What happens when Chappell Roan backs out of a sold-out outdoor All Things Go NYC debut festival during the rainiest weekend of the year?
100% chance of rain until 2pm. Until 3pm. 4pm. 5pm.
Welcome to All Things Go weekend in NYC, where even the most optimistic and queerfully joyful among us had their patience and ponchos tested up against never ending grey skies and the dashed hopes of seeing Chappell Roan live.
“It was a little too good to be true, huh?” I said to my partner as we re-read the IG announcement. Chappell, arguably one of the biggest artists in the world, had somehow ended up on the bill for ATG’s NYC debut as the runner-up to the runner-up headliner for Saturday! In what world?…. Not in ours, it turns out! Chappell dropped both of her ATG dates (in NYC and DC) just a couple days out, leaving festival goers, many with long distance travel plans to attend this once-in-a-lifetime Chappell-tunity, feeling a little hollow.
I was one of them — and not because I wasn’t also hype for Reneé Rapp, Janelle Monáe, and MUNA [lesbians], but because I wouldn’t have bought tix in the first place if Chappell wasn’t in the mix. I’m not a festival goer with the exception of the Lilith Fair revival back in 2010 (yes, girl!); it feels stressful and full of too many variables, especially outdoor scenarios where IT COULD RAIN ALL WEEKEND (did I mention this yet).
But my main issue with the ATG festival was the overall lineup, and this isn’t because I didn’t know who many of the artists were (I did my research and remained mostly unmoved). Because Chappell appearance aside, All Things Go’s lineup was vastly white, and (probably related) vastly just not musically of interest to me. Janelle Monáe closing out the 2-day festival on Sunday night was a huge plus, but it doesn’t make up for a major lack of diversity across both days.
With all that said, here are ten takeaways!:
1. The crowd gave their ALL.
People were out in the pouring rain hours before doors opened for some reason (Towa Bird diehard fans? Like what?!). They were dancing and singing their hearts out like it was Woodstock in ’69. This crowd lost Chappell and still managed to put a brave, perhaps toxically positive face on for all that this festival COULD be, and for that, I respect them to the moon & back, and was glad to be a (wet and soggy) part.
2. ATG was gay af.
In the best ways! Now if only it were gay af and not just for white women; then we would really have a gorgeous two days of music for everyone.
3. ….But why would a man be there?
Hey, at least they didn’t bring out Jack fucking Antonoff in New York like they did in DC, LOL. But yeah, both ATG festivals had one or two male artists sprinkled in and I’m definitely curious as to why! Like, lean in to the queer, babes. Look around. Read the room.
4. Reneé Rapp earned her headlining spot, and so did MUNA.
HELL YEAH. Reneé went out there and somehow made us forget all about missing Chappell! From her setlist, which featured so much from her debut EP (my fave), to her vocals, to her choices — bringing out a choir, singing her ass off with said choir on “Snow Angel” to close the night — Reneé Rapp had me tearing up by the end. That’s how it’s done, babes — incredible set!
5. Rain is a STRONG deterrent.
Besides (some of) the main headliners, here’s who I wanted to see: Soccer Mommy, Mannequin Pussy, Coco & Clair Clair, Samia. Here’s who I actually ended up seeing: Samia. Yeah, the weather was rough. It’s a festival with no re-entry, so if you get wet early in the day, you’re kind of stuck that way for hours on end, and we just didn’t have it in us to risk missing Reneé, MUNA, and/or Janelle Monáe to stand in the pouring rain for earlier acts and hope our drug store ponchos held up.
6. Who ARE these people?
Maisie Peters, Holly Humberstone, even Ethel Cain, all at pretty prominent spots in the lineup. Like, this is how I knew this festival was not for me. Respectfully, I could not find a song I liked from any of these artists ahead of the festival, so I skipped out on their sets except for…
7. Ethel Cain.
Look, I am NOT one to bash artists going hard at being themselves, okay? But holy god, I have never been more out of place at a set in my entire life. I have heard of Ethel Cain from exactly one friend, yet there were so many people who knew words… to these haunting, depressing ass songs. My one positive-ish takeaway was an appreciation for her voice, which is absolutely reminiscent of Fiona Apple. But these songs did less than nothing for me.
8. Janelle Monáe is the fucking TRUTH!
Janelle Monae rocked the place to heaven and back, which was much needed after an Ethel Cain set that I can only describe as “what purgatory must be like.” As a more old school Janelle fan, I feel so lucky to have been able to catch her live, because she has to be one of the hardest working & best performers of our generation, period.
9. The food was okay.
Yeah.
10. What’s next for ATG?
I appreciate ATG sending out a survey asking who we want them to bring next year.
Let’s see if they listen and make bigger & better things happen next year. A women-centered, super queer-leaning festival of this magnitude has SO much potential! I cannot even imagine if there was nice weather and a lineup that had me out there all day, all weekend. It could happen, and the ball is in ATG’s court. Let’s see what they do with it.
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xo C