As a college student with little free time, it’s hard for me to justify getting away for a whole weekend with nothing productive being done, but missing this was unacceptable. As someone who listens to music constantly, it was the most natural decision to spend a couple of days enjoying the atmosphere of live music while also taking a break from actual responsibilities. This was my first time going to ACL and here’s how my experience went!
I went with a friend, and our main goal was to simply enjoy whatever was playing at the time and discover some new artists. Arriving late on the first day was not the best decision, as transportation was lacking and expensive where there was availability. Looking back, I would’ve planned ahead of time where to park and planned a good walking route to and from the festival to avoid masses of people and insanely high parking prices. Getting into the festival was a breeze, and we adhered to the rules about what to bring in and leave behind, so there were no issues there. Once on the festival grounds, water was a must! Luckily, the festival provided a free water station to keep everyone hydrated (which can be a major issue, I learned the hard way). I had a couple of artists I wanted to see, like Leon Bridges and Chris Stapleton. In between the major artists, I wandered over to some smaller stages and enjoyed what they were playing. At the end of the first day, we left right as the last set ended, which I can safely say I’ll never do again, and getting out of the grounds was insanely difficult. This also made getting home expensive, as we had to Uber back to where we were staying. All in all, the first day was fine, and the music made everything worth it!
Coming to the second day, I made an effort to arrive closer to when the gates opened to prevent waiting in long lines just to get in the festival. At the beginning of the day, some smaller artists are playing, and the crowds are less intense. This made the listening experience more enjoyable, as I wasn’t stuck at the back of a crowd or pushing through to be able to see. Some smaller artists I enjoyed were Goldie Boutilier, Movements, and Jon Muq. In between watching sets, I made sure to drink lots of water and rest if needed. Texas heat is unforgiving, and listening to what your body needs in these situations is so important. As time went on, the bigger artists were coming up, and the heat slowly subsided. Waiting for some bigger artists was exciting, and being at the front of the crowd was an unreal experience. Relaxing and enjoying the music made everything worth it. We found reasonably priced parking that was about a 20-minute walk from the festival, which made both getting there and leaving a better experience. We also left before the last set ended, which made traffic and walking more doable.
The experience was one of a kind, though I would do some things differently for next year. I would most likely only attend one day, as the whole experience is pretty tiring. I would also plan ahead of time how to get to and from the festival grounds within a reasonable time and with reasonably priced parking (Ubers are pretty much out of the question for reasonably priced transportation). Lastly, I would bring some smaller snacks to avoid paying for so much. Overall, it was a memorable experience!