Austin City Limits Music Festival Weekend 2 Day 3 at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas

Austin City Limits Music Festival Weekend 2 Day 3 at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Since its start in 2002, ACL Music Festival has grown to nine stages that feature a diverse lineup of over 100 acts. Approximately 70,000 festivalgoers flocked to Zilker Park each day, amassing an estimated total of 450,000 attendees for the entire six-day event. These impressive numbers make ACL the second-largest annual event in Austin, surpassed only by SXSW. Artists covered include:

• Katy Kirby
• Kathryn Legendre
• Myron Elkins
• Leon III
• The Moriah Sisters
• Michigander
• Sisi Berry
• Mimi Webb
• Corook
• Quin NFN
• Kevin Kaarl
• Suki Waterhouse
• Caramelo Haze
• Yves Tumor
• Fyutch
• Little Simz
• Corey Kent
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Labrinth
• Mumford & Sons
• Odesza

Earlier this year, Austin faced a brutal 78-day streak of triple-digit temperatures. Things have since cooled down, but the city is still notorious for having extreme weather variations in October. In 2019, for example, weekend one (October 6) featured the second-hottest day on record (high of 99 degrees) while weekend two (October 12) had the coldest (high of 65 degrees).

The weather was relatively mild for weekend two this year, with highs peaking in the upper 80s on Friday and some excessive wind gusts on Sunday. Of note was the annular solar eclipse on Saturday, October 15, the last annular solar eclipse visible from the U.S. until 2039! The "ring of fire" occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the Sun, but is too small to completely cover the Sun's surface. It was reported to reach a maximum coverage of 89% at 11:54am.

Beyond The Music
Eight vendors delivered an elevated experience to festivalgoers. Some of the activities and goodies offered at these special areas included:

• T-Mobile Club Magenta: VIP lounge seating, private bar, side stage access, giant claw machine with prizes
• Coke Studio: create AI album art, record a custom music video, ice-cold Coke Zero Sugar
• The Pixel Experience: first look at the new Google Pixel 8, AI-powered photo ops
• Hulu House: escape room experience, stream content live from select ACL Music Festival stages, comfortable seating and air conditioning, free Hulu swag
• Tito’s Stardust Experience: bandanas, claw machine with prizes such as hats, koozies, sunglasses, Tito’s vodka, and side stage access
• Amex Experience: shoot pics on a digital camera in a retro photo studio, and edit them in an old-school photo lab
• Wrangler Ranch: buy limited edition merch and vintage denim, with special branding available
• Honda Retreat: 360º photo booth, cool off under misted water tower
• Miller Lite: cornhole, basketball hoops, mist fans

This Must Be The Place is a nonprofit organization that travels to music festivals throughout the states. Travers-Hayward and his associates provided free Narcan nasal spray, as well as education about signs and symptoms of drug overdose and how to reverse it. The World Health Organization estimates that 69,000 people die from opioid overdose each year, making free Narcan and education a truly priceless resource.

The combo of filming, snapping pics, and struggling to get cell service makes it difficult to ration out one's phone battery. Portable charging stations offered peace of mind to many by allowing users to rent a portable charger for $15.00. Festivalgoers could then film their favorite bands all day long, and still have enough juice to call an Uber at the end of the night.

Austin encourages festivalgoers to start young. Kids under 8 years of age entered the festival free of charge when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. Austin Kiddie Limits provided an array of activities for the little ones, such as crafts, line dancing lessons, a drum zone, temporary “tattooz”, and a rainbow chalk wall.

Eats, Sweets, & Drinks
Attending a 3-day festival can be exhausting, so proper hydration and refueling are a must. ACL Eats catered to many dietary restrictions (vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free) and food categories, including American, Asian, BBQ, burgers, Indian, and Mexican.

ACL Eats featured 39 food vendors, while ACL Sweets hosted 11 delicious dessert vendors. Many local Austin favorites were featured in this year’s food lineup: Happy Chicks, East Side King, The Original Black’s Barbeque, Bananarchy, and JP’s Pancake Company, to name a few.

Prices were jacked up inside the festival gates, as expected. For example, a Shackburger ($6.59 at local Shake Shack) was $14.00 and fries ($3.89 at local Shake Shack) were $8.00. In between acts, the line for food could reach up to 45 minutes.

