The halls were empty, but the roads were congested. The attendance office handled a seemingly endless flow of passes for ‘doctor’s appointments.’ Although some students remained in class, they stared into space; their minds were elsewhere. From the outside, it may have looked like a contagion had taken over Cedar Park High School.
The strange atmosphere was not due to physical sickness, however. Austin City Limits swept the halls of Cedar Park High School, taking its toll on students.
Last weekend around 70,000 people flooded the fields of Zilker Park each day for a weekend of live music at the festival.
“There was a diverse group of people coming together for the same type of music,” junior Lindsay Harris said. “The effect was awesome.”
Senior Victoria Uribe, an ACL veteran, agrees that the weekend had a special feel.
“The whole weekend had a good atmosphere and good vibes,” Uribe said.
The good vibes occurred during a weekend alternating between heat waves and pouring rain, but fans’ spirits could not be outshone or dampened.
“Of course Texas didn’t give us perfect weather,” Harris said.
For first timers, the blazing sun mixed with the muddy, hay-strewn ground might have been an unfavorable combination. Veterans acknowledged the hot humidity and light showers, accepting them thankfully.
“It was muddy, hot and sticky,” Uribe said. “But compared to last year, the weather was excellent.”
As for next year’s festival, tickets go on sale at the beginning of next week. ACL fans will have the opportunity to attend one of two weekends featuring the same artists and same festivities. The move was made to accommodate the growing number of fans and hopefully thin the excessive crowds.
“How will the bands and headliners agree to play twice?” senior Jamie Xia questioned. “It will be less crowded, but fewer friends will be there at the same time.”
The introduction of two weeks of the festival has brought other concerns as well. Fans of The Weeknd were disappointed to hear that the show was cancelled due to “doctor’s orders” following the late-night show the night before. Concerned fans question whether or not occurrences like this could affect next year’s festival experience.
“Nobody is going to be happy if their favorite show gets cancelled after other fans got to watch the week before,” Uribe said.
Despite concerns, tickets for next year should be as hot as the weather. The Austin City Limits fever will take over again next year on queue with the coming of fall.