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Austin City Limits Music Festival Grows
By KELLEY SHANNON, Associated Press Writer
AUSTIN, Texas - Only in its second year, the Austin City Limits Music Festival has this city making good on its self-proclaimed title of "Live Music Capital of the World."
The smorgasbord of country, blues, rock and gospel has gotten plenty of notice in music circles. Part of the reason is its partnership with the long-running television show "Austin City Limits," a popular music program that airs on PBS stations nationwide.
"With the marriage of `Austin City Limits' and the festival, it was perfect," said Charlie Jones, the festival's producer. "The word has spread really fast."
The Friday-through-Sunday festival features more than 130 acts, including R.E.M ., Lucinda Williams , Dwight Yoakam ,Nickel Creek, Ben Harper and Steve Earle (as well as up-and-coming musicians and regionally known bands. Also making appearances this year: Spoon, The Derailers, Patrice Pike, W.C. Clark, Robert Earl Keen (iz Phair (news) and Los Lonely Boys.
At least 26 bands playing at the festival have performed on "Austin City Limits" since the show began in 1975, said Mary Beth Rogers of public TV station KLRU, which produces the show.
In its early years, the program was known mostly as a country music showcase. It since has branched out and in its 13 one-hour shows each season offers a variety of "roots" music.
"It's anything that really gets to the heart of American roots, whether it's country, whether it's blues, whether it's jazz," Rogers said. "That's really given us a broad latitude in booking acts for the show."
As a bonus, Rogers said, the festival helps satisfy the public's desire to connect with the show. The TV studio at the University of Texas seats only 400, and music fans continually lament that tickets are hard to get.
"We saw it as an opportunity, as a gift to people in Austin," she said.
Aside from the musical acts, the event venue — Zilker Park in the heart of Austin — is a main attraction. The park is in a part of the city known for its laid-back lifestyle and live bands that play every night at clubs and coffee houses.
Like the TV show, with its trademark Austin skyline shown on the studio set, the festival scene is highlighted by views of downtown buildings, the Texas Capitol and the University of Texas tower.
In its inaugural run in September 2002, the festival drew 43,000 fans on its first day, a Saturday, and 35,000 on Sunday.
This year, Jones predicts a capacity crowd of 65,000 each of the three days.
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