Day two of Austin City Limits taught me that covering a festival requires interview preparation, a charged phone and apparently the stamina of a track athlete. Between back-to-back conversations in the press lounge and the sets I was determined to catch, I spent a considerable amount of Saturday speed-walking across Zilker Park. Occasionally, that became a sprint.
I arrived at noon again and headed straight to the press lounge to get ready for work. After bringing one of my favorite security staff members some coffee, I settled in to prepare for the interviews ahead. My schedule was packed, and I wanted to give each conversation the attention it deserved.
First up was Common People, who were so chill and easy to talk to. They brought thoughtful answers and a fun energy that made them a great way to begin the day. Starting a busy interview schedule with people who make conversation feel effortless is always appreciated.
Next, I spoke with Barton Hills Choir director Gavin. He was insightful and inspiring, and I loved getting to hear his perspective. From there, I met with Flor Bromley, whose gentle presence made me feel immediately comfortable. She was incredibly sweet, and there was a warmth to our conversation that stayed with me afterward.
Temper City rounded out that stretch of interviews. They were cool, a little edgy and straightforward in a way that made talking with them feel natural. Moving between such different artists was one of my favorite parts of the day. Each conversation had its own personality, and I enjoyed figuring out where it would take us.
Then it was time for my first major sprint: the American Express stage for Young Miko.
She was the performer I had been most excited to see that day, so I wanted to get as close as possible. It was incredibly hot, and she looked so stunning that I would have appreciated my phone cooperating for documentation purposes. Unfortunately, it overheated and decided its shift was over.
I could not record nearly as much as I wanted, but I knew most of the songs and had the best time singing along. I also managed to stay for her entire set, which felt like an accomplishment with my schedule. For that stretch of the afternoon, I got to enjoy being in the crowd.
Immediately afterward, it was back to work—and back across the park—for my interview with lluvii.
That conversation ended up being one of my favorites. They were fun, sweet and so easy to talk to that the interview hardly felt like work. I left with another band firmly on my list of artists to keep watching. Although my schedule meant I missed their set and Common People’s, I did catch videos of both performances while in the press lounge.
Next came a visit to the BMI VIP lounge, where I caught Disko Cowboy before his set. The atmosphere was nice and relaxed, which I appreciated after spending so much of the day rushing between places.
Naturally, I followed that brief moment of calm with another sprint.
This time, I was trying to catch the remainder of Lola Young’s set. I had only seen her perform once before, so I was excited to hear her live again. I managed to catch around five songs before meeting my friend and heading all the way over to the T-Mobile stage for Lorde. It was a short visit, but I was happy to have worked her into the day.
While we waited for Lorde, we were close enough to Levity’s set that it practically felt like we were attending that, too. I had not been familiar with them beforehand, but everyone around us was vibing. When you are hot, squished and waiting for another artist, having a nearby set keep the energy up is a gift. Whoever planned that stage placement deserves a raise.
Then it was finally time for Lorde, who was, of course, amazing. After spending the day checking my schedule and racing between interviews and performances, getting to finish the night watching her with my friend felt especially good.
Saturday was a doozy. My phone gave up in the heat, I crossed the park more times than I care to count, and I still could not catch everything. But I left with conversations I was excited to write about, new artists to follow, and a full Young Miko set in my memory, even if considerably less of it made it into my camera roll.