Days after the Austin City Limits Music Festival 2008, the effects of this year's three-day music binge still linger.

As I write this, my legs are sore from trekking miles to and from Zilker Park and my feet ache from standing hours in the hot sun while waiting for the next band to hit one of the festival's eight stages. Oh, and I have a pesky, hacking cough from breathing in all of the dust that was kicked up this year.

I'm not a 20-year-old music fan anymore, but still no old-timer, either. But I'm exhausted, sore, and feel kind of sick. So why do I do it?

For the music, of course.

Just like the 65,000 other people (from babies in strollers to gray-haired grandmas) who flocked to Austin over the weekend for the seventh year of ACL, I must like a little suffering along with my live music. Why else would we attend a three-day outdoor music festival in the lingering days of summer in Texas? Sunburns, sweat and wheezing coughing fits are like battle scars I wear proudly. Anything worth experiencing has to be a little challenging, right?

This was my second year attending ACL and I conquered the unwieldy fest, which boasts 130 acts, solo this time around. After herding friends, co-workers and a spouse to last year's festival, I must say, this year was actually better.

I ran into a few friends, but going alone allowed me to come and go as I pleased and watch whatever band I wanted. If I was 15 minutes in to a less-than-exciting Silver Sun Pickups set, I could pick up and walk across the park to catch the rest of the stellar Neko Case.

The beauty of ACL is its schizophrenic line up. Gospel, rap, folk, electronic, country, bluegrass -- it's all there. The choices are seemingly boundless.

For someone like me -- with a musical taste that ranges from Robert Earl Keen to Del Tha Funky Homosapien and beyond -- this fest is near perfect.

Some ACL fans grumbled about this year's line up (What, no Radiohead? No Tom Petty?). But I believe ACL '08 delivered. It's been heralded as one of the smoothest ACL festivals yet. There were no canceled headliners and no fires.

Headliners like Beck, The Foo Fighters, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and the global rock of Manu Chao were thrilling. But it was the day shows at some of the smaller stages that really stood out for me. The experimental noise rock of Man Man got the crowd moving during their sunny set on Saturday afternoon. The assemblage of musicians from Philadelphia beat on buckets, blew on kazoos and jingled keys in the air, proving that music is what you make it.

N.E.R.D. also got the crowd into the show on Friday. Frontman Pharell Williams pulled up a flock of girls to dance with him during their party girl anthem, Everyone Nose, which had everyone singing, "All the girls standing in the line for the bathroom." I'm sure was appreciated over at the Port Potties.

There also were a few peaceful moments that will be memorable from this ACL. The quite beauty of The Swell Season (better known as the duo from the Oscar-winning musical Once) calmed the masses after sunset on Friday. Conner Oberst, aka Bright Eyes, and the surreal Band of Horses also provided a good after-sunset chill out soundtrack.

Sure, it's hot during ACL and you risk contracting some sort of respiratory infection from sucking in dust for three days straight, but this festival is still worth it. Word is, irrigation is in the works to help curb the dust problem and -- due to the almighty UT football schedule -- the fest may be held in October next year.

Now, that would be perfect.

* Laura Hensley was a reporter and wrote for Spotlight from 2000-2007. She now lives in Austin.

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