It was a blistering 94 degrees Fahrenheit in Irvine, California, for the inaugaural Daisy Chain Fields Festival, hosted by Olivia Rodrigo. The single-day event took place on Saturday, August 29th, and hosted 45,000 people as well as a scorching hot line-up of artists such as Bikini Kill, Doechii, Mitski, and Chappell Roan.
The festival masterminded by Rodrigo was the spiritual successor to Sarah McLaughlin’s Lilith Fair festival, which took place from 1997 to 1999 and also featured an all-female line-up to raise money for charity. Rodrigo's festival raised 10 million dollars for ten charities including Planned Parenthood, Baby2Bay, and Center for Reproductive Rights. Melinda French Gates made an appearance at the end of the night to declare that she was matching the $10 million for a total of $20 million in donations.
Saturday’s line-up was a balance of established acts and up-and-coming bands, split evenly by genre between punk rockers and synth-pop sirens. The day began with pop acts like Quiet Light, Eli, and Rachel Chinouri, who all shared similar musical characteristics: Quincy Jones-style arpeggios, Cocteau Twin-inspired synth pads, and 1975-like pop melodies. Devon Again joined the line-up at the last minute to replace KATSEYE, who had dropped out last-minute due to one of the members sustaining an injury during rehearsals.
Devon appeared very thankful for the chance to perform, thanking Rodrigo in-between every song. “I’m so honored to be here so last minute,” she said. “Olivia called me personally and asked if I wanted to play and I said, ‘of course, bitch! I mean yes, thank you!’”
The performances were divided by two stages each at opposite ends of the grounds with food, merchandise, and vendor stalls filling the space between them. The grounds were, admittedly, hard to navigate due to a lack of sight lines, and there were no direct paths between the stages. For anyone trying to catch every single performance, the maze-like journey under the burning sun was uncomfortable and arduous. The lines for food were so long that they blocked many of the paths and sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to trample onto the landscaping. Concertgoers reported wait times of one to two hours for their food, leading some to miss performances unless they abandoned their orders.
The afternoon was ushered in by Die Spitz, a young punk/alternative band that absolutely shredded their set. “I HATE WHEN GIRLS DIE,” yelled lead singer Ellie Lingston before the band unleashed a disgusting, crushing chord that sweltered heavier than the afternoon heat. The crowd broke up into a moshing whirlpool that spun as ferociously as the bass hanging from Kate Halter, who threw around her instrument in a manner only achievable through steel strap locks. “I’m pretty bummed Katseye couldn’t play today,” said guitarist Ava Schrobilgen before they played their final song. “But if you squint your eyes and close your ears, we’re basically them. Pinky UP!”
An hour later, the up-and-coming punk act was followed by the veteran troupe, Bikini Kill. Vocalist Kathleen Hanna introduced their performance with a poised and polite statement on the dire state of the current political climate before flipping a switch and instantly transforming into a high-octane ball of chaotic rage. Her guttural voice and the thub-thub-thumping of downstrokes on the bass and guitar were so prototypically punk that it was the kind of performance you could imagine Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein watching from backstage, grinning ear-to-ear.
Equally thrilling, but tonally opposite was the performance by avant-pop auteur Mitski. Her David Byrne-like eccentricity and unmatched vocal timbre made for a delightful respite from the rage and heat, as she mimed, jived, and interpretive danced her way through a set-list of non-stop hits. Of all the talented acts that day, Mitski’s band took first-place for musicianship; their ability to play the songs faithfully while embellishing minor moments and improvise around each other was stunning.
The Breeders were the last punk-adjacent act of the afternoon and played to a small audience as a majority of the crowd made their way to secure spots at Doechii’s set across the grounds. Led by an ever-smiling Kim Deal, formerly of the Pixies, the Breeders had a sound akin to late-era Lou Reed and the Ramones, but set apart by Deal’s deliciously crunchy acoustic guitar plugged into a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal. The highlight of the set was their 1993 hit, “Cannonball.” The band nestled their way into the pocket and rode through the groove for the rest of the song; hearing musicians that in-sync with each other just gives you goosebumps.
