Performers from various genres took to the stage this weekend at All Things Go Fall Classic – a music festival that also brings top food from around the District to first time festival goers and Coachella junkies alike.
This weekend’s festival took place in a inconspicuous lot in between two warehouses next to Union Market. Friday through Sunday, the outdoor area housed a bar, a merchandise booth and a single stage where all of the artists performed. Inside, D.C.-based food vendors set up shop.
The small venue and single stage allowed festival goers to see every artist and not have to pick and choose, making All Things Go different from other music festivals.
In addition to all of the favorites in Union Market, there was another bar and about five additional food options for general admission attendees. This year’s food choices included Buredo sushi burritos, Pinstripes sliders, DGS Deli hotdogs, Maketto pork baos and Milk Cult ice cream for an additional price.
Friday was curated for the electronic music lover with two electronic duos, The Knocks and Galantis headlining, and Saturday was hip-hop and rap focused with Vince Staples and Young Thug as the main acts.
All Things Go co-founder Zack Friendly, who graduated from GW with a bachelor’s degree in history in 2015, said he never thought his music blog, All Things Go, that he started with friends in high school would ever turn into the festival it is today.
The small blog transformed in 2011 when the four friends began to curate artists and host live events at venues like U Street Music Hall and the 9:30 Club, but in 2014, the four founders came to a consensus: launching a music festival was the next step.
Since its debut three years ago, All Things Go has grown from a one-day to a three-day festival. Friendly said turning the festival into a three day event has allowed them to book different genres.
“We write about hip hop all the time on the site but we haven’t really been able to book it because it doesn’t necessarily fit – like you can’t really have Young Thug going into Foster the People at a single stage festival,” he said.
In the future, the founders hope to expand the festival into the area surrounding Union Market with two stages. Friendly said that despite their desire to grow, he doesn’t want to lose the festival’s intimate feel.
“We don’t want to grow so fast that we lose the culture that we built here,” he said.
[gwh_image id=”1039969″ credit=”Matt Dynes | Staff Photographer” align=”none” size=”embedded-img”] Betty Who was the first headliner on Sunday night at 7 p.m. and her undeniable energy on stage got the crowd invested.[/gwh_image]
The performances on Sunday — which began at 12:30 p.m. — were catered to an alt-rock crowd. The day kicked off with Young Futura and continued with Brooklyn duo, Great Good Fine OK. Energetic lead singer and songwriter, Jon Sandler, came festival-ready in a sparkling gold and black kimono.
After playing their newest song, “Find Yourself,” the loosely packed crowd seemed to gain energy. The duo closed their set with their most popular song, “Take It or Leave It,” which got almost everyone dancing and singing along.
The crowd started to double after the 5:30 p.m. set, Foreign Air, in preparation for the night’s headliners: Betty Who, Bleachers and Foster the People. Betty Who was the first headliner of the night at 7 p.m. and her undeniable energy on stage got the crowd invested. Unlike the rest of the artists, Betty Who stood out with impeccable choreography from two male backup dancers and two female backup singers.
Bleachers, led by lead-singer Jack Antonoff, followed the set. Between the crowd singing along to every song verbatim, dozens of girls hoisted up on shoulders and Antonoff’s tangible passion, there was electricity in the air. Bleachers concluded their set with their single, “Don’t Take The Money,” from their most recent album “Gone Now,” which was released in June.
[gwh_image id=”1039970″ credit=”Matt Dynes | Staff Photographer” align=”none” size=”embedded-img”] The crowd sang along to every song verbatim, dozens of girls were hoisted up on shoulders and lead singer Jack Antonoff showed passion on stage when Bleachers performed Sunday.[/gwh_image]
Foster the People, the most anticipated act of the night, closed the festival. But many didn’t know the music from their new album and the Bleachers set a high standard that Foster the People couldn’t follow. Their performance was underwhelming considering the huge crowd and the group’s recognizable name.
The set started out slow and picked up a bit after they played, “Helena Beat,” a hit from their first album. However, impromptu instrumentals between songs made the set choppy and Foster the People lost the crowd’s attention at times.
But by the end, the band found their groove. Foster the People ended the night with their hit single “Pumped Up Kicks,” and the rain — which had held out all day — finally started to pour.
