Austin, TX
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Austin already had a lineup at the ready, but now the Austin City Limits Festival schedule is live and the real planning can begin. With a few tough-to-pick slots revealed, here are CultureMap’s first impressions. The biggest priority: picking a side of the park and sticking with it.
This year there are tons of artists that will only play one weekend (either October 6-8, or 13-15), which used to be a rarity. For instance, of the 38 Friday artists across the entire festival, only 16 — less than half — will perform both weekends.
Some that might be worth basing a decision on are: the funky-but-indie Half Alive, electro-funk duo Chromeo, and super dramatic rock group The Mars Volta during Weekend 1; and R&B family band We Don’t Ride Llamas, iconic indie pop duo Tegan and Sara, violinist Sudan Archives, and French electronic savants M83 during Weekend two. Tennesee rapper GloRilla plays different days each weekend, but will still be here for both.
One very notable exception are Shania Twain (Weekend 1) and The 1975 (Weekend 2), which sure sound like a generational divide. We don’t anticipate seeing too many broken hearts about having to make this choice, discussed below.
Headlining decisions should be pretty easy for most attendees, especially because there is sort of a small headliner and a big headliner each night — the latter playing slightly later. If you’re okay with missing parts of the later show, it’s a very common move to migrate over a little late.
Friday
Between Kendrick Lamar and the Lumineers, in 2023, it feels like a pretty obvious choice. The Lumineers have some good tunes, but Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest innovators in hip-hop, at least, if not the whole industry. But it’ll all come down to mood: how do you want to feel at the end of the first day: inspired to make a difference in the world or held in a folksy hammock of harmonies?
It might be more important to look at who’s coming first, and the festival did a good job dividing the physical space by genre. On Weekend 1, The Mars Volta might override everything, and they’re much closer to the Lumineers, so it’d at least be worth a drive-by viewing on the way to Kendrick, who will much better match the energy of the earlier band.
For both weekends, fans of Maggie Rogers — who Jane Fonda just praised as the next big thing — and Portugal the Man will be in just the right place to keep the mellower vibes going with the Lumineers. But people who want to catch Lil Yachty will also be able to stick around for Kali Uchis — who has been increasingly recognized as an extremely charismatic performer — while hoping to be towards the front for Lamar.
In those earlier slots when the sun is blazing, consider checking out folk group Bailen. This grounded group will be great to listen to while transitioning into festival mode, and are sure to give a versatile performance (that sometimes dips into Fleetwood Mac territory with stacked vocals and strong bass lines).
Saturday
This is when festival-goers give it their all; They’ve got a day off from work, youthful optimism, and only a one-night hangover. Shania Twain and Foo Fighters headline on Weekend 1, and The 1975 and Foo Fighters will headline Weekend 2. And there’s nothing wrong with seeing Foo Fighters twice, especially after the new album, But Here We Are. It’s also the first opportunity for many to experience the band with their new drummer, Josh Freese.
Between Shania and The 1975, it looks like the older girls are going country and the younger girls are…kissing Matty Healy? Not to cancel the English singer — since fans did ask — but Miss Twain is going to be feeling like a woman, and probably not feeling women.
The bands slotted before are similarly well-matched (compared to Friday), except for the insane decision to put famed country singer Tanya Tucker before the Foos and not Twain. But given the strength of the lineup on the Foo’s side of the festival — starting with the young and cool Declan McKenna, moving through Mt. Joy, Alanis Morissette, and the meteorically successful Noah Kahan — it feels like a no brainer to spend the day over there.
If you do feel like changing locations, Dripping Springs-based artist Ben Kweller will be a great starting point, followed immediately by rising queer icon Rina Sawayama, whose fashion and stage presence can’t be missed for avid pop fans.
Sunday
An underrated day at ACL; Folks are satisfied enough with what they’ve already achieved for the weekend, but still have a little fire left in them. Sorry to tell you this, but there is someone worth getting there for before 1 pm. Madison Cunningham, a versatile and semi-jazzy singer-songwriter is critically acclaimed for being smart and surprising, but still strongly listenable. This restraint will do wonders kicking off a relatively relaxed day, without trigging that here-in-the-sun-again exhaustion.
