ACL 2024: Weekend ONE: SUNDAY: Schedule and Thoughts!

I have tried to reduce some of the bloat in these schedule posts so that you can just get the goods.  Once I have these schedules ready for weekend one, I'll try to type of a few posts about the food and the drinks and the map and logistics.  As usual, you can click the name link for each artist below to see my full post on them and find out more about each artist.

Here we go - Sunday, Weekend One:

12:10/12:15/12:30

Miller Lite	DeathbyRomy: Unpleasantly dark pop after you get past her one hit
BMI	Marley Bleu: Lovely little R&B song (and for now, just the one)
IHG	Chief Cleopatra: Rock-forward R&B sound from a local gal
Tito's	The Levites: Gospel time
T-Mobile	Cale Tyson: Fort Worth County Guy Gone Drum Machine Nashville/L.A.

Meh.  Maybe just keep watching the NFL games that come after the early morning England one here...  If forced to pick, I might go with Tyson and see what he chooses to stick with.

12:55/1:15 (the times are so weird, sorry this gets difficult to parse)

Honda (12:55)	Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners: One monster, if short, hit, and then a pretty good set of indie rock tunes
AmEx (1:15)	Empress Of: EDM and Spanglish pop time

I doubt I'd be here this early, but if so, I'd choose the oddly named Richy.

1:30/1:40/2:00

Miller Lite (1:40)	FLO: R&B girl group who sounds just like the other ones I can remember from the 90's
BMI (1:40)	Deyaz: Bummer tunes done in a lovely way
IHG (2:00)	Petey: TikTok star through wholesome funny videos also makes pretty solid synth rock
Tito's (1:30)	West 22nd: Local college boys bashing out some fun indie rock
T-Mobile (2:00)	Malcolm Todd: Super lo-fi bedroom pop/rock guy that I already can't remember

Sorry, I know that is an awkward group of bands spread out over times, but there are not normal start times anymore.  Very staggered.  But this hour is tough.  Maybe Petey would be entertaining, or just go watch the college kids smear their way through a set?

2:25/2:45

Honda (2:25)	Misterwives: That band with the infectious disco-ish Reflections song from 2017
Tito’s Tent (2:45)	Glass Beams: Funky Khruangbin Vibe with Middle Eastern flourish
American Express (2:45)	Flipturn: Great indie rock pleasantness with a distinctive voice over the top

All three of these could be acceptable in my sight.  If I had to choose one, I think I'd go with flipturn.

3:25/3:45

Miller Lite (3:25)	Medium Build: New album is nice Americana, old stuff is less interesting bedroom pop indie
BMI (3:25)	Vlad Holiday: Bedroom pop over hip hop-ish beats and some slower chillwave
IHG (3:45)	Myles Smith: Vibey, folky soft rock that is lovely if not very sticky
T-Mobile (3:45)	Bakar: Top tier vibe guy making surprisingly enjoyable indie rock

Well, after previously fearing that I overuse Strokesian, I think it is now apparent that I overuse "lovely" as well.  Oh, and "vibe" too.  Someone buy me a thesaurus.  Lots of good choices here.  if forced to pick I think I'd probably go with Bakar, but I could also see Medium Build.

4:25/4:30/4:45

Honda (4:25)	Orville Peck:  Weirdo, formerly anonymous, dude making country curious tunes
Tito’s Tent (4:30)	David Shaw: The Revivalists singer making similar tunes without the normal band
American Express (4:45)	Cannons: 80's tinged synth pop formed from Craiglist

All three of these should be really great.  I am certain that I will end up with the Revivalists guy, but I really have enjoyed listening to Orville Peck.  He's great.

