It seems like every weekend another festival descends on Austin, and to be fair, it's kind of true. But while it can be cool to don one of those "Local" T-shirts (no it's not) and complain about newcomers, the fact remains that having some of the country's best music festivals traipse through our backyard is pretty special.
On May 8, a new music event announced it too will be coming to the Live Music Capital of the World. Waterloo Music Festival will descend on Carson Creek Ranch for three jam-packed days of roots and Americana music. Nestled along the Colorado River, the fest will also offer a camping option for those who don't want to miss a beat.
Running September 7-9, Waterloo will celebrate its inaugural year with three headlining performances by everyone's favorite band in college, the String Cheese Incident. One of the most popular jam bands of all time, the String Cheese Incident is slated to play each evening over the course of the fest.
Other confirmed acts include The Motet; Railroad Earth; Tauk; BoomBox; Marco Benevento; and Grateful Dead tribute band Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD), who will perform in Texas for the first time ever during Waterloo. A complete festival lineup will be released in the coming weeks.
"With Waterloo, we set out to honor and celebrate the heritage and spirit of Austin with world-class music inspired by our roots and a weekend-long outdoor experience that will make our city proud,” said Briggs Mitchell, co-founder of Waterloo Music Festival, in a release. "We believe Austin deserves this festival and we are honored to host what we believe will become a legendary celebration for years to come."
According to Waterloo promoters, the festival's name was inspired by both Austin's history and its important place in American music. "The city’s unique musical identity at the intersection of rock, folk, blues, and soul has given birth to some of the country’s most beloved musical voices," said the organizers. "Like the original settlers of Austin, Waterloo is planting its flag on the banks of the Colorado River and will provide attendees with Texas’ premier camping festival experience."
Tickets for Waterloo go on sale May 11 at 10 am, and will include a limited number of $99 three-day general admission passes, $199 three-day VIP passes, and camping packages starting at $70 (in addition to festival admission). Once those are snatched up, the prices will climb to $119 for GA passes and $249 for the VIP passes.
Waterloo Music Festival comes to Carson Creek Ranch September 7-9.
These flags are a popular photo op each year.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
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