ACL 2017 has come and gone so quickly, but it was one that will not be forgotten.
Picture this: a 3 day festival in the beautiful city of Austin, TX with headliners including The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jay-Z and so many more. Not to mention the beautiful weather that came through on day 3.
First on the agenda was DREAMERS. I recently became familiar with them after having one of their songs ("DRUGS") show up in a workout playlist. It's an extremely catchy tune that definitely gets stuck in your head. DREAMERS are an American rock trio from Manhattan, New York. They played the BMI stage which was one of the smaller stages, but they did not disappoint. They definitely have a loyal fan base who made sure to show up for their performance.
Considering I work for a country station, I made it my mission to see every country band I could catch at ACL. Cody Jinks was first on that list. He was actually in College Station a few months ago and I hear it was amazing so I couldn't pass this up.
I'm not going to lie and say I know a lot about Cody Jinks because I don't. In fact, I may have only know a song or two. I left his performance a fan. The best way I can describe Cody Jinks is modern day outlaw country.
I'm a people watcher so as Cody Jinks was on stage I was watching the crowd of people surrounding me. The amount of maroon in that crowd was crazy. SO. MANY. AGGIES.
I know I shouldn't be surprised by that, but I was. I figured ACL wasn't much of a scene for the people in BCS. Aggies rag on Austin a lot, but the great thing about ACL is it's accepting and welcoming for all. There's nothing but good vibes there. As you walk through Zilker Park, you won't find a single person upset. There's just something about that ACL atmosphere that automatically puts you in a good mood. It's a place for those who enjoy music and art to come together and be one. I feel like The Tree represents that.
Ice Cube was probably the performance that surprised me the most. He showed up and told a story. There are times you watch an artist perform and want them to stick to what they're good at. He knew how to keep the crowd going. Hell, he even joked about how kids in the crowd probably had no idea he was a rapper.
Ice Cube made sure to let everyone know he was once a part of "the most dangerous rap gang of all time...NWA" and went directly in to "Staight Outta Compton" among many others. He then discussed how he left the group due to money issues. Once he found out NWA was talking smack about him, it led him to write "the best diss track of all time," No Vaseline.
When it comes to music festivals, it can be hard to catch all the acts you want to see. Sometimes acts will be playing at the same time on opposite ends of the park. That was the case for me when it came to Ice Cube and Glass Animals.
So it's not impossible to catch both of them at all. The advice I'd give you is to go and see the artist you know you'll enjoy more first. In my case I am a fan of Ice Cube and his music. I knew one or two Glass Animals tracks that they were going to close out with. I caught most of Ice Cube and then ran to catch the ending of Glass Animals. It was a lot of foot work, but it worked out perfectly. My favorite part about festivals of any kind is the food! There are always so many choices! This year was no different. I opted to be just like The Killers and Jay-Z and eat some Mighty Cones. Ultimately a "Mighty Cone" is a cone cup with a tortilla filled with coleslaw, fried chicken/shrimp/avocado or all of the above with some spicy sauce. Y'all this was so good, I had it twice. Tiff's Treats has recently become a house hold name in College Station and I looked no where else for my desserts of choice ACL Weekend. You just can't go wrong with some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Burro Grilled Cheese was a new try for me. I had the Burning Mac which includes macaroni and cheese, cheddar, and yellowbird sauce all on Sourdough bread. This sandwich was wayyyyy too big for me, but boy was it tasty. I also hear eating it with a side of watermelon is the way to go! I finished the night by seeing one of my favorite bands: Red Hot Chili Peppers. This was something I've had on my bucket list, and never thought I'd be able to cross off. I heard they weren't going to go on tour after this current tour and figured I'd lost my chance. I'm telling you, ACL is a place where dreams come true. Throughout their set, Flea kept talking about how their is currently so much hatred in the world, and we need to remind each other that "the strongest people are the kindest people." He kept expressing his gratitude for every fan in the crowd as Anthony sang hit after hit. There was a huge takeaway in seeing them perform and it's something we should all know "love everybody."
Overall, Saturday was an amazing day. I was exhausted, but I learned a lot. I was also ready to do it all over again on Sunday.
