Austin City Limits 2013

Once again, Jason and I were given free wristbands to ACL - this time free VIP wristbands!  As VIPs we were granted access to the VIP Grove.  I like to refer to it as the "secret garden" because that's what it felt like to me.  It was a bit annoying being surrounded by filthy rich people who are used to getting this kind of treatment on a daily basis, but it was still fun, and I felt super grateful to be there getting FREE food and FREE drinks and air-conditioned restrooms and seating in one of the few shady areas of Zilker Park.  It was a sweet escape from the hot sun and sea of sweaty bodies wandering around from stage to stage.  In the VIP Grove, each day between 3:30 and 5:30 there were free "happy hour" tastings from some of the best chefs in Central Texas.  I tried some samples from Jason Dady, Lucy's Fried Chicken and Cafe Mueller.  In addition to the daily chef tastings, Central Market catered lunch and dinner!  On Friday, we ate lunch there (gourmet sandwiches, bacon & bleu cheese potato salad), and we partook in the dinner spread on both Saturday (veggie tortellini, chicken penne pasta) and Sunday (barbeque).  All of the food was delicious, and all of the drinks were served perfectly strong in the VIP Grove.  I can't forget to mention the unlimited amounts of free Topo Chico, Sweet Leaf Tea, Red Bull, Boxed Water and Coconut Water.  Pretty awesome..

Enough with the special treatment details and onto the music.  Oh, the music!  The core reason I go to so many of these blown-up, over-the-top hipster affairs in the first place.  Friday, we unexpectedly had to leave the festival early, but we got there early and managed to see FIDLAR, Savages, Electric Six, The Blind Boys of Alabama and The Black Angels.  My favorite show of the day was actually Detroit-based Electric Six, who I had never even heard of prior to the festival.  One of Jason's friends, who is from Detroit, met up with us, and Electric Six was pretty much the only band he really wanted to see, so we decided to join him, and I am so glad we did!  They were so much fun!  Their music is a crazy amazing blend of garage rock, disco, dance, punk and metal, and they put on quite a funky performance.

On Saturday we went later in the day to see Portugal.The Man, The Joy Formidable, Wilco, Kendrick Lamar and, finally, THE CURE!!  Hands down, my Saturday favorite was The Cure.  DUH.  I have been a lifelong fan of those guys, and they put on a flawless show.  We stayed for the whole thing because I was so drawn in and it would have been an absolute crime to walk out early.  They played nearly all of their popular hits, some new stuff and finished with "Boys Don't Cry."  Perfection.

Sunday was the most relaxed day.  I worked until 3 p.m. and then headed to the festival to meet up with Jason and see Franz Ferdinand, Tame Impala and Atoms For Peace.  I had already seen Tame Impala live, and while they continue to be one of my favorite live shows, I have to say Atoms For Peace won my heart that day.  I hadn't really listened to them much before, but you can bet I will now!  Thom Yorke and Flea make a great musical match.

Yet again, ACL blew me away, and into outer space.  It's such a magical, fun-filled experience that I look forward to every year.  This was my fifth time to attend ACL, and it better not have been my last!  I'm already excited to hear who will be playing it in 2014 because my brother Kaleb will be living up here by then, and I plan to buy him a wristband for his first plunge.

FIDLAR

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar

The Cure

The Cure

Tame Impala

Atoms For Peace