Fun Fun Fun Fest rolled into Austin this weekend, featuring rain, flying tacos and a successful onstage marriage proposal.
The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary with a diverse roster of performers, including headliners like Lauryn Hill Cheap Trick, ScHoolboy Q and Jane’s Addiction, as well as emerging artists such as Kembe X and Grifters.
Those in attendance could take a break from one of over 80 bands to see comedy acts and sports such as skateboarding and wrestling throughout each day.
The festival began at 12:30 p.m. Friday with performances by Think No Think, Kembe and Future Death.
Each of these shows seemed to set the tone for what people could expect from each stage, named after different colors, during the weekend.
The stages featured eight to nine performers throughout the day. The Blue Stage starred rap and electronic musicians, while the Orange Stage was heavy on rock ‘n’ roll and the Black Stage took on an alternative/punk-rock spin.
The festival also had a Yellow Stage that featured stand-up comedy and poetry.
The forecast didn’t seem to scare off any festivalgoers, who arrived wearing rain boots and ponchos as early as 10 a.m. each day to secure their spot in line.
Regan Glowers, Austin resident, said he decided arriving before the gates opened was the best call after last year’s long Friday lines kept him from the music for hours.
“I told myself it would be better to get here and wait the two hours so that I wouldn’t end up missing any of (Friday’s) music,” Glowers said. “My friends thought I was crazy, but after the mix-up that happened last year I wasn’t taking any chances.”
Light showers Friday gave way to a chilly evening that included performances by Babes in Toyland, Peaches and Toro Y Moi.
Babes in Toyland brought their signature punk-rock flare to the stage while Toro Y Moi delivered a relaxing vibe, but the concert that seemed to leave the biggest impression in this 5 p.m. time slot was Peaches.
The electronic performer kept the audience interested by appearing onstage in multiple costumes throughout the course of her show. As if that wasn’t enough to surprise members of the crowd, she concluded with an audience member’s surprise onstage marriage proposal that left everyone speechless.
Alicia Donovan, Round Rock resident, said she has been a fan of Peaches ever since the artist made her debut at the 2006 festival.
“I have been looking forward to seeing her back here again ever since,” Donovan said.
Cheap Trick and Rae Sremmurd each seemed to dominate totally different age groups during their 7:15 p.m. and 7:35 p.m.performances.
Sremmurd showed teenagers and college-age students what debut album SremmLife is all about, while Cheap Trick performed hits such as “I Want You to Want Me” and “Hello There” with Austin’s downtown skyline dazzling in the background.
Chvrches closed out the night on the festival’s main Orange Stage with an animated performance by lead singer Lauren Mayberry, whose high energy delighted the audience and got people up and dancing.
Saturday featured mud-spattered clothing and chilly temperatures, with bands such as Jane’s Addiction, Wu-Tang Clan and NOFX working to keep crowds moving well into the night.
A Giant Dog, American Sharks, Master Pancake, The Secret Group and Sandbox with Rob Gagnon were forced to cancel their Saturday performances due to substantial overnight and early morning rains.
According to Austin360, the park reopened just after 1 p.m. once organizers and officials with the city had checked the grounds for standing water.
The rest of the day went seamlessly, with American Football, Neon Indian and American Nightmare each treating audiences to afternoon performances complemented by the grey skies overhead.
Jane’s Addiction took the stage at 8:30 p.m. and never seemed to stop moving for the entirety of their set. Lead singer Perry Farrell delighted each member of the crowd with howls and charged moves across the stage, while guitarist Dave Navarro laid down multiple solos.
Friday and Saturday’s dreary weather gave way to clear skies for the final day of the festival that featured performances by Chromeo, Lauryn Hill, Future Islands, ODESZA and Venom.
With Samuel Herring singing vocals, William Cashion on the electric guitar and Gerrit Welmers playing the keyboard, Future Islands had the crowd hooked on every beat during the band’s Sunday performance on the Blue Stage.
Canadian synthpop duo Chromeo took over the Orange Stage as the sun began to set for a performance that was sometimes groovy and other times totally over-the-top.
Although the band’s routine was impressive, it was Hill’s powerhouse vocals and emotional performance that seemed to win the night.
Even though she hasn’t released a studio album since The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998, Hill’s onstage passion seemed to mesmerize the crowd and proved to be a perfect ending to the festival.