How many bad puns can I make with the word “limit”? This will be my last ACL-related post. Promise. But I’ve gotten a few questions about ACL I feel obligated to answer. I’m even going to be a dork and set this up FAQ-style.
What about Kathleen Edwards and Gomez?
Kathleen Edwards was solid, although by the time I got to her, I had really had my fill of singer-songwriters. I wasn’t blown away, but I’d see her again. She’s very comfortable on stage and cracked a joke about having been mistaken for Aimee Mann earlier in the weekend. I’m glad I missed her story about how her dad once shot one of her cats.
Gomez was one of my favorite sets, even though I only caught half of it (I split that hour between Gomez and the weird, breathy grooves of Cat Power & The Memphis Rhythm Band). Tight band, great sound.
What was your favorite set? Besides Calexico, that is.
My friends will make fun of me for being a schoolgirl (I did NOT squeal, I swear it), but Calexico really does put on a great live show. I have actually listened to them for several years, but it wasn’t until I saw them at Lollapalooza that they stole my heart. They started off their ACL set with just Joey Burns and John Convertino doing “Convict Pool”; the two of them produce a surprisingly full sound. They changed some of the melodies to their standard concert fare (“Convict Pool” and “Cruel”). It’s fun to see musicians who are still playing around with their songs and trying new things out, and they clearly enjoyed themselves. They also brought out sultry Barcelona singer Amparo Sanchez for “Roka” and “Guero Canelo”; they used him to their advantage to create a set that was both familiar and surprising.
So, other than Calexico: Stars were (was?) great (although www.austin360.com/acl insists on calling them The Stars). A little too much chit-chat for a festival show, but the music was spot-on. I was curious about them; I’m most familiar with their first album, which is all dreamy and lush and trippy. Their set fell somewhere between dreaminess and rock, with Amy Millan’s vocals mellowing Torquil Campbell’s rock n’ roll energy. I also enjoyed What Made Milwaukee Famous, Lou Ann Barton, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Son Volt, Gomez, and The Stills. And I was very happy that The New Pornographers had Neko Case with them. And two different people told me I made a terrible mistake by missing out on Los Amigos Invisibles.
What was your favorite music festival this summer?
Pitchfork was best in terms of value, size, food, layout, and, of course, t-shirts. It’s not that the music there wasn’t good, but I was only familiar with a handful of bands beforehand, so it falls short of Best Overall, if only because of the high I get from singing along to a well-known and well-loved band.
The Hideout Block Party hardly counts; I was only there on Sunday, and although I liked both CocoRosie and Black Heart Procession, I was really just there for Calexico. It wins for most interesting setting–I traded in the lush green parks of Chicago for an industrial parking lot.
ACL was comparable to Lollapalooza, so much so that it’s impossible to say whether one was better than another. Grant Park in Chicago spreads a lot further, which has both pros and cons: at Lolla, you had to factor in a healthy 15-minute walk if you wanted to catch sets on opposite sides of the park, but there was no sound bleed between the major stages. None. Although the sound overall was better (and louder) at ACL, there were some sad, sad sound bleed problems. The New Pornographers paused between songs and asked, “Can somebody ask Son Volt to please keep it to a dull roar?”, and The Greencards quipped, “Hey, Ben Harper doesn’t know this one. Let’s play!”
A photo from Monday’s Austin American-Statesman. It doesn’t say which show this is from; based on the stage and time of day, I’d guess the Flaming Lips. (On my flight back home, I spotted a guy wearing a cowboy hat and a Flaming Lips t-shirt. Only in Austin.)
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current book: Blood Meridian. Now that I’m further into it, I’m loving the revivalist language: “In the morning a urinecolored sun rose blearily through panes of dust on a dim world and without feature.” But I’m still having a hard time keeping my finger on the plot.
current music: Laura took me to Waterloo Records in Austin, where I spent money like I had it and filled out my Calexico collection. I discovered that one of my favorite songs from their live set at The Hideout is “Stray” off the album The Black Light. Damn! I also purchased What Made Milwaukee Famous’ Trying To Never Catch Up, although I haven’t listened to it yet.
current socks: White with armadillos! The armadillos are wearing different colored handkerchiefs around their little armadillo necks. Truly a thing of wonder. THANKS, Laura & Mark! Y’all rock.
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