Preparing for the Foos

I'm extremely excited about the Friday night lineup, as I expect to enjoy Tame Impala, then Gary Clark Jr. (from afar), then the Foo Fighters.  All three of those are bands I'd go see on their own, so to fire up all three in a row is going to be amazing.  Best night of the festival, without a doubt.

In preparation for the Foo Fighters, if you are a big nerd like me, you may also want to jam a playlist of their set.  While they may change things up slightly, this is the set they've stayed pretty true to for the past few nights on their tour.  Mostly the hits, with a few of the new songs from Sonic Highways (including the Gary Clark Jr. one, which should be sweet to see).  Personally, I would have expected "Everlong" to be at the end, but more power to them if they want to crank it up to full power in the first two songs.

(re: the Van Halen in the middle, they also apparently cover Rush, Queen, Alice Cooper, and maybe others during this extended cover jam.  I'm not putting them all in here.  Also, it looks like they play a different cover each night in between "What Did I Do" and "This is a Call," from Tom Petty to Led Zeppelin to Jane's Addiction, so we'll see what they do in that slot for us.)

See you out there!

Van Halen - Circuit of the Americas - September 21, 2015

Van freaking Halen, baby.  I mean, this is one of the iconic rock and roll bands.  Wikipedia facts:

• According to the RIAA, Van Halen is the 19th-best-selling band/artist in United States history, selling 56 million albums in the U.S.
• Number 4 on the Billboard's top moneymakers list in 2013.
• One of only five rock bands that have had two studio albums sell more than 10 million copies in the U.S.
• Charted the most number-one hits in the history of Billboard‍ '​s Mainstream Rock chart
• One of the world's best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 80 million records.

I came of musical age in the time period after David Lee Roth had been kicked out of the band and Sammy Hagar took over the singing duties.  Mid 1980's.  5150 is the iconic Van Halen album of my youth, with great tunes like "Dreams," "Why Can't This Be Love," and "Summer Nights."  My old friend Cary and I used to JAM that album.  Hell, I even have good memories of listening to For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, and that album is pretty weak. Since those days, I've also learned to love the old school hits as well.

With that in mind, when Van Halen, with David Lee Roth singing, is coming to town, you make it happen. My buddy Kamran was all in on this and we drove out in time to catch the opener, the Kenny Wayne Sheppard Band.  I know like two of that dudes songs, but when he played Voodoo Chile, it was freaking amazing.  He can absolutely, unequivocally jam on the guitar.

We had great seats - very back on the floor, right on an aisle.  None of these photos are mine, they came from a friend of a friend.  My pics are all garbage.  They blasted into action with something I didn't recognize, and then "Running with the Devil," which was excellent.  I expected more of a greatest hits catalog show.  Don't get me wrong, they played the big ones, (while completely dissing the great Sammy Hagar tunes) but left out some of the other good ones from the Diamond Dave days.  No "Jamie's Crying'," no "And the Cradle Will Rock," but otherwise they hit all the big ones.  Hands down, without a doubt, "Hot for Teacher" was freaking awesome.  Always my favorite of their tunes. The rumble of the drums, the sly lyrics, the killer guitar riffs.  "Jump" and "Panama" were also great.

  

However, I have to say, Diamond Dave kind of mailed it in.  He's still a massive clown, over-the-top showman.  I bet he changed his clothes 15 times during the show. (My friend decided if he ever had a peacock, he'd name it David Lee Roth, which is hilarious and spot on).  And he twirled and skidded and high-kicked and flipped his cowboy hat all over the stage the whole time, grinning like the Cheshire Cat on speed.  But when it came to actually doing his job?  You know, singing the lyrics to the songs that were playing?  It was kind of a half-ass job.  I get that he's old and maybe can't hit the same high notes and trademark shrieks in his classic days, but even more than that, he'd just skip lines while he mugged for the crowd, or mumble through stuff. Meanwhile the rest of the band, including newcomer Wolfgang Van Halen, were completely spot on with their backup singing and lyrics.  For example, "Hot for Teacher" has all of those great asides ("I don't feel tardy!" or "I brought my pencil!!") as well as some high notes and "Ooooh" sounds that kind of make the song more excellent.  And he just skipped right over all of them like they never existed.  It would have been really cool to see them back with Dave was spot on, but as it was, it took some shine off of the show.

That being said, the true star of the show was Eddie Van Halen.  That guy is absolutely freaking amazing. He didn't play the exact tune for "Eruption" that normally comes before "You've Really Got Me," but instead straight hammered his guitar for about ten minutes of showcase.  It was flipping amazing.  I can play about 5 chords and the F-chord defeated my abilities to ever really play guitar, but EVH makes that thing squeal and squawk and hum and soar in a way that I don't think I've seen ever.  I've gotten to see Jack White and Gary Clark Jr., but this was just something on another plane. Made the night definitely worth the trip.

I'd absolutely suggest going to see them do their thing if you get the chance, mainly just to see Eddie.  Dave is funny in his way, but just know what to expect and you should leave pretty happy.

KUTX: ACL playlist

Now, I (of course) think that my choices that I've integrated into my daily playlists are vastly superior to anyone else in the world, but here is a pretty cool playlist available through the KUTX website that has twelve picks from the ladies who booked the festival, along with some of their commentary about each artist.  Give it a listen.

I need to hunt down Matt Reilly and get him to give me an hour.  Someone start a petition.

Jerry Jeff Walker - Moody Theatre - September 12, 2015

Straight up, Jerry Jeff is an old badass.  I've enjoyed his songs since high school (and yes, I'm well aware that I was like the third generation to get into him in high school and that my brother probably saw him play, for free, three hundred times, with Willie and Waylon and Johnny and Kris, back in the 70's), but he still brings it for a show.  He only stands for about 30 seconds of the show, but the man is 74 years old.  If I'm still packing a room at that age for anything, then I'd be pretty psyched.  Here he is (in 1984 !!!).

