What's your game plan? Choose your own ACL Fest 2023 adventure with our definitive guide

Hello! Longtime Austin City Limits Music Festival-goer and lifelong music fanatic here to help you plan your ACL experience.

There are a lot of legitimate complaints to be lodged about ACL Fest. It’s expensive, it’s crowded and the afternoon heat feels like an endurance test. Did I mention it’s expensive?

But the truth is, there’s something exhilarating about being in a field full of music lovers rushing from stage to stage to soak in the sounds. Having said that, with more than 140 bands on the roster the schedule can be overwhelming.

ACL Fest is coming: We have answers to all your questions. Here's what you need to know.

I’ve often said that ACL Fest is a choose-your-own-adventure experience and I’ve spent the last few weeks combing the grid and thinking about different ways to approach the festival. Think of me as your ACL Fest concierge. Here are festival game plans to consider. Mix, match and make them your own.

Deep feels with Kali Uchis, Kendrick Lamar, Tove Lo

You are: Someone who appreciates aching vocals and brutal love stories with tragic endings. You like to lose yourself in lush soundbeds. You’re not afraid to shed a tear in public. You wish there was more R&B on this year’s lineup. Here's your plan:

FRIDAY

2:45 p.m. Thee Sacred Souls (Honda) Let your love overflow as you fill the Sharon Jones- and Charles Bradley-shaped holes in your heart with the Daptones-produced San Diego trio. At South by Southwest this year, they brought their catalog of slow burners to life with a full band and back up singers who honey-dripped their retro R&B with thick harmonies you could hide in for days.

5:10 p.m. Little Simz (T-Mobile): Buckle up friends, I never promised this emotional excavation would be easy. Tucked into a set that will likely include the Fela Kuti shout out “Fear No Man” and the slick braggadocio of “Gorilla,” the UK rhymeslinger asks, “Is you a sperm donor or a dad to me?” as she grapples with her oldest hurt on “I Love You, I Hate You.”

6:10 p.m. Kali Uchis (American Express). Her 2023 release, “Red Moon in Venus,” is a bounty of airy odes to love in full bloom, love on the rocks and sexy love that may or may not be good to you. This is a beautiful set to share with your boo or your besties, but don’t skip it if you’re solo. Your choice to attend this set is an act of self-love. The Colombian American queen of dreamy Spanglish R&B wishes you roses and you deserve them.

8:40 p.m. Kendrick Lamar (American Express). Back in July 2022, Devyn Sanford, a security guard at the Houston stop of the “Big Steppers” tour, was caught on tape crying while the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper played “Love.” (“This song means EVERYTHING to me and I was feeling everybody around me emotions,” he wrote on TikTok after going viral.) From the heart racing ride through Compton on “m.a.a.d. City” to the hater smackdown of “B*tch Don’t Kill My Vibe” to the grand finale which will almost certainly involve standing in a field shoulder to shoulder with the masses screaming “We Gon’ Be Alright,” this is a set that will give you big feelings.

SATURDAY

1:15 p.m. Yaya Bey (Miller Lite): On her latest EP, “Exodus the North Star,” the Brooklyn singer-songwriter teaches a master class in vocal jazz phrasing while flexing her range. She rides a sunscreen-scented vibe on the lover’s rocker “on the pisces moon” then winds the dark velvet of her deep alto around a smoky basement bar encounter with an old flame on “when saturn returns.”

3:15 p.m. Amaarae (Barton Springs): Gentle reader, we blush. The Ghanaian American R&B/afrobeats artist will make you feel some kind of way as she oozes pansexual desire while kitten purring strip club tales over beachy hookup grooves.

7:10 p.m. Tove Lo (Barton Springs): “No One Dies From Love,” especially when they can drown their sorrows in bad “Habits” (we do not endorse bad habits) and a sweaty crowd buoyed by Swedish synth waves.

SUNDAY

1:30 p.m. Grace Sorensen (BMI): The Round Rock-raised singer and dancer (ahem) graces the new BLK ODYSSY song “Let Me Go” with the feather-voiced whisper of a love hanging on by a thread. She steps into the full force of her voice on her latest single “Miss Majesty,” a crushed velvet seduction and a fine way to get you back in the feels.

