Well it's only been a few days since the 2011 version of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, ended and I am going through serious withdrawals. I don't know why but there is something about this festival (amongst the abundance of other Austin fests) that really warms my heart. I think it is because ACL really represents everything that is so great about the city of Austin. Great music, great people, great food, but most of all a great sense of community. I don't know if any of the other music festivals across the country put on as great a show as the C3 guys do (they also produce Lollapalooza) but I doubt any will ever make me feel as good as ACL. Laura and I have been coming to ACl since we met, and now have 3 of them under our belt. We have only done one day the last few years but this year decided to do two. The lineups for Friday-Saturday had us both excited. Acts such as Coldplay, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Cee-Lo and Stevie Wonder made the decision to do both days an easy one. Thursday night felt like Christmas Eve as we had been counting down the days for months!
Friday morning arrived and although both of us were excited for two days of music overload, we were not in this best shape. Laura had been battling being sick all week and felt like crap but was not about to allow a runny nose and body aches keep her away. I have been battling some foot issues the last few months and the day before the big festival, I injured it once again. I knew there was going to be a lot of walking going on for the next two days and I was not looking forward to doing it with a bum foot. But we still loaded all of our supplies and made our way down to Zilker Park. Months and months of anticipation was not to be missed!!
After securing a great parking spot down on South Lamar, we made the short walk over to Zilker and through the gates around 3 PM to begin our journey. First it was off to the food court for some fuel for the day. Kick-ass nachos and a burger from Lonesome Dove and some fried chicken from Olivia's James Holmes' newest creation Lucy's. Laura can't wait for that new resto to open next year!! On to the music...We were introduced to Delta Spirit - a Long Beach, CA band that blends spiritually-themed lyrics with rock and northern soul. They seemed a little out of place on the Bud Light stage considering the acts on the same stage later in the day (Big Boi, Kanye West) but held their own quite well. Having never seen them before, I must say I was impressed. Not a bad way to kick off the festival. From there it was over to the Google+ stage for the Smith Westerns. An indie-rock band from Chicago, they had a definite indie meets glam rock sound. Taking their cues from David Bowie, T. Rex with a hint of The Ramones, SW delivered a great set that had all the kids hopping. We now had to decide what we wanted to do. It was either stay at the west end of the park and see Big Boi and Foster the People or head to the east end for some Ray LaMontagne and Cold War Kids. Laura wanted to hit the t-shirt stand so we decided on option 2 and headed towards the AMD stage. It was a tough decision since I wanted some hip-hop and Foster, but it made sense to head west since we were going to be seeing Coldplay later that night on that end. As we got to the souvenir stand I was happy to catch Ray LaMontagne's Grammy nominated hit Beg Steal or Borrow off of God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise. It was soothing to hear his raspy voice deliver song after song in the late afternoon as we meandered around grabbing a beer, buying shirts and just taking in a sunny Austin day with bearable temperatures in the low 90's. Pure bliss.
After RLM, we settled over at the Honda stage for the Cold War Kids set. This was one of Laura's choices as she had seen them before. The indie-rock band also from Long Beach, CA has at times been labeled a Christian-rock band. Obviously, that can be one of the most damning labels a band can get in rock-n-roll and they have vehemently downplayed that title. It seems hard though, to ignore their spiritually rooted lyrics. Nevertheless, they delivered a strong rock set that set us up for the rest of the evening.
It was now time to get ready for the nights main attraction. We decided to start staking out our location for that evening's headlining set from Coldplay. Ever since it was announced they would be playing ACL Laura and I had been very excited. Laura had never seen them and I had seen them a handful of times, but I knew this time would be a special one for the both of us. At around 6:30 we found a spot that was about 75 yards away from the stage, off to the right. I knew there was going to be a great light show so I figured it would be better to get a spot a little ways back. After taking care of a much needed restroom break and grabbing a few more cold ones, we settled in to our spot and even chilled out on the grass for a bit of rest. Bright Eyes played their set but LP and I were chit-chatting and really didn't take in much of their set. With about an hour to go i sent Laura on one more restroom/beer run before Coldplay and I held down our spot. Holding your spot in a standing room only area is quite the difficult task, especially right before a headliner is about to come on. Even more difficult is trying to traverse through the crowd to find your husband. I passed the time listening to Santigold over to my left on the Honda stage. Interesting sound, but I didn't get to pay much attention as the crowd started to file in and I worried Laura would never find me. As the sun started to set and the roadies on stage started to one by one leave the stage, I really started to worry. But just as the sun was set and it was clear that the band was about to start, LP emerged from the crowd with two cold beers and ready to party. It was time...a moment we both had been anticipating for quite some time!!!
