MGMT
With the exception of the headlining bands, MGMT had the largest audience at the festival. With the invasion of electronic-indie bands such as Girl Talk and CSS, it seems MGMT may have set themselves apart. MGMT comprised techno beats, funky rhythms and a lot of energy to create one of the year’s must-see shows.
M. Ward
M. Ward has released five albums since 2001, albeit very much under the radar. His hi-fi, folk sound was presented perfectly inside the festival’s only tented stage, creating an intimate atmosphere between Ward and his audience. While his albums are masterfully created, they do not do justice to Ward’s live guitar playing or stage presence.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Sharon Jones may be James Brown reincarnated as a female. Her and her Dap-Kings stole Saturday afternoon with their eclectic blend of funk, soul and R&B. Jones’s voice is incredibly soulful, and, like Brown, she possesses the dance moves and the attitude needed to entertain her crowd.
Jakob Dylan and the Gold Mountain Rebels
No one has heard from the Wallflowers since 2005, but frontman Jakob Dylan has not been silent. His latest project, Jakob Dylan and the Gold Mountain Rebels, entertained festivalgoers craving everything from folk to rock to blues. As far as songwriting, Dylan is a chip off the old block (his father, Bob). His darker stage presence is complemented by tunes such as “Evil is Alive and Well” and “Empire in My Mind.”
Band of Horses
The festival wronged indie-rockers Band of Horses by scheduling them to play on a different stage right before the headlining Foo Fighters. However, those that stuck around for the show probably don’t regret it. Singer Ben Birdwell’s vocals were just as eloquent as on the band’s albums. The band performed songs from both of its albums, as well as unreleased material.
— Stephen Pyle is a psychology and journalism senior.
This weekend’s Austin City Limits Music Festival marked my first foray into the festival scene, and I can confidently say that it rocked my socks off. Indie acts, salty old rock monsters, electronic party-machines and Irish-Czechoslovakian songwriting duos all had their shot in Texas’s liberal bastion this weekend. Here are a few of the weekend's highlights.
CSS—“Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above"
CSS played their set Saturday in the 95-degree heat, and the hipster kids were still dancing. The Brazilian art-school project featured bouncy synths and keytar rhythms, all while lead singer Lovefoxxx (not kidding) twirled around the stage and poured water on her plaid shoes howling about how “f***ing hot” it was.
John Fogerty—“Traveling Band”
Waiting around Saturday afternoon, nobody really seemed to know whether or not John Fogerty would dust off any old Creedence songs, considering he had released his own solo album within the last year. Then he came out and blasted this classic number at a breakneck pace to the delight of an audience filled with old and young fans alike.
Gnarls Barkley—“Run (I’m a Natural Disaster)”
“Oh my God!” singer Cee-Lo screamed midway through day three’s best set. “It’s Gnarls Barkley! Run for your life!”
With background singers howling and guitars screeching, the dapperly-dressed Cee-Lo and so-hot-right-now producer Danger Mouse breathed epic life into this song from one of this year’s best albums.
Beck—“Chemtrails”
I was really surprised at how awesome this song was live. Beck played about half of his new album, “Modern Guilt,” in a show laced with great performances, including the classic opener “Loser" and fan-favorites “E-Pro” and “Where It’s At”. But it was “Chemtrails” that took the audience to new heights with Beck’s surreal vocal intro and soaring guitar work. Tension climaxed as the crowd of thousands seemingly held its collective breath near the end of the song.
The Swell Season—“Astral Weeks"
My favorite show was easily Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova Friday evening. Their brilliant work in the movie “Once” has propelled them all over the place on tour in the last two years, including stops for Grammy awards and festival sets.
The highlight of the performance occurred when Hansard took the microphone all on his own to entertain the crowd with this Van Morrison cover. He rocked it like his elder countryman never could. Hansard rained down machine gun fire from his acoustic, begging the song’s perpetual question, “Would you kiss-a my eyes?” in his thick Irish brogue.
— Matt Carney is a professional writing sophomore.
Flips88 3 years, 7 months ago
You really should've went to the Raconteurs instead of Gnarls Barkley. I saw both at Lollapalooza and the Raconteurs by far were a better live show. Jack White brings so much energy to the show. Cee-Lo's voice is pretty amazig live, though. That would have been a tough decision to make.
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