4:15 p.m. Niall Horan (American Express): The former One Direction singer has your back. He loves you at your irrational worst. “Nights when one broken glass turns to total collapse/ Just know this too shall pass,” he croons on “Meltdown.” Horan — who’s been charming his fellow judges with his Irish brogue on the current season of the NBC competition show “The Voice” — gets that it’s hard to be human. He just wants to sing you to “Heaven.”

5:15 p.m. Ivan Cornejo (Miller Lite): The 19-year-old California native broke hearts around the world with the viral ballad "Está dañada," a wound-licking excavation of the end of a relationship. When the first round of tickets to his "Terapia" (Therapy) tour sold out swiftly, it inspired a major label bidding war. He signed to Interscope at the end of the summer.

7:15 p.m. Cigarettes After Sex (Miller Lite): A sense of pervasive regret bleeds below the easy lilt of the El Paso dream pop outfit’s compositions. I mean, they called their 2019 album “Cry.” It’s been a long weekend and an emotional ride. Don’t feel obligated to stay for a headliner. It's OK if you want to sob it out and head on home.

More: First time going to ACL Fest in Austin? Here's everything you need to know

Your rock god(dess) fantasy with Foo Fighters, Alanis Morisette

You are: Someone who appreciates a band with at least two guitars because you love thick power chords and sweet guitar-monies. You believe the proper number of toms on a drum kit is many. You once quizzed a potential suitor on Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones, Beatles or (ahem) Foo Fighters song titles to determine whether they were worth dating. You now recognize you were being insufferable. You would never enter an air guitar contest, but if you did, you would slay. Here's your plan:

FRIDAY

4:10 p.m. Portugal. The Man (Honda): After the 2017 hit “Feel It Still” catapulted the group into international stardom, the Alaska pop-rock outfit fell apart and came back together again. Lead singer John Gourley snapped his jaw and was unable to sing for over a year. Then Gourley and percussionist and vocalist Zoe Manville, learned their daughter has a rare neurodegenerative genetic disease. Meanwhile, co-founder and bassist/vocalist Zach Carothers, Kyle O’Quin (keys) and Eric Howk (guitar) all did stints in rehab. Their latest, “Chris Black Changed My Life,” named after their unofficial MC and DJ who suddenly died in 2019, tackles heavy themes of mortality, depression and social malaise with a new millennium “Summer of Luv” vibe. The band revisits sixties rock with the political acuity — and occasional electronic effect — of the modern era. This is music that grasps for hope in collective release and a fine place to begin your ascent of the ACL rock Olympus.

5:10 p.m. Bass Drum of Death (BMI): John Barrett’s grunge-y bar buster wields a name that implies both a crucial tool to acquire on your journey and a challenge to overcome. This is the obvious next stop. To amp up the volume on his latest release “Say I Won’t,” (produced by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys) he tapped his brother Jim Barrett for power chords and drummer Ian Kirkpatrick for brain-rattling beats.

7:10 p.m. The Mars Volta (Miller Lite): “I think some of us get a feeling of being alive the closer we get to absolute terror,” Omar Rodriguez-Lopez says at the beginning of the trailer for “Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird.” The new documentary traces his relationship with Cedric Bixler-Zavala from the duo’s early days in the El Paso hardcore scene, through the rise, fall and resurrection of their bands, Mars Volta and At the Drive-In. Mars Volta’s breakup a decade ago was exacerbated by Bixler-Zavala’s isolating stint in the Church of Scientology. His wife, actress Chrissie Carnell Bixler, who appeared on “That ‘70s Show,” was one of four women who accused convicted felon Danny Masterson, also a Scientologist, of rape. Bixler-Zavala told the Guardian that the band’s self-titled 2022 release was centered around watching his wife and her friends face struggle. This journey might not be easy, but with pummeling drums and heavy riffs aplenty, we will break through.

SATURDAY

11:45 a.m. Die Spitz (Tito’s): Good morning, creatures of darkness. Let’s kick the door open on day two with a heavy hit of raucous hometown garage rock.

