ACL kicks off

AUSTIN (KXAN) - It is the day music lovers in Austin have been waiting for. The Austin City Limits Festival is under way!

More than a hundred musicians will perform... and thousands are expected here in Austin.

Music fans started lining up as early as 7:00 outside the entrance.

As ACL tradition would have it, the gates opened to the theme song from Star Wars.

Fans could get in starting at 11:00, and the first perfomrances started at 11:15.

Headliners topping the list of the more than 130 performers this weekend include bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Avett Brothers, the Black Keys and more.

There are some differences at ACL for 2012. Festival go-ers have the ability to stay connected through social media, like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

C3 Presents, the producers of ACL, are encouraging people to take pictures and "instagram" them using #ACLFest.

Also, the wrist bands everyone wears can be synced with their Facebook accounts.

For many, ACL is a tradition.

"Love ACL. Been hear all 10 years. This will be number 11," Duane Osborn says.

"Every single year--same spot. Every single year we get here in the morning and we stay 'til the closing," Nancy Holt says

And music fans have various reasons for continuing ot come back.

"I randomly go to people I haven't heard of before.That's what I' like about ACL, is seeing different folks and enjoying music that I havent been exposed to before," says Osborn.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Neil Young and Crazy Horse. He's a long time rocker, man! And I'm looking forward to Red Hot Chilli Peppers," said another man at ACL.