Metallica 

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 It looks like the Austin City Limits festival could follow Coachella’s lead and expand into two weekends as early as next year.

According to a report in the Austin American Statesman, ACL producer C3 is talking to the city of Austin about the expansion and is holding dates — Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13— for the 2013 edition that allow for the expansion. There’s report does not address whether ACL would attempt to have the same acts for both weekend, as Coachella did this year in its first year over two weekends, or will have different artists, in the style of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

This year’s ACL festival will be held at Zilker Park Oct. 12-14 and includes headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White and The Black Keys among its 130 acts.

C3, which produces Lollapalooza with Perry Farrell and William Morris Endeavor, has also announced the dates for the 2013 edition of Lollapalooza--before the 2012 festival even takes off.  Lollapalooza 2013 will take place Aug. 2-4 at Chicago’s Grant Park.

As you know, Coachella has already announced it 2013 dates: April 12-14 and April 19-21.

It’s all about C3 today because it looks like the other major festival the company produces, Metallica’s Orion Festival, will return for a second year next year after its inaugural run in June.  In a conference call for Outside Lands, which Metallica is headlining, drummer Lars Ulrich said that plans are already starting for Orion 2013. “We had a great experience in New Jersey and as we look to 2013, we’re definitely looking to keep it in New Jersey or to keep it on the East Coast,” according to Spin.
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I talked to Ulrich about Orion right before the event took place for an article about the proliferation of artist-run festivals. Read the piece here.