Austin Music Source

By pfenny84

October 6, 2009 4:53 PM | Link to this

Good choice. Odds are more in favor of it being cooler that time of year than rainy again.

By Alli

October 6, 2009 4:56 PM | Link to this

Glad it’s in October again. I’d much rather be in the rain than 100+ degree heat.

By cindyinaustin

October 6, 2009 5:11 PM | Link to this

Woo Hoo! I’m ready for my first ACL in a hoodie and sipping an Irish coffee! They should consider having a mini Octoberfest Beer Tent next year. Now we are talking! Better beer at ACL! When do we want it? NOW. All together now….

By Scott Unzicker

October 6, 2009 6:03 PM | Link to this

Good. It’ll take them the full year to repair Zilker.

By Dirty Hippy

October 6, 2009 6:14 PM | Link to this

I hope they use all-natural fertilizer for Zilker.

By ChristineR

October 6, 2009 7:13 PM | Link to this

I must second the better beer request- it was pretty bad. I stayed pretty sober because I just didn’t like it, so it was probably a good thing. Where was Shiner Bock?

By John

October 6, 2009 7:32 PM | Link to this

When is the Austin American going to tell us how much these PRIVATE promotors made on this festival at the expense of a publically owned park. Are you people stupid down there at the Austin American???? You are just lap dogs for these promotors meanwhile they throw a few bones to the city in the form of a grassy area. I bet if Gary Bradley was putting on this event and making millions of dollars from a public park you guys down there at the Austin American would be screaming bloody murder. How about it Austin American. Lets do some digging and see if we a fair deal for our public park. If not then you guys are really stupid down there and I am cancelling my subscription.

By Broadway

October 6, 2009 7:49 PM | Link to this

any plans to move it to the Expo Center next year? No mud out there.

By Rob

October 6, 2009 8:04 PM | Link to this

yeah except its about that time of year right now and it was 92 today - can’t see myself in a hoodie with any type of hot beverage in 92 degrees.

By Dani

October 6, 2009 8:11 PM | Link to this

yay! my 21st birthday is on the 10th! best birthday present ever!

By Great move

October 6, 2009 8:19 PM | Link to this

Now, if only our weather misic man, Moses Mark Murray, could use his powers part the sky waters around Zilker, that will be great, Mark.

By Jack

October 6, 2009 8:35 PM | Link to this

When is the Austin American going to investigate how much these three promotors make on this event using our Public Park??

By Robbie

October 6, 2009 8:48 PM | Link to this

Now, just move it to the Expo Center so that the majority of Austinites can use our public park the entire year, rather than just a fraction of it.

By Soauman

October 6, 2009 8:49 PM | Link to this

Good, maybe that will give them long enough to repair the park which they totally screwed up this year.

By todd

October 6, 2009 9:14 PM | Link to this

ACL needs to move to the Expo center. ACL is not worth losing Zilker for 2 months or more out of the year. If these people are “true” music lovers, they will be okay with going out to the east side. Austin was the Live Music Capital of the World long before ACL.

By joebob

October 6, 2009 9:18 PM | Link to this

Any chance they’ll change the venue from Zilker park to a more appropriate location outside of Austin?

By JR

October 7, 2009 12:54 AM | Link to this

I second the vote for better beer. :)

By MuddButte

October 7, 2009 2:11 AM | Link to this

So what was the count… attendance per day anyone?

By City's Conscience

October 7, 2009 3:19 AM | Link to this

what are the odds on being able to use the park between now and then?

By Yelp.com

October 7, 2009 3:29 AM | Link to this

Cindy, that made no sense. That sounded like a typical vapid review on my site.

Users who thought your post was Funny(0), Useful(0), written while high(52)

By moneywrangler

October 7, 2009 8:07 AM | Link to this

Better beer would have been good, but no beer would be better. Seriously, ACL has turned into a giant frat party. No one goes to listen to the music, it’s all about partying, texting your buddies that aren’t there and having to yell at your friend next to you because nobody can hear you over Pearl Jam. First time Pearl Jam played in Austin since 1995, and I couldn’t find anywhere to stand where there wasn’t a group of idiots jabbering away and completely ignoring the music. Have fun.

By Thirsty

October 7, 2009 8:30 AM | Link to this

Let’s keep it local, and like Cindy said, provide better beer choices. You know, Independence, Real Ale, Shiner, etc. not just Lone Star!

By Jim

October 7, 2009 8:59 AM | Link to this

John - What difference does it make how much the promoters made? How much does HEB make when they sell a bag of potatoes? Nice logic! It was a blast and part of their profit will go back to restore the condition of the park.

By huh?

