All Things Go Day 2… The Energy is at Full Blast
BY LIZ BAUMMERAs I said in the Day 1 article… It was nice to start with a partial day on Friday before heading into 12 hour days for Saturday and Sunday. And boy was I right because I had no idea of just how much fun and chaos was right around the corner for day 2.
Festivals always remind me that I need to figure out how to clone myself. I’m sure most concert fans will understand, you simply can’t be in two places at once. And no matter where you are, you feel like you’re missing something on the other stage. That is one of the primary things I love about ATG DC. Yes, we have two stages; HOWEVER, the farther into the day we get the less overlap there is. Plus the two stages are relatively close together, a 5 minute walk, which means it’s easy (especially for fans who aren’t wearing 15-20 pounds of camera equipment lol) to hop between stages. Still, I need a clone because even with all of these conveniences, there were still 4 artists I was unable to catch during Saturday simply due to time constraints.
However I was able to catch and capture 11 artists which I think is a pretty good record: Zinadelphia, Hazlett, G Flip, Wild Rivers, Gigi Perez, Hippo Campus, The Backseat Lovers, Faye Webster, Clairo, Wallows, and Lucy Dacus.
With such a good lineup, there are so many highlights to touch on for Day 2. For starters, the first act of the day was one of the ones I was most excited to see when the lineup was announced: Zinadelphia. I had the pleasure of covering Zinadelphia when she opened for TALK at The Atlantis in DC last year, and it is so exciting to see her getting her flowers. I love her jazzy music style, and she has great stage presence. I love how dance-y her performances are, and she moves across the stage like she is floating. I said it last year, and I will say it again now, she is definitely an artist to watch. She’s on the rise, and I think she’s going to be huge in the coming years. I was beyond thrilled to get to see her again.
Another favorite of mine and of Out Jamz was on the lineup for Saturday: G Flip! I have covered G Flip before and Out Jamz has also covered them several times. We are big fans of G Flip at this publication! I also particularly like photographing G Flip. They are, without a doubt, one of the most fun artists when onstage. I’m also always blown away by their athleticism. Their ability to sing, dance, run, and play the drums - oftentimes doing multiple of those at the same time is astounding. Plus, they played my favorite cover of theirs during their set, Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift. They played it at their 9:30 Club show last year, and the video I have of it on my phone is one of my favorite concert videos ever. I was trying VERY hard to keep my cool when they announced that they were going to play it.
Gigi Perez was another highlight of Saturday. I actually was offered the incredible opportunity to meet her and take portraits of her in the media area before her set. While I love an artist who makes great music, it is even better when that artist is a great person. Gigi Perez and her entire team were incredibly kind and helpful. It was a blast to collaborate with Perez even momentarily to do some portraits - something I had actually never done before. Perez was incredibly down to Earth even pulling out her phone to show me pictures of her nails when they were freshly done when I complimented her nails. It’s so nice to know that the artists that you are rooting so hard for are also down to earth, kind people who value other artists and the work that they do.
Saturday also brought plenty of one of my favorite concert characteristics… SET/PRODUCTION DESIGN!!!!!! The first one that absolutely blew my mind was Faye Webster. The washing machines, the laundry, the hanging shirts, I was absolutely blown away. Also extra bonus points because Webster’s intro had The Minions in it!?!?!??!!?!? When I tell you I almost screamed when I heard them. I was photographing the crowd with my back to the stage, and I whipped around so hard in surprise. 10/10 no notes!
Clairo also has the most stunning set design. I love how soft and warm everything feels in her performance. I also love the way the set was used. The way she and her band sat on the side together and sipped wine before moving to their places. The way the table by her microphone was wooden and ornate… the kind of table you would see in your grandparent’s house or an antique store. Every choice felt soooooo intentional, and there’s something so special about that. I missed Clairo when she performed at The Anthem in DC on her last tour, and to finally have the chance to catch her was awesome. I love that her entire performance felt like we were all sitting together on her living room floor somewhere in a house lit with those lightbulbs that are slightly yellow… an incredible feat to accomplish considering that there were 20,000 people there.
Finally, the crown jewel of the evening was Lucy Dacus. There seems like so much to say about her set and yet none of it feels adequate. It all felt so grand and so intimate all at the same time. I loved the layout of the set and art pieces displayed on the screens. But honestly, I feel like the most beautiful part of Dacus’s set was without a doubt the wedding portion. To see all of those couples dancing alongside her onstage. To see the unbridled joy of the entire venue for those couples. To hear the roar of the crowd and the cheers. Very few concert moments have ever moved me like that moment did. This was bigger than any concert, any performance. That moment is the epitome of all the beautiful things in life, and it moved me to tears.
With an emotional end to the night, day 2 came to a close. With just one more day to go, there was still so much more in store for ATG DC fans.
