Austin City Limits Festival
The night before heading to the 5th annual Austin City Limits festival, my buddy Chez and I headed to Emo’s to check out a collection of bands that culminated in dual-headliners. One of the headliners, Polyphonic Spree, was at the last music festival I attended. The other was the Octopus Project, an electronic punk quartet. During the show, Chez got a call from the cops, who were using my cell phone to inform us that I’d left the back window of my car open and someone had taken advantage. It was then that I realized the cops had full access to my car which happened to be illegally parked and included Chez’s pipe in the glove box.
I ran to the car and was greeted by a black man in handcuffs asking me if I knew Diane from up the street. Of course, I had no clue what was happening. Chez informed me later that he was in the background noticing the paddywagon, which he thought might have been for me due to the nature of the parking space and the contents of the vehicle. Fortunately, it was for the black man.
“You don’t have to answer this question,” said the officer, as he showed me Chez’s pipe, “but is this yours?”
“Well, I guess I’m probably not gonna answer that,” I sheepishly murmured. After asking me for my full background and employment history (my only guess was to call my boss), the officer then told me I wasn’t in trouble, but that the dude that got into my car was going to the station to be booked.
I then wondered how they got to finding this guy in my car. Obviously, my opinion of these cops was in very high regard. I was left off with a lecture on marijuana use and illegal parking. However, I couldn’t help but think that the guy getting carted away “fit the profile.” I asked how they got him, and they told me that as they approached, his friend warned him and ran off. I didn’t push for further information, but the conclusion was that perhaps the guy was smoking Chez’s weed in my car and got busted. Fortunately, he likely smoked it all because none was mentioned by the five-0.
The next day, I took a half workday and headed down to the festival. It is so convenient to live in Austin and just go downtown for a huge music festival after work, then sleep in the comfort of your own bed at night. There is a lot to be said for camping festivals, but it is really like comparing apples to oranges to compare ACL with Bonnaroo, for example. Nevertheless, one thing they both share is an onslaught of fantastic music, more than it is possible to truly enjoy.
My friends’ schedule started with Gnarls Barkley. We were a little early so we checked out Deadboy and the Elephant Man. The dude started the set with the cliché “how’s everybody fucking doing?” and rolled into your standard power trio fare. We discussed the fact that the songs were very rudimentary. I noticed many eighth notes over cut time rooting the simple chord changes. The drummer played the same beat for multiple songs (for that matter, so did the rest of the band). However, it was clear that they probably deserved the record deal. All you needed to agree was to watch the very attractive female drummer’s breasts bounce up and down as she banged it out.
After I scoped out Wolf Parade, a band with extensive commentary on the soundboard situation, we relaxed on the lawn until Gnarls Barkley hit the stage. My only experience of the band was their one-hit (to date) wonder called “Crazy.” I had no expectations. These were blown out of the water. The lead singer, Cee-Lo Green, has a great Al Green thing going. In addition to the two keyboard players (a vintage guy and a synth guy), guitar, drums, and bass, they enlisted four women to play violins and viola. They were called the G-Strings. The show was great, and enjoyed by all. What totally put it over the top for me personally was when they covered a very obscure Doors song called “Who Scared You?” The tune is blatantly sexual and it is in an odd time signature. Though they announced it as a cover beforehand, only the truest Doors fans would have recognized it. The show ended in the hot Texas sun as the G-Strings got up to walk off stage. You could see sweat marks going down their skirts from their G-Strings.
I was looking forward to Van Morrison, my “show of the day.” Until then, I meandered through the crowds listening to Thievery Corporation and Los Lonley Boys, purveyors of fine “Texican Rock.” I’m sure there are people that do nothing but wander through the crowds. Personally, I’d rather miss some shows completely so I can get really close to my favorites.
It turned out I already saw the best show of the day, but Van Morrison was in good form. I’d never seen him before. Though he was likely better 10 or 15 years ago, he still had the same voice. His band was a collection of good musicians, capable of spitting out succinct syncopation and a multiplicity of notes on demand. The show ended with a “Greatest Hits” that included Brown Eyed Girl and Gloria.
