Recap: Austin City Limits Music Festival 2012 Day 1

With clear skies and the Texas sun heating up Zilker Park, the 11th Annual Austin City Limits Music Festival kicked off day one on October 12. About 75,000 people from all over the world, from New Jersey to Australia, came to rock out to the bands that played.

Walking around the park, it glowed green. It was apparent that the rain from the day before helped keep it healthy and prepped for the festival. To keep it that way, there were plenty of measures put into place to remind music lovers to throw their trash away and recycle.

Early in the day, Austin’s own Stapletones took the Zilker Stage covering some of the best of Motown and Gospel. Backed by the Peterson Brothers, Michael Hale and Dane Farnsworth, the powerhouse vocals of Ange Koguts and Dorothy Clark took command of the stage.

As the day went on, the park started filling up. Moving from one stage to another got a little more difficult, but once a shady spot opened up, it was a good idea to stick around for a while.

Tegan and Sara took the Bud Light Stage gave the audience a show to remember. They constantly interacted with the audience. The crowd cheered and sang along as the duo performed songs like “Walking with a Ghost” and “Into Your Head.” They even played a new song, “I’m Not Your Hero,” from their new album that drops in January.

In the Media Lounge, artists hung out with media, doing interviews and taking photos. The Wombats, a trio based out of the United Kingdom, played a small set and did an interview from a local radio station.

Besides the music, there really was something for everyone. All ages were rocking out to the music throughout the day, enjoying food from the Austin Eats vendors, visiting Austin Kiddie Limits, or visiting some of the Austin Cares booths. Water was plentiful, with several Camelbak stations dispersed throughout the park. Once festival goers were filled up, it was time to rock out.

Florence + the Machine gave an amazing performance as well, feeding off the crowd. While Florence + the Machine played, not too far across the park, Weezer  rocked out, playing  hits like “Beverly Hills.”

Day one really set the tone for the weekend. There was tons to do, so many amazing Austin restaurants to eat at, lots of people to meet, and so much new music to discover. With amazing bands on the day one, the rest of the weekend should be just as eventful.