At 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, ACL was filling up with the afternoon crowd at the Lady Bird stage, and it was packed for Fun. They started the show with a loud bang, the sound of a gunshot, and they were off. Although wearing a classy sports jacket in the Austin heat, lead vocalist Nate Ruess was not hindered from giving a fantastic performance, singing energetically into a flashy golden microphone. Fun had a very diverse instrumental ensemble, with performers playing the trumpet and saxophone in addition to guitars, drums and keyboards. After their first song, Ruess cleverly introduced the band to the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are Fun!”

The band played a diverse set of music, ranging from upbeat songs to slower rhythms. They made sure to play their top songs, “We Are Young” and “Some Nights,” but also covered the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Ruess was very interactive with the audience, shouting to “put your hands up!” or “get up and dance, make some friends!”

Sometimes he stopped singing to get the audience to fill in the words. The crowd was not very keen to sing along at times, although this was certainly not the case during the chorus of “Some Nights.” People packed around the stage and the crowd extended far out into the distance. Clearly, this was the place to be.

Nearing the end of their show, Ruess announced to the audience that their tour for “Some Nights” was ending soon and that the band was preparing to go back home and record a new album. The audience roared, knowing that this was a special moment to be part of one of the final performances and also because a new album was in the works. Fun ended their act with “Carry On” and had an energetic audience singing along with them, a nice farewell to the band’s visit to Austin.