The band opened up with a new track, Hurts Like Heaven, off their forthcoming new CD Mylo Xyloto. I must say I love it. A catchy hook that was made even more great with the use of some cool lighting and lasers. Chris Martin was a bundle of energy the minute he hit the stage, as usual, and was quick to play to the crowd ("Did we make it to Austin City Limits?...I hope you know how happy we are to be here with you.) They quickly launched into Yellow, which sent the crowd, estimated at around 30,000, into a singing frenzy. For most individuals, music festivals can be a huge hassle and even a bother, but it's moments like this that make me keep coming back for more. I mean who doesn't enjoy singing in unison with 30k fans under a warm Texas night? It's moments like these that will keep us coming back to ACL for years and years. After a strong 15-song set which featured hits such as In My Place, Politik, The Scientist, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, and Viva La Vida as well as few new songs off of Mylo, the band left the stage for a quick break and to get ready for the encore. Laura and I started to make our way to the back so that as soon as they were done, we could run and catch the end of Kanye's set. We didn't get too far though because Laura was really excited to hear Fix You. A special song for her and me as well. They opened the encore with Clocks and then played a snippet of Rehab as a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse. That segued into a beautiful rendition of Fix You and finally closing out with their newest single Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall. A great set from one of my favorite bands. But I wasn't finished with the night. We immediately ran to the other end of the park to see how Kanye would finish up. We were lucky enough to catch his whole encore of Runaway, Lost In The World and a snippet of Hey Mama. It isn't often that you can see both of the headliners on one night but we were able to pull it off thanks to some clever timing by the guys at C3. Aaaah, Friday was complete but not before we headed to Justine's for a late night bite to eat. (Go there and get the Royale with Cheese. You'll thank me later!) It was now time for a little rest so we could get after it again on Saturday!!
Saturday morning came too fast and I was a bit groggy to say the least. But once I realized how much we still had left on our plate, I was able to have a cup of coffee and a shower. Good as new! We loaded up and once again made our way down to the park. I was a little more rushed this time as I wanted to see Young the Giant at 2 PM. While making the trek down Barton Springs Rd. something started to happen that I had not seen in quite some time - it started RAINING!!! It had rained a tad on Friday but before we got there and not much at all. This time though it was a steady rain and lasted for most of the afternoon, off and on. Now I'm not one to enjoy being fully dressed and wet, but for some odd feeling it just felt right. I can't help but think that it was the recent fires here in Central Texas that cost thousands their homes, that was on my mind when the falling precipitation fell and seemed to have a cleansing feeling on all of us. It helped to set the positive vibe that would permeate throughout the park. We made it through the gates just as YTG was starting over at the Honda stage. The Irvine, CA caught my attention after their performance on this year's MTV Video Music Awards. Their two biggest hits thus far My Body and Cough Syrup have a very traditional rock sound that appeals to me. I figured this would be a great chance to possibly find a new band for me to check out and their performance solidified it. A rockin', lively and energetic set started our day off just right. Now it was time for some lunch. I must say that this years selection of food vendors, was off the hook. It really represented one of Austin's finest attributes - the food! We indulged in a pork belly slider with coleslaw from Odd Duck Farm to Trailer. The things Bryce Gilmore is doing over there are amazing and is no reason his brick and mortar Barley Swine is doing so well. I am quite sure great things are on the horizon for him. Just another amazing chef here in the Austin area. After lunch we made our way over towards the Bud Light stage. We had decided today that we would stake out a spot and set up our chairs and just camp there instead of floating around the park. We wanted to see Alison Krauss and Union Station, Cee-Lo, and of course Stevie Wonder!! So we found a great spot about 75 yards away from the stage next to the restrooms and the bar. This decision would prove to be pivotal later. AKUS took the stage right at 4:00 and played a solid set. I did not have much knowledge of her but after hearing a few songs by her due to Laura, and having her cover of Keith Whitley's When You Say Nothing At All played at our wedding, I was down for a little bluegrass. AKUS offered a new genre of music for us to add to our list