Lizzy McAlpine takes us behind the scenes of her final performance of 2023

Before arriving at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, McAlpine spent a few hours in hair and makeup. But her look — a custom two-piece set by Oddli, complete with a matching choker and hair bow — had been selected well ahead of time.

She told me she couldn't bring outfit options, or she'd get overwhelmed and pick the "wrong one."

McAlpine said her rider typically includes snacks like granola bars, Stacy's Pita Chips, and Cheez-It crackers.

She also waxed poetic about Wawa, the cult-favorite convenience store chain from Philadelphia, where she grew up: "Every time I go home, the first thing I do is go to Wawa."

Her go-to order? A tuna salad sandwich with a brownie on the side.

"It sounds gross, but trust me, it's good," she laughed.

McAlpine arrived at the festival in Columbia, Maryland at 3 p.m. In her set's preceding hours, nearly every moment was accounted for.

A member of McAlpine's management team had sent me her schedule for the afternoon, which was broken into bite-sized increments: 20 minutes with Spotify Equal for the All Things Go Creator Summit; 15 minutes with The Ally Coalition to promote LGBTQ+ rights; a five-minute meet-and-greet with fans who won a contest.

Her final shot was posted on All Things Go's official Tumblr page, alongside fellow performers like Tegan and Sara, Suki Waterhouse, and Hemlocke Springs.

McAlpine had several photoshoots booked with the festival's on-site photographers, as well as outlets like Stereogum and Dazed.

The All Things Go backstage area includes a pool, which was decorated with a collection of disco balls. But McAlpine said simply, "I don't think that's my vibe."

McAlpine was joined on the female-centric lineup by artists like Ethel Cain, Arlo Parks, boygenius, and Lana Del Rey.

While McAlpine was working on her finishing touches, her mom dropped by the dressing room. They fell into an easy rapport, trading dinner suggestions and ideas for the rest of their evening: McAlpine was eager to see Carly Rae Jepsen perform; her mom was excited to see Maggie Rogers.

I also asked McAlpine's mom to name her favorite song in her daughter's catalog: "Firearm."

She was slated to be Saturday's penultimate performer on the Chrysalis Stage, followed by the indie-rock band Mt. Joy.

McAlpine had to be fitted with a mic kit while her band warmed up. She also made sure to tune her acoustic guitar.

McAlpine previously mentioned that All Things Go festivalgoers seemed kinder than most.

She had run into a fan at the airport, who gave her a colorful friendship bracelet with "ATG" beads. She wore it all day.

"We didn't rehearse for this, or Music Midtown," she told me, referring to the Atlanta festival she played earlier that month. "I'm kind of winging it."

The experimental-pop song is the second track from "Five Seconds Flat."

A festival set is usually shorter than a solo concert, which forces many artists to trim their ballads or deep cuts.

For her performance at All Things Go, McAlpine only included one song from her first album: the title track, "Give Me a Minute."

McAlpine had originally planned to perform an acoustic cover song during her set ("Bruises Off The Peach" by Ryan Beatty), but instead, she spontaneously decided to give All Things Go a sneak peek of her new material.

"I'm special, he sees me / He chose me, out of everyone / I feel like a movie star in the leading role / Famous to someone," she sang to open the new song, introduced as "Movie Star."

It offered the perfect example of her distinctive lyricism, which tends to combine real-life storytelling with illusory, introspective details. 

However, late last year, McAlpine told me that her third album may sound like a departure.

"I am not the same person I was when I wrote 'Give Me a Minute,' and I'm not even the same person that I was when I wrote 'Five Seconds Flat' anymore," she said. "I've completely moved on."

In reality, she drew one of the thickest, most passionate crowds of the entire weekend.

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