Written by Molly Hardacre
After Friday’s roster of music, dancing, and Rebecca Black literally remixing an Apple ringtone,
Bria and I woke up in our tents with sunburns forming and one singular goal: caffeine of some
kind. We made the trek into West Des Moines and hit up Caribou Coffee for breakfast (fuel),
followed by a stop at Target for the essentials. Properly caffeinated and sprayed with so much
sunscreen we were damp, we made our way back to the campgrounds, ready to face the day.
First, we stopped up at the GOLF stand by Tyler, and yes, we may have dropped a little bit of coin
once we were there; ahem 50 dollar hats (ahahah butwedonttalkabouthat). Bria grabbed a
Chromakopia hat, and I picked up a Wolf one (and we may have been repping different albums,
but we still both looked fire). Afterwards we posted up on the lawn with our elephant blanket just
as hey, nothing were finishing their set. We only caught the second half, but their folk-emo vibe
had this nice soft punch to it, like the soundtrack to a coming of age film that ends in tears and a
group hug.
Up next was Willow Avalon, and let me just say, country music that’s angry at men? Say less.
Her whole set reminded me of Carrie Underwood’s earlier music, very simple and very cheeky
lyrics. She had on this flowy, ethereal dress that matched her whole country sound perfectly.
Then came Gigi Perez, who- OH MY GOD. Her voice?? That raspy, rich tone? Bria and I turned
to each other mid-set and both said, “This is what JoJo Siwa wishes she sounded like.” It was
that good. Her song “Sailor Song” had us belting the lyrics right alongside her, and we were
devastated when her set ended. Too short. We need more Gigi songs immediately for sure.
But if we’re talking highlights, Glass Beams. No intro, no banter, just instantly started playing.
They came out performing like we were already mid-jam. Best way I could describe them is
imagine if Tame Impala took a semester abroad in Morocco, and then turned their final project
into a live performance. That’s what it felt like. Hypnotic, instrumental, and downright spiritual.
Bria and I laid out on our blanket and just let it happen. Easily one of the best sets of the
weekend, and one we’re still talking about (and adding to every playlist).
Role Model was next, and while we weren’t fully familiar with his music, we still jammed. His set
had this clean pop edge to it, and the crowd near the front was clearly all in. Bria told me mid
song that he used to date Emma Chamberlain (??) and now I can’t unhear it; he’s got that
TikTok sound for sure, but like, in a good way.
Now. Still Woozy. The groove that man holds in his body is not of this world. He was dancing
around like a human Slinky, absolutely moving like a Wiggles character who just started a music
career. His visuals looked like claymation fever dreams, and his bassist channeled
Thundercat-level funk. It was trippy in the best possible way. Super underrated pick in my
opinion.
By the time The Marías came on, Bria and I had been waiting all day for this set. And oh. My.
God. They delivered. The lead singer’s voice was otherworldly. Haunting, breathy, and layered
in this way that made it sound like three people were singing at once. She had on a striped
blazer (so cute), and the lighting during the set shifted to match the aesthetic/album of whatever
song they were playing, a subtle but genius touch. When they played “Back to Me,” Bria and I
swayed in sync like we were standing knee deep in the ocean. And then “Cariño” came on and I
felt like my heart was getting a hug. Full circle moment for sure.
Closing out the night was none other than Kacey Musgraves, who floated onto the stage looking
like a literal fairy. We wanted to be fully immersed in her set, but unfortunately… the hunger
won. We were starving and had to grab food, so we watched most of her performance from a
distance, food in hand, vibing from the sidelines. What we saw? Gorgeous, glowy, and
whimsical.
We had planned to check out a Campfire Stage set from a member of The Marías after Kacey,
but once we got back to the tent… it was lights out. We passed out almost immediately,
sunburnt and music drunk from another unforgettable day. Saturday brought so many highs, from spontaneous purchases to discovering new artists, and we couldn’t wait to see what Sunday had in store. (Also, if someone posts the Glass Beams set in full, please send it to me, I need it).
