48 never-before-seen portraits of stars at ACL Fest

Austin City Limits Music Festival is where you'll see the next big thing. Every year, every October, without fail. And the American-Statesman's team of entertainment journalists has very, very good eyes.

For the second year, photojournalist Dave Creaney set up a portrait studio backstage at Austin's signature fall music fest. From Oct. 7-9 and 14-16, we welcomed artists to the Austin360 tent at Zilker Park to pose for the camera, and these stunning portraits have never been seen before now. (We didn't get Lil Nas X, but we sure tried.)

These are the faces of ACL Fest 2022.

— Eric Webb, Austin360 editor

MUNA

What they said: We interviewed indie-pop band MUNA — aka Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin — before they played the Barton Springs stage on Oct. 9. "When we made a decision to be out as a musicians and out as people and live our queer lives very openly, and trans lives, as well — Naomi is nonbinary, shoutout — I think it's important to show that we are happier because of that," lead singer Gavin said. "There's so much homophobia and transphobia that's couched in the idea that like, 'Oh, we just don't want you to have a hard life. We don't want you to regret it later.' It's kind of radical to say, 'Um, actually, we won't regret it. We can make choices about how to live our lives, and we're so much happier because of it."

— Deborah Sengupta Stith, American-Statesman staff

The interview: MUNA talks radical queer joy at ACL Fest

Spoon

What we said: "Not another blazing set of artisan-crafted songs by hometown heroes Spoon. For the longtime indie rockers, who at this point can rival any Austin band ever for a Sweet-As-Heck Discography Award, an Oct. 9 Austin City Limits Music Festival drop-in was an in-form showcase for the old heads.

"This band’s buzzy breakout 'Kill the Moonlight' is 20 years old after all. Britt Daniel and Co.’s generation of college radio peaked in popularity during ACL 2005 — let’s pour one out for the band Bloc Party, wherever they are — and all that’s left is years of good will built around geeky love for Western secular pop." Spoon also played Oct. 16 on the Honda stage.

— Ramon Ramirez, Special to American-Statesman

The review: Best way to describe Spoon at ACL Fest: a fully loaded baked potato

Teezo Touchdown

Teezo Touchdown is a Beaumont-born singer and rapper. He performed on Oct. 14 on the T-Mobile stage.

Phoenix

What they said: Before the band's Oct. 14 set on the Honda stage, we reminisced backstage with them about a 2013 show at, of all places, Austin's Anderson High School. Phoenix guitarist Christian Mazzalai told us: "For us French guys, we saw so many American movies when we were teenagers (that featured) these kinds of schools, you know. They're very different from our schools. It was nice to see them in reality." His brother, guitarist/keyboardist Laurent Brancowitz, concurred: "Very different. Very exotic."

— E.W.

Read the story: I have seen Phoenix so many times. ACL Fest was one of the best.

Lilyisthatyou

The Toronto pop artist performed on Oct. 7 on the BMI stage.

Zhu

The Grammy-nominated electronic music artist performed Oct. 9 and 16 on the Miller Lite stage.

Omar Apollo

What we said: "The Mexican American singer gave a shoutout to the Latinos in the audience. 'Where the (expletive) the Mexicans in Texas at?!' he shouted before playing 'En El Olvido,' to which the crowd started twirling each other around and singing along. Much to the surprise of Apollo, who said he saw quite a few white people in the crowd, noting it must be the 'Bad Bunny effect,' in reference to the Puerto Rican rapper's success." Soul crooner Apollo performed on Oct. 7 and 14 on the Miller Lite stage.

— Skye Seipp, American-Statesman staff

The review: 5 things you missed from Omar Apollo's energetic evening at ACL Fest

Caleb De Casper

The Austin pop artist performed on Oct. 9 on the Barton Springs stage.

Lido Pimienta

What we said: "Lido Pimienta is a fiercely political vocalist who blends influences from her ancestry with globe-trotting modern sounds in order to create hypnotic electro pop. Let's hear how the Colombian-born, Canadian-based singer describes her subversive and loud work herself. It’s 'the lubricant that you would use to penetrate the patriarchy and white supremacy.'" Pimienta performed Oct. 8 and 15 on the Barton Springs stage.

— R.R.

The review: You should try to see Lido Pimienta next time she plays Austin. Here's why.

Gayle

The Plano-born, Nashville-based pop singer performed Oct. 7 on the Miller Lite stage.

Genesis Owusu

What we said: "From the moment he took the stage, the Ghanaian Australian singer made his presence felt, drawing the crowd to drop their guard and match Owusu's energy with 'The Other Black Dog' before switching to the groove-inducing 'Waitin' on Ya.' Just as the pace slowed, he turned it back to hyper speed. Halfway through his set, he began controlling the crowd's roars like the volume dial on a vintage TV set and spontaneously walked in the middle of the crowd to sing among the people." Owusu performed Oct. 7 and 14 at the Tito's Handmade Vodka tent.

— Earl Hopkins, American-Statesman staff

The review: Genesis Owusu gives classic rockstar energy between air guitar strokes at ACL Fest

Jake Wesley Rogers

What we said: "Jake Wesley Rogers is a luminescent bundle of positivity and love in an era of division and darkness. He’s a remarkable popsmith who elevates profound wisdom with simple metaphors. He’s a golden-toned vocalist who packs massive swells of emotion into singalong hooks. He’s a queer sensation from the Midwest who dazzled an adoring crowd." Rogers performed Oct. 9 and 16 on the Miller Lite stage.

— D.S.S.

Read the story: Queer pop sensation Jake Wesley Rogers shines brighter than the sun at ACL Fest

Isaac Dunbar

The alternative-pop artist performed on Oct. 9 on the BMI stage.

Danielle Ponder

What she said: "I write songs about whatever I'm going through," singer-songwriter Ponder, a former lawyer, said. "I do have a song, 'Poor Man's Pain,' that's definitely influenced and inspired by experience as a public defender. But most of my songs on my album, there's a good amount of love songs, and there's songs that are just personal, because I was also in a reflective period, when I was in between trying to think of what was next for me." Ponder performed Oct. 9 and 16 on the T-Mobile stage.

— Peter Blackstock, American-Statesman staff

Watch the interview: Seeking bright new talent at ACL Fest? Here's Danielle Ponder, a Sunday star

Primo the Alien

The Austin pop artist performed Oct. 9 at the Tito's Handmade Vodka tent.

Blondshell

The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter performed Oct. 14 on the Miller Lite stage.

Adrian Quesada and iLe

What we said: Austin music institution Quesada (also of superstar band Black Pumas) played a solo set of material from the album "Boleros Psicodélicos" on Oct. 8 on the Honda stage. "More than a dozen musicians, many of whom flew in from Central and South America for the gig, helped Quesada bring to life a set of Spanish-language songs that were unlike anything else you’ll hear at Zilker Park this year. Known for his Midas touch — seemingly everything he gets involved with turns to gold, from the Pumas to Grupo Fantasma to countless production projects — Quesada made 'Boleros Psicodélicos' during the pandemic as a labor of love, one that had been on his mind for more than a decade." Puerto Rican singer iLe joined him onstage for “Mentiras Con Cariño.”

— P.B.

Read the review: Adrian Quesada's 'Boleros Psicodélicos' band brings Latin American sounds to ACL Fest

The Future X

Pop singers/dancers The Future X, who auditioned for the band via TikTok, performed Oct. 8 on the Honda stage.

Tyla Yaweh

The singer-rapper performed Oct. 8 and 15 on the Barton Springs stage.

Noah Cyrus

What she said: "I share my music in hopes that I find others that are like me, as well, and you guys are extremely not alone,” pop singer Cyrus said Oct. 14 on the Bonus Tracks stage during a recording of the "Into the Multiverse" podcast. “And whether it’s therapy, whether that’s available to you or not, starting the conversation is extremely, extremely important. So I would say look through the resources, find resources you connect to. There are people that will help and that want to help.” Cyrus also performed Oct. 6 and 14 on the American Express stage.

— Hannah Ortega, American-Statesman staff

Read the story: 'You guys are extremely not alone': Noah Cyrus shares her story to help others at ACL Fest

Siena Liggins

The Atlanta-based singer performed Oct. 16 on the BMI stage.

Good Looks

The Austin indie-rock band performed Oct. 15 at the Tito's Handmade Vodka tent.

Big Wild

The electronic music artist performed Oct. 9 and 16 on the Miller Lite stage.

Slayyyter

What we said: "Well, that was both erotic and electronic. Strutting onstage in a red fur coat, thigh-high leather boots and enough panache for several Miller Lite stages, Slayyyter turned an uphill battle of an assignment — generating engaging content next door to a lively, Texas-football-riled-up beer tent and also clueless Austin City Limits Music Festival attendees loudly funneling into the Zilker Park grounds while it’s early and swelteringly hot — into an A+." The hyperpop artist performed Oct. 8.

— R.R.

Read the review: All the reasons to bow to Slayyyter, ACL Fest's hyperpop provocateur

Luna Luna

The Austin band performed Oct. 9 on the Barton Springs stage.

Oliver Tree

What we said: "We got to Tree's 4 p.m. set at the American Express stage a couple minutes late and found Tree telling the crowd that the next song would be his last of the day. Huh? Did we miss something? Did they move his set time? This writer was just about to text her editor that there would be no Tree review, because we somehow missed the set. But, it turns out, this is part of Tree's schtick. He made the same joke after every song, once even pretending to pack up the stage." Tree performed Oct. 6 and 19.

— Kelsey Bradshaw, American-Statesman staff

Read the review: Oliver Tree gave us comedy, pranks, music, and scootering at ACL Fest

Cimafunk

The Cuban funk-soul artist performed Oct. 8 at the Tito's Handmade Vodka tent.

