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Friday, September 14, 2007
ACL: Bjork
A barefoot Björk positioned the trajectory of her atmospheric re-entry just sharp enough to land in Zilker Park for the 8:30 p.m. headlining set on the AT&T stage. Wearing gold sparkle leggings and a shiny gold and black dress that only she could get away with — her jet black Icelandic mane tossing to and fro — Björk was a sight of undeniable beauty. The electronic white noise squeals, bleeps and Timbaland-produced beats created an euphoria-inducing dance party that flowed straight from her soul into the hearts of all those within a half-mile radius.
The trippy little queen of electronica with the enormous voice and the gravity-bending growl began her Austin campaign with “The Dull Flame of Desire” off this year’s more-hits-than-misses album, “Volta.” A cold chill shimmied down the hairs on my back after her first few notes. (Correct me if I’m wrong, but Friday evening’s performance was Björk’s first return to Austin since her late ‘80s show with her first band, The Sugarcubes. They played a now-legendary gig at the Back Room back in the day, helping define the genre characteristics of alternative rock before there was such a moniker.)
Björk’s hits, new and old, began to fire out in succession: “Hunter,” “Pagan Poetry,” “Hidden Place.” A couple of the misses from “Volta” sent some audience members right out the door. Shortly after, her emotional landscape “Joga” drew the Björk die-hard fans even closer to the stage.
Other high points in the set: the cut-and-paste beat heavy remixes of “Army of Me” and “Hyperballad,” and the neon-robed all-female brass orchestra that doubled as her choir when they weren’t blowing fire. Further still, the snare-heavy revision of “I Miss You” helped transform the song into a tribal-like shuffle that translated clearly to the still-packed audience.
Björk didn’t offer much in the way of stage banter, but that was quite all right with everyone from where I was standing. True to Austin’s keepin’ it weird factor, clouds of smoke engulfed me during the set; an aging hippie said, “this is freaky … and I like it” as a green laser emanated from center stage and beamed through a splitter, up over the audience, into the sky and beyond.
After an hour and 10 minutes, Björk and band left the stage only to return for a short encore that included “Declare Independence,” the climactic centerpiece from “Volta.” Confetti rained down on the stage as Björk chanted the “higher, higher” bridge that exploded into the “Declare Independence” chorus, inducing the audience to lose themselves in the dance right along with her pixie-like self.
(Photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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New auditory fashion at ACL
One guy at the AMD stage came up with a new variation of the T-shirt-as-headgear look. He tucked the sleeves of his shirt into the sides of his baseball cap, and stuffed the collar into the back of the cap, leaving open loops for his ears to stick out. They probably ended up a little sunburned, but that’s a small price to pay for sonic purity.
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ACL: The Killers
The darkness glittered with the screens of phones and Blackberries, and I wove through a horde of people at the AMD stage texting each other, photographing each other, and then animatedly comparing text messages and photographs. Peering around, it suddenly struck me — everyone watching the Killers was the same age. Was there some kind of curfew in effect for everyone over 30?
After three songs, I realized it was just the Hiphugger Principle. People who lived through a fashion trend the first time around generally sit out the revival, so if you were born before 1980, you’re probably pretty much already done with the portentous swaths of synth that are the Killers’ stock in trade. The Las Vegas band can’t seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be the Cure, U2, Bruce Springsteen or maybe the Alarm, but it does have a consistent predilection for those keyboard sounds that are the sonic equivalent of the cloud of smoke that, naturally, cloaked the group by the end of its set.
Singer Brandon Flowers has the kind of powerful voice that was just made for stadiums, but it didn’t always seem to command the attention of the crowd. “This River is Wild” and “Uncle Johnny,” from the Killers’ sophomore release “Sam’s Town,” aimed for weightiness but edged more toward pomposity. They didn’t get the fans hopping like the new-wavey “Somebody Told Me” and “Smile Like You Mean It,” from the 2004 debut “Hot Fuss.” The end of “Mr. Brightside,” another catchy, jittery hit from “Hot Fuss,” created a major exodus for the exit or other stages. Those who left missed “Read My Mind,” the strongest of the new tunes, and the sight of some couples improbably swing dancing to “All These Things That I’ve Done,” as the synths swelled even louder and Flowers emoted over and over: “I got soul but I’m not a soldier.”
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ACL: Gotan Project
There’s not a lot of evidence that the Gotan Project are big believers in casual … well, anything really. Their set included a bandstand for a string section, everyone wore white suits or gowns, and they generally looked like exactly what they were — Parisians refusing to acknowledge that there was heat, that they were outdoors or that they were anywhere other than an ornate ballroom.
