Day 3: Rodeo Day
Three days, two ruined pairs of shoes, two boxes of film, hours of back pain, and a load of mud-drenched laundry later: worth it. I arrived a little after noon today to find a thick layer of mud covering every square inch of Zilker Park. The entire festival smelled like a rodeo, this impression was furthered as I watched festival staff literally spreading hay out over the mud in hopes of making it more manageable; no such luck. I accepted that this was the last day my shoes would see and headed to the AMD stage to catch the remainder of local favorites Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears.
Though I am an Austinite and it is perhaps sacrilegious, blues is not my forte. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Black Joe and the Honey Bears. In the spirit of James Brown, they played an energetic and very accessible brand of blues and R&B and delivered it with an authenticity that few can. I am a sucker for horns and harmonica, and both run aplenty in the bands gritty tunes. It was a nice way to start my day, and after a few minutes I got used to the rodeo stench and forgot that the park smelled at all.
Black Joe was followed by the much anticipated B-52’s. From the first note of the first song, it was apparent that age had not slowed the group a step. The band gave everyone what they wanted to see, playing their most popular songs and donning their colorful retro garb. “Hello Austin, here’s a lesson in ancient history’ front man Fred Schneider informed the audience before erupting into ‘Mesopotamia.’ Yes, the song is about history, but one could not help but think that Schneider’s comment had a double meaning. The set was enjoyed by young and old alike, dancing to every song. Yet you could almost see the thought bubbles hanging among the rising clouds of smoke over the audience: ‘Rock Lobster…Rock Lobster…’ and then it happened. The song was greeted with a roar from the crowd and a mass shouting of the lyrics. With their performance, the B-52’s solidified my vote for band of the day.
That is not to say that the rest of the day was a letdown, quite the contrary in fact. The Arctic Monkeys took the stage next, and while the group’s new long hairstyles may not be their best yet, the new album is. The band played an energetic set, complete with everyone’s favorite songs and Alex Turner’s wry social commentary. It’s hard to believe these gentlemen are only 23.
Passion Pit (the band that started as a Valentine’s Day present), may very well be the best Valentines day present ever. This band is just fun, and Michael Angelekos’s playful falsetto prompted the crowd surfing of a fan dressed in a green spandex suit, like Charlie from ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.’ Seeing green man crowd surfing made the show all the more entertaining. My best ACL costume award goes to green man, congratulations green man.
Everyone wants to know what Jack White is going to do next, which is why I weaved my way through groups of mud-caked dancers (kind of creepy) and to Livestrong stage to see the latest of White’s wildly successful side projects. The Dead Weather delivered an hour of unrelenting southern psychedelia with White keeping the beat on drums. It did look like four very, very, very confident rock stars but this is neither surprising nor offensive when you consider who is in the super group. The Dead Weather closed their set with Jack White giving the audience what they’d all been hoping for and coming out from behind the drum set to shred on the guitar. Of course the guitar playing was fantastic, but did anyone see Jack White’s white pointed toe leather boots? This man has the best taste in footwear. Best ACL footwear goes to Jack White.
Girl Talk was essentially a party. Being as how Greg Gillis writes no songs and plays no instruments, it’s interesting that he’s achieved this level of success. I think it’s probably because he does it the best. He does a good job of picking samples everyone knows and making the show very participatory, almost a sing-a-long. Though I had trouble shaking the feeling that I was at a Frat party, which is uncomfortable for me, I saw what was enjoyable about Girl Talk. More importantly, I saw someone in the crowd flying the Texas ‘Come and Take It’ flag. To this person, I give the award of best ACL flag.
I left after Girl Talk. I’ll leave Pearl Jam to the other 40,000 of you to tell people about. While the stink may fade, the mud may wash away, and the newly sodded grass probably got trampled to death, the memories of ACL 2009 will live forever.
Monday, October 5, 2009
ACL Day 2
ACL DAY 2 started with Mutemath. With a new CD and a single on Twilight (embarrassing, but don't forget Thom Yorke and Ben Gibbard are on the next Twilight soundtrack), buzz about the New Orleans rockers is bigger than ever, playing an energetic and highly enjoyable set. Besides, it’s hard to be bad when your lead singer plays keytar.
