All Things Go Comes to a Beautiful End on Day 2
BY LIZ BAUMMERWhen I think back to All Things Go I sometimes wish it could last forever, although I will say by the end of Day 2 I was ready to sleep for several days. Day 1 left big shoes to fill, and Day 2 most certainly did not disappoint. With headliners like Hozier, Reneé Rapp, and Conan Gray it was impossible for Day 2 to be anything other than stellar.
The crowds for Day 2 were already beginning to gather as soon as the gates opened. It was pleasantly cooler on Day 2 with plenty of cloud cover which was a welcome relief from the previous day’s heat and sun. It was still plenty humid though, and the staff continued to hand out water bottles throughout the day to ensure safety in the standing pit. There was also a threat of rain which held off until it began to mist in the last hour of the evening. This was honestly a best-case scenario as by the end of the weekend Merriweather was already becoming inundated with mud due to the rain of the preivous week and the increased foot traffic from the festival. The venue did, however, appear to put down mulch or wood chips of some sort to minimize any hazard the mud was creating, and the soggy ground certainly didn’t put a damper on the festivities.
There were many musical highlights from the day. To start the morning off early, Towa Bird had one of the largest crowds I’ve seen at 12:00pm at All Things Go. The pavilion was nearly full and the lawn was packed with fans. Despite technical difficulties with the microphone at the beginning of her performance, fans made up for the lack of sound by singing along at the top of their lungs. Just as Towa Bird was exiting the stage to hopefully sort out the microphone issue, a member of the crew was able to get one working, and the performance took off from there. While no performer ever wants to have technical issues, there is something so incredibly cool and beautiful about watching fans embrace the moments and step up to make a really cool memory.
MUNA was also a highlight of the day, especially considering fans were not expecting them to be there. I covered the details on the announcement in my Day 1 recap, but the short of it is MUNA was announced on Saturday to be filling Chappell Roan’s timeslot on Sunday. MUNA really puts on an incredible performance. They closed out the Chrysalis stage last year at All Things Go, and the things I remember most is that the hill that that stage sits at the bottom of was PACKED. This year they played in the late afternoon in the Pavilion, and I enjoyed getting to see the beginning of their performance up close this year. MUNA is dynamic, and their stage presence is one of the best I have seen. Some of my favorite images from the weekend easily came from their set including one where Katie Gavin appeared to look directly at me. I would be lying if I said my heart didn’t seem to stop at that moment as I prayed I got the focus on that image just right (spoiler alert: I nailed it and it all worked out lol).
One of the performances I was most excited for on Day 2 was Reneé Rapp. I am, and have always been, a theatre kid at heart, and I have been following Rapp since I was in high school. Rapp has always been on my bucket list of artists to see and photograph one day so All Things Go was a dream come true. She is the true definition of performer. She moved across the stage and interacted with the crowd with ease. There is never a moment that felt awkward or forced. Her continued movement presented such a fun opportunity as a photographer because there were so many opportunities to catch her doing different things. It also goes without saying that Rapp brings stunning vocals to any performance she does. She also brought out her girlfriend, Towa Bird for a portion of her performance, and it was such a sweet and iconic moment to see them onstage together. Getting to see the two of them performing side by side was definitely a highlight for many on Day 2 of the festival.
Conan Gray closed out the Chrysalis stage in spectacular fashion in the evening. Gray is another artist I have always wanted to see live. I really love artists who have a larger than life stage presence about them and Gray certainly fits that description. Conan Gray reminds me ever so slightly of Harry Styles with the elaborate styling and energetic stage presence he brings to his performances. For All Things Go DC, Gray donned a black leather number detailed with silver details and a massive silver star cutout corset in the front. I really liked the way Gray’s performance and vibes matched the vibes of an evening set at the Chrysalis. The hill that stretches into the distance was packed with people. The hill itself is not lit, so the Chrysalis itself seemed to glow and radiate along with the atmospheric smoke coming from the back of the set. I feel like some artist’s sets just have this special spark about them when it’s dark out and something about Gray’s set fit the vibes of a nighttime performance perfectly. I also got to hear a number of my favorite songs live, and I spent a good portion of my time in the photo pit singing along to Wish You Were Sober :)
Hozier closed out the night just as a misty rain was moving in. With MUNA, Reneé Rapp, and Hozier being the last three artists on the mainstage, the Pavilion filled up quickly on Sunday. By the time Rapp took the stage the Pavilion was at max capacity, and no one could enter the seats on the standing pit in front of the stage. I am a big fan of Hozier, and he is an artist I have been wanting to photograph for quite some time. There is something about his vocals live that are just so special. I don’t know if this makes a whole lot of sense, but I feel like you can just FEEL his music even more when it’s live. His songs are just the type that you can close your eyes and feel in your chest. It just moves something within you, and that’s saying a lot considering his music already evokes such strong emotions normally. It was also incredible to turn around in the pit and see the entire Pavilion and lawn packed as far as the eye could see with fans for his performance.
Overall, All Things Go was a raging success as expected. Day 2 brought great weather and stellar performances. I will never be able to recommend this festival enough. I’ll be writing another article with my full thoughts on the weekend as a whole in the coming days, but just know that All Things Go DC is the place you want to be. I can’t wait for next year!
Our gallery below includes images of Abby Roberts, Towa Bird, Infinity Songs, Blondshell, Medium Build, Flipturn, Del Water Gap, David Kushner, Holly Humberstone, The Japanese House, Maren Morris, MUNA, Conan Gray, Reneé Rapp, and Hozier.
