ACL 2025: The Eats!

See the three tabs above for the daily schedule thought posts!

I know I talk a lot about the tunes, that is why I go.  And so, usually, I end up just scarfing a quick bite in between shows rather than taking a lot of time in the food lines.  But you also gotta pay attention to the food you can get in the Fest - key thing to think through before you walk in the door.  Actually, this year, it feels like they increased the number of vendors by a lot!  I wonder if that is real or just my perception.  Here is the full list.

Although what I really want is for them to release a list of what each booth will sell.  Hard to know how pumped I might be about El Patio, when they could fire up some plain saltines and salsa like back in the day, or they might fire out some weird enchilada.  You never know!

You will eat well at this festival.  They do an awesome job of bringing legit local food folks out there to offer a wildly diverse menu, from pizza and burgers to ethnic and back to BBQ. I know for most of you, it is no longer a big deal to see legit food available at a festival, but I'm old enough to have suffered through Willie's Picnic at the big field beside Luckenbach, where your choices were like cold, stringy turkey legs and cheese whiz nachos.  It ain't cheap, but you can probably do two meals for about $30 total (plus $800 in beer) for a good day at Zilker.  Or you can bring your kids and watch them blow through $300 in food and yet refuse to finish any of it because it "tastes funny."  Whatever!  Wheeee!

The original Eats zone is still over there between the Tito's tent and the Big Tent (on the river side of the park), and then the smaller Eats space is still over by that Beatbox stage that is across Barton Springs Drive from the rest of the park.    They also added in an ACL Sweets zone, which can be found on the map near the Kiddie Limits area.  The goobers at Tribeza seem to think that the South end one is new, but not true.

One great piece of news - Mighty Cone is BACK BABY!  Those things are awesome.  They have a chicken and a shrimp, and I recall destroying several every year.  Great crunch on the fried protein, plus a tasty sauce, some slaw, and a bad, hard tortilla.  Yummo.  However, I note that many of the usual best taco places are GONE - no Taco Bronco, no Torchys, no Taco Deli - many of the good ones from prior years have evaporated.  BUT, looks like lots of maybe more authentic things popped in their place like Cuantos Tacos, La Santa Barbacha, or Taqueria Los Regios.

Awesome Things I Have Had And Can Vouch For:

• Burro Grilled Cheese.  I've eaten these things several times and they are freaking good.  Those little King's Hawaiian rolls with cheese melted inside are mighty tasty!
• Pizza Rolls from Austin's pizza.  Easy, greasy, and good.
• Happy Chicks tenders are fried perfection.  Nothing swanky or weird, just good.
• Hawk's Hot Chicken.  Got the little hot nuggets and they were great.  Hot from the frier and good spice level.
• Koko's Bavarian is very good - grabbed one of the buttery, soft pretzels and it was money!
• Veracruz All-Natural is amazing - if they have the miga's taco go for it.

Not Awesome Things:

• Chi'Lantro Kimchi Fries.  $8.  This trailer used to be right across the street from my office and it was awesome.  They pretty much serve that one kind of meat 7 or 8 different ways.  The burger, with a fried egg on it, is so fantastic.  But that wasn't an option here, so I went with the fries.  I recall them being less than warm, and kind of sad and soggy underneath the yummy kimchi.  Mediocre.
• Also had their chicken taco one year, and the meat was pretty cold.  Kinda nasty.
• Lonesome Dove Austin.  I can't recall what I ordered, but I remember thinking afterwards that there was no line at that booth for a reason.
• I'm sad to put them here, but East Side King used to be my jam.  The Poor Qui Buns were amazing, but they aren't on the menu now.  They also do fried chicken thigh chunks that are sometimes awesome, but usually overly crunchy, like they were cooked 8 hours ago (and then just kept warm).
• Shawarma Point.  The pita was dried out and cool, and the meat is more like a ground meat thing and not sliced off of the trompo.  We also got felafel bites and they were rock hard.
• Skull and Cakebones - Double Smashburger.  Soggy and unappetizing.  They had a super short line (I wonder why?!?!?) so I went with it but it was pretty gross.

Assuming I can tear myself away from Mighty Cone, here are some things that I want to seek out to try:

• I was to try Cuantas Tacos real hard.  I'd heard awesome things about it
• Salt & Time is good in its brick and mortar location?
• New Pizza thing in the BIG TENT where you get the beer - Bambino pizza.  Sounds good to me!
• Mama Fried is interesting solely because of the name.  I dig it.
• NADC Burger (not a damn chance) has been getting a ton of buzz for their brick and mortar smashburger.  Sounds yummy.
• Honestly, a ton of new things that sound interesting - Coat & Thai? Brotherton's BBQ?  Jab's Burgers? OKO?  T-Loc's Sonora Hot Dogs?

