Day Two
Grizzly Bear
I finally made my way to Day 2 of ACL after an extremely long, misguided walk through the rain. After arriving at Grizzly Bear ten minutes before they were scheduled to take the stage, the rain appeared as if it was going to hold off for a little, much to everyone’s delight. The crowd seemed curious about the much-hyped band to see whether or not these indie darlings were as genius as Pitchfork and many other critics claimed.
|
| |
Austin City Limits Music Festival
|
 Entertainment
Art
Zilker Park
Austin, TX
October 2-4, 2009
|
| |
|
|
The quartet graced the Dell stage right on time, starting off their set with several cuts from their 2009 album Veckatimest. Leading off with “Cheerleader,” the band seemed intent to prove their case as they played each note and beat with meticulous accuracy and purpose in this hauntingly sparse and meandering track. “Southern Point” featured four-part harmonies and a syncopated groove, as the song slowly built up with a myriad of floating layers and textures. “Two Weeks” featured Daniel Rossen on keyboard, showcasing their catchier side. The set’s highlight, however, was “While You Wait for the Others,” which sits firmly in the middle ground between the best of their cerebral crawling beauty, and their indie-pop flair.
The rain came back midway through their set, leaving fans soaked amidst a primarily slower, more floating second half of their set. While their atmospheric performance was beautiful in its own right, the lack of raw energy could not keep much of the Austin crowd at bay throughout the entire set, sending many to search for shelter from the storm as the show progressed, rather than staying with Grizzly Bear throughout their whole show.
Flogging Molly
In contrast to the energy at Grizzly Bear, Flogging Molly embraced the weather, rocking even harder than usual. Their raucous and rowdy presence translated into the crowd embracing of the downpour. I only stayed for a few songs, but I wish I knew more of their music, because this Irish-punk group reeled in fans in downpouring rain as they rocked their performance. The highlight of the set was “Drunken Lullabies,” which had people attempting their Irish gigs while singing along. This band will definitely be on my radar in the future, and I look forward to catching a full set of theirs sometime soon.
Bon Iver
The pouring rain did not stop the crowd from catching a glimpse of Bon Iver, in what was his last festival performance of the year, and one of his last shows of 2009, ending the group’s 1 ½ years of touring behind the album For Emma, Forever Ago. The band played majority of their songs from their only album to date, as well as Dark Was The Night contribution “Brackett, WI” and “Blood Bank” off their EP of the same title. As frontman Justin Vernon guided the band with his signature style of singing, a combination of his reflective tone and falsetto, Bon Iver exhibited beautiful melancholic highlights, including their set opener “Creature Fear” and Vernon’s solo work on “Re: Stacks.”
While most of the crowd remained with Bon Iver throughout the full set, it was not until their final song that caught everyone’s attention. “The Wolves (Act I and II)” is a melancholy call, mourning a lost love meanders through Vernon’s cries in pain, before the song implodes into the chaos of ‘what might have been lost’. Vernon encouraged the crowd to join him in singing that phrase repeatedly, before imploring a communal breakdown of the song, getting the crowd to scream and yell as the band intently broke down into a chaotic and random noise. The end result was a spine-tingling moment that brought the crowd and the band together.
Levon Helm Band
After the lovely set by Bon Iver, I immediately headed across the park to catch the Levon Helm Band. The former drummer and singer of the classic rock legends The Band has had a tumultuous decade, as he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Not only did Helm win his battle with cancer, but he has made a strong comeback, releasing two albums featuring his vocals. Given the combination of my strong appreciation for The Band and Levon Helm, along with his triumph return from cancer, this show was high on my list for this year’s Austin City Limits.
When I arrived at the Livestrong stage, I was extremely surprised at how small crowd was for such a legendary musician. The show started with The Band’s classic “The Shape I’m In,” featuring Helm and about ten more musicians, including his daughter Amy Helm on vocals, as well as a full brass section. Levon Helm did not sing much after this song, citing a doctor-ordered vocal rest. After the opener, the group showcased a high musical aptitude as they cruised through several blues and folk numbers, including an excellent cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed.” Another one of these songs featured Levon playing the mandolin, as well as intermittingly dancing around the stage, far from the way your typical 69-year-old would.
The Levon Helm Band continued to confidently dazzle the crowd, ending their set with two more The Band classics—the heartbroken confession “It Makes No Difference” and the exhilarating “Chest Fever.” While Helm was mostly silent throughout his set, his drumming and overall presence combined with his backing band showcased a fantastic throwback set of classic tunes by The Band as well as other traditional blues and rock songs.
Devotchka
This was my first show at the Wildflower Stage—a covered stage beneath a large tent—apparently many others were cramped under the covering as well. Whether or not these people were there to see DeVotchKa or for the shelter provided was debatable, especially as the rain predictably continued.