5:25/5:45/6:00

Miller Lite (5:25)	Jess Glynne: Strong, soulful voiced Brit singer over dance beats
BMI (5:25)	Tyler Halverson: Low-key Americana tunes with very good lyrics
IHG (5:45)	Kevin Abstract: One of the main BROCKHAMPTON guys aiming for more singing and less rapping
Tito's (6:00)	San Holo: More generic EDM
T-Mobile (5:45)	That Mexican OT: Cool mix of Tejano culture and southern hip hop

Pretty sure for this hour you could walk onto the stage with any of these folks and just hang out as they sing a personal message directly to you.  Because every other person in the park will be crowding into the AmEx zone to get ready for the next hour.  Here is what I think - Glynne has an amazing voice and I'd bet her show is fun.  Halverson is talented and should grow in popularity.  San Holo in the Tito's Tent will probably be fun as hell.  That Mexican OT is definitely different from anything else here this weekend, and ought to be a good time.  if I had to choose, I might say Halverson for 30 minutes and then wander over to San Holo and get sweaty.

6:25/6:45

Honda (6:25)	mike.: Ex-baseball player stud, previously called Mike Stud, doing mediocre Post Malone cosplay
American Express (6:45)	Chappell Roan: Feels like the future mega-star act of the year

Fascinating the way that Chappell ran everyone off out of this hour - only the dopey last minute addition of mike. can act like there is someone who could compete with her.  I'd really like to see it, but at the same time I worry about the pain-in-the-ass factor of getting into the crowd.

Also, there is the fear that she isn't even going to show up.  Roan just cancelled her festival dates for this weekend, the weekend before ACL, based on a need to get her mental health right.  That sounds bad to me for our chances!

7:25/7:45

Miller Lite (7:25)	Kehlani: Generic poppy R&B with a parental advisory sticker on it
IHG (7:45)	Qveen Herby: Very generic pop rap with a clever bar here and there
T-Mobile (7:45)	Dom Dolla : EDM guy

That is a cursed hour.  I guess I'll just grab a taco and head over to Sturgill.

HEADLINERS:

Honda (8:25)	Sturgill Simpson: Fantastic torchbearer of the type of Country I love
Tito's	Silent Disco
AmEx (8:45)	Tyler, the Creator: Very odd rapper, singer, and weirdo

Sturgill is the easy call for me.  I really do not enjoy Tyler.  But also, I have to say again that these setlist times for the headliners is bullhonkey.  1:15 from Tyler for the end of the Fest closer?  he can't even put together a two hour set?  Disappointing.

ACL 2024: WEEKEND ONE: SATURDAY: Schedule and Thoughts

I have tried to reduce some of the bloat in these schedule posts so that you can just get the goods.  Once I have these schedules ready for weekend one, I'll try to type of a few posts about the food and the drinks and the map and logistics.  As usual, you can click the name link for each artist below to see my full post on them and find out more about each artist.

Man, Red Rocks is so freaking cool.

Here we go - Saturday, Weekend One:

11:55/12:05

Miller Lite	Godly the Ruler: Art-noise-type aggravating rap and post-punk emo singing dreck
BMI	Obed Padilla: Beatmaker using some good ones on himself
IHG	Promqueen: Overly cutesy pop/rap in both English and Vietnamese
Tito's	ShxwnFresh
T-Mobile	PawPaw Rod: Distinctly funky mix of hip hop, soul, and indie pop

Starting before noon makes for a crazy long day, so I don't know that you'll find me here this early.  That being said, I think both of those bottom two are legit talented dudes who make some good music.  You won't go wrong with either.

EDIT - Looks like Zach Person got cancelled, DAMMIT!  There is now a rapper named ShxwnFresh playing the Tito's Tent at 12:35, but in listening to his top song for a minute, that is a no thank you.

12:40/12:50/1:05 (why can't we just have a single start time?)

Honda (12:40)	The Criticals: Strokesian, loose, enjoyable rock and roll
Tito's (1:05)	empty now
AmEx (12:50)	Goldie Boutillier: Shape shifting gal seeking out the winning formula in a pop-influenced alt country

Another hour where I don't think you can go wrong.  All three of these were enjoyable, I guess it would just depend on what sound you want for this hour - pop, rock, or alt-country?

EDIT - they shifted everything now that CAAMP bailed.  That SUCKS.

