No Lollapalooza For Me

So I think the decision has been made - I'm going to the Austin City Limits Festival this year. Why? Lollapalooza's schedule sucks. While ACL's lineup was already stronger, the number of conflicts in Lollapalooza's schedule between bands I'd want to see means that I'd be missing a lot of Lollapalooza's better bands. For example:

Friday (3 conflicts)

Elvis Perkins is slated for Friday at 11:45am-12:30pm, which is the exact same time as The Fratellis, and also conflicts with Illinois between 12 and 12:30.

Son Volt is scheduled for Friday at 1:30pm, the exact same time as Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

Silversun Pickups are scheduled for Friday between 5pm and 6pm, whereas Blonde Redhead are playing between 5:30 and 6:30.

Saturday (3.5 conflicts)

Fields is scheduled from 12:30-1:30 and Tokyo Police Club is 12:45-1:30.

Tapes n' Tapes are scheduled 1:30-2:30, the Sam Roberts Band is scheduled from 2:15-3:00, and Aqueduct is 2:15-3:00.

Spoon is scheduled from 7:30-8:30, and so is Patti Smith.

Additionally, depending on the stage location there could be bigger problems. If the stages are located the same place as last year, then it will be easy to set up at the Southern-end of the park and bounce from Clap Your Hands to The Hold Steady to the Yeah Yeah Yeah to Spoon. BUT, if the stages have shifted, then it will be impossible to see all of these bands. Plus, after Spoon, it's a long, long walk to make it up to Interpol on the Northern-end of the park.

Sunday (2.5 conflicts)

David Vandervelde is scheduled from 1-1:45, and the Heartless Bastards are from 1:15-2:15.

Yo La Tengo's set from 5:15-6:15 conflicted with Bound Stems (5:30-6:15), Peter Bjorn and John (5-6) and !!! (5:15-6:15).

So, while I'm sure ACL will have conflicts as well, I can't imagine them being nearly this bad. Seriously, this is terrible. And it leaves too many holes where there's nothing I want to see (for example, on Sunday from 2:15-4:15, I would have to find the best place to set up so I wouldn't be able to hear Amy Winehouse, Lupe Fiasco, Paolo Nutini or Blue October. Not easy.)

Austin, here I come.