Sunday’s headliners are pretty solidly in opposition: Americana, courtesy of Mumford and Sons, and EDM via Odesza (stylized ODESZA). The latter, despite a more niche level of name recognition, will probably put on a more broadly appealing show. Not everyone is into the banjo (although they should give it a strong chance), but Odesza is known for having an incredible live act. It’ll be a lot more danceable, too, for shaking off that long, hot weekend.
This writer feels agnostic about which side of the park to stick around. On one hand, the aforementioned M83 should put on a really fun show on Weekend 2, which will lead nicely into a high-energy festival favorite, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Next up would be Cigarettes After Sex — formed in El Paso, but based in Brooklyn — but the energy might not hold up through the dream pop set. Death Grips, though, the experimental rap group, should fit right between those two more energetically demanding sets if you want to make the trek all the way over to the Barton Springs stage.
On the other hand — more literally, on the other side of the park — Niall Horan (formerly of One Direction) and Hozier are forming a little Irish alliance that sounds perfect for a relaxing Sunday cool-down.
Whatever choices a festival-goer makes on paper, the beauty of ACL is that it’ll all fall apart the moment you hear something weird going on at the Tito’s Stage. Stay tuned for recommendations more along those lines — once we’ve had a chance to take a good, long listen.
See the full schedule at aclfestival.com.
Ticketing alerts straight from the official announcement:
“Most 3-Day Tickets to ACL Fest are now On Waitlist. Limited Friday and Sunday 1-Day GA, GA+, VIP and Platinum Tickets remain… while supplies last!
Heads up: 1-Day GA Tickets for Friday, October 6 will be sold out soon!”
Willowbrook, IL – Custom golf club fitter Club Champion announces the opening of its new fitting studio, located inside of Golfinity, 12332 N FM 620, Building B, Austin, TX. The new studio is open and accepting fitting appointments. This new studio concept represents Club Champion’s 12th location in the state of Texas.
The new studio features one indoor hitting bay with a Trackman launch monitor for analyzing performance, a SAM PuttLab system to find the perfect putter, and a build shop for repairing and assembling golf clubs by hand. The studio will feature brands like TaylorMade, PING, Titleist, Cobra, Fujikura, Golf Pride, and many more.
Golfinity has redefined the indoor golf experience. As one of the largest indoor golf performance clubs in the country, Golfinity offers state of the art technology, professional instruction, leagues, events, youth programming, and a vibrant community atmosphere. The integration with Club Champion allows Golfinity to expand its performance offering and deliver an even more holistic golf improvement journey. This single-bay concept within an existing golf business is a newer concept for Club Champion, and Golfinity Austin will be a test market.
Golfinity has redefined the indoor golf experience. As one of the largest indoor golf performance clubs in the country, Golfinity offers state of the art technology, professional instruction, leagues, events, youth programming, and a vibrant community atmosphere. The integration with Club Champion allows Golfinity to expand its performance offering and deliver an even more holistic golf improvement journey. This single-bay concept within an existing golf business is a newer concept for Club Champion, and Golfinity Austin will be a test market.
“We’re looking forward to partnering with Golfinity and helping golfers in the Austin area play their best golf,” said Nick Sherburne, founder of Club Champion. “Texas is a great market for us, and we’re excited to make our Tour-level fitting services even more accessible to those avid golfers.”
Ranked by Golf Digest as one of the 100 Best Club Fitters twelve years running, Club Champion has a unique coupling system used to combine any head and shaft together, so golfers hit the precise combination to be custom built for them. They are the only fitter in the country to offer 65,000 interchangeable head and shaft combinations at all locations.
“Partnering with Club Champion is a natural fit,” said Aaron Bergman, founder and CEO of Golfinity. “Our mission is to help every golfer unlock their potential, and now with Club
Champion’s Tour-level fitting services on-site, we’re able to give our members an even more complete path to better performance.”
