Fun Fun Fun Fest

Went here for FFF 2014 for my 25^th birthday extravaganza.
Great lineup that year! Nas, DFA 1979, the Blood Brothers, Girl Talk, Modest Mouse and Atmosphere to name a few. Was able to catch some comedy stuff too… especially from the cast of Silicon Valley… Being from the Bay Area and the cast poking fun of us in front of the scene in Austin was a bit awkward. but what was funny is that all of what they say about us is true.
The price of the tickets weren’t bad at all either from what I’m used to. We were able to use the student discount for all three days. Loved that the tickets included free admission to a few performances during after hours… I was able to catch MSTRKRFT at a local club here in Austin because of it!
As for food here, all I can remember were twinkies on twinkies (free of course) and fritos on almost eveything. I’m from the Bay Area, and had no idea that fritos on almost every food was a thing they did in Texas. Pretty good stuff though! Wasn’t entirely a fritos fan as a child either. so that’s saying something.
Organized layout. Stages weren’t confusing, everything was clearly read.
Laid back ambiance. not a shit load of people. which is a good thing! Leaving every night wasn’t any trouble either. but maybe that’s because where we were staying was a walking distance from the venue… Got a lot of free swag as well! From sunglasses to twinkies… haha

The following is my testament for the three days we attended:
The USP (ultimate smooth pass)
— Special entrance. Saturday had mud and they pulled all of us in one line, no exceptions. This was extremely disappointing. When it worked, it shaved off 15 min.
— USP Area– a beautiful area reserved for USP band wearers… And all employees of the festival. At least that’s what I got when I saw the W band of the people coming in. This was hard to understand. Paying $ 450 per band and fighting to get in and out of reserved spaces who were occupied by workers.
— USP Stage Spaces– this is a huge benefit. Large spaces at 3 stages. I got closer than I have ever been, but again these areas were shared by workers. We even had a guy who worked for the festival bragged about getting back stage. Also, we were denied entrance at one stage because of occupancy by a rude security guard when last night I saw lots of people jumping the barrier.
— Free Water and coconut water. Delicious and a great money saver. But I felt super wasteful. The water refill stations at ACL seemed like a much better option.
— Coat Check — awesome place to store your stuff. Secure. Tips accepted. Get your stuff when needed, no limits. Awesome staff. Plus free goodies.
— Parking — no VIP parking. Lyft or walk. I read someone had to pay triple for Über. The shuttle on the first day was an utter failure. There was no shuttle. Once in a while we saw a FFF car pick up 4 – 5 people. Don’t waste your time. This shuttle is nothing like ACL.
— USP Food — I like Frank’s but it’s the only option. The VIP area for the artists had more food. This area needs more food options. Good thing the food area is close by. Plus there are picnic tables and air cushions. Need more seats, real seats.
— Stages — ever stage sounded awesome. Great view. Lots of screens. Excellent.

Mi primera experiencia en Fun Fun Fun estuvo muy bien, obviamente porque vi a Jane’s Addiction tocando uno de los mejores discos de la historia, pero también porque en definitiva no es un festival HIPER masivo, si bien hay muchísima gente, el ambiente es mas relajado, íntimo y los escenarios no son gigantes. Muy buena logística, comida, sonido, stands, comida, etc… Muy recomendable.

I had a really great great great time at this fest. Only went one day but enjoyed the variety of musical acts. I think there were like three smoking villages which in 2014 and all the medical knowledge we have and #commonsense that was a little odd. I had shiner cheer for the first time at this fest so another positive.

