ACL Fest Day One Wrap-Up: Part One

Upon arriving around 2:50pm, we found quite a bit of chaos. An unfortunate propane tank explosion had injured four ACL staffers, so fire trucks, EMS vehicles, and golf carts were buzzing everywhere. Our tickets were stuck with a friend inside, so we found a shady tree and hung out until the dust settled around 3:15. We entered to the wafting notes of Peter, Bjorn, and John, who had attracted such a huge crowd we decided to beeline for Blonde Redhead for a better shot at a good view.

Blonde Redhead (3:30pm): The first half of this set focused fairly heavily on the 23 album, which we were quite happy to hear. The band were noisy but poised, and didn't seem intimidated playing to a festival crowd. You also can't say enough about how cool Blonde Redhead look, especially given the heat factor. The set was competent and tight, but I didn't come away a bigger fan, especially given the experimental bent of the last 15 minutes. The yowling-type vocals and feedback increased as the show went on, which was probably meant to tune out the people (like me) who drifted over and play instead to the long-time fans in the crowd. So be it.

Crowded House (4:30pm): We arrived a few minutes early and found a spot about 10 feet from the front barrier amongst the resolutely middle-aged audience. The Crowdies had an interesting newspaper collage full of political headlines as a backdrop, but the set leaned toward the personal. They entered sharply attired in dress shirts, and Nick Seymour and Matt Sherrod even sported ties! In Austin, in September! They began with 1986's "Mean To Me," which had the crowd singing along immediately. Neil Finn and Co. then worked a pretty consistent mix of two old, one new throughout the set. The mid-tempo numbers from new album Time On Earth were a mixed bag, with CH oddly skipping radio single "Don't Stop Now" to play lesser tracks like "Transit Lounge." Other new tunes like the Finn/Dixie Chicks co-write "Silent House" fared much better, and won over a crowd who were primarily there for older material. But ah, the hits. A noisy collection of young Aussie backpackers near us were clearly delighted to have such a commanding view of one of their country's most popular rock acts ever. So when songs like "Weather With You" (played to commemorate the three minute drizzle shower above the AMD stage) and "Don't Dream It's Over" came spilling from the speakers, the crowd smiled and sang, and all seemed right with the world. A temporary cool breeze made the proceedings that much more pleasant, and as the Crowdies closed with the rockish "Locked Out," one can only hope they'll turn up again soon in a city that loves them.

LCD Soundsystem (5:30pm): Our first surprise of the evening happened at this set, as we were delighted to discover Al Doyle from nerd/dance kings Hot Chip playing guitar in LCD Soundsystem. Doyle's guitar threw some rock into James Murphy's dance songs throughout the set, adding a nice counterpoint to the percussion-heavy vibe coming from the six-piece band onstage. For his part, Murphy was as ironic as ever, joking about dreams of headlining the AT&T Blue Room stage as a child and promising the crowd free iPhones. He also thanked Nascar for no apparent reason. After dispensing with "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" a mere 10 minutes into the set, the band focused on material from LCD's latest album Sound Of Silver. The crowd-watching hit a high point here, as hipsters dressed in ironic sombreros and giraffe hats meshed with dudes with mohawks and others wearing two pairs of sunglasses on top of each other. Some of the beautiful people acted too cool to dance, but the rest of us moved to songs like "North American Scum," "Get Innocuous," and "All My Friends" with a sense of purpose, as it created a diversion from the still heat. Murphy's music may be meant to come with a wink at times, but it's awfully interesting and compelling on the whole. And whenever one can dance at a festival, you should.

Images via ACLFest.com. Multiple photographers credited.