2 p.m. Declan McKenna (American Express): I’m going to level with you: We’re looking at a fairly mellow afternoon in Zilker Park, but “Nothing Works,” the latest from the British singer-songwriter, has a fair amount of crunchy distortion. That’s something, right? “We try to strike a balance, for the most part, between a show that uses modern technology in a fun way, but one that also carries the essence of rock and roll and has sort of rough edges to it,” the multi-instrumentalist told Vogue in May.

6 p.m. Alanis Morisette (American Express) or 30 Seconds to Mars (Honda): Propelled by smoldering rage, explicit sexuality and guitar and bass turns from Dave Navarro and Flea, “You Oughta Know,” the lead single from Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill” shot up the charts when the album dropped in 1995. The album, which also included the hit singles “Ironic” and “Head Over Feet” went on to sell 33 million copies worldwide. Take a trip back to the Clinton/Lewinsky years and relive this breakthrough moment for rock ’n’ roll representation. Alternately, Jared Leto and his brother will rock the other side of the field.

8 p.m. Foo fighters (American Express): You don’t need me to introduce you to the highest reigning rock gods in the ACL pantheon. This the Foo Fighters’ third ACL Fest appearance. Their previous fest sets were in 2008 and 2015, the latter of which featured a hobbled Dave Grohl, who played from a Foo throne as a broken leg healed. They’ll also be taping their third episode of the fest’s namesake television show on Oct. 12. For the last taping, they played a marathon three-hour set. At two hours, their Saturday headlining set is the longest of the weekend. In June, the Foos released “But Here We Are,” their first album since drummer Taylor Hawkins died suddenly in 2022. Keep that air guitar handy. You’ll need it for that “Everlong” encore.

More: Foo Fighters will tape 'Austin City Limits' in October for Season 49

SUNDAY

5:15 p.m. The Breeders (IHG): Kim Deal knew her post-Pixies landing pad had become a thing during the 1994 Lollapalooza tour when she gazed out across the field at a crowd bouncing in unison to “Cannonball.” “That was exciting. It was fun to watch,” she told NPR’s World Cafe shortly before the 30th anniversary reissue was released in September. Ready to recreate that moment for the new millennium?

6:15 p.m. Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Honda): The last time Karen O and company played ACL Fest was in 2009 when they were suddenly plugged into a headline spot after the Beastie Boys pulled out due to Adam Yauch’s cancer diagnosis. Festers, we were dubious about how this would play. But then-Statesman music writer Joe Gross was blown away. “Karen O is one of the most compelling frontwomen of her generation, blending downtown cool, sleeve-heart emotionalism and noisy angst. Live, you cannot take your eyes off her,” he wrote, pegging the set as one of the weekend’s best. In the likely event that you’re not interested in dancing it with Odesza or twanging it up with the Mums, you can end your fest by “Spitting Off the Edge of the World.” And what a way to go.

Back to the roots with Lumineers, Mumford, Tanya Tucker

You are: Someone who pines for the early days of ACL Fest, when an occasional keyboard in a lineup was peak electronica. You listen to lyrics and love a turn of phrase that hits you right in the ticker. (And you don’t mind that I called it a ticker.) You appreciate an arrangement that includes a banjo, a mandolin or a steel guitar. Here's your plan:

FRIDAY

3:10 p.m. Brittney Spencer (Barton Springs): You barely shook off your work (or school) day and here you are thinking about the health of your relationship to the tune of “Sober and Skinny,” the Baltimore native’s beautiful dissection of a partnership limping along on borrowed time. If Spencer seems familiar, perhaps you caught her performance inducting Sheryl Crow into the “Austin City Limits” Hall of Fame last year.

5:10 p.m. Teskey Brothers (Miller Lite): Australian blues-rockers Josh and Sam Teskey arrive at the fest hot off a stop at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. They are travelling with an eight-piece touring band to recreate the Stax-influenced sound beds that buoy Josh Tesky’s gravelly blue-eyed soul on their latest album, “The Winding Way.”