2014 was supposedly the ninth FFF Fest, but they still seemed very unprepared for more than a couple thousand people to show up (they had 65K back in 2013). And the sound quality was about what I would expect from open-​mic night, not a ‘music’ festival.
Grab bag of grievances:
* The staff running the mixers must be either 1) volunteers that forged a CV about their audio training to get free admission or 2) wishing they were at the Black (death metal) stage. Apparently the desired balance was…
Drums: 80%. Guitar 1: 10%. Guitar 2: 10%. Vocals: wait, there’s somebody singing? Haha, didn’t even notice. Maybe we should hook that microphone cable into the sound system when we’re getting ready for the next set.
Saving grace: Neutral Milk Hotel, the band I most wanted to see, brought their own professional mixer. Thank you, NMH, you are very wise.
* They had two days to pick up wristbands before the first day of the festival. Their email says «we highly recommend you take advantage of early bird pick up» — it should have said «if you don’t pick up your wristband in advance, you’ll spend the entire first day of the festival in line instead of than listening to the bands you paid to see.» Luckily, I picked up mine in advance, but had a couple of friends that had to get in line (starting at City Hall!) to get theirs. I.e., the line was over half a mile long.
* They ran out of all beer that isn’t Shiner after the first night. Also, the bar lines were all really long. Like, they weren’t all that excited about selling people beer. What?
* Finally, and this is not entirely the festival’s fault: everyone smokes. Even if you’re not a smoker, you’ll be a smoker for a couple days, because everyone around you is smoking and you didn’t bring your oxygen tanks. But it is partly the festival’s fault, because Camel /​Marlboro /​American Spirit all have buildings around the park and are like «hey you wanna smoke? no? okay, cool, here have some free cigarettes!» Disgusting, and kind of atypical of Austin.

First time to try FFF and never again. I’d always heard great things and how it was a perfect alternative to ACL madness. Not so. I was involved in the infamous Line Line Line fest debacle of 2014 (aka Fail Fail Fail Fest) when Transmission Events took over and claimed they weren’t prepared for the volume of people who were planning on picking up their passes at will call. I only had a Friday pass that was a last minute splurge. I stood in line for four hours wrapped around the bridge at Chavez and listened to the vague sounds of the artists I was there to see. Worse yet, security staff working inside mocked people in the line and there were no bathrooms. Finally got in and caught a bit of Alt-​J and 2 Chainz. Thanks but no thanks. The place was inundated with big tobacco trying desperately to lure in new smokers which was sad and the beer selection was Shiner, Shiner and more Shiner. (The craft beer at the other tent ran out.) The port-​a-​potties were placed in narrow hallways facing each other. Seriously, Transmission? This wasn’t my first festival rodeo and it shouldn’t have been yours either, but boy did it look that way. Then they had the nerve to issue a statement blaming Aud. Shores for changing their former venue and reiterating their no refund policy. They explained that with the city’s permission, they were able to open the gates to everyone later that night and this is how they righted things. Additionally they were staying late for people to get their next day wristbands. Well, guess what? I only had one day and seriously, letting people into something they’d paid for after they missed a significant portion of it?! How kind.

We got to go free for all 3 days thanks to the Dallas Observer. We won a contest they were having. So yeah it was a lot of fun… fun fun. Lol best part was they let you go in and out of the festival so we got to explore the rest of Austin. Beer was avarage bar prices sponsored by Shiner which was a super bonus. We got a lot of free swag from all three days tons of snacks and stickers. I’m glad Austin is environmentally friendly they allowed you to bring your own water bottle so you don’t use too much plastic. The VIP was awesome the restroom were always clean and had A/​C. They gave free water bottles and had a charging station. VIP also gave us access to the best spots at around the stage and personal bar. Thank Dallas Observer.

Another great festival. A little disappointed with J Mascis set, but Flying Lotus and Thundercat were amazing.

Hi! There are a lot of good reasons to just go ahead and end it. This festival is not among them. This year they featured British Heavy Metal by the band Judas Priest as well as Satanic Heavy Metal by King Diamond who is from Denmark but lives in Dallas, TX! King Diamond brought his grandmother out on stage and said suggestive things about her and that was a weird vibe but the set was very good. There was also Yelle. She is from France and no speakey English but her songs are no less catchy as a result. One can dance to any language, you know?
The tobacco people are also very friendly. You will be treated to free Camel, Marlboro and even Hippie American Spirit tobacco should you opt for this. They are doing it right. In my mind it is believed that if you are going to promote cancer you should at least not be a dickhole about it.
This festival does not serve 16 oz beers so I recommend taking many of your Xanax script to increase the effectiveness of these 12 oz Shiner Bocks. Also, Ambien and Adderall help as well. I practice Buddhism so it is all about balance and contemplating one’s place in the world while on several drugs.
The ticket prices are reasonable so I don’t feel financially fucked in the mouth the way that I do at some other festivals. I hate that feeling. OK. Thank you.

