Austin City Limits is arguably Texas’s biggest music festival, and one of the greatest events any Texan should attend at least once. This year, I was lucky enough to come out and experience the festival myself. As a first-timer in both ACL and festivals, I had no idea what to expect, but it ended up one of the craziest and energetic experiences of my life!

Day 1 - Getting Familiar

I got to the festival Friday Afternoon, by way of free shuttles that the festival provides for the weekend. Immediately as I made my way through the gates, the realization that I was about to experience something new for the first time was settling in. I made a few laps around the festival, taking it all in and getting familiar with where everything was. I could feel the buzz as I walked through the crowds, catching murmurs of who they were excited to see. I walked past the incredible local food shops they had lined up, taking note of what to check out during the weekend.

I made my way to the T-Mobile stage for my first show of the weekend, kicking it off the best way with Role Model. Now, I wasn’t too familiar with his music, but I couldn’t shake how captivated I was with Tucker’s stage presence. He was cracking jokes in between songs, and was playing off the crowd's energy. To me, he was cementing to be one of

the greats in putting on a great show. The stream could not capture how insane everyone went when the “Sally” was revealed to be none other than Hilary Duff! It immediately set the tone for how special W1 was aiming to be!

I then quickly ran over to the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage, a smaller, shaded area, adjourned with several disco balls hanging overhead, to catch Confidence Man. When their song “Gossip” came across my recommended tracks, I knew I had to check them out live the moment I could. As I got closer to the stage, I could hear the funky bass lines and electronic riffs, and began to see the crowd bumping up and down. Every song had its own unique choreography that caught me completely off guard! In between songs, the lead vocalists, Janet Planet and Sugar Bones, would leave the stage to change outfits, leaving Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie, covered in hoods, to riff and keep the party going. My favourite outfits were Janet’s light up cone-bra (?) and Sugar’s vest adjourned with lights as well. They somehow brought the energy of a nightclub at 2AM to a set during the daytime.

*Confidence Man by Frankie Vergara for ACL*

As their set finished, I made my way to the Ladybird stage, directly across from Tito’s, as I got ready to catch Dr. Dog’s set. This was the first time I took notice of the incredible visuals that the ACL team would be bringing to the video panels on the sides of the stage. I was taken aback by how cinematic it all felt, a part of me thought “Okay, they have no reason to look like this”. Whoever was working the cameras and the visuals for the weekend, I see you, and I applaud you!

After catching a few songs, I made my way to one of my personal highlights, Empire of the Sun! What can be said about them, they are one of the greatest bands to ever do it, and if you’ve seen videos or pictures of their sets, you know it’s going to be nothing short of extraordinary. Even then, it doesn’t prepare you for what’s to come. I was obsessed with the eccentric outfits that they donned on the stage, and loved how visual it all was. I love when artists get creative with the lights and props on stage, especially in a time where most artists opt for a video panel behind them, as minimalism has taken over. This could not be more untrue when it came to their set. Sorry to anyone who had to catch the live stream, this set was one for the books. The crowd was lively the entire time, never a dull moment.

With their set coming to an end, I took some time to take in a little more and do one of my favorite things, which is people watching. At the heart of ACL, it’s the people, the fans, who all came to experience their favorite songs and bask in the power of music. I saw people in matching costumes, like one group dressed in Banana costumes, another dressed as wizards, even a couple dressed like Kratos and Atreus from God of War. There was even a lady who just got married and was there in her wedding dress! I could not think of a better way to celebrate!

With night falling on Day 1, I planted myself at the T-Mobile stage to check out what Hozier was cooking up. I was stunned by his performance. Hozier managed to make a massive headliner show feel like an intimate set. The vocals on him are nothing short of jaw-dropping. I loved the colorful palette he had on stage, but also loved when the video panels would shift to B&W during certain songs (A/V Team y’all are killing it), enhancing the experience. The show packed a punch, and I won’t forget the sound of his voice during “Too Sweet.”

I decided to end my first night at the Silent Disco over at Tito’s. I was curious to see what vibes we would be having over there, and as I put on my headphones, I knew the people were having a great time. The headphones had three color frequencies, Green, Red, and Blue. Green was EDM/Electronic, Red was 90s-2000s hits, and Blue was a mix of old and new hip-hop tracks. There was a solid mix of colors across the people there, which was a good sign that each DJ was having a little bit of everything for everyone. As I got my boogie on, I would occasionally take my headphones and giggle to myself at how not loud this was, the concept of silent discos is still so silly to me, but I was having too much of a good time grooving to care.

