The organizers of Re:SET aimed to create an alternative to the traditional summer festival circuit, one that would benefit artists and fans alike. The setup is unique. There are three headliners – the inaugural iteration included LCD Soundsystem, Steve Lacy, and boygenius – each with their own unique under-billing and 12 host cities around the U.S.
Videos by American Songwriter
Each weekend in June, the three separate line-ups took over their own city simultaneously. So while American Songwriter was in Nashville rocking out with boygenius, attendees in Chicago were doing the same with LCD Soundsystem – so forth and so on.
While the idea might seem convoluted, the result was a markedly relaxed concert-going experience. One stage meant no time conflicts and easy viewing regardless of where you were standing (or sitting) on The Great Lawn at Nashville’s Centennial Park.
Could this be the future of the summer festival scene? We will detail the weekend below to let you decide for yourself.
Each of the acts brought their own flavor to the stage. The headliners and their under-billing were a curated vibe from start to finish. Everyone on boygenius’ bill had the same alt-pop feel while the openers for Steve Lacy were just as soul-infused as he was.
American Songwriter wasn’t on the scene for LCD’s headlining performance but was there for all the action the subsequent two days. Lacy headlined Saturday (June 24) of the Nashville dates. His date kicked off with Fousheé. The singer-songwriter first rose to fame after rapper Sleepy Hallow used vocals from her song “Deep End” in his 2020 hit of the same name. She delivered an adrenaline shot to the crowd with colorful ad-libs (of the expletive persuasion) and up-tempo bangers.
Following Fousheé was the 2010s “chillwave” pioneer, Toro Y Moi. The artist deals in atmospheric vibes and club-ready beats. Though he and his accompanying band were enticing for the mid-afternoon audience at the park, one can only imagine they would’ve hit even harder amid a darkened, packed club.
James Blake, a purveyor of experimental hip-hop, took the stage right before Lacy. He commanded the stage with quiet confidence, letting his warping and lush tracks speak for themselves.
After playing a track he helped write for Frank Ocean, “Godspeed,” Blake commented on the renewed “magic” a song can have if put in the right place and time. He and the crowd agreed that Nashville was the right place and time, joining together on vocal duties to create that sense of magic during Re:SET.
Lacy rounded out night one with a stellar performance full of crowd-pleasing hits and a demeanor that draws natural comparisons to Prince and Stevie Wonder. He ended the night with his TikTok-fueled hit, “Bad Habit.” Lacy set himself up for many more headlining slots in years to come with this performance.
Boygenius headlined Sunday of the fest (June 25). The supergroup – consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus – drew quite the crowd given that it was their only Nashville headlining date set for this year.
Their undercard included singer-songwriter Bartees Strange, Dijon, and Clairo. The crowd was decked out in their Doc. Martens and ready to take all the line-up had to offer, despite scorching temperatures.
Dijon put on a masterful display of live production with an eagle-eye camera capturing all the action on stage. The artist/producer’s music ranges from pure R&B bops to experimental dirges. Though his set was cut short due to weather, a surprise performance with Clairo more than made up for any lost time.
Clairo took the stage a little while later, bringing her upbeat yet poignant tracks to the stage. One of the strengths of Re:SET was displayed during her performance. The audience enjoyed her music in any way they saw fit. Some were sitting in the shade, escaping the heat, while others were right by the stage, jumping along to the beat.
With Re:SET consisting of just one stage, no attendee had to worry about missing any of the performances, no matter how or where they chose to watch them.
boygenius closed out the night, decked out in drag (presumably for Pride, which was being held in Nashville simultaneously). They played through most of their debut album, the record, much to the crowd’s appeasement.
boygenius does rock ragers and sullen ballads equally well. The up-tempo numbers flexed their prowess on their instruments and got the crowd screaming along to the lyrics while their slower ones brought the audience to tears. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, but a welcome one.
It’s an interesting format for a music festival. There is no running back and forth or meticulously planning out your day to make sure you see all your favorite artists. It’s laid-back and built for the enjoyment of the viewer.
If Re:SET comes back around for a second year, it might just be the next big thing in summer touring.
Main Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images
