This is the Rocks Off team's (well, Craig Hlavaty and Chris Gray) fifth year covering the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The first year this smart guy wore black jeans and a black shirt to try to look cool, which made him chafe like an eighth-grader. The second year we stripped down to swim shorts and a V-neck. The third we tried not to eat too much mud and spoil our dinner. Last year we didn't even get to get stoned during Phish, which was a shame.
2011 marks ACL's 10th anniversary, a time span that has seen a rise of other Texas-based fests looking to steal its crown, with Houston's own Free Press Summer Fest the best candidate. Fun Fun Fun Fest, which just moved to Austin's Audtitorium Shores grounds, is the ACL for folks who get matching Misfits tattoos on their wedding day, and own more than one sleeveless black denim vest.
Needless to say, we love FFFF, and can't wait for the weather to cool off so we can bust out our own sleeveless wonder.
Each year covering festivals is a learning process. The first day you suss out your surroundings, make friends with the security people, meet up with media colleagues, and try not to drink too much.
This year, Rocks Off has already done Summer Fest, SXSW, The Hangout Festival in Alabama and Identity Festival. We are looking forward to BestFest (BUY YOUR DAMNED TICKETS NOW), and Voodoo in New Orleans, where we will finally see Soundgarden.
What bedevilment will we get into this weekend, you ask? Well, you can follow our Twitter stream, and check the blog daily to see what we have been seeing and loving, of course. Also, be sure to download an app on your phone so you can check the Austin Police Department's scanner after ACL lets out every night.
See Also: Secret Sisters - Ed.
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