Results tagged “aclfest”

It was quite the change from years past. The dusty fields replaced by a lush green meadow and now, the insistent rain to ensure that heat exhaustion was no longer an issue. A wet day two at the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival was never going to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd, already enjoying Flogging Molly at the AMD Stage despite the relentless downpour during the late afternoon hours. En route to the Xbox 360 Stage for …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead’s set at 5 p.m., we couldn’t help but admire the assorted rain gear, casting color below the grey sky. …Trail of Dead has been around for over a decade, starting out with just Conrad Keely and Jason Reece in the mid-90’s and plying their trade as a six-piece of late. Their catalogue encompasses a few different genres but the underlying aspect is that these guys just plain rock out. Be it ethereal soundscapes, punk thrashers, epic prog-rock, or the occasional tender ballad, …Trail of Dead deliver an amazing live show, two drummers and all. The locals kicked off with “Will You Smile Again?” and what followed was a 50 minute blitzkrieg consisting of choice tracks from the band’s extensive discography. Reece and Keely swapped vocal duties at times, each showcasing his distinct style via “Days Of Being Wild” and “How Near, How Far” respectively. While Keely seemed content swaying side to side, Reece pranced all over the stage like a man possessed, pounding his drums, picking up the guitar when needed, jumping down to the photo pit to sing to his audience, and even playing cheerleader occasionally. The highlight had to be the raucous “A Perfect Teenhood” although we were pleased that fellow Madonna selection “Clair De Lune” was included. All in all the band was in fine form and it is heartening to see them get some love from their hometown. They deserve it.

There was a definite buzz in the air. And the excitement was palpable. You don’t get too many opportunities to witness legends from bands like The Beatles, The Doors, or in this case Led Zeppelin, live in concert and it wasn’t surprising that the eager crowd included a good chunk of our city’s media personnel. Plus there were a handful of local luminaries in attendance -- Spoon’s Jim Eno sat directly behind us while Lance Armstrong, in the section to our left, seemed to enjoy himself throughout. But the star power tonight was undoubtedly on stage.

Thievery Corporation’s unique musical formula blends beats and grooves from all over the world, resulting in diverse, invigorating concoctions that transport the listener to exotic spots across the globe, be it a comfortable South American cafe, a mysterious Middle Eastern lounge, or a crowded Indian bazaar. Lucky for us, we get to enjoy it all in the cozy confines of Austin’s city limits this weekend.

Nostalgia can pervade in a number of ways. There’s the undeniable scent of objects from the past that can take us down memory lane in a flash, and of course, straightforward outlets such as a photograph or a home video can easily transport us back to a romanticized time and place. Music works pretty well too. Listening to a record you enjoyed repeatedly as a child can help you reminisce endlessly. And then there are bands that just bleed a certain era. Prescott Curlywolf would fall into this final category -- you barely get through a handful of PC’s gritty powerpop ditties before you pine for Austin in the mid to late 90’s.

Think you’ve had it hard before at eleven forty-five am during ACL Festival? Stumbling your way into the blaring Zilker Park sun after the after-show after-party is rough on anyone, but right this moment there are five bands working their asses off in hopeful anticipation of playing to the pitiable ACL crowd at that very hour. The Sound and the Jury, ACL Festival’s annual battle of the bands, is down to the final five contestants. They have been battling it out in venues both physical and digital for months now, trying to network and self-promote their way onto the Dell stage the winners will share with industry goliaths like Andrew Bird, Phoenix, the Decemberists, and Bon Iver this Friday.

Austinites sure are going to be spoilt for choice this weekend. If ten plus hours a day of live music on eight stages at Zilker Park isn’t enough, we get to pick from a plethora of mouth-watering late night gigs to satisfy our yearning ears. And since this turbulent economy has everyone pinching pennies, we’re offering our readers a chance to win tickets to two choice aftershows in town this Friday.

Providence's Deer Tick started out as a one-man band, but have become a quartet over the past few years. Incorporating influences such as Roy Orbison, Richie Valens, and early Van Morrison, the group plays a fairly minimal and gritty brand of rock that is just as classic as it is indie. Singer/chief songwriter John McCauley's vocals are raspy and full of cigarettes and whisky, lending themselves well to tales of sadness and desperation. The tunes sound capable of appealing equally well to urban hipsters and aging Creedence fans, and frankly, if Quentin Tarantino ever makes a Vietnam movie, these guys will totally be on the soundtrack. The group are touring behind 2009 sophomore album Born On Flag Day, which has made some noise due to both the band's relentless touring and the catchy lead track "Easy" finding a home on a number of music blogs and satellite radio stations.