for the weekend and although the sound issues that would be prevalent all day made it slightly difficult to hear, we enjoyed it thoroughly. They closed their set with Dan Tyminski leading them through his version of Man of Constant Sorrow from the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, which had the crowd singing in unison. Break time now on the Bud Light stage gave us a chance to hear Skrillex spinning over yonder on the Google+ stage - a set that gave Courtney and I a chance to revisit our clubbing days...if we had ever had any. Ha!...Cee-Lo was up next around 6 PM and avoided any tardiness problems like he had at Lollapalooza. A solid one hour set that included Bright Lights Bigger City, Don't Cha (Pussycat Dolls cover), his Gnarls Barkley hits Crazy and Run (I'm A Natural Disaster), as well as his 2011 smash hit Fuck You, which saw him bring out Austin resident and The Voice contestant Nakia to duet with him. I had hoped for some other celebrity cameo for some other artists over the weekend, but this is what we got. Cee-Lo wrapped up his set with a cover of The Clash's Rock the Cashbah, a cover of The Violent Femmes Gone Daddy Gone, and one more Gnarls Barkley song Smiley Faces. A nice, soulful, R&B warm-up act for the main attraction at 8 PM. After taking care of some business and a beer run, it was time to settle in for our final act of the weekend. Stevie Wonder was never one of those artists I owned any records of. He was never someone I sought out to see live in concert nor was he someone I honestly could say I had on my musical radar at any time in my life. But after hearing he was to be the main headliner of the weekend (let's be honest) I knew this was a performance not to be missed. Although he was about 20 minutes late to the stage, the minute he walked out on stage (unassisted mind you) playing his keytar, we all new it would be a magical evening. Opening with a cover of Marvin Gaye's How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) Mr. Wonder had most in the crowd at a fever-pitch. There was a lot of talk after the show about areas of the crowd that could not hear well. This prompted the crowd to chant "Turn It Up!!" and even caused some to leave. We did not have any sound issues from our vantage point (I told you our location was pivotal) and were treated to one of the best setlists I have ever heard from such an iconic performer. Master Blaster (Jammin') segued into a cover of Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel which really got the youth in the crowd REALLY pumped up. This led into Higher Ground, a little slowed down and more mellow version, but nonetheless great. The hits continued to roll in with almost CD-like versions of Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing, Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours, Sir Duke, My Cherie Amour, and For Once In My Life keeping every one's energy high and not wanting the night to end. The highlight of the night for me came when he played I Just Called To Say I Love You, a song I did not expect him to play. When it comes to Stevie Wonder, the first memory I have of him was when he appeared on the Cosby Show in February of 1986. I know a lot of my friends from back in those days probably will remember that episode (Denise collides with Stevie's limo, Theo...Jammin' on the 1) and it featured this song being performed with the Huxtable family during a recording session. That song is very nostalgic for me because of that show and it's inclusion in the script. For a moment there, I was instantly transported back to my youth; when I didn't have a worry in the world. Who knew 25 years later I would be involved in a live sing-a-long with Stevie and 35,000 fans in the middle of Zilker Park to that song? Crazy how life works out that way. After a rockin' rendition of Superstition and a snippet of Isn't She Lovely (Sorry Laura that he didn't play the whole song) he closed the show with the 1976 song As. I must say, we stood there for a few moments trying to process what had just happened. For me, I was a little sad. Our weekend was over. There wasn't enough musical firepower for me to head back out on Sunday. Laura was still sick, my foot still hurt, our wallets were empty and we were in need of some sleep, but not before some Mellow Mushroom pizza before bed. The ACL weekend we had been waiting for with Christmas-like anticipation, was now over. It was time to rest and start planning for next year. I think Laura and I have decided that we will be here, from now on, every year. If we do decide to leave Austin at some point, we will make sure we return every year for ACL. It is one of the best times one could have and it shows off all Austin has to offer. It is no wonder so many folks love Austin and if you don't have the chance to call Austin home, do yourself a favor and at least spend one weekend a year in this amazing city. It will not and can not disappoint!! Se ya in 2012 ACL!!!
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