Friday’s three-hour delay to the start of this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival wiped out the traditional opening festival hosted by local western swing legends, Asleep at the Wheel, which was scheduled to perform at 1 p.m. on the Honda scene. It is not possible to reschedule another festival date as The Wheel is touring the west from Saturday until the end of the second weekend of ACL Fest.

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“We were in the van and on our way to the field” when they heard the news of the delay, leader Ray Benson said on Friday morning. “Suddenly everyone’s cell phone rings and we find out they don’t open until 3pm”

There is, however, a very good silver lining here for Benson. As it turns out, her first grandchild, Rhodes Paul Siefert, was born Thursday at a local hospital to Ray’s youngest son Aaron Siefert. Benson had been hoping for a quick visit on Friday, after Wheel’s set and before the group boarded a 4:30 p.m. plane to the Bay Area to begin their tour on Saturday. Now he has a slightly easier window of time for that special meeting with Rhodes.

Aaron, 34, recently returned to Austin with his wife from Los Angeles, where Aaron worked for years as a trailer editor. He directs the videos of Asleep at the Wheel; Meanwhile, Benson’s eldest son Sam Seifert, 36, has become the group’s main studio producer in recent years.

“I was lucky,” Benson said with a laugh. “Sam produces the records, Aaron makes the videos, and I smile.”

Asleep at the Wheel’s latest album, “Half a Hundred Years”, was released on Friday. It’s a celebration of the band’s 50th anniversary and features an impressive number of special guests including Willie Nelson, George Strait, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett, as well as many former members who have helped turn the wheel over the years. 1970.

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The group will return to Austin for a 50th anniversary concert on October 15 at Waterloo Park, with many special guests lined up.

As for the end of the Wheel ACL Fest streak – they’re the only band to have performed at the festival every year since its launch in 2002 – Benson was philosophical.

“It’s a bummer because there are very few musical traditions left in Austin,” he said. “It seems like the age of disruption. But in the 50 years we’ve been doing all of this, there’s always a catastrophe looming somewhere.”

Expect the wheel to come back on the ACL Fest file in 2022. Unless, you know, the next disaster strikes. Benson’s prognosis: “I believe the Balcones fault will have an earthquake!”

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