For the most part, no surprises at all in the show.  He opened with "Gettin' By," just like both Viva Terlingua and Viva Luckenbach.  And it is such a great song to pump up the crowd.  I'd be lying if I said I liked the fact that he changed the song up to riff on the day's weather, etc., but it was still a great start.  He then went on to play my personal favorites like "Pickup Truck Song," L.A. Freeway," and "Little Bird," as well as the big crowd pleasers like "Red Neck Mother," "Mr. Bojangles," "Trashy Women," "Navajo Rug," and "Sangria Wine."  Like "Gettin' By," he changed up the lyrics to Sangria to make it clear that he is a cool mofo and smokes the ganja with the kids.  I'm not on board with switching up the lyrics.  He also mentioned Uber about 4 times during the show, at random intervals.  It was kind of weird.

He played one new tune that I hadn't heard before, and I liked it quite a bit.  All about how he had always thought he'd live in Northern California or Colorado, but love happened in Texas and he never left.  No clue what it was called, or if it is on an album, but it was a really nice song.

Great show.  I think the tickets were $60 a piece, so it was a little spendy, but the wife and I had a fun night going out downtown and then hitting up the show.

We also got there in time for the opener, and I'm really glad.  I'd never heard of her before, but it was a gal named Carson McHone, who said she was from Austin.  I've grabbed her album on Spotify and plan to listen some more, but she was a pretty gal with a strong voice and a handful of good songs.  The two I remember were "Ain't You Lucky I Love Being Lonely," and "Dram Shop Girl."  You should go check her out.

In addition, I happened to know the guy playing guitar for her, which was super cool.  Scott Davis, used to play with Hayes Carll, more recently has been touring with the Band of Heathens.  Really fun to see him and catch up, and especially cool to sit there and enjoy him making some really great music for a band he'd never played with in his life. 

Quick Hits, Vol. 49 (The Slits, Wolf Alice, The Arcs, Hop Along)

The Slits - Cut.  This is apparently the seminal punk riot grrrrl album.  I think I found it because Carrie Brownstein mentioned it in an interview about her key influences.  It feels like the reggae/punk stuff that the Clash did about this same time in history (and no, I don't know who was first), and the true album (the first ten songs of this interminable 40 song deluxe edition) is actually pretty damn enjoyable.  Very raw, with vocal sounds echoed by Sleater-Kinney 40 years later, you can hear their effect on today pretty easily.  Glad I listened to it a few times.  Doubt I'll keep it around, but cool to hear 1979's version of lady reggae punk.  Here is "Typical Girls."

Man, that video is sweet.  And awful.  Enjoy that time capsule into the belly of the beast.

Wolf Alice - My Love is Cool.  This album is fantastic.  Tuneful, rockin', pretty, funky, lyrically interesting, I have loved listening to it all day today.  I just can't bring myself to move on to the next album.  Freaking awesome with the flavor of some grunge, but also some mid-90's shoegaze references.  "Swallowtail" is a good capture of that sound - pretty and meandering for five minutes until the Teenage Bandwagon-esque rock out ending.  The most listened-to track (3.5 million) is "Moaning Lisa Smile," which is good stuff, but I'm going to go with the second most jammed, so here is "Bros."

Not just a straight grungy chug, with vocals sounding a little like the Sundays, and lyrics that make me want to be 10 and spending all day with my best friend again.  Perfect tune.  Other standouts - "Giant Peach," "Freazy."  Really good album I think you should give a listen.

Quick aside before the next album: the Isaac Hayes track "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" is freaking solid funk-tastic gold.  Chuck D mentioned it in something talking about an old track he made with it, and although it gets long and a little meandering near the end, the first two minutes are a stone cold groove.

Just groove the first two minutes of that thing real quick.  Yeah!  I remember an Ice Cube song using that bass line, but I didn't recall the Public Enemy track without some Internet help ("Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," which honestly doesn't take full advantage of the smoothness of the entire tune).

The Arcs - Yours, Dreamily.  This is yet another Dan Auerbach project (the Black Keys guy) that sounds pretty similar to the stomping southern blues rock of the Keys, but with a little psych rock shuffle added in.  Some tracks go a little further afield (including the weird "Come & Go" which seems to involve the sounds of sexytime for some ladies), but overall, this is another good album of fuzzed out rock and roll.  While "Stay in my Corner" is the most listened-to track on the album, "Outta My Mind" has the music video, so here you go.

Auerbach evokes that exact classic sound so very well.  And that video?  No clue what is going on in the middle with the weird fight scene that involves some dude yelling that another bro has "done lost your Chinatown pass!"  Mmmmkay.  If I was going to make an ACL flag/sign thing, I call "You Done Lost Your Chinatown Pass!" as my cutesy saying! Dibs!  But this album is tight.  I like it.

Hop Along - Painted Shut.  39 minutes of pretty solid indie rock.  Tuneful indie grunge, and shifting between kind of whispery singing and then cracking with almost scream power. Their bio says they are from Philly, but the lead singer's voice sounds Irish or something similar.  Seriously, if you listen to "Happy to See Me," she fires between cooing and wailing and a pretty falsetto and a growl and a pained whine in no time at all.  It is kind of amazing, although it grates my nerves after a while.  Most listened-to is "The Knock," with almost 415k.

That track opens up the album with a lot of the same kind of swagger I associate with Sleater-Kinney. I don't know who came first or why I've invoked their name twice in this one post, but its the truth. Good tunes, but I'm not into the vocals, so I don't expect I'll keep it around, but I've enjoyed a few listens well enough.

Quick Hits, Vol. 48 (Jamie xx, Willie and Waylon, Speedy Ortiz, DMA's)

Jamie xx - In Colour.  I feel like this guy has been getting talked up a lot recently in RS and on music blogs.  For the most part, this doesn't do it for me - not quite dance, not quite chill, I don't know what this is trying to be.  Best song on the album is the opener, called "Gosh."

