You know the Red Hot Chili Peppers. You know The Black Keys. And I sure hope you know Mr. Neil Young, but do you know all of the other great bands who are kicking Friday, Saturday and Sunday off at this year’s Austin City Limits Festival?
Let’s be honest, the festival circuit these days is inundated with choices. Between Bonnaroo, Sasquatch, Lollapalooza and two weekends of Coachella to name a few, you’d think America would have enough. But the demand continues. Austin City Limits Festival announced their line-up at midnight, tickets went on sale at 10 AM, and 30 minutes later, they were sold out. Don’t worry single day passes are still available.
So why all the fuss? Beyond a perfect park (Zilker), a bevy of food choices (Mighty Cone, anyone?) and the city of Austin as your backdrop, you can rest assured that almost all of the bands on the lineup will entertain you until you get callouses on your perfectly pedicured feet. Here’s some insight on some of the bands you might have not heard of yet.
The Lumineers
Two friends, a craigslist ad and a cello later, The Lumineers got together in Denver to start a band. Their EP is full of toe-tapping, hand-clapping good times. You can even hear an instrumental single of “Ho Hey” in the most recent Blue Moon ad. I have no doubt they will gain some traction leading up to the festival.
Ben Howard
This swoon-worthy Brit captured my heart at SXSW and he’s coming back to Austin to play a bigger crowd. While singer-songwriters aren’t always best fit for a festival, I have a faith that Howard’s rhythm and sound will draw people in. Plus, his cover of the summer jam “Call Me Maybe” is what some might call genius. (I think I’m the first to use Call Me Maybe and genius in the same sentence)
The War On Drugs
Under layers of heavy guitar, these Philly alternative rockers have smart lyrics and a good thing going for them. Dynamic bands like The War On Drugs are great for posting up at during ACL – just stand there and let them do all the work. It’s fun – I promise.
The Wheeler Brothers
It’s not all out-of-towners, Austin bands get some love too. The Wheeler Brothers are making their way around the country and they are coming back to Austin for their festival debut. Their energy is infectious and their fan base is loyal – so be sure to find your way to their stage.
Check out other tunes from some ACL bands on Spotify here: http://spoti.fi/JugHPf
Who are you excited to see? Comment below.