As I was starting to be drenched in sweat and dust, I decided to call it a night. Making my way back to the shuttles, I caught a bit of Luke Bryan’s set in passing, and was surprised by the turnout. Everyone was singing along, even some of the security (I hope that doesn’t get you in trouble)! I got a few photos taken at the ACL signage and flags, a huge shoutout by the way to the ACL team, who helped me get great photos to show to my mom. I got on the shuttles and got my much needed rest for Day 2.

Day 2 - The Big One

As I boarded the shuttles to the gates, every other person had something inspired by Sabrina Carpenter, with outfits ranging from vibrant yellows and blues, to red and white checkered. I took notice of how much more buzz there was in the air, as it was clear a big chunk of the attendees were here for Ms. Carpenter. Everyone else’s outfits were equally exciting, as I saw many with The Strokes merch on, and others with creative western outfits, truly capturing that “festival” look.

I started Day 2 making my way to the LadyBird stage to get myself a great spot for Alemeda, my first set of the day! Her set had so much energy, and she was connecting great with the audience. The crowd may have been small, but they were giving it their all, as was she. Her last song, an upcoming tune with Doechii, had the crowd jumping, and it was clear she made a bunch of new fans during her time.

After Alemeda, I walked around to watch people once more. Again, more and more people were pouring in, adorned with their best Sabrina inspired outfits, it was almost a sea of checkered at one point! I had the biggest laugh as I walked by “The Big Tent” which was planted next to the Miller Lite, and saw panels playing college football. A huge group of guys and dads were all posted up, doing the dad stance, as they were wearing their Longhorns attire. I thought this was the funniest thing ever, ACL truly has something for everyone. I kid you not, so many of them stayed there the entire time, as I recognized some of them as I walked past it later in the day.

Finishing up my people watching, I cruised my way over to the American Express stage to catch Olivia Dean’s set, off a recommendation of one of my friends (thanks Laura!). I shimmied my way to the side of the stage and got a great view of the video panels, once again loving the visuals. Her set was electric, I may have been unfamiliar, but what a show! I really loved hearing the sounds of her live band, as I could really tell they were making magic up on stage. Sometimes a band has so much synergy and you can quite literally feel it in your bones, that’s what they brought to the stage. As she commented on how hot it was and made sure to remind the crowd to stay hydrated, I made my way over to the Press Lounge as I was getting ready to meet with Mexican electronic dance group, Midnight Generation. You can read the full interview here, but to give you a summary, these men from Mexico were getting ready to put on a classic the next day.

Finishing up the interview, I headed back over to the LadyBird stage, and got me barricade for a much anticipated set, Magdalena Bay. Imaginal Disk is easily one of the greatest pop albums to release in the past year, and after seeing videos upon videos of their sets, I knew I could not miss this. Waiting for their set gave me a great opportunity to meet the crowd. Around me, I had a bunch of self-proclaimed Magdalena super fans, and I quizzed them on their favorite songs, all of which passed with flying colors. I also was surrounded by fans who were eager for Ladybirds headliner, Djo, many of whom had not heard of Magdalena, but I assured them that they would be fans after. As the time for them to come neared, we were treated by the sounds of Marina over by the American Express stage. It was so cute seeing everyone turn around and sing along to her set, and I do not blame them, “Cuntissimo” is a banger and sounded insane all the way across the field!

Magdalena Bay finally hit the stage and oh my goodness, what a performance. They performed most of Imaginal Disk opening tracks, with my personal highlights being Death and Romance and Fear, Sex (my personal favorite track). I loved the wacky and creative props they had on stage, as well as the masks that lead singer Mica and producer Matthew would wear. Mica’s several outfit changes were ethereal to say the least, each one getting more whimsical and beautiful after another. Hearing everyone’s murmurs of approval as they went on let me know that they were a hit. I cannot wait to catch them later in Houston, as this set had me itching for more.

With Magdalena Bay coming to an end, the stage started filling up as everyone was trying to get a spot for Djo, who was my personal most anticipated set of the entire weekend. I had been a fan of Djo since his time with Post Animal, but he never toured in Houston, so I knew this was my chance to finally see him. Decide and The Crux have been on repeat since they came out, so I was ecstatic that I once again had barricade. While waiting for him to come out, we could hear the immense bass coming over from Doechii over at Amex. I scooted to the side to get a better view and immediately jaw dropped as I saw her outfit, which took huge inspiration from Missy Eliot. The stage was adjourned as a swamp, which was fitting for the Swamp Princess herself. The video panels were black and white, adding to the hard-hitting aspects of a lot of her songs. The bass was so bumping, even from across the lawn I could feel my ear wax jiggle. People were complaining, asking “Does she really need all that bass?” and yes, yes she absolutely does. The craziest thing about her show wasn’t her pants ripping in the middle of the set, but the intense and downright insane breath control that she had. I get winded climbing up the one flight of stairs at work, Ms. Doechii what is your secret?!