Bass heavy, with a breathless shuffle on top and the random lyrics cut from God knows what.  I'm still confused by the tune, but I can respect the catchiness.  Most of this music is just straight instrumental, relaxed groove, but a few add in a guest singer.  Not my thing. There is also one snappy little Caribbean-flavored rap number with Young Thug and something called Popcaan on here, which was appealing because it was different than the rest of the album, but its not especially good.

Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard - Django and Jimmie.  Victory lap for two country music O.G.s.  Pretty fun, although nothing ground-breaking going on here.  "Missing ol' Johnny Cash" kind of got on my nerves, like a song an upstart "Texas music" guy would make to prove his bonafides. I know facts about Johnny Cash!  I'm the real deal!  If that ain't country you can kiss my ass!  "Alice in Hulaland" is nice, their cover of "Don't Think Twice it's Alright," is great, and the title track is a good one as well.  Good album.

Speedy Ortiz - Foil Deer.  Great indie rock heavy on the 90's alternative flavor.  Easily could have been a lost classic from the high school days.  I've enjoyed the whole thing several times, and I think the second track, "Raising the Skate," or maybe "My Dead Girl" are the two that stick out the best to me.  Here is "Raising the Skate."

Heavy riffs and boss lyrics.  Very enjoyable album with a lot to like both lyrically and musically.

DMA's - DMA's.  Heavily influenced by Oasis and in the same vein as the Arctic Monkeys, this is a pretty fun debut.  Short as hell - 6 songs in 23 minutes - but it sounds both new and familiar in a really good way.  Here is the lead single from that album, "Delete."

Ha!  When searching for that video, the third link when you search for "DMA's" on google is an article quoting Noel Gallagher that he is going to boo DMA's when they both played the Governor's Ball this year.  First off, no surprise that Gallagher would say something acerbic and quotable for reporting.  Second off, its always good to have my thoughts about a band seconded.  I like the upbeat songs more than that video up above, but even that one is well done.  While I wish this album was longer, I like it and will keep it around for a while.

Quick Hits, Vol. 47 (Faith No More, FFS, James Taylor, Shamir)

Faith No More - Sol Invictus.  I always had a soft spot for Faith No More.  Even beyond what everyone knows - "Epic" or "Falling to Pieces" - I think their rendition of "War Pigs" is the best cover of that song around.  Then their next album, Angel Dust, was a fun album back in high school.  "Midlife Crisis," "Kindergarten," or even their cover of "Easy" were all good times.  So I was really hoping to like this new album, and while it has some flashes of fun, overall I'd say I underwhelmed about it.  Here is a live version of the most-listened-to track on the album, "Superhero."

That tune kicks ass.  I bet seeing them play live is really sweet.  Love seeing gray haired dudes still jamming it out like their 20-year-old selves back in the day.  Like that track, there are others with pure rock in them, but they reach a level of sameness that is lame.  So, even after about ten tries, I'm not especially into the album.

FFS - FFS.  This is a combined effort of Franz Ferdinand with Sparks, and it is kind of a weak Franz Ferdinand album. You definitely hear their trademark sound, but nothing in here was all that interesting or arresting to me.  Sparks has an interesting bio on Spotify - two brothers who "spent their childhood modeling young men's apparel for mail-order catalogs" and then made art pop in the early 70's, a "glam-bubblegum opus," a Giorgio Moroder powered "dance-pop confection," an album called Whomp that Sucker, and their 22nd album in 2011.  Weird collabo, and it doesn't do much for me.

James Taylor - Before this World.  Gaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!  There is a song on here, called "Angels of Fenway," which is about the worst thing I think I've ever put in my ears.  I want to hurt myself.  Yuckedy yuck yuckerson.  I was enjoying the album just fine until that turd landed in the punchbowl.  I don't know the backstory on the Red Sox using Sweet Caroline, but I sure hope that it was something organic and real where it just happened.  (It was).  The opposite of that is this brazen cash grab to be played during games and become the official theme song of the team.  Such sadness.  I'm sorry to do this to you, but I had to suffer through it.

Death.  Gross.  Vomit.
I dig old school James Taylor.  Back when he was a coke fiend, he made some really nice music, some of the soundtrack of my high school age was taken from that greatest hits album he put out in 1976.  If you didn't stick one of those suckers onto a mix tape, you were missing out on some serious schmaltz points with your lady friends.  That album still rules.
And while the rest of this album (other than that garbage Red Sox Nation(tm) anthem) is likeable in the same way, nothing on here touches those old standards.  And the more I dwell on the awfulness of that song, the less I like the rest of this.  Death to the Angels of Fenway!

Shamir - Ratchet.  I don't even know what to call this music.  Kind of rap, over disco party electronic house, and the singer is apparently a dude although there is no way you would know from the tone of his voice.  "On the Regular" was the track that stood out, and no surprise it happens to have the most listens on the album.

That song is a good time.  Not my normal bag of music, but that is pretty dang fun to jam. Nothing else on the album is as sweet.  You can probably pass on hearing the rest.

Quick Hits, Vol. 46 (Megafauna, The Mountain Goats, Mumford & Sons, Tallest Man on Earth)

I fully understand that it is not considered cool to like Macklemore - he stole Kendrick's Grammy or something - but Thrift Store was funny and ear-worm-hall-of-fame.  His new single, "Downtown," is also funny.  He's excited about his moped!  I would be too, except that anytime I'm alone and could ride on it I'm probably going to drink a lot.

That stuff right there makes me laugh.  Plus Kool Moe Dee!  "I'm goin' 38, Dan, chill the hell out!"  Ken Griffey looks, uh, healthy.

