Concert Review: The Beaches Brought the Heat to ACL Weekend One
In a sweltering afternoon set, the all-woman group refreshed the T-Mobile stage with a bright, vengeful performance.
Written by Janie Bickerton
Photos courtesy of Sydney Gawlik
Leaving the chill autumn breeze of Canada for two weekends of rock in Texas, The Beaches acclimated with ease by electrifying the Saturday Weekend One crowd at Austin City Limits.
The four-piece is no stranger to serving indie-rock excellence. Since their start in 2013, the band has accrued several Canadian Juno Awards and is currently riding the release of its 2023 sophomore studio album Blame My Ex. In a one-hour set at the hottest time slot of the day, The Beaches played an unforgettable mix of older tunes, Blame My Ex tracks, and new singles.
The T-Mobile stage screen led crowd members down a monochrome hallway as “The Beaches” projected in bold white letters. Dreamy keys ushered in the band, wearing big smiles and breathable clothing. “What’s fucking up Austin?” lead singer Jordan Miller asked the crowd as her sister and guitarist Kylie Miller strummed the starting notes of their first 2024 single, “Takes One to Know One.” Guitarist Leandra Earl blissfully spun around as Jordan Miller sang more dynamically for the live version of the playful song about competitive exes. The lead, wearing a black bra, underwear, and silver Y2K sunglasses, grabbed her electric guitar for another fun track, “Cigarette.” Jordan Miller yelled, “You like the bad girls, baby,” expecting the crowd to match her energy, but the beating sun left the audience unresponsive. The band recovered by having the audience clap to the penultimate chorus before Earl knelt and shredded her guitar.
The Beaches then brought fans back to 2020 with “Fascination,” a fast-paced track that featured an exemplary balance between guitar and vocals. Drummer Eliza Enman-McDaniel bobbed her head to the beat while Jordan Miller teased her expansive vocal range. “And [when] you have a daughter / Consider naming her after me,” she yelled, blowing a kiss to the crowd. Before diving into “Me & Me,” the lead quipped, “I guess they gave the hottest girls the hottest time slot!” and dedicated the enthusiastic single anthem to all the uncuffed crowd members. The underwear-clad singer yelped emphatically before flowing into the fast-talking second verse. Her sister jumped around with her guitar and zipped Jordan Miller’s back zipper, to which she joked, “You undo me, literally.”
Next came a fittingly beachy sound for “Kismet,” which featured a minor key harmony that matched the haunting magic of its title. “It’s serendipity, it’s special, baby / It’s a miracle, it’s magic, baby,” Jordan belted in the bridge as the crowd cheered. The band, who often moved around the stage during the set, stayed in place for the depressing ambiance of “Shower Beer.” Jordan Miller minimally motioned to the crowd, but it was unclear if she wanted the audience to wave along.
Despite minor hiccups, the group played well with each other and felt comfortable onstage. Earl mentioned that this year was the group’s second ACL, the first being five years ago when she realized she was gay. “Gay love starts in Austin,” Jordan Miller added, met with expected cheers from the crowd. After walking down memory lane, the band played the electric guitar-heavy “Grow Up Tomorrow,” causing the guitarists to move wildly across the stage. Eighties rock influence followed with the spiteful “T-Shirt,” from its sweating suggestive lyrics to the singer’s belt that channeled Pat Benatar.
The group’s next song, “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Paranoid,” stood out for Jordan Miller’s previously untapped head voice and successful audience participation of waving and chanting. More angst ensued with “Everything Is Boring,” a quintessential post-quarantine teen rebellion song. Nihilism abounded as Earl knelt for Kylie Miller and Jordan Miller echoed a nursery rhyme with, “It’s raining, it’s pouring / Everything is boring.” She then thanked the crowd for standing the heat with them and singled out a Jocelyn in the crowd before singing the band’s latest single. Moving to the lower part of the stage, Jordan Miller knelt to level with the crowd, chanting, “Why do you still look up to me Jocelyn, Jocelyn? / You just got your PhD in politics.” Not the only tune called “Jocelyn” in recent years, The Beaches’ pessimistic rock song shone in the set for its vibrant performance. Continuing the name-calling theme, the sisters and Earl encircled Enman-McDaniel to give her some love on “Desdemona.” Heavy bass and strobe lights made the jealousy-tinged track a standout for those in the crowd unfamiliar with the Canadians’ pre-Blame My Ex work.
Earl then took the lead singer reins with the unreleased “Kinkade,” bringing a tambourine to the barricade and putting on a lesbian pride flag and pink hat courtesy of two eager fans. She then brought in some jokes to match Jordan Miller’s humor, urging the crowd in a nod to other queer ACL performers to sing loud enough “so Renesmee Rapp can hear” or “if you want me to date FLETCHER.” The slower “Edge of the Earth,” inspired by Earl’s ex and sung by Jordan Miller, mellowed the crowd but triumphed in its sapphic tones and unabashed infatuation.
Cutting the sappiness with a knife, Jordan Miller asked the crowd, “Are you ready to blame your fucking exes?” The Beaches ended the set with its most popular song, “Blame Brett,” a perfect revenge soundtrack for any reeling listeners in the crowd. Jordan Miller pointed at the audience repeatedly as the audience of predominantly women collectively blamed their exes by pinning it all on the lead’s ex Brett. Earl gave one last suave spin as The Beaches relished in the raging energy it sparked at ACL.
In one hour, The Beaches confidently contextualized modern rock by singing about men and women alike with fervor and flavor. The group returned to ACL with an inimitable, upbeat angst, continuing the legacy of women in rock by playing it cool in the heat of the day.