When you’re going to Weekend 2 of ACL– and knowing you’ll largely be seeing an encore of what many of your friends and neighbors already got last week — it helps to lean into the differences.

Sure, the set lists for two-weekend performers may have some slight differences, Dua Lipa or Teddy Swims might rock a different ensemble, but what truly makes each weekend different are the artists who are confined to one weekend or the other.

Here are five notable Weekend 2-only artists worthy of spending some of your time with this weekend:

• Remi Wolf — At the risk of a little bit of redundancy with the next artist on this list, Remi Wolf has at least a passing similarity to the more venerable Santigold, mixing rap-singing and conventional singing, but over funkier, brighter production than Santi White is known for. “Cinderella” and “Sexy Villain” are two particularly promising dance-funk concoctions that sound worth hearing under a bright early evening sun.
• Santigold — As I celebrate a birthday this week, it makes me feel old, frankly, to note that Santigold’s superb and confusingly spelled debut record, Santogold, is now 16 years old. She’s never been as great as that record again, but she’s been a tremendous influence on other artists and a reliable source of big-sounding singles that soar into an anthemic stratosphere. There are enough good and great songs in her catalogue that an hour’s worth of killer live material shouldn’t be a problem.
• Being Dead — Psych-freak-rock locals fresh off a Best New Music review at Pitchfork — and a deserved one at that — Being Dead are a sometimes-druggy, sometimes-cartoonish, always-engaging act that gives both indie-rock and hippy revivalism a good name. Last year’s When Horses Would Run was one of the best homegrown albums of 2023, and EELS is arguably even better. Catch them on the way up.
• Red Clay Strays — Six years ago, my only trip to Nashville to date was highlighted by Whiskey Jam, a institutionalized Monday night bar showcase in which artists play three songs, get off and give way to the next band, from 8 p.m. to close. One of the best of the night was the Red Clay Strays, a trad-country outfit from Alabama with some gratifying sharp edges to their sound. Now, with a steadily developed following and a minor hit to their credit (2022 ballad “Wondering Why,” bolstered by TikTok), they’re arriving at Zilker this weekend. There won’t be too many undercard types who sound quite like them.
• Grand Funk Railroad — The “Wow, srsly?” entry for Boomers and classic rock nerds who are younger than Boomers, Grand Funk arrives with the bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher and the competent drumwork of Don Brewer still intact, as those two Homer Simpson heroes are still around as the only original members. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little curious to see maybe a dash of their Saturday night set and see if new vocalist Mark Chatfield can adequately deliver whatever guilty-pleasure goods 2024 GFR has to offer. I’ve got a cassette-tape T-shirt, but maybe one with 8-tracks on it is more appropriate for this one.

Some of these are involved in conflicts for the coveted evening slots — where, of course, the toughest choices often must be made. Here’s who I’m planning to spend my time with each night starting during the 6:00 hour, with the competing acts in parentheses.

Friday, Oct. 11

6:30-7:30 p.m. — Santigold (Leon Bridges; Foster the People 6:10-7:10)
7:30-8:30 p.m. — The Marias (Jeezy, Elderbrook)
8:30 (headliner) — Chris Stapleton (Blink-182 8:10)

There’s no real contest at the headline spot, honestly. Blink’s seemingly iconic stature to a certain segment of the population doesn’t change the fact that their bratty punk-pop tomfoolery is a turn-of-the-century novelty to the rest of us. Can I live without seeing live renditions of “Dammit” and the weirdly resonant “I Miss You,” about the only Blink numbers I have the slightest bit of use for anymore? Yeah, I can. I’ll take Stapleton’s eclectic country stew. The Marias and their hazy, hypnotic indie pop get the nod over trap pioneer Jeezy and British DJ Elderbrook. The toughest call here is at 6:30, but ultimately, Santigold has too many singles that slap (“Lights Out,” “L.E.S. Artistes,” “Disparate Youth”) and is too versatile of a vocalist to pass up.

Saturday, Oct. 12

6:20-7:20 p.m. — Khruangbin (Benson Boone 6:10-7:10; Grand Funk Railroad 6:20-7:20)
7:10-8:10 p.m. — Jungle (Vince Staples, Renee Rapp)
8:20 (headliner) — Dua Lipa (Pretty Lights)

Here’s a whole evening’s worth of dancing for you, with three varying degrees of escalating commercialism in sound as the night wears on. If you’re missing Leon Bridges on Friday, you’ll most assuredly catch him for a bit with his buddies in Khruangbin during their 6:20 set. As noted, there’s a curiosity factor with Grand Funk, but I can’t in good conscience recommend a whole hour of GFR — with just two original members and no Mark Farner — over the varied grooves of Khruangbin. Jungle was tremendous at ACL in 2018; their nods to vintage soul and disco are timeless both live and on record.

Sunday, Oct. 13

6:45-7:45 p.m. — Chappell Roan (mike.)
7:45-8:40 p.m. — The Red Clay Strays (Qveen Herby, Dom Dolla)
8:40 p.m. (headliner) — Sturgill Simpson (Tyler, the Creator 8:45)

The “event” factor of Chappell Roan — meteoric rise, cancelled appearance at a recent festival, and all — is simply something you can’t pass up. Reports from Weekend 1 sounded predictably reminiscent of the claustrophobic “at least you can say you were there” moment Lizzo presided over in 2019 (top photo), and Weekend 2 will undoubtedly be similar; she’s the latest in the category of Headliner-Quality Star Who Just Hasn’t Paid Her Dues Yet. ACL really got the right country artists this year, hence the recommendations for Sturgill Simpson’s alt-twang vibes and the aforementioned Red Clay Strays … a particularly easy pick over Qveen Herby, the former lead singer of overpolished early-’10s pop act Karmin. I forgot about Karmin, probably because it was the right thing to do.