Next was Grizzly Bear on the Dell stage. This band has blown up over the past year, and being one of Radiohead’s favorite bands surely can’t hurt. With such a rapid ascent into the big leagues, had Grizzly Bear completed the jump from venue band to festival band? The set began a little awkwardly, partly because the band was forced to move towards the back of the stage by the rain, but before long Grizzly Bear looked quite comfortable. Soon, their watery guitars and backwoods-Beach-Boys harmonies began to further saturate the already soaking Zilker Park.
By the time Grizzly Bear finished, it was pouring rain. I had an umbrella, but it was doing little to keep my bag dry. I caught rumor of ponchos being sold at the general store and became involved in the Great Poncho Stampede of 2009. People were literally jumping on each other to buy ponchos. When the ponchos sold out, the store started giving away their trash bags. I dangled over the counter with about 40 other people in hopes of a trash bag, but informed that 200 trash bags were dispensed in less than two minutes. It was nearly a riot.
Riot? Sounds like a job for Flogging Molly! Making my way to the AMD stage, the sudden abundance of kilts and mohawks heralded Flogging Molly nearby. “This is a dry day in Ireland!” Dave King informed the audience. Flogging Molly’s set was true rock & roll, drawing from Float and other albums. Rain fell hard on the band and the stage, but that did not deter them from flipping off the audience and inciting an odd but workable combination of mosh-pits and Irish jigs throughout the park.
By the time I got back to the Dell stage, my shoulders were aching, my spine was collapsing, my knees were buckling from sheer exhaustion, and then The Decemberists took the stage. Colin Meloy and company performed their new CD The Hazards of Love in its entirety, curing all of my ailments and replenishing the essence of my being. This album is one of my favorites of the year, but seeing it performed live is to see it in an entirely new way. It felt like watching a play, and was in no way over the top. The Decemberists did not use or props or excessive costumes. If this performance was play-like, it was Shakespearean; the dialogue is so rich there is little need for props and minimal need for costume. The set was delivered smoothly, passionately, and with much acclaim from their adoring audience.
Ghostland Observatory closed the evening with a light show that Daft Punk would be proud of and the stage presence that made them a hit. Though I don’t think it quite measured up to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs closer the night before, I found myself dancing just the same. Aaron Behrens has some of the best stage moves I have ever seen, he puts on a clinic for aspiring frontmen.
Onward to Day Three!
-Aaron Miller
Next was Grizzly Bear on the Dell stage. This band has blown up over the past year, and being one of Radiohead’s favorite bands surely can’t hurt. With such a rapid ascent into the big leagues, had Grizzly Bear completed the jump from venue band to festival band? The set began a little awkwardly, partly because the band was forced to move towards the back of the stage by the rain, but before long Grizzly Bear looked quite comfortable. Soon, their watery guitars and backwoods-Beach-Boys harmonies began to further saturate the already soaking Zilker Park.
By the time Grizzly Bear finished, it was pouring rain. I had an umbrella, but it was doing little to keep my bag dry. I caught rumor of ponchos being sold at the general store and became involved in the Great Poncho Stampede of 2009. People were literally jumping on each other to buy ponchos. When the ponchos sold out, the store started giving away their trash bags. I dangled over the counter with about 40 other people in hopes of a trash bag, but informed that 200 trash bags were dispensed in less than two minutes. It was nearly a riot.
Riot? Sounds like a job for Flogging Molly! Making my way to the AMD stage, the sudden abundance of kilts and mohawks heralded Flogging Molly nearby. “This is a dry day in Ireland!” Dave King informed the audience. Flogging Molly’s set was true rock & roll, drawing from Float and other albums. Rain fell hard on the band and the stage, but that did not deter them from flipping off the audience and inciting an odd but workable combination of mosh-pits and Irish jigs throughout the park.