The 10-year-old combo blends Euro-style beat science with Argentine tango, which means samples rub up against nylon string guitar, accordian mixes with thudding bass, and live strings amplify sampled orchestrations. It was the civility of 1951 meeting the thrum of 2001; they got along famously.
Putting the band on at 7:30 on the Dell stage was most appropriate. Of the moment yet aiming for a timelessness, exotic yet calming, the music served as a balm for exhausted, overheated fans. You could dance to the rapping and sampled beats, but you could also chill to the strings. As the evening went on, the set became more thuddy and less delicate, the ballroom turning into the South American club. To paraphrase the New Pornographers, the Gotan Project can sing me Spanish disco anytime.
(Photo by Brian K. Diggs AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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Out on the field with the M.O.
More scene reports from Matthew Odam, the man who seems to be everywhere:
Paolo Nutini and Ray Benson shared the stage for a little Q&A in the media area. Nutini will be opening for legendary rockers Led Zeppelin soon, and admits he has trouble wrapping his mind around it. “It’s insane,” Nutini said. “That’s the problem … I know I’m gonna be there, but when I get there I don’t know what I’m going to do. The heat’s on.” Asked about his nerves before playing, Nutini admitted there’s only so much you can do. “I get nervous at anything, to be honest. But nothing you can do about it. You’re nervous, you’re nervous, you’re nervous, then you’re on.”
The sage Benson, who was complimentary of Nutini’s music, offered a little advice for the young Scotsman. “You just get on stage and you do it.” ….
One anonymous attendee from New York was heard to say, “I had heard Texas was hot, but this is ridiculous.” …
After the soulful Joss Stone said how hot her little bare feet were, we got our first drops of rain, for which everyone seems very grateful. Barefoot and dressed in a slight, silky blue sundress, the young soul singer from the UK has got to have the lead in the category “most disarmingly beautiful and charming artist” thus far …
Dinner lines are out of control. There was a run on Wahoo’s fish tacos. They are all gone.
(Photo by Brian K. Diggs AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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ACL: Crowded House
Crowded House’s first new album in more than a decade, “Time on Earth,” is rather subdued, recorded as it was in the wake of drummer Paul Hester’s 2005 suicide. On the AMD stage Friday, the reunited band proved less mischievous and extroverted than in its late-‘80s heyday, but there was no loss of energy or edge, and joie de vivre was still in evidence.
Frontman Neil Finn is generally tagged as a pop guy, thanks to a classically clear, sweet, deceptively powerful voice and a knack for memorable pop melodies. Fans only familiar with the band’s big Top 40 hit, “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” may have been surprised by the meatiness of Nick Seymour’s bass lines, or the heavy Les Paul face-off between Finn and new member Mark Hart on “Locked Out.”
The group opened with the jagged “Mean to Me” and soaring “When She Comes,” two older tracks that never got significant airplay. There were obviously plenty of fans who knew all the words, however. Finn took advantage of a well-rehearsed crowd by puckishly breaking out “Weather With You” when a stray cloud favored the assembled with a breeze and a few raindrops, and orchestrating a full-throated sing-along with an easy gesture. “Let’s summon up some rain,” he joked. “A light rain - just a gossamer rain.”
The new “The Heaven I’m Making” got a jazz-funk infusion from Hart’s keyboard solo. Another new one, “Transit Lounge,” suffered a bit from too-tight adherence to the recorded version, right down to the flight announcement that introduces it on the album. Crowded House is always at its best when the arrangements leave plenty of room for Finn’s unassumingly spectacular voice, as on the gorgeous coda to “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” featuring Finn’s son Liam on acoustic guitar.
(Photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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ACL: Mighty Clouds of Joy
Mighty Clouds of Joy is one of the quintessential groups in the history of gospel music, but the first half of their set at ACL Fest was quite ordinary. “The Temptations of Gospel” were wearing T-shirts and kicking out pretty generic growling fare for a crowd that didn’t know any better.
There’s great gospel music that fills the soul, and there’s a bunch of empty exalting that’s just filler. The Mighty Clouds were trafficking in the latter, digging up a cover of “Love Train,” when they seemed to even be boring themselves.
The group, led by original belter Joe Ligon, finally caught a groove around the half-hour mark and drove it home hard core. An octave-leaping falsetto take on “Walk Around Heaven All Day” was spiritually invigorating, if not a tad too drawn out.
There’s no denying that there was a lot of talent on the WaMu stage Friday night, but the Mighty Clouds’ set could only be characterized as disappointing.