As for actual eating, know that it is a grind to get the best stuff during the usual eating times. Now that Torchy's is gone, the major lines are at the pizza places - the kids want their pizza! But also the taco places get long lines - the word is out and the tourists want to eat the tacos.  This is one of the reasons I used to just go with the burger - for ease - they have them ready and you just snag, pay, and roll along.  And on hot days, the sno-cones and popsicles and whatnot are going to have insane lines.  So, half of the time, my eating decision ends up being based not on what I want the most, but on what has the shortest lines!

Also, regardless of how tired you are of standing, you likely are not going to get a spot to sit in the shade by the food stands unless it is an off time.  Usually, every seat in the big eating tent is occupied by some large group of bored-looking college kids who are texting each other and fanning themselves.  They aren't eating, but when you glance around with food in hand, hopefully scanning for a spot to sit, they do not move, or offer their seat, they just continue to chew their gum and stare.  I love the youth.  

The new food area by the Beatbox stage did not have any seating or tents in which to eat, it was just a place to buy the food and shove it into your gullet.  The map appears to reflect that again this year.

There are a handful of other weird things you can get, like Amy's ice cream or snocones or cake pops or bananas covered in stuff or juice or popsicles, but I'm not about that stuff.  I want fuel to get me to the next show and soak up my beers.  I AIN'T GOT TIME FOR THE BULLHONKEY BANANA COATED IN PEANUT DUST!  GIMME MEATS AND CHEESES WRAPPED IN CARBS!

ACL 2025: The Weather Forecast

Calls for pain.  Straight, pure, uncut pain.

Straight sunshine (maybe a little cloud cover on Friday, but Saturday and Sunday look to just be scorched earth death parties all day long.  SWEEEEET!

Public service announcement with this in mind - take in some electrolyte powders!  I know this sounds like some advice from a person who still has AOL dial-up Internet, but last year there were definitely people passing out and a good friend had to bail on the Fest half-way through because they felt so terrible.  Just grab some pedialyte packets or liquid IVs or whatever, and keep your system going strong so that you can pour loads of beer in there with a few pizza rolls and hamburgers.  HEALTH IS MY THING!

ACL 2025: Surviving the Fest

The daily previews are up above this, in those tabs!  Go check them out!

I've done this for a few years running, and people have told me it was useful, so here you go again.  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:

• New Weird App!  If you pull up the ACL Music Festival App from last year, it is still showing DUAL IPA and Tyler. the Creator.  Apparently, you have to download The Festiverse App in order to build the custom schedule and whatnot this year.  I'm sure they will sell my information to the Russians and I am going to start getting invitations to the Electric Daisy Festival every day now.
• Backpacks/ bags.  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 (but a little further of a walk).
• Shuttle from Downtown.  Picks up at Sand Beach Park at the corner of Walter Seaholm and Electric Dr. That is on the other side of the train tracks from Trader Joe's in Seaholm.  Odd spot, honestly.  Did this back when it ran from Republic Park, 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, or pre-buy spaces at Austin High or Zach Scott.  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.  Just tough to predict.
• 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).  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 Doechii'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.  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 now 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.
• 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.  It is easy to get separated, so have a predetermined spot to meet.
• 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.  Someone tried it on me last year while I was in a scrum to get out, I felt their hand searching for my pocket and elbowed the hell out of them.  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!

ACL 2025: 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.

Sunday has the pleasure of one of those early NFL games in London.  Unfortunately, its the Vikings vs. the Browns, so not a lot of excitement inherent in that matchup unless you really dig part-their-prime QBs.  But either way, you can get up at 8:30 and enjoy some football action while you prepare for the final day of joy!

Interesting - to me at least - is how few changes have happened to the lineup.  I know losing Doja Cat and gaining The Killers was a massive one, but usually by now I am having to catch up on a bunch of last minute additions to the poster and scramble to revise the schedule.  I wonder why?

Here we go - Sunday, Weekend One:

12:15/12:45/1:00

T-Mobile (12:45)	Lamont Landers: Soulful belting from an Alabama gingah
BMI (12:15)	Aaron Page: R&B that is deeply on my nerves
AmEx (1)	Hey, Nothing: Truly great emo-indie by two younguns who harmonize with feeling

One less band than the day before is a boooooo.  Not going to stress about getting into the park for these, but if I did, it would be for hey, nothing.

1:30/1:45

Miller Lite (1:30)	Chezile: Smeary bedroom pop that is really bothering me more than it should
BMI (1:30)	Tyler Ballgame: Got some Roy Orbison in him with classic sound and great voice
Beatbox (1:45)	Geto Gala: Local rappers joining forces

Tito's (1:30)	Disciples of Christ: Four gospel ladies from Houston (not the rap group, the hardcore metal group, or the world music group)
Lady Bird (1:45)	Flowerovlove: Unremarkable synth pop

It is Tyler Ballgame here for me, but do not read that as a strong and powerful endorsement.  Might be interesting to hear, but none of this hour is just lighting me up.

