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all things go

Inside the inaugural New York edition of the celebrated All Things Go music festival, including exclusive portraits of MUNA, Soccer Mommy, Towa Bird and more performers.

Fans were hopeful that Maren Morris and Hozier might link up at this year’s All Things Go festival in Columbia, Md., where both artists were featured on the lineup.
And during the “My Church” musician’s set Sunday (Sept. 29), the pair gave concertgoers exactly what they wanted when the Irish singer-songwriter emerged on stage with her without much fanfare, making fans at the Merriweather Post Pavillion grounds shriek with excitement and surprise. As fans sang along, Hozier and Morris traded harmonies on their 2019 duet “The Bones,” which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 2020.

“When the bones are good, the rest don’t matter/ Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter/ Let it rain, ’cause you and I remain the same,” they sang, exchanging a sweet hug before the “Take Me to Church” artist stepped offstage.

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A couple hours later, Hozier took the main stage to close out the entire festival with his headlining set, during which he gave Morris a shout-out. “Maren is such a wonderful person and just a uniquely talented artist as well,” he told the cheering crowd, calling “The Bones” a “stunning” song. “That was a lot of fun, thanks for anybody who was there at that set.”

During his performance, Hozier also thanked the crowd for helping him nab his first U.S. No. 1 this spring by propelling “Too Sweet” to the top of the Hot 100 and called for acceptance and world peace — encouraging fans to reach out to their representatives to support a ceasefire in Gaza — in a passionate minutes-long speech to the crowd. The performance closed out two days packed with live music, featuring Laufey and the Kennedy Center Orchestra, Reneé Rapp, Conan Gray, Janelle Monáe, Bleachers and more.

One person whose absence was felt heavily by the crowds at both the New York City and Maryland installments of the festival was Chappell Roan, who dropped out of All Things Go last minute to focus on her mental health. Muna saved the day by going on in her place Sunday — in addition to covering “Good Luck, Babe!” at both days of the festival — while a cohort of drag performers led a The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess dance party in lieu of Roan’s set in New York Saturday (Sept. 28).

Watch a clip of Morris and Hozier singing “The Bones” at All Things Go below.

Chappell Roan has dropped out of All Things Go, sharing that she needs to prioritize her health in a statement posted one day ahead of her first of two scheduled performances.
In a message on her Instagram Story Friday (Sept. 27), the 26-year-old wrote, “I apologize to people who have been waiting to see me in NYC & DC this weekend at All Things Go, but I am unable to perform.”

“Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it,” Roan continued. “I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health. I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible.”

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“Thank you for understanding,” she added. “Be back soon xox.”

Billboard has reached out to Roan’s rep for comment.

In a statement shared with Billboard on behalf of All Things Go, the festival‘s spokesperson said they were “heartbroken” to see Roan pull out. “While we know how much you were looking forward to the performances, it’s important to remember that health and well-being always comes first,” the statement continued. “All Things Go strongly supports artists prioritizing their well-being and we ask our community to rally around Chappell Roan with love and understanding.”

Roan had been slated to perform at both the New York City and Maryland iterations of the festival, which will occur on back-to-back days this weekend. Featuring headliners Laufey, Bleachers, Janelle Monae, Conan Gray, Renee Rapp and Hozier, the original schedule had the “Hot to Go!” artist scheduled for Saturday (Sept. 28) in New York followed by a second performance in the D.C. area Sunday (Sept. 29).

The VMA winner’s departure from the festival comes amid some backlash from fans unhappy with her recent comments about the 2024 presidential election, which began when she told Rolling Stone she doesn’t “feel pressured to endorse someone” in the race between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, as she sees “problems on both sides.”

When some people took issue with her choice not to publicly back Harris, with many seeing the VP as the safest choice for LGBTQ issues — something Roan has long been vocal about in her support — the “Good Luck, Babe!” artist responded with a Sept. 24 TikTok video saying that her comments had been “completely taken out of context” and encouraged followers “to use critical thinking skills, learn about what they’re voting for, learn about who they’re voting for, and ask questions.”

When the TikTok sparked even more debate, Roan again posted to the platform Sept. 25. “I’m voting for f–king Kamala,” she said. “But I’m not settling for what has been offered, because that’s questionable … “Obviously, f–k the policies of the right — but also, f–k some of the policies on the left! That’s why I can’t endorse.”

Roan has been open about how overwhelmed she’s felt this year as her stardom has skyrocketed. In June, she paused one of her concerts to level with the audience. “I think my career is just kind of going really fast and it’s really hard to keep up,” she said at the time, appearing emotional. “I’m just being honest … I’m having a hard time today.”

A couple months later, the Missouri native made headlines for speaking out against toxic fan behavior, with Roan detailing experiences with stalking and crossed boundaries she’s faced over the past few months. “I’ve been in too many nonconsensual physical and social interactions and I just need to lay it out and remind you, women don’t owe you s—t,” she wrote at the time in an Instagram post. “I chose this career path because because I love music and art and honoring my inner child, I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.”

In a year fraught with festival cancelations due to increasing costs of production and severe weather events, All Things Go festival has taken the opposite approach and doubled down. After 10 years in Washington, D.C., All Things Go organizers announced they were adding a New York edition on the same weekend of Sept. 28-29 at Forest Hills Stadium. With more than 40,000 fans on a waitlist annually, according to ATG partner Stephen Vallimarescu, the additional location seemed less like a gamble and more about meeting demand.
“By hosting both festivals on the same weekend, we’re able to serve more of our community and deliver a lineup that we feel is best-in-class,” Vallimarescu tells Billboard.

