ACL this weekend look out for traffic downtown

[jentaylor]

We have passes. I think the festival would be well served to move to another venue (F1 track). Zilker can't hold 70,000 safely. They sell too many tickets. In addition to being too crowded, I think the stage layout sucks. You get over bleed. Plus add in the general traffic congestion and parking nightmare. I won't be going back to Zilker next year (unless I get free passes). Too much of a hassle. And I'm spoiled living here and can see great bands almost anytime. The main thing for me is the large crowds and the inability to safely move around, I feel like it is dangerous to cram that may people into one small area.

[tfresca]

Went on Saturday, the sound on the Bud Light stage sucked. It was a really bad mix. I'll never go back. You can catch a good show in town not pay crazy prices and have a much more pleasant experience.

[cBach]

Just got back and had a great time! We're very fortunate to have such a festival in this city. Other cities would love to have an ACL like festival.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by eepstein

Yes, there ARE a few bands that you may have heard of, but they get here, do there acts, and get the hell out. They aren't staying around for the redneck fest. If the arrogant austinites would like to think that the "no name" bands actually have talent, then that's fine.

Isn't Austin the live talentless music capital of the world?

Of course you stay in your Avery Ranch hideout and never take part in anything in Austin.

ACL is a remarkable event. People who really appreciate music (you have never demonstrated you do) know that many of these acts you have never heard of are today's rising stars and tomorrows big acts. One of my daughter's favorite bands Young the Giant played this year. I didn't know who they are, but now I do.

The event is big, maybe too big, but it is very well run, peaceful, and something to experience.

[AustinGuy]

Lollapalooza, also run by C3, is a much better organized festival IMHO:

- They sell even more tickets I think, but they have the stages spaced out better so it minimizes any bleed.
- There's a broad walkway across the park that does not get blocked up like at ACL.
- They have about double the number of food stands, beer stands, and port-a-potties so less waiting.
- They have a no chair policy, so that eliminates a number of issues that crop up at ACL.
- Not to mention, since it's in Chicago, it tends to be a bit cooler temp wise than ACL (although it can get humid)

[Shredding_Gnar78]

I can see a bunch of UT 20-somethings going,,,, under a spell of manufactured consent.

Its like a giant Apple/Starbucks commercial. They should hand out the terribly cliche, ironic glasses at the entrance.

Despite that... The bottom line is that ACL and SXSW are way overpriced and oversold. CAPITALIZM BABY!! MAD PROPS!

I love Austin. But no matter what the PR machine proclaims, the slogan 'live music capital' is nothing more than a marketing campaign.

There is some cutting edge talent in this town ... but I'd rather see it on Red River on a normal weeknight. Or the Eastside now that Emos has relocated. I suspect most of the venues on Red River will be heading east as well.

Stupid people listen to stupid music.

Originally Posted by homeinatx

Due to technological innovations in distribution, the music industry is in crisis, live performance is one of the few venues where musicians can actually make money. Festivals like ACL are increasingly the lifeblood of the industry.

Are you actually displaying pity for the greedy losers who exploited artists for 50+ years? The same people that robbed John Fogerty and gave us Vanilla Ice, Limp Bizkit, and let PDiddy rip off 'Every breath you take'?

You do know that ACL and SXSW are those same jokers right?


When I stood outside the empty Capital Records building, I knew that music was going to have a much better future NOW THAT THEY ARE GONE
NOFX - "Dinosaurs Will Die"


"For all the years of hit and run
For all the **** broke bands on VH1
Where did all, their money go?
Don't we all know

Parasitic music industry
As it destroys itself"

[cBach]

Originally Posted by AustinGuy

Lollapalooza, also run by C3, is a much better organized festival IMHO:

- They sell even more tickets I think, but they have the stages spaced out better so it minimizes any bleed.
- There's a broad walkway across the park that does not get blocked up like at ACL.
- They have about double the number of food stands, beer stands, and port-a-potties so less waiting.
- They have a no chair policy, so that eliminates a number of issues that crop up at ACL.
- Not to mention, since it's in Chicago, it tends to be a bit cooler temp wise than ACL (although it can get humid)

The main difference is Lollapalooza has mainly "popular" bands whereas Austin has more home grown, funky style bands. My gf went to Lollapalooza and said that it was more crowded there, hotter (it's in mid summer versus September and Chicago can get heat waves in mid summer and it's more humid, and more "corporatized").

I felt like the layout of ACL was very good. Plenty of food stands, plenty of hydration and misting stations to keep cool, plenty of beer stands, stages spaced well apart, and very easy to get around. The new sod, while not green, did not come apart and cause the ground to be dusty. So I'd say the sprinkler system is working well.

Overall I'd have to give this year's festival an A+. Even the weather cooperated. It was warm Friday/Saturday and a little hot Sunday, and the rains held off for the most part. But it wasn't 107 and it wasn't like the rains in '09.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by john22222

Top 5 event? Give me a break. Like most things in Austin, it's just a copy of stuff from Los Angeles/San Francisco/Portland. In the case of ACL, it's a poor imitation of Coachella and the ACL organizers even went so far as to copy Coachella's headliners from this year. ACL is nothing more than a poor man's Coachella. You'd be better off saving your money and taking a trip to California to attend Coachella.

Are you serious? The ACL planners asked themselves "who is Coachella got" and then went after the same acts? So if Lollapalooze in Chicago had some of the same acts, who copied who?

Maybe, just maybe, these acts put themselves out there and say "Hey we're looking for gigs!"

How could ACL have booked Stevie Wonder then if Coachella didn't have them?

Since ACL had Muse in 2009 - I suppose Coachella copied ACL since they booked Muse in 2010?

Your post is simply absurd. This is a business, and ACL isn't competing with a festival 1500 miles away. They book they acts they can get that they think will do well in Austin.

[AustinGuy]

Originally Posted by cBach

The main difference is Lollapalooza has mainly "popular" bands whereas Austin has more home grown, funky style bands. My gf went to Lollapalooza and said that it was more crowded there, hotter (it's in mid summer versus September and Chicago can get heat waves in mid summer and it's more humid, and more "corporatized").

I've gone to ACL for the last several years, and Lolla this year. The lineup was very similar this year at both festivals with a few big exceptions which is why I was happy to go to Lolla instead of ACL. C3 probably gets a two for one discount on some of the bands

Really don't agree that it's more corporate. It's pretty much the same festival, put on by the same organizers, in a different and bigger space. Even the food tents and stage setup looks the same.

If you want to see funky, more interesting bands, SXSW is your best bet by a long shot.