I got to attend my third music festival of the year: Austin City Limits and it did not disappoint. Held the first two weekends of October in Zilker Park, ACL showcased a multitude of artists, local food and vendors, and how Austin does music festivals. Check out my video below to see what my first ACL was like!
ACL: the cheaper (yet better) version of Coachella
Don’t get me wrong I love Coachella. I went for the first time this year and had the time of my life. I think ACL has Coachella beat for these reasons: reasonably priced tickets, food and drinks, similar yet more diverse lineup, not as crowded (weekend 1 more crowded than weekend 2 but nothing compared to Coachella), festival logistics, overall vibe and atmosphere of the festival.
We love Austin
It might sound weird but ACL is such an “Austin” festival which if you have ever been to Austin you know what I mean. Austin is such a unique city that prides itself in being weird and being local. This festival is no different in showcasing that through staples of Austin food at ACL Eats area to local vendors selling their products, art pieces, and more. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. There was cheap drinks but if you wanted to treat yourself you could go to the Beer Hall for craft beers or the Wine Lounge for frozen sangria and the rose of the day.
The location of Zilker Park is so spacious to house 8 stages I never felt like there were too many people. This festival was SO clean, there were volunteers enjoying the festival but also keeping the park clean and picking up constantly which is so different, but nice. Attendees could also enjoy an incredible view of the famous Austin skyline while watching some legendary artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Killers. The overall vibe of Austin was so fun and relaxing. As a lover of EDM festivals, it can be a lot hearing wubs and drops for 8+ hours on end. ACL was nice to see a multitude of genres and discover new artists. Half the time my friends and I sat in the grass and just enjoyed the music.
The Music
I was compelled to purchase a ticket the moment I read Red Hot Chili Peppers, Martin Garrix, Chance the Rapper, and The Killers. Also more motivated to see some of my favorite artists again like The XX (always incredible), Zhu, Rufus du Sol, and Louis the Child. I like a good balance in my lineup to see some artists again as well as artists I haven’t seen before. Seeing Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Killers fulfilled my inner child soul that I will always cherish. I grew up listening to both artists it was unreal I got to experience seeing them both live. I sent so many videos to my dad cause I was so excited. The Killers ended the entire festival with Mr. Brightside, I was by myself in the crowd but with everyone singing it felt like one big family of a crowd.
Another standout for me was Chance. the. Rapper. Sometimes an artist takes you to church where you just feel cleansed from their music. This is how I felt seeing Chance. I don’t listen to rap too often but he’s def in my top list when it comes to this genre. His set was amazing and soulful. The production of his band and backup choir really brought all of his music to life. I was also with a friend’s boyfriend who was so excited to see Chance and seeing him burst with happiness seeing his favorite artists also made me happy.
Other Performances
Some other performances that I checked out were in the electronic realm (of course) with FINALLY seeing Martin Garrix (missed him at Coachella and EDC), Zhu, Louis the Child, and Rufus du Sol. If you ever see these names on a lineup you should do anything to see them. Zhu brings his own stage, plays and sings live and had a live guitarist and saxophonist. Louis the Child will make you feel so happy. Rufus will always put you in the feels and take you to euphoria.
I also took the time to see artists I may have heard of once or not at all. Run the Jewels gave a very energetic and rowdy performance I was pumped for. I hadn’t really listened to them before. Broods was another one that I had heard of once. She put on an incredible performance definitely check her out. Finally the most surprising of all was a band called “Rainbow Kitten Surprise”. I checked them out mainly to meet up with a friend but also wondered why an artist was called that. I was actually surprised (get it) by their music and performance and the energy they gave.
ACL is a festival in a league of its own. I will definitely try to go every year. It was nice to attend such a huge festival in the city I live in and be able to come home to my comfy bed. I highly encourage anyone to go and will be bugging my friends for the next year to come visit me for next year! Subscribe for more festival adventures to come!
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