There’s hardly a bad excuse to visit Austin, Texas. Whether you’re attending a college, visiting a friend, starting an internship, or simply passing by for the night, it’s always a guaranteed good time. The state might have its own nightmare issues, but this gem of a city is truly an American diamond. Having said all that, if you’re galloping in for a music festival, then shit padnah, you’re not only going to have a ball, you’re gonna be the ball.
South by Southwest, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and Austin City Limits. Pick one, pick all, you can’t go wrong. However, if we’re being choosy, the first one’s overwhelming, the second pops up a bit too close to the holidays, and the last gig … well, shucks, it’s kind of perfect. Set during the first two weekends of October, ACL offers a Texas autumn that burns bright during the day and chills over by evening — the purples and oranges are a sight to see.
View weekend two poster here.
So, even if they booked a lineup headed by Ted Nugent, Seether, and Bruce Willis performing The Return of Bruno, it’d be well worth your money. There’s a friendly atmosphere to Zilker Park that’s breezy and remote without feeling altogether spacey, if that makes any goddamn sense. Fortunately, we don’t have to fret over those acts because C3 Presents… has assembled a far more compelling lineup that should satiate the most argumentative festivalgoer out there.
Still, there are definitely a few blemishes to the two-weekend palooza, which is why we sat down with both lineups over the past 24 hours and sorted out the highlights, the surprises, the omissions, and, yes, the least interesting of the bunch. As my father used to tell me after reading my grade school book reports, “You could do better, Mike,” and that advice applies to ACL, even if their festival will most assuredly be exhausting in all its awesomeness.
In hindsight, seeing Bruno live wouldn’t be so bad, huh?
–Michael Roffman
Editor-in-Chief