After my morning acupuncture to get the energy flowing, Saturday started with Galactic. The band is riding with the stock market these days. My experience with them peaked at Bonnaroo I. It valleyed shortly after they went instrumental and the “Houseman” left the band. He was always my least favorite member. However, when he left, it was clear that Galactic can only get to a ceiling as a 5-piece. They can come up with great jams, but no longer can they follow up a fantástico instrumental with, as their saxophonist would say, “…and ladies and gentlemen, as if that wasn’t enough, we now bring out the Houseman!”
Well, instead, Galactic brings out guest musicians. This can sometimes be even better than a vocalist if done right. On this day, they brought out Leo Nocentelli from the New Orleans Social Club. The guitar that was provided to him by the band was played by many greats that had signed it in the past. However, it was out of tune, and Leo had to tune it on stage while we waited. Nevertheless, it was worth it because once again the guest took Galactic to another dimension.
There was a decent amount of wandering as I imbibed various bands that afternoon. Eventually, I ended up with some friends in front of Los Lobos. After catching the end of the show, I relaxed on a blanket in the grass toward the front. I have mixed emotions about blankets and chairs. Of course, when you’re on one, it is heaven. When you trying to walk through a crowd and not step on any blankets, it sucks (go barefoot, maybe?). Even worse is a fence made up of camping chairs, especially when you want to leave the show.
At any rate, we watched the String Cheese Incident. It was the first full show I’d seen of theirs, and they were pretty good. There was nothing that blew my mind away, but it was a solid show. The crowd at this show was my favorite. It just had a different vibe about it; the people just seemed friendlier in general. In addition, there was this kooky drunk bat-conservationist chick that stumbled up to me and started asking me questions about where I lived and what I did with my time. I told her I was a software developer and a musician living in Austin.
She replied, “I’m from Aussstin. All the guysss I date are ssssoftware developers and musssishuns.” She then proceeded to remove the tab that opened her aluminum can and was fixin’ to litter it on the ground. She turned to me and asked my advice, so I informed her that it might be dangerous. She then slipped the tab into her cleavage and fled the scene.
The best part of the SCI show, though, was that it gave us a good spot to see Willie Nelson, my show of the day. Before Willie, a friend of mine pulled out his herb and offered to match the guys on the next blanket, who were in the process of packing some into their pipe. As they obliged, another guy walked by and pulled out a joint. It was all passed around the general area rather freely. About 10 rows behind us, a young kid pulled out a full-on waterpipe and about a quarter of weed. I knew I was at the break between String Cheese Incident and Willie Nelson.
Willie was having a great time. He has lived in Austin since the 60’s, and you could tell he felt at home on this evening. He played over his allotted time and then said, “I’ve got two more songs before I leave!” He then proceeded with a song about all the pot he smoked and pills he was prescribed after his carpal tunnel surgery. His final song was his newest, called “You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore.” The classic verse was about how he used to pretend he was having a heart attack and fall on the floor to get a laugh. The follow-up line was “even I don’t think that’s funny anymore.” Two days after the festival, his tour bus was picked up for a pound and a half of weed and a QP of mushrooms. Due to the absurd drug laws regarding psychedelics, that’s not funny either.
By Sunday, we were pretty beat down. Fortunately, the weather was not as bad as the stories I’d heard about last year’s dust bowl at ACL. However, it was still a hot and sunny weekend involving many miles of walking. Nevertheless, I was in it for the long haul. The humid Sunday afternoon started with Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. He is the youngest male child of Bob. From what little I’ve heard of his other brothers and this show, I think he’s my favorite. First off, they got the lyrics right in Exodus when they proclaimed “Movement of Jah People.” Overall though, I really like the fact that Damian has been able to progress reggae beyond the roots his father planted, yet still stay true to them.
Next up was Ween. It was the second time I saw them and the second time I felt that they put a ton of emphasis on “Chocolate and Cheese.” Not as much as I’d seen from them the last time, but still disproportionately, considering the number of albums and songs they have. Indeed, it is likely their best album. Beyond that, they played a great array of songs about drugs. During this show, a girl asked me if I had a lighter. When I produced it, she handed me a small glass piece that was stuffed with a green substance. The lighter went along for the ride as this substance was passed around the group that suddenly included me (of course, I didn’t inhale).