New York’s Coheed and Cambria has been ascending the throne of 21st century prog-rock with each successive record, gaining admirers in the not-so-dissimilar realms of metal music and comic books, and acquiring a fan base that boasts a wide ranging age demographic as evidenced by the crowd at their set at Lollapalooza this year. The Amory Wars saga, the brainchild of singer, guitarist, and songwriter Claudio Sanchez, is the running theme throughout their albums and takes us to Heaven’s Fence where we learn about Claudio Kilgannon (“The Crowing”) and the tragic tale of his parents Coheed Kilgannon (“The Beast”) and Cambria Kilgannon (“The Knowledge”). The story ended in their fourth album Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow; the upcoming record will bring us back to the very beginning. We touched base with Sanchez over email last week to check up on his influences and for an update on the much anticipated fifth full-length.

Come the first weekend of October, Austin City Limits Music Festival will once again take over our town, with thousands enjoying the likes of Pearl Jam, Kings Of Leon, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the newly laid lush green grass of Zilker Park. Although this gathering of top notch talent in one spot is appealing to most, some might prefer to dodge the relentless crowds and the sweltering heat and save themselves for the plethora of official aftershows scattered around downtown Austin all weekend. The late night gigs also offer a second opportunity to watch a band you may have missed because of a conflict, or perhaps the festival set was so darned early, you just couldn’t get there in time. Both The Raveonettes (Saturday) and Here We Go Magic (Sunday) are scheduled for 1:15 p.m. sets on the Xbox 360 Stage. However, night owls rest assured, both bands will perform at The Parish Room once the sun has set and dusk has set in.

The actual sets didn't matter. They just didn't.

As the dust settled on another ACL Fest, a storm of a different kind brewed at the Austin Ventures stage where local act White Denim turned in a whirlwind performance. The band eased into their set via "Migration Wind," a breezy instrumental piece that gradually gathered momentum and showcased James Petralli's prowess on the guitar. "All You Really Have To Do" followed immediately, and by the time "Mess Your Hair Up" arrived, the audience was pumping their fists in conjunction with each Petralli howl, clearly invigorated by the sonic explosion.

After having already enjoyed CSS’ set at the AT&T Blue Room, we waded through a sea of people to return to our spot for the electro-psychedelia of Brooklyn’s MGMT. The excited audience patiently clapped along during the first track “Pieces Of What” and came alive when “Electric Feel,” complete with the stellar falsetto chorus, sent bolts of funk through north west Zilker.

As the early bands battled it out for immediate attention during the hectic opening hours of the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival, local four piece The Strange Boys calmly transported us to decades past with a flurry of garage-pop ditties. Bringing back memories aplenty of bands we've witnessed via the historical catalog of footage from The Ed Sullivan Show, the band's demeanor, attitude, and style all tied in perfectly with their sugary sweet melodies.

The 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival is finally here! We hope you’ve been enjoying our various stage previews. Even if you’re not attending the day time revelry at Zilker Park, there are plenty of options to choose from during the evening hours. (Read our ACL Fest after-shows roundup here.) Most weekend live music activities will probably revolve around the plethora of acts in town for the fest but there’s so much more going on; a couple of shows definitely merit a quick mention.

The Dell Lounge once again gave a number of bands (700 by last count) a chance to play this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival via The Sound and the Jury battle of the bands. The “battle” started out online with fans voting on artists in the pool through three rounds; we’ve finally reached “The Grand Finale” (or Round 4) with the competition now moving to a live venue where a panel of judges from the industry and audience votes will decide the winner.

After enjoying a number of quality acts on Day One at the AT&T Blue Room Stage, head back there because Day Two is just as inviting. The Austin City Limits Music Festival continues to bring in respectable artists from all over the world and you can start your second day at the fest with a smorgasbord of sounds courtesy of Iceland’s Mugison (a.k.a. Örn Elías Guðmundsson). The son of a karaoke singer, and in the past, a one man show in concert, Mugison’s has favored a full band of late as compared to his earlier days behind his laptop. Either way, a variety of genres, and pure entertainment is the result.

With a lot of other commotion going on Saturday at Austin City Limits like alt-country, indie rock, hip hop and electro-pop, it could be easy to miss the multitude of sounds coming from the Dell stage.

In the last year, Austinites have had several chances to fall in love with Brooklyn's Yeasayer, as they've been touring in support of All Hour Cymbals for nearly a year. For those who have already been initiated into the band's dark world of post-apocalyptic jazz-dance Bolly-fusion (we're lost, admittedly) know that even one or two shows under your belt isn't enough.

