a beautiful view of the city skyline. The Cosmic Clash team made their way to Zilker to capture the action and highlight eight artists that stood out to us throughout the first weekend of programming. 

Friday 

ACL Fest is the biggest music festival in the Austin area. With huge crowds, dust clouds, and pollen counts at all-time highs, preparedness for the weekend at Zilker is crucial for surviving the three-day excursion. After making it past the long, sun-baked lines to gain entrance inside, we rushed to the Beatbox stage to post up for one of the most worthy risers the festival booked this year. MJ Lenderman has been making waves as one of indie rock’s top prospects of the 2020s. First breaking through the noise as a co-songwriting member of Asheville rising act Wednesday, Lenderman and his band “The Wind” have been riding the touring and festival circuit in support of his latest LP Manning Fireworks. Lenderman’s setlist contained most of his latest release, including a nod to fellow artist This Is Lorelei with cover, “Dancing in the Club.” Despite not being the most vibrant stage personality, the guitar rock slackerism from Lenderman holds its own amid rock’s latest resurgence. On top of appearing for the second weekend of ACL, Lenderman will also take the stage for an ACL Fest Nights showcase at Stubb’s on October 9.

Kentucky alt-rock chart-toppers Cage the Elephant took the reins on the American Express stage, pushing a new phase of their career further after frontman Matt Shultz’s recent sobriety and latest full-length Neon Pill. Despite the success of this recent release, Cage opted to play it safe and unleashed a setlist dominated by fan-favorite records, Tell Me I’m Pretty and Melophobia.

Shultz’s stage presence remains intact, whether he’s performing headline shows or festival appearances, leading the electrifying charge with his band, which also features his older brother and founding member, Brad Shultz. The band effortlessly smashes through as many tunes as possible within any given allotted time. Yes, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” is still a certified banger.

A live rarity came in the form of Philadelphia indie rock masterminds Dr. Dog. With a gauntlet of studio efforts that have proven their songwriting muscles can stretch in all directions, the touring vehicle has remained creative, albeit with limited touring time in recent years. Despite a pause in touring, the Dr. Dog ensemble came locked in with a 9-piece band that accounted for every sound in their genre-spanning catalogue. A highlight of Friday at ACL, the Dr. Dog company, under the leadership of songwriting partners Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman, acts like they’ve never missed a day when making their sporadic, yet undeniably worthwhile stage appearances. 

Saturday 

Whether it’s a club show, an amphitheater co-headlining gig, or a festival appearance, Modest Mouse is one of those bands that can cater to their loyal and casual fans alike. Following an ACL Fest Nights showcase at Stubb’s, which featured a full album play of classic LP The Moon & Antarctica, the Isaac Brock-led musicians appeared well rested and delivered a unique set for the ACL goers.

Regardless of the weather, Brock is known to take the stage in his signature Washington State hipster drip, usually wearing a suit coat that baffles audiences who sweat it out at their hotter-than-hell Texas shows. “Float On,” “Dashboard,” and “Ocean Breathes Salty” showed their heads to audible crowd response, along with Mousehead favorites, “Breakthrough” and “Never Ending Math Equation.” The sextet’s recent releases showcase their timeless appeal and enthusiasm, benefiting the influential group that has shaped many tastes.

Formed in Miami and based in Los Angeles, breakouts Magdalena Bay made the most of their ACL appearance. The group brought their mythical stage props and entrancing projections that captivated attendees at their late-afternoon time slot. Songwriting team and multi-instrumentalists Mica Tenanbaum and Matt Lewin have been on a tear of meditative escapism since the release of their sophomore full-length Imaginal Disk, a landmark release of ethereal synth-pop.

Tenanbaum’s onstage persona is a staying force in her performances, featuring rotating outfits to fit the moment, plus a full band to back the duo that has taken their mission to heart. Aside from powerhouse vocals, Tenanbaum made the best use of her musical abilities, wielding guitars and keytars throughout the set, layering each sound manifested in the blissful soundscapes of their recordings.

Magdalena Bay will perform an ACL Fest Nights showcase at Emo’s Austin on October 10 on top of their second weekend at the festival.

It’s been too long since Austin has seen a headlining performance from New York City hardliners The Strokes, an occasion that has been at the top of Austin concertgoers’ lists since the festival announcement back in May. The Julian Casablancas and Albert Hammond Jr.-led quintet came to ACL to do what they were invited to do: play some music and do a pretty damn good job doing it. The New Abnormal‘s “Bad Decisions” came as an unexpected kickoff, before launching into Room on Fire superhit “Reptillia.” Casablancas’ onstage demeanor still signifies that of a burnt-out New Yorker, but then again, that was always his thing.

Despite admitting The Strokes are just a paycheck for the band, they still rock. Fortunately for the old school fans 2001’s, Is This It dominated the Saturday night setlist, expectedly spurring many sing-alongs for fans that appeared to be at the festival for the legacy band hailing from the Big Apple. “Is This It” and “Take it or Leave It” served as the final hurrah, and as the frontman said it was “Back to the cryogenic chambers” until they plugged in to play once again.

Sunday

A theme of glorious girl power took the wheel on the last day of ACL Fest, starting with Brooklyn to Los Angeles indie pop duo Lucius. The pair played to a mostly unsuspecting crowd at the off-the-beaten-path Beatbox stage early Sunday afternoon. Singers and multi-instrumentalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig set up shop centerstage and faced one another while churning out the tunes as their in-sync backing band follows their every move, which usually comes with gorgeous harmonies that are pure ecstasy to the ears. With a laundry list of collaborators that include legends such as John Prine, Jeff Tweedy, and Joni Mitchell, Lucius has carved out a niche for themselves in a multitude of musical spaces. With those voices and a harmonious aesthetic, it’s become a plausible assertion that Lucius can do no wrong, whatever they decide to do.

Taking their name from an inside joke towards tourists on their Isle of Wight, England home, Wet Leg gave it their all at ACL as one of the hottest names in rock. Singers and guitarists Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers are magnetic as the face of the group, harnessing impeccable hooks and snarky lyricism that might make your local “Nice guy” run in fear. Their sophomore effort Moisturizer continues where their critically acclaimed self-titled debut left off, with Teasdale and Chambers channeling mannerisms of post punk, power pop, and palatable rock and roll that’s helped bring guitar band mania back to the forefront.

Despite only being billed for a one-hour show, the Wet Leg players managed to squeeze in a whopping 17 songs. A herculean effort to showcase their explosive career thus far, the UK road warriors have made an unapologetic case for themselves as they’ve made their way around the world. On top of also performing next weekend at the festival, Wet Leg will perform at Stubb’s for a night showcase on October 11. 

Austin City Limits Festival weekend two tickets are sold out, but tickets can be found through authorized resellers. ACL Fest Nights tickets can be found via the ACL website.

Featured photo by Greg Noire courtesy of ACL Festival