7:10 p.m. The Revivalists (Barton Springs): Let's keep this big band vibe going. The NOLA eight-piece wants to shake your soul with big brassy arrangements and wistful choruses.

8:10 p.m. The Lumineers (Honda): This is your moment. The acoustic guitars. The fiddle. The well-drawn story songs. Set up your chair (I’m assuming you brought a chair) on the top of the hill facing the stage and unwind under the stars. This tour is technically supporting the band’s 2022 album “Brightside,” but recent setlists draw heavily from the Denver crew’s first two albums. If you have to cut out early, “Cleopatra,” “Ho Hey” and “Flowers in Your Hair” fall early in the set, but you’ll have to stick around for “Ophelia.”

SATURDAY

3 p.m. Ben Kweller (Miller Lite): The Dripping Springs singer-songwriter and owner of Noise Company Records released a 20th anniversary edition of his 2002 debut “Sha Sha” in March, but the grand South by Southwest celebration he planned was immediately overshadowed by the death of his 16-year-old son Dorian, who performed as ZEV, and was scheduled to share the stage. Kweller’s current tour has been an exercise in healing and keeping his son’s legacy alive through the music he left behind, and he could certainly use a little hometown love.

More: 'Dorian loved all of this.' Ben Kweller remembers his son in emotional SXSW set

4 p.m. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram (Tito’s): It’s the hottest part of the afternoon and the sun is beating down. It’s the perfect time to slip into the tent for some down and dirty blues straight from the Mississippi Delta. The guitar prodigy got his start playing electric blues as a teenager in Clarksdale and, like Austin’s Gary Clark Jr., he’s one of the young guns keeping this foundational American roots music alive.

5 p.m. Tanya Tucker (T-Mobile): The native Texan hadn’t released an album of originals since 2002, when Americana stand out Brandi Carlile signed on with Shooter Jennings to co-produce her 2019 album “While I’m Livin,’” which earned the country legend her first two Grammy Awards. Tucker teamed up with Carlile and Jennings again for 2023’s “Sweet Western Sound,” which is exactly what it sounds like with ample fiddling around and high lonesome steel guitar. You know it's worth braving the late afternoon sun for this one.

7 p.m. Noah Kahan (T-Mobile): A prediction: ACL Fest will absolutely forgive the “Northern Attitude” of the triple-threat quick picker who switches between guitar, banjo and mandolin. The earnest lyricism of his excellent 2023 collection, “Stick Season,” will soothe the lovelorn ache of your restless heart.

8:15 p.m. Shania Twain (Honda): The Vegas-style pop-country revue might not be the quick pickin’ Saturday finale you are looking for, but your alternative is Foo Fighters, who I am guessing might be a little … loud.

SUNDAY

Noon: Wesley Bray and the Disciples of Joy (Tito’s): It’s been a long weekend, so why not fill up on the Holy Spirit to take this thing out right?

3:15 p.m. Morgan Wade (Barton Springs): Part of the new generation of artists breaking the Nashville mold, the inked up singer-songwriter followed up her critically acclaimed 2021 debut “Reckless” with this year’s “Psychopath.” On a post on her website, 28-year-old Wade says the collection is her most vulnerable yet. “If you’re being honest, people will connect to that,” she says. (This is your love language, correct?)

7:15 p.m. Hozier (Honda): On the one hand, the Irish troubadour’s latest, “Unreal, Unearth,” arguably dips a toe in a few too many disparate sonic wells. On the other hand, you get to stand in a field with thousands of your new friends and sing “Take Me To Church” at the top of your lungs.

8:30 p.m. Mumford & Sons (American Express): You have reached the pinnacle of your ACL Fest experience. The sun is gone (though the burn on your shoulders lingers on). The banjos are playing. The Austin skyline twinkles in the distance. If the British pickers play the same festival set they’ve been playing abroad, you’ll get to shout down the “Little Lion Man” who mucked up your younger years early in the set, but you’ll need to stick in it to the end to shout-sing “I Will Wait for You” to your beloved.

Lose your mom: Does she like Maggie Rogers? Mt. Joy?