My final official Austin City Limits show was The New Orleans Social Club. They are a group of guys that were displaced by Katrina and moved to Austin. Before this show, my lighter had burned out, so my Jonesing friend went up to the stage and tried the old “let me borrow your lighter so I can smoke you out” trick on a guy in front of it. The guy’s friend not only lent his lighter but matched a heaping helping of the happy herb. Those pot smokers are such a friendly bunch.
Anyway, the Social Club was a hidden jewel. I’d never seen them and had no expectations, but again those were exceeded. The piano player was old, blind, black, and from New Orleans. Who could ask for anything more? Ivan Neville, nephew of Aaron Neville (leader of the Meters) was on Hammond Organ. The front man was Leo Nocentelli, who jammed with Galactic the day before. It was a great show, but it went over the top when Buddy Miles, drummer from Jimi Hendrix’s band of Gypsys, came out to play drums and sing a little. After the music, he proceeded to proclaim the faith and tell us that we have the power to change things. One thing that’s evident about the New Orleans crowd I’d witnessed over the weekend was their passion. It’s pretty unbelievable what that town went though.
After this, we skipped Tom Petty and went downtown for dinner and the final show of the weekend, another New Orleans band. We hit up an after-show at the Parish that had Stanton Moore (drummer from Galactic) headlining with Robert Walter (keyboardist from the Greyboy Allstars).
The opener was the Greyhounds. They played at ACL on Friday. They were a 4-piece consisting of Hammond Organ, guitar, bass, and drums. Two of the dudes sang and I think they both went to the same school for vocals. Their style had the same open tone quality as, say, the Vaughn brothers. However, we couldn’t understand a single word they sang or spoke all night.
The headliner was called the Stanton Moore Trio, but that was just a foundation. It had many similarities with a Galactic show. The trio got into the usual repetition of 1-4 chord progressions for extended solos (with the occasional written-out lick to tie things together). It was definitely nice grooving music, but you knew there had to be more to offer. Eventually, Ivan Neville came out and it took things again, to the next dimension.
Due to the fact that we were pretty beat and had to go to work the next morning, we had to depart the show before its conclusion. I’m guessing we didn’t miss anything Earth-shattering, but I’m sure a great time was had by all. Overall, I know that I had a great time during those four days of constant grooving!
I ran to the car and was greeted by a black man in handcuffs asking me if I knew Diane from up the street. Of course, I had no clue what was happening. Chez informed me later that he was in the background noticing the paddywagon, which he thought might have been for me due to the nature of the parking space and the contents of the vehicle. Fortunately, it was for the black man.
“You don’t have to answer this question,” said the officer, as he showed me Chez’s pipe, “but is this yours?”
“Well, I guess I’m probably not gonna answer that,” I sheepishly murmured. After asking me for my full background and employment history (my only guess was to call my boss), the officer then told me I wasn’t in trouble, but that the dude that got into my car was going to the station to be booked.
I then wondered how they got to finding this guy in my car. Obviously, my opinion of these cops was in very high regard. I was left off with a lecture on marijuana use and illegal parking. However, I couldn’t help but think that the guy getting carted away “fit the profile.” I asked how they got him, and they told me that as they approached, his friend warned him and ran off. I didn’t push for further information, but the conclusion was that perhaps the guy was smoking Chez’s weed in my car and got busted. Fortunately, he likely smoked it all because none was mentioned by the five-0.
The next day, I took a half workday and headed down to the festival. It is so convenient to live in Austin and just go downtown for a huge music festival after work, then sleep in the comfort of your own bed at night. There is a lot to be said for camping festivals, but it is really like comparing apples to oranges to compare ACL with Bonnaroo, for example. Nevertheless, one thing they both share is an onslaught of fantastic music, more than it is possible to truly enjoy.
My friends’ schedule started with Gnarls Barkley. We were a little early so we checked out Deadboy and the Elephant Man. The dude started the set with the cliché “how’s everybody fucking doing?” and rolled into your standard power trio fare. We discussed the fact that the songs were very rudimentary. I noticed many eighth notes over cut time rooting the simple chord changes. The drummer played the same beat for multiple songs (for that matter, so did the rest of the band). However, it was clear that they probably deserved the record deal. All you needed to agree was to watch the very attractive female drummer’s breasts bounce up and down as she banged it out.
