Austin City Limits Music Festival

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Main entrance of the 2005 Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park.
Main entrance of the 2005 Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park.

The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day music and art festival in Austin, Texas's Zilker Park. The Festival brings together more than 130 bands on eight stages, including rock, country, folk, indie, Americana, hip-hop, reggae, and bluegrass, and attracts a crowd of about 65,000 visitors each day. The festival is produced by C3 Presents, who also co-produce the Lollapalooza and Big State festivals.

In a very short time the Austin City Limits Music Festival joined Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Coachella as the United States’ premier rock festivals.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] Relationship to television series

The historic Austin City Limits television series focused for many years on Texas singer/songwriters, country and folk performers, and instrument specialists. That is changing as the award-winning television series now resembles the Festival lineup and spotlights artists of every musical genre from rhythm and blues to rock, jazz, and alternative. Performers who have appeared on both the PBS show and the Festival in recent years have included:

and many more.

[edit] Festival policies

Crowd at the Austin City Limits Music Festival with view of stages and Austin skyline.
Crowd at the Austin City Limits Music Festival with view of stages and Austin skyline.

Concert goers that have three day pass wristbands can leave and re-enter at any time. Those that have one day passes cannot re-enter. Allowed items include: Two 32oz sealed water bottles, umbrellas, folding chairs (there is a restriction on how close you can move the chairs to the stage). There isn't any car parking near the festival. Most concert goers park downtown and then take a free shuttle that is located at Republic square. Bike parking is available but you must provide your own locks. Outside food isn't allowed inside the concert. They do have vendors inside that provide food and alcohol.

[edit] Weather

Although the average high in Austin for the last two weeks of September is 88 degrees Fahrenheit, recently the event has endured above average temperatures and humidity. The highs for 2004 during the festival were 96, 96, and 93. In 2005 the highs were 98, 99, and 108. Temperatures reached 98, 99, and 90 in 2006. ACL has worked with the City of Austin to install a massive irrigation system to eliminate dust concerns during the Festival. In 2006 they also targeted dust patches by putting mulch on them, ending almost all of the dust problems. Tents and other stations have been set up and equipped with fan misters. Organizers do not want to move the festival into October due to conflicts with hotel room availability on UT football weekends, increased chance of rain, and the reduced chance of booking bands on summer tour.

[edit] Location advantages

Austin City Limits is a very popular event in Texas for rock, indie, blues, world/ethnic contemporary and traditional, reggae, eclectic, fusion, electronic, soul, folk/Americana and almost all other music fans. Major metropolitan areas Dallas, San Antonio and Houston are each within a 3 hour drive of Austin and have no similar events. The location of Zilker Park in the middle of the city also features nearby Nature City and its gardens, the botanical gardens and Barton Springs pool, beach volley ball courts and a rock formation in Zilker park.The fest is also near downtown Austin, where many artists perform after-shows after they play at the festival.[1]

[edit] 2008

2008 Dates: September 26 – 28, 2008

Official Lineup

  • Freddy Jones
  • Colour Revolt
  • Five Times August
  • Langhorne Slim
  • Sybris
  • Mugison
  • Eli "Paper Boy" Reed and the True Loves
  • Bavu Blakes & the Extra Plairs
  • AA Bondy
  • Christopher Denny
  • Mike Farris
  • The Lee Boys
  • South Austin Jug Band
  • American Bang
  • Bobby Bare, Jr.
  • Massacoustics
  • Belleville Outfit
  • We Go to 11
  • The M's
  • Band of Heathens
  • City and Colour
  • Sunny Sweeney
  • Elizabeth Wills
  • Bonnie Bishop
  • Ben Sollee
  • Ben Cylus
  • The Concert Supremes
  • River City Christionettes
  • Shields of Faith
  • The Jones Family Singers
  • Nakia and his Southern Cousins
  • Brotherly Luv
  • The Hensley Ensemble
  • School of Rock
  • Jambo
  • Q Brothers
  • Buck Howdy with BB
  • Uncle Rock
  • Big Don
  • Mr. Ray
  • The Jimmies

[edit] 2007

The National's Matt Berninger rushing the audience during the band's performance
The National's Matt Berninger rushing the audience during the band's performance

The 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival occurred September 14 15, 16 in Zilker Park. Several acts, including Amy Winehouse The White Stripes and Rodrigo y Gabriela cancelled their appearances at the festival due to health reasons, the latter two on very short notice. The scheduled performance by Saturday headliner, The White Stripes was replaced by moving already scheduled Muse into the headlining slot.

Other notable moments include Friday when a propane tank was ignited and a fire broke out in the service area, burning down two trailers and several port-o-potties. Four people who were working at the festival were injured, two of them seriously. A second fire broke out on the speaker stack at the AT&T stage during Björk's set, but it was quickly extinguished and no injuries were reported.[2]

The following artists performed at the festival:

[edit] 2006

Jack White in concert with The Raconteurs at ACL 2006
Jack White in concert with The Raconteurs at ACL 2006

[edit] Lineup

[edit] Highlights

Ben Kweller at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, 2006
Ben Kweller at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, 2006
  • Ben Kweller suffered a nosebleed during his set. He attempted to stem the flow by inserting a tampon, thrown to him by an audience member, into his nostril. The tampon expanded painfully and then he removed it. Kweller performed two more songs until he had to leave the stage.[3] The next day when The Flaming Lips performed, lead singer Wayne Coyne asked the audience to throw tampons at him to help mop up his signature fake blood. It continued to rain tampons on the band for well over two songs.














