ACL Lineup 2022 – Austin Artists
School’s in session, the Longhorns are playing and the temperature’s dipped below 100. Fall is nearly here. And along with weather changes and high school football games, another October tradition is nearly upon us: Austin City Limits Festival 2022. For two weekends in October, Zilker Park transforms into an eight-stage showcase of musical talent and magic.
Among the kaleidoscope of beats, guitar, rhythms, and sounds, our local Austin music community is well represented. In support of our hometown heroes, we bring you our yearly guide of every Austin artist playing ACL Fest 2022 this year. Whether you’ll be in attendance or staying home, all of these talented artists deserve your time and attention. Let’s go!
Want to give these artists a listen? Check out our Spotify playlist to get a taste of what our hometown heroes have planned for ACL Fest 2022!
ACL Lineup 2022 – Austin Artists Performing on Weekend One
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel during ACL Fest 2018 (credit: Bill Tucker)
Last year, rain fears snapped Asleep at the Wheel’s 19-year streak of opening the Austin City Limits Festival. This year, they look to rekindle the tradition with Ray Benson’s timeless blend of outlaw county and dancehall swing. I say it every year but I’ll say it again: please earn your Austinite status and arrive early to experience this local legend in person.
Friday 1 – 1:45 PM on the Honda Stage
Sarah & the Sundays
Musically cut from the same cloth as fellow Austinite Dayglow, Sarah & the Sundays feels like a warm blanket. Their breakout track, Movin’ On, wraps its ennui in a quilt of dreamy vocals and snappy guitar licks while Vices from their latest album playfully dances between painful self-awareness and joyous regret. A band with a good amount to say and a tone of measured optimism when delivering the news.
Friday 5 – 6 PM on the BMI Stage
Mama Duke
Mama Duke performing at Swan Dive during SXSW 2022. (credit: Bill Tucker)
Catching a Mama Duke show isn’t a passive experience. She won’t allow it. A whirling force of personality, skill, and lyrical chops, Mama Duke turns strangers into fans with every performance. While bangers like Mad and Ghost are glorious examples of her flow, she truly shines in a live setting. Consider ditching anybody in Zilker to come by the Barton Springs Stage and spend 45 minutes basking in Mama Duke’s glow.
Saturday 12 – 12:45 PM on the Barton Springs Stage
Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodelico
Adrian Quesada isn’t just a world-class producer. He’s the “Man With the Midas Touch”. From blessing Groupo Fantasma with the soul behind their sound to helping turn Eric Burton from an Austin busker into the Black Puma’s, Mr. Quesada is ATX royalty. His latest project, Boleros Psicodelicos, is a sumptuous blend of Latin sounds and flavors all wrapped in his signature velvet touch. Seeing them on a big stage will be a joy.
Saturday 2:15 – 3:15 PM on the Honda Stage
Wesley Bray & the Disciples of Joy
For an instant education on where most of our modern music came from, swing by Tito’s Stage for a happy hit of spirit and soul. Wesley Bray blesses the early Sunday schedule every year, and 2022 is no different. Whether you’re a die-hard believer or it’s simply not your thing, gospel music invades your heart as few things do.
Sunday 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM on the Tito’s Stage
Primo the Alien
Primo the Alien performing at the 2021 Black Fret Black Ball at the Moody Theater. (credit: Bill Tucker)
If the inevitable alien invasion is launched with the pure power of Primo’s music, we’re doomed. Dancing and grooving to an unavoidable demise. Built on the bedrock of 80’s synthwave, Primo’s modern take on a staid genre is a revelation, especially for those who forgot what synthesizers and drum machines can do. While My Delorian remains an all-time great, her latest single, Dance Forever, pulses with the energy of losing yourself in the rhythmic desperation of a club’s dance floor. Oh, and she’s fierce live. Make Primo the Alien a priority. You won’t be sorry.
Sunday 12:45 – 1:30 PM on the Tito’s Stage
Darkbird
Darkbird performing at the 2021 Black Ball (credit: Bill Tucker)
Like Asleep at the Wheel, Darkbird rode an emotional roller coaster in 2021. Lead vocalist Kelly Barnes and company were a last-minute addition to the bill only to be denied by a threatening weather report. It does my heart good to see this fantastic band back in the ACL saddle once again. 2021’s Heartbeat remains a personal favorite but their latest EP, Ballad of a Junebug, is a Halloween candy bag of electronic smooth grooves, post-punk jams, and thumping rock anthems. Celebrate their return during Weekend One.
Sunday 1:15 – 2 PM on the BMI Stage
Eric Tessmer
Eric Tessmer at Whole Foods Downtown on HAAM Day 2017 (credit: Ben Porter Photography)
A world-class guitarist with roots dug deep into ATX soil, Eric Tessmer owns big and intimate stages alike. Songs like Good So Bad and Suffer prove both his six-string and songwriting chops but his 2020 venture with the legendary Nancy Wilson was a revelation. By covering Depeche Mode’s Policy of Truth, Wilson and Tessmer transformed a New Wave sparkler into a down and gritty post-punk anthem. An artist of talent and range, Eric Tessmer is in the must-see territory this ACL Fest 2022.
Sunday 5 – 6 PM on the BMI Stage
ACL Lineup 2022 – Austin Artists Performing on Weekend Two
J Soulja
By layering laid-back rhymes atop easy-does-it production, J Soulja’s sound is like rolling down South Congress with not a care in the world. His latest single, Under the Sun, dig deeper by telling stories of life’s blessings all across an urgent, harmony-laden beat. A fine option for those looking to dig fine hip hop underneath Tito’s stage canopy.