Megafauna - Maximalist.  Heck yes, man.  I have no recollection of who told me about this band, but this is rock n' freaking roll of the highest order.  Chugging back end with slasher guitar greatness over the top.  The band is a trio from Austin, and I'd love to go see them do this live now that I've heard the album.  Their play count on Spotify is criminally low - several songs on the album have less than a thousand plays.  But this music is better than half of the bands I listened to for ACL Fest. Next year, they should make the Fest!  This is "Haunted Factory," which has 1,300 listens on Spotify.

Go check out the album, if you have felt my rock recommendations in the past, then I think you'll like them. Check out the last track, slow burner "Chromatic Fantasy" that builds to a good kick.

The Mountain Goats - Beat the Champ.  I recall Rolling Stone loving on this album because it is an odd concept disc about wrestlers made by the folkie/indie Mountain Goats. I mean, when have you ever heard the words "turnbuckle high" uttered in a precious indie tenor?  It is weird, but not as weird as the punk-flavored "Choked Out" popping up a few songs later, followed by a lovely piano instrumental called "Heel Turn 2."  This album is all over the place, but I actually kind of like it. Odd, but enjoyable.  Here is "the Legend of Chavo Guerrero"

And a cool cover to the album as well.  Interesting thing right there.

Just as an FYI, there is an artist available on Spotify named Thunderbritches, with an album called "Deer Hunting Tales," that includes a song called "Hunting With Jerry Springer."  What is wrong with the world?  In my defense, I was looking for the new Brittany Howard solo album, called Thunderbitch, and this is what Spotify served up to me.  Do not go listen to this album.

Mumford & Sons - Wilder Mind.  Well, that is disappointing.  I think this album is actually fine, if it had been released by "Marcus and the Jam," I'd probably be talking about how it is a nice little album of vaguely rocking indie music.  But because I very much enjoyed the banjo-fueled revolution of M&S's earlier music, this sounds totally watered-down and generic.  Its not bad music, but literally these songs could be anyone if it weren't for Mumford's telltale voice.  Bummer.

The Tallest Man on Earth - Dark Bird is Home.  Another vaguely pretty set of tunes from this guy. I checked out his last album a few months back, and my opinion doesn't change much with this album.  Very similar feel - kind of longing, maybe hopeful, atmospheric sound for much of the album, with a few more lively tunes like "Darkness of the Dream."

I definitely prefer that track to the darker sounding stuff, and in general I like this album. "Timothy" is a cool track, kind of Irish sounding and quite nice.  That being said, I won't keep this one around I don't think.

Son Little

Another artist added long after the original lineup was announced, Son Little is actually pretty nice sounding soul/ rock/ hip hop hybrid music.  He's got a 2014 EP of five songs, plus a few singles, available on Spotify, and they sound great.  His most popular as of right now is called "Lay Down," which is a 2015 single that has 119k listens.

That is reminiscent of future mega-star Leon Bridges.  His set has been wedged into the early Friday schedule, right after the fun times of Calliope Musicals and Leopold and His Fiction.  His most listened-to track is less laid back, a little more snappy, and called "The River."  Over 671 thousand spins for this one, pretty impressive.

Kind of an ominous groove and slink on that tune - I like it alot.  If you don't want to dance and/or go down to the river with that darlin', then you need to get with the program.  This guy's real name is Aaron Livingston, his online bio details say that he is friends with members of the Roots, and worked with them on one of their albums.  Good friends to have, and some songs ("Your Love Will Blow Me Away," "Cross My Heart") have a clear hip hop influence.  Overall, I like the soul sounds better, with a classic sound that is well-done, but even these other new sounds are cool too.

I doubt I'll take the time to go see him on Friday early afternoon - if I make it out that early, I'm doing the Maccabees and Residual Kid, but I like what I hear here.

El Tule

Another band only recently added to the lineup for Weekend One.  Local band.  Looks like they are going to be slotted at the Saturday 5 o'clock slot against Sturgill Simpson, KOA, and Twenty One Pilots.  Look, I'm not going to even play around like I know this style of music, that their website says is influenced by "Cumbia, Merengue, Salsa and Reggae." As far as I know, two of those words are food, one is Bob Marley, and one is the shortened name for the country where all the coke comes from.  
That being said, their most recent album is a pretty fun listen. Tight as hell on the rhythms. If I knew how to dance, I bet it would be a pretty fun show to go rip up the floor to.  But in real life, I've got nothing.  I can bob my head, but my days at Zavala Elementary are so far away by now that I couldn't salsa if you paid me.

Only one of their songs has more than 1,000 plays on Spotify, so I'm going with that one as their big track.  An instrumental called "Anthem," they just crack the grand threshhold with 1,143 spins.  No YouTube presence I could find for that song, so here is a Spotify link.

Here is their most popular YouTube video, from that same album, and called "Reggae Cumbia."

Looks like fun!  I'm already locked in to see Sturgill on Saturday during this time slot, but I would bet money that the folks who go see this show are going to have an awesome time.

Surviving ACL: The Drinks @ BAR

Now that I've spent time pontificating about the fancy pants beers in the Beer Hall, here are my thoughts about the regular yellow BAR tents.  These tents will be set up all over the park - usually there are a couple near any given stage, so you will have plenty opportunity to find yourself a cold beverage.  

You will run into long lines at times, and I have no good guidance for a bar that will be an easier experience.  Maybe the one closest to Stafford Drive and Barton Springs, next to the Honda stage, when no one is playing that stage.  I recall short lines there.  Especially as the day grows later, these things get packed with people.  Also, FYI, usually a two beverage per trip maximum.

