13 years of living in Austin, and this year was my first time going to the Austin City Limits music festival. Whether it was nitpicking over the setlist or psyching myself out over the price tag of the ticket, I’ve somehow spent more than half of my life in Austin, without once visiting one of the city’s largest spectacles. With my senior year in progress and no clue how far post-grad life will take me from Austin, I decided this year was finally the year. I went on the Saturday of Weekend 2, and here are my thoughts:
Since I only went one day, I started pretty early, around 2pm (doors open at noon). Upon finding a map, the first thing I did was orient myself and make a beeline for the food court. With a walking taco in hand, I began to meander along the grounds. Many of the event’s sponsors had stalls with freebies, and there were photo ops scattered throughout the whole festival. They’re definitely worth a visit, especially if you get the weekend pass and have 3 days to explore the fairgrounds.Â
One free coke, free energy drink, some candy, an Aperol spritz themed fan and a thousand pictures later, the first musical set I watched was Balu Brigada. I only knew one of their songs, but the vibes were great, and it was a good chance to bathe in the sunlight and decide what shows I wanted to see for the rest of the day.Â
Next up, I got to see Lasewo, a pop-EDM group. A friend of mine recommended them to me, and it did not disappoint. I don’t know much about their style of music, but I wanted to try something new and fun, which it definitely was. The crowd was electric, and so was the group. Their show was around 3pm, so the sun was still out, and it was getting quite warm, but I can only imagine how much harder the strobe lights and pyrotechnics would hit come nightfall.Â
The next two performances I watched were Suki Waterhouse and Young Miko. Both artists were performing at the same time, so I was only able to catch half of each set. Suki Waterhouse was great (and her outfit ate), and I was glad to get the chance to hear some of her newer music. It’s a lot more upbeat than I remember her music being, and I definitely added a few to my playlist.Â
I won’t lie, the first time I heard any of Young Miko’s music was when I was listening to a playlist of artists that would be at ACL. I don’t speak a lick of Spanish beyond what I learned in high school, but I’m a firm believer that you don’t need to know the words to enjoy music. Her stage presence was phenomenal and the music was incredibly hype. Plus, the weather was finally cooling down. I could finally feel my energy coming back.Â
At this point, I was hungry again, and made another trip to the food court for some snacks and a cool drink. Pro tip: pour the leftover ice from your drink into your reusable waterbottle before refilling at the hydration station – boom, infinite cold water!Â
After the food and shade break, I went to the Bleachers set. Honestly, I was only invested in hearing Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call, and thank goodness they played it. It was life-changing to scream-sing with the rest of the crowd. Their energy was impeccable (there was a lot of jumping around the stage), and I was introduced to a lot of new songs.Â
I was regretting not getting more to eat earlier, but by now, it was so crowded that I could either choose to spend the next hour before the headliners start in the bathroom line or the food line. I opted for the bathroom line. Comically enough, as I waited, I was able to catch a decent amount of the Levity set, complete with lasers, strobes, and acid-trip-reminiscent visuals. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime bathroom experience.Â
Finally, the last show of the night, and the one I was most looking forward to: Lorde! Like basically every other pop-loving young girl, I grew up on her music, and I was so excited at the chance to see an artist who barely tours live. This ACL performance was also her last show of the world tour she’s been on, which made it really special. Getting to jump along to the songs that have defined and redefined moments of my life along with friends and strangers who feel the same was so invigorating. Royals was nostalgic, Supercut and Green Light were so exciting, Liability was emotional as expected, and Ribs was the most fitting closing song.Â
Overall, I would rate my first ACL experience a success. I loved getting to see so many performances in one day, and discovering new artists, genres and new songs from artists I already knew I enjoyed. It was truly unforgettable, and now that I know what it’s like and how to prepare, I know I’ll be coming back.