7:00 PM - STS9, Xbox 360 Stage
This was about as close as ACL got to straight-up techno or club music, and it showed. Glowsticks and various lights came out, around half the audience let out their inner rave, and I'm pretty sure the guy dancing in front of me was on ecstasy.
8:00 PM - Ghostland Observatory, AMD Stage
Ghostland Observatory was, to put it lightly, a trip. All the craziness inherent to their music was only amplified by the fact that a) it was live, and b) they had an intense laser show. I admit that my attention was waning by that point in the evening, and most of their songs served more as ambient sound than actual direct entertainment. Near the end of their set, a portion of the University of Texas's Longhorn Band joined in and created a huge backup ensemble.
Leaving the festival, it was painfully obvious that the ground which was only yesterday covered in healthy green grass had devolved into so much mud. I'm guessing that something around 25-30 of the 46 acres of Zilker Park were a massive mud pit by the day's end, which made getting around an interesting experience (I had the flip-flops sucked off my feet by the incredible suction power of the mud on several occasions).
On the whole, it was a great day, involving some great music, great food, and much-needed relief from the sun (I'm pale, and the first day was enough to inflict some serious burning). Two days are down, and one's still to go! Check back in a day for my coverage of the third and final day of ACL!
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