WOW - what a weekend!!
Have you ever been to the Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL for short)? No? Well you should definitely experience it at least once - this year was my first experience. Although I attending this weekend jam session, I did it in a less traditional way - I worked a beer booth - whew - what a weekend!
Initially me and four other girls were planning to attend the ACL Fest but then our plans had changed for unexpected reasons. At about that same time a co-worker mentioned that she worked for ACL last year and made good money in just those three days. I ignored the opportunity at first, then thought, "why not, I could at least email them and see if they need anyone".
So I did. The response was "Sorry our tent is full". Bummer.
Then a few hours later I get another email, "are you still interested"? I'm like hell yea! $600-$800 for one weekend, I'll take it!!
But, shit, it's Thursday and I'm not even TABC (Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission) certified and work starts tomorrow!
While debating on how to make this work I tell a friend and BAM she's interested too. So we both start the online TABC certification at abot 7:30pm and don't finish until 11:30pm Thursday night, then have to go pick up our packets and drop off our certificate.
We're finally official at 1am on Friday morning...HOLY CRAP, we already feel like we were working hard...haha!
Then we kick off the weekend at ACL!
The beer-slingin' begins!! So much beer-slingin' the first day there wasn't time to eat more than a package of peanutbutter crackers and a granola bar ALL day!
By the end of the day your pant bottoms and shoes are covered in mud, you've got so much dust up your nose that you're making soil, and probably almost growing a small garden or field of flowers inside.
Every morning when the gates open the AT&T stage plays a Star Wars type theme song and people actually run in (keep in mind this is a huge park and this stage is at the far end), holding chairs, bags, umbrellas, blankets, camping gear, etc...and they race for the front of the stage. It's hilarious! People running in actually make it funny by running in slow motion to the music like you're watching a race replay - it's great entertainment!
The last morning (Sunday) one of our tent beer-slingers decided he wanted to run in with the crowd, so he grabbed his bag, a chair from our tent, and LARGE garbage can with tons of empty ice bags inside, and threw a cowboy hat on that the wine company supplied us.
Then we all waiting to see him rush in with the others, racing them to the stage.
One fellow beer-slinger stood in the field waiting for him, and as he ran by we all screaming WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! An the guy waiting in the field throws water on him, all theatrical-like like we're watching Lance Armstrong cross the finish line in the Tour de France, haha!
Needless the say, the music was awesome. Our stage played some great acts (there are many stages) like Beck, Erykah Badu, Gnarls Barkley, and many more!
The last show of ACL was the FooFighters, which was near our tent, so you can imagine. Everyone in the entire park all crowd around the stage (and our tent) to see the last performance.
We're slinging so many beers at this point you're like a beer serving robot - "What can I get you, can I see your ID, sweet you're old enough, here you go" - then repeat again and again and again!
My friend and I spent an entire weekend living in delirium with fresh gardens growing in soil up our noses, covered in mud, with feet and calves aching beyond belief, and we still HAD A BLAST!!!
Definitely an experience! Plus, we were lucky to be making money while everyone else was blowing theirs - WOOHOO!!
If you ever get the opportunity to go to ACL, I promise it's worth it! Also, make sure you make it early at least one day so you can see everyone run to the front stage - it's too funny!!
Signed: "Beer-slinger"
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