By the time I got back to the Dell stage, my shoulders were aching, my spine was collapsing, my knees were buckling from sheer exhaustion, and then The Decemberists took the stage. Colin Meloy and company performed their new CD The Hazards of Love in its entirety, curing all of my ailments and replenishing the essence of my being. This album is one of my favorites of the year, but seeing it performed live is to see it in an entirely new way. It felt like watching a play, and was in no way over the top. The Decemberists did not use or props or excessive costumes. If this performance was play-like, it was Shakespearean; the dialogue is so rich there is little need for props and minimal need for costume. The set was delivered smoothly, passionately, and with much acclaim from their adoring audience.
Ghostland Observatory closed the evening with a light show that Daft Punk would be proud of and the stage presence that made them a hit. Though I don’t think it quite measured up to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs closer the night before, I found myself dancing just the same. Aaron Behrens has some of the best stage moves I have ever seen, he puts on a clinic for aspiring frontmen.
Onward to Day Three!
-Aaron Miller
Austin Chronicle Blog Oct. 2nd
The Bright Light Social Hour
The votes were cast, the people spoke, and to the victor went the spoils! The Dell Lounge Sound and Jury contest announced its Top Five a few days ago. The winner? One of my two favorites: The Bright Light Social Hour, who lay waste to every stage they set foot on. See them today at ACL Fest at 11:45am.
On Wednesday, September 30th at Antone’s, the competing bands battled it out for a slot at ACL Festival. Also competing was The Bubbles, who pulled off an impressive come-from-behind climb to land a spot in that Top Five, ex Polyphonic Spreeite Andrew Tinker, electro-dancemeisters Mobley, and Denton’s OK Sweetheart. Every band brought their A game to that show.
The Other Side of Music
Austin's young music is getting a lot of attention right now, but what about young music businesses and entities? The growing number of young bands with young listeners in Austin opens up a new demographic full of possibility. Several business-minded young people in this town have seen the frontier that is the new Austin music scene, and are rushing to make their claim. Here are a couple of their organizations:
- Bold & Zesty Productions began in 2008. The brainchild of Colin Jenkins and Zoe Cordes Selbin, Bold & Zesty markets itself as a full-service booking, management, and event production plus PR firm. The company has raised awareness and fostered good feelings around town by supporting causes near and dear to Austin’s heart like The Yellow Bike Project. Last March, B & Z threw a benefit concert for Yellow Bike drawing prestigious Texas bands like Oh No Oh My and The Tastydactyls. The event received a lot of attention from local press and drew an impressive crowd.
Since then, B & Z has specialized in boutique events, like intimate indie acoustic showcases and campfire sing-a-longs. B & Z events are incredibly well-attended, and it is easy to see this company headed in a similar direction as Transmission Entertainment and Fun Fun Fun Fest.
* Last winter, a group of five students from Akins High School traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to take third place in an international music business competition sponsored by Blastbeat Ltd., a philanthropic organization designed to introduce the concepts of music business to high school students. After going their separate ways, the five regrouped to form the Vagabond Collective, a record and production company targeting Austin’s up-and-coming young indie bands. Vagabond – founded by Cory Green and Ricky Valenzuela – is currently working with Cory Dennis, another young entrepreneur and owner of Indie Fort Recording Studio, in the production of Mother Falcon’s debut EP. Vagabond also made their mark as a production company, booking artists like Danny Malone and Tony Scalzo of Fastball at events, and raising over $1000 dollars for Invisible Children at a successful benefit last summer.
Independent companies like these really solidify a scene and can ignite the next musical craze – think Sub-Pop in the grunge days. Pay attention to this group of people, they have their sights set on putting the young Austin scene on the national and global map.
The Daze Straightjacket Hymns (2009)
Once you get around the fact that this album is essentially a clinic in musicianship, Evan Butts’ lyrical sophistication offers a whole new level of appreciation for Straightjacket Hymns. Butts displays great talent as a lyricist, narrowly avoiding clichés with a brilliance so subtle it’s difficult to pick up on. My personal favorite track is “In a Day,” a watery tune with lovesick lyrics that read like Petrarchan poetry. The album is ripe with radio-friendly singles like “Blizzard Woman Blues,” a short but sweet track reminiscent of the White Stripes and Black Keys. The Daze show impressive musicianship throughout the album, often ascending into long musical interludes,that don’t deter from the accessibility of the music. Though it is no secret where The Daze draws their influences from, they make it their own, and deliver it with honesty. With a silver screen appearance in Bandslam under their belt and Rick Del Castillo as their advocate and producer, it would be no surprise if Straightjacket Hymns served as a breakout for these Austin rockers.
