Before their big show at the festival, IDKHow gives a preview of what’s to come at Empire in Downtown, Austin.
With the band already having a set on Saturday of Austin City Limits, ACL Fest Nights announced a show for the band on Friday night at Empire Garage. For many fans who didn’t get to see the band on their last tour (which included no Texas dates) or didn’t have a wristband to ACL, this show was their opportunity to see the band live.
With the intense Texas heat and crazy traffic in Downtown Austin, that didn’t stop fans from lining up as early as 10 am outside the venue. Those who were out that early even got to meet lead singer, Dallon Weekes, who came out and talked to fans in line.
As the hours went by and the line of fans at the venue kept on growing, doors opened at 8:00 p.m. With some fans running to the barricade, grabbing drinks, or some grabbing merch. While waiting for the show to start, fans had some fun. Some holding their phones up in the air while playing YouTube videos, games, or just photos of the band members. Throughout the whole crowd, you could hear everyone making new friends, passing Kandi bracelets, and sharing social media info.
And finally, as the lights dim, out comes the band. And fans were quick to point out that Dallon’s iconic glitter dots from previous eras were back. Starting the night off with “SPKOTHDVL” from his newest record, Gloom Division. Followed by “Do It All The Time”. The band’s second single ever released. The band played hits from their 3 albums. Their set for the night was a 16-track set list, featuring other hits like “Social Climb”, “GLOOMTOWN BRATS”, “New Invention”, and more. However, the biggest surprise was nearing the end of the show. For the first time ever, the band played “SATANIC PANIC” at an official show. Fans went crazy the minute the song started, with many screaming that they couldn’t believe it.
Dallon mentioned how it was going to be a packed next 12 hours for him. Not only did the band have the show they were currently performing, but the next morning, the band had a Live Morning Broadcast performance with 101x Austin, followed by their set at the ACL Festival. But he was glad to perform nonetheless. He also spent some time praising the city of Austin, saying, “This is the only city in the entire world, that when you say the name of that town, people make noise after it.” So the crowd made sure to cheer extra loud at any mention of the city.
Closing out the show was “Choke”. One of the iconic first singles from the band. As the band left the stage, the fans chanted “Dallon.” repeatedly, until the whole band came back out. Dallon teased the crowd about whether they should play 1 or 2 more songs. The band ended up officially closing with an encore of 2 songs, “Nobody Likes The Opening Band” and “Razzmatazz”.
As fans at the barricade were handed picks and set lists, some headed to merchandise, which was practically all sold out. And some waited around the venue to meet Dallon Weekes himself. Overall, fans raved about how good the show was and how many were leaving the show with newfound friends. Dallon assured the crowd that he’d be back in Austin after this successful, show-packed weekend for him and his band.
I am a photographer, musician, and cosplayer, based in Austin! I spend a lot of time traveling around for events, and am constantly creating things, listening to music, playing bass guitar, or finding new hobbies to indulge in. I love being surrounded by music, and you can almost always catch me listening to some emo or pop-punk music.