You are: Too young to afford your own ACL Fest ticket, but too old to accept that the price of said ticket buys your folks family bonding time. You’ve spent months conferring with your friend group and meticulously scouring the schedule. You almost have your plans aligned. Sure, you love your mom, but this is not her moment. At this very moment, you are rolling your eyes and contemplating whether it's worth Snapchatting this post to share (plastered with rude emojis) with your friends. Here's your plan:

FRIDAY

2:25 p.m. Nessa Barrett (American Express): Here’s the thing: Your mom does in fact agree with the 21-year-old singer-songwriter's assessment that “hell is a teenage girl.” If she heard the first lines of that song — “You're barely a woman, and they call you a whore/ Say that you're ruined when you pass twenty-four” — it would hit like a gut punch. But you are correct, your mom has no idea who this is.

5:10 p.m. D4vd (Barton Springs): Your mom believes in vowels and she certainly does not believe in numbers that pretend to be vowels. So she hasn’t had a chance to feel uncomfortable about the way the 18-year-old Houston singer’s raw angst manifests as a murder dream on the international hit “Romantic Homicide” or the way self-harm references propel “Notes From an Arm.” She will not be there, but she would like you to know that she loves you.

6:10 p.m. Maggie Rogers (Honda): Oh come on, your mom was just telling you about that NPR interview about “Surrender” and how it connected to Maggie’s Harvard Divinity School thesis when she was driving you to … oh wait, you had your earbuds in. P.S. She made “I’ve Got a Friend” her ringtone two weeks ago to get ready for this set. Head deep into the crowd to dodge Mom’s “Alaska” singalong.

SATURDAY

1:30 p.m. Eddie Zuko (Barton Springs): Real talk: your mom would get a kick out of Zuko’s self-described mix of “English and Spanish and reggae and country and everything nice” on “Dude.” But there is a 82% chance your mom has never heard of the Chicano singer-songwriter.

3 p.m. Gus Dapperton (T-Mobile): Your mom does not know how the fancy mustachioed pop artist’s last album “Orca” circled around mental health struggles and how the 26-year-old continues to delve into his vulnerability on his major label debut, “Henge.” “Everything on the album (represents) the battle between seeking out chaos, freedom and change, and then also having that part of you that wants safety, routine and monotony,” Dapperton told Uproxx. Your mom gets why this would resonate with you.

4 p.m. Mt. Joy (American Express): Be on high alert: your mom knows at least half of the words to “Astrovan.” She appreciates the metaphor about a people’s Jesus with humble wheels and is willing to overlook the doobie. Also, this set is also dangerously close to the new ACL Sweets area located between the T-Mobile stage and Kiddie Limits. Dessert breaks have been a hot topic in her ACL Fest group chat for weeks. Consider this area a danger zone all weekend long.

SUNDAY

3:15 p.m. Suki Waterhouse (Miller Lite): Your mom hasn’t spent a lot of time with the British singer-songwriter’s reverb-enhanced indie pop, but she likes the the songs that she’s heard on the radio. She also enjoyed Suki’s turn as keyboard player Karen in the Fleetwood Mac-modeled Amazon Prime mini-series “Daisy Jones & the Six." Scan the edge of the crowd before approaching.

5:15 p.m. Coi Leray (Barton Springs): Fun story: Your mom stumbled across a mashup of “Bitch Girl” and the Hall and Oates original the song samples on TikTok while searching for makeup tips for mature skin. It’s her favorite hip-hop cover song since the Fugees did “Ready Or Not.” She thinks Benzino’s daughter has real potential. She has not heard “Phuck It.” This could be awkward.

7:15 p.m. Labrinth (T-Mobile): Your mom hates the way “Euphoria” glamorizes teen drug use and she was ready to hate the British artist behind the show’s haunted electropop soundtrack. But the desperate urgency of “Power Couple” so perfectly captures the dangerous thrill of young love tangled up in an illusion of invincibility that she was transported back to high school, riding too fast down a backroad past curfew with a boy who … hey, where did you go?

