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ACL Fest: Made in the Shade: 6
Made in the Shade series: During the Austin City Limits Music Festival 2011, how will music lovers respond to the changing weather conditions and crowds as well as the acts they came to hear?
I take it back. The 10th edition of the Austin City Limits Music Festival was not a medieval hell mouth.
Social energy ebbed and flowed. Each day started subdued as the heat made its cruel presence felt.
Then came the rains. Euphoria.
After that, a resigned realization that everything would be wet for the rest of the day. The humidity felt most oppressive late Sunday afternoon.
Then the sun set and a collective friskiness returned. Along with some poor festival citizenship. Noticed a few more boorish drunks this year. Someone should remind our guests this ain’t “Jersey Shore.”
Some notes and quotes from Sunday:
Mariachi El Bronx, the Los Angeles alter egos of punk band Bronx, were vastly entertaining. “Look at the (expletive) beautiful day!,” shouted frontman Matt Caughthran. “Focus on the good (expletive)!” …
Later, the costume-clad group were the darlings of the ACL media center, posing with every journalist and appearing on every radio, television and internet broadcast available. ACL breakout? …
An unscientific estimate of the descamisados (shirtless ones): 10,000. Of those, 4,000 needn’t have bothered. Another 4,000 shouldn’t have bothered. …
“I do it through pacing, misting and hydrating,” said Austinite Kay Galvin of her ACL survival routine. “That and a hat and sunscreen. Plus a little Bells of Joy and a breeze.” …
Some of the curious in the crowd for Detroit’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. appeared confused. The guys in gimme caps and aviator glasses probably didn’t expect frontman Daniel Zott’s amazing technicolor dreamcoat or his ironic pop sound.
Around 2 p.m., the tented Zilker Beach was mobbed by refugees from the Honda Stage sun. I half expected a NGO to arrive with foreign aid.
Why does the mere sound of Australia-born, Austin-groomed Greencards — doubly expats — motivate listeners to square dance without a square?
At a certain point, the concept of queuing loses all meaning in the food village. One lines merges with another. Who knows where you will end up and what you will order?
Some day, I should spend an entire Sunday with the Durdens. The gospel group sounds as if they have earned endurance help from above. Never flagged during a full hour set.
Salvation: A Mexican vanilla shake from the Amy’s Ice Cream stand.
Every square inch of shade around the Bud Light stage, where the catchy Airborne Toxic Event played a mid-afternoon set, was colonized. The close proximity of portable toilets didn’t seem to determined discourage shade-seekers.
Courtney Jaye didn’t let the heat and humidity sink her soaring set at the BMI stage. Her audience, however, slowly eroded into the still-hardy turf.
Photo: Ashley Landis
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By MusicMan512
September 19, 2011 5:46 PM | Link to this
This was a great blog I enjoyed hearing about some of the other artists that I did not get around to hear. Also very amusing article and reflection on the festival in general.
By Ian
September 19, 2011 4:06 PM | Link to this
A three day pass happened to fall strapped onto my wrist, but only for the last day of ACL 2011. The humidity was certainly felt by everyone, but it made me really appreciate those precious moments that a cloud rests in front of the sun.
Every time I thought about the heat, I would try to squeeze inspiration out of watching these artists who are sweating their hearts out on stage.
I hope you caught Empire of the Sun's performance. It was a fun filled performance that infected it's spectators. My group of friends even teamed up with random music fans to create a fairly good sized dance circle. Everyone got a turn dancing in the middle and people watching even came over to join in. I almost lost it as I watched the brains of the band's dynamic duo, Luke "Emperor" Steele smash his guitar in what I thought was the end of his performance.
After the excitement of Empire of the Sun, Arcade Fire brought me down to a nice calm by the time ACL ended at 10pm.
My first day and the last day of ACL was an amazing experience that I won't soon forget.
Time to start saving for that three day pass for next September.
By Ericajaded
September 18, 2011 11:43 PM | Link to this
Great article, Michael! Really love the way you described the weather/climate changes (and the vibes that ensued from people after it) . I couoldn't make it this year, but I'm living vicariously through all you atendees. ^_^ Thanks!!!!!!!
Peace,
Erica Tillson
#ericajaded