-Aaron Miller
The votes were cast, the people spoke, and to the victor went the spoils! The Dell Lounge Sound and Jury contest announced its Top Five a few days ago. The winner? One of my two favorites: The Bright Light Social Hour, who lay waste to every stage they set foot on. See them today at ACL Fest at 11:45am.
On Wednesday, September 30th at Antone’s, the competing bands battled it out for a slot at ACL Festival. Also competing was The Bubbles, who pulled off an impressive come-from-behind climb to land a spot in that Top Five, ex Polyphonic Spreeite Andrew Tinker, electro-dancemeisters Mobley, and Denton’s OK Sweetheart. Every band brought their A game to that show.
The Other Side of Music
Austin's young music is getting a lot of attention right now, but what about young music businesses and entities? The growing number of young bands with young listeners in Austin opens up a new demographic full of possibility. Several business-minded young people in this town have seen the frontier that is the new Austin music scene, and are rushing to make their claim. Here are a couple of their organizations:
- Bold & Zesty Productions began in 2008. The brainchild of Colin Jenkins and Zoe Cordes Selbin, Bold & Zesty markets itself as a full-service booking, management, and event production plus PR firm. The company has raised awareness and fostered good feelings around town by supporting causes near and dear to Austin’s heart like The Yellow Bike Project. Last March, B & Z threw a benefit concert for Yellow Bike drawing prestigious Texas bands like Oh No Oh My and The Tastydactyls. The event received a lot of attention from local press and drew an impressive crowd.
Since then, B & Z has specialized in boutique events, like intimate indie acoustic showcases and campfire sing-a-longs. B & Z events are incredibly well-attended, and it is easy to see this company headed in a similar direction as Transmission Entertainment and Fun Fun Fun Fest.
* Last winter, a group of five students from Akins High School traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to take third place in an international music business competition sponsored by Blastbeat Ltd., a philanthropic organization designed to introduce the concepts of music business to high school students. After going their separate ways, the five regrouped to form the Vagabond Collective, a record and production company targeting Austin’s up-and-coming young indie bands. Vagabond – founded by Cory Green and Ricky Valenzuela – is currently working with Cory Dennis, another young entrepreneur and owner of Indie Fort Recording Studio, in the production of Mother Falcon’s debut EP. Vagabond also made their mark as a production company, booking artists like Danny Malone and Tony Scalzo of Fastball at events, and raising over $1000 dollars for Invisible Children at a successful benefit last summer.
Independent companies like these really solidify a scene and can ignite the next musical craze – think Sub-Pop in the grunge days. Pay attention to this group of people, they have their sights set on putting the young Austin scene on the national and global map.
The Daze Straightjacket Hymns (2009)
Once you get around the fact that this album is essentially a clinic in musicianship, Evan Butts’ lyrical sophistication offers a whole new level of appreciation for Straightjacket Hymns. Butts displays great talent as a lyricist, narrowly avoiding clichés with a brilliance so subtle it’s difficult to pick up on. My personal favorite track is “In a Day,” a watery tune with lovesick lyrics that read like Petrarchan poetry. The album is ripe with radio-friendly singles like “Blizzard Woman Blues,” a short but sweet track reminiscent of the White Stripes and Black Keys. The Daze show impressive musicianship throughout the album, often ascending into long musical interludes,that don’t deter from the accessibility of the music. Though it is no secret where The Daze draws their influences from, they make it their own, and deliver it with honesty. With a silver screen appearance in Bandslam under their belt and Rick Del Castillo as their advocate and producer, it would be no surprise if Straightjacket Hymns served as a breakout for these Austin rockers.
-Aaron Miller
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