Water, however, was a different story. Five Yeti hydration stations were scattered throughout the park, making it easy for festival goers to refill containers with clean, cool water. The water stations were extremely efficient and hardly ever harbored a line. While waiting, fans could cool off under a giant misted fan.

Barton Springs Beer Hall was curated by Houston brewery Karbach Brewing Co. Here, fans could grab a pint, cool off in a shaded area with attractive string lights, and watch any of the various sports games on one of two giant screens. For the first time, ACL served mixed drinks, such as Tito’s Vodka sparkling lemonade. There was also canned wine, freshly-squeezed lemonade, High Brew Coffee, and Rambler Sparkling Water available throughout the park.

Amenities
An abundance of trash cans and recycling bins made it easy to dispose of waste responsibly. As an additional incentive to keep the park clean, ACL Fest handed out green bags sporting three guitars in the shape of a recycling sign that read “Rock and Recycle”. Concert-goers were encouraged to fill the entire bag with cans in exchange for a unique, limited edition shirt designed by a local artist.

The restroom situation at ACL improves every year. This year’s toilets had a step-to-flush feature that greatly reduced unpleasant smell and sanitation situations associated with port-a-potties from previous years. Staff helped to ensure comfort and safety of festival-goers by tossing boxed water into the crowd between performers and in the midst of long shows, and medical personnel were amazingly attentive and quick to respond to those who needed medical attention.

Travel
Parking was not available at Zilker Park or in the surrounding neighborhoods, but it was easy to get to the festival via metrobike, scooter, foot, Cap Metro bus system, rideshare, or the free Festival Shuttle. The pedicabs that lined the roads near festival exits were fun and convenient, but at a price–customer report paying anywhere from $20-100 for a 5-minute ride. More than 35,000 were reported to depart from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Monday, making it a top five record-breaking day at the airport.

Odesza

Odesza performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

After more than 10 years, four studio albums, three Grammy nominations and massive world tours; Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight are more personal than ever with their brilliant fourth album: ‘The Last Goodbye’.

Better known to fans as ODESZA, the electronic duo returned in 2022 from a four-year hiatus with ‘The Last Goodbye’. The project is poignant yet approachable, tackling heady concepts of life and deeper meaning through the guise of danceable grooves, primed for communal consumption.

It’s a return to force that proved full circle for the band. It merges the group’s early sampling days with its modern cinematic era, with glimpses of deftly placed hints of home movies, their parents’ voices, hypnotherapy sessions and emotional narratives to tie it all together.

This was a outstanding show! Amazing setlist combined with tier #1 visual, lighting and stage design. This is obviously one of the best EDM concerts you can attend in the current market. Hands down.

From start to finish, a truly encapsulating experience. The sound, lights and visuals, the full production takes you through a magical, emotional and physical journey. A journey you never knew you needed! Leaves you with appreciating life's moments and all the best feels. Be prepared to scream for excitement and dance all night! You'll be elevated to a natural high.

Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Mumford & Sons are an English folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ben Lovett (vocals, keyboards, piano), and Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass).

The band began by using bluegrass and folk instrumentation, with the core instruments of acoustic guitar, banjo, piano and a double bass, played with a rhythmic style based in alternative rock and folk. In the documentary Big Easy Express, Marcus Mumford recognizes the Old Crow Medicine Show influence: "I first heard Old Crow’s music when I was, like, 16, 17, and that really got me into, like, folk music, bluegrass. I mean, I’d listened to a lot of Dylan, but I hadn’t really ventured into the country world so much. So Old Crow were the band that made me fall in love with country music." Mumford acknowledges that "the band inspired them to pick up the banjo and start their now famous country nights in London." Ketch Secor, Old Crow front-man, concurs: "Those boys took the message and ran with it.

This was my second time seeing Mumford & Sons and it was well worth the second view! They always bring on a great show and mesmerize their audience! It always astounds me how amazing they sound live! Love this band!

Remarkable. I've seen Mumford three times and this time was my favorite! Light show was fantastic, song choices, perfect.

Labrinth

Labrinth performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Born Timothy Lee McKenzie, the English musician, composer, and rapper has been on the music scene for about a decade at this point. He started out his career as a producer and songwriter, which brought him to the attention of Simon Cowell.

In 2010, Cowell signed Labrinth to his label, Syco, becoming the first singer in six years that got a deal with Cowell without having first appeared on one of his reality TV music competitions. His debut single, "Let the Sun Shine," came out in 2010, reaching No. 3 on the UK charts. His first studio album, Electronic Earth, arrived in full in April 2012.

For Euphoria, Labrinth is doing his most ambitious work to date. He's credited as the lead composer on the series and has been working closely with series creator Sam Levinson to get the sound and content just right for the several tracks that he's written especially for the show.

I’ve never experienced being in any concert of yours; however, know that simply hearing your voice and words on my head set would I dare not compare if you had a concert to demonstrate yourself. You are an absolute master piece in the most amazing sense which is hearing. Please know your music has shown the love that is unheard of in this era!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Yeah Yeah Yeahs performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Based in New York, the post-punk/garage rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs consists of Karen O (vocals), Brian Chase (drums) and Nicolas Zinner (guitar). The trio released their self-titled debut EP in 2001—featuring angry yet sexy vocals and equally fierce guitar work and drumming. As fans awaited the band's first full-length album, Yeah Yeah Yeahs released a second super-charged EP, Machine, in 2002. After much anticipation, Fever to Tell, the band's debut full-length, appeared in 2003 and featured a range of songs, from ballads to high-energy punk tracks. The song "Maps" became a hit for the group, receiving frequent radio play and airing as a video on MTV. Film director and music video guru Spike Jonze lent his skills to the group, directing a video for the track "Y-Control." Yeah Yeah Yeahs have also kept a busy touring schedule, supporting bands such as the Strokes and the White Stripes, making appearances at festivals such as South by Southwest, and headlining their own tours in the U.S. and the U.K.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were as theatric as I thought they would be. A super high energy show and the costumes were amazing. If you get a chance to see this legendary band I highly recommend you do.

Run, don’t walk, to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Incredible show. They sound amazing. Karen O is a legendary performer. Nick plays some of the catchiest guitar riffs known to mankind. Brian on the skins doing what he does best.

Corey Kent

Corey Kent performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

With the small-town charm of a boy from Bixby, OK, the big-city energy of Dallas, Texas, and vocal prowess that rivals Nashville’s best – Corey Kent has been poised for a career in music from the beginning. Growing up influenced by various genres and artists, Corey started his journey in music at an early age. Taking the stage at age 11 as the lead singer for a touring Western Swing band, Corey hit early career milestones opening for legendary acts like Roy Clark and The Oak Ridge Boys. A few years later, he would be booking gigs around his hometown of Bixby, OK and by 17 he made his way to Nashville.

A road warrior, Corey has been seen out on the road performing over 100 shows a year in 2021 alone. Along with headlining his own shows and playing the top music festivals across the country, Corey has been the supporting act for artists including Parker McCollum, Cody Johnson, Chase Rice, Eli Young, Josh Abbott, Flatland Cavalry, and Kolby Cooper. Corey also has major success writing songs for others including Kolby Cooper, Brandon Jenkins, Clark Green’s #1 hit “Hit You Where It Hurts” and more under his publishing deal with Combustion Music.

The show was great. Very nice venue and Corey and the guys put on an amazing performance. Very impressed. Best show I’ve been to this year so far.

Little Simz

Little Simz performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Experimental London rapper Little Simz has been astonishing fans with her motor-mouthed flows and cerebral productions ever since she debuted in 2010. Bumping grooves, skillful wordplay, and atmospheric textures have set her apart from the pack, and the growing crowds at her powerhouse performances prove that she's ready to bring these heady sounds to a global audience. Delivering vivid detail at light speed, this wordsmith invites ticket buyers into the thoughtful worlds she conjures on standouts like "Dead Body", "The Hamptons", and "Top Down". Little Simz brings her fresh rhymes to life in concert with her fierce stage presence and energetic crowd interactions, and hip hop fans should catch this rap prodigy's colorful narratives and envelope-pushing loops while she's still on the come up.

Little Simz is one of the best artists that have stepped on this earth. I love her with all my heart, and I hope she continues to create her art. I still can’t believe that I saw her perform live, she is so natural on stage, doesn’t miss one lyric, and is so in touch with the music and the audience. Hands down best concert I have ever been to. If you still haven’t attended a Little Simz concert, I urge you to do so, I personally drove 7 hours to do so and it was worth every second.