[edit] 2005

Lyle Lovett at ACL 2005
Lyle Lovett at ACL 2005

The 2005 Austin City Limits Festival won Pollstar's Festival of the Year Award. This was also the infamous "Dust Bowl" year where dust kicked up by the festival crowd made it difficult for audiences to breathe. The following year, sprinklers were installed in Zilker Park to remedy this problem.

[edit] Lineup


Last minute replacement acts included:

  • Deadboy and Elephantmen
  • The Texiles featuring members of The Iguanas

Several acts were scheduled to appear, but cancelled due to transportation issues arising from Hurricane Rita, they included:

  • Kate York
  • Los Aterciopelados
  • Naturally 7 and numerous others.


[edit] 2004

Jack Johnson at ACL 2004
Jack Johnson at ACL 2004

The 2004 festival had eight stages, and, on the second day of the festival, a top attendance of 75,000 people.

[edit] Lineup

[edit] 2003

[edit] Lineup

Asleep at the Wheel, The Bells of Joy, Jane Bond, Ellida Bonet, Doyle Bramhall, Bright Eyes, Richard Buckner, Burke Sisters, Café Tacvba, Shawn Camp, Caitlin Cary, Rosanne Cash, The Charlie Hunter Trio, Cody ChesnuTT, W. C. Clark, Gary Clark, Jr., Shawn Colvin, Corn Mo, Cowgirl Sue, Cross Canadian Ragweed, The Damnations, The Dandy Warhols, Del Castillo, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, The Derailers, The Donavon Frankenreiter Band, Drive-By Truckers, The Durdens, Steve Earle & the Dukes, Tim Easton, John Eddie, Marcus Eddie, Electric Church, Endochine, The Faithful Gospel Singers, Jay Farrar, Joe Firstman, Ruthie Foster, Michael Franti & Spearhead, G. Love & Special Sauce, Galactic, Davíd Garza, The Gospel Stars, The Gospelaires, The Gourds, Al Green, Pat Green, Patty Griffin, Wayne Hancock, Ed Harcourt, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Terri Hendrix, Sara Hickman, Jack Ingram, The Jellydots, Mason Jennings, Jack Johnson, Robert Earl Keen, Justin King, Kaki King, Kings of Leon, Jeff Klein, Ben Kweller, Jimmy Lafave, Miranda Lambert, Leftover Salmon, Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys, The Mavericks, Joe McDermott, Kevin McKinney, Tift Merritt, Midlake, The Mighty Sincere Voices of Navasota, Abra Moore, Ian Moore, Alexi Murdoch, Beaver Nelson, Nickel Creek, North Mississippi Allstars, O.A.R., Old 97's, Beth Orton, Particle, Liz Phair, The Pierces, Patrice Pike, The Polyphonic Spree, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Reckless Kelly, Pauline Reese, R.E.M., Josh Ritter, Bruce Robison, Craig Ross, Kermit Ruffins, Bob Schneider, Martin Sexton, Billy Joe Shaver, The Shields of Faith, The Shins, Small Wonders Puppet Theatre, Mindy Smith, South Austin Jug Band,Soulive, Spacetruck, Spoon, Mavis Staples, String Cheese Incident, Paul Thorn, Topaz, J.T. Van Zandt, Julieta Venegas, Monte Warden, Warrior, Ween, Keller Williams, Lucinda Williams, Steve Winwood, Yo La Tengo, Dwight Yoakam, Sue Young, Yonder Mountain String Band, Natalie Zoe

[edit] 2002

2002 was the inaugural year of the festival. Unlike subsequent years, it was a 2-day event only.

[edit] Lineup

Ryan Adams, Asleep at the Wheel, Joe Bonamassa, Jane Bond, Blind Boys of Alabama, Caitlin Cary, Gary Clark, Jr., W. C. Clark, Shawn Colvin, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Karl Denson, The Derailers, Durden Family Singers, Eyes Adrift, Faithful Gospel Stars, Ruthie Foster, David Garza, Gospel Stars, The Gourds, Jon Dee Graham, Pat Green, Patty Griffin, Grupo Fantasma, Emmylou Harris, Caroline Herring, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Kevin McKinney, Li'l Cap'n Travis, Los Lobos, Luna, James McMurtry, Mighty Sincere Voices of Navasota, Ramsey Midwood, Monte Montgomery, Abra Moore, Allison Moorer, The New Deal, Nickel Creek, Olospo, Original Bells of Joy, Particle, Patrice Pike & The Black Box, Pauline Reese, Robert Randolph, Rebellion, Rebirth Brass Band, Reckless Kelly, Rana, Bob Schneider, Soulive, Sound Tribe Sector 9, South Austin Jug Band, Spacetruck, String Cheese Incident, Topaz, Weary Boys, Gillian Welch, Kelly Willis, Wilco, G. Love & Special Sauce and the Arc Angels reunion.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Austin American Statesman
  2. ^ austin360.com
  3. ^ Rolling Stone, The 10 Best Shows at Austin City Limits

[edit] External links