Austin City Limits rocked our city. Here are some notable moments from this year’s festival
There are music festivals, and then there is Austin City Limits. This music festival in Austin was based on the KLRU/PBS music show also named “Austin City Limits.” The television show, which aired in the early ‘80s, sparked the idea for one of the most widely celebrated music festivals in the world. Beginning in 2002, Austin City Limits (ACL) music festival in Zilker Park, Austin has since expanded internationally (Auckland City Limits: Auckland, NZ) and gained a second weekend. Needless to say, our plumbing company in Austin is very excited every year for this music festival.
Unfortunately, weekend number two ended this Sunday. Although we’re sad to say farewell, we’re even more excited to discuss all that went down during this year’s festival! Yes, we’re your local plumbers, but that doesn’t mean we’re not excited about all that goes on in our very own city. If you made it to the fest, be sure to relish in the memories. If not, read on to learn the incredible things that happened during this year’s festival!
Support for the victims in Las Vegas
Just a week before Austin City Limits opened its festival gates for it’s 13th year, tragedy struck a different festival on the Las Vegas Strip. While nobody expects to forget the 58 innocent lives that were taken that weekend, nobody is also going to let one evil person ruin music for the rest of the world. Artists at Austin City Limits, including Ice Cube, took care to acknowledge the victims of the massacre while also giving a strong performance in their honor. Music festivals are meant to be an area of fun and freedom, not fear. Our country refuses to let that happen.
The festival organizers, C3 Presents, also took the recent shooting into consideration. On top of heightened security measures, C3 Presents offered full refunds to attendees who felt uncomfortable going. Sponsors, including American Express and State Farm, made sure to acknowledge the tragedy at the festival via social media and booths at the festival. Further, the festival made sure to open up more entrances and exits in case of an emergency.
A tribute to Tom Petty
One of music’s most beloved icons passed about a week prior to the festival. Tom Petty’s death left the music community stunned, as thousands of artists looked to him as an inspiration. Like most tragedies, though, his death sparked many of the headliners to commemorate his legacy by playing some of his songs at the festival. Festival goers and artists were able to mourn and celebrate Tom Petty’s death in the most communicable way possible: more music. Headliners like the Red Hot Chili Peppers played a list of his songs to a crowd of fans who teared up as hits like “Free Fallin’” and “American Girl” boomed across the festival grounds. A hero may be gone, but his music will continue to inspire the masses for years to come.
The hits of 2016/2017 going live
The past year and a half has seen a ton of amazing releases. And, a lot of the artists who created these masterpieces were able to take their music to the stage and perform them to their biggest fans. Red Hot Chili Peppers, who released “The Getaway,” their first album since “Mother’s Milk” in 1989, received stunning reviews. Longstanding fans of the band were able to jump around to both new hits and old, as well as to the Tom Petty tribute songs. Our plumbing company in Austin was excited enough.
The Killers, one of the most notable bands of the late ‘90s and early 2000s also released a well-lauded album, “Wonderful, Wonderful.” You can bet that they rocked this year's crowd.
Other artists that recently released hit albums and performed at ACL include the XX, Solange, Spoon, Bonobo, Zhu, Thundercat, and Glass Animals. Needless to say that music-wise, Austin hosted a pretty stellar lineup.
We’re sad to say that Austin City Limits has come to a close this year, but that just means that we could ready ourselves for next year’s festival! If you missed it, be sure to check out the Weekend 1 and Weekend 2 recaps.