All of the below thoughts assume that nothing changes, which could be incorrect, but ACL isn't listing facts about the drinks on their site. All are 16 oz. for $8 (what a deal!):

• Miller Lite.  At one time, because my old man drank Miller Genuine Draft by choice, this was my light beer.  Then, one New Years Eve, a group of us did a light beer blind taste test to see if we could identify each of the major three Lights plus one of the cheap Lights (I forget which of the cheaps).  During the test, one guy proclaimed that you could tell that one of them was Miller Lite because it tasted like blood and pennies. This was about 15 years ago, and I still can't shake that flavor when I drink Miller Lite. Blurg.
• Miller High Life.  Get serious people.  This costs the same amount as every other beer on this list.  The only legit reason to drink this or PBR or Lone Star or whatever hip old school beer you may consider is because it is cheap.  When confronted at the local bar with $10 ten ounce pours of MegaHop Morghulis Kedavra versus a tallboy of PBR for $2, this makes total sense. However, when the price is the same, buying the runs is not actually clever.
• Miller Fortune.  This is purportedly an amber, but I doubt the veracity of that claim.  I tried one or two of these last year and I would not have guessed this was an amber. However, the draw on this choice is the alcohol content.  6.9% ABV, versus 4% for regular Miller.  Same price = better bang for your buck.
• Imperial.  This is one of those beers that is probably absolute garbage in its home country (Costa Rica), but some enterprising importer brought to to America and now we overpay for its premium/import amazingness.  4.6% alcohol.  This is what I drank for the majority of my beers last year, as I am a sucker.
• Real Ale Fireman's Four.  The best actual beer among this list.  I like most of Real Ale's offerings, and while F4 isn't my top choice of theirs, it is a good beer for this kind of setting. Light, no crazy hops, not super malty, just easy on the tongue and only 5% alcohol.  I'll likely aim here this year.
• Redd's Apple Ale.  I will not try this.  Up yours.  I don't care how much you need information, you go reduce your lifespan on your own time.

WINNER:  Fireman's Four.  Duh.  But in a close second place is Miller Fortune because of the bang-for-buck factor of getting more alcohol for the same price.

Oh, and they'll also sell you exceedingly overpriced cokes, waters, coconut water, red bull, convenience-store-level wine, iced coffee, and sweet teas.  My friends Tito and Deep Eddy are fans of the sweet teas.

Surviving ACL: The Drinks @ the Fancy Beer Hall [EDIT with official new list]

Edit - the new list of beers for 2015 is appended at the end.
 
Like the food options at Zilker, the options for drinks have multiplied and improved vastly. No longer do you simply get the choice of bad macro or bad foreign, but now the ACL folks also offer an array of local and craft beers to enjoy.

I don't know if you are a BBQ nerd or not, but there is a guy who does a top notch blog on food, called Fed Man Walking, who does a great job of eating his way through the Austin BBQ scene and creating a legit list about it.  Way more useful than the list Texas Monthly does every decade or so.  Anyway, he has a good post with photos of last year's beer menus, which I am going to use for this since the ACL page about their beer hall is missing from their website.  Lame.

Before I start, a comment on the local-ness of the craft beer list.  Austin (and the surrounding area) is now home to about 78 million breweries.  I think another one just opened as I typed.  I think it would be imminently cool if this entire list was made up of local offerings so that all of the people coming to Austin could enjoy a well-curated list of the best Austin has to offer.  We've got every major style represented well.  Real Ale is great - that is an O.G. local brewery that has been doing good things for a long time - but we have so much more to offer.  Austin Beerworks, Black Star, Hops & Grain, Adelbert's, Jester King, Circle, Thirsty Goat, 512, Independence, Oasis.  Heck, a new one named Zilker just opened, which would be poetic to serve in the park.  And that's not even mentioning the great restaurant brewery options like Pinthouse Pizza or ABGB.  We are so rich with options, there is no real reason to bring the non-Austin options to town.  (Well, unless you have an exclusive contract with a particular distributor who doesn't carry any locals except for Real Ale, which may be the issue).

Rant over, beer thoughts now.  I'll get to the regular BAR tents later, here are thoughts about the fancy craft beers in the Barton Springs Beer Hall.  This all assumes that nothing changes, which could be incorrect, but ACL isn't listing facts about the drinks on their site. All are $8, although they don't provide serving size on that menu.  I will be assuming a 16 ounce plastic pint cup like last year.

• Real Ale Devil's Backbone (8%), Real Ale Hans Pils (5%), Real Ale Four Squared (6%).  Here are your three local options as of last year.  I like Hans Pils the best out of the group, but all three of these are pretty strong hop beers, which is too bad, because it would be nice to get more variety.  Devil's is the strongest for sure, but I always dislike it by the end of a pint because of the heavy hops shredding my tongue.
• Odell 90 Shilling (5%) and Odell IPA (7%).  Fort Collins, CO.  That 90 Shilling is excellent beer.  About two years ago it popped up all over town, from Cedar Door to Pinthouse, and I think it is a really great beer.  Super smooth and not too malty or too hopped up.  Their IPA is a good one too, but (as you might see in here) I'm lukewarm about the mega hop explosion that won't die in the craft brew movement.
• Stone IPA (6.9%).  California.  I feel like I've had this one before.  Obviously really left an impression on me.
• Lagunitas IPA (6.2%).  California.  I just has this one last week through pure happenstance. Meh.  After the first sip I wished I had gone with another choice.
• Victory Prima Pils (5.3%).  Pennsylvania.  Not sure if I've had this one.  The ACL menu says "Refreshing herbal bite," which makes this sound terrible.
• Left Hand Milk Stout (6%).  Colorado.  Awesome beer, but you need to be in the right mood and frame of mind.  This thing is sweet and creamy, like a melted milkshake.  I think they are great, but the thought of ordering one to sip in a hot and dusty park sounds terrible.
• Alaskan White (5.3%) and Alaskan Freeride APA (5.3%).  Alaska.  The White is a wheat beer, and I find the weird spices in it to be offputting.  A little cloying.  The Freeride is an American Pale Ale, which I generally like, but I don't think I've tried that one.  I might like that option if they have it again.
• Harpoon UFO White (4.8%).  Massachusetts.  Another unfiltered wheat beer with spices that are not my thing.  I can see the allure of a light, sweet beer like this for the festival, but its just too much for me.  I dig Harpoon - their Octoberfest is awesome - but this one is a no for me.
• Brooklyn Lager (5.2%).  New York.  Great beer.  This brewery makes one called Black Ops that is ridiculously good, and their Brown is excellent, and the Pennant Ale is really good too, so I have a soft spot for them.
• Breckenridge Agave Wheat (4.2%).  Colorado.  I do not like this beer.  I have tried it a time or two because a bar up in my neighborhood carries it, but it is just too sweet.
• Ciders.  Don't drink these.

