Lopsided Showdown at Austin City Limits: Indie mike. vs. Powerhouse Chappell Roan

In an unprecedented mismatch, this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival pitted the indomitable Chappell Roan against a relatively unknown Rhode Island R&B singer named mike.

"If you don’t know the words just mumble along to make me feel better about this," mike. told the exceedingly sparse crowd at the Honda stage, the emptiest this stage has been in 17 years of ACLs, even for a morning slot.

mike. revealed he was a last-minute addition because no other artist wanted to compete with Roan, whom he dubbed "Lady Gaga 2.0." Throughout his set, mike.'s music and Roan's hits like "Hot To Go" and "Pink Pony Club" blared discordantly across Zilker Park.

mike.'s music is a blend of R&B and hip-hop, reminiscent of Post Malone but with a beefier twist, courtesy of his former baseball career. He joked about being "hard to Google" and wore an Arch Manning jersey to appeal to the local crowd.

Despite technical difficulties and a small audience, mike. remained self-aware and humorous. "I feel like we coulda did this right in my backyard," he said. He interacted with fans, dubbed "Steves" in his online community, and even invited some onstage for beers and photos.

He covered hits by Chumbawumba, Lou Bega, and The 1975, and revealed he briefly lived in Lake Travis. His penultimate song, the platinum-certified "These Days," was a highlight. mike. expressed gratitude for the opportunity to perform, stating, "I don’t care if there’s four people here. I don’t take the opportunity to do this for granted at all."

After finding viral fame and reality TV spots, mike.'s strategy is clear: keep working. Even against powerhouses like Chappell Roan, he persists.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.