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This October, I had the pleasure of photographing one of Texas’ gems: Austin City Limits (ACL).
Now, although I had experience photographing musicians like Greta Van Fleet, Carrie Underwood, and Cigarettes After Sex, these were all photographed at the Don Haskins. Never had I photographed a music festival, let alone even attended one. I had always heard great things about ACL, but I still didn’t quite know what to expect.
These are some of my thoughts on this year’s ACL festival as well as what it was like attending one as press.
This was my second trip to Austin, but it was really like my first time there.
With Austin being like Los Angeles to Texas, I immediately understood the appeal and why the festival takes place there.
When I think of a “park,” my El Pasoan mind jumps to Memorial or Album Park, however visiting Austin and Zilker Park, where ACL is hosted, the term park had a new meaning. With a large river dissecting the large masses of trees, stages decorated the landscape with bright banners reading “Honda,” “T-Mobile,” “American Express,” “Miller Lite,” and “Tito’s” to boast the festival’s sponsors.
In addition to the stages, ACL had a market area in the center of the park where local vendors sold items such as hats, shirts, bags, fans, and even plants! Other areas included an indoor merch store where you could purchase festival souvenirs, and an ACL “Eats” area located next to a shaded sitting area. Bars were also located throughout the festival, as well as booths where you could find free items upon finishing short surveys.
I attended weekend two of the festival upon hearing local rockers – and August cover stars – Late Night Drive Home was going to perform. I don’t think I understood just how big of a deal a gig like this was until I realized Blink-182 was to take the same stage later that night. Seeing a local band perform at such an established and popular festival, while also seeing several locals in the crowd, was inspiring and showed that the El Paso community spirit doesn’t just limit the borders of our city.
Day one of the festival was my most productive day, where I captured photos of seven different artists including Blink-182, Norah Jones, and Leon Bridges. Days two and three were much slower because of crowds and exhaustion. Performers such as Dua Lipa and Blink-182 had large productions and colorful stages that lent themselves to a more attention-grabbing set; whereas day performers like Dasha, Leon Bridges, and Benson Boone’s sets relied more on background visuals, smoke, and personality to make their sets just as eye-catching.
Since it was my first time at a music festival, I wasn’t too sure what to expect as far as crowds.
Despite getting my water bottle stolen within the first five minutes of entering the festival and having to purchase a $22 festival bottle, there were hydration stations at every corner with about ten or more faucets at each station. Even during the peak times of 3-5 pm in when the stations were packed, the longest wait time I experienced was five minutes to refill my water.
Although it was incredibly hot at the festival, the hottest day reaching 97 degrees, bringing a hat and a fan, the fan being my savior for the entire festival, helped tremendously. The water at the hydration stations wasn’t the coldest, but it was free, whereas the cold Liquid Death or Redbull cans were about $6. As for the food, the average price of a dish was $16. Due to the prices, I had eaten before arriving, which I highly recommend. When I did eat at the festival, I ordered chicken fingers and a plate of three tacos, which were pretty tasty but weren’t filling to justify a $16 price. That being said, the food options were vast and had all types of food such as Mexican, Greek, and BBQ.
As for the overall crowds at the festival, there were certain times when walking around the festival was very difficult. After 5 pm, walking from stage to stage became a challenging task. From people standing, sitting, and lying down, as well as children running around, I felt like a video game character having to dodge obstacles to reach the finish line.
With this being my first festival, I would most certainly call it a success, especially being granted a press pass.
I have nothing but good things to say about the staff and the “photographer wranglers” who were present at each stage. As a photojournalist, I’ve gotten used to being treated poorly and I wasn’t sure what it was going to be like. I was pleasantly surprised and deeply appreciated the staff who were in the photo pits because not only did they constantly ask the photographers how we were doing, but they also made sure we as well as the crowd at the barricade were hydrated.
From all three days, I’d have to say Chappell Roan’s crowd was the most exciting and intense.
With the crowd looking like a sea of pink due to fans repping their most anticipated artist, it was fun seeing such camaraderie.
I loved seeing fans wave their pink bandanas that had a white bunny holding a rabbit about her song “Red Wine Supernova” (I may or may not have purchased one myself). Roan was my most anticipated artist to not only photograph but also see. I felt like the way the staff handled Roan’s performance was a little stricter than some of the headliners I had also photographed.
On day two, I photographed headliner Dua Lipa who had a much larger stage production including backup dancers and was less strict with where we were allowed to stand. After photographing Roan, I walked over to the Tito’s stage where I partook in the silent disco. The disco consisted of three DJs who controlled three separate stations where attendees could switch back and forth from where I “danced the night away” which was a great way to end my festival experience.
I had a great time at Austin City Limits.
I was honored to have earned a photo pass and be hand-picked to photograph Dua Lipa.
This inaugural experience inspired me to continue following festivals and hopefully return to ACL again next year to not only photograph but also experience. I recommend ACL to anyone who is interested in experiencing a music festival and encourage first-timers to bring earplugs, fans, and their love of music and community.
