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A two parter. First, I’d like to share my schedule. Second, I’ve got some important festival advice regarding hydration.

Part 1:

This will be my third adventure into ACL land in three years – I can’t tell you how much I love this festival. Living next to Zilker Park is a big plus, but I would travel from Portland, Oregon for this experience. The big names are big names; I mean, who doesn’t love the B-52’s? The mid level bands are awesome as usual too. Check out my schedule (pronounced ‘shed-ju-el’ if you’re Australian or British).

A brief rundown:

Friday. Don’t miss The Walkmen & Phoenix. Relax a bit with Thievery Corp. Sound the alarm with Andrew Bird. And Yeah, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s; yes please.

Saturday. Mute Math, Grizzly Bear, and Federic Aubele are on my Don’t Miss list. The Scabs of Austin are awesome (TARANTULA!), but I’m hitting up Devotchka this time. And sorry Dave, I’m seeing Ghostland first, then wandering your way.

Sunday. I’m liking the early Dodo’s show, but don’t miss Here we Go Magic. Definitely seeing the B-52s, the Toadies, and really excited about Girl Talk. And for Pearl Jam, I’m assuming you’re playing your greatest hits; thank you.

For more bands and timing details, you can check out my online schedule.

Part 2:

Stay hydrated every day, all day. The weather will be amazing, but the sun will still take it out of you. Be sure to drink plenty of Sweet Leaf Tea straight up too … and/or add the ‘water’ you bring with you to your SLT. This water is of course VODKA. I know they say you can only bring in ‘sealed’ containers… You should be just fine getting in with your favorite local vodka brand, and really fine getting out.

The how to:

1. Before you hit the road, finish one of your two 1L bottles of Ozarka spring water.
2. Fill the bottle up with your vodka choice (mine is Tito’s).
3. Buy your Sweet Leaf Tea from one of our two booths (or any of the bars).
4. Drink a quarter of the delicious brew you selected.
5. Fill your SLT bottle up with vodka.
6. Consume.
7. Rinse.
8. Repeat.

Close your eyes…I said close ‘em! Now imagine the sound of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s song “Runaway” slowly starting to ooze out of the speakers just 25 yards in front of you. You can feel the thousands upon thousands of fan’s energy surrounding you….all anxiously awaiting the band to walk on stage. And then you see her…Karen O walks out in a full on headdress that makes her look like a bird with wings expanded out wide. She sways back in forth in an Indian like dance as she begins to sing. Suddenly, you have “No sense of time” but you “Want them to stay, Want to keep them inside.” Their sound is “Something like a phenomena, baby” and you want more.

Then, the music gets faster…the bass is pounding louder and louder. “The men cry out, the girls cry, the men cry out, the girls cry out” and you start to “dance, dance, dance till you’re dead.” Out of breath, you stand still just for one second before she moves right into “Pin” and you “go, go, go” back into jumping with the crowd. This is definitely not a “dull life” and you feel “more alive than you’ve ever been.” Your “hands go out of control” as the thousands of festival goers sing along with Karen, “ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh uh ohh”. Just as you say, “I think I am bigger than the sound” it gets soft. There is a calm energy as the slow music of “Skeletons” begins to play. The crowd gets “Hysteric” as a sea of big red Sweet Leaf Tea balloons bounce over the thousands of hands swaying in the sky. You try your hardest to get your hands on one as Karen’s voice “flows sweetly, hangs heavy” over the audience. The words, “suddenly complete you” until you feel “a sharp shock to your soft side.” You realize a jackass trying to crowd surf during a slow song just fell on you. “Turn yourself around, you weren’t invited” you say as the drunk guy stumbles away. You’re then immediately distracted as Karen O belts out “Zeroooo” and you “feel like a mad man on the run”. Little did you know this would “Turn Into” the best live show you have ever seen. As the band walks off stage you say, “WAIT, they don’t love you like I love you….WAIT they don’t love you like I love you”. All the thousands of new friends you made join in, all begging for more.

The familiar guitar chord starts playing and the crowd erupts with cheers. “Y-Control” yourself you ask as everyone gets “out of control, out of control” to the music. Your “Date with the Night” finally does come to an end and you cannot stop smiling. Covered in sweat and out of breath you wonder how any band in the next two days could possibly top that one.

