Drenched in sweat and dressed in Instagram-worthy outfits, enthusiastic fans waited to see their favorite artist perform at Austin City Limits. Workers distributed cartons of water and sprayed fans with hoses to keep them cool during Austin’s hotter-than-average first weekend of October.
Diverse sounds of pop, country, rap, electronic and punk rock music blasted loudly from the speakers of seven different stages. Enough music to fill a schedule for a three-day festival. The biggest headliners performing were Blink-182, Chris Stapleton, Pretty Lights, Dua Lipa, Sturgill Simpson, and Tyler, the Creator. However, fans had a heated debate about who the real headliners were, with opinions varying based on their musical tastes.
The overall experience of ACL in 2024 was a great experience exploring some of established or emerging artist within their subculture.
ACL also had Texan artists in the lineup, all whose genres are different from each other.
On Friday, the opening day, soul R&B artist Leon Bridges from Fort Worth played during sunset as a sub-headliner. While folk duo Penny and Sparrow, from Austin, and country blues artist Norah Jones, drop out of the University of North Texas, performed at daylight.
Funk instrumental trio Khraubangbin from Houston, Texas also performed as a sub-headliner the following day on Saturday, Oct. 5.
On Sunday, after the Cannons’ beautiful performance at the American Express stage, I left to secure a front-row spot for sub-headliner Dom Dolla at the T-Mobile stage. This meant arriving over an hour early, allowing me to catch the ending performance of That Mexican OT, a Houston, Texas rapper.
Once OT left the stage, I rushed to grab a rail view. While waiting at the front of the T-Mobile stage, the large crowd at the American Express stage was heard singing along to Chappell Roan’s pop hits: “Good Luck, Babe,” “Hot to Go,” “Pink Pony Club,” “Red Wine Supernova,” and “Casual.” These songs are currently trending on the Billboard Top 100 chart, showcasing the rising talent of this emerging pop artist and her first studio album.
Roan seized the spotlight at the festival on Sunday, attracting a crowd that rival all headliners of ACL. Her audience was comparable to the massive crowds Lizzo drew during her ACL performance in 2019. Roan was considered a sub-headliner, despite her rank as 60th artist in the world on Spotify, compared to 338th spot for Blink-182.
Dom Dolla fans sang along to Roan’s music. Strangers chatted about Dom Dolla being the real headliner, even with Tyler, The Creator closing the festival that night.
Dom Dolla gave an energizing performance that got everyone dancing with fire and lasers lighting up the stage. As a fan, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if I told a friend about it and they replied, “Don Dollar, who?” I could then explain that he produced the song “New Gold.” His music isn’t usually played on local radio stations, except for that recent collaboration with Gorillaz and Tame Impala, released in 2024.
Despite mixed opinions among fans, indie music lovers enjoyed seeing their favorite smaller bands at ACL. I loved watching Still Woozy, The Beaches, The Marias, Empress Of, and Cannons. Concerts for these artists usually cost between $30 and $100, so a one-day festival pass at $165 might be worth it if you budget for room, board, and transportation.
Austin City Limits remains Texas’s biggest music festival, attracting around 150,000 attendees since it started two decades ago. It’s also one of the top five festivals in the country. It’s a must-experience event, where you might discover your next favorite artist.
