Second year in a row attending the ACL Festival. The great lineup prompted a repeat visit and this may not be the last time making the sojourn to Austin. The friendly, well behaved crowd was such a joy to behold and this year the stages were absent, mostly, of the faker lip sync artists; shall we call them fartists? Modest Mouse, Foo Fighters and Decemberists stood out as pro class acts with especially firm grasps on their sound presentation, along with Florence and the Machine. Billy Idol held his own, and although the high notes are no longer attempted, his physique is amazing for a man of any age, never mind that he's turning 60 in November. My my...
No rain or mud this year, the heat nearly oppressive in the mid day sun, but at least on the hottest last day the willful breeze pushed across the park mercifully over the massive crowd. My daughter and I trekked the 5 minutes to the nearby Barton Springs the first two days, an oasis filled with the largest pool I have ever seen. The cool refreshing water rejuvenated our staying power for the long days. A three day success appreciated even more so due to the absence of any injuries such as the one I suffered on day one last year with my sprained ankle. The crowd watching reaffirmed my deep conviction that Americans are the worst dressers on planet earth; however, they do sustain a high entertainment factor, hippie garb and misguided tattoo decisions notwithstanding.