8:15 p.m. Odesza (Honda): Your mom regrets her decision to grab a margarita at El Patioville on her way to Hozier after that afternoon hang with her yoga teacher in the wine lounge. She caught a few minutes of Mumford & Sons, but the banjos made her head hurt. She is posted up in camp parent in the center of the park drinking water and trying to remember where the closest rideshare pickup is. You are free, young fester. Dance. Glow. Make some memories.

Sweat it out with Rina Sawayama, Jessie Ware, Bob Moses

You are: Someone who finds acoustic music dull. You genuinely don’t care if you see a guitar all weekend. You feel songs differently when you’re in motion and often think about how many cultures in the world incorporate dance into their religious ceremonies. You’ve been researching waterproof mascara and watching glitter makeup tutorials for weeks. Your look is high fashion, but sporty because you need to move. Here's your plan:

FRIDAY

4:10 p.m. BLOND:ISH (Tito’s): A Montreal native, the artist a.k.a Vivie-Ann Bakos now splits most of her time between Barcelona and Miami. The co-founder of the ABRACADABRA arts collective seeks to forge a connection through music. “To me, music is the fuel that's can bring us together and what connects everything. Music is the way that I can gain trust with people without even talking to someone, because it's a feeling that both of us share,” she told Forbes.

6:10 p.m. FKJ (Tito’s): Known for elaborate loop pedal soundscaping, the multi-instrumentalist and producer a.k.a. French Kiwi Juice a.k.a. Vincent Fenton thrilled audiences with a live ensemble that included guitar, drums, strings and more during a run of shows around his Coachella appearance this Spring. But be-forewarned: though he’s a leader of the new French house movement, he’s also a master of improvisational jazz and this set might slow you down and put you in your feelings.

7 p.m. Above & Beyond (T Mobile): While you’re on that downtempo vibe, you might as well trance out this Friday night with the founders of the British Anjunabeats music label (as well as Anjunadeep, the label’s deep house imprint). The trio of Jono, Tony and Paavo host the weekly Group Therapy radio show that is broadcast to millions worldwide, so you might as well stay in your feelings too.

8 p.m. Silent Disco (Tito’s): Kendricks lyricism too heady? Not here for the Lumineers folk-a-teering? Dance it out in the tent.

SATURDAY

2 p.m. Jessie Ware (Honda): True story: If your primary ACL Fest goal is to break it down to glitzy beats, you might just need a Saturday pass. Start the day on the good foot and “Free Yourself” with the UK disco sensation. Her latest album is called “That! FEELS GOOD!” We are confident that it will.

4 p.m. Rina Sawayama (Honda): Feeling warmed up? Double knot your sneakers, grab your bad friends and weather the “Hurricanes” in your heart with the Japanese/British dance pop sensation. Make sure you fill your water bottle before the set and accept that the blistering afternoon heat in Zilker Park (most likely, let’s be real) adds appropriate inferno ambience as you belt out “This Hell.”

5 p.m. Poolside (Miller Lite): The L.A. duo’s beautiful and evocative cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” is perhaps the most ACL Fest 2.0 dance song ever made. The self-proclaimed “daytime disco” outfit has been touring with a full band to turn up the heat on their chillwave grooves. (We’d like to remind you again, please hydrate.)

6 p.m. Chromeo (Tito’s): Break out your “Fancy Footwork” and “Come Alive” with the Canadian electro funk kingpins.

7 p.m. Bob Moses (Miller Lite): Oh Canada, let’s keep it going. As the sun goes down, let the Vancouver deep house and melodic techno duo help you find your “Inner Light.”

8 p.m. Silent Disco (Tito’s): Your options are glam country, muscular guitars or a return to your happy place in the tent.

SUNDAY

6:25 p.m. Sidepiece (Tito’s): The ACL gods clearly recognized that you needed a recovery break (or a cheaper experience) and made Sunday one of the least danceable days we’ve seen at the fest in a hot minute. Aim to make it to the fest in time for a sunset sneaky link with some deep house and trap remixes.

8:15 p.m. Odesza (Honda): Even if you caught the electronic music titans when they played the Germania Insurance Amphitheater last year, we’re guessing you’re not in it for Mumford and fam.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: ACL Fest 2023: Choose your own adventure with our ultimate music guide