What a RIDICULOUS JOKE fun fun fun my arse. Paid $ 195 each for my 2 tickets only to arrive and find that the will-​call line wait is minimum 3 – 4 hours. No jokes the line for people that already have tickets and need wrist bands goes out of the park, down the road, over the bridge and down further into downtown. Google maps says half a mile and moving soooo slow. Could they not see this problem occurring, why didn’t they just mail the wrist bands out. Why didn’t they at least warn people on the email blast. Sure they offered an option to pick up the night before at a bar, but never mentioned that if you didn’t you would spend your entire day in a line instead of listening to bands you paid to see. I hate FUN FUN FUN!!! Want to just go home and ask for a refund. P. S this is my first bad review ever.

2013 was my first time at the Fest. The venue is great. There are multiple stages set up and there is an awesome view of the Austin sky-​line. The bands were fun and diverse: my favorites included MIA, Cut Copy, Mac DeMarco, Chet Faker and the Chromatics. Big Freedia was fun to watch too! I attended all 3 days of the festival. I really enjoyed the huge bean bag chairs– a great place to rest your feet. After Day 1, there was no more water in the hand washing stations. And although there were many food options, the lines to wait to order were very long and if you didn’t time it right, could miss a band you want to see. Cell phone service was spotty– I recommend getting more of those portable networks for next year. I had a bad experience in the comedy tent while trying to see Tenacious D. People were pushing, it was hot, etc; I bet it also violated some sort of fire code. Tenacious D is pretty popular– they probably should have performed on the main stage. Either way, it was very uncomfortable and although I made it in (by the grace of those pushing behind me), I had to leave shortly thereafter. Overall a fun festival– I appreciated the free beer koozies from Shiner. Drinks were also pricey, but you do have a selection of beer and mixed drinks.

Everyone can have ACL. I want my Fun Fun Fun Fest (FFF). I know my friends get excited when ACL comes around. When FFF comes around for them, they don’t come with me. I go by myself which is fine because it is so awesome.
There are 4 stages — Blue, Yellow, Black and Orange.
Blue is the dance/​rap/​hip-​hop stage.
Yellow is the comedy stage
Orange is the indie rock and pop stage.
Black is the metal and punk stage.
One can argue that the last couple of years that it has gone corporate. But there’s no festival that invites BMX/​Project Loop over and skate/​bike on their ramps, graffiti artists spray painting their latest work, mechanical bull riding, local food vendors and artists selling their artwork. Yes there is corporate sponsorship at this festival but it still maintains the spirit of the festival.
I know I haven’t heard majority of the bands on their lineups but it’s a great festival to discover new music. I’m glad that this festival is around.

I had a great time and FFF Fest this weekend. I would honestly give FFF 5 stars if they make a few minor changes next year.
Let’s start with the good, because overall it was an awesome time. Loved the intimacy of the event. This was the first festival in a long time were you could truly get up close to the stage to see the artist and not feel like you might get trampled. Vibe was really cool. I love the idea of arts, skate park, vert ramp, etc… Food options were great as well. I really enjoyed all the groups that I saw. Lupe disappointed a bit when he cut his set short by 20 minutes. Snoop killed it as always. MIA brought a ton of energy. Jurassic 5 brought it back to old school, as well as many more wonderful groups. There is something magical about the Austin skyline as the backdrop for festival.
My negatives would be not enough restroom locations throughout the festival. Only two locations for non VIP. The other thing would be more bar locations.
Overall wonderful weekend with good vibes, wonderful music, and fun friends.
FFF Fest get a view more restroom and bar locations and I just might fall in 5 star love. Oh can you get Action Bronson to come back next year, since he couldn’t make it this year? Been trying to catch one of his sets for over a year.

I’m sure once inside this festival will be as awesome as always but these lines to pick up your wristband are stupid. Come on FFFF

Best festival in Austin? It’s more likely than you think!
The Black Stage lineup is always «I need to go change my pants now» good. And the rest of the fest is close behind. Love this fest so much!

