Sadly, ACL Fest Day 3 is the last day of Austin City Limits Music Festival — until next year. So soak up the festival while you can!

How the ACL Fest organizers managed to book three days of fantastic bands is beyond us, but we’re not complaining. The headliner for ACL Fest Day 3 is alternative rock group Foo Fighters, whose lead singer is Dave Grohl, the former drummer for Nirvana. Foo Fighters are known for their live shows, so their ACL Fest appearance should not be missed.

Foo Fighters are from Seattle, so what about Austin musicians at ACL Fest? South Austin Jug Band, a local bluegrass band, is one set to perform from 6:40-7:40pm. Other musicians set to perform include The Raconteurs, whose guitarist and singer is Jack White of the White Stripes; Blues Traveler; Gnarls Barkley; and Nakia and His Southern Cousins.

There are just too many awesome acts to list, really, so we hope you’re looking forward to ACL Fest Day 3 like we are. Austin City Limits Music Festival is one of many things we just love about Austin. If you’re visiting from out of town, we hope you’ll be able to get out and see more of Austin. And don’t forget to stop by Allens Boots on South Congress. Cowboy boots and cowboy hats are perfect Texas souvenirs and will no doubt remind you of the great time you had in Austin, Texas for ACL Fest.

So you survived Day 1 of the Austin City Limits Festival (were you wearing a cowboy hat?), and now you’re ready for ACL Music Festival Day 2. Or maybe you just have a one-day pass. Regardless, there’s no denying that the ACL Fest Day 2 line-up is stellar and once again has something for everyone.

Saturday, September 27 at ACL Fest brings more big names, possibly the biggest of those big names being Beck. Beck has one of the headlining spots at ACL Fest Day 2, and rightfully so. Beck’s breakout single was “Loser” in 1994, and since then he’s continued to put out albums that typically blur the genres. His most recent album, Modern Guilt, was released in July of this year. The other ACL Music Festival Day 2 headlining spot belongs to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

Some other artists performing at ACL Music Festival Day 2 are The Black Keys, a blues duo; indie rockers MGMT; legend Roky Erickson; and Texas country musician Robert Earl Keen. Just like Days 1 and 3, ACL Fest Day 2 will have a special stage set up for kid-friendly musicians, which is a great place to stop by if you have little ones with you.

At the end of the day, you’ll probably be worn out from the hours and hours you spent in the hot sun watching fantastic live music. Come home, kick off your cowboy boots, and rest up — ACL Fest still has one more day!

This weekend it’s time again for the Austin City Limits Festival, better known as ACL Fest, an annual music festival here in Austin, Texas. And while last year’s festival line-up was one that many thought couldn’t be topped, it seems they have indeed topped it. Big names like Beck, Foo Fighters, Robert Earl Keen, Blues Traveler and The Raconteurs grace the lineup of this year’s Austin City Limits Festival. There seems to be something for everyone, really, with the large amount of musicians scheduled.

So let’s take a look at the Day 1 lineup of ACL Fest, which is Friday, September 26. Headliners include The Mars Volta, named “Best Prog-Rock Band” by Rolling Stone this year, and Manu Chao, a musician born in France that sings mostly in French, English and Spanish. The Mars Volta is known for their live shows, often having more than 10 musicians onstage at once to perform their tunes. The Mars Volta get their name from a Federico Fellini book, in which Fellini used the word “Volta” to describe a changing of a scene or a new scene. As for Mars, well, the band members just really love sci-fi. As for the meaning of the combined words, The Mars Volta invites fans to come up with their own meaning.

Don’t go thinking The Mars Volta and Manu Chao are the only performers playing ACL Fest Day 1. No way — there are a ton of other fantastic musicians and bands to check out. There’s even a special stage aimed towards kids, the appropriately-named Austin Kiddie Limits Stage. Acts lined up for ACL Fest Day 1 that are creating a lot of buzz include Hot Chip, Gogol Bordello, David Byrne and Vampire Weekend, to name a few. If there are bands on the line-up that you’ve never heard of, be sure and try to stop by to give them a shot — part of the fun of the festival is being able to see new acts and hopefully go home at night with some new favorite artists.

Whoever you’re planning on seeing at ACL Fest this year, one thing’s for sure: Don’t forget your cowboy hat. The weather is expected to be hot and sunny, so wearing a cowboy hat will not only be stylish, but it’ll help protect you from getting sunburned. We suggest a Stetson hat, but with Allens Boots’ wide selection of great Western wear, you’ll surely be able to find the perfect cowboy hat to wear to ACL Fest.

Motorcycle Boots Galore

Motorcycle boots are on our mind. It’s probably because the Republic of Texas Biker Rally, otherwise known as the ROT Rally, is coming up on June 12th through June16th.

The city of Austin transforms into a biker’s dream over ROT Rally weekend when more than 40,000 motorcycles roll into town. Some may say, “Wow, that’s a lot of bikes!” We at Allens Boots say, “Wow, that’s a lot of boots!”

Motorcycle Boots: Not All about Looks

Although we prefer horses over hogs, we still love bikers around these parts and we still know a lot about what they are wearing on their feet … Motorcycle Boots.

When purchasing motorcycle boots, you new to remember that it isn’t just about how good they look; it is also about how well they function when you are riding your bike.

Motorcycle Boots Are Built Tough

There are several attributes that make a boot a motorcycle boot. Most motorcycle boots are at least six inches tall and have ankle padding to protect the ankle. Taller motorcycle boots offer extra protection of the legs against flying objects like rocks.

All motorcycle boots come with durable outsoles to assist in stopping or in sharp turns. Some motorcycle boots even come with steel toes to offer even more foot protection during stops and minor accidents.

Finally, the best choice for motorcycle boots are ones made of leather. Leather boots provide better protection against the elements and in minor accidents.

Motorcycle Boots and Charlie

We hear that the Charlie Daniels Band is playing the last night of the ROT Rally and they play some fantastic foot stompin’ music. The kind of music that makes you want to take off those motorcycle boots and leathers and put on a pair of cowboy boots and jeans. This is the Republic of Texas Biker Rally after all.

*Photo by Paul Menard

Rodeo Austin Joins Forces with Caritas of Austin

Rodeo Austin will host its first Caritas Theme Day tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4th. Primary day is stiff competition, but who can refuse $1 off Rodeo Austin admission? That’s right, if you bring three canned or non-perishable food items to the fairgrounds tomorrow, you get $1 off the price of your Rodeo Austin ticket. The canned goods will go towards Caritas’ lifesaving store of supplies that help them carry out their mission of fighting poverty and homelessness. If Rodeo Austin is anything, it’s the rodeo with a heart. It’s a great cause, so get out your cowboy boots to support your community.

Rodeo Austin and the Houston Livestock Show

Rodeo Austin is the counterpart to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; the two events cover the spectrum of truly Texas rodeos. Whereas the Houston Rodeo covers everything that can possibly be done or seen at a rodeo show, Rodeo Austin is often considered the softer side. Rodeo Austin is going on now through March 15th at the Walter E. Long Municipal Park.

What to See at Rodeo Austin

The attractions are what make Rodeo Austin unique, like Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey or the Western Shootout Comedy Show and Cowboy Music Review. There’s also a livestock barn, an exotic petting zoo, a lineup of bands performing throughout the day on the outdoor stage, and a famous carnival.

It’s a great event for the whole family, and a great place to show the kids the prime environment for western wear. Look no further for the cutest children’s boots than Allens, located just across town from the Austin Rodeo.

Of course, like all Texas rodeos, you’ll see a fair representation of the best cowboy boots in the world. Don’t forget to bring yours!