by Andrew Calvio

Austin City Limits 2024 has come to a close. Another year of controlled chaos in the record books. This year’s headliners did a good job of splitting the crowd. However, the biggest draw of the weekend was the Sunday sunset time slot on American Express stage as Chappell Roan brought massive crowds both weekends leaving the rest of the park fairly empty. Oficial numbers have not been released but this sea of people definitely felt more dense than Sir Paul McCartney’s in 2018. Every year loyal fans flock to Zilker Park to see their favorite artists perform hits on either the Amex or Honda stage. Lately with all the social media platforms being the springboard for rising stars it’s tough to tell who might blow up from booking to actual performance. Lizzo’s 2019 Miller Lite performance is the perfect example, an uncomfortably large crowd squeezed into the smaller stage to watch her. Thankfully, ACL had the forethought to rebook Chappel Roan this year. It was a hot, fun weekend filled with so many humans. This is my experience.

Day 1

Friday started with El Paso natives Late Night Drive Home. Their indie / shoegaze rock was a great launching point for the three day weekend. I look forward to seeing them in the future when a tour rolls through Austin. I stopped in to check out Bambino Pizza in the beer tent on the way to the next stage. The pies looked and smelled delicious and they seemed to have a pretty efficient process moving through orders. Next stop was Sir Chloe on the TMobile stage. I’ll admit that the sun probably played a little factor in my decision to walk away from this set. I had this band on my radar but the live version just didn’t resonate well within me. After shade, I went to American Express stage to catch the viral sensation Dasha. Her hit song titled “Austin” actually downplays our beloved city. It tells the story of a love lost where the ex will just be “drunk, washed up in Austin.” Maybe a little unfair, but not untrue. She put on a good show interacting with her crowd between songs. I did notice quite a bit of autotune though. I think she would sound fine without the assistance, but that’s just my opinion.  

In the press lounge, the Blink 182 Rock Show Van was on display. So cool to see this relic restored to its glory by a local Austin couple! Over on Honda Stage, Norah Jones was proving that she still has the ability to hold the attention of thousands. Yes, her voice is still amazing. On the lawn between the two large stages was the Aperol Spritz Piazza. This activity stayed busy all weekend serving delicious treats for legal aged festival goers. I headed back to Miller Lite stage where I caught Royel Otis. Benefitting from a last minute Stephen Sanchez cancellation who was set to perform at the same time on the TMobile stage, the crowd was much larger than I expected. Sanchez posted to all his socials early that morning that he would not be able to perform his set due to losing his voice. Australian guitar pop band Royel Otis quickly gained popularity this year with a couple of cover songs “Murder on the Dancefloor” and “Linger.” Their original songs are also very catchy and upbeat and had the crowd jumping for most of the set. After they wrapped up their time slot I made the decision to stay put near the Honda stage. Foster The People was next and they delivered the perfect soundtrack for a sunset. Another one of those bands that make you say, “hey, I know that song.” I regret not trying to catch The Marias on the Tmobile stage, it was just easier to not move with all the people around. Headlining Honda tonight was Blink 182. They were everything that I needed them to be. Still boys trapped in men’s bodies telling dick jokes and taking jabs at each other’s moms. Their setlist was packed with all the hits forcing me to sing obnoxiously loud. Great show! Over on Amex, Chris Stapleton closed out the night with Tennessee Whiskey. I barely made it, but it was enough to satisfy me. I would have liked to see the full set but decisions were made and the need for nostalgia won.

Day 2

I honestly did not expect to be this sore already but here we were. I arrived early to catch Austin locals Being Dead. I want to chalk it up to festival nervousness and maybe early show jitters but they did not sound great so I moved on. Self proclaimed “gay boy next door,” Jordy was on the BMI stage using ACL fest as the kick off show of his 15 date US tour. Tons of energy for such an early show! Hendrick’s Gin had their Grand Garden Bar in GA for the first time this year. Seemed to be a success as there was a line every time I walked by. Also new was the slushy bar, they had options to make it boozy for the adults and non alcoholic for the kids. It was a good little treat for such a warm weekend. Goldie Boutilier was the first performance on American Express. Already a successful model, she is finding her path in the music business. Nico Vega was next up on Miller Lite stage. Having missed their C3 showcase at SXSW this year, I was excited to get the opportunity to see them. They had a great performance but unfortunately for this Marvel Fan, Michael Pena was absent from their lineup. Movements fed the emos a healthy dose of heartbreak, anger and love. Just what I needed. One of the biggest distractions today was the Red River Rivalry. The beer tent was jammed packed with Longhorn faithful to watch the Texas boys destroy the sooners at Dallas’ Fair Park. 