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ACL: James Hunter
If James Hunter weren’t such a great singer, he could undoubtedly have enjoyed just as successful a career in comedy. The guy is flat-out funny, even when the mic’s not on. Before his set on the Austin Ventures stage, he rolled his eyes in the direction of a neighboring stage and its deafening techno bass assault, and then pretended to plunge a drumstick into his own chest, grimacing in melodramatic agony. When the racket finally stopped and cheers roared from afar, he bowed to his own audience and mimed gratitude for the applause, earning a big round of laughter and cracking up his band.
Hunter introduced a classic by the 5 Royales, “Baby Don’t Do It,” as “an absolutely filthy blues song .. this was their breakthrough from gospel to filth.” While the lyrics were not so very naughty, Hunter’s vocal was as classy yet unreservedly sexy as old-school R&B greats such as Bobby “Blue” Bland and Solomon Burke. The combination of his blazing guitar work and powerhouse voice had a couple of college-age guys grinning at each other in wonderment.
Hunter’s breakthrough third album, “People Gonna Talk,” including the rumba-infused “Riot Goin’ On,” is a remarkably engrossing trip back into the golden era of soul music, but still doesn’t fully prepare fans for the full live experience. The tone and suppleness of Hunter’s voice are marvels, and he has a whole arsenal of tricks as well, from a searing falsetto to a thrilling scream to the ability to roll consonants that aren’t usually rolled, like a reggae singer. He’s also a tremendous guitar player - both rhythm and lead.
Hunter’s ace, sax- and organ-charged band was clearly having as much fun as Hunter and the crowd. Hammond B-3 player Kyle Kohler beamed like he’d died and gone to heaven, even before Hunter singled him out for a particularly soulful, crowd-pleasing solo on “No Smoke Without Fire.” The set ended too soon for Hunter, who couldn’t resist messing with the crew’s timekeeper, claiming he was owed more time, before shrugging and telling the willing crowd, “He’s bigger than us.”
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ACL: Queens of the Stone Age
Metal does well in the heat. Well, maybe the outside of your car is a little uncomfortable, but metal-the-music is perfect for big, sweaty crowds outdoors. Queens of the Stone Age’s metal is a little weird, but not so weird that it fails to fulfill metal’s basic requirement at these sorts of gigs: large chords and larger drums propelling the largest possible grooves.
The groove thing is a little weird. Metal is not known for making you shake what your proverbial mama gave you, but that’s been Queens’ raison d’etre since their debut 10 years ago. Queens conceptualist/guitarist/singer Josh Homme wanted a metal that, well, girls would like, a metal that updated Led Zeppelin’s undertow and made it a little more robotic.
Again, all of this works pretty well in the heat, especially the enormous drums — drums that recalled vintage industrial rock as much as metal, drums which gave voice and power to an exhausting day. In other words, the pounding in your dehydrated head was echoed nicely on stage. Never have drums that hit that hard sounded so humane.
It was also a little frustrating that Queens didn’t stretch out and get epic more often. As much as they’d like to be a song-band, they’re a groove band. They’re at their most powerful when they’re at their most orbital. “Burn the Witch” could have been twice as long (and why don’t more hard rock bands use pedal steel?). It was sweet that Homme called “In My Head” a sing-along, but we don’t see Queens to sing along; we see them to be ground into a fine (yet sexy) paste by the weight of their ovoid riffs.
(Photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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ACL: Amy LaVere
Utterly engaging. How else to describe Amy LaVere’s set in the early afternoon Friday, when the sky was still gray with smoke. I’ve since misplaced my notebook, but let’s see if I can recall the highlights.
First of all, Memphis native LaVere is a little woman who plays a big standup bass, then switches to a Dan Electro electric. Her sound is a little bit Bobbie Gentry, if Ms. “Ode To Billie Joe” played bass for Southern Culture On the Skids. She and her other two bandmates did a song called “Killing Him” (Didn’t Make the Love Go Away,” then asked the sign language interpreter to show her the signs again after the song.
LaVere’s compelling version of Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Remember You” showed her to be more than a sasssy country chick.
Wish I had a few more details, but all I can say is that I enjoyed every minute of the set. If she doesn’t become a star, well, then I don’t know anything at all.
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ACL: LCD Soundsystem
White Stripes vs. Arcade Fire? Whatever.
You want this festival’s real musical Sophie’s choice? Try M.I.A. and LCD Soundsystem. Two acts at the top of their respective games, ultra-modernist dance music with exactly the same audience playing at exactly the same time. Hey, these things happen, but one of them couldn’t have played against, say, Jesse Malin?