2014 WINNERS:

Actual best beer Category: 90 Shilling.

Best local beer of the only three offered all from the same brewery Category:  Hans Pils.

Beer on the list I'd like to try Category: Alaskan Freeride APA.

Best bang for your buck Category:  Devil's Backbone for sure at 8%, but Odell and Stone's IPAs are right there at about 7%.

If they announce the real deal beer line-up for the year, I'll adjust accordingly.  Until then, enjoy trying a few of these to prep for the big weekend!

 
2015 Beer list has been announced!

• Ace Pineapple Cider.  Haven't tried it.  Sounds gross.
• Alaskan White (5.3%) and Alaskan Amber (5.3%).  Of course, I say I'd be interested in trying the Freeride APA from this brewery, and ACL drops it.  I think I've had that Amber before, but it didn't leave much of an impression.
• Breckenridge Agave Wheat (4.2%).  See last year, too sweet for my taste.
• Deep Ellum Easy Peasy IPA (5.2%).  Dallas.  Beer Advocate calls it sessionable and mentions tangerine and lemon peel.  Sounds kind of good.  And while it ain't Austin-made, we're getting closer by going with Big D.
• Founders Mosaic Promise (5.5%).  Michigan.  Apparently an "American IPA." Not sure if that is the same as an APA.  Haven't tried it before.
• Harpoon UFO White (4.8%).  Massachusetts.  See last year
• Lagunitas IPA.  (6.2%).  California.  See last year.
• Left Hand Milk Stout.  (6%).  Colorado. See last year.
• Miller Lite.  One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just isn't the same!
• Odell 90 Shilling (5%) and Odell IPA (7%).  Colorado.  See last year.
• Real Ale Devil’s Backbone (8%), Real Ale Fireman’s #4 (5.1%), Real Ale Hans Pils (5%), Real Ale Oktoberfest (5.7%).  AUSTIN-area.  Hooray!  One more local beer added to the list!  And it is a good one - I like Oktoberfest beers in general, and Real Ale does a fine malty marzen-style one.  If making them wasn't such a hassle, I'd make this style all year long.  Oh, but wait, we lost the Four Squared.  So we actually don't end up with more local options, just slightly different local options.  Next year, I expect more local action!
• Stone Delicious IPA.  (7.7%) California.  Uh oh, Stone's IPA went and got delicious since last year!  And added in about another point of alcohol.  Trying to challenge the Devil for the throne!  I haven't tried this one before, but would be up for it.
• Woodchuck Gumption Cider.  Blurg.  All I can think of is the huge gums that a woodchuck probably has to hold those huge teeth in its mouth.  This cider comes from squeezing those gums.

2015 WINNERS:

• Actual best beer Category: For me, it is still 90 Shilling for sure.
• Best local beer of the only four offered, all from the same brewery, Category:  Oktoberfest, although I still dig the Hans Pils.
• Beer on the list I'd like to try Category: Deep Ellum Easy Peasy IPA.
• Best bang for your buck Category:  Devil's Backbone is still the king at 8%, but Stone stepped up to a 7.7 percenter.  

Enjoy yourself some tasty beer!  Less than two weeks away!

Quick Hits, Vol. 45 (Best Coast, Chris Stapleton, Indigo Girls, Dope Soundtrack)

Best Coast - California Nights.  I honestly don't know what it is about Best Coast, but something about their music just clicks in me and opens up new receptors that other music doesn't get to.  2012's The Only Place was one of my favorite albums of that year and still gets a spot in my rotation, it is so good.  And this new album hews to the same formula, beautiful, simple, sunny rock that kicks ass. The killer track off of this album is "California Nights," which is laid back and gorgeous, but still blasts a pretty heavy guitar solo in the middle.

Its got to be the 90's alt nostalgia that makes me love it so much, but this one just builds and builds, while still maintaining that basic sound.  When it kicks in, I just got goose bumps.  "Feeling OK" is another top jam.

Chris Stapleton - Traveller.  For all of the accolades and love being piled onto Sturgill Simpson these days, I think people are missing out on a pretty damn solid running mate here in Stapleton.  His voice and tone are a little more bluesy, but he also cranks out a pretty legit old school country sound, plus some Springsteen-esque tunes as well (see "Fire Away," particularly the intro).  This album is fantastic.  "Whiskey and You," "Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore," "Fire Away," these are all really great songs.  "Daddy Doesn't Pray" has stuck in my head for days - "guess he finished talkin' to the Lord" gets me. Maybe maudlin, but it is beautiful.  Love that song.  Here is the title song from the album.

Sounds very much like an old Austin staple, someone that would open for Arc Angels, Los Lobos, or Lyle Lovett comfortably on any given night.  I listened to it multiple times while mobile for a few hours the other day, and I love it.  "Whiskey and You" is a killer lover's lament - I can't decide whether that is the best song on this album over "Daddy Doesn't Pray," but either of them are well-written gems.  
"Devil Named Music," a brutal indictment of missing out while out on the road.  "Outlaw State of Mind" and "Might as Well Get Stoned" are the tough guy tunes, but also great.  Now I'm just apparently going to name every song on the album.  He also runs out a cover - "Tennessee Whiskey" - that hews to much to country formula (feels lame to sing "you're as smooth as Tennessee Whiskey, sweet as strawberry wine" after the rest of these great lyrics). And the Willie harmonica on the beauty duet on "More of You" and "Daddy Doesn't Pray." Classic.  Keeping this one around for sure.

