After much hand-wringing over the Delta variant COVID spike both locally and nationwide, Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL Fest) is taking place on Friday, October 1 at Zilker Park in the center of the Live Music Capital. Just last week, the City of Austin officially approved the park permit for C3 Presents to proceed with the festival after the company announced updated health and safety protocols this week. In addition to attendees being required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours, ACL Fest asked that festival-goers use masks when standing in line and in certain areas of the park. Our guess is these assurances from C3 regarding masks is what kept Austin Public Health and the City of Austin from cancelling the event.
Official Mask policy:
“As required by City of Austin Order 20210811-033, masks will be required in areas of Zilker Park where it is difficult to maintain social distancing, including on festival shuttle buses, entrance lines, areas closest to the stages, and in the limited indoor areas at the festival, including our on-site merchandise store. Free masks will be available at each entry gate.”
Before we get into the must-see acts at ACL Festival this year, we want to remind you that the festival is enforcing a clear bag policy (they allow small opaque fanny packs). So pack light and bring an empty water bottle to fill at one of the water stations around the park. If you’re planning on being in the park all day, it’s a good idea to stay hydrated. If you’re drinking alcohol, drink in moderation or at least alternate between water and beers. One last bit of advice: the COVID pandemic has made folks easily irritable. Practice patience and kindness towards other folks in the park if you’re attending. A positive attitude goes a long way at large format music festivals.
All serious matters aside, these are the acts you don’t want to miss at ACL Fest…
Friday, October 1
Nané – Lady Bird Stage – 1 p.m.
For festival fans who like to arrive early, Friday is the day to do that. Overall, the park is less crowded on opening day. Arriving early affords you the chance to get the lay of the land before tens of thousands of fans crowd into the park for the evening headliners. Saturday and Sunday begin an hour earlier but are often much more crowded early in the day. If you do arrive early on day one, head to the main – Lady Bird Stage – to catch Austin upstarts Nané. The soulful act with a healthy dose of funk is fronted by Daniel Sahad. The singer has incredible range and is backed by a solid band. They might be one of the hottest new acts in Austin as indicated by their main stage slot. Check out the band’s debut full-length which dropped last November. There isn’t a weak track on the entire record. The album was produced by drummer John Spiece (Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, Money Chicha).
Black Pumas – Lady Bird Stage – 6 p.m.
If Nané is a buzz Austin act, then Black Pumas are the most popular band currently touring out of Austin. The soulful funk band with a tinge of hip-hop beats is led by guitarist and producer Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma, Spanish Gold, Brownout) and lead vocalist Eric Burton. Black Pumas’ self-titled debut has been nominated for four Grammys. The group has already had TV spots during the Super Bowl for YouTube, as well as Target and Bank of America national commercials among others. The Pumas seem to be everywhere and their songs are truly great. Burton’s “Colors” song is by far their most popular single but the entire record is good (our favorite track is “Oct 33”).
Surprise Performer – Tito’s Stage – 6 p.m.
If you’ve already seen Black Pumas multiple times or you’re just looking for something unexpected, head to the Tito’s Handmade Vodka tent at 6 p.m. Friday. This stage is always a good one for music discovery. Earlier in the day we recommend catching T.C. Superstar (2:15 p.m.) from Austin. We’ve got no idea who the surprise guest will be but assume it’ll be an act worth seeing. At least we hope so.
George Strait – Lady Bird Stage – 8 p.m.
With only eleven tour dates through March of next year, country music legend George Strait’s headlining performance on the Lady Bird stage Friday evening marks one of the rarest sets at ACL Festival. This is a bucket list performance for those who haven’t seen the Poteet, Texas native perform. With 60 number one singles and 33 platinum or multi-platinum albums under his belt, Strait reigns as the most popular artist of any genre over the last 30 years. He is truly Texas music royalty. We’re looking forward to this performance.
ACL Fest Nights Recommended Shows Oct 1:
St. Vincent at ACL Live
Charley Crockett at The Scoot Inn
Modest Mouse at Stubb’s BBQ
Saturday, October 2
Sir Woman – Tito’s Stage – 1 p.m.