LCD Soundsystem singer/head cheese James Murphy even made a comment about it from the AT&T Blue Room stage. “This is sad for us, because we really like her. Sorry, Maya. Hope you have a good set.” (She did fine, James.)
In fact, Murphy, whose media persona can run to the surly side, seemed downright jolly and friendly. He thanked the crowd for hanging out during the heat (“you’re working a lot harder than we are”) and chatted about the stages sponsor (“when I was playing in a punk band in 1983, I thought someday I’ll make it and bring the rock with five bars of receptions. Everyone gets a free iPhone!”). He mentioned the party for his wife’s birthday at Red 7 on Friday and urged everyone to stop by the 300ish capacity club and generally seemed genial and funny.
Oh, yeah, the music. Murphy uses a full band to translate his wiseacre techno into something blistering on stage. With guitar, bass, samples and an insanely hard-working drummer, the songs turned thinker, more ovoid. Murphy played the ringleader braying here and singing there, shouting out his homeland on “North American Scum” and lamenting (or is that celebrating?) that slow slide into middle age on “All My Friends”. He channeled his inner Bowie on the wonderful “Get Innocuous” and the blippy grooves becoming something larger and tougher, but still majestic — this was dance rock that didn’t skip on either term.
(Photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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ACL: Joss Stone
One word suggested itself repeatedly as Joss Stone strutted her stuff (there is simply no other way to describe it) on the AT&T Stage Friday afternoon. That word was “ebullient.” Other adjectives quickly suggested themselves — “effervescent,” for instance. And “buoyant.” Onstage before a huge crowd, Stone looked to be having every bit as much fun as you’d expect a 19-year-old to be having in a similar situation.
That’s the thing, though — Stone’s age keeps getting in the way of an objective appreciation of her talents. She’ll be bantering along onstage in her toffee-flavored English lilt and then she opens her mouth to sing and the lost child of Irma Thomas comes belting out. It’s more than mere mimicry, but Stone doesn’t seem to have had enough miles on her life odometer to access the raw emotionalism of her soul-drenched music. Whatever, the effect is mesmerizing.
Capering barefoot across the stage with coltish enthusiasm, Stone worked the crowd like a pro, punching the air for emphasis, doubling over in the heat of a musical moment, channeling the energy of her large band to her own ends.
Most of her material was drawn from her latest album, “Introducing Joss Stone” (the title notwithstanding, it’s her third disc). That release seems a transitional effort, designed to transition Stone from the Memphis/Stax classicism of her first album into a more contemporary, urban R&B groove — less Carla Thomas, more Beyonce.
Whatever. There was plenty of sweat and soul in evidence onstage, however, from the playful “Baby, Baby, Baby” to the 10-minute workout that grew out of “Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin’ On Me)” to big ballad show stopper “Music,” and the Greek chorus call and response of “You Had Me.”
In all, Stone’s performance was consummately professional and entertaining and genuinely — say what you will about callow youth — soulful as all get-out.
(Photo by Brian K. Diggs AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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ACL: Peter Bjorn and John
Sweden’s Peter Bjorn and John used their 3:30 p.m. Dell stage performance to prove that their infectious 2006 hit “Young Folks” was no fluke.
Using traditional rock elements and working the stage with the comfort of a band that has been on tour for two years straight — the band played 15-plus shows in Austin alone in March — vocalist/guitarist/harmonica player Peter Moren, vocalist/keyboardist/bassist Bjorn Yttling and drummer John Eriksson played the tightest afternoon set witnessed yet.
Even though there are multiple songs on their third album “Writer’s Block” that are just as strong and catchy, the thousands of shoe-tapping hipsters and families with chairs were all waiting to hear “that song with the cool whistling.” “Young Folks” finally appeared as an anchor midway through their set.
Two of Peter Bjorn and John’s tour mates — Melanie Draisey and Mark Keen of the London rock band the Clientele — came on stage to pump new life into the ubiquitous pop hit. Draisey sang the verse and chorus arguably better than Victoria Bergsman does on the original album version, while Keen’s quickstep bongo groove was a spot-on rendition of what could’ve proved to be a difficult task in the hands of a less proficient player.
“I was a little nervous,” said Draisey backstage after the show. “That was only the third time I’ve ever sang the song (with them).”
Nervous? Pppfff. Couldn’t tell.
(Look for the Clientele to perform their psychedelic rock at Emo’s tonight during one of the numerous post-ACL shows. And don’t be surprised if Peter Bjorn and John return the favor and join them).
(Photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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ACL: Blonde Redhead
Fifteen minutes before the start of Blonde Redhead’s set Friday afternoon at ACL, the backstage was almost entirely empty. There were about three of us standing around waiting for the New York trio to take the stage. At Lollapalooza, the last time I saw them, the backstage area was packed well over 20 minutes before they started.
Here, the backstage area filled up about 15 seconds before they broke into their first song. Which illustrates the difference between ACL and Lollapalooza really nicely. At Lolla, VIPs want a good sightline for these atmospheric rockers. Here, they really need to see the last possible seconds of Pete Yorn and Bela Fleck (who seems to have turned into the Frank Zappa of bluegrass; or was he always like that?).
Seemingly locked into passive-aggressive combat with their monitor mix, the trio nonetheless pulled off a solid if low-key set. It’s tough to sell their kind of textured rock in a festival setting, especially in merciless heat better suited to, say, reggae. Or volleyball.
Guitarists Amedeo Pace and Kazu Makino seem to set the bands rhythms as much as Amedeo’s drummer brother Simone. Their parts weave and out of each other, looping and delaying one minute, cascading the next, Makino’s girlish voice keeping pace, breaking off and filling in the melodies, especially on tracks from this year’s album “23.” I warmed to the album (which I initially filed under “Blonde Radiohead”) after seeing B.R. explore the songs live. In front of sweltering fans, the atmospheric synth parts, samples and loops concretizes, becoming something more kinetic. When Amedo plunged ot the ground at the set’s end peels of feedback streaming out of his amp, you were reminded that, even if they are built for dark clubs, there isn’t much music like these guys at ACL; we’ll take what we can get.
(Photo by Brian K. Diggs AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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EMS statement on ACL fire
Austin-Travis County EMS has issued this news release:
At 2:34 p.m. today, Austin-Travis County EMS Communications received word of a fire with injuries at the ACL Festival in Zilker Park. EMS, Austin Parks and APD personnel were already assigned to the Zilker Park event. Multiple additional EMS and fire resources were immediately assigned to the incident, located very near the AT&T Stage.
ATCEMS and other medical personnel already at the ACL event immediately began to treat the most serious injuries. EMS Medic 201 arrived at the incident some eight minutes after the first 911 notification at 2:42 p.m., and immediately reported two patients with critical injuries. A second ambulance arrived at 2:47 p.m. The two critical injuries were transported to Brackenridge Hospital Trauma Unit with significant burns.
A total of four patients were identified, evaluated and transported; the two critical burn patients, and two additional patients with less severe injuries. The four victims names have not been released, however it has been confirmed all four were involved wit the ACL Fest operations and were not patrons.
As of 4:35 p.m., STAR Flight helicopter is transporting the two most seriously injured patients to Brook Army Medical Center.
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ACL: Cincinnati’s Heartless Bastards
Under a ridiculously hot sun in the middle of a sky that appeared to shimmer from the heat, Cincinnati’s Heartless Bastards — vocalist Erika Wennerstrom, bassist Mike Lamping and drummer Kevin Vaughn — played like old pros undaunted by the heat as sweat dripped from their fingers and faces.
Wennerstrom possessed a skilled polish in her voice that was note perfect. She rocked a heavy-as-thunder sounding, golden Gibson Les Paul. The women in the audience appeared especially inspired; it’s always heartwarming to watch a short-stature female rock with more verve and power than all the boys around her, and Wennerstrom’s guitar and spirited, soul-stirring vocals carried in the breeze across Zilker Park.
The piano intro to “Into The Open” created an elegiac elegance that worked as a unique contrast before the band kicked in with the rock. The band’s version of their song “Onion” proved popular with the audience, too. But for me, the set’s highpoint came in the closer, an amped-up rendition of “Runnin’” from their acclaimed 2005 album, “Stairs and Elevators.” Although Wennerstrom is still considerably young, she has that unspeakable, nearly indescribable something special in her delivery, presence and songwriting that suggests she will be in the rock ‘n’ roll game for a long time to come.
(Photo by Brian K. Diggs AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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ACL: Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts
In the midst of a sun-drenched first day at ACL, Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts brought a bit of urban grit and emotional dusk to the Dell Stage. It’s no surprise that this one-time protege of Peter Gabriel employed a full palette of sounds and shadings, from distorted guitars to falsetto vocals to syncopated percussion during the course of his dozen-song set.