As an aside, his Wikipedia page notes that he has had 4 number one tracks for other artists, and "over 150 of Stapleton's songs have appeared on albums by such artists as Adele, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley."  Pretty wild, shows how he has the lyrical chops to fire out this album on his first try.

Indigo Girls - One Lost Day.  Man, back in the early nineties, I love me some Indigo Girls.  Their eponymous album is still a kick ass disc of beautiful harmonies and well crafted song writing.  I stuck with them for an album or two after that, but by 1997's Shaming of the Sun, I'd fallen off the bandwagon.  This, straight up, is not nearly as good as those old albums I loved.  Their voices have aged some and don't have quite the same purity they used to - just a little rougher around the edges. However, it is still a pretty entertaining listen, with some flashes of the old sound in here.  "Come a Long Way" and "Learned it on Me" are the two that stood out.  Here is "Learned it on Me."

Still a good sound, musically, with a lot of the same R.E.M.-esque sounds they boasted back in their heyday.  In the end, I like this disc pretty well.

Dope: Music from the Motion Picture.  I want to see this movie, as it sounds like a fun trip - a nerdy lover of mid-90's hip hop who is trying to survive rough streets.  Sounds like fun. And the soundtrack is super fun as well.  Mostly classic rap tunes - Digible Planets, Nas, Public Enemy, Tribe Called Quest, Digital Underground - but with a few kind of weird other tunes tossed in that were apparently done by Pharrell, in-character, as the characters in the movie who have a band named Awreeoh.  Those tunes are not nearly as good as the classics (and I don't think they are meant to be), but they are kind of fun - they actually sound like a group of kids jamming out with abandon.

"Scenario" is probably the best track on the album, such a tight jam.  There are a few other tracks on this soundtrack that are pretty weak - something called Watch the Duck (which starts as kind of a cool, funky little tune evoking James Brown, until the dumb wubwubwub of dubstep kicks in and then a Ceelo Green tune breaks out for a bit), a Lolawolf tune (who I always confuse with Yellawolf, but this is maybe slightly better than the garbage Yellawolf puts out?), something by a guy named Buddy, and finally a cool tune by Gil Scott-Herron that Kanye sampled back before he became crazy reality show Kanye.  Nice soundtrack though.

Quick Hits, Vol. 44 (The Bright Light Social Hour, Celestial Shore, The Sonics, Funkadelic, Parliament)

The Bright Light Social Hour - Space is Still the Place.  Love this album.  From my time with the 2015 ACL bands, I think it is becoming more apparent that I like myself some psych rock.  This band's last album was also awesome, although it was more of a funky rock party, and this one leans more into the psych fold.  The best track, the one that jumps out and grabs you right away, is "Infinite Cities," which maintains both sides of the band, some funkiness from the bass and drums, but also some trippy guitar and effects.  It is awesome.

Yeah!  I have yet to see these dudes, even though they are from Austin and play here quite a bit.  I'd like to catch a live show sometime.  Good album, check it out.

Celestial Shore - Enter Ghost.  Interesting album.  I have listened to it a number of times, and just can't decide if I like it or not.  As I listen, it sounds good, kind of falsetto indie pop with classic rock/pop harmonies and organs and a 90's alternative overlay.  The thing is, when I'm done listening to it, nothing at all sticks in my mind.  It just melts right out of my brain as soon as the last note plays.

The start of this one sounds like it is an old Pixies B-Side you are hearing for the first time, but then the singing is entirely different.  "I Hide" is kind of cool too.  I like it well enough, but I just don't expect that I'll keep it around for good.

The Sonics - This is the Sonics.  I am so very tired of listening to this album.  It has been in my new music Q for a very long time, and keeps popping up after I listen to other things, and I just don't like it.  I know I am supposed to love it, because this band is roundly loved by and influential to bands like Nirvana and the White Stripes.  And maybe back in the 60's, their sound really was revelatory and worthy of adoration, but this sounds more like my friend's dad and his bowling buddies made a demo and now I have to listen to it with him watching me and air guitaring the super rockin' parts. I'm sorry.  I just can't do it.

That was "Bad Betty."

Funkadelic - Free Your Mind...  Now, I'm well aware that this is not a new album, but in listening to new music, I sometimes run across things that I probably should go listen to for the historical effect they have had on music.  Album was released in 1970.  This is an interesting thing, in that some of this music is brutally out of left field and hard to listen to. So very grating and experimental.  But then "I Wanna Know If It's Good to You" kicks in with sweet funky, psychedelic excellence, and I see how this was so influential.

Aw yeah.  I'd keep that track, but the rest can go.

Parliament - Mothership Connection.  This is what I'm talking about.  Now I know the answer to the question of "Which George Clinton project is better?"  This is the funky stuff used to make some of the best rap music, in my opinion.  And while this is still kind of out there like Funkadelic, it is light years more approachable, and contains loads of recognizable hooks, which makes it even more fun to listen to.  "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)."

Surviving ACL: The Eats [updated]

Since I posted this, they released the lineup for this year's eats.  Here is the listing.  Since there are literally only two new entrants, I decided to just update this post instead of do a whole new one.  See below for new vendors.

The food at ACL Fest is legit.  I remember hitting up the Willie Nelson 4th of July picnic in Luckenbach 20 years ago, and the food was garbage.  Turkey legs and sad nachos and lukewarm Bud.  In these new days of food trucks on every corner, the days of bad hot dogs and nachos at an outdoor event should be wiped off the face of the earth.  You'll pay for the honor of enjoying these eats, but it definitely beats the alternative of garbage from Sodexo or whatever.

The Menu from last years' ACL is ridiculously detailed, so I'm not going to try to run through that whole thing.  But if you scroll down through it, you can see that the menu is varied and eclectic, and will allow you to try several iconic Austin places or just get some food in your belly.  The choice is yours.  Here are some eats that I remember from the past few years.

