George Strait Gets ‘Carried Away’ With Austin City Limits Music Festival

Austin City Limits Musical Festival (ACL) features a wide lineup of artists every year at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. This year, they had eight stages and more than 100 performances in just three days. I was there to check out the music, food and fun.

Growing up I've seen the changes that have happened to ACL and the growth, but this year it was a little different. While they always have a diverse lineup, having George Strait as the Friday night headliner, the crowd was a little different.

There was a sea of cowboy hats that took over Austin as LeAnn Rimes, Jon Pardi and George Strait all made the lineup this year. During each performance, most acts get about an hour to two hours to play, depending on if they're a headliner or not. Obviously for the king himself, that's not enough time. He told the crowd on Friday night that he was limited on time and what he could play, but he did not disappoint. He has more than 40 songs that have hit the top Billboard charts in country music, so he played what he could and we loved every minute of it.

The whole festival came together to sing out loud and two step the night away. It was definitely something ACL has never seen before.

While George Strait got two hours to play 29 of some of his favorite songs, while Jon Pardi warmed up the crowd right before him with all his top hits. After ACL was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he rocked out the stage for his first ever performance at the festival.

Honestly, "Tequila Little Time" did not disappoint even a little. If you missed out on the show, mark your calendars for next year, or you can even see George Strait again in Austin as it was announced today that he and Willie Nelson are playing at Moody Center's for their opening bash in April 2022.