Sunday The weather could not had been more perfect on Sunday for an outdoor music festival. First on the agenda was the country-trio, Midland. These guys are the real deal! If you're a fan of traditional country and a 70s look, Midland is for you. They recently had a #1 single, "Drinkin' Problem." The guys of Midland also discussed how their isn't enough love in the world which lead them to release "Make a Little." They performed at 12:15 on the Tito's Stage. I showed up early for their set and good thing I did too. Yes, it was an early show but country fans show up to support these artists. That tent was full and even the guys of Midland were surprised by that.
Immediately after Midland's performance I ran to the BMI Stage where I caught a bit of Tucker Beathard's set. Tucker Beathard recently had a #2 single by the name of "Rock On" about a guy regretting the fact that he didn't propose to the girl of his dreams. Tucker Beathard has a very rock sound for a country singer. He recently released his latest single "Momma and Jesus" which was the first song I caught him sing.
Midway through Tucker Beathard's set I received a text from my coworker who was waiting to take a picture at the ACL frame. The line is always super long, but she caught it at the perfect moment and was near the front. I took off running so I could finally get a photo in it.
Showing up early for performances quickly became our thing. We realized that showing up 45 minutes prior to a performance would almost guarantee us front row view. While we were waiting on the Brothers Osborne we decided to be typical millennials and take a selfie. A kind stranger offered to take our photo on both our phones and her own since she had the new portrait feature. Let me tell you, if you have the latest iPhone take advantage of that feature. It looks like a professional took it.
Again we are millennials so we posted it all over social media using the official ACL hashtag and guess what. WE MADE THE ACL SCREEN. We honestly had no idea until the girl sitting next to us totally freaked out when she realized she was waiting right by us. Of course we started a trend and everyone attempted to make the screen. haha.
After about 45 minutes of waiting, the Brothers Osborne took the stage! I LOVE THEM. I've seen them in concert 4 times and each time gets better. This was no different. TJ and John never disappoint. Y'all, they have some really loyal fans too. The girl standing next to us was belting at the top of her lungs...and so was I. Most of their shows are jam sessions, and those guys can shred on guitar. John even brought out his wife Lucie Silvas to sing on "Loving Me Back." Of course, they closed out with their most recent single "It Ain't My Fault," which is such a great party song. The crowd was jumping and jamming out like no other.
At this point. Audrey and I separated for a bit. She went to catch DRAM while I sat down and soaked up the Sun. I was so entertained watching those dancing as they listened to DRAM say "if you love your momma say yeah, though."
I quickly realized music moves people in different ways, whether it's love or dance or something else. Sometimes people watching helps you learn things about yourself and others. This was one of those moments. It was an absolutely beautiful thing. Audrey and I reconvened in the press tent where we ate, drank and attempted to get work done. Shout out to ACL for treating us so well especially in the press tent. Without it I would not have been able to post on our station social media, etc. As it got closer to 6pm, Portugal. The Man was calling our name. That crowd started to build up quick! CHR stations are finally starting to play Portugal. The Man's latest single "Feel It Still" so it only made sense that the crowd would be huge. It didn't matter whether you were young or wise (I don't want to call anyone "old" LOL), Portugal. The Man had everyone jumping!
Up next and finally was The Killers. You never really know how much you know a band until you see them live. I KNEW EVERY SONG. Brandon Flowers got on stage in a sparkly silver jacket and I immediately felt pure happiness as he sang "The Man."
The Killers just had some energy that flowed through everyone in the crowd. They were just on a different level than I've ever seen from any band. Hands down, The Killers were the BEST performance of ACL 2017. I can't even say they fed off crowd energy. The crowd fed off their energy. Their stage presence, light show and live video were all amazing. I can't even describe how amazing their performance was. It left me in awe. Of course, they finished with "Mr. Brightside" which had everyone going INSANE.
Leaving ACL is always so hard. There are just so many good vibes and things always tend to go smoothly. Thousands of hours were volunteered by thousands of volunteers.
Money was raised to benefit those who were affected by Hurricane Harvey among many other charities. ACL is always a great experience and money goes back to help the community. If you've never been, try and make an effort to join me at ACL 2018. Until next year, ACL. Peace & Love.
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