Now open your eyes…HEY wake up! Ok, thanks…now that doesn’t just have to be a daydream, my friend. Make that your reality by being at the AMD stage on Friday night at 8:30pm sharp. Take it from me…I saw both the YYY’s and Kings of Leon at Lollapalooza, and the score: YYY’s 16 points v. KOL “Zero”.

Lollapalooza setlist:

1. Runaway

2. Phenomena (Listed as “Phenom (Beastie Break)” on setlist )

3. Heads Will Roll

4. Pin

5. Dull Life

6. Gold Lion

7. Cheated Hearts

8. Skeletons

9. Hysteric

10. Soft Shock

11. Honeybear

12. Zero

13. Turn Into

14. Maps (acoustic)

15. Y Control

16. Date With the Night

ACL is approaching quickly! So grab your sunscreen, tie-dye shirts, and an ice cold bottle of Sweet Leaf Tea, of course.  You may be asking yourself, “Hey, what bands am I going to see this year?” We’ll I’ma give you some insight to my top 5 bands of ACL that are MUST-SEE SHOW STOPPERS!

YEAH YEAH YEAHS!

Sounds like: Energetic and provocative. Shock and Awe.  Kinda like a Kamikaze Pilot.

Front women, Karen O, always brings her A-game.  At Lollapalooza, she showed up in an indian headdress.  Great Music, great show.  It’s what going to a concert should be like all the time.  It’s not just a concert…..it’s a theatrical performance.

What to bring to the show: Tap dancing shoes and a monocular

Exhibit A: Zero — Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Phoenix

Sounds like: Vampire Weekend in a pair of electronic dance pants.

This French Electro-Pop-Funk-Indie band hit the pinnacle with their fourth album, “Wolfgang Amadeus”. Synths floating around in a sea of tasteful bass, all while the drums beats splash splash around  in this fishbowl of an album. ITS GREAT!  My Favorite… “Lasso”.

Lasso — Phoenix

What to bring to the show: French Fries and a video camera to capture this show so you can send it to your roommate from your foreign exchange program.

The Ravonettes

Sounds like: 60′s Psychedelic–Retro, Rock

This Boy-Girl Duo will mesmerize you in the sea of people at the festival.  Everyone will be moving as one to the harmonies.

Love in a Trashcan — Ravonettes

What to bring to the show: Classic Black Rayban WayFarers and a vintage patterned shirt.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

Sounds like: Modern day James Brown.  Rocking the Blues and Soul NON-Stop

This Austin Band is a MUST SEE. They will have you, your momma, your sister, and Grandpappy rocking to the smooth bass riffs, blasting brass, and rolling sax melodies.  I have seen them several times….trust me they are good.

What to bring to the show: your old trumpet and a lounge chair to soak in these sweet notes.

Sugarfoot — Black Joe Lewis

Girl Talk

Sounds like: A DANCE PARTY IN A CLOSET.

Gregg Gillis knows how to move a crowd.  Mix-mashing mainstream songs into glorious pieces of dance art.  Full of life on stage, bouncing around in front of a laptop with the crowd on the stage dancing behind him.  At Rothbury he tossed a blown up raft into the crowd and surfed it to the edge of the festival. AWESOME.  SEE HIM….DO IT.

Girltalk Concert

What to bring to the show: Dance Shoes and GLOW STICKS!!!  I can’t stress the glow sticks enough.

You may have read my Lollapalooza Survival Guide post, and there will inevitably be some parallels, but I thought I’d give you fine citizens of the innerweb the opportunity to indulge in another edition of Sweet Leaf Tea’s festival survival guide series.

Austin City Limits is undoubtedly the pinnacle of Sweet Leaf Tea’s festival series — it’s in our own backyard, the lineup is always super sick, and thousands upon thousands of thirsty music enthusiasts crowd the grounds of Zilker Park every year.  I can’t tell you how many consumers and fans I’ve talked to that have proudly told me they first discovered us at ACL.  It’s no wonder ACL has become a proud tradition for us.