Born in Akron, but now residing in Brooklyn, where his abstract art career absorbs whatever creative juices music does not claim, Arthur only began employing an onstage band in 2006, but he has adapted to the format handily. The Lonely Astronauts witched mood, tempo and tone from propulsive, brooding rock that echoed Lou Reed (at least to this listener) to the balladic simplicity of “September Baby” and melodic, loping “Too Much to Hide” to the vaguely martial air of “Mexican Army.”
Lyrically, Arthur specializes largely in tales of folks at the end of their respective ropes (although the tender “Precious One” and the KGSR staple “Honey and the Moon” are conspicuous exceptions). “In the mirror everything’s reversed,” he sang at the top of his set, “Every day you feel a little cursed.” No summertime pop sentiments, perhaps, but compelling, regardless.
Arthur and band (and the supple dexterity of guitarist Jen Turner deserves special mention here) ended their hour-long set with the jagged juxtapositions of “Star Song,” featuring Arthur on a fancy double-necked guitar. “I didn’t bring this thing all the way from Brooklyn not to play it,” he asserted. And play it he did…
(Photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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Fire at the ACL festival grounds
Two Austin City Limits Festival service employees, critically injured in a fire earlier this afternoon, were flown to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Two other injured employees were treated at Brackenridge Hospital.
Sending a shock wave through an otherwise peaceful, if hot and well-attended festival, a column of black smoke billowed above ACL’s festival grounds at 2:30 p.m., as a fire erupted in a service recreational vehicle and spread to two 18-wheelers behind the beverage vendor tents between the WaMu and AT&T stages on the north rim of the field.
The fire turned into a guessing game for thousands of music fans who were on the concert grounds at midday. They weren’t sure what was burning, but many surmised it was one of the concession stands. Black smoke rose above the tree-dotted northeast corner of the park where the WaMu Stage is flanked by a food court and a beer “tavern.”
“Around 2:30, I heard some popping noises,” said Courtney Powell, who was watching Pete Yorn on the AT&T stage. “You’d see a little smoke, then two cops went running in that direction.”
“It all took place in a working area for employees only in the back perimeter,” said Troy Officer, emergency services coordinator for the festival. “No patrons were ever in danger. The crowd was great, assisting officers setting up emergency tape. The immediate area around the fire was cleared within minutes.”
EMS officer Mike Elliott said two people heard a noise in an RV parked in the service area and that when they opened the door of the vehicle they were engulfed in flames. He said it apparently was a flash fire and not an explosion.
Three fire engines and EMS crews arrived on the scene near the Town Lake Tavern beverage area near Lou Neff Road. Austin Fire Department spokeswoman Michelle DeCrane said that emergency personnel arrived six minutes after the first unit was assigned, or nine minutes after the first 911 call was received.
A hazardous materials team also arrived on the scene and set up monitors, but the slight wind from the south shifted the smoke away from the audience.
Crowds cleared a path on the service road for the fire trucks, which rolled quickly toward the blaze. Organizers stopped the music and cleared half the area in front of the AT&T stage, pushing people to the south.
Elliott said that although music fans were drawn to the area of the fire, “the crowds obeyed extremely well” when told to move back. He said advance planning by all the safety and security agencies involved enabled the response to be as “good as could be expected” considering the 65,000 people on the Zilker Park grounds.
By 3:10 p.m., police tape had been removed from most of the scene, and the music resumed.
The Barton Springs Road entrance gates were packed with arriving fans at 2:30 when the fire broke out. It was taking about 20 minutes to get into concert area at that time and the lines did not slow after the smoke was spotted. Fire trucks sped past those in line along Lou Neff Road, which was closed to all but festival staff, artists and media.
While the fire interrupted Pete Yorn’s set on the AT&T Stage, music continued on the seven other stages spread around the Zilker Park soccer fields. Many fans were just arriving to catch Crowded House or Joss Stone on two of the bigger stages.
No early crowd estimates were available, but festival organizers expected 65,000 to be on the grounds before Bjork’s closing set at 8:30 p.m.
Blue skies dominated the afternoon as temperatures reached into mid 90s. Festival goers who walked at midday to the park through South Austin neighborhoods and along Barton Springs Road from downtown got to the gates dripping with sweat and drinking water, which was sold along the roadways by homeowners and other vendors.
The sixth edition of the festival continues today with headliners Arcade Fire and Muse (in place of the canceled White Stripes) and closes Sunday night with Bob Dylan.
Click here to view more photos.
(Writers John T. Davis, Matthew Odam, Ed Crowell, Marques G. Harper, Tony Plohetski and Mike Elliott contributed to this report.)
(Photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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ACL: The Gospel Silverstones
Although they’ve got “gospel” in their name and referenced Jesus throughout their set early Saturday afternoon, Austin’s Gospel Silvertones are more soul group than religious. The dominating instrument was the funky bass, but with three exceptional lead singers — Jason Ford, Warren Stallworth and Brian Murthy — the group was able to pull off the stroll between secular and spiritual.
The set dragged at times, such as during an overlong version of “Stand By Me,” and the bluesy “I Recommend Jesus” went nowhere, but when the Silvertones were cooking, as on “He Will Make a Way” and the set-closing “Praise the Lord,” they had the crowd lapping it up like thirsty kittens. Folks were dancing during a jazzy cover of “I’ll Take You There” and they never sat down.
The Gospel Silvertones have a great story to go with the music. They all met at the Salvation Army shelter, where they started a Sunday afternoon jam session, finding sweet salvation in their songs of praise.
(Photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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ACL: More from the M.O.
The unofficial snarky, sarcastic t-shirt battle is off to a roaring start. The early lead went to a young man with a t-shirt on that read: ‘You looked better on MySpace.’ Not to be outdone, about an hour later, a boy was seen at the Joseph Arthur set sporting a t-shirt of an undeniable one-upsmanship which read: ‘I listen to bands that don’t even exist yet.’ Hilarious. Pitchfork would be proud.
Despite reports that the weather would hover in the merciful very low 90s, it feels pretty dang hot out here early today. With hundreds of fans piling in by the minute, the handheld battery-operated fans-for-one are a big hit already. Shaded tree space has been occupied for hours by chair people and those looking to find some respite from the heat, but hide as you may from the sun, the humidity is unavoidable. I smarlty wore my board shorts, so a mid-day trip over the restorative Barton Springs will most likely be in order.
Frozen bandanas, a wide-brimmed hat, and constant hydartion are the keys this year, as with them all, at ACL Fest. And somehting tells me the Digital Oasis will be offer many fest-goers as much heat relief as internet access.
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ACL: Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys/Sound & the Jury winners
I have seen the future of rock ‘n’ roll and, sorry Bruce Springsteen, it ain’t any longer you. Rather, it’s Brandon Kinder, the young lead singer of Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys, who took the Dell stage first thing this morning. Kinder managed the neat trick of plugging both the band’s forthcoming EP and their My Space page in the same sentence, before the band plunged into “Heartbeat.”
The six-piece band from Abilene were the ultimate winners — from among 600 entrants— of the “Sound and the Jury” talent search. Entrants could be “judged by a jury of fans, critics, wannabes, cousins, dogs…” according to an ACL press release. The six finalists competed onstage at Antone’s Wednesday night and the Rocketboys emerged triumphant, winning the chance to play for thousands, or at least two or three hundred, festival early birds.
Before going on, the band members stressed how important a strong online presence and a dedicated, wired-in fan base were to young bands everywhere. “I don’t think either one can replace the other,” said Kinder of touring vs. virtual promotion, “It’s so easy to make music on your own now, so live shows are what makes a band legit…”
That said, the Rocketboys made a strong showing, with original titles like “Secrets and Numbers,” “Old Dahlonega” and “Everything Ascending.” A locked-down rhythm section complemented a chiming twin-guitar attack, with harmony vocals, piano and even a tiny xylaphone for texture.
The contest, which was also sponsored by Dell, enabled the band to court a whole new segment of fans. “I just want the intensity that we put into our music to be conveyed,” one said. “What we look for is the connection to the audience. We care about our music and we want the audience to have the same good experience.”
(photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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Reports from the ACL field
From on-the-scene Matthew Odam: First keep it weird sighiting: man dressed as Jesus carrying a sign that reads “Jesus against war.”
From pipes to sno comes and vintage clothing, Barton Springs Road is chock full of vendors looking to make the early buck.
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Notes from the A.C. — No. 3
Former KGSR morning man Kevin Connor is headed back to the airwaves, but this time it’ll be at KUT. Connor confirmed backstage, where he’s running things for ME TV, that he’ll co-host “Folkways” beginning Sept. 29.
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Notes from the A.C. — No. 2
Dang it feels good to be a gangsta. Among the amenities in the VIP Grove, where much Tito’s handmade vodka will be served this weekend, is that you can have your bandana dipped in peppermint water. Ice water would’ve been fine, but I guess the peppermint is just to inform everyone how bad the rest of your body smells after a few hours in the grooving fields… There’s no recommendation that rings as true as from a publicist who isn’t repping the artist. Ken Weinstein on NYC’s powerhouse Big Hassle Media says his early Friday pick is Amy LaVere of Memphis. That’s where I’ll be at 2:40 p.m.