After I scoped out Wolf Parade, a band with extensive commentary on the soundboard situation, we relaxed on the lawn until Gnarls Barkley hit the stage. My only experience of the band was their one-hit (to date) wonder called “Crazy.” I had no expectations. These were blown out of the water. The lead singer, Cee-Lo Green, has a great Al Green thing going. In addition to the two keyboard players (a vintage guy and a synth guy), guitar, drums, and bass, they enlisted four women to play violins and viola. They were called the G-Strings. The show was great, and enjoyed by all. What totally put it over the top for me personally was when they covered a very obscure Doors song called “Who Scared You?” The tune is blatantly sexual and it is in an odd time signature. Though they announced it as a cover beforehand, only the truest Doors fans would have recognized it. The show ended in the hot Texas sun as the G-Strings got up to walk off stage. You could see sweat marks going down their skirts from their G-Strings.
I was looking forward to Van Morrison, my “show of the day.” Until then, I meandered through the crowds listening to Thievery Corporation and Los Lonley Boys, purveyors of fine “Texican Rock.” I’m sure there are people that do nothing but wander through the crowds. Personally, I’d rather miss some shows completely so I can get really close to my favorites.
It turned out I already saw the best show of the day, but Van Morrison was in good form. I’d never seen him before. Though he was likely better 10 or 15 years ago, he still had the same voice. His band was a collection of good musicians, capable of spitting out succinct syncopation and a multiplicity of notes on demand. The show ended with a “Greatest Hits” that included Brown Eyed Girl and Gloria.
After my morning acupuncture to get the energy flowing, Saturday started with Galactic. The band is riding with the stock market these days. My experience with them peaked at Bonnaroo I. It valleyed shortly after they went instrumental and the “Houseman” left the band. He was always my least favorite member. However, when he left, it was clear that Galactic can only get to a ceiling as a 5-piece. They can come up with great jams, but no longer can they follow up a fantástico instrumental with, as their saxophonist would say, “…and ladies and gentlemen, as if that wasn’t enough, we now bring out the Houseman!”
Well, instead, Galactic brings out guest musicians. This can sometimes be even better than a vocalist if done right. On this day, they brought out Leo Nocentelli from the New Orleans Social Club. The guitar that was provided to him by the band was played by many greats that had signed it in the past. However, it was out of tune, and Leo had to tune it on stage while we waited. Nevertheless, it was worth it because once again the guest took Galactic to another dimension.
There was a decent amount of wandering as I imbibed various bands that afternoon. Eventually, I ended up with some friends in front of Los Lobos. After catching the end of the show, I relaxed on a blanket in the grass toward the front. I have mixed emotions about blankets and chairs. Of course, when you’re on one, it is heaven. When you trying to walk through a crowd and not step on any blankets, it sucks (go barefoot, maybe?). Even worse is a fence made up of camping chairs, especially when you want to leave the show.
At any rate, we watched the String Cheese Incident. It was the first full show I’d seen of theirs, and they were pretty good. There was nothing that blew my mind away, but it was a solid show. The crowd at this show was my favorite. It just had a different vibe about it; the people just seemed friendlier in general. In addition, there was this kooky drunk bat-conservationist chick that stumbled up to me and started asking me questions about where I lived and what I did with my time. I told her I was a software developer and a musician living in Austin.
She replied, “I’m from Aussstin. All the guysss I date are ssssoftware developers and musssishuns.” She then proceeded to remove the tab that opened her aluminum can and was fixin’ to litter it on the ground. She turned to me and asked my advice, so I informed her that it might be dangerous. She then slipped the tab into her cleavage and fled the scene.
The best part of the SCI show, though, was that it gave us a good spot to see Willie Nelson, my show of the day. Before Willie, a friend of mine pulled out his herb and offered to match the guys on the next blanket, who were in the process of packing some into their pipe. As they obliged, another guy walked by and pulled out a joint. It was all passed around the general area rather freely. About 10 rows behind us, a young kid pulled out a full-on waterpipe and about a quarter of weed. I knew I was at the break between String Cheese Incident and Willie Nelson.