ACL’s jort wearing, crazy mustache sporting, fixie-​riding younger brother who rolls his eyes at all the bands you are excited about.

It’s hard to follow up after a review like Heather’s but to reiterate what she said, this festival is a blast. it continues to grow every year but it still manages to keep that intimate feel.
You will often see celebrities meandering through the crowd, just looking to have a good time like the rest of us. Comedians Brian Posehn and Blake Anderson (Workaholics) were constantly seen hanging around Auditorium Shores as well as lesser known celebrities like the world’s most tattoo’d man (the Lizard Man.)
The place contains four stages, broken up by genre (Black=Metal/Punk, Blue=Hip Hop/​Electronic, Orange-​Indie/​Rock, Yellow=Comedy/Spoken.) They were spaced out nicely, the sound didn’t bleed much from stage to stage. They had a water refill station, so water wasn’t an issue as long as you had a container. They offered plenty of food from vendors all over the Austin area. It was a little pricey, but hey, it’s a festival, you have to expect that. 24 oz. Tecates were $ 9 dollar.
Overall, I had a really good time. The scene was pretty hipster intensive, so if you have a problem with that, this may not be the place for you. If you are a cool person, looking to hear good tunes with good people, look no further. This is a festival for you!

2011 marked the 6^th Fun Fun Fun Festival weekend. I guess you could say this year’s event was the year of Ryan Gosling, Slayer and, uh, Danzig.
I attend and have attended many music festivals throughout my life including some of the biggies like Lolla and Coachella. I have to say that FFF Fest is my favorite.
Do they book as «big» of bands? I guess it is a matter of perspective but truthfully, no. The bands they tend to book are heavy in 3 genres: indie rock, metal and hip hop/​rap. The bands they book are just as kick ass, sometimes even more kick ass but overall smaller. Unless you talk to Glenn Danzig who thinks he’s pretty big.
I’m trying to put my finger on what makes FFF Fest so cool. I think a lot of it is the energy put forth by Transmission Entertainment, the booking agency who puts on the festival. Example at this year’s festival they had El Camino Lounge, which was a designated area that they parked several old cars in (like late 60’s Chevy Malibu and an old Mustang) that you could take pictures in or just hang out in. In addition to the bands they have weird stuff like a boxing ring where they hold anarchy boxing matches, a port-​o-​potty that is actually a photo booth where a professional photographer takes pictures and a BMX bike and skateboard area to watch stunts being performed or skaters just hanging out.
It would not be FFF Fest without the dust. Previous years were held at Waterloo park and even with the move to Auditorium Shores this year the dust was still everywhere: covering your face, hair, nostrils, mouth, and more. Is there a solution for this in a drought-​ridden state? We are turning Southern California.
This year’s event was pretty epic including the likes of Henry Rollins who performed a spoken word event and more importantly also performed an actual real wedding of a couple who phoned up Transmission Entertainment asking permission to get married at the festival this year. Not only did they say yes but their wedding was listed in the schedule as an official act to watch. Henry Rollins ended up saying «yes» to officiating their ceremony. How «fun» is that?
Another major event of 2011 was Public Enemy. This year the kick-​off day was on a Friday which happened to be my birthday. I don’t think I have had a cooler birthday than standing in the pit, pumping my fist with the likes of Public Enemy, my face covered in dust with more dust in my bra, shoes and mouth. Mmmmm, good!
2011 also marked a year when they had FFF Fest nites. These are free nightly shows with many of the bands from the festival performing at various venues along Red River after 10PM. Which brings up a point: bands cannot play past 10PM being the fact that the festival is outdoors. This fact is significant. Especially for some acts, like Danzig.
Legendary Texas film maker Terence Malick was at the festival this year filming a movie that included Ryan Gosling who was later spotted everywhere like crowd surfing (or something like that) during Cannibal Corpse’s show.
All in all FFF Fest is sure to only grow more and more as the years drag on. I hope they keep up their independent spirit and don’t sell out. Thus far this festival is really worth it.