Saturday 12 – 12:45 PM on the Tito’s Stage
Lesly Reynaga
Historically, Austin’s been fertile ground for Latin music. From the aforementioned Groupo Fantasma to Gina Chavez to Superfonicos, every facet of Latin music is well represented. If you’re a fan of all of the above, do not sleep on Lesly Reynaga. Heroina pulses like a Shakira jam while Lines leans into an acoustic anthem of personal empowerment. Fair warning. You don’t watch a Lesley Reynaga show. You dance, you sway, you groove, you move.
Saturday 12 – 12:45 PM on the Barton Springs Stage
Jake Lloyd
Jake Lloyd’s smooth R&B style will make for an enchanting music listening experience. (credit: Konstantin Belyshev)
One of Austin’s premier MCs, Jake Lloyd is ever-evolving and constantly surprising. While bangers like Cold Summer and Geto Gala are well-established classics, his latest single is sparkling. A mid-tempo funk jam in the style of Silk Sonic, the length and breadth of Lloyd’s talents are on display. Tight rhymes, impeccable flow, and a wonderful group chorus. What else could you possibly need on a Saturday morning?
Saturday 12 – 12:45 PM on the T-Mobile Stage
Como Las Movies
Saturday morning’s Latin vibe continues with the inventive, exciting sound of Como Las Movies. His biggest hit to date, Ypqsp, layers traditional cumbia and samba atop a synth line plucked from A Clockwork Orange while Como’s latest single, La Tiendita, is an urgent, fiery jam worthy of a western. The buzz around Como Las Movies is growing with every passing month and for good reason. Seeing them on the giant Honda stage will be an incredible experience.
Saturday 12:45 – 1:30 PM on the Honda Stage
Good Looks
Dang it all, these boys are Texans. Legit, we-were-born-here representatives of the Lone Star State. Need proof? Just give them a listen. Almost Automatic throws an indie rock and Texas twang into a whirling blender while Vision Boards layers the down-home vibe with spacey guitar lines reminiscent of Bright Light Social Hour. Deceptively simple upon first listen, nuanced upon several, Good Looks is worth seeking out for rock fans of all types and stripes.
Saturday 1 – 1:45 PM on the Tito’s Stage
Pleasure Venom
Audrey Campbell of Pleasure Venom performing at Swan Dive during SXSW 2022 (credit: Bill Tucker)
ACL Sunday can be a tough one. Two days of music, partying, walking, and baking in the sun take a toll. Luckily ATX punk band Pleasure Venom is playing bright and early to wake you from the Sunday sleepies. Their latest single, Severed Ties, presents a beautifully off-kilter guitar line, pounding drums, and Audrey Campbell’s impressive snarl and scowl. A band scientifically engineered to start riots, Pleasure Venom promises to open the Sunday festivities with pure punk rock power.
Sunday 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM on the Barton Springs Stage
The Spiritualettes
Missing church in favor of ACL festivities? Connect with your deity of choice to the soulful tunes of The Spiritualettes. More 12-bar blues and soul than the traditional gospel, these fabulous ladies will give you a taste of the spirit regardless of your spiritual leanings.
Sunday 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM on the Tito’s Stage
Me Nd Adam
It’s been said before, but I love a good depressing party track. Me Nd Adam feed that needs. Foolish Lover growls with desire in the style of Missio, while Heartbreak Kid layers ambivalent drug-soaked reality atop a tasty acoustic guitar lick and a playful drum track. Unapologetically raw while remaining polished in all the right places, Me Nd Adam is quick favorite for those who like a little melancholy with their upbeat jams.
Sunday 12:45 – 1:30 PM on the Tito’s Stage
ACL Lineup 2022 – Austin Artists Performing on Both Weekends
Buffalo Nichols
When Buffalo Nicols left Milwaukee in favor of Austin, TX it didn’t cause much of a stir. Now, if he left, it would be a damn tragedy. A sensational blues man and a guitar picker beyond compare, Nicols’ sound breathes and bleeds honesty, passion, and boatloads of pain. Written a year before the pandemic, Lost & Lonesome is a touching portrait of solitude while Living Hell asks if fires of Biblical damnation would be any different than life here on Earth. All are delivered with a rich rasp and gorgeous six-string beauty. So glad he’s playing both ACL weekends so I can catch a glimpse of this master on the rise.
Sunday 1:45 – 2:30 PM on Tito’s Stage both weekends
Spoon
Spoon followed up the air show with an incredible set of old and new classics alike. (credit: John Cabuena)
What else can be said about Britt Daniel and his legendary roots rock band? Do we talk about their stellar 30-year career? Do we chat about the consistent quality? Do we mention Daniel’s never wavering support of the Austin music community? Let’s just talk about their latest record, Lucifer On The Sofa. Album opener Held kicks things off with a stomping drum line atop Daniel’s touching tenor while The Hardest Cut turns things up with snarling guitar and boogie-woogie bass.
The record is classic Spoon. Familiar yet new, messy yet picture-perfect clean. Spoon’s always survived on the strength of their balance and Lucifer On The Sofa is no exception. And they are sensational on a big stage. Required viewing for fans of ATX music and a strongly recommended elective for everyone else.
Sunday 4 – 5 PM on the Honda Stage both weekends
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