2:15/2:30/2:45 (they got the times tighter today)

T-Mobile (2:15)	Anderson East: Powerful white boy soul
Tito's (2:45)	Bebe Stockwell: Sometimes a little Americana, sometimes a little Adele
AmEx (2:30)	Haute & Freddy: Overly theatrical 80's synth pop by veteran songwriters

Yeah, man, whatever.  Maybe wander into the Tito's tent and see what she's got?  Or, I guess, Anderson?  Sure.  Dunno.

3:15/3:30

Miller Lite (3:15)	The Dare: LCD Soundsystem-esque party pop
BMI (3:15)	Chuwi: Spanish stuff from Puerto Rico
Beatbox (3:30)	Lucius: Harmonies for dayyyyyys, over the top of good indie pop
Lady Bird (3:30)	Royal & the Serpent: Gothy, unpleasant electropop with some heavy metal snips

There we go - an actual thing I want to see!  Loogit that!  Also, the LCD Soundsystem wannabe might be a fun show.

4:15/4:30

T-Mobile (4:15)	Rainbow Kitten Surprise: One of the worst names in rock makes great rock like old Kings of Leon
Tito's (4:30)	Midnight Generation: Disco-fied Daft Punk electronic pop from Mexico
AmEx (4:30)	Wet Leg: Excellent indie rock ladies with some danceable jams

Freaking rude, man.  You give us just hours of dreck all morning long, and then the two rock shows are stacked against each other?  WTF.  Wet Leg wins the contest for me - loving the new disc - but I would have enjoyed RKS as well.

5:15/5:30

Miller Lite (5:15)	Disco Lines: EDM
BMI (5:15)	Zinadelphia: Winehouse-y throwback belting that gets too much for me
Beatbox (5:30)	Wild Rivers: Folky Canadians who have come around to a poppier, cleaner sound
Lady Bird (5:30)	Gigi Perez: Excellent indie rock lyrics with a surprising voice

I'd pretty well got for either of those last two.  Wild Rivers is probably more appealing overall, but the hit song from Gigi (Sailor Song) is pretty damn good.

6:15/6:30

T-Mobile (6:15)	Feid: Reggaeton/Urbano in Spanish
Tito's (6:30)	Passion Pit: Synth pop falsetto guy with two big hits from last decade
AmEx (6:30)	T-Pain: The King of Auto-Tune

What a great hour for there to be a rock and roll show!  Too bad they are all at 4!  I think the Passion Pit show is probably my aim here - go get sweaty in the tent!  But I'm not tied to either...

7:15/7:30

Miller Lite (7:15)	Polo & Pan: Very French electronic music
Beatbox (7:30)	Phantogram: Moody synth pop that is higher on the poster than I expected
Lady Bird (7:30)	Mk.Gee: Hard-to-compartmentalize guitarist experimenting in woozy alien vibes

I've gone back and listened more to both Phantogram and Mk.Gee recently, and am more on board with both of them now than when I first dug through their stuff.  Not sure why.  I'd be down with either of those here.

HEADLINERS:

T-Mobile (8:15)	John Summit: EDM
Tito's	Silent Disco
AmEx (8:30)	The Killers: Massively popular alternative dance rock in the Oughts, even with no new music they ought to be fun

Killers.  All day.  Every day.  I know that almost all of the kids are just going to pivot from Doja Cat to Summit, but to me that is a huge downgrade.  At least Doja Cat does something!  if she can be bothered to attend, at least.  Should be fun to sing along to the Killers classics again.

ACL 2025: 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.

Saturday we get the fun of college football at the same time as the musical action.  Not sure yet about kickoff times, but you'll have Texas at Florida, a maroon-off with Miss St. at A&M, and a top ten face off with Miami at Florida State.  Hopefully one of those is the 11am game so we can catch some action before the first tunes.  If I remember, we'll adjust this with good game times.

Here we go - Saturday, Weekend One:

12:15/12:45/1:15

T-Mobile (12:45)	Hotline TNT: Wall-of-guitars, shoegaze-adjacent, but really tuneful and great
BMI (12:15)	S.L. Houser: Solid local indie rock (and you can hire her for lessons!)
Tito's (1)	Animal Arcade: Local folks doing some disco-tinged, funky rock
AmEx (1)	Sydney Rose: If Phoebe Bridgers only did whispered confessionals

I doubt I'll make it to the park this early, but I really would love to see Hotline TNT.  I have kept them in my rotation after listening to them for this festival, and I dig it.  Really weird though, I just went on Spotify to grab songs of theirs for the playlist, and all of their old music has evaporated on Spotify.  All they have listed now is one live EP.  BOOOOO!

