Throwing their horns up, a sea of white and burnt orange loudly cheered at this year’s first Longhorn City Limits. Singing with the bands, the crowd buzzed with anticipation for the day’s football game.

Grammy-nominated headliner Midland and opening band West 22nd performed on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. Both bands energized the crowd on the Lyndon B. Johnson Lawn stage. This year, The University of Texas Club offered a VIP experience including a three-tiered tent and Pinkerton’s barbecue in front of the lawn. 

Charles Branch, the UT Athletics assistant director of marketing, said Longhorn City Limits intends to incorporate live music into the gameday experience. The UT Athletics department organizes the event in collaboration with C3 Presents, which produces the Austin City Limits Festival, along with Austin PBS, which works on the ACL television show.

“A big thing for us is making sure that we have a diverse lineup throughout the season,” Branch said. “I know a lot of people tend to think of Texas (as) country, but we’re one of the most diverse fan bases in the world. We want to make sure that we’re showcasing all sorts of music throughout the year.”

Radio hosts at Austin’s KASE 100.7 and KVET 91.8 introduced opener and indie-rock quintet West 22nd, which originated at the University. The band started with covers, such as Grouplove’s “Tongue Tied,” before launching into their originals including the fan-favorite “Sunburns.” 

At 12:30 p.m., country-rock band Midland took the stage, further energizing the crowd. Playing a mix of originals and covers, such as Brooks and Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” the group celebrated the heat and hyped up the crowd further with some ad-libbed “Hook ‘Em”s into their songs. Alek Halverson, the host at KASE 100.7, said he brought Midland up on stage. 

“The Midland guys, we get to see in this part of Texas quite often since this is where they got their start,” Halverson said. “They obviously embraced it, since all of them were wearing UT jerseys. I think it’s just fun to see them, not only the crowd feed into it, but the Midland guys feed into it as well.”

By the beginning of Midland’s set, the crowd stretched from the stage to the hill near the LBJ fountain. 

“We try to pride ourselves (on) making sure (performers) are Central Texas musicians and providing a platform to showcase their amazing music,” Branch said. “It’s live music (in) the greatest city in the world. Why wouldn’t you want to come?”