The Beaches were playing to a large crowd on the TMobile stage as the sun was out in full force, it was hot. I needed a reprieve so I went to check out Austin Kiddie Limits. Such a fun place for parents with smaller kids. I remember taking my kids when they were younger, we would spend hours doing all sorts of fun activities. I caught a little piece of Eyedress on Amex next. Very catchy indie music, but again the sun won. I took the long way to shade to stop by and say hi to Teddy Swims on Honda. He sounded great and had a large crowd but I needed water. By this time of day the park had filled in again. I checked out Remi Wolf on the Miller Lite stage. She killed it with a high energy performance that had a few singalongs during “Soup” and “Photo ID.” The loudest moment was when she covered Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is a Highway.” Literally everyone was singing and dancing. After her set, the crowd split pretty evenly between Khruangbin on Amex and Benson Boone on Honda. I stayed on Honda because it was closer. Benson Boone is a showman with a voice that locks you in, I knew this one would be good. Plus, he does flips! I don’t know very many of his songs but I know “Beautiful Things.” It was worth it to stick around for this gigantic karaoke party. I really wanted to check out Renee Rapp but by the time I got to her set it was already so packed that I knew I wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy her show. Instead I went and parked myself in a great spot for Dua Lipa. With ACL being her only 2 US shows in 2024, this was special. She did not hold back as men and women alike held their gaze on every move she made. With her cast of dancers she gave the ACL fans a visually appealing set full of her biggest hits. With the Longhorns big win earlier in the day it was only appropriate that she put on a custom jersey midway through her show. Naturally, the crowd erupted to see the international pop star supporting a good cause! She ended the night with two of her biggest hits “Don’t Start Now” and “Houdini.” She left us all on a high that had us buzzing for hours. So grateful to have been there.

Day 3

Sunday was my day to take it easy and just bounce around. I did lots of people watching as the Pink Pony Club took over Zilker Park. I started the day taking in two Austin locals. First was Daiistar over on Miller Lite. Their psych rock sounds were a good warm up for a long day. While moving over to the IHG stage I stopped and picked up a couple of Electrolit packages so I could stay fueled for the day. This sponsor really was a lifesaver for me this weekend. I drank about 900 gallons of water while out at the park this year. Opening IHG today was Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol. This was unexpectedly a surprise favorite of the weekend. The in your face driving metal guitars and ridiculous lyrics really struck a chord in my heart. I will definitely need to catch this act around Austin. I walked over to American Express stage to see that the Chappell Roan fans had already started stacking up. It was 1 o’clock and there were already hundreds of people securing their spot for her 6:45 pm performance. Crazy. Petey was entertaining a good sized midday crowd back over on IHG. Always the clown, the back screen was showing a previously recorded Chicago Bears game that he had missed because he was on the road. He’s always fun to see. Misterwives was a set I was waiting for all weekend. Admittedly, I can’t tell you the name of one song but I just know their music is catchy and I loved their set. Another motivating reason for me was to possibly catch a glimpse of one of the best touring photographers in the business working his magic. Mandy Lee and Matty Vogel have been a thing for many years and if you don’t know his work, go check it out. 

I caught a snippet of Flipturn on Amex while they covered Tears For Fears “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” Another fun sing along for the weekend. Glass Beams were playing to a jam packed Tito Stage at the same time. I really wanted to check them out but it was impossible to move. Good for them. At TMobile, Bakar was sporting a black cowboy hat and holding a sizable crowd who were all waiting for his hit single “Hell N Back.” His set was simple but engaging. Just a man and a microphone showcasing his talents. Orville Peck and Cannons shared the next time slot forcing another crowd split. I chose Orville because a little bird had tweeted in my ear of a special guest. Peck took the stage in a gold cowboy suit adorned with rhinestones and commanded the stage with his Gretsch Orville Peck Signature Falcon and his baritone voice. There were plenty of members of the Pink Pony Club in attendance who kept chorus with the singer. As predicted, country legend Willie Nelson joined Peck onstage to perform “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond OF Each Other,” the gay cowboy anthem written by Ned Sublette. This was their first live performance of the song on stage. What a moment to be a part of!

That Mexican OT had a large crowd jumping as I cruised by to find a spot for Sunday’s main event. I wanted to stay a bit longer but the pink ponies started filling in, I needed to secure my position. I found a spot up front stage right, I did good. I’ve been on the fence with Chappell Roan since the beginning so I went in being hopeful that a live performance would help. I love the sense of community that she pulls together. They are a faithful bunch. As her set started, the park erupted in voices. People were jumping and singing to each other, it honestly was a great vibe. It wasn’t until Roan started her hit “HOT TO GO” that settled it for me. During the song the crowd dances along following the singer’s instructions. She’s been seen in the past scolding members of the audience who didn’t participate. ACL was not an exception, she made a point to draw attention to the platinum lounge by calling them freaks for not dancing. Purely unnecessary and classless. She had the majority of the attendees following along but that was not enough. On the plus side, the crowd was impressively large. As stated before, the togetherness and sense of belonging was real. This artist is not for everybody but I tried. 

I ended my night by hopping around. Qveen Herby was an unexpected surprise. Her performance on the IHG stage was full of energy, she was just fun to watch. The Silent Disco in Tito’s Tent was packed with people as I roamed around. Three different DJ’s spinning bangers while the crowd chose what they wanted and danced along with their friends. Sturgill Simpson closed down the Honda stage while Tyler, the Creator was on American Express. Both crowds had thinned out significantly and I soon became a casualty as well. Today was a good day

An exhausting weekend had come to a close and ACL won over my heart once again. We are so privileged to have this in our backyard every year and I look forward to doing this as long as I can. Despite the dust, the heat, the miles of walking and general fatigue, it’s always worth it.