Sound issues delayed the band’s performance by twenty minutes, and continued to have additional minor technical difficulties throughout the length of the performance. But for the time they played, the band’s eclectic and diversely-influenced sound was intriguing and captivating. This Denver-based act integrated what seemed like an endless number of genres, including eastern-European, gypsy, folk, and Mariachi. Led by multi-instrumentalist lead vocalist Nick Urata, the band added to their widespread eclecticism by utilizing many instruments, including guitar, violin, upright bass, drums, and trumpet, as well as more uncommon ones for a rock band including the theremin, sousaphone, and bouzouki.
As the band’s stunning fusion wowed the audience, the most memorable moment of this set included one song where a female acrobat climbed and swung off of a red curtain decoration, immersing the audience’s attention, which were fixated on her grace and beauty as she moved rhythmically to the song’s beat while being suspended mid-air.
Dave Matthews Band
After witnessing DeVotchKa’s beautiful variety, but short appearance, I attempted to plod my way through the messy mud fields that Zilker Park had transformed into, over to the Livestrong Stage, where Dave Matthews Band had easily netted the largest crowd of the festival through Saturday night. As I approached the stage, Dave Matthews Band managed their way through their haunting, brooding classic “Don’t Drink the Water.” Accompanied by longtime friend and collaborator Tim Reynolds, the band impressed with a surprisingly good extended version of “You Might Die Trying.” In one of their larger shows since original member Leroi Moore died, the group provided a combination of brass and woodwind musicians to fill his multi-instrumental void.
After starting off the set with much promise, Dave Matthews Band decided to shift towards a set primarily focused on songs from their newest album Big Whiskey & the Groo Grux King, including “Funny The Way It Is,” “Shake Me Like a Monkey,” and “Seven.” In doing this, the band moved away from what most people were hoping for—a classic-filled set comprised with traditional extended jams in the vein of the band’s tradition and legacy. Instead, their set was filled with primarily straightforward performances of their songs. I gave up hope after about ten songs, and opted to avoid further dousing from the rain and to beat the crowd towards the exit.
I find it very frustrating to write a negative review about Dave Matthews Band, especially when discussing their live performances. I grew up a fan of the band, and they are part of what led me down the road that eventually made me fall in love with music. And I have seen them live numerous times, some of which have been phenomenal embodiments of what live music should entail. But like many, I recognize the band has moved away from their roots, opting for a more mainstream rock over their past few albums. Perhaps my hopes for a return to their old glory were merely wishful thinking, that as a headliner, the band would put on an epic show for the fans. But alas, the past few years have brought about the birth of a new Dave Matthews Band, one that is no longer in line with the ethos that originally brought them to fame.
Day 3
Alela Diane:
Folk guitarist and singer Alela Diane started off ACL’s last day in front of a tiny crowd, given that the show started before noon. The group, having flown in from their European tour the night before, explained their travels comically as part of their ongoing playful banter throughout the performance. Her set showcased a five-person mellow folk outfit, which included her father performing on lead guitar. The group’s set featured “White as Diamonds,” where Alela Diane’s sweet and folksy voice shined, as she was backed by three-part harmonies. The set, however, was short, but still presented nice way to ease into the Sunday’s lineup.
Black Joe Lewis:
Easily the best show I saw on Sunday, Black Joe Lewis put on a spectacular show in front of his hometown crowd. Lewis was supported by his seven-piece backing band the Honeybears, including a three-person brass section and an organ synthesizer.
The band opened with a raucously soulful “Sugarfoot,” as the band dressed in matching professional attire behind Lewis, created a hot and muggy dirtiness fit in nicely with the burning and humid afternoon heat. The group’s new song “She’s So Scandalous” crawls along, summoning the soul evocations of a raspy James Brown, combined with pieces of Bill Wither’s “Use Me.” The spirit of Brown continued into “Big Black Snake,” which provides a deep soul combined with a blues rasp.
Without a doubt, Black Joe Lewis needs to be on the radars of everyone who enjoys soul in the slightest.
Dodos:
I only caught the last two songs of their set, but this duo turned trio impressed with what I saw. The acoustic act played much harder than I expected compared with their albums. The band featured Meric Long on vocals and acoustic guitar, Logan Kroeber on drums, and the recent addition Keaton Snyder on xylophone and auxiliary percussion. The combination of Long’s swooning vocals, with the pulsating African-influenced rhythms of Kroeber and Snyder provided an excellent end to their show. The Dodos closed with their most popular song “Fools,” which was most notably used in a Miller Chill commercial.
B-52’s:
The new-wave mainstays provided listeners with an extremely entertaining show, amidst a black and white backdrop that acted as a large stage-wide optical illusion. The energetic and eccentric group livened up the older-leaning crowd, as Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson, and Kate Pierson lead the way through the hour-long set. Despite looking years beyond their age, the B-52s put on a very fun show. Schneider reminds me a lot of Eddie Argos of Art Brut. I only stayed for about half the show minutes, because I had to leave Austin.
Powered by AkoComment 2.0!
