After a successful first experience at DC-based music festival All Things Go last fall, when the 2024 lineup dropped in the spring, my friends and I jumped to acquire tickets — how could we resist a festival stacked back-to-back with the MVPs of our Spotify Wrapped playlists?
For those of you unfamiliar with the festival, it is an ever-growing annual tradition in the DC area (and now NYC, too!) that started as a small blog between friends. All Things Go just celebrated its 10th anniversary, which is presently marked by its impressive two-stage, two-day production at Columbia, Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavillion. This location alone boasts a capacity of about 20,000 guests, not to mention the additional NYC complementary show hosted for the first time this year at Forest Hills Stadium to accommodate the festival’s growing audience.
The welcoming environment
All Things Go is known for highlighting female and queer performers in their lineups, which is heavily acknowledged by both audience members and entertainers alike. While audience fashion ranged from simple merch T-shirts to full-on reconstructions of iconic artist looks, the common thread amongst the crowd was full acceptance of each other’s expressions of gender, sexuality, and other identities. On the performers’ end, many artists verbally acknowledged and complimented the accepting atmosphere; MUNA even opened up their set by proclaiming it as “Lesbopalooza” (see below). Talk about knowing your audience!
familiar favorites and new obsessions
As previously mentioned, the announcement of this year’s lineup stirred a frenzy of excitement, nerves, and more as I came to appreciate how many of my top artists I was getting an opportunity to see live. Because of personal bias (that you can read all about here), I have to highlight my most-anticipated artist of the weekend: Maisie Peters! I discovered Maisie’s album The Good Witch last summer and immediately came to love her bright energy, playful performances, and sometimes a little-too-real lyricism. Though she unfortunately faced technical difficulties with her set, forcing her to start twenty minutes late and improvise an all-acoustic set, her performance was still nothing less than impeccable. While I would have loved to witness her full production, I was very impressed with how seamlessly she and her band were able to throw together a last-minute stripped set. “There It Goes” and “Lost the Breakup,” two of my top songs of 2023, were especially fulfilling to finally hear live. Maisie also included a cover of MUNA’s “Silk Chiffon,” another all-time favorite of mine that helped get the crowd even more hype for the performances to follow later that weekend.
Speaking of MUNA and their performance, it’s worth noting the backstory leading up to the festival. Chappell Roan, whose recent skyrocket to fame has understandably taken a mental toll, unfortunately had to pull out of All Things Go the day before the festival commenced. Because of the short notice, we didn’t know what to expect during her allotted time slot — so when it was announced midday on Saturday that MUNA would be there to fill in, the crowd erupted with joy.
I’m lucky enough to have seen MUNA three times now (first, opening for Phoebe Bridgers’ 2022 Reunion Tour, then again at All Things Go 2023), and, as always, they brought full energy for one of the most dynamic performances of the weekend. They came in hot with the opening song “What I Want,” followed by other upbeat tracks like “Number One Fan” and “Solid.” Their set included more intimate moments, too, ranging from a heartfelt performance of “Kind of Girl,” to an earnest speech before “I Know a Place” that concluded with an empowered “Free Palestine” chant that spread throughout the crowd. MUNA also covered Chappell’s hit single “Good Luck, Babe!” in her honor to show support for artists setting boundaries with their audiences. By the time they reached their classic “Silk Chiffon” outro, I knew that MUNA had once again made it to the top of my festival rankings.
Beyond Maisie and MUNA, there were plenty of other non-headlining acts that I was thrilled to watch. Returning performers Ethel Cain and Julien Baker (who headlined with Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus for last year’s Boygenius performance) were both incredible yet again, though I was not able to get to their stages as closely as I would have hoped. Still, I enjoyed myself, jamming out to “American Teenager” and taking in Julien’s vocals in “Bloodshot” from the back of the crowd!