Animal Arcade was a new add, taking that Tito's Spot from Next of Kin, who had to talk the spot of Orions Belte.

1:30/1:45/2:00

Miller Lite (1:30)	Mallrat: Lesser Lorde
BMI (1:30)	Inoha: Bright pop rock fun from San Antonio
Beatbox (1:45)	The Heavy Heavy: Retro soul-tinged rock and roll perfection

Tito's (2)	Orions Belte: Mostly instrumental grooves walking a line between Black Keys and Khruangbin Next of Kin: Three local singer-songwriters forming into a harmony-soaked Voltron
Lady Bird (1:45)	Alemeda: Supposedly rock, but more like alternative R&B to me

Too bad, really, because I would have enjoyed Inoha or Orions, but I have really enjoyed jamming the Heavy Heavy over the past few months.  That's my choice.

Mallrat just got added in here - I didn't do a new review, but it looks like they were here in 2019 and I reviewed it then, so that is what you get!  And too bad that Orions bailed - they were interesting!  Yoke Lore also got pushed to later in the day!

2:15/2:30/3:00

T-Mobile (2:15)	Spacey Jane: Indie rock and pop rock bangers from, again, Down Under
Tito's (3)	Don West: Throwback soul from another Aussie
AmEx (2:30)	Olivia Dean:  Powerful neo-soul singer winning awards back in London

Honestly, all three of these hold some appeal.  I think my initial lean would be to Spacey Jane, but Don West is real dreamy looking and Olivia Dean feels like someone who could actually become huge because of her voice.

3:15/3:30

Miller Lite (3:!5)	Ocean Alley: Reggae-tinged rock grooves from Down Under
BMI (3:15)	Clover County: Country that veers into a folky pop at times, but sounds great in either
Beatbox (3:30)	Joey Valence & Brae: Wanna-be Beastie Boys sound like fun
Lady Bird (3:30)	Celeste: Great British power soul singing like a Winehouse or Adele Yoke Lore: Unremarkable indie synth pop by a former member of Walk the Moon

Another unicorn hour where pretty much every choice can be the right one (except not now that Celeste got yanked).  I've gone back to listen to Ocean Alley a few times since the review was long done, I just like the groove.  Joey Valence & Bray are funny and whack.  The other two are also very good - so really, just what do you feel like here at mid-afternoon?

4:15/4:30

T-Mobile (4:15)	Modest Mouse: Delightfully weirdo alternative rock
Tito's (4:30)	La Lom:  Instrumental bongo rock for days
AmEx (4:30)	Marina: Bad British Pop

Now the choices get easy - Modest Mouse.  Duh.

5:15/5:30

Miller Lite (5:15)	Latin Mafia: Spanish indie pop, which, I guess I knew had to exist, but somehow didn't expect
BMI (5:15)	Goldford: Classic soul sounds from a killer voice
Beatbox (5:30)	Riize: If this is what all K-pop sounds like then I am very confused how it survives
Lady Bird (5:30)	Magdalena Bay: More synth pop that loves the 80's and the Eilish bedroom pop sound.

Yuck.  Gotta go Goldford with this setup.

6:15/6:30

T-Mobile (6:15)	The Backseat Lovers: Utah boys making loose rock jangles
Tito's (6:30)	LP Giobbi: Local EDM lady growing in stature
AmEx (6:30)	Doechii: Interesting new rapper with Grammy under her belt without a single proper album

Annoying one for me, because I'd like to see both Doechii and the Lovers.  We'll see what Jason thinks at the time.

Today's music all lines up a little better because Sabrina Carpenter, the main headliner of this whole dang thing, is apparently just doing to do an 1:20 minute show.  What is happening?

7:15/7:30

Miller Lite (7:15)	Sammy Virji: EDM
Beatbox (7:30)	Japanese Breakfast: Great melodic indie rock to go with thoughts of sushi pancakes
Lady Bird (7:30)	DJO: One of the Stranger Things actors making good psych and indie rock.

Another harder one here - my initial reaction was JB for sure, but I also really enjoy some of those DJO tracks.  I suspect we will end up at that one with a billion other people.

HEADLINERS:

T-Mobile (8:15)	The Strokes: Always better than I remember rock and roll
Tito's	Silent Disco
AmEx (8:40)	Sabrina Carpenter: Insanely popular pop with zero traction in my brain

Strokes.  All day.  Every day.  I cannot believe that Carpenter is doing an eighty minute show.  Maybe I just don't remember the past, but I definitely remember throwing a fit when the Chilis cut off their set by 15 minutes a few years ago.  But to just publish beforehand that you are playing an opener set as the main headliner is a bummer.