• Chi'Lantro Kimchi Fries.  $8.  This trailer used to be right across the street from my office and it was awesome.  They pretty much serve that one kind of meat 7 or 8 different ways.  The burger, with a fried egg on it, is so fantastic.  But that wasn't an option here, so I went with the fries.  I recall them being less than warm, and kind of bad underneath the yummy kimchi. 
• East Side King's Poor Qui Buns.  $8.  So stinkin' good.  I love those soft, steamed buns, and the pork and seasoning going on in this was great.
• P. Terry's burger. $4.  Best deal in the park.  I like these burgers anyway, but instead of dropping $8 on something weird and potentially bad, you can fire down two excellent burgers for the same price.  This is definitely my go-to when in the park and trying to snag food in between shows.
• Mighty Cone!  $7.  These things are awesome.  They have a chicken and a shrimp, and I recall destroying several a year ago.  Great crunch on the fried protein, plus a tasty sauce, some slaw, and a tortilla of sorts.  Yummo.
• Mmmpanadas green chile chicken empanada.  $8.  My recollection of this is that this was a poor choice.  I thought it would be a good change of pace, but I recall it being kind of waxy and dry.
• Stubb's chopped beef sandwich with chips.  $8.  Another go-to for me, easy to grab and go and jam this sucker home with little fuss or muss.  And a bag of Fritos with it is choice as well.

Then, assuming the restaurant list will be the same or similar this year, here are some things that I want to seek out to try:

• Tamale Addiction.  I dig tamales, and this would probably be a good change of pace from the burgers.
• Southside Flying Pizza.  A slice of pie of the meatball sub, those sound great right now.
• Peached Tortilla.  We have eaten at their new brick and mortar a few times recently and like it. Brisket tacos or pork belly tacos?  Heck yes.
• Mighty bird burrito.  We ate there the other day with kids in tow and liked it.  Burrito is perfect fest fare.
• Freebirds!  Again, burrito sounds like a good plan.

I'm sure we'll get a few new joints added in and a few will drop out, but in general terms, the food choices at the park are good during the big weekend.

As for actual eating, know that it is a grind to get the best stuff during the usual eating times. If you want to get Torchy's at noon, then expect to wait for it.  This is one of the reasons I go with the burger - for ease - they have them ready and you just snag, pay, and roll along. Also, regardless of how tired you are of standing, you likely are not going to get a spot to sit in the shade by the food stands unless it is an off time.  Usually, every seat in the big eating tent is occupied by some large group of bored-looking college kids who are texting each other and fanning themselves with their hip straw fedoras.  They aren't eating, but when you glance around with food in hand, hopefully scanning for a spot to sit, they do not move, or offer their seat, they just continue to chew their gum and stare.  I love the youth.

[UPDATE]

The new menu drops out a few names, but most of the major players I remember from the past are coming back for another trip.  New entrants to the game:

• Burro Cheese Kitchen.  I've eaten these things while at the Austin Beerworks brewery, and they are freaking good.  Those little King's hawaiian rolls with cheese melted inside are mighty tasty!
• uhhhhh.
• ummmmm.
• welp...
• Trudy's.  Trudy's will be there serving up stuffed avocados for $8 (yummo) and Cholula Honey Chicken Tenders for $6.  Their stuffed avocados are mighty fine!

Not much else added to the lineup for real food.  Lambas Royal Indian is gone [edit, added not to the Farmer's Market], also gone are Max's Wine Dive and Oh Kimchi!  Otherwise, same as last year.  Which is helpful for my planning purposes.  I can still aim for the Freebirds and Mighty Bird burritos and the P. Terry's burger action!  I'd also go hit up one of those Burro sammies!

Quick Hits, Vol. 43 (Snoop Dogg, Tyler, the Creator, Young Thug, Turbo Fruits)

Snoop Dogg - BUSH.  Good gravy, this is bad music.  What happened, Snoop?  He's back from being Snoop Lion, which is a plus, but this is just not good at all.  I would normally enjoy the backing tracks - live band funk music, heavy on the P-Funk influences - but not feeling it at all.  When those types of songs are sampled for rap, I'm usually all in.  But this is more of a 70's funk synth album with a load of singing over the top instead of the regular rap.  He raps too, but it is pretty weak. This is not good.

"Peaches n Cream" is the most listened to track off of the album.  I can't do it.

Tyler, the Creator - Cherry Bomb.  Really uneven.  Some of his stuff is interesting and fun, but a lot of this album is too convoluted and becomes hard to listen to a second time.  I have yet to really get into any of the guys who came out of the Odd Future group.  Here is the most listened-to one from the album (likely because it includes Kanye and Wayne), called "Smuckers."

I've listened to it a few times over the last few months, and I just don't want to hear it again.  Pretty poor recommendation right there.

Young Thug - Barter 6.  Like Future, I feel like I always see things about Young Thug being the new hotness that everyone needs to get on board with.  In general terms, this is fun enough music - trap tracks that work fine for head bobbing - but I find his delivery annoying on most tracks, all auto-tune and offkilter.  This one, "Check," is pretty cool.

In fact, now that I listen to the album again, this sounds a ton like Future.  I'm just not that into this wave of rappers.  Overall, I wouldn't suggest that you listen to the album.

Turbo Fruits - No Control.  Dig it.  Raw poppy punk that reminds me of Diarrhea Planet.  This album is good stuff - sometimes a little screamier than I like, but overall I have enjoyed five or six good listens.  At 36 minutes long, that is easy to knock out.  "Big Brother" is a good track, and this one, their current most popular, is a standout as well.

"The Way I Want You," with all of 79k listens.  Rest of the album is pretty similar, I think punk is the correct genre name, but it is almost more pop rock than true old school punk.  I like it though.