As her set came to a close, the energy shifted back to the LadyBird stage, as Djo made his way onto the stage. Gosh, the goosebumps I got as he was bathed in red light and the opening chords of Awake played, a very recent release from the deluxe version of The Crux. As soon as the climax of it hit and the stage began flashing with white lights, I knew I was in for something I’ll never forget. I had seen videos of Djo performing since when he was still parading around in a wig, but he has never performed at a level like this before. Arguably, it could be one of the most impressive sets he has done. As mentioned before, I love when artists take full advantage of a stage, and Djo absolutely was. The lights and the strobes were a performance in and of their own, with intense strobe lights during “Uglyfisherman” and a beautiful spotlight down on him during “Charlie’s Garden”, with the light taking the place of his good friend Charlie Heaton. I loved that he showed love to the other artists during the stage, with him yelling “Sabrina!” getting an insane applause…was this a teaser for what was to come later? Once again, I have to shout out the A/V because his set on the video panels looked insanely gorgeous and cinematic, and when rewatching the set, the team truly was able to capture how it felt being there live. Beautiful orange hues and purple casts galore, I don’t think I took a breath once. And yes, I did sob my eyes out as he played “Egg.”

He closed out with his biggest hit, “End of Beginning”, and disappeared into the night. The moment the last note hit, people immediately began calling for an encore, but alas, don’t think they allow those at a festival. Nonetheless, everyone knew what time it was… Sabrina Carpenter! Lucky enough, I didn’t have to travel far to meet the crowd, as the crowd was practically at the LadyBird stage already! I was able to once again shimmy my way across to the side stage and got a decent view of her set. It looked quite similar to the sets we saw during her Short n Sweet Tour, which is going to be forever iconic. As the opening beats of Busy Woman hit and she took the stage, I was starstruck. You know that scene in Blade Runner 2049, the iconic “I can fix you”? Yeah, that’s exactly how I felt looking at the stage. I mean, there’s a reason she’s one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. She quite literally shines. I was so in awe that I did not even take a video of her set, I was too locked in. The crowd was going in, as they would chant her name in between songs, and cheer along to her on stage banter. I loved the fireworks she had go off during “Because I Liked a Boy”, as well as a surprise visit from none other than Shania Twain, where they performed “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”

Sabrina Carpenter by Alfredo Flores for ACL

Remember that teaser I mentioned earlier from Djo’s set? Yeah, he was Juno arrested! I don’t think in a million years I would have guessed it was going to be him! The second he was shown on camera, my friend watching from home started blowing up my phone, we both were in shock! He was a bit too eager to get arrested…but who could blame him! As she finished “Juno”, I decided to make my way to the shuttles, but not without stopping by The Strokes!

I loved the walk towards their stage, as it was so surreal hearing Sabrina’s music fade out as The Strokes began to fade in! I got there as they were playing “Someday.” People can be so cute, as I saw so many people on the outskirts of the massive crowd dancing in their own worlds, without a care. It’s moments like that that create memories that will last a lifetime. They sounded amazing, and it hit me that I was seeing them live because I had never gotten the chance to catch a show. I texted my brother about them, and he said he was immensely jealous that I was seeing them (sorry Jesse, let’s hope they tour soon).

As I made my way to the shuttles to get some more much deserved rest, it really set in how special Day 2 was, as I knew this would be an experience I would carry forever.

Day 3 - Goodbye… for now

Before I get into Day 3, I would love to take a moment to shout out the incredible staff and crew, as well as the volunteers, who helped make ACL possible. I had trouble getting scanned in on Day 2 and 3, and the staff was quick to get me taken care of and inside the fest without a hitch. The free shuttles were quick and very accommodating, the drivers were incredibly nice and everyone was very thankful for their assistance. The staff inside the festival were always helpful and making sure everyone was having a good time, any moment where I had a question, someone was always close by to assist. The security team near the barricades were handing out water regularly, some of them even spraying us down with water during peak times to ensure everyone was safe and hydrated. I wanted to ensure their work didn’t go unnoticed here as they were the ones that helped make it an unforgettable experience.

Day 3 was the earliest I got, as I was eager to check out my first set of the day, Lamont Landers! I recently got into him and instantly became a fan! His music is such a blast from the past, yet still feels incredibly modern. I knew his set was not going to be one to miss, and I was right! Adjourned with a live band, it was one of most sonically impressive sets of the entire weekend! Again, it felt like magic was being created on that stage, and it was so nice seeing people in the crowd being surprised by so many moments during the set. If you had not heard of him, you need to get on that yesterday!