1:25/1:35

Miller Lite	IDKHOW: Glammy 80's inspired rock from an ex-Panic! guy
BMI	Sawyer Hill: Deep-voiced rocker from Arkansas who feels right for Austin
IHG	Valencia Grace: Unmemorable pop singer with a nice voice that can Adele at times
T-Mobile	Geese: Wild NYC art rock with a few too much dissonance for my taste

Man, I really wish that was Goose and not Geese.  I think the IDKHOW show will be a fun time, but I also think that Sawyer Hill is legit.

2:05/2:10/2:20 (they really don't line up the bands anymore...)

Honda (2:10)	Something Corporate: Emo pop punk that probably should have remained in 2002
Tito’s Tent (2:05)	Zach Person: Blues rock goodness in the vein of Gary Clark Jr.
American Express (2:20)	Lola Young: Strong voiced Brit singing hard-edged and confessional pop

I don't even know here.  I guess Zach Person?

3:05/3:10/3:20

Miller Lite (3:10)	Say She She: Three classically trained singers over the top of Nile Rodgers funk
BMI (3:10)	Telescreens: Strokes-ian sloppy rock and roll coming after some terrible early stuff
IHG (3:20)	Spinall: Nigerian DJ funking it up with his Afrobeats
Tito's (3:05)	Brittany Davis: Blind musician making hip hop-inspired jams and offbeat sounds

T-Mobile (3:30)

The Beaches: Poppy garage rocking ladies

I fear I am overusing Strokesian.  The Beaches are my choice out of this hour, but I could see any of these being pretty fun.

4:10/4:20

Honda (4:10)	Teddy Swims: Soulful tattoo monster who went from YouTube covers to one huge hit
Tito’s Tent (4:20)	Elyanna: Arabic pop that is otherwise pretty generic Balthvs: Khruangbin copycats from Columbia
American Express (4:20)	CAAMP: Folksy Americana with a bunch o' banjo and several legit bangers Eyedress: Kinda jenky bedroom pop heavy on the new wave synths and basslines

Caamp all day and twice on Saturday.

EDIT - WELP, looks like it is Teddy Swims time.  CAAMP just cancelled their show.  Freaking sucks for sure.  As part of that, it looks like they juggled the whole day and so I needed to fix a bunch of these hours.  Looks like they didn't add anyone new, they just kicked Elyanna off of today and moved some other crap around.

5:10/5:20

Miller Lite (5:10)	Still Woozy: Mediocre electronic indie that reminds me of that awful "Gooey" song
BMI (5:10)	Rett Madison: Under-the-radar belter with some excellent, if sometimes very sad, lyrics
IHG (5:20)	Wave to Earth: Really lovely South Korean indie pop/soft rock (that seems weird to be here)
T-Mobile (5:20)	Hermanos Gutierrez: Instrumental guitar magic

Weird hour for this late in the day - none of these feel like the right timing.  I think Madison is great, but I think I'd likely end up wanting to see the brothers do sweet guitar things.

6:10/6:20

Honda (6:10)	Benson Boone: Sounds like a boy band refugee, with a strong voice and great lyrics
Tito’s Tent (6:20)	Kenny Beats: DJ guy who will apparently just play a bunch of other people's rap snippets
American Express (6:20)	Khruangbin: Funky instrumental goodness

I still don't understand how Khruangbin is a headliner of a major festival, but whatever.  I'd choose them here.

7:10/7:20

Miller Lite (7:10)	Jungle: Grooving funk soul
IHG (7:20)	Vince Staples: Great flow from an odd rapper with critical love
T-Mobile (7:20)	Renee Rapp:  Pop bubblegum from an actress-turned-belter

Bummer here too, because I think a Jungle show is probably a lot of fun, but I also think Vince Staples is the best rapper on this poster.  Game time decision, I guess.  But not Rapp.  That is not good.

HEADLINERS:

Honda (8:10)	Pretty Lights: Honestly enjoyable electronic background music
Tito's	Silent Disco
AmEx (8:20)	DUA LIPA: Disco pop bubblegum somehow at the top of the ACL poster

Not excited about either of these, but I guess at the end of the day I expect I will end up at the Lipa show just because she is the supposedly big superstar.  It would have been so great for one of the Friday night headliners to be here so that there was something to look forward to.  And actually, I just finished listening to a massive three hour set of Pretty Lights, playing this supremely cool venue in Tennessee called the Caverns, and it was pretty cool.  Maybe I'll wander that way instead.

ACL 2024: Surviving the Fest!

I've done this for a few years running, and people have told me it was useful, so here you go again.  There are some new rules about what you can bring in to the Park.  So even if you don't want to read this post, go check out the rules for what you can bring into the Fest.  It is definitely different. And you'd hate to get all the way to the front of the entry line and then have to throw away your stuff or go back to the car. 

This post is all about how to survive the weekend.  You may be an old hand, and know exactly how to manage your ACL like a boss.  But I know it helped me to get tips from those who had been before, so here are mine.

First things first, let it go.  Just relax, man.  You likely aren't going to get to see ALL the bands you want to see.  You probably won't get as close as you thought.  You are going to have to wait in line.  Someone is going to step on your toes.  That dude next to you will smell.  The port-o-potties will be foul.  You will get smoke in your eyes.  Someone with a moronic Big Head of Michael Jordan crying with some witticism on it is going to block the stage during your favorite song.  There are going to be tens of thousands of people in your way for the next three days.  Don't panic.  The point of this whole thing is to have some fun.  Breathe.  Take what you can get and it will be great. 

Once you have that in mind, what to do next?  Here are a couple of pointers from me, with new observations first, for what they're worth:

• Backpacks/ bags.  New rules - You are not allowed to bring a real backpack or bag into the festival anymore.  It can ONLY be: (1) clutch/fanny pack (6x9 inches or smaller, and only one pocket); (2) clear plastic, but small (no larger than 12 x 12 x 6); or (3) an empty Camelback bag, but no more than two pockets in addition to the one holding the water sac.  
• So, pretty much, don't bring a bag!
• Bag Free Line.  I had always evangelized for the bag free line - just leave the bag at home and roll past the lines, but it might not be as big a deal now that bags are going to be more restricted.  If they have the bag free line, use it and get in quicker.  No lines = more music action.  Also, the ACL people say that peak hours for entry are 3-5 pm, so probably avoid those times if you're in a rush...
• NO LIQUIDS THROUGH SECURITY.  This is another change from previous years.  You used to be able to bring in sealed bottles of water, but now you cannot bring any sort of liquid into the park.  Which kind of sucks.  
• Parking/Transportation.  I have tried just about everything in the world in the past to get down to Zilker.  The absolute best is finding a friend or a child who will do you a solid and just give you a ride.  In my opinion, the Austin High side gate is the better drop off spot.  Thoughts about the rest, in order of usefulness:
• Uber is generally good for dropoff at the Austin High bridge.  Make sure they are heading to this entrance though, because the traffic on the Barton Springs side can get awful.  It is much harder at the end, when a million people want those same rides and surge pricing is in effect.  My move for a while has been to squeeze into Deep Eddy and have a pitcher while we wait for the rush to die down.  Mean Eyed Cat also works for this.
• Shuttle from Downtown.  Picks up at Republic Square Park where the Federal courthouse sits.  Have done this a few times and it is honestly really easy and never too crowded.  YOu have to find a place to park downtown though...
• Driving Yourself.  The parking is just so hard to predict.  You can search now and reserve parking spaces in garages, which is much better than just hoping there will still be a spot at the Austin High parking lot or whatever.  Don't park in the neighborhoods, those folks will absolutely tow you.
• Bird Scooters etc.  Probably fine to use to get there, but one year I thought I'd be able to grab one to get back downtown at the end of the night, and enjoyed a looooooong walk down the hike and bike trail instead.
• Kids.   They reduced the age for the freebie entry for kids - kids eight and under get in for free.  That used to be ten, and I feel like it even used to be 12 before that.  Which is too bad.  No way any of my kids can pass for eight anymore!  To the extent you are looking for any parenting advice from me, which is likely not the case, I find it a good idea to have a talk with the kids beforehand to explain that shit is going to be wild in the park.  There are going to be ladies wearing questionable clothing (or just painted boobs in one case).  RENEE RAPP is going to yell all of the bad words.  People will be drinking and smoking and lord knows what else.  Personally, I think preparing them for the storm is a good plan to increase your fun.  Also, I think it is a good idea to explain to them that they aren't going to know any of the bands, so they need to open their minds and experience some new stuff.
