ACL 2023 WE1 Preview

COLD FRONT ALERT: Folks, it looks like this is going to be the single best weekend of weather for ACL in years! I, for one, am extremely excited to stand in the field and listen to music with friends without melting. Granted, this readership is not always congruent with the ACL target audience, but it does not stop the fest from having enough nostalgia and newness to prompt a wristband pick up.

Let’s run through some artists to see, housekeeping and tips and tricks to survive. Click through fam.

Artists

• Friday
  • Asleep at the Wheel (Honda 1pm) – If an ACL wristband holder does not hear “miles and miles of Texas”, are they actually a fest goer? No.
  • Portugal The Man (Honda 4:10pm) – Curiosity, will they do a twelve-minute Metallica cover?
  • Bass Drum of Death (BMI 5:10pm) – Power duo fix
  • The Mars Volta (Miller Lite 7:10pm) – This is the thing. THE THING. I may leave the photo pit by diving over the barrier and crowd-surfing out.
• Saturday
  • Die Spitz (Tito’s 11:45am) – Local alarm clock, tent thrash
  • Shooks (Tito’s 12:45pm) – Local heritage, Marlon Sexton’s indie thing that pulls on darker influences.
  • Ben Kweller (Miller Lite 3pm) – Might need a good cry.
  • Poolside (Miller Lite 5pm) – We did always love a smooth groove in that 5pm slot.
  • Thirty Seconds to Mars (Honda 6pm) – Probably going to be a spectacle, getting word that photogs are allowed to shoot the whole thing.
  • Chromeo (Tito’s 6pm) – …but if you want a dance party duo, this is gonna be the place to be.
• Sunday
  • • Jane Leo (Tito’s 1pm) – Start your Sunday in the tent for Austin’s own dance-party duo.
    • The Walkmen (T-Mobile 3:15pm) – The Rat.
    • Yves Tumor (Tito’s 4:15pm) – The tent will get packed for this set. Looking forward to it after the cathartic jams from Hamilton and the boys.
    • The Breeders (IHG 5:15pm) – Snarky Indie classics from the Deal Sisters…
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Honda 6:15pm) – I mean. Yeah, right?
  • Cigarettes After Sex (Miller Lite 7:15pm) – Indie darlings or…
  • Death Grips (IHG 7:15pm) – …let’s get nuts.

Bonus Tracks – This is your reminder that you can take a break from music and watch podcasts that can include a few of your favorite artists and topics, from Tacos to Celebrity Drag.

The Guide – This link is invaluable. Even if this is your first fest, act like a pro and Know-Before-You-Go!

ACL Eats – Pro tip, on the South side of Barton Springs on the far side of the IHG stage, there are a bunch of bars and food vendors. If the usual food spot is too chaotic, give the vendors over there a shot. Otherwise, check the list of snacks and maybe make a new favorite. ACL does grindage pretty well.

Randoms -Apply sunscreen well before you are in the sun. Bring your earplugs if you are up front. Don’t be a dick about the chair line or someone walking through “your space” when two people are standing in the middle of a hundred square feet of empty blankets.