Austin music fans may know Sir Woman lead singer Kelsy Wilson from her better-known band, folk-rockers Wild Child, but the soul sounds of Sir Woman highlight Wilson’s powerful voice in a way Wild Child never did. With a tight, talented band behind her, Wilson’s Sir Woman should not be missed. Wilson on her latest project, “I’ve always personally connected most with funk/soul/r&b and gospel, but I’ve never made any music like that before. Initially this music wasn’t for anyone but myself, but after the first day in the studio I knew I needed to bring Sir Woman to life.”
Charley Crockett – VRBO Stage – 3:20 p.m.
Perhaps no Austin-based act capitalized on the pandemic like Charley Crockett and the Blues Drifters. Crockett stubbornly released his hit pandemic record Welcome to Hard Times despite a bunch of bad advice to the contrary. Most music professionals felt releasing the album without the ability to tour the record was a bad move. Thank goodness Crockett was itching to drop his record knowing he had more material coming out soon after. The record hit fans at just the right time despite being written before the pandemic hit America. Since then the Texan has released three more records. The latest being Music City USA, which dropped September 17th. Billboard Magazine called it, “Crockett’s most relatable yet.” Heady praise considering the success of Welcome to Hard Times.
Modest Mouse – Honda Stage – 6:20 p.m.
Portland-based Modest Mouse will return to Austin with a new record for the first time in six years at ACL Festival on October 2nd. It’s been that long since the hit act of the early aughts released new material. The album, The Golden Casket (released June 25th) has been received with mixed reviews as it’s largely experimental, employing generous use of synthesizers on the record. While that may be a reason for some Modest Mouse fans to skip the set, that fact is the precise reason why we’re interested in Isaac Brock’s band this year. While we love hits like “Float On,” we’re curious how a revamped Modest Mouse sound will translate to the festival stage. Stay tuned…
Sunday, October 3
Deezie Brown – Miller Lite – 12:15 p.m.
Austin-based hip-hop artist Deezie Brown has been making a name for himself as of late. The upstart rapper recently teamed up with singer Jake Lloyd for a memorable set at Far Out Lounge for the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival. He most recently dropped the EP Geto Gala in collaboration with Lloyd. Born and raised in nearby Bastrop, Brown gained his appreciation for hip-hop from his father, who introduced him to Outkast and Houston rap legends DJ Screw and UGK. If you make it into Zilker Park early on Sunday, a smart move would be to head directly for the Miller Lite Stage.
White Reaper – Honda Stage – 2:30 p.m.
These garage punks from Louisville have thrown down great, guitar-driven rock since day one following the release of their ironically titled debut, White Reaper Does It Again, which announced the band to the American rock scene. The title hinted at the fact that this is a rock band that likes to have a good time and by extension, so do their audiences. We’ve caught the band several times previously and the performances have all been amazing! Plus, they have a band member named Hunter Thomson like the gonzo novelist who was also from Kentucky. If you’re into hard-charging rock, this White Reaper show is the set for you.
Erykah Badu – Miller Lite – 7:30 p.m.
We’re excited about this performance as Erykah Badu is that rare female act to get a headlining slot at ACL Fest at the same stage where Lizzo attracted an oversized crowd in 2019. We’re expecting another oversized crowd for Badu. Perhaps not as large as the audience for Lizzo was at the Miller Lite Stage but then again, she had the hit of the summer then with Megan Thee Stallion. As a Texas native, it seems appropriate Badu would headline a stage although we might be inclined to give her a higher profile stage like Honda or Lady Bird considering her outsized impact on R&B and hip-hop. Stevie Nicks would have given ACL Fest a rare main stage female headliner but she cancelled. Clearly not the festival’s doing but it would be nice to see more women headlining the festival in the future.
St. Vincent – T-Mobile – 7:30 p.m.
It’s unfortunate that lineup conflicts happen at large format festivals like ACL Fest, but it happens every year. This year pits Annie Clark better known as St. Vincent opposite another Texas native (Clark is from Dallas). That’s a shame but fans also have the opportunity to see St. Vincent at ACL Live on October 2. She’s also taping an Austin City Limits TV episode on September 30 that has limited tickets available but may live stream on YouTube as many previous tapings have. Her new record, The Nowhere Inn is a soundtrack to a mockumentary she made. The new sounds are a welcome departure from the art rock of previous albums.
ACL Fest Nights recommended shows October 3:
