ACL Festival: It's The Most Wonderful Time, Of The Year

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

ACL Festival: It's The Most Wonderful Time, of the Year Good evening everybody...Finally, the ACL lineup is here and I'm more excited than a voyeur at Devil's Cove. You may not agree with all of my picks, but I'm giving them to you anyway...3 months early. Day 1: For those of you who know me and have run into me at the festival you know that my day actually day begins after my first Tito's Vodka and Sweet Leaf Tea, but festival begins when I hear my first song. This year I begin with with Peter Bjorn and John at 1:30. I have heard that their live show is not all that, but they are responsible for the single most catchy whistling tune since the Andy Griffith theme song. It has to be worth it for that alone. 2:30 poses a problem, but only for those who have not seen Pete Yorn live. He is an amazing singer/songwriter, but a complete bore of a performer. Bela Fleck will provide a much more festival atmosphere, but it may be too early to really enjoy them the way that they deserve to be enjoyed...unless you have help from my friend Tito. For music see Pete, for party see Bela. 3:30 is a no brainer (and that's coming from me). If you have not given the Heartless Bastards a listen, then you are doing yourself a major disservice. They are AMAZING and they should have a much better time slot than Friday at 3:30. Just remember, it was only a few years ago that The Killers played on Friday at 4:30. This year at 4:30 we have Joss Stone. Crowded House is great, but they are old and could possible die of heat exhaustion...wow, that is a tough call, but I'll be at Joss. 5:30 brings us to LCD Soundsystem. Don't miss them. At 6:30 you have Queens of the Stone Age vs Spoon. Go see Spoon...even Sharon Osbourne hates QOTSA. Their 15 minutes is up. Gotan Project at 7:30 will seriously be one of the festivals highlights. Check out their website, sample their music and then join me in the dance circle. The Killers vs Bjork is really the toughest call of the day. Well, not really. Brandon Flowers or a woman who dressed as a swan at the Academy Awards. Tough call, but my money is on the swan. Day 2: For those of you that don't listen to much local music here is a quick rundown of musts: Ghostland Observatory, Spoon, Clap Clap and at 12:30 on Saturday, Sound Team. Most people will be over at Augustana, but I've found that most people are idiots. Augustana sounds like ever other whiny 94.7 band that is hell bent on playing pussy music in an attempt to get chicks before they hit their 30's. Go see Sound Team. I'm not really sold on the 1:30 hour yet. Raul Malo is muy malo and Dax Riggs isn't grabbing me. This may be a good time to hit Barton Springs. 2:30, Stephen Marley or Paulo Nutini? Well, Paulo is AMAZING...but he and Amy WInehouse are touring this Fall so I assume that we'll see them again. The Marley family has never let me down though. Tough call...Go see Midlake at 4:00. I saw them follow the Flaming Lips during SXSW at Fox and Hound 2 years ago and they were great! No one should have to follow the Lips, yet this little band from Denton did just that and they deserve huge success. In case you're not sick of them on the radio yet, you have Blue October at 4:30...I knew a long time ago when I saw them at Carlos and Charlies that they'd be huge stars. I just didn't know that they'd be big enough for me to be sick of them. Amy WInehouse at 5:30...catch this Rehab novelty act before she drinks herself to death. 6:30 give us the most exciting live show on the road right now in Muse. Don't even think about missing them. I thought about trying to pick up chicks at the Indigo Girls show at 7:30, but then decided to hit the Arcade Fire instead. I'll leave early to go to the White Stripes because Jack is the most exciting artist in music today. Period. Day 3: I can't believe that I think I'll be coherent enough to attend a 12:30 show, but Yo La Tengo...I have never seen them and couldn't be more excited. Just classic. Ben Kweller at 2:30...unfortunately he's remembered for sticking a tampon up his bloody nose last year, but his music is amazing and should stand on its own...the memory of the blood soaked guitar is pretty cool though. Totally chilled out is DeVotchKa at 3:30. They are such a rich sound. Oh, they did music for a movie called Little Miss Sunshine. Maybe you've seen it. Bloc Party at 4:30...yeah, they're here every year and that's because you haven't seen them yet. Give them the respect they deserve...you won't be sorry. 5:30 is Regina Spektor. I really don't have to say much more than that. Wilco at 6:30 up against My Morning Jacket...I say Wilco, but only because Jeff Tweedy is right behind Jack White for most exciting musician title. Ghostland Observatory at 7:45...yes, I'll be seeing them tomorrow night at Emos, but I'll also be at the AT&T Blueroom stage on September 16th. At 8:30 you have a guy called Bob. I hear he's good...