Tuesday, October 4, 2022

ACL 2022: Saturday: Weekend Two: Schedule and Thoughts

My take on Weekend One Saturday was that it is a weak day, and I stand by that.  But this day is actually really strong for second weekend.  Luckily for the fans, no Texas/OU weekend this weekend either!  Everything is lineup for you jerks!  I'll be there Friday of Weekend Two, but I don't know that I'll be able to pull off Saturday as well.  Either way, come along and let's look at some of this goodness.  Like this freaking song, WHICH JAMS!

My good LORD, what a fun song.  I've got full-on goosebumps right now.

A few prelude thoughts for Saturday:

  • The comments for each band are those "One Liner" things that I added to my reviews. It helps me to remember who they are (sometimes) and provides some detail on the kind of music they play.  Every once in a while they make me giggle too.
    • Honestly, sometimes those one liners are freaking hard to write.  Some of this music is super crazy forgettable and I just can't come up with anything useful to write.  "uhhh, another R&B lady with a pretty voice?"
  • I've made each band name a link so that you can go read the full review and listen to some tunes if you are unswayed by the One Liner.
  • The headliners have been pushed far back this night - Pink doesn't even start until 8:30? A few years back, GNR started at 7:30.  Kind of lame to cut back her set to only an hour and a half?
  • Only 14 artists are on both Saturdays, so the overlap is surprisingly small.  39 things on the poster for today, so most of them are special just to this day.  Huh.  Sure seems easier to keep more continuity between the weekends!  Also, I want these bands there for weekend one!

Playlist!


Here we go:

12:00

Miller Lite
Spill Tab: Bedroom pop gal who is now going in a rockier direction that I like
BMI
Izzy Heltai: Excellently lo-fi gentle rock
Barton Springs
Lesly Reynaga: Local Mariachi band singer with a great voice
 Tito's    
J Soulja: Local rapper with a great flow and an excellent attitude about growing rap in the city
T-Mobile 
Jake Lloyd: Local rapper and R&B crooner with the same name as kiddo Skywalker

Seems kinda shitty to make two local rap guys go against each other instead of growing viewership (not even getting in to the fact that they are putting both of them at a time when no one will be at the shows yet either).  I like Spill Tab, and think Soulja is more talented than I expected, but I'd spend this hour with Heltai.  He is very good.

12:45/1:00
Honda
Como Las Movies: Austin purveyor of psychedelia cumbia supreme
Tito's (1:00)
Good Looks: Austin jangly rock band that rules!
Kiddie (1:00)
Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats: Jazzy scat-a-rat gal for the Kiddies.
American Express
Habibi: Surf rock girl group with some middle Eastern flourishes

Bummer!  Good Looks is for sure the choice here, as they are excellent and I think they'll be much higher on this poster some day in the future.  But I also really enjoyed Habibi, so I get going in that direction.  Already, this Saturday lineup kicks weekend one's ass.  Such a bummer.

1:30
Miller Lite
Neil Frances: Funky, groovy electronic pop that owes a debt to Daft Punk and the Seventies
BMI
Ben Reilly: Solid rapper whose flow reminds me of one of Kendrick's voices
Barton Springs
Lido Pimienta: Spanish language critical darling doing cumbia art-pop
T-Mobile    
Ripe: Jammy funk pop rock that feels vitally danceable


Damn!  Another tough hour.  Ben Reilly sounds brash and tough and has a really good track.  Neil Frances is just plain fun.  But Ripe has the song of the Fest for me - every time I hear it it makes me want to jam out and dance, so they get my vote here.  But either of those three are a solid choice.

2:00/2:15
Honda
Tai Verdes: Sunshine in a pop rock package
Tito’s Tent (2:00)
Southern AvenueBelt-y, soulful rockin' gospel-adjacent tunes
American Express
The Midnight: More 80's redux schlock
Kiddie (2:45)
Joanie Leeds: Kiddies tunes about girl empowerment and the Fauci Ouchie

And then this hour.  Nothing especially vital here, but I'd probably go watch Verdes.  I liked one of his songs and played it for my wife in the car a few weeks ago, and she was unimpressed, so I'm less pleased with the idea of seeing him now.  :(

3:15
Miller Lite
Samia: Really great indie rocker with famous parents
BMI
Sloppy Jane: Overly theatrical rock and weirdo stuff from Phoebe Bridgers' old band
Barton Springs
Tyla Yaweh: More boring Autotune mumble rap/R&B songs from a friend of Post Malone
T-Mobile
Princess Nokia: Rapper walking a line between Cardi and Nicki
Tito's Tent                        Michigander: Fun low-key but super catchy rock
                                        Josh Fudge: The Josh Fudge Universe

Another set of good choices.  For weekend one