All Things Go
All Things Go (ATG), the closest thing Washington, D.C. has to Coachella, drew crowds to Columbia, Md., this weekend. The music festival is known for featuring not only rising independent artists but particularly women, queer people and especially queer women. Between sets, an infographic flashed across the screens showing that three in five ATG performers were women or nonbinary people, while the national average for music festivals is around 25%. This ratio is reflected in its attendees and even merchandise that reads “All Things Gay,” as the festival is colloquially known.
On Friday night, Noah Kahan had everyone in tears when he abandoned the main stage for the lawn, acoustic guitar in hand. He was able to make the mass of almost 20,000 people feel like an intimate space. Even from yards away, it felt like he was pouring his heart out to you and your close friends. Kahan clearly wanted to make it a special night for his fans, and he did just that. Kahan always performs as if he can’t hold back what he is feeling, resulting in his signature stomp that we all adore, and Friday night was no different.
Earlier that day, The Beaches had everyone shouting, “Don’t blame me, blame Brett / Blame my ex, blame my ex, blame my ex.” It was obvious who won the breakup. The Last Dinner Party gave it their all on stage; their presence felt enchanting as lead singer Abigail Morris floated like a spirit across the stage, but their ephemerality did not detract from her power — it added to it. However, Morris seemed to be in her own little world, occasionally turning her back on the audience for a bit too long. The balance between performing with a fairy-like presence but also engaging with the audience that is very much in this world is a tough one to strike. However, these moments were few and far between. Morris was clearly leaving it all on the stage and gave some incredibly powerful vocals to their already powerful tracks.
A much gentler but no less bewitching spirit, María Zardoya, the front woman of The Marías, seemingly hovered over the stage, sending everyone into a trance with her ethereal vocals and dreamy performance to match. Suddenly, the Merriweather Post Pavilion was sunken underwater, transporting the sea of fans into the cover of their most recent album, “Submarine.” While mesmerising, their signature airy sound swooned me into slumber on my picnic blanket — probably the best way I have ever lost consciousness.
Saturday’s star performance was indie rock band Wallows. The group had the Chrysalis Stage, which I am partial to because, no matter your differences away from the stage, there, you are of one body, one mass, all pulsing at the same rhythm and belting “Pleaser.” Dylan Minnette, Wallows’ frontman, was not one bit intimidated by the screaming sea of faces — instead, he frequented the barricade. Sitting on the ledge, he fused into the crowd. As the set went on, a chant for “Are You Bored Yet?,” a track featuring Wallows’ lineup neighbor, Clairo, emerged from the horde.
The relationship Wallows was able to create in that moment with the fans was impressive as rarely does an expectant audience receive rejection well. Even though Clairo joining the song would have been amazing, Wallows handled it with ease, making everyone forget there was even the possibility.
Over at her set, Clairo cultivated an ambiance by inviting us all to her wine night as she and her band shared a bottle onstage before heading to their instruments, yet her performance fell slightly flat as it appeared as though she could care less. The set design was not in short supply of effort. Whoever her designer is clearly thought a lot about the image they wanted to cultivate.
While Clairo never showed at the Wallows set, Minnette did show up for the day’s headliner, Lucy Dacus, to duet on her song “Bullseye.” Dacus made the night special in her own right, officiating the weddings of nine couples, following a tradition she started on her tour. Her last song, “Night Shift,” held the crowd hostage, entranced, and put an end to the mad dash to beat the gridlock when leaving for the night.
Of course, ATG can’t go without a tragedy. Because she had passed out on stage at the New York City festival, Lola Young was unable to perform at Merriweather on Sunday. The festival’s solution was to bump Role Model to the main stage, where the singer-songwriter was met with cheers as he encouraged the crowd to support Young and give her the day off.
Like Dacus, Role Model has his own tradition, one that has become famous online. While it started with him bringing fans on stage to dance to “Sally When the Wine Runs Out,” he’s begun bringing progressively more famous guests on stage. Now, before every show, everyone asks who his next “Sally” will be. Ashe, a Sally veteran, and Djo had the All Thing Goers’ bets, but ultimately singer-songwriter Griff won out, committing to the bit beautifully with a wine-red top and a glass of merlot in hand.
Role Model’s performance was filled with his signature sass. He has a unique ability to charm the audience with a simple wiggle of his behind and teasing reveal of Welch’s fruit snacks in his back pocket. These little gestures endear Role Model to the audience, and one can only hope other artists learn not to rush through their sets but take the time to build a relationship with the audience. Even tiny little actions like the fruit snacks make the audience feel special, like that joke or story or bit was for their eyes only. Creating a shared unique experience is pinnacle to having a great concert
Doechii was ready for us. After laying down lines at breakneck speed, she would supplement a lull in the lyrics with dance. Her DJ, Miss Milan, was the unexpected star of the show, taking over if Doechii needed a breather or an outfit change. The two had a pretty seamless rhythm to the performance; however, I would have loved to hear more of Doechii’s voice.
This was a hard act to follow, as Kesha’s outfit changes were a bit more intensive. She leaned into themes of mannequins and the Illuminati, which she used as her backdrop while preaching about the legal battle she endured to get the rights to her voice back. While this was camp for many, I felt it wasn’t enough. If the entire performance had been committed strictly to 2000s nostalgia, then I think Kesha would have had an easier time turning the amphitheater into the club her music is meant to inhabit. Her outfits did successfully lean into 2000s camp but the rest of the production seemed all over the place. The stage design was very space age with the exception of the shrine, while her dancers’ costumes were simply different colors of lingerie. When they finally pulled out some very camp crop tops, the back read “Freedom Day” with the date Kesha got the rights back to her voice and songs, which felt a little tone deaf as she preached about loving the queer community, saying a very classic, vague 2000s phrase, “I love you exactly as you are.” I don’t think March 6, 2024, is the date most people consider “Freedom Day.”
Before Kesha took to the stage, Maryland Governor Wes Moore surprised us all with his appearance. In true Georgetown University fashion, Kanmani Duraikkannan (CAS ’26) turned to the group to announce, “He’s running for president.” Moore had sparked rumors of a presidential campaign back in May, although he has since told NBC News he is “not running for president.” Moore spoke on keeping ATG in Maryland, as Moore describes it, “a place where everyone can, should and will feel safe in their own neighborhoods.” While this was a very vague and high-density buzzword statement, his presence and effort put into reaching all these people bears a striking resemblance to the ramp-up for a presidential campaign.
All Things Go, the indie music Super Bowl, is here to stay, committed to launching the careers of indie artists and now, I suppose, potential presidential bids.