ACL Music Festival 2003

Once again, Sondra and I tore up the Austin City Limits Music Festival in September! For three full days (last year was only 2 days) we were captivated by outstanding music and the friendliest and most diverse crowd you could imagine. The organizers did a fantastic job of accommodating this huge event, which had more than doubled in size from last year's attendence. The few logistical problems from the previous year (too few restrooms and shuttle buses) had been completely eliminated. The only minor complaint was that with the addition of 2 more stages, there was a little sound bleed-over at some of the smaller stages. I have to apologize that there are not more pictures - in my excitement to get to the festival on the first day, I lost my extra roll of film. But, enjoy what's here and if you'd like more photos of the artists, you can also visit the Official ACL Music Festival website!

Sondra and I make ready to head down to day one of the festival on Friday. Though the first day was the hottest of the three, it was thankfully not nearly as roasting as it had been last year. Still, it was humid and I was pretty darn warm. You'd think I'd have learned from last year that jeans are NOT appropriate attire in Texas in September! Oh well, guess I'm a slave to fashion...or...uh, something.

One of the logistical improvements this year was the ability to pick up your 3-day wristbands several days in advance if you were a local. Thoughtful planning on the part of the festival planners allowed us to keep our tickets as a souvenier! I love the little squirrel rocking out in the corner!

Photo of the crowd on day one. Way more people this year - 150,000 versus 65,000 last year!

After 7 years in Texas, I finally gave in and bought a cowboy hat. I have to admit, it really came in handy on day one by keeping me cool, and also on day two by keeping me dry! The second day turned out to be overcast and rainy (but still warm). Of course, I had to personalize my hat by affixing my ACL first year pin to it.

So, you're probably wondering what performers were there and who did we see? Let me preface this by telling you there were a total of 130 bands performing. The schedule is below. The green circles are the groups we saw between the 5 of us (Sondra, Rob, David, Kearson and I). I personally saw 26 performances over the course of 3 days. My picks for best performances of the festival? Ben Harper, Martin Sexton, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Patty Griffin, & Bob Schneider.

This festival was billed as "15 acres of Music" and by the end of the 3 days, I estimate that I had walked approximately 27 miles. This does not include any of the dancing that took place, which was pretty much nonstop! Needless to say, by Sunday night my "dogs" were TIRED! But, once again, this was such a great experience! If you are a music lover, you should definitely try to check it out. I can't wait for next year: Sept 17-19, 2004!!

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