ACL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This year, 2016, was the 15th Austin City Limits Festival, so that puts it starting in 2001 when I was away in Nashville for college. When we moved back to Austin in the summer of 2009 we were in full-on young family mode with an almost two-year old and a newborn. The next couple of years included a third baby, building a house, and then several years to catch our breath. I guess our breath is officially caught, because we broke our never-been-to-ACL streak this year. 

Kyle actually started the convo which is crazy. :) He found out one of my fave bands (Mumford & Sons) was playing. He just mentioned it and then I looked into it. It probalby would have stopped there...except Kate Terry lives with us. And when a twenty-something with a 4 year all-weekened attendance record makes you think you could actually pull off a day at the festival and you invite yourself to join her fun group of friends to pull do it...it actually happens! It was actually all really easy. Super-cheap 1-day pass on stub-hub. I rode w/ Kate & Co, we got dropped off. And she gave Kyle the scoop on easy-ish parking (if you're willing to pay a little) so he could join us later after working the night before. 

Here we are about to enter the park. Marissa, Jaclyn, me, Dylan and Kate.

 

It was less overwhelming than I thought - big yes, but totally manageable.

We had near perfect weather. We were there on Sunday of weekend one. Friday and Saturday had been even shadier/cooler but we couldn't complain - low/mid 80s and sunny. I had heard stories from the years it was a rainy/mud fest - I would have totally bailed.

The Skyline.

They knew the schedule of the bands they wanted to see and I was happy to tag along. We started with Wild Child - an Austin band I had never heard of (a theme, until Mumford & Sons) - that I really enjoyed! They were folksy and fun. Quintessential Austin hippie music.

Then we heard the Local Natives - different style but also fun. 

Then two country acts - Kasey Musgraves and Chris Stapleton, aka that guy who sings Tennessee Whiskey, or the new Willey Nelson. One highlight - the crazy hipster cowboys in Musgraves' band with retro western suites bedazzled with LED lights.

A little break - not from the sun, but at least from being on our feet.

 

My best photo-bomb ever.

Our group (with the addition of Chelsea, and some spouses) was pretty good at mosying up close to the stages...something I am certain Kyle and I would not have done had we been there on our own.

Mumford was on from 8-10 and Kyle made it right about 7. He said 30 minutes from the time he left our house, to park, get in the park and find us using find-a-friend - I was honestly not expecting it to be that easy. So...we staked out our place in the grace and waited for the hour between the Chris Stapleton show and Mumford. We definitely weren't the oldest ones there for them. :)

 Even ran into some other friends (my age group!) so that was encouraging. :)

The M&S show was SO good. All day I remembered how much I enjoy live music, especially when its a band I actually know/love. Seriously - such a fun show. Loved how the main guys kept trading instruments (actually several of the bands that day did that - so impressive) and the lead guy also had quite the "Dane Doo" (a la Owen with his sweaty hair). Most fun two hours I've had in a while.

But then there is the next day. Man, I felt my age. All of the sun and pollin (and let's be honest, 2nd hand smoke of a variety of sources I am sure) made me feel like I was having serious hay fever. Ugh. Luckily it didn't last long and Kyle agreed he had fun to and we're already hoping there is a good day next year with some bands we would enjoy...might try to get some friends to tag along, but if not, I'm sure I'll invite ourselves into the KPTerry group again, you know, as chaperones.