Fyütch

Fyutch performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Fyütch is a Grammy-nominated music and social justice artist, educator and content creator of choice for live events, corporate workshops, K-12 classrooms, assemblies, and virtual residencies. His work has been seen on the TODAY show, New York Times, PBS, and TEDx. He uses Hip-Hop, spoken word poetry, and visual storytelling to create unique all-ages experiences that promote racial equity and liberation.

Yves Tumor

Yves Tumor performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Yves Tumor shifts, alters, and plays with the boundaries of contemporary art and culture in a boundlessly visceral and authentic sonic signature. With an arc that graces rock, psychedelia, and electronica in a constant re-invention of modern pop music, comparisons only serve as limitations intended to define that which cannot be. Yves Tumor melds restraint and chaos in a soulful clarity; diluting reality by giving meaning to the abstract and allowing for dissonance to be seen and heard as harmony.

Greatest concert ever!

Absolutely the best show I’ve been to ever. Such a surreal performance, I loved every bit of it.

I had high hopes going in as a longtime fan and I was mesmerized the entire time. A very special performance by Yves and the band was extremely phenomenal and magnetic on stage.

Caramelo Haze

Caramelo Haze performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Caramelo Haze is the newly-formed all-star outfit featuring Beto Martínez, Alex Chavez, Victor “El Guámbito” Cruz, and John Speice. Accomplished producers, songwriters, and multi-instrumentalists, Martínez, Chavez, Cruz, and Speice have collaborated on stage and in the studio for years, yet always in the guise of their own individual projects.

Suki Waterhouse

Suki Waterhouse performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Suki Waterhouse is an English singer-songwriter, actress, and model. Waterhouse bought her first guitar at age 13 and started a band at school. She says, "When I was a kid, I thought that music was what I was going to do , and then life took me in a whole other direction".

I love love love Suki Waterhouse. She absolutely killed this performance and can’t wait to see her again in the future. Thank you for such a fun night!

Suki Waterhouse is an amazing performer, and she really knows how to captivate an audience. If you are on the edge about going, I highly recommend you go! 11/10 show!

Everything was amazing. Suki is such a great performer!

Kevin Kaarl

Kevin Kaarl performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Kevin Kaarl is a Mexican singer-songwriter who composes dreamy indie-folk, as evident on his 2018 breakthrough “Amor Viejo.” After releasing his 2019 song “Baby Blue,” Kaarl released his ambitious 2022 album, Paris Texas, a concept album featuring melancholic gems like “como me encanta,” “te quiero tanto” and “Paris Texas.” Kaarl spent much of 2022-23 on his Paris Texas Tour across Europe, Mexico and the U.S., selling out all 26 U.S. dates and earning recognition from Rolling Stone and Billboard — the latter describing Kaarl’s songwriting as a “soundtrack for any sort of life experience that requires introspection.”

Kevin Kaarl is one of few artists I believe sounds better live. His voice is beautiful and projected in the small venue, he is charismatic, and he has lyrics anyone that has ever been in love can relate to. Overall, a wonderful experience that I would go to again if I could.

Quin NFN

Quin NFN performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Austin-based hip-hop artist who has risen to fame for his debut EP Stain or Starve in November 2018. Some of his most popular singles have included "Game Time Pt. 2," "Lil Gangsta" and "Revenge," all released in 2018.

Corook

Corook performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Corook is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. She were born and raised just outside of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she grew up listening to Drake, Gwen Stefani, and Mac Miller. She went to a performing arts high school where she came out as queer her senior year. She then went to Berklee College of Music and graduated with two degrees. Corook currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

This was such a fun show. Corook was great.

This was an amazing performance all the way around. Every song they played was so wonderfully honest and it was clear in their performance. It hit every emotion from spontaneous fun, tragic truth, and pure vulnerability. I cannot recommend seeing them enough.

Mimi Webb

Mimi Webb performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Weaving octave-destroying vocals, gut-wrenching ballads and confessional storytelling, singer-songwriter Mimi Webb is proving herself to be a viral pop powerhouse. Her emotional tales of open-heart honesty have captured hearts globally, partly thanks to her dedicated social media following.

Mimi was absolutely amazing! She’s incredibly sweet, nice and her voice is something unbelievable! Love this girl! Missing her already!

She was perfect in real life she is so beautiful in real life she sings amazing and I love her London accent it’s so cute she is a amazing performer she really knows how to talk to the crowd and make a show. She is a talented singer and a great performer totally recommend to get see her sing live or her show live.