Willie was having a great time. He has lived in Austin since the 60’s, and you could tell he felt at home on this evening. He played over his allotted time and then said, “I’ve got two more songs before I leave!” He then proceeded with a song about all the pot he smoked and pills he was prescribed after his carpal tunnel surgery. His final song was his newest, called “You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore.” The classic verse was about how he used to pretend he was having a heart attack and fall on the floor to get a laugh. The follow-up line was “even I don’t think that’s funny anymore.” Two days after the festival, his tour bus was picked up for a pound and a half of weed and a QP of mushrooms. Due to the absurd drug laws regarding psychedelics, that’s not funny either.
By Sunday, we were pretty beat down. Fortunately, the weather was not as bad as the stories I’d heard about last year’s dust bowl at ACL. However, it was still a hot and sunny weekend involving many miles of walking. Nevertheless, I was in it for the long haul. The humid Sunday afternoon started with Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. He is the youngest male child of Bob. From what little I’ve heard of his other brothers and this show, I think he’s my favorite. First off, they got the lyrics right in Exodus when they proclaimed “Movement of Jah People.” Overall though, I really like the fact that Damian has been able to progress reggae beyond the roots his father planted, yet still stay true to them.
Next up was Ween. It was the second time I saw them and the second time I felt that they put a ton of emphasis on “Chocolate and Cheese.” Not as much as I’d seen from them the last time, but still disproportionately, considering the number of albums and songs they have. Indeed, it is likely their best album. Beyond that, they played a great array of songs about drugs. During this show, a girl asked me if I had a lighter. When I produced it, she handed me a small glass piece that was stuffed with a green substance. The lighter went along for the ride as this substance was passed around the group that suddenly included me (of course, I didn’t inhale).
My final official Austin City Limits show was The New Orleans Social Club. They are a group of guys that were displaced by Katrina and moved to Austin. Before this show, my lighter had burned out, so my Jonesing friend went up to the stage and tried the old “let me borrow your lighter so I can smoke you out” trick on a guy in front of it. The guy’s friend not only lent his lighter but matched a heaping helping of the happy herb. Those pot smokers are such a friendly bunch.
Anyway, the Social Club was a hidden jewel. I’d never seen them and had no expectations, but again those were exceeded. The piano player was old, blind, black, and from New Orleans. Who could ask for anything more? Ivan Neville, nephew of Aaron Neville (leader of the Meters) was on Hammond Organ. The front man was Leo Nocentelli, who jammed with Galactic the day before. It was a great show, but it went over the top when Buddy Miles, drummer from Jimi Hendrix’s band of Gypsys, came out to play drums and sing a little. After the music, he proceeded to proclaim the faith and tell us that we have the power to change things. One thing that’s evident about the New Orleans crowd I’d witnessed over the weekend was their passion. It’s pretty unbelievable what that town went though.
After this, we skipped Tom Petty and went downtown for dinner and the final show of the weekend, another New Orleans band. We hit up an after-show at the Parish that had Stanton Moore (drummer from Galactic) headlining with Robert Walter (keyboardist from the Greyboy Allstars).
The opener was the Greyhounds. They played at ACL on Friday. They were a 4-piece consisting of Hammond Organ, guitar, bass, and drums. Two of the dudes sang and I think they both went to the same school for vocals. Their style had the same open tone quality as, say, the Vaughn brothers. However, we couldn’t understand a single word they sang or spoke all night.
The headliner was called the Stanton Moore Trio, but that was just a foundation. It had many similarities with a Galactic show. The trio got into the usual repetition of 1-4 chord progressions for extended solos (with the occasional written-out lick to tie things together). It was definitely nice grooving music, but you knew there had to be more to offer. Eventually, Ivan Neville came out and it took things again, to the next dimension.
Due to the fact that we were pretty beat and had to go to work the next morning, we had to depart the show before its conclusion. I’m guessing we didn’t miss anything Earth-shattering, but I’m sure a great time was had by all. Overall, I know that I had a great time during those four days of constant grooving!
