Pinthouse Pizza
ACL Fest Should Support Local Vendors
RECEIVED Fri., Sept. 9, 2005
Dear Editor,
It's ironic that I work for the largest advertising agency in the city of Austin and still feel compelled to write this, but I must document my outrage.
This year our beloved Austin City Limits Music Festival, which so deliberately and faithfully supports local businesses by preventing chain restaurants into the Austin Eats Food Court, is opening up a Starbucks Cafe for our caffeinated pleasure.
To hell with the precedent our city set with Austin-Bergstrom. To hell with the principles ACL started in 2000 with a "support local vendors" policy. ACL has moved beyond the unobtrusive and innocuous corporate-stage-sponsorship and is on the verge of destroying all signs of local flavor.
Remember, ACL, we made you. You are our beloved show hosting a concert in our beloved park. Please consider Round Rock for your festival next year. You are crossing a prohibitive line and setting a terrible example of what Austin stands for with the addition of Starbucks. We are live-music-loving Austinites, dammit, what are you thinking?
My prediction: Next year the SoCo Market will be replaced with the Wal-Mart Box.
Goodbye, ACL. Festival fans, I'll see you at Bonnaroo.
It's ironic that I work for the largest advertising agency in the city of Austin and still feel compelled to write this, but I must document my outrage.
This year our beloved Austin City Limits Music Festival, which so deliberately and faithfully supports local businesses by preventing chain restaurants into the Austin Eats Food Court, is opening up a Starbucks Cafe for our caffeinated pleasure.
To hell with the precedent our city set with Austin-Bergstrom. To hell with the principles ACL started in 2000 with a "support local vendors" policy. ACL has moved beyond the unobtrusive and innocuous corporate-stage-sponsorship and is on the verge of destroying all signs of local flavor.
Remember, ACL, we made you. You are our beloved show hosting a concert in our beloved park. Please consider Round Rock for your festival next year. You are crossing a prohibitive line and setting a terrible example of what Austin stands for with the addition of Starbucks. We are live-music-loving Austinites, dammit, what are you thinking?
My prediction: Next year the SoCo Market will be replaced with the Wal-Mart Box.
Goodbye, ACL. Festival fans, I'll see you at Bonnaroo.
Rad Tollett