BkTheRula

The rapper performed Oct. 14 on the T-Mobile stage

Sofi Tukker

What they said: We talked to the dance music duo during Weekend 1. "During the pandemic, we were DJing every single day, and these people showed up, they call themselves the Freak Fam, and they chose every single day to dress up, to dance, to make friends, to really basically make the most of a really shitty time," Sophie Hawley-Weld said of the inspiration for "WET TENNIS," the group's new album. "Virtually! It wasn't illegal," said bandmate Tucker Halpern. Sofi Tukker performed Oct. 8 and 15 on the Miller Lite stage.

— D.S.S.

Watch the interview: Sofi Tukker at ACL Fest talk new album, success amid pandemic

Lesly Reynaga

What we said: Near the end of Austin singer Reynaga's Oct. 15 set on the Barton Springs stage, "she more than doubled the size of her band by inviting 14 musicians from the University of Texas' Mariachi Paredes de Tejastitlán to the stage. Beaming with pride at having them join her, Reynaga explained she was a member of the ensemble during her UT days. They helped get the crowd dancing to cumbia beats as she wrapped up a thoroughly enjoyable set."

— P.B.

Read the review: Go with us as we put the Austin in ACL Fest: Lesly Reynaga, Como Las Movies and Good Looks

Robert Glasper

The pianist/jazz musician performed Oct. 9 and 16 at the Tito's Handmade Vodka tent.

Dehd

What we said: Singer Emily Kempf’s voice "definitely served as the highlight of the set because of her unique tone and ability to reach down into her chest for beautifully deep notes. She truly gives off indie rock vibes, whereas (bandmate Jason) Balla’s voice lends itself a bit more to grunge or even punk rock. There’s something very carefree and 'teenage dirtbag' about his vocals." Dehd performed Oct. 9 and 16 on the T-Mobile stage.

— H.O.

Read the review: Dehd at ACL Fest: Emily Kempf's voice puts a spell on the early Sunday crowd

L'Impératrice

The French pop-disco band performed Oct. 7 and 14 on the Barton Springs stage.

The Ventures

What we said: "Even if you were never a big fan of surf-rock instrumentals, you probably knew the melodies of 'Wipeout,' 'Pipeline,' the 'Hawaii 5-0' theme song and, yes, of course, 'Walk, Don't Run.' They added a couple instrumental renditions of a couple songs most often performed with lyrics, most notably 'House of the Rising Sun.'" The surf-rock band performed Oct. 8 on the American Express stage.

— P.B.

Read the review: Instrumental surf-rock rides again as The Ventures catch an ACL Fest wave

Tamino

The Belgian-Egyptian singer performed Oct. 7 on the American Express stage.

Tom Odell

The English singer-songwriter performed Oct. 16 on the Barton Springs stage.

Dro Kenji

The hip-hop artist performed Oct. 14 on the BMI stage.

spill tab

What they said: "The tendency is to keep going until you break down," singer Claire Chicha said. "That's cool for the grind but not cool for the mental. I'm just also learning where my boundaries are." Chicha, aka spill tab, performed Oct. 8 and 15 on the Miller Lite stage.

— S.S.

Read the story: 'Is everyone OK?' spill tab brings chill and caring vibes to ACL Fest stage

Samia

The singer-songwriter performed Oct. 8 and 15 on the Miller Lite stage.

Eric Tessmer

The Austin blues guitarist performed Oct. 9 on the BMI stage.

Jake Lloyd

The Austin musician performed Oct. 15 on the T-Mobile stage.

Tai Verdes

What we said: "Onstage, Verdes is all limbs and crowd work, bounding across the stage and whipping his audience into hands-up participation. The sound's mellow and agreeable, introspective hip-pop for the morning after a wild night, when the smoke's still in the air and your thoughts have gone hazy." Verdes performed Oct. 15 on the Honda stage.

— E.W.

Read the story: 3 minutes with viral artist Tai Verdes at ACL Fest

Cassandra Jenkins

The singer-songwriter performed Oct. 7 on the Barton Springs stage.

Flora and Fawna

The Austin band performed Oct. 16 on the Miller Lite stage.

Early James

The singer-songwriter performed Oct. 14 on the BMI stage.

Darkbird

The Austin band performed Oct. 9 on the BMI stage.

Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel

Austin's Benson, leader of Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, which has played almost every ACL Fest, performed Oct. 7 on the Honda stage.

Gabriels

What they said: We talked to Gabriels' singer Jacob Lusk after the band's Weekend 1 show. On whether Gabriels' music rises to meet the moment: "I think that's part of the human spirit. When things get tough, there's something innately in us that rises to the occasion. I think we're all doing that. The world is kind of a crazy place right now, but I have a faith and a belief that good will always win, and I think we're all a part of that." Gabriels performed Oct. 7 on the Barton Springs stage.

— D.S.S.

Watch the interview: Jacob Lusk of Gabriels went from Harry Styles' residency to ACL Fest

Find complete ACL Fest coverage at statesman.com.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: ACL Festival 2022 artists in 40 stunning photos from Austin, TX