Many festivalgoers look as much as the sky to seek out their buddies within the crowd, scanning for a specific meme, artist reference, sports activities staff or anything that matches on a pole.
Festival totem poles and flags are used for sensible navigation, inventive and political expression and catching artists’ consideration. Making appearances throughout EDM festivals and whilst early as Woodstock in 1969, totems and flags stay an necessary a part of the festival-going expertise.
At this 12 months’s Austin City Limits Music Festival, attendees introduced humor and magnificence to their poles and flags.
On Friday, the day earlier than Sabrina Carpenter headlined ACL, festivalgoer Ada Jobel held a totem referencing when Carpenter chugs an espresso martini throughout her hit tune “Espresso.” The totem featured a big helium espresso martini with a pink ribbon and rose gold streamers hooked up to a silver pole, adorned with lights and extra cardboard glasses tied round its base.
“We made it on the car ride from Houston to Austin,” Jobel stated. “I was thinking, ‘What are we doing this year?’ I want something Sabrina. I was like, ‘Espresso.’ We do drink espresso martinis. That’s our thing.”
Jobel stated making poles to show at ACL supplies a practice for her and her sister, making a pole for the pageant yearly since 2018.
“My sister made (an) Astros one,” Jobel stated. “That one was there for as long as (it) could (be). It wasn’t a successful year for us this year, so that’s why we changed it up.”
Flags present a chance for festivalgoers to symbolize their favourite groups in addition to their favourite acts. Longhorn fan and alumnus Bill Kaigler confirmed his college spirit the day earlier than the Texas v. OU sport with a burnt orange flag that includes a longhorn emblem.
“My father-in-law went to the University of Texas. Sisters, wife, daughter, everybody’s gone to Texas,” Kaigler stated. “It’s a great place.”
Kaigler, like Jobel, stated he and his household convey a flag yearly. For the previous six years, Kaigler has proven like to the University at ACL.
“We usually have a Darth Vader flag that says, ‘The eyes of Texas are with you,’” Kaigler stated.
Walking round Zilker, totems and flags present nice picture alternatives and dialog starters. On Friday, festivalgoer Denise Lopez paused for passersby to seize a picture of her distinctive flag, that includes a monkey meme with a finger in its mouth, located subsequent to the phrase, “LOKIAR?”
“It’s a classic Spanish meme,” Lopez stated. “It means ‘go crazy’ in Spanish, and everyone likes a little cheeky monkey. So we knew everyone needed to be a cheeky monkey today.”
With three days of continuous music, celebration and pleasure, totems and flags permit ACL attendees to precise themselves in methods past outfits and make-up, constructing traditions with their family members and making discovering buddies within the massive pageant crowds a chance.