Ditching the Fest
Austin music fans pass up ACL for Ditch the Fest
While happy hordes from the ends of the earth descended on Zilker Park Saturday for what would prove to be the last day of ACL Fest 2013, a smaller but no less enthusiastic crowd gathered at Scoot Inn in East Austin for a carnival of a different stripe.
Ditch the Fest started in 2010 as an ACL alternative on almost all fronts, including price (lower), access (closer) and variety of entertainment (smaller acts in a more intimate setting). The "ditching" part is kind of tongue-in-cheek; DTF seeks merely to expand the musical choices available during the (now) two weekends of the Zilker Park party.
Unlike its sprawling inspiration, DTF (Nos. 4 & 5) contracted a bit this year, taking place over consecutive weekends at one club (Scoot Inn) rather than the several of years past. The lineup included Holiday Mountain, Caddywhompus, The Ghost Wolves, Danny Malone, Black Books, Yum, the Hikes, and many more. Vendor booths and body painting were both less formal and less expensive, and strings of tiny lights, along with the occasional glowing sculpture, made for a festival without frenzy. And 100 percent less flooding.