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ACL after-show review: a journey with Gotan Project at Stubb’s BBQ
It’s no surprise to discover that Gotan Project producers — Philippe Cohen-Solal, a Parisian, and Swiss-born Christoph H. Muller — both have backgrounds in film. If there’s one word that best sums up the electro-tango outfit’s stunning performance at Stubb’s last night, it’s cinematic. There was no introduction or pre-show banter. The stage was a blank slate, with the DJ equipment and even the grand piano draped in white. The musicians, also clad almost entirely in white, entered in a swell of sound which flowed seamlessly into a dramatic tango, traditionally orchestrated with a string quartet, piano and the accordion-like bandoneon supporting a hauntingly seductive female vocal.
Solal and Muller worked the back of the stage while Gotan’s guitarist, the Argentinian Eduardo Makaroff, stood stage right allowing the ensemble to take center stage. But as each song blended into the next, all of the musicians were at points obscured, as visual projections flashed across the stage in a dream-like sequence. Fluttering flags gave way to galloping race horses. Highway signs pointed us toward Buenos Aires while a fire dancer spun through the desert. All of which, coupled with the highly dramatic musical arrangements, created the illusion that we had somehow collectively stepped into the soundtrack of some strange roadtrip movie that just happened to swing through a BBQ joint deep in the heart of Texas. This sensation was heightened a few songs into the show when the electric bass and drums appeared not on stage with the rest of the ensemble, but as massive projections that hovered on the screen behind the band. When the group repeated this effect 20 minutes or so later, bringing Argentinian rappers Koxmoz onstage for their cameo on “Mi Confession,” not in person, but as 30-foot Jumbotron projections that bounced over the stage and commanded the set, the crowd was fully enraptured, screaming wildly.
The band played for over an hour and a half, including a 20-minute encore, with Cohen-Solal addressing the audience only once, close to the end of the group’s set. From the strobe-light punctuated Public Enemy samples to the furious piano and guitar solos that emerged from and dipped back down into languid grooves, the show felt more like some sort of journey than a concert.
And we were merry travelers indeed.
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Notes from the A.C.
Michael Corcoran is taking one for the team and reporting all weekend long from the “artists’ compound,” otherwise known as the “air conditioning” at Zilker Park. His first report:
Who knew that the “C” in C3 Presents stood for cancellations? We’ve had three big’uns at this year’s fest: the White Stripes, Amy Winehouse and Rodrigo y Gabriela. I’m wondering, what’s worse: the White Stripes not playing this year or the Raconteurs playing last year?
Tell you the truth, I don’t get the White Stripes bowing out. Meg White has “acute anxiety”? OK. Why doesn’t Jack “Jimmy Page Jr.” White just play with a drum machine with weak batteries? The W.S. wimping out is like the Yankees forfeiting a game because Jason Giambi can’t make it.
Even though the Pixies aren’t playing again this year, there’s no reason folks can’t “Gouge Away.” Austin Java Company on Barton Springs Road is charging $25 to park there for the fest. Meanwhile, other restaurants, closer to the gate, are charging $20.
Things have been made harder for the DCP (dreaded chair people) this year. At the main stages, the area where chairs are allowed is at least 100 yards from the front, which should give the fest some added mobility this year.
All right, it’s all about to start. Check back for updates (i.e. latestest cancellations.)
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Goodbye, Sound Team
“Is Sound Team really breaking up?”
That was THE question buzzing around the sold-out La Zona Rosa on Thursday night as people streamed in to hear Alright Tonight, Sound Team and hometown heroes Spoon.
Billed as Austin’s next big thing, Sound Team followed Alright Tonight with an intensely wonderful performance. They didn’t mention a breakup (if they did, we didn’t understand what they were saying). But Spoon’s Britt Daniel confirmed it during his set. So, yes, Sound Team’s Saturday ACL Fest appearance will be their last (12:30 p.m. on the AMD stage).
Spoon as always was in top form, this time with new bassist Rob Pope, and a horn section, of course. Highlight of the night: Britt’s closing acoustic version of “Me and the Bean” from “Girls Can Tell.”
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Zilker is buzzing
If you’re heading out to the ACL Fest today, you might want to bring some bug spray. Mosquitos were having a good time at the Zilker Park grounds on ACL Eve (or, Thursday night). Seems a small price to pay for cooler, wetter weather.
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