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For several years, ATG has made a concerted effort to create lineups that reflect its growing community. Since 2018, the highest billed artists on their lineups have been women or non-binary musicians including Lorde, HAIM, Mitski, Maggie Rogers, Chvrches, Lana Del Rey, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX and more. And the equity isn’t only represented in gender. With performers including MUNA, Girl in Red, King Princess, Arlo Parks, Fletcher, MICHELLE, St. Vincent, Tegan and Sara and Ethel Cain, over the past five years ATG has landed some of the most LGBTQ+ filled lineups outside of LGBTQ+ events (and even many specifically LGBTQ+ events) and earning the nicknames “gaychella” and “lesbopalooza.”

This year ATG have landed some of the buzziest names in touring including Laufey, Remi Wolf, Hozier, Janelle Monáe, Reneé Rapp and Chappell Roan, who has been drawing record-breaking crowds across festivals.

“We’ve got Hozier, Conan Gray and Bleachers featured on our D.C.-area lineup alongside Laufey, Reneé Rapp, Janelle Monáe and Chappell Roan at the top of the bill,” says ATG partner Will Suter. “We’ve been able to see each of these artists perform live – either in a club or festival setting – and we’re expecting big sets from each of them.”

Billboard caught up with Vallimarescu, Suter and ATG manager of partnerships and experiential Carlie Webbert to discuss the festival’s growth, their embrace of the “lesbopalooza” nickname and how they managed to book the right acts at just the right time.

Why did you decide to add an additional All Things Go on the same weekend as the Washington, D.C. one?

Vallimarescu: After growing the festival for the past decade in Washington, D.C., and with over 40,000 fans on the waitlist annually, the decision to introduce an additional festival in New York City felt like a natural step. We were inspired by the success of festivals like Reading and Leeds and recognized that coordinating artists between both markets on the same weekend would allow us to curate the most compelling lineup possible. This approach is especially helpful for international artists, who constitute a growing portion of our lineup and often find it challenging to travel to the U.S. for a single show.

How did you land on New York for that second location?

Vallimarescu: New York City has always been on our radar, despite its reputation as a challenging market for festivals. The turning point for us was reconnecting with Mike Luba, the visionary behind Forest Hills Stadium. The unparalleled atmosphere he and his team have cultivated at the venue made it clear that this was the perfect location to bring the magic of All Things Go. There is clearly a void in New York City for a new festival experience centered around music above all else, and we’re thrilled to see the excitement around our inaugural year.

How has the reception been to the lineups for both editions?

Vallimarescu: The reception to the lineups for both editions has been phenomenal. Both festivals sold out instantly, with hundreds of thousands of fans joining the queue for tickets — a reaction we don’t take for granted, especially at a time when many established festivals are facing challenges.

Our approach to booking the festival, often more than a year in advance, focuses on building a lineup that peaks at the right moment and showcases the next generation of artists. This year, artists like Reneé Rapp, Chappell Roan, and Laufey are at the forefront of this new era, and we’re beyond grateful to be collaborating with them.

Why is it important for ATG to have a lineup with a heavy presence of women and non-binary artists?

Suter: So much of our artist booking is based on our audience feedback – and it’s become a clear direction that supports female and non/binary artist dominated lineups, especially as we’ve moved to multiple stages and homed in our genre-focus. The website Book More Women has a methodology that has our DC-area festival at about 58% female/non-binary and New York at 93%.

Was it your mission at ATG to become “gaychella” or “lesbopalooza”?

Suter: “Lesbopalooza” is a term that Naomi McPherson of MUNA coined closing out our Chrysalis stage in 2023 – and has definitely stuck. “Gaychella” popped up around the 2023 lineup announcement in a few TikTok videos. Our mission has been to create a festival and a space that’s reflective of our community – it’s a mission that has evolved over time as our direct communication with our fans has via Discord, our Boomfy’s Besties Fan Club and other fan-forward initiatives in addition to closer dialogue with many of the artists on the lineup.

What do you make of the moment queer women are having in pop culture now? With the dominance of Chappell, Reneé Rapp, MUNA, etc.?

Webbert: Queer women have a long history in the spotlight, but it feels like there has been a noticeable shift in the positive reception of these artists. With the growing fandom of this generation of pop stars, there has been an even stronger surge in self-expression and pride in being queer. Look at Chappell Roan, for instance, she grew up under the belief system that being gay was a sin. Many of the artists on the All Things Go lineup, along with their communities, share a history of shame around their sexuality. It feels like we are collectively shedding that repressed part of ourselves and creating an environment of acceptance. It’s beautiful — there’s a lot of embracing who we are and being truly seen happening.

Besides the lineup, how does ATG create an inclusive environment at the festival?

Webbert: There is a big emphasis for representation at the festival and how we platform advocacy/mission-based organizations, such as Propeller, The Ally Coalition, Reverb, Calling All Crows, Headcount, Women in Music and Amplify Her Voice. Last year, we had an activism village on-site at the D.C.-area festival where fans could interact with different non-profits and engage in a meaningful way. Our community is intentional, and by including LGBTQ+, environmental, healthcare, voter registration and other organizations, we acknowledge a clear passion for creating change that our community wants. All that said, we are hopeful that over the years this side of our festival will grow and we’re able to have an increased number of diverse voices represented throughout our programming.