I ain't going to Austin City Limits Music Festival this year..again. I have been to every single ACL Music fest but this year, due to being a stage manager for a show in Georgetown, I do not have the time to split between the festival & work/tech week. I definitely wanted to see Stevie Wonder, too.
Not going either? Whatever the reason I don't blame you. Since my first ACL Music Festival in 2002, the festival grows bigger and bigger each and every year. This is a great thing, don't get me wrong, especially for a local Austin-based entertainment booking/staging company like
C3 Presents. However, with that growth for a local music festival comes greater & bigger acts/band/performers....aaaaaaand within that comes more $$$ for C3 to bank on for purchase sales and sell-outs (I'm talking ticket sales here). Hell, they took $150 bucks from me for purchasing 3 three-day passes at the 'early bird' price. I got those tickets at a steal compared to what folks are selling their ACL 3-day passes for
here.
According to a
study commissioned by C3, ACL is expected to have $73 million dollars pumped into the local restaurants, hotels, bars, etc! You got 70,000 attendees coming to the festival that are hungry, thirsty, and don't want to walk all the way back to their car after the festival and/or wait in the long bus line. Last year the Austin Parks Foundation benefited from
2.34 million dollars in monies to have to improve the Zilker Park grounds to increase more tree coverage, an irrigation system, plant more grass, add benches, etc from C3's profit. It takes a lot of money to get the festival going, up, and running as well as keeping those that come from afar happy. And I don't know about you, but if I hadn't snagged those $50 three day passes a week after ACL Music Fest 2010 (a week in October right before Halloween), I don't think I could shell out almost $200 bucks cash for a pass or wristband even if I wanted to....
Last year's Ditch the Fest was too much fun that I hardly remember it.
This year there are more sponsors, free beer, and cheap prices to get in.
Ditch the Fest 2: presented by Luck The Poodle:
Ditch the Fest 2 has now become a benefit where most of the proceeds will be donated to the Texas Red Cross for the wildfire victims from Bastrop county. You can see as many bands as you can catch this year at 5 venues: Cheer Up Charlies, Red 7, Beauty Bar, the Scoot Inn, and Club De Ville.
What's great about Ditch the Fest 2:
- local live music from bands that live or based out of Austin
- local venues - a $2 per venue you can see the whole lineup or hop around with a wristband for $5 from venue to venue (except Club De Ville)
- schedule of band set times range from 2pm - 2am at each venue
- FREE SHINER BOCK from Birds Barbershop (as supplies last) - with 5 venues to choose from essentially if one is out you can go to the next..
- local art and performance art at venues during band set times
- photo booth, belly dance, screen printing, etc!
- most proceeds are going directly to an organization that will benefit all of our friends, neighbors, and family members that have experienced the recent wildfire crisis (i don't see Rick Perry giving monies out of his political presidential campaign fundraisers)
- it's all away from the festival, Zilker Park, and this party goes on until 2am and doesn't have to stop at 10:30pm.
- no wait in line (unless you spot the free beer line and that gets crunk)
- no sunscreen needed (well, maybe minimal sunscreen if you hit it hard beginning at 2pm when Ditch the Fest begins)
- no overpriced $6-$8 12 oz beers - hell, you may end up watching a band(s) around happy hour
- no need to worry about where you parked your car or if you can find parking (take your bike, yo!)
- you don't have to lug around a chair in a bag or make sure your bottled waters stay sealed
- no pat downs before you enter any of these venues
- and....no annoying frat guys waiting to catch Damien Marley (or Coldplay)
- oh, and no filthy dirty portapotties.
5 bucks for a wristband seems like the best bet AND free shiner?!
Bands I am looking forward to catching at Ditch the Fest 2 include:
- Leatherbag (Beauty Bar)
- Boy + Kite (Cheer Up Charlies)
- Obsolete Machines (Cheer Up Charlies)
- How I Quit Crack (Cheer Up Charlies)
- The Sour Notes (Cheer Up Charlies)
- East Cameron Folkcore (Red 7)
- My Education (Red 7)
- La Snacks (Red 7)
- Mr. Lewis and the Funeral Five (Red 7)
- Your Kisses Cause Crashes (Beauty Bar)
- The Baker Family (Scoot Inn)
- Bitter Birds (Scoot Inn)
- The Midwives (Scoot Inn)
- Noise Revival Orchestra (Scoot Inn)
- Sideshow Tragedy (Club De Ville)
- Not in the Face (Club De Ville)
