October 14 2014

Page 1

check out all the acl content online at

OCTOBER 14, 2014 VOLUME 104 ISSUE 26

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

universitystar.com

ACL Austin City Limits

2014

MADELYNNE SCALES PHOTO EDITOR

Lorde performs Oct. 12 on the RetailMeNot stage at Austin City Limits.

old meets new at acl 2014 By Amanda Ross TRENDS EDITOR housands of festival-goers made their annual pilgrimage Friday from woefully overpriced parking garages downtown to Zilker Park’s grassy 48 acres, their Urban Outfitters-clad bodies signifying the kickoff of ACL’s second (and even bigger) weekend. Like 2013’s Weekend Two, rainstorms stopped the party temporarily, though, fortunately for festivalgoers, only until noon Saturday. Despite colder temperatures and mud puddles abound, patrons showed up in droves, excited for one of the biggest weekends in the festival’s 13-year history. Eminem, OutKast, Pearl Jam and Beck headlined this year’s festival, all of which played old classics and new favorites for the generations of fans attending the event. It seemed as though the unofficial theme of this year’s festival was oldmeets-new, with teenagers recycling fashions first popular as acts like Pearl Jam were just getting started. Twentysomethings in the OutKast crowd remarked that they danced to “Hey Ya!” at their middle school parties while the 30-somethings could say the same about “Hootie Hoo” 10 years earlier. Everything old is new again, and, as far as Austin City Limits goes, it just makes for that much bigger of a crowd.

T

FASHION Rapidly changing weather presented MADELYNNE SCALES PHOTO EDITOR

Mac DeMarco, St. Vincent and Icona Pop perform at Austin City Limits in Zilker Park.

something of a fashion challenge for festival-goers, though many combatted it by going “grunge lite” with plaid flannels open over tank tops and pairing combat boots with sky-high cutoffs. The festival’s fashion took a sharp turn away from the hippy-dippy flowery theme of

the past, seguing into a darker, more rocker mood usually reserved for November’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. Hair, usually down and styled, was twisted into more braid styles than Pinterest even has names for, and makeup was minimal. Altogether, things seemed more stripped down and natural, something that was reflected in the devil-maycare attitude of the hordes of people dancing the mud to Calvin Harris.

FOOD Austin is rapidly developing a reputa-

tion as a foodie town, and the seemingly never-ending row of eateries along the far end of the festival grounds only affirmed the sentiment. Forever favorites like Chil’antro were lined up next to artisanal dishes by this weekend’s chefs-in-residence, David Bull, Andrew Wiseheart and Alexis Chong. In partnership with the Texas Wine and Food festival, one specialty chef was on the premises each day of the festival, serving up signature dishes like vermicelli chicken salad and grilled portabella bahn mi. It’s a far cry from hot dogs and funnel cakes typically found at outdoor events, elevating the festival experience in a perfectly Austin way. This year also featured the debut of ACL Cashless, a feature that allows guests to link their credit cards and wristbands. With one swipe, guests can pay for their meal and leave a tip, ensuring hands are kept free to carry all that food.

MADELYNNE SCALES PHOTO EDITOR Childish Gambino performs Oct. 11 at Austin City Limits.

CULTURE As every bumper sticker in the 512

area has declared, Austin is weird. And Austin City Limits, a defining event in a city full of events, is nothing if not weird. Creating silly, clever or just inscrutable banners and t-shirts has turned sign-scouting into a spectator sport, with the best ones often spotted on news slideshows and Twitter feeds by the next day. The weekend ended just as strangely as it began when an unnamed woman scaled the neon orange Capitol building replica at the festival’s entrance, dancing suggestively and blowing kisses to hordes of fascinated onlookers. While groups of police officers held back a clearly adoring crowd, the woman smoked a cigarette and, eventually, tried to escape. She was caught, handcuffed and taken away, but not before the crowd could began a “let her free!” chant that she clearly loved.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.