ACL Live Review: Banks
Lizzo's warm-up plies thigh boots, insane dancing, and deep pipes
By Isa Jones, 11:25AM, Mon. Oct. 7, 2019
It’s not common to listen to more than two Banks songs in a row, so until her Sunday afternoon set at the Miller Lite stage, this reviewer never realized that all the songs by Southern California pop Goddess Jillian Rose Banks, 31, all bang at the same tempo.
That’s not a bad thing, per se, but in the afternoon heat of ACL, there’s something not quite right about listening to song after song that’s more at home in the after hours of a club than in the middle of Zilker Park. For her part, the singer did her best to turn the dusty field into a club where you dance off all your feelings and bad exes.
Banks evinces no interest in being your bubble gum pop star, and accompanied by a pair of dancers clad in all black – they and their ilk were the true heroes of this steamy weekend – she gave every ounce of energy into each heavily choreographed song. The only pauses occurred when she wandered to the side of the stage to pour an entire bottle of water on herself. Then she’d slide back to center stage for more dancing and hitting every high note you could imagine.
With some 10 minutes left in the set, “The Fall” finally got the apathetic crowd moving. She closed with the only quote/unquote mainstream hit she’s had, “Begging for Thread,” which got everyone clapping along.
Ultimately, Banks served as warm-up for the die hard Lizzo fans flanked along the barricade. As far as those acts go, you absolutely want Banks, her red, thigh-high boots, insane dance steps, and deep pipes every time.
Banks
Sunday, Oct. 06, 5:00pm, Miller Lite stageCheck out our daily ACL coverage with previews, reviews, interviews, photos, and more.
A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.
Banks, ACL Fest 2019, Jillian Rose Banks, Lizzo