Sisi Berry

Sisi Berry performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Sisi Berry is a local Austin artist. The self-proclaimed "military brat" has roots in Texas and Venezuela but settled down in Austin after she went to Texas A&M University. She has been working on her music ever since.

She said she's honored to be one of the more than 20 local artists playing, and she doesn't want to take the opportunity for granted. "I've been playing in the city for a long time, and then you get stoked for yourself and you want to take it seriously and you want to be deserving of all the kindness of the city has been giving."

Michigander

Michigander performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Dreams materialize and manifest in the most unexpected and unassuming of places. This one came true in Michigan. Writing, recording, and performing under the name Michigander, Jason Singer saw beyond his humble beginnings in the town of Midland, Michigan. So, he picked up a guitar, performed countless marathon cover sets in local dives and watering holes, moved to Kalamazoo, and launched his career in 2014. The singer, producer, and guitarist achieved the kind of viral success that reaches other small towns. The standout "Misery" eclipsed 3 million Spotify streams.

We have seen Michigander twice now! Always a great show!

Amazing songs, great performance, wonderfully warm and entertaining frontman. Great energy in the crowd!

One of the greatest shows. Front man Jason singer is a wild talented vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and performer.

The Moriah Sisters

The Moriah Sisters performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

The Moriah Sisters are recording artists from Austin, Texas that have been ministering through song for almost 30 years. They have been featured on Fox 7 News for their Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday segments for the past 5 years and they received the Music Proclamation presented by Mayor Steve Adler and the Austin City Council. The Moriah Sisters are also apart of The Iconic Gospel Brunch at the Historical Stubbs BBQ in downtown Austin.

Leon III

Leon III performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Leon III, sounds like a relic from another age. In a time when so much of today’s music seems as disposable and temporal as a tweet, Leon III is standing athwart the tide; and here, the band conjures the spirit and ambition of Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead. Make no mistake, this is an album with the potential for a serious shelf life – and one that begs for an immersive listening experience. So sit down, pour a whiskey, let the needle find the groove, and prepare to float downstream.

Myron Elkins

Myron Elkinsperforming at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Myron Elkins didn’t set out to become a full-time musician. After graduating from high school, the then 17-year-old instead became a welder in his hometown of Otsego, Michigan and had every intention of making that his career. However, fate had other plans. Three years ago, a relative signed him up for a battle of the bands at a local venue, despite the fact Elkins’ only prior experience with live music was playing at church and a few bars in the small Michigan town where he grew up. With just three weeks’ notice, Elkins put a band together featuring three of his cousins and a friend. Although the group didn’t win (they came in second), the experience opened Elkins’ eyes to a very different career path.

This band never disappoints. They are so talented and always fun to watch. The band has great energy. I can not wait to see them again.

Kathryn Legendre

Kathryn Legendre performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Kathryn Legendre, a native Texan, has become a fixture of the Austin music scene, playing her own brand of original honky tonk. Folks will tell you that she's never been one to follow trends, that encompasses Legendre's whole outlook on songwriting and, well, life.

As a result, she’s built a catalog consisting of her 2013 debut album Old Soul, 2016 EP Don't Give A Damn, 2019 EP Making It Up, and 2020 singles, “One Long Sad Song” & “Waiting In Line.” Along the way, Legendre has earned 2020 & 2023 Honky Tonk Female Ameripolitan nominations, as well as a 2021 Austin Music Awards Best Country Artist nomination.

Katy Kirby

Katy Kirby performing at the ACL Music Festival on October 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Raised as an evangelical Christian in a small town outside of Austin, Texas where she sang in church services, Katy Kirby moved to Nashville to attend college and began to expand her musical palette and belief systems. She began releasing music and announced ‘Cool Dry Place’. Now living in Brooklyn, Kirby has been spending a lot of her time on the road, touring with Waxahatchee, Andy Shauf, Pinegrove, Julia Jacklin and more.

Austin City Limits Music Festival

ACL Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-based company C3 Presents, which also produces Chicago's Lollapalooza.

The ACL Music Festival has nine stages where musical groups from genres including rock, indie, country, folk, electronic, and hip hop perform for fans. The concerts continue from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the festival with various stages spread out in the park. Approximately 450,000 people attend the festival each year. In addition to the music performances, there are food and drinks, an art market, a kids area for families, and other activities for attendees.

ACL Music Festival
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