And, oh-so-fun!
The music! The people-watching! The fresh air! Oh, wait, never mind this last statement... (but more on that below...). ACL is pretty much the biggest party I have ever been to. And for this first-time attendee (a first-time introvert of an attendee, mind you), it was also incredibly overwhelming. Let me explain...
Austin City Limits is undoubtedly thrilling. It's so rare to find an event that can exhibit this much spirit, character and chill, all at the same time. However, for someone who "loves" crowds as much as I do, ACL is hands-down overwhelming. On Sunday alone, there were more than 75,000 people crowding the dusty fields of Zilker Park. 75,000!!! And, after a day of crowd surfing, the only high you are left with (other than the "sweet" aroma of second-hand pot smoking (I told you I was joking about the fresh air)) is the high from the incredible show put on by your favorite artist. And that alone made it absolutely worth having three-to-five layers of dust and sweat on you...
A few quick observations by this first-timer...
Let's start with the fashion... Below is my look for the day. And despite the animal print you're seeing, this was probably the most "tame" outfit you could see in the entire establishment! It would seem that ACL is the Halloween of hipster girls. An excuse to put on as little clothing as possible and still be allowed in public! (Told you... the people-watching was priceless! :)
Continuing with the fashion topic... there are apparently two mandatory things you have to wear in order to attend ACL: a wide-brimmed hat (modeled above and acquired way too late, aka, after most of the blistering sun was gone) and a pair of Ray Bans (as modeled above too but technically not pictured :).
Then there's the food court... which felt like the most popular spot in the entire festival. So much so that it put the Hozier show to shame in the popularity contest! It was also the home of the most delicious watermelon/mint popsicle ever (I know, I never thought I would write this either). I suppose that's what severe dehydration and 93 degree-weather would do to your taste buds!
Last but not least, the music... Ah, the music! I can't believe I was able to see three artists I absolutely adore in one day! First, there was Of Monsters and Men, the band I had just seen in Houston the Monday prior and the band that inspired this last minute trip in the first place. Then, there was Alt-J, another one of my absolute favorite bands that hails from England and has the power to completely electrify a crowd of thousands. And, of course, Florence + the Machine. I had heard that she is... weird. I had heard that she has a powerful voice. But none of that prepared me for one of the most engaging and well-sounding performances I have ever seen. She is a sheer genius (and no, I am not just talking about her sheer clothing, which she gracefully displayed throughout).
All in all, I cannot believe I have lived in Houston for almost 8 years and am just finding my way to Austin City Limits. I can see this becoming an yearly tradition...
PS: This post delivered to you a week late due to the severe lack of sleep and this blogger's need to catch up :) But, as someone smart once said on Pinterest, "no one looks back on their life and remembers the nights they had plenty of sleep." Right?
PPS: Featured below... behind-the-scenes of "How to Make a Wine-Filled Water Bottle Look Like Art Photography." Real skills, indeed :)
Happy Sunday!
A few months back, a co-worker of mine convinced me to join my company's Spartan Race team. He didn't talk it up much: he mentioned it's a long-ish run with a few fun obstacles. You know, no big deal. Something someone who runs as much as me should complete more than easily (read, you don't really need to train for it). Ha ha ha.