• Cell Phone Service. AT&T service is still terrible.  An illustrative anecdote - the Texas v Kansas State game was playing a year or two ago.  I am trying to get the score, and my phone won't send a text, won't access the web, won't pull up the ESPN app, nothing.  Meanwhile, a dude next to me is literally streaming the game, holding his phone up for the crowd to see.  I asked him who he used, he said Verizon, which caused the girl next to me to pipe up that she too was on Verizon and was sending text messages regularly.  Just note that if you have AT&T, you are likely going to have no service at peak times in the park.
• You might also just consider switching to Airplane Mode after about 4pm - you aren't going to get texts anyway, so you can save the battery for the Lyft order later in the night.
• Be Friendly.  Tens of thousands of people are in the Park with you.  I think you can definitely have more fun if you are nice to those around you.  Smile and say hi to the people around you. You may meet someone cool, have a fun talk, score a tip about a new food choice or band, whatever. If you bump into someone, apologize and smile.  If you are standing up to watch a show and someone short is standing behind you, offer to let them get in front of you - you can see over them and they aren't just looking at your big dumb head.  My friend Jason is the king of that one.  Pick up your trash. Don't cut in line.  Don't muscle your way up to the front of a show because you were late. Help people look for something they dropped.  Be cool if someone just NEEDS to squeeze up three feet closer to see the sweat on Vince Staple's brow.  Just be nice.  Sooner or later, you might need someone else to be nice to you.
• Sunscreen.  Dude, just put some on before you go, and take at least a little with you.  You are going to freaking fry, as there is no shade by any of the stages.  Maybe you can cozy up to one of the fences and snag 10 minutes of shade between shows, but just know you will be in pure sun all day, unless you go watch football all day like a weirdo.  And don't bring spray sunscreen, they'll take it away at the gates.  lip balm with sunscreen is a nice add as well.
• Chairs.  In my opinion, don't waste your time.  If you need to sit, you have an ass for that.  Otherwise, you are having to schlep those damn things all over the place, and can't sit close to stages (they have chair-free zones close to the stages), and its just a whole thing.  Unless you plan to camp out all day in a special spot with your buddies and your flag, just leave them at home.  
• Bathrooms.  My apologies to the ladies who need to sit in those foul port-o-potties, but for the dudes, they have added in a trough system that lets you unload the #1 in a quick and easy open air spot, which makes for few (if any) lines.  Good stuff.
• Booze.  The days of sneaking in liquor are over for me - way too hard now.  But, they actually have liquor in the park now, so that is pretty fun.  The big Barton Springs Beer Hall is not just the Big Tent, and I assume it is because you can get liquor there now.  
• Booze II.  Also, take it easy on the booze (or drugs).  Even if you are taking an Uber home and have no worries about driving at the end of the night, you will be dehydrated and tired and dumping a ton of alcohol into your system could end badly. Don't be the guy passed out and getting stepped over all day.  Don't make the people around you suffer through your drunken freakout while they are trying to enjoy their music.  Don't add barf to a crowd.  And for that matter, why get so drunk you forget the show?  You paid to go watch music - you could get hammered at the house for free. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some beverages throughout the day, but everyone else there will appreciate a touch of restraint before you get to blackout stage or street-fighting-man stage.
• Drugs.  I know this is going to come off as some OK Boomer stuff, but don't just take someone else's drugs.  There are too many stories going around right now about kids taking a pill that they think is one thing, but ends up being something much worse.  Just please make sure you know what you are doing.  I love you.
• Water.  You are NOT ALLOWED to bring water in anymore.  You can still bring empty camelback/Nalgene/YETI to fill at the water stations.  You need water, man.  Yes, even you 20 year olds.  You are going to be in Texas heat all day long.  We might have a slightly cooler time this year (please?!?!), but you'll still be active all day wandering around and standing.  You will sweat it all out and need more.  Don't be dumb.  And buying the LIQUID DEATH cans of water for $4 is a little silly when the Fest will refill a container for free.