By 4pm the blazing sun was nearly intolerable, but Doechii danced through it undeterred, demanding everyone do the same, all while covered head-to-toe in bright pink paint. Compared to her Live from the Swamp Tour, Doechii did fewer lyrical lap-arounds and focused primarily on dancing and vibe-making, almost akin to a DJ or B2B set. It was the shot in the arm everyone needed to combat the afternoon drowsiness, and there wasn’t a better dance party to be had all night.
Heading into the evening, the sun had to set in order to make way for some real heat – and just in time for dinner, Chappell Roan brought the sauce. Above the top layer of the audience, little girls sprouted like mushrooms, perched on their father’s shoulders, screaming and singing along to “Girl Like Me,” “Femininomenon,” and “Hot To Go.” Chappell commanded the stage with an energy seldom seen from anyone other than an artist at the very top of their game; it’s the kind of aura that makes you understand how religious figures attract a following. She ended her 40-minute set with “Pink Pony Club.”
“Chappel Roan is really amazing, she brought out what people wanted,” said Faith, a festival participant from Los Angeles. “I’ve never seen a crowd so united before.” Faith loved Chappell Roan’s set, but emphasized that the heat throughout the day almost cut her day short. “I was so close to passing out [this afternoon], it was so hot,” she said. “But otherwise it’s a great feeling, I love that [all this] is supporting women.”
To end the night, the host herself (Rodrigo), arrived on stage with a humble letter thanking everyone for making the festival a reality and helping raise money for the charities. To criticize anything about Rodrigo's performance after she raised so much money for charity feels icky, but this is still a review. Rodrigo sings and performs well, but in every department she was lacking something where the previous acts excelled. But it was remarkable to hear how her performance felt like an accumulation of everything we had heard that day. There was a bit of Breeders in "Serena Joy," some Bikini Kill in “bad idea right?,” and even some Sarah McLaughlin in “honeybee.” This felt more apparent whenever she brought out a guest artist.
Her first guest was none other than Sarah McLaughlin, and they dueted on “Building a Mystery.” That was followed by a brief speech by McLaughlin thanking Rodrigo for continuing the spirit of Lilith Fair. She then dedicated their next song, “Angel,” to Dolly Parton, a reverent moment of stillness interrupted solely by the tears flowing freely from the audience, and a sea of cell phone lights swaying in the air. Her next guest was Alanis Morrisette, with whom she sang her 1995 hit, “Ironic.” “I feel like I’m dreaming, this is the best day of my fucking life!” Rodrigo screamed before starting her next song.
The concert ended with an unforgettable performance by Rodrigo and her final guest, Stevie Nicks, with whom she performed “Landslide.” Their voices blended beautifully, with Rodrigo providing harmonies beneath Nicks’ trademark vibrato as she twisted and turned the melody in unexpected directions; it was like hearing the song again for the first time, and yet better than ever before. “I’m awe struck she can do all this,” Nicks said of Rodrigo. “Support her,” she said to the audience. “Take her to your heart.”
The entertainment portion of the festival came to a glorious end. Fans filed out satisfied and glowing, everyone chattering in their groups about what they had just witnessed. What no one knew was that the night was far from ending; exiting the parking lot was so long that Christopher Nolan made an appearance to film The Odyssey 2.
Just kidding, but seriously – we left the stage promptly at 10 pm and the shuttle did not drop us off at our car until 11:45 pm. Attendees on Reddit reported being stuck in the parking lot or waiting for a shuttle long past midnight.
The logistical failures of the event almost ruined the experience, but not quite. The trek between stages made it difficult to enjoy the acts, but there’s no question that this was an outstanding line-up of artists that are dominating the music industry commercially and creatively. Every act was worthy of headlining their own show and should be added to your rotation of daily music. Rodrigo might need to hire a better logistics organizer, but her taste-making ability (and generosity) is indisputable.
Click down below for some exclusive bonus content – Tony and his photographer gave two strangers a disposable camera for the day and retrieved it after the festival.
