Pity the people of Austin. What do they ever do down there? Long before the Texas capitol became the center of the universe every March during SXSW, it was host to Austin City Limits, a humble music-performance show broadcast on Saturday nights on PBS. In 2002, after nearly thirty years of existence, the show began hosting the Austin City Limits Music Festival in the city’s Zilker Park. Twelve years later, it’s one of the biggest multi-day festivals in the country, hosting a ridiculous number of bands across two weekends in the fall.

Our photographers were on the ground for weekend one of this year’s ACL Fest, where they caught everyone from A$AP Rocky to Tame Impala to Austin stalwarts Asleep at the Wheel. Check out the sites as they saw them below.

: Albert Hammond Jr. / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Foo Fighters / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Kurt Vile / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: The Suffers / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Kehlani / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Jessica Hernandez / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Disclosure / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: San Fermin / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Sturgill Simpson / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Royal Blood / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Lord Huron / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Vince Staples / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Hozier / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Lord Huron / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: TV on the Radio / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Alabama Shakes / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Ume / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Billy Idol / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: alt-J / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Discosure / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Foo Fighters / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: alt-J / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Jidenna / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Mikaela Davis / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Brand New / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Albert Hammond Jr. / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Alabama Shakes / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Milo Greene / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: The Strokes / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Tame Impala / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: A$AP Rocky / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Tame Impala / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Ryn Weaver / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Calliope Musicals / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Royal Blood / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Asleep at the Wheel / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Disclosure / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Ryn Weaver / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Gary Clark Jr. / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Deadmau5 / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: The Austin skyline / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: The Strokes / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Shakey Graves / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Kurt Vile / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Shakey Graves / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: The Austin skyline / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: TV on the Radio / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: A$AP Rocky / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Billy Idol / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Halsey / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

: Deadmau5 / photo by Suzanne Cordeiro and Jim Chapin

FLOOD

The Suffers

MUSIC, ART + CULTURE,DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

MUSIC, ART + CULTURE,
DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX