Bookended onstage by twin R. Kelly mannequins, Los Angeles garage punks Fidlar made their second-weekend-only ACL Fest entrance to the singer’s “Ignition (Remix),” a succinct preview of a set that was equal parts whimsy and chops.
The 45-minute time slot beginning at high noon on Saturday was front-loaded with cuts from their 2013 self-titled debut, delivered with varying degrees of success. Warming up with the snotty “Stoked and Broke,” the fourpiece followed with “White on White” at breakneck speed. Considering the decidedly un-breakneck pace of the still-waking Fest, both were bracing.
“No Waves,” another 2013 standout, didn’t fare nearly as well, but it didn’t stop the mosh up front from bearing down even harder. That enthusiasm was met four songs in when Fidlar hit its stride for “Cheap Beer.” Sample the chorus: “I drink cheap beer/ So what? Fuck you.”
Apparently, the festival’s $8 brews didn’t affect the authenticity of the message.
From there, Fidlar never looked back. They sounded tighter and more focused navigating songs from this year’s Too. Even in the quiet bits of leadoff track and single, “40oz. on Repeat” – stripped of its studio-polished punk licks and drum crashes – frontman Zac Carper focused a crowd now drunk on loud and fast jams.
Lest you think the band’s gone completely legit, there was a cover of Weezer’s “Sweater Song” with the verses filled in by “meows” instead of lyrics. And for the finale, Carper had the front of the crowd sit, prompting them to pop up “when the time comes.” When the buildup from “Cocaine” turned into a shouted guitar melee, the crowd collectively went apeshit.
This article appears in October 9 • 2015.