Additionally, there were sets in which I went in knowing a smaller number of songs, but the quality of the artists’ live performances has since gotten me to dive deeper into their discographies. Most known for “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat,” Del Water Gap wowed me with his performance, leaving me with some brand-new on-repeat tracks like “Perfume” (also, with a new celebrity crush). Briston Maroney was another performer who pleased the crowd with his live vocals and even livelier personality. “June” and “Fool’s Gold” were two of my favorite songs from his set, as well as another unreleased teaser that I look forward to streaming upon its release!
Before moving on to the headliners, here are some other honorable mentions from the weekend, matched with my favorite live performances of theirs: Wasia Project (“ur so pretty”), Annie DiRusso (“Don’t Swerve”), Lola Young (“Big Brown Eyes”), flipturn (“August”), The Japanese House (“Morning Pages”), and Holly Humberstone (“Into Your Room”).
heavenly headliners
This year’s headliners, all bringing unique energy to their performances, did an incredible job of wrapping up each day with their concluding sets. On Saturday, the lineup consisted of Bleachers, Janelle Monae, and Laufey with the Kennedy Center Orchestra; Renee Rapp, Conan Gray, and Hozier closed out the festival on Sunday.
On Saturday night, my friends and I snatched a place for our blanket on the lawn of the big stage for a good angle of Bleachers’ and Laufey’s performances. Lead singer Jack Antonoff brought ample energy to his live performance, marked by so many New Jersey references that I have never felt so seen as a fellow Jersey native! I loved hearing my Bleachers favorites like “Modern Girl,” “I Wanna Get Better” and “Let’s Get Married” live.
Afterward, we recharged during Janelle Monae’s set in preparation for Laufey. Going into the festival, I was mostly unfamiliar with Laufey’s music but was very intrigued as to how an entire orchestra would be incorporated into her performance. Come to find out, she did it so flawlessly! Laufey cemented herself as one of the best performers of the weekend. Her stunning vocals paired with full instrumental production were ethereal and unlike any other performance I have ever seen, not to mention her humble and kind disposition. In particular, “Goddess” has become my favorite track of hers, in part due to its incredible live version.
Moving onto Sunday evening, Renee Rapp was the perfect follow-up to match MUNA’s enthusiasm as the subsequent set on the big stage. I was especially impressed by her live vocals, specifically for ballads such as “Snow Angel” and “I Hate Boston.” Her performance of “Tummy Hurts,” in particular, was especially sweet as she brought out her girlfriend Towa Bird, who also performed earlier in the day, to support her with guitar. Overall, Renee’s set was a huge crowd-pleaser, and it was great getting the chance to see her live.
After Renee, I quickly moved over to the other stage to catch Conan Gray’s set. While I have enjoyed plenty of tracks off his more recent albums Superache (2022) and Found Heaven (2024), I was especially excited to hear Kid Krow (2020) songs for nostalgia purposes, as this album was the soundtrack to the end of my junior year of high school. With a commanding stage presence, impressive vocals, and a loveable personality, his set cemented itself as one of the most memorable of the festival for me. From nostalgic classics like “Wish You Were Sober,” “The Cut that Always Bleeds,” and of course, “Heather,” to more recent hits like “Memories” and “Alley Rose,” I had so much fun watching him kill it onstage.
Last but certainly not least, we had made it to the final set of the weekend: Hozier. As a casual fan, I was very excited to hear my personal favorites, as well as take in some more unfamiliar songs on his set. In particular, “Francesca,” “Nobody’s Soldier,” and “Jackie & Wilson” were all phenomenal songs that were somehow even better live than studio. Hozier himself also showcased his lovable personality throughout the set, notably expressing much gratitude to his band, crew, and everybody who had supported getting him to where he is today. “Take Me to Church” was his final song, which served as the perfect well-known classic to close out the evening.
Overall, I was once again delighted with my All Things Go experience and am so grateful I was able to attend a second year in a row. If you ever have the chance to attend either the DC or NYC events, I highly recommend! Here are all of the songs mentioned in this article (as well as some other personal favorites) by these All Things Go performers! They were all incredible; I suggest taking a listen. Thanks for reading, happy listening!