Once upon a time, in a land far, far away — Austin, Texas — I was a young music fiend, attempting to sneak into the Austin City Limits music festival (ACL) with the undying need to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Did I get in? I can’t answer that

But what I can say is that this year, my day one of ACL was different. Toss my twisted, wasted youth aside; this year, I was there by the book.

The festival takes place in Zilker Park, an Austin landmark that covers 350 acres of ground. Per usual, the three-day event gathered an incredible lineup, with headliners Tyler the Creator, Dua Lipa, Blink-182, and Chappell Roan.

There were cowboy boots, rainbow mesh, Chappell Roan fans, Texas Longhorn jerseys, tears, glitter, Chappell Roan fans, suede, leather, and Chappell Roan fans. There was country and pop, but also rap, norteñas, punk, afro-beats, house, and whatever genre the Marías are.

The early afternoons were calm, perfect for discovering new artists. I got myself up to speed listening to Dasha’s “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’),” Mickey Guyton’s “Here With You,” and Vanilla is Black’s “Mezcal.”

The magical Norah Jones sat at her piano against a colorful, bright background, looking the audience square in the face as her fingers softly weighed down her melodies. She played through her latest album Visions, tossing in “Come Away With Me” and “Don’t Know Why” at her set’s end.

Unlike in California, the Texas heat continued through the night. This isn’t Coachella, where you’ll need to somehow incorporate a jacket into your look — nah, baby, this is Texas. The heat’s got nowhere else to be.

Come on now.

I was going to see Chris Stapleton, but I got vetoed. So instead, I went to my first Blink-182 show — Stapleton’s time slot competitor. 

I didn’t grow up listening to Blink, only catching them sometimes on the radio. Well, I realize now that I’m the outlier and that they raised a whole generation of angsty teenage boys turned loyal fans.

Once I got past the crude jokes and my usual low threshold for pop-punk, I admit they got me with their most known nostalgic hits like “ONE MORE TIME,” “ANTHEM PART 3,” and “What’s My Age Again?” And then, even though they didn’t play this one, later I secretly discovered that I like “Adam’s Song,” which pulls at the strings of my angsty teenage boy heart too.

Rushing to catch the shuttle for downtown Austin, we caught a crucial snippet of Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.” It’s one of those songs that you hear so much on the radio, you have to hear it live just once.

The shuttle from Zilker Park landed us in Republic Square, where we found ourselves again the next day, doing this whole thing over again.

Movements caught us first thing as they performed on the Honda stage. Mixing a driven, hard rock sound with vulnerable vocals and lyricism, the band had me wanting to bawl my eyes out with their songs “Daylily” and “Fail You.” Every person who has known the long spans of sadness between a “pink cloud day” might understand what Patrick Miranda means in this heartbreaking song about his girlfriend’s battle with depression. 

Eyedress was on my list to see. This man is so very mellow, and he interacted with the crowd in the relaxed way that only he could. In his world, he infuses bedroom pop, lo-fi, and shoegaze to fit his VHS-meets-claymation aesthetic. You might know his songs “Jealous,” “Escape From the Killer,” or “Something About You.”

Remi Wolf saved her hit “Photo ID” for last, her crowd erupting in an earth-shaking roar. The only missing piece was, of course, Dominic Fike, who was originally set to headline this year’s fest.

If you attended any shows earlier this year at SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, you may have seen girl group Say She She’s show there back in February. This weekend, after performing their 3 p.m. set, they joined Khruangbin onstage covering George Strait’s “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

Later that night, Dua Lipa also exuded some Texas pride as she sported a Longhorn’s jersey, matching many in the crowd. Pop queens like her, Reneé Rapp, and Chappell Roan always impress me. Their poise, perfection, and the way they make every song sound like a hit — it’s a science.

Speaking of Chappell Roan, day three was her day. Fans staked out at the American Express stage, sitting, bonding, and playing UNO for most of the day as they waited for their Midwest princess to grace the stage at 6:45 p.m.

Earlier in the day, I had my sights set on seeing Ritchy Mitch and the Coal Miners, but fate had other plans. I missed them at Shabang and then I missed them at ACL. So best believe I won’t be missing them a third time. Wherever that is, that’s where I’ll be. All I want is to see “Evergreen” live. 

Leather-clad Orville Peck was in his full Lone Ranger garb as he crooned some of his best, “C’mon Baby, Cry” and “Dead of Night.” And boy, Willie Nelson has been making some appearances this year. First performing with Stapleton on day one and later dueting with Peck with a heavenly cover of “Cowboys are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other”, the 91-year old country legend has been booked and busy. 

Inevitably 6:45 p.m. rolled around, and everyone knew it was time. Chappell Roan’s fans spanned across the entire park, from the American Express stage to the Honda stage. There’s a reason those two biggest stages are the furthest away from each other.

“I am competing with Chappell Roan,” rapper mike. laughed during his set as her fans bordered the edges of his crowd. Roan announced this would be her last show of the year, making this concert appearance extra special for her fans.

Tyler the Creator had an incredible set — his team designed a whole mountain for him to perform on top of, mimicking the desert landscape of Arizona. Him being Tyler, his energy was the perfect way to end the festival. Fans grasped onto the last bits of the night chanting “WUSYANAME” with him as he jumped all over the stage.

Tyler the Creator | Photo: Roger Ho; Greg Noire for ACL 2024

ACL wound down, and I embarked on a little camping trip through North Texas. I went to school in Waco, and while it may never fully feel like home, there’s something special about revisiting an old stomping ground. From a bit of controlled music madness to the peaceful outdoors, I can’t complain. 

It reminds me that here and there, I’ll go to the Lone Star State, and she’ll show me a good time.

To listen to some of Nataschia Hadley’s favorite tunes from this year’s lineup, check out her ACL playlist on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3ObZyxj