After a pandemic-induced hiatus, to say we were thrilled to return to the 2021 rendition of All Things Go at Merriweather Post Pavilion would be the understatement of the year. Capitol Sound reporters Sophie Macaluso and Meredith Wohl hit the ground running between two stages to cover this year’s festival, which featured an impressive blend of genres and a refreshingly femme-forward line up. Check out our favorite acts from the festival below, and in the until we return to the festival next fall, we’ll be dreaming about all of the iconic music we heard floating through Merriweather just a few short weeks ago.

Isaac Dunbar

Kicking off the Chrysalis Stage at All Things Go, 18 year old Isaac Dunbar set the stage for a day of young, talented performers at Merriweather. Dunbar brought just the energy we needed as the first set, jumping around the stage in a bouncy velvet purple top to catchy, emotional love songs of his like “love, or the lack thereof” and darker pop tracks like “fan behavior.” The set was dominated by his newest album, “evil twin,” which embraces every genre you could imagine. Twenty minutes was not enough of Isaac Dunbar, we can’t wait to see what he surprises us with next.

Photos by Sophie Macaluso.

Blu DeTiger

After falling in love with Blu DeTiger as the opener for Jungle at The Anthem a few weeks ago, my obsession with Blu and her band was reinforced at All Things Go. The crowd was more than happy to hear the classics like “Vintage” and “Figure It Out,” constantly being reminded of how badass DeTiger is. With her bass, she leads the groovy, indie sound that perfectly translated during her live set. Blu DeTiger’s cool, collected stage presence and band chemistry could make anyone want to pick up an instrument and join the band for their next show on tour.

Tkay Maidza

There’s something inherently entrancing about Tkay Maidza’s sound, making her one of our most-anticipated artists of the day. Zimbabwe-born, Australian singer-songwriter and rapper Maidza brings a deep groove and highly danceable energy to every single one of her songs. Whether she’s singing or rapping, her flow packs a punch through each verse amidst heavy basslines. Dancing through bops like “Kim” and “24k” from her last two records, Maidza brought some boogie to the main stage to energize the middle of our afternoon. After her set at All Things Go, we can’t wait to welcome her back to DC to dance our way through more of her discography.

Photos by Meredith Wohl.

Gus Dapperton

Gus Dapperton’s giddiness to be on stage, kicking up his shoes and dancing around with his guitar, brought alive his dreamy pop songs out of the tiny teen bedroom they feel like they were written in. His quirky energy is fun to watch coexist with hazy, serious songs like “I’m Just Snacking” and “Post Humorous” that make you want to do a purposeful scroll through Tumblr. Dapperton on stage was much more than the TikTok sounds he’s gone viral for, giving performances that boast unique vocals, emotional guitar, and experimental melodies everyone should take a deep dive into.

Cautious Clay

Cautious Clay deserves all the applause he received for coming out with vocals, flute, guitar, and more at All Things Go. The downpour of rain couldn’t stop Clay or the incredibly engaged crowd from performing and enjoying slick melodies and even slicker transitions from instrument to instrument. We swooned. We danced. We were charmed by the love language Clay composed for himself through colorful, moody lyrics, perfect for an afternoon of dancing in the rain.

Photos by Sophie Macaluso.

girl in red

As a crowd gathered ahead of girl in red’s set, there was a palpable buzz in the air. The second Marie Ulven hit the stage, the excited screams of femmes ready to sing every word to her queer bedroom pop anthems echoed through rest of the set. As Ulven rises to Gen-Z stardom, her charisma and star-power glittered through her set at All Things Go, perfectly balancing banter in between songs with high-energy renditions of her wildly streamable tunes. Ulven seemed to glide across the stage, making sure to engage with her eager fans as she crooned her way through bangers like “i wanna be your girlfriend” and “Serotonin.” After the set she pulled off at this festival, we know we’ll see her name work it’s way into bigger fonts on festival line-ups over the next few summers.

Photos by Meredith Wohl.

St. Vincent

When white crewnecks with pink graphics of St. Vincent’s portrait flooded the pavilion at the end of the night, we knew what time it was. St. Vincent was our standout performance of the day — from her her elaborate, 1970’s-inspired costumes, set design, stage presence, backup, and of course, chilling vocals, we were anticipating her set all day. Annie Clark led her band with a cool confidence on guitar, powering through absolute anthems like “Cheerleader” and “Pay Your Way In Pain.” Stepping into the knee high boots of her groovy “Daddy” persona, she performed in the universe of an entirely new character, ushering in a new, iconic era in support of her most recent album, “Daddy’s Home.”

St. Vincent’s mind-meltingly memorable, impressively energetic set proved that this transformative artist continues to find innovative ways to challenge and embrace her fans, while shapeshifting stylistically with every new project.