ACL Weekend Two Survival Tips

We went to Weekend One, so you didn’t have to. Now snap up one of those wristbands out there on your bookface feed and come dance. I’m taking photos this weekend, ready to be in my head space and spending the first three up front.

• Radiohead – Get up close or surround yourself with fellow fans to drown out and shelter yourself from show talkers. Their set is gorgeous and while they didn’t play “Let Down” for me, I am hopeful for a little set list revision to make all my Radiohead dreams come true.
• Die Antwoord – Just do it. It is a special kind of crazy that is so authentic and genuine that it cannot be denied. Yolandi and Ninja are joined by DJ Hi-Tek and dancers sporting furry costumes and inflatable fertility dolls. It is glorious.
• Willie Nelson – We didn’t get Willie last weekend. I am more than happy to see Willie instead of Chris Stapleton. WE2 also gets Ra Ra Riot.
• Local Natives – The weather will be great, set up the chairs, put down the blanket and get a bottle of Rose from the Wine Down and be ready for a great festival set.
• Foals – Sweaty mess. Lose a shoe during the jams, find it again during the builders.
• Two Door Cinema Club – Channel you inner brit-pop screaming girl and sing along. “To the basement, people, to the basement. Many surprises await you.” The rainbow thing happened just before their set.
• LL Cool J – Come for hit montage, stay for the slightly more obscure hits you ain’t never heard live.
• LCD Soundsystem – Where are your friends tonight? You may have lost them by 8pm on Sunday. Make new ones and dance to banger after banger from the party factory. #DFA You will likely lose something, make it memorable.

Other random thoughts: Be polite while crossing through groups that have set up living rooms on the lawn. Being rude as you walk through reinforces the dickish behavior of claiming turf with a chair circle and caution tape. The new layout is great with the exception of sound bleed-over from Cirrus to Miller Lite (minimized later in the day when more ear holes suck up the sounds, but the bottleneck between the beer hall and the rock island is gone. The park is kind of like a giant skating rink, move around the outside, slow down and lollygag at the stages. Hydrate. Get up front at least once, stay further back at least once. Less phone, more fun.