"This is one of the greatest festivals in the world - and it's right here!"         Wayne Coyne, Flaming Lips

The sun has set on the 2010 edition of the 9th annual Austin City Limits Festival, which I've been flying down for (with one or two exceptions) since the inaugural edition in 2002. (Check out my posts from the 2007 and 2008 ACLs.) As in the past, this year's ACL pitched a particularly wide musical tent, offering up everything from indie and classic rock, to roots and country, to jazz and gospel.

But, for me, this festival has never been just about the music: just walking around the 10 sun-dappled acres of Zilker Park - filled with art, crafts, and beautiful people of all ages - offers its own inspiration. After nearly a decade of ACL's, I've become convinced that there's something magical that takes place here each fall, some sort of temporary vortex that opens up and fills you with enough warmth and inspiration to last the whole winter through. Or, as the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne put it last night just as the sun faded into gold and lit up 30,000 smiles: "The idea is that you'll leave here tonight and spend the rest of the year living as if there's no tomorrow."

More thoughts/pics to come.