Photo by Gillian Wisniewski
After a long 2 years, AC/DCs Powered Up Tour finally landed in Houston at Reliant Stadium on August 31, 2026. Not only did this concert leave the crowd speechless, but in complete shock of the power their music had. Angus Young, the lead guitarist, and Brian Johnson, the lead singer, lead the show and took their fans through all the different stages of their career. Their setlist contained songs from 12 of their albums, providing a variety of their hits to bring out the energy from everybody. Before they hit the ground running, however, The Pretty Reckless opened up for them to get the crowd all warmed-up.
Led by their frontwoman Taylor Momsen, The Pretty Reckless introduced their set with “Death by Rock and Roll.” They continued to perform without interruption, including songs such as “Since You’re Gone” and “Follow Me Down.”
The back of the stage displayed a large backdrop of their band name. Beneath the backdrop was the drummer who sat with guitarists stationed on both sides as well. While the band was rocking out, Taylor would interact with each of them to get them to dance for the crowd. Nearing the end of their set they played “Make Me Wanna Die” and “Heaven Knows,” two of their most popular songs. As their set ended, the crowd simmered back down, and anticipation rose for the long-awaited arrival of AC/DC.
After a short intermission, the lights went dark and Reliant Stadium echoed with the sound of motorcycle engine roars.
The only light seen in the stadium was the red from fans’ devil horns atop their heads. Soon flames immersed the screens and red lighting flooded the stadium completely. A car on screen drove into the reliant stadium as the guitar introduction to “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” took over the speakers. Each member went on stage and Johnson immediately got everyone on their toes. Fans roared with excitement to welcome AC/DC to Houston for the night.
Following their introduction AC/DC immediately dove into “Back in Black,” where the fans overpowered the volume of the band itself. Back to back, Johnson would introduce the next song with a greeting to the audience and short remarks on a song. The stage lighting and screen had special details for each song. The song “Demon Fire” had flames on screen during the song until they engulfed the entire screen. There were no stage props or anything- except for a singular song in particular.
The song that needs no introduction, “Hells Bells” began for all to hear, the crowd went up in a roar.
A bell labeled with the words “Hells Bells” came down from the top of the stage. With Johnson and Young performing together and walking down the stage, the crowd was loving the enthusiasm they were providing.
As their setlist continued, the songs ranged from a variety of their albums. The most notable songs that gained the highest of screeches from the audience included “Highway to Hell,” “Jailbreak” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” The crowd was electric all night long, even with their breaks. Ironically though, near the end, “High Voltage” brought everyone who was sitting down back up again to jam out. This momentum kept the crowd for the rest of the set, including more hits like “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and “Let There Be Rock.”
Without fail, Johnson ended each song with a very loud and grateful “thank you,” while Young had his signature guitar solo to draw out the end of each song- and then ended with a jump in the air. As they said their thank you’s and goodbyes to the crowd, an uproar for an encore began to wave through each section. The chants went on and on until the introduction to “T.N.T.” blasted through the speakers. They rocked out for two more songs and topped it all off with “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You).”
Parting with their final and official goodbye, AC/DC left everyone within the Reliant Stadium with the memory of their songs, their music and their legacy. Ears were ringing from how loud the music was, and with that pain comes the greatest memory of all- to see one of the greatest rock and roll bands perform in the heart of Houston.
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