October 7, 2009 9:04 AM | Link to this

@moneywrangler I’m kind of confused by your post. First you say nobody goes to listen to music. They you complain that you have to yell at your friends because you can’t be heard over the music. Then you complain about all the jabbering idiots. Just for clarification, are you a jabbering idiot?

By moneywrangler

October 7, 2009 9:25 AM | Link to this

O.K….let me clarify…CONCERT GOERS text, jabber and drink to much, so that I can’t hear the music…sheesh…does that clear up the confusion?

By Matt

October 7, 2009 9:31 AM | Link to this

Well i visited you’re fine city. HAD A BLAST and cannot wait to come back next year regardless of where the dates land. Zilker is a great place to have this event (mud and all). I seriously cannot express to you how much we enjoyed Austin and ACL and look forward to spending my hard earned moolah again there next year. Don’t change a thing!

By Wolfgang

October 7, 2009 9:43 AM | Link to this

Nobody dies of mud, only heatstroke. Well done C3. Weather will be great. Lineup will be better.

By Gordon

October 7, 2009 9:46 AM | Link to this

The ACL festival is ALWAYS held the weekend that UT has a BYE week. I keep hearing that ACL made a good choice this year by doing it in October when the weather is cooler…they had NO choice to make. Their schedule is dictated by UT Football. In 2011 it will be either the weekend of 9-10 or 10-1…in 2012 it will be either the 22nd or the 29th…..

By Move it or lose it

October 7, 2009 9:52 AM | Link to this

The time has come. Get that stinking mess the hell out of Zilker Park. It ruins the park every year, so the rest of us can’t use it for months.

By southside

October 7, 2009 10:14 AM | Link to this

Jim - the difference between the promoters making money and HEB making money is that Zilker Park is a public park. It was acquired and is maintained by tax dollars, minus the amount C3 pays to repair and renovate the parkland, which is nice but not a favor by any stretch. HEB is not a public entity, someone that grows potatoes is not a public entity, someone that purchases potatoes at HEB is not a public entity, because Zilker Park is a public entity and therefore someone making profit off a public entity should answer to the landlord = the city of Austin.

I’m glad C3 throws ACL every year, it’s fun it’s grand, and for the most part the whole city benefits, I just wish the city would advocate on the taxpayers behalf and work out a deal that is financially sound and doesn’t lead to C3 becoming the de-facto owner of Zilker Park a few months every year.

By jimmi

October 7, 2009 10:25 AM | Link to this

John: You think it would happen at all if someone wasn’t making money? Hello!!?? Welcome to the USA. And what does your subscription to the paper have anything to do with it? LOL

By ferguson

October 7, 2009 10:38 AM | Link to this

he said other people were yelling over the music, not himself.

By martin

October 7, 2009 10:40 AM | Link to this

ACL is a blast in rain, sun, mud, or heat. For me it is about the music, people watching, partying and the vibe. Moving it from Zilker would be bad, it is a great site for this festival. Hopefully the grass recovers and the mud doesn’t come thru it again. In terms of complaining about how much C3 makes, $50 a day for the amount of music is a good deal. I paid almost that to see one after show.

By grumbler

October 7, 2009 10:52 AM | Link to this

i like it. probably won’t rain like that again, and even if it does, the rain i sbetter than the heat.

By Michael Corcoran

October 7, 2009 10:54 AM | Link to this

Moving ACL Fest from Zilker Park is not an option. C3 would not put on ACL Fest anywhere else. And the city would be foolish to not renew the contract year after year. C3 not only pays the parks department several hundred thousands dollars a year, they also pay police and other city services. OK, it rained and Zilker turned into a mud pit. I don’t think anyone feels worse about that than the promoters. Give them a chance to restore the lawn. And keep your fingers crossed for good weather Oct. 8- 10, 2010. ACL Fest is here to stay- in Zilker. And Austin is all the richer for it.

By Hip K

October 7, 2009 10:59 AM | Link to this

Columbus Day is scheduled for the 11th in 2010. Perfect - a day off to recuperate!

By More Johns

October 7, 2009 12:07 PM | Link to this

And they need more Johns. Not stupid posters named John, but the kind you pee in. The ones this year were full, which means there weren’t enough of them. And sell about 15k fewer tickets. The grounds were a bit too crowded. With an imbalance of fans’ choices, there could be real problems. OTT, rock on!!