So without futher ado, I give you my ACL Survival Guide:

• Let time management be your friend. Much like Lollapalooza, the lineup is jam packed with incredible artists and bands.  I often find it frustrating to have to choose between two bands that play simultaneously or overlapping.  Also, even though the layout at Zilker Park is fairly compact, it still takes time and effort to navigate from stage to stage.  Therefore, it’s important to take a look at the schedule ahead of time and map your time out at the festival.  The ACL website has a nifty tool to customize your schedule and even share it with your Facebook friends.  Also, keep in mind how long it takes to navigate to the festival grounds (there’s literally no close-in parking, so public transit or walking/biking is optimal) plus time spent in line to get in (depending on what time of day you arrive, the entrance lines can get rather lengthy).  Don’t leave your house expecting to be front and center at Phoenix within 30 minutes — transit takes time, kids.
• Fashionably comfortable. Luckily, the weather should prove to be rather pleasant this year, but that’s never a good reason to show up in heels.  You’re bound to do a ton of walking/hiking, so dress comfortable, or better yet in costume. The new golf-course grade lawn at Zilker is amazing — barefoot friendly.
  

  The grass is greener at Zilker

• Hydration is key. Granted this pointer is more notable when it’s typical ACL weather (100+ degrees), it’s still important.  Don’t be the guy face down in the sand pit during Pearl Jam just because you partied too hard — be the guy face down in the sand pit because you like eating sand. Besides, you can never have enough water (or tea).
• Have a contingency plan. Cell phone reception at the park is notorious for being unruly and unreliable. As such, if you’re planning to meet up with friends or lose someone in your party, I find it always a good plan to have a common meeting spot picked out ahead of time.  That way if someone gets separated, simply plan to meet at your spot between shows.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen (and experienced) friends fighting with friends because they couldn’t find each other in the madness.  Plan ahead and enjoy the peace.
• See something new. Sure, the headliners are what we’re really there for, but what I enjoy the most is seeing new, lesser known acts earlier in the day. I challenge you to get to the park early to check these bands out. Some of my local favorites are Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears and L.A.X.. All bands gotta start somewhere, and luckily there’s a lot of really new, great talent out there.
• There’s more to ACL than the music. Be sure to check out all that ACL has to offer aside from the stages.  The SoCo Art Market has tons of interesting finds and souvenirs for the buying, like our SoCo friends Parts & Labour who sell original clothing and accessories from Austin designers.  The Austin Eats Food Court probably has the best festival food choices I’ve ever seen at a festival (believe me — I’ve been to a lot). My favorite ACL dish is the Hot & Crunchy Chicken Avocado Cone from Hudson’s on the Bend (the geniuses behind The Mighty Cone).  When it comes to festival food, it doesn’t get any better than that, my friends.  There’s also plenty of other surprises all over the park, so do yourself a favor and do some exploring.
  

  The Mighty Cone!

• Pack wisely. While ACL is definitely an adventure, its no expedition.  As such, don’t bring a giant bag or your backpacking frame.  You’ll waste time at the gates with bag check, and you’re inevitably going to regret packing your whole life with you.  Save your back some strain.  My rule: if it doesn’t fit in a cinch-sack, it’s not worth bringing.
• Money money money. Unequivocally, you’re gonna spend some cash while at the fest, so bring plenty.  Yes, there are plenty of ATMs at the park, but they typically charge fees in equivalencies of your first-born child and/or your left arm to use them.
• Kodak moments. Don’t forget to pack your camera.  Ya know, just in case you ‘don’t remember’ your adventures after it’s all over.

Otherwise, be sure to look out for Sweet Leaf Tea in and around the park all weekend.  Aside from slingin’ that homemade goodness to the masses from all the bars and the food court, keep your eyes peeled for some special giveaways and other fun promotions.  Follow us on Twitter — might be some fun things going on there, too.

See you kids at Zilker!

First off, let me start by saying thanks to all of our creative, tea-inspired fans who entered their individual labors of love for our ACL Tea-shirt Contest. We had over 40 design entries covering a spectrum of concepts. Some creative geniuses chose Granny as their muse while others were inspired by our Sweet Leaf Tea bottle or the singing bird from the ACL logo. I especially got a kick out of the entry with Granny flying a plane that drops tea out of the sky. Nevertheless, the ideas were plentiful and truly entertaining to see. I have to admit, I got excited each time a new Tea-shirt email arrived in the ol’ inbox. But as always, there can only be one winner. So now, without further ado…

The winner of the 2009 ACL Tea-Shirt contest is (drum roll here…)

Lewis Carnegie

Thanks again Lewis Carnegie! We love your work, man. And as always, thanks for being a Sweet Leaf Tea fan. We look forward to seeing you at the show.

And for all of those who entered, will be in touch soon to arrange for your tea-shirt delivery. Your time and effort will be rewarded!

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