• Smoking.  The website says that smoking is not allowed at Austin City parks.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  This may be technically true, but know that everyone there is going to have a backpack of weed and American Spirits and they are going to smoke everywhere.  You will see three-year-old children rolling joints in the Kiddie Limits area.  You will smell cannabis smoke at the gospel show on Sunday morning.  Cops will see all of this and not care.  There will be a pack of 12 year olds passing around a 7 foot tall bong shaped like Yao Ming and passing out, and a cop will walk through their smoke cloud to ask you where you got your taco.  That being said, their website now says that all vaping and e-cig devices are banned.  I don't know if they will enforce this, but know that the website says it is prohibited.
• Gear.  You may need a stack of gear, but I am the type to just want to be free of encumbrances.  If you bring a bag, they are going to search you at the door and then that hot, heavy thing is going to be on your back all day long.  Just bring good shoes for standing all day (flip flops are a terrible idea - someone will stomp your toes immediately), a cool shirt that is going to breathe as you sweat through it for ten hours, your phone (with an extra battery if you have it), sunglasses that you don't care about in case they get lost, and a hat.  Otherwise, leave everything at home and life will be simpler.  Oh, and selfie sticks are banned, so leave that trash at home too.  Also, no coolers, no hammocks, no umbrellas, no drugs, no drones, no spiked jewelry, and no bikes.  
• Earplugs?  I have yet to give in to the intelligent maneuver of protecting my hearing, and for the most part, even when I have been up close, the music has not been too terribly loud.  However, if you get stuck right in front of any of the speaker walls, you are going to wish you had something to shove in your ears, because that can be killer. Just food for thought here.  Also, the ACL website says that the information booth will give you some if you forget.
• ACL Cashless.  Do it.  This allows you to link a credit card to your wristband.  It is awesome.  Originally, I preached caution, and I still would, as you can rack up a million charges and not really be paying attention to your spending, but it is very convenient.  Also, unless they streamline some since last year, know that it isn't terribly easy to do the scan and pay move.  After you scan your wristband, you still have to interact with a jenky iPad clone to navigate a tip/don't tip landmine screen, usually with your server standing there smiling at you over some huge cleavage and 850 people in line behind you.  High stress moment.  I was never entirely sure what I did at any given time - the screens seem to reflect all natural light directly into your pupils for maximum confusion factor.  Also, make sure you remember your PIN!
• Rendezvous point.  I have had a hell of a time getting text messages out once the late afternoon and evening roll around and the park fills up.  Also, your phone battery will likely be super taxed as it tries to hunt down a signal and/or re-send the 12 messages you sent your buddy about grabbing one more beer on his way back from the can.  So, plan ahead and just expect that your phone may die and you might need to meet back up with your friend or kid or ride at a certain predetermined spot in the park.  Be careful using the flags that people raise to mark their spots, as those move and they are also sometimes duplicated.  I had a super annoying conversation with someone via text one time where both of us were "just to the right!" of a pink flamingo. Too bad there were two pink flamingos on sticks at that show.  it is easy to get separated, so have a predetermined spot to meet.
• Getting Close.  I know that you may not care or you may want to be comfortable, but from experience, you are going to have a significantly more fun time if you are in the middle of people jamming the tunes rather than way in the back with the people who are dicking around on phones or talking instead of paying attention. Standing off to the back left of Chance the Rapper, very boring, but the huge crowd in the center of the stage were pumping their hands and jumping and appeared to be having a great time to the same music that was boring me.  I'm not saying you need to wait all day like the weirdos who camped out for the Weeknd a few years ago, but just know that there is real energy in a lot of those shows that you miss when you are a mile away.  Try it out.
• Thievery.  I have heard a lot of anecdotal stories about folks having stuff stolen at the Fest - especially girls having their cell phones pinched out of their back pockets while they are watching a show.  WHICH SUCKS.  Asshat thieves.  So, since fanny packs are allowed in this year, maybe a little fanny pack is a good idea to store the cell phone?  Either way, just be aware!

Looking forward to it!  If you spot me wandering around, holler at me!  Hope these are helpful and that you have fun!