For a limited time, the new studio will celebrate their grand opening by offering full bag fittings for $100 or any other fitting type for $50 with an applicable club purchase. The studio is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information can be found at clubchampion.com or by calling (737) 637-8093.
About Club Champion
Club Champion is the globe’s most prominent name in custom club fitting and building services. Established in 2010, there are now more than 140 Club Champion locations internationally, including studios in Canada, the UK, and Australia. Each US studio offers golfers access to over 65 brands and more than 65,000 hittable head and shaft combinations. Club Champion has solidified their position at the top of the industry through comprehensive Tour-level fittings, unrivaled club building, and the use of top-tier technology, including their proprietary A.I.-based “Fitter Co-Pilot”. The company is headquartered in Willowbrook, IL and boasts more than 400 employees, including hundreds of the most highly trained Master Fitters in the world. For more information about Club Champion, visit clubchampion.com.
About Golfinity
Golfinity is an indoor golf performance club dedicated to helping golfers of all ages and skill levels learn, practice, and improve. With over 20,000 square feet of state-of-the-art facilities, including immersive simulators, instructional technology, professional coaching, and community-driven programming, Golfinity creates a personalized and inspiring environment for golf development. Named Development of the Year by Golf Inc. Magazine in 2023, Golfinity is transforming how the game is taught, experienced, and enjoyed. Learn more at golfinity.com.
AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Abbott has activated additional state emergency response resources ahead of upcoming severe weather this week.
On Sunday, Gov. Abbott announced that he has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate additional state emergency response resources, this as increased threats of severe weather and flooding are expected to impact the state this week.
“Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary resources to support Texans as severe weather moves across our state that has potential to bring flash flooding and heavy rain,” Gov. Abbott said. “Texans are urged to remain weather-aware, regularly check road conditions, and heed the guidance of state and local officials to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones. Regularly monitor roadways before traveling and check TexasFlood.org for flood information. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
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The National Weather Service says that severe weather is forecasted across multiple areas of the state, including the Panhandle, North Texas, West Texas and East Texas.
Those residents can expect damaging winds, large hail, possible tornadoes, lots of rain and flash flooding.
The press release from the governor also said that wind gusts in excess of 80 to 100 mph are possible.
Central Texas will see a rain and flood threat increase mid-week, along with other parts of the state.
AUSTIN — A former Texas Longhorns guard is headed back to the Big 12 for the 2025-26 season after another offseason in the transfer portal.
Per reports from Tobias Bass of The Athletic, former Texas guard Chris Johnson will transfer to the UCF Knights after spending this past season with the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks. He averaged 10.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in just three appearances for SFA.
Johnson played with the Longhorns during the 2023-24 season before hitting the transfer portal last offseason.
A Missouri City (Houston) native and four-star guard in the 2023 class, Johnson played at prestigious Montverde Academy where he was teammates with notable names like Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Georgia’s Asa Newell, Maryland’s Derik Queen, UConn’s Liam McNeeley, Ohio State’s Sean Stewart and more.
Johnson originally signed with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2022 but de-committed and was released from his letter of intent in June 2023. He eventually arrived to Austin for 2023-24 season ahead of the first full year under coach Rodney Terry.
Johnson played in a reserve role in his only season at Texas. He played in 17 games with the Longhorns, averaging just 1.1 points in 4.5 minutes per contest. He got playing time at Madison Square Garden in the Empire Classic against Louisville and eventual national champion UConn. In the loss to the Huskies, Johnson saw five minutes of action while recording one rebound.
With Stephen F. Austin this past season, Johnson scored a career-high 17 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists in a win over University of Dallas (Division III) in November. He then had five points in 15 minutes against the Drake Bulldogs, a team that finished with a 31-4 record and made it to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament this season.
As for the current Longhorns, new head coach Sean Miller has rebuilt the roster with portal additions of Xavier forward Dailyn Swain, St. John’s guard Simeon Wilcher, Xavier forward Lassina Traore, Purdue forward Camden Heide and Florida Atlantic center Matas Vokietaitis.
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