Whatever idiot vandalized this sign clearly has a lot more faith in this government’s competence than I do.
by James Brush
Coyote Mercury Posts
Most of my ACL time this year was been spent seeing bands that I already knew and liked, but on Sunday, all I saw were artists that I had previously never heard. Amazingly, not a single one disappointed. For me, those discoveries are the best part of ACL.
We started our day with Austin’s The Black Angels. I hadn’t heard them before, but their mesmerizing psychedelic drone hooked us right away. The guitars shimmered throughout their set that at times evoked such artists as The Doors and early Velvet Underground.
Afterwards we checked out Finland’s Husky Rescue. Three very serious looking guys dressed in black backed up the charming singer who wore a red dress and some fabulous boots. The music was mellow and kind of quirky in a way that reminded me of early Talking Heads but it flowed like Air while the singer’s ethereal vocals floated on top. It was a fun set that had us all smiling.
The weather was nice when we arrived. Cool and overcast, but the sun started to come out and make things steamy as we headed over to see Damian “Jr Gong” Marley, another of Bob Marley’s progeny. Damian looks very much like his father and the set was groovy as reggae should be. We left while they were playing a very cool version of “Exodus” which seemed appropriate.
Afterwards we went to Waterloo for the traditional purchasing of CDs by bands we’d discovered. We picked up CDs by The Black Angels and Husky Rescue both of which sound as cool on CD as they do live.
Despite leaving, ACL wasn’t over for us. A friend had managed to secure tickets to an Austin City Limits taping of Sufjan Stevens followed by The Raconteurs at the KLRU studios. These are hard to come by so it was a real treat to finally – after eighteen years in Austin – get to see a taping.
The studio is very small, there couldn’t have been more than 200 people in there, and they serve free beer so we were all pretty happy when Stevens started his show. I’d never heard him before but I was highly impressed. He was backed by a full orchestra all of whom wore giant butterfly wings. Wearing gigantic bird wings, Stevens played a haunting set that fully captivated the audience.
The Raconteurs came on next. They rocked. I hadn’t heard them before either, but I was impressed with their sound and intensity. I don’t know when these episodes will air, but both of them will certainly be worth watching.
Finally seeing an ACL taping and getting to see two such talented acts was truly the perfect way to end yet another awesome ACL weekend.
We arrived around 3:30. Missed Galactic, but we’ve seen them before. The heat was intense and the crowd was thick so we went over to the Washington Mutual Stage to hide under the big trees in the back until Los Lobos started.
While enjoying Sweet Leaf’s honey and mint green tea, we listened to some of The Long Winters set. I hadn’t heard them before, but it was solid indie pop. While they were playing, dark storm clouds took over the sky, blotting out the sun, but never giving rain. In short, the day turned perfect.
By the time we headed over to Los Lobos, the temps had dropped to the mid nineties and a strong breeze kept us cool. We set our chairs up in between the AMD stage and the AT&T Blue Room stage since everything we wanted to see was on one or the other stage. This made life easy since after each set all we ever had to do was turn our chairs around to face the opposite stage.
One passerby told us we were brilliant. That’s not true. It’s just practice.
Los Lobos was as always fantastic. I don’t know why I only have one Los Lobos CD (Colossal Head). I should probably do something about that.
Next came Calexico, truly one of the best working bands out there. I saw them at ACL 04 and several times since, and they were about perfect. The sound was as big and expansive as ever, their cinematic soundscapes shimmering like the Arizona deserts from which they come.
Beautiful. If I went home then and called it quits for ACL 06, I’d have been happy, but fortunately there’s more to hear, always more to hear.
We turned the chairs around next for String Cheese Incident. Now, I likes me a good jam band, and I’ve never seen String Cheese Incident despite the fact that they play ACL every year. Jam bands tend to need more time to explore than a one hour festival set provides, but they were good, and I’d go see them again.
Around went the chairs for Kings of Leon. I’d never heard of them before, but we didn’t want to move. Good decision. Kings of Leon were fantastic. The ACL Fest guide said their sound evoked the Stones and the Velvet Underground and you could hear both influences in the band’s music. Definitely something to explore further.
Finally, it was time for Willie Nelson. We decided to stay for Willie and try to catch Massive Attack another time. The crowd was thick at first and Willie was hard to hear. Too many idiots having private conversations and yelling into cell phones. I mean, just as you don’t talk in church, you don’t talk while Willie’s onstage. We moved up and the talkers and scenemakers dispersed until we could hear him perfectly. I think they turned up the sound as well.
Willie’s guitar work is amazing. The guy can just flat out play, and Trigger’s sound is as familiar and wonderful as Willie’s voice. He opened with “Whiskey River,” and his set was exactly what everyone wanted: all the classics. He closed with two new, very funny tunes: “Superman” and “You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore.” By the time he said goodnight, the crowd was happy and feeling that magic that only a master like Willie Nelson can supply.
Perfect end for a great ACL day.
We arrived late on Friday, but caught the second half of Nickel Creek’s set. They were pretty on, a group of very talented musicians who clearly love their work. The amplified tap dance routine was amazing. Who needs a drummer when you can tap?
After Nickel Creek, we cruised over to check out Thievery Corporation. We saw them last year on a smaller stage, but they were on the big boy stage this year. We were pretty far away, but I got this shot of their set:
Obviously, the view from where we were wasn’t great, but the sound was good and the energy level was high. Thievery Corp are at the core two DJs with killer taste in world music, but their live sets include bass, sitar, percussion, and several vocalists doing ambient, rap, reggae and a host of other styles.
After Thievery, we caught the Tragically Hip:
Tragically Hip are one of my all time favorite bands and I’ve seen them a number of times. Unfortunately, their sound was off. The vocals were too hot, a shame considering singer Gordon Downie’s performances are full of his off-the-cuff stream-of-conciousness explorations, which are one of the things that makes seeing the Hip so fun. With the vocals so hot, the music sounded buried and muddy.
Still, “Courage” and “100th Meridian” came through just fine and were highlights of their set. Downie also dedicated “Ahead by a Century” to “Annie Richards,” a gesture which seems truly appropriate considering that she really was ahead by at least a century if not more.
Rounding it out, the heat wasn’t as bad as previous years, the grass was in good shape so dust wasn’t a problem, and despite the crushing crowds you have to deal with when the music you like suddenly becomes popular, it was a pretty good day.
Well, perhaps not that old, but I wanted something in the spirit of ACL Fest. I did this little photoshop number of my guitar, an Ibanez semi-hollow, a few years back.
I love ACL Fest and that time of year is now upon us. I have a schedule of bands that I want to see, but there’s plenty of room for discovery as well. Discovering artists I’d previously never heard is the best part.
There is one conflict for me. Massive Attack or Willie Nelson? I’ve seen Willie twice (once this year) so I’ll probably check out Massive Attack, assuming they have their visa issue squared away. If not, I’ll happily see Willie again.
Today’s Austin 360 featured an article about key schedule conflicts. Here’s my take:
In the matter of Tragically Hip vs. Ray LaMontagne, I will see the Hip. They’re one of my favorite acts and I haven’t missed a Hip show in Austin in nearly ten years. I will not, however be sporting a hockey jersey.
In the matter of Nada Surf vs. TV on the Radio, I will probably check out TV on the Radio, but I’m not familiar with either band.
In the matter of Tom Petty vs. going home early on Sunday, I will probably go home early. I usually do. I stuck around for REM in 2003, but it just made feel old.
My other picks:
Friday: The Greyhounds, Ghandaia, Nickel Creek, Del Castillo, Thievery Corporation, Tragically Hip
Saturday: Pierre Guimard, Federico Abele, Galactic, Los Lobos, Calexico, The Raconteurs, Willie Nelson or Massive Attack
Sunday: The Black Angels, Husky Rescue, Buckwheat Zydeco, New Orleans Social Club
The weather looks like it will be nice: hot, but in the low nineties it should be bearable.
Check out my wife’s blog for some good ACL Fest survival tips.
The first time I voted was in 1990, and I voted for Ann Richards.
My introduction to political awareness came when I was a freshman at UT and I decided to go to a rally for her. Among other groups, the university lesbian club was there to demonstrate their support, and a bunch of them were dancing around topless, a breast fest as my roommate called it.
We stuck around.
I was impressed by her quick wit, her tell-it-like-it-is honesty and her desire to make Texas truly great. The last time I voted for her, was also the first of many opportunities I had to vote against Bush. It was truly sad to see her torn down by the Bush machine.
Late one spring night in 1995, a few months after the start of the Bush era, a buddy of mine and I were sitting in my car outside the 7-11 on Lamar and 9th. It was probably about 10:30 or so and my then-girlfriend, now wife, was inside.
While waiting in the car we saw the 7-11 door open and out walked Governor Ann with a super giant big ultra double gulp (you thought I was going to say hairdo, didn’t you) and a bag of Doritos.
We waved frantically like a couple of idiots until she glanced over. She grinned and waved back at us. We already missed our old governor even after only a few months.
Ann Richards was the last of the great Texas Democrats, the last decent governor we had.
Here was a governor. When comes such another?
More tributes at: Capitol Annex (plus a good round up), Firedoglake, In The Pink Texas (and another one), I’m Not One to Blog, but…, and Burnt Orange Report.
At long last, I’ve now finished all of the short books on the Lost books reading list that my wife and I started back in May. The last one was The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Herbert Mason’s translation of this ancient Persian epic is the version I chose.
Gilgamesh is one of – if not the – oldest known literary work, and it still speaks eloquently of problems central to human existence. It is about friendship, the loss of a dear friend, and coming to terms with the fact that there is nothing we can do to bring those we lose back to life.
It’s a tale of grief and suffering and ultimately acceptance. The best summary is actually the first page:
It is an old story
But one that can still be told
About a man who loved
And lost a friend to death
And learned he lacked the power
To bring him back to life
It is the story of Gilgamesh
And his friend Enkidu.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu begin as enemies, then become friends who do great deeds until Enkidu is killed and Gilgamesh rebels against the gods in order to bring his friend back to life. Along the way he gains wisdom and learns ultimately that he is powerless to do anything other than accept his loss.
Mason’s translation is simple and elegant. The story he tells is a powerful one and he tells it beautifully. After having just lost a feline friend (and still heartbroken by that) I found Gilgamesh’s poignant journey especially moving and cathartic.
This is a book I know I will come back to.
On to Lost.
Gilgamesh is referenced in “Collision.” Locke is working on a crossword in the hatch. The clue is “Friend of Enkidu” and the answer is Gilgamesh. This is the episode in which Mr. Eko and Locke finally meet.
Lostpedia suggests that Gilgamesh reflects the relationship between Locke and Eko, at first adversarial, but then as they become friends they work more closely together to understand the mysteries of the Hatch.
This makes me wonder if one or the other will die, leaving the surviving friend to seek the answers to the island. If so, we’ll need to determine which of the two represents Gilgamesh and which Enkidu.
Another point to consider is the general theme of moving on after great loss. Each of the survivors has experienced loss and all of them have lost their old lives. Gilgamesh reminds us that grieving must end as we continue with the building of our lives just as Gilgamesh looking up at the walls of the City of Uruk is able to put his past behind him.
Well, this brings me to the end of the short books on the Lost list, leaving only The Brothers Karamazov and Our Mutual Friend. I’ll post on those as I finish them. I’m starting with Dostoevsky.
It might be a while.
For more of my Lost book posts, check out the Lost Book Club.