Here’s the start of a horror movie, starring the lineup Sunday’s lineup on the Austin City Limits BMI Stage (not that the lineup is horrifying, or anything): We open on a run-down house in rural Mississippi. The house is owned by five brothers, played by the five members of Colour Revolt. The brothers, a scraggly, rough-hewn bunch, are sitting on their front porch, listening to a variety show on an antique radio (voices and music provided by The Belleville Outfit), when five strangers crest the hill approaching the house. It’s the members of South Austin Jug Band and The Massacoustics, playing road-tripping college friends, headed to New Orleans but terribly lost and out of gas. Suddenly, the ghostly image of a woman (Elizabeth Wills) appears between the house and the travelers. She knows of the danger that lies ahead of them. “Fly away,” she warns. “Fly away!”

Roll With You (O Division) has boosted Allston-based soul crooner Eli "Paperboy" Reed into the national spotlight, and the lift is well-deserved. Reed's music is a major force in the 21st century soul throwback genre (alongside Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones and to some extent, Gnarls Barkley), and his thrilling live set is just one more reason to check him out at this year's ACL festival.

The AT&T Saturday line-up started as a MiniDisc playlist back in 1998. Back then, one artist was “weird” and one was weird, and one was cool and one was “cool”. And the Drive-By Truckers were big in Athens. They still are, but every year sees their thoroughbred country-rock oats get more and more tender and palatable (and popular) – 2008’s Brighter Than Creation’s Dark is their quietest album to date. But it’s like when a Clint Eastwood character goes to the barbershop – the cleaner sheen doesn’t change a band’s heart.

AT&T's Sunday lineup is a mixed bag that starts out with a blue grass act and winds up with the Foo Fighters. The buffet-style set of performers continues the stage's trend -- acts mashed together with little regard for genre, like college radio on 'roids.

As another Austin City Limits Music Festival approaches, all attendees get an opportunity to check out acts they may already be fans of, or discover music that could be the new soundtrack to their lives. The AT&T Blue Room Stage boasts considerably diverse line-ups on all three days and we're here to prep you for the barrage of live music that can be expected on that stage. Austin based Dan Dyer has been compared to legends like Stevie Wonder and Al Green, and he kicks things off on Friday at 11:45 a.m. on Day One with soothing soul music, tinged with elements of gospel and blues.

Austin is a town full of music lovers and there’s no reason a family should have to pass up the Austin City Limits Music Festival just because they couldn’t find a babysitter for the weekend. Instead, ensure that your kids are adequately prepared for the sun and the crowd, but take them with you. ACL Fest, along with H-E-B, once again brings us Austin Kiddie Limits this year.

From Gypsy punk to singer/songwriter to world musician to Talking Head, the AT&T Stage on Friday, September 26th at this year’s Austin City Limits will host a wide range of talent. The music begins later in the morning, but the final act, Manu Chao, closes out the evening as the night’s final band at 8:30 p.m. As a stage reserved for some of the bigger acts, you’ve most likely heard these guys, or at least heard of them. If neither, well then maybe you should bring a blanket and a smile and plant yourself up front for the duration for some aural edification.

Weekend passes for the Austin City Limits Music Festival are sold out, but they're offering students a special chance to buy a pair of 'em at the discounted price of $135. The Austin City Limits Music Festival Student Day Sale takes place Wednesday, September 10 (that's tomorrow) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or until they run out. They'll be available only at two WaMu Financial Centers: the one on 24th St and Guadalupe, and the other at 41st St and Red River (Hancock Center). Be sure to bring a legitimate student ID, first-come-first-served rules apply. While you're at it, be sure to vote in the Austinist ACL Fest "Must See Friday Picks" Contest, for your chance to watch your favorite act live on stage. [ACL Music Festival Student Day Sale] [Austinist "Must See Friday Picks" Contest]

Here at Austinist, we were thrilled to be asked by ACL Fest organizers to pick a handful of sleeper picks from the Friday lineup. After all, you don't really need anyone to tell you to catch David Byrne or G. Love; you need someone to recommend a couple of names you might not know. And hey, if you already knew everyone playing on Friday, you're in the wrong line of work (give us a ring).

Looks like ACL Fest organizers have chosen Groundhog Day to release their mildly discounted multi-passes. 3-day passes priced at $150 including service charges are on sale now at ACLFest.com.

Editor's note: My Ex-Boyfriend's Band is a reoccurring column that features the opinions and insight of the author, not necessarily reflective of the Ist network as a whole. Thank you for reading! For the times they are a-changin'. And the music festivals are a-changin' with them. Even Dylan, who declined to take the stage at Woodstock in 1969, evolved into the 2007 Austin City Limits headliner. With SXSW, Fun Fun Fun and the C3...

In 1997, Carl Newman started a side project called The New Pornographers in Vancouver for fun. The cast of characters included the ridiculous gifts of both Neko Case and Destroyer's Dan Bejar, and an indie-pop collective for the ages was born. Now touring behind their fourth album Challengers, Newman and the other New Pornographers have somehow managed to continue the project in addition to each pursuing their solo aims. The band seems to grow in...