Austin City Limits 2012

Day 1

   Friday August 12, day 1 of ACL, was a great start to the memorable music festival. Alabama Shakes, Tegan and Sara, Florence + The Machine, Aviici, M83 and the Black Keys were the high points of the evening. It was a beautiful day in Austin, sun was shining, and thousands of music fans crowded into the infamous Zilker Park to watch some amazing performances. 

   Of the aforementioned highlighted bands, my favorite performance according to music style was Tegan and Sara. I enjoyed their songs because I was highly anticipating watching them perform. It was great to see the dynamic duo up on stage in person. Concerning stage presence and interaction with the audience, my favorite performance was Florence + The Machine. The English Indie rock band, with Florence Welsh as the lead singer, took the audience by surprise. Dressed in a dark green gown, Florence was jumping around and getting absolutely wild on stage. Her innate and stunning vocal talents were unmasked during the live performance.  A committed and lively performer, Florence used the entire stage as well as engaging the audience up close, to awe the crowd. She was truly one of the best stage performers I have ever seen. The day ended with the Black Keys. The Black Keys brought a varied age audience and truly owned up to their reputation. It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable melodious day.

Day 2

   Day 2 at ACL seemed less promising, as there were less performances I was determined to see. With daunting clouds in the forecast, I expected less from the concerts. Regardless of this doubtful outlook for day 2, I was dumbstruck when I discovered one of my new favorite bands. Big Gigantic was one of the most incredible concerts I have experienced. The instrumental, livetronica, hip-hop and jazz musical group based out of Boulder, Colorado, combined electronic beats with the saxophone. The lead performer on the saxophone was incredible, his skills surpassed any preconceived notions I could have imagined. During the climax of their performance, the   rain started to come down in torrents. This just made the crowd more excited and pumped. Everyone was going wild! I will never forget the Big Gigantic adventures at ACL 2012. 

Day 3

   The final day at ACL was marked by new found lyrical obsessions and extraordinary shows by some of the best. I discovered a new passion for a band called NEEDTOBREATHE, whom I had never previously heard of. Other sensational performances included Two Door Cinema Club, The Lumineers, The Civil Wars, The Avett Brothers, and Childish Gambino. The music fest concluded with a performance by the infamous Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” 

~ Plato