ACL 2024: Final Guess Post

I've seen some noise that the announcement for this year's ACL lineup is going to pop off on May 7.  A little later than usual, but I'm sure it is just because it is harder to negotiate for a joint show between Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., U2, and Willie Nelson all at once.

So, I need to come up with my final guess post, so that I can be held accountable by the like 3 people who will have read this.  Important shit!  Here we go!

The "Big Tours" analysis brought me to: The Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews Band, The Black Crowes, Zach Bryan, AC/DC.  Lollapalooza poster analysis brought me to: The Killers, Skrillex, and Future x Metro Boomin.  My post about folks who are appearing on lots of other festival posters brought me to just one name - Post Malone.  And I got an e-mail the other day that makes me think that Killer Mike will be here (even if not really a headliner).  So, let's see if my thoughts have changed on these folks.

• The Rolling Stones.  So, they were just here in Texas t their tour's opening stop in Houston.  They don't come back to Texas on the tour - it is honestly a really short tour - so an ACL date could be the big deal.  But, as of now, the tour stops in mid-July, making me think that they are likely just going to do that short little tour and then go back to the nursing home.  Going with a no here.
• Pearl Jam.  God, I hope I am right.  Their tour has a gap from September 29 (the Ohana Fest doubleheader) and November 8 in Auckland.  To me, that gap is a huge blinking red light telling me to go with my heart and believe in a thing called love.  They haven't been here in a while for ACL, and they have a new album to pimp.  Yes.
• Bruce Springsteen.  Was he here in 2022?  Feels like so long ago.  He's in Europe until August, when he gets back stateside.  And then he has a fat gap in his schedule from September 15 to October 31.  Just the right size for some ACL dates!  This would be an absolutely massive get for the Fest, but I have trouble believing that we would get both PJ and BS.  So my official guess will be no, although my heart wants to guess otherwise.
• Dave Matthews Band.  The Woodlands and Dallas in late May/early June, and the last date of the tour on September 29 for a festival in Maryland.  COME ON.  I swear I am not trying to make the whitest, oldest perfect lineup for myself here.  But again, this feels right?  Going with it.
• The Black Crowes.  Hell yeah, this would be rad.  The new album is pretty solid!  But then, heartbreakingly, this is almost certainly a no.  They have a Saturday of Weekend One show in Knoxville with Aerosmith, then Friday of Weekend 2 in Atlanta.  I'm sure they could pull off a jaunt to Austin real quick in there, but then they actually come to Austin with Aerosmith on November 6.  Gotta be a no.  Booooo!
• Zach Bryan.  I wonder if this dude is finally cooling off - like, tickets for his shows this summer were outrageous a few months ago.  NOPE!  Floor seats are still $525+Fees.  Son of bitch!  Well, he still has a big old gap in his tour between August 26 to November 22, so it feels like he is ready to show up yet again.  He's been here a lot, it feels like to me, but I also guarantee my girls and all of their friends would want to see him again.  Yep.
• AC/DC.  Well, their tour right now never makes it to the States at all.  They bop around Europe and peter out on August 17.  Plenty of time to show up here.  I just don't feel it right now.  My gut tells me no.
• The Killers.  On the other hand, my gut tells me this is a lock.  Which bums me out.  But looking at their schedule, they have a conflict in that they will be playing three straight Mexico shows on 10/3, 10/5, and 10/9.  Now, they could shoot up to Austin and play 10/4 or 10/6 for weekend one, and then have weekend two entirely open.  Or they could be a weekend two exclusive thing.  Either way, they just feel inevitable.
• Skrillex.  His tour ends in August, so he has the time.  But he has no new music, and I had sort of forgotten that he even exists.  I guess he's as good of an electro guess as any.  Sure.
• Future x Metro Boomin.  They play Houston on 8/22, San Antonio on 8/23, Dallas on 8/24, and then the tour ends on Sept. 9.  They absolutely have the time and space and are avoiding Austin despite many of the big rap tours coming to Moody Center recently.  Yeah.
• Post Malone.  So hot right now.  On the new Beyonce.  On the new Taylor Swift.  In the new Roadhouse.  I still don't care for it, but I know that the younger folks sure as hell do.  His tour dates end on August 9, so I can see it.  I'll keep this as a yes.
• Killer Mike.  He's not a headliner by any means, but I got an e-mail with his touring dates in it and he's got a perfect break between September 29 and October 15. He's also showing up for Lolla. Feels like he is a lock.
• This wasn't something I remember looking at before, but I got it in my head that Neil Young and Crazy Horse might be on the poster because they are on tour and make sense to me.  But no, they'll be here in Austin in September.  Oh well.

So, final guesses - Post Malone.  Pearl Jam.  Future x Metro Boomin.  Skrillex.  Zach Bryan.  The Killers.  Killer Mike.  Dave Matthews.  I am definitely hoping that there is another major thing they will sneak in there for me, but I'd be pretty cool with whatever so long as Pearl Jam is really on the map.