*Lamont Landers by Dusana Risovic for AC*

As his set came to an end, I hurried over to the BeatBox stage to catch Austin’s very own Geto Gala, a hip-hop duo made up of Deezie Brown and Jake Lloyd. Their set was

nothing short of energetic. An immensely underrated talent, they bring a mix of that classic southern Texas sound with the modern sounds of hip-hop today. Everything about their set screamed Texas Proud, with lots of Texas inspired background lighting up the panel behind them. The set was nothing short of a vibe, and it was really nice seeing some hip-hop up on the stage.

Day 3 was keeping me incredibly busy, as soon as Geto Gala finished, I ran over to the American Express stage, where Haute & Freddy, one of the coolest new acts I have come across, were putting on a set that was going to be iconic! I started to realize this day had a lot of sets that were blending time periods and sounds, and nothing could sum that up perfectly than Haute & Freddy. You could hear the surprised murmurs of the crowd as lead singer Michelle Buzz and producer Lance Shipp took the stage, dressed in jester outfits, as if they were coming straight out of a Renaissance painting, but with a sound that took you back to the 80s and 90s. As they got the show started, you could see the crowd start rocking with them and grooving. Haute & Freddy demand your attention, and boy did they get it. I almost squealed with excitement as Freaks came up because that song has been going triple platinum in my car. Easily became one of my favorite sets of the weekend. I’m no Sabrina Carpenter, but please, please please, add Haute & Freddy to your radar!

With their set coming to an end, I stopped by the ACL eats and grabbed me a bite of Gus’s World Famous Chicken…and man! Yea, that deserves the title of “World Famous” because holy &$%!, was that some dang good chicken. Where has that been my entire life? With a full belly and a smile on my face, it was time for another one of my most anticipated sets, Midnight Generation!

Again, this day was showing the blend of different eras, and Midnight Generation felt like being transported to old discotechs of the 80s. The comparisons to the sounds of Daft Punk and Prince are apt, but Midnight Generation is clearly creating their own path and blending the sounds that inspired them to the sounds that will inspire. The Tito’s stage was packed out, and people were getting their boogie on! I loved seeing their matching jackets and shorts, and was taken by surprise when they busted out choreography during the songs, which was met by immense applause from the crowd. Even while writing this, I’m being transported back to the set and can hear the funky synth lines playing in my head. ACL is the place where the stars of tomorrow are given a chance to shine, and boy were they shining bright.

The next set was the toughest split I had to make all weekend, because what do you mean I was torn between Feid, Passion Pit, and T-Pain?? Alas, I had to go with T-Pain, I mean come on! It’s T-Pain. Boy am I glad I did. T-Pain has already cemented himself as a legend, but my goodness what a performance it was. You knew he was going to put on the set of the night when he came out in this insane pink and blue western gear and a black cowboy hat, with a saloon as his backdrop. I was caught off guard with how many hits he has, like he really had a hand in all my childhood songs, although I probably should not have been listening to “I’m N Luv” or “Blame It” as a kid, but it just draws you in. I lost it when he covered “Tennessee Whiskey” and “Don’t Stop Believin”, which he absolutely killed by the way. It felt like I was transported to a club in 2010, and I did not want to leave. As the final call came for his set and he began closing out, I hurried to what was going to be my final set of the weekend, which was looking to be the most insane one yet.

Obviously I’m talking about John Summit, who was taking over the T-Mobile stage. As I came from T-Pain’s, I was able to get myself a great view from the side. I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the high-octane performance I was about to witness. First off, what the heck was his budget?? ACL, are y’all good? Pockets have to be hurting after this one! I mean, pyrotechnics, fireworks, massive strobes, lasers, that could not have been cheap! The craziest part was that as much energy Summit was putting into the set, the packed out Austin crowd was giving it right back to him! I don’t think the huge grin ever left his face. This had to be what people felt when they experienced Alive 2007 by Daft Punk, because I felt like I came out a new man. Trust me when I say this, there’s life before a John Summit set, and life after. I’m really enjoying the life after.

*John Summit by Taylor Regulski for ACL*

My first time at ACL was nothing I ever could have anticipated, from high energy sets, to beautiful swooning intimate moments with the festival goers, this was an experience I never wanted to end, and I am incredibly thankful to the team for having us out! Till next year!

Austin City Limits Weekend One: Energy, Music, and Memories Galore!

Day 1 - Getting Familiar

Day 2 - The Big One

Day 3 - Goodbye… for now

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