By Jason

October 7, 2009 12:24 PM | Link to this

I’m thinking Jerry Jones might sell the AstroTurf from the old Cowboy stadium? That wouldn’t get muddy or dusty or require water, DilloDirt or resodding! Of course all the pot and cigarette smokers might cause quite a fire hazard, but we could deal with that later…

By kc

October 7, 2009 12:26 PM | Link to this

some of you are mad that people are partying at ACL? really? have you ever been to a music festival before? that’s the whole point. watch the music, have fun with your friends, drink if you so choose, stay sober if you don’t. whatever. if you want to hear the music perfectly, stay home and listen to itunes. ACL is one of the best things to happen in Austin in the past 10 years. don’t change a thing. rain or shine, i will be there next october.

By The Monkey

October 7, 2009 12:56 PM | Link to this

It’s too bad that the love affair between the Statesman, C3 and the City of Austin won’t allow for fair and honest reporting. Here is what I want to know: 1. How much rent does C3 pay for the park for ACL Fest? 2. How much does the City spend for security, park personnel, fire and emt services, street closures, etc. 3. How much did the City actually spend on the irrigation, sod and watering of the sod this past year? 4. How much did C3 agree to pay the City for the items listed in #3, and what are the terms of payment, including how much interest C3 is paying to “BORROW” this money from the taxpayers? 5. The City Council just voted to close 9 city pools that provided FREE entertainment and summer relief to Austin’s children because they couldn’t find the money to keep them open. How much would it have cost to keep these pools open? 6. How much “profit” does the City make from ACL Fest?

Like I said, the fact that all the player are sleeping together makes the likelihood of any of this information from ever becoming public knowledge.

By Martin

October 7, 2009 2:05 PM | Link to this

Hey Monkey - you ask alot of questions. Are you to lazy to do your own research or are you just b$tching? You can find out all the answers to your questions if you actually wanted them.

We get it, you don’t like ACL. Are you also complaining about the park being closed for the Trail of Lights?

By Michael Corcoran

October 7, 2009 2:11 PM | Link to this

The Monkey- The Statesman has filed an open records request to examine the contract between the City and C3 concerning ACL Fest. Until then, let’s answer your questions, as we can, based on past reporting:

1. C3 pays a percentage of ticket gross for use of Zilker, estimated at about $400,000 last year. They’ve also agreed to pay $2.5 million over the next seven years for improvements, including the resodding this past spring.

2. C3 pays for all city expenses except Park Police, who are provided by the Parks & Rec dept.

3. C3 covered $2.5 million of the cost of irrigation, sod and watering of the sod this past year.

“How much “profit” does the City make from ACL Fest?” you ask? It’s hard to know until all the sales taxes are added up, but if you’re trying to make the argument that the city gives away Zilker to ACL Fest and gets little in return, that’s way off base.

By The Monkey

October 7, 2009 3:42 PM | Link to this

Martin/Michael - I have tried to do as much fact finding as I can, but I get a different story from everyone I contact. I was told by the Parks Foundation that C3 “donates” 8.25% of their ticket sales to the City but isn’t that exactly the same amount of sales tax that they would have to pay on the sale of the tickets? How can not paying sales tax = “donation”? See this is how difficult it is to get real numbers from anyone who has an interest in not sharing the info. I can’t afford to hire an attorney to file open records act requests.

I’m just a taxpayer, aka a property owner, who is sick to death of being asked to pay ever increasing taxes if it only lines the pockets of for-profit enterprises while at the same time eliminating the few free things left in this City for families and children. The Trail of Lights is one of them, and I think it is a shame that the City wants to start charging for that as well.

Michael, as reported in the Statesman today, the City paid for the $2.5 million in improvements and the C3 is supposed to pay the City back $250,000 a year for the next five years which does not equal 2.5 million, nor would it even address the interest on the money issue. So according to the paper you work for, what you just stated above about C3 “covering” the cost of the 2.5 mill is not correct. See how frustrating it is to get a straight answer from anyone?

By BRB

October 8, 2009 10:40 AM | Link to this

C’mon complainers. The grass will grow back much faster than you think and the park will be reopened by the spring (if not earlier) with grass unlike we’ve ever seen before. I was amazed on Friday at how perfect the grass was. Zilker used to be dirt and stickers. Sure, the rain was unfortunate, but grass grows back and we will have one of the finest city parks in the nation now thanks to ACL fest. C3 has improved their operations related to the festival year after year and I look forward to many more to come. I’ll remember seeing Pearl Jam playing with the Austin skyline behind them and my closest friends all around me having a blast always. That’s what its all about naysayers.

By bite**me

October 8, 2009 11:50 AM | Link to this

dear, everyone that wants to see how much the promoters make to use our public park - have you ever thought about how much revenue is generated by the 75,000+ visitors each year by this festival (and even more during sxsw). there are plenty of other public parks to be used around town whilst acl is preparing/using/restoring these fields. get over it. this festival is good for “your” city!