KTSW’s Peak Experience at ACL Weekend Two

Jared Stautzenberger

Assistant Music Director

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Rosalyn Conway

Multimedia Journalist

Austin City Limits weekend two was one of the best experiences that I had this year. Everything from the artists, freebies, events, and friends made was so special to me. Having the privilege to work press for such a huge music festival was beyond me, and I had the best time being involved. Although the dust, heat, and Austin traffic felt hectic at times, it is what made weekend two so unique. 

Friday was an early day for us, as we arrived at the festival grounds only 30 minutes after the gates opened. The set from Almost Heaven at the Tito’s stage was the first one of the day, and it still left a mark as one of my favorites of the entire weekend. As Jaelyn played the drums, Stefan worked the stage and a quartet of kids joined in to help with vocals. The setlist featured songs from the newer 8 month anniversary of their ‘RAW CRANIUM’ EP, as well as older tracks towards the end. Doing camera work for their interview with Ethan McConnell afterwards was exciting. It was awesome getting to meet the duo, and be involved in another collaboration between KTSW and Almost Heaven. 

After working to put together a marvelous interview in the press lounge, it was time to head back out to the festival grounds, and I couldn’t miss Natasha Bedingfield’s weekend two exclusive set. For some reason, they had her playing at the Tito’s stage. If you know anything about ACL, no artist with three massive hit songs should be playing at the Tito’s stage. Although the crowd itself was a little hectic, I got to witness the talented Natasha Bedingfield in person, and hearing Unwritten live healed something inside of me. 

Friday night concluded with mingling in the press lounge, and heading over to see the electronic sets near American Express. The Chainsmokers crowd was interesting, but we camped for Charli xcx while witnessing the last half of Labrinth’s set. This was my second time seeing Labrinth in the last three years, and his stage presence has only gone up. He’s very talented and clearly has a good team behind him. Charli xcx’s set that was a part of her Music, Fashion, Film tour was to die for. When Charli brought out her dancers, the lights, the band, the outfits, and literally everything had me at a loss for words. As a longtime fan, hearing tracks like ‘pink diamond’ and ‘Track 10’ live felt so special. She truly is a real performer, and it seemed full circle getting to see her true vision come to life with probably one of the biggest budgets she has ever been given for a tour. She also brought out Tinashe, who performed brand new music off her new album Popstar. The night just kept getting better.

We attempted to rest up for Saturday, and we started off the day with a set from Austin’s very own LeTrainiump. The eclectic indie-pop band had the crowd feeling great and ready to start the day. Personally, I think a band like this would be perfect for nighttime, and I hope they grow large enough to land a set with that vibe. Afterwards, I had the privilege to interview their lead singer and the person spear-heading the band, Trey. He was so down to Earth. Truly one of the nicest people I’ve had the chance to meet. Our interview in the press lounge was super chill, and hopefully it will be up on our Youtube very soon.

During our time in the lounge, I had the chance to see Suki Waterhouse in person right before her set, and I had the perfect view of the T-Mobile stage as I heard ‘Good Looking’ live for the first time. What a blessing. When the evening came along, I headed over to the BMI stage, where my press pass let me onto the side stage. I witnessed a special view of Chloe Qisha’s set, which reminded me a lot of Rina Sawayama. Very talented. Afterwards, I ran over to the Tito’s stage once again to see Yousuke Yukimatsu, the iconic Japanese DJ who had a breakout Boiler Room set last year. He has very little tour dates in the United States, so being able to see him in Austin out of all places felt surreal. Probably one of the most talented DJs I have ever seen. 

The electronic music vibe continued on as I raced towards Snow Strippers’ set as it was warming up. I met up with my new friends from KVRX 91.7 (shoutout) and we squeezed into the Beatbox Stage pit. Snow Strippers live was amazing, as the duo knew how to keep the crowd moving and the lights flashing throughout their set. I do hope they release new material soon though. It’s been too long. 

The closing set of my choice for Saturday turned out to be Lorde. I haven’t been able to see her live before, and I really enjoyed her last album, Virgin. Her set left me emotional and speechless nonetheless. As we got to witness the final show of her year-long tour supporting her latest album, the crowd saw vulnerable moments of Lorde throughout her last time running through that exact setlist. Specifically watching her perform ‘Liability’ live tore me up. Throughout the duration of the song, a projector displayed videos of her younger self on her chest. She attempted to recite the song without choking up, which had all of us in shambles. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend ACL on Sunday, so Lorde’s set was my last one of this year. Even though it was the most recent one, I have to say it was my personal favorite. It was one of those moments where I felt really connected to the tiny person on stage. She really knows how to work a room. Rosalyn, who is a fellow KTSW journalist and my buddy at ACL this year, helped finish off what I would’ve witnessed if I attended on Sunday. The rest of this article will be through her perspective. 

It’s difficult to find the words to describe my experience at ACL last weekend. This year is my first time attending the Austin City Limits Music Festival. After buying a ticket myself to ACL weekend two, months later I received the rewarding news of the team’s acceptance for a weekend two media press pass.

Jared described the first two days perfectly. I felt emotional, proud, enlightened, and curious. Music flooded the days revealing a joyful community. The feeling of community on Sunday was strong as I walked along Barton Springs Road into the festival gates for the final time. There was a shared acknowledgment to enjoy the moments we’ll hold on to until next year. 

After entering, I made my way to the American Express Stage for Rum Jungle, an indie rock band from Australia, who we got to interview later. Their sound was happy and carefree, a perfect way to start the day. I look around to see everyone dancing, jumping, and smiling while completely fixated on the stage.

Next, I visited Sunday (1994) at the SnapChat Stage where I was met with Twin Peaks visuals and dream-pop. I networked in the press lounge before meeting up with Ethan and Dorian to explore the park, interacting with the brand activations and festival attendees.

The highlight of my weekend was filming the interviews with Almost Heaven and Rum Jungle. Both performances were authentic and so was meeting the artists. And I’m happy to announce KTSW is going international as a sticker on Rum Jungle’s music cases.

Later, Ethan and I make our way to the T-Mobile Stage and secure a close spot for Geese. As time passed before the set, we ended up meeting a KTSW Alumni. An iconic intro video plays on screen as the band enters. Geese gave an incredible performance that had the crowd fully immersed, forming multiple pits throughout the set.

The set closes and we book it to catch the end of fcukers across the park in the Tito’s Tent. After an energetic set, we once again book it across the park, this time to the BeatBox Stage for Blood Orange. Despite the late arrival, we obtained a spot on the left side of the stage with a perfect view. Blood Orange gave a great performance creating a cheerful and relaxed crowd ending with ‘Champagne Coast.’

From BeatBox we make our way back to T-Mobile closing ACL 2026 with The XX. In the most energetic crowd I was in that day, the band mentions they’re back in the studio after almost 10 years, triggering a sea of excitement. I drove back to San Marcos feeling accomplished as I reflected on the weekend. The artists I saw, the friends I ran into, and the KTSW team created a truly unforgettable experience.