The Big Picture

Listening to 14½ hours of ACL Fest playlists so you don’t have to is the kind of small civic sacrifice that keeps the city’s weekend plans marginally interesting. CultureMap listened to two songs per artist, rated acts on a 1–5 scale and kept only those that scored 4 or higher, then picked mid‑bill discoveries across both weekends of ACL Fest at Zilker Park (Oct. 2–4 and Oct. 9–11).

Instead of headliners and kids’ performers, the guide focuses on non‑headliners, local acts and weekend‑specific appearances the writer flagged as worth a detour. Read CultureMap’s picks as a shortcut for middle‑of‑the‑card routing when you want to discover rather than just endure the biggest names.

What's Next

ACL Fest runs at Zilker Park on Oct. 2–4 and Oct. 9–11. CultureMap names these middle‑bill picks; below are the artists the source lists, with the one fact CultureMap gives about each and credited as CultureMap's picks:

  • Grocery Bag — local act; CultureMap notes their upbeat psych‑garage rock; weekend 1 only.
  • The 4411 — local; flagged as a weekend 1 appearance.
  • Dallas Wax — plays weekend 2 only.
  • Brigitte Calls Me Baby — weekend 2 only.
  • Amyl and the Sniffers — Australian garage rock band noted for riff‑driven songwriting.
  • Bunt — German electronic artist with shimmery, warm beats.
  • LP — noted for a powerful, distinctive singing voice and songwriting credits for other artists.
  • Natasha Bedingfield — weekend 2 only; described as a nostalgic, happy set for many attendees.
  • Jesse Welles — folk songwriter likened to Bob Dylan/John Prine with political, witty songs.
  • Fakemink — English rapper/producer; creativity and layered genre work make for a fun dance set.
  • Palace — weekend 1 only; artful guitar noodling with jazzy, lilting songwriting.
  • Rodrigo y Gabriela — iconic Mexican guitar duo; a satisfying, rhythmic set for people wanting a break from EDM.
  • Balu Brigada — New Zealand rock act described as "lite indie sleaze".
  • Coleman Jennings — local; western‑leaning set with cinematic whistling and Willie Nelson‑ish timbre; weekend 1 only.
  • Saint Motel — funk‑infused California band with broad appeal and past festival presence.
  • Houndmouth — bluesy, live‑friendly band with the breakout hit "Sedona".
  • Underscores — hyperpop solo artist and current tour opener for Charli XCX; creative and ironic take on the genre.
  • Claire Rosinkranz — whimsical pop with lightly jazzy touches.
  • Grace Ives — synthy, nimble, dreamy songwriter; praised by Stereogum and Pitchfork.
  • Bad Nerves — powerpop rock band from Essex; reviewers note an energetic live show.

CultureMap explicitly warns the list is subjective and recommends checking ACL’s official schedule for stages and exact times before you change your plans. Go for the discoveries; they age better than merch you’ll forget by Tuesday.