Photo by Roy Mata

Walking under cloudy skies amidst temperatures in the low 80s, music fans trickled into Zilker Park Friday to catch the first day of the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Westbanker and perennial ACL favorite Ray Benson kicked off the festival on the AMD stage, as he does every year with an energetic performance of “Miles and Miles of Texas.”

“Good morning everybody,” he boomed from the stage. “We’re all a little asleep at the wheel, aren’t we?”

In his eighth ACL appearance, Benson said he likes having the early time slot.

“It’s just the best – nobody’s sunburned yet, nobody’s worn out, and everybody is still full of excitement,” said the nine-time Grammy winner. “Once you kickoff seven or eight times, you’re kind of a tradition, right?”

Benson said festivals like ACL and SXSW, in which he also appears each spring, are important because they keep the spotlight on Austin, specifically on Austin music. Headed to Snyder, Texas for a show this evening, Benson will head back to ACL on Sunday to catch some entertainment himself. He said he likes the fact that ACL brings in a hefty number of young musical artists.

“Young folks are the percolation of what’s going to happen to music 20 years down the road,” he said. “It’s important that we all do what we can to make an environment that is going to continue to be conducive to music.”

After Sunday, Benson goes back on tour across the country. His next nearest stop will be at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels on Oct. 11. After Thanksgiving, he will begin a tour with friend Willie Nelson to promote their CD, “Willie and the Wheel.”

Benson said he is happy to see many of those young musicians he feels are so important to music turning a keen ear to Asleep at the Wheel and swing music in general.

“I was a 16-year-old kid when I discovered swing,” he said. “I figure there are 16-year-old kids out there now that are interested. I’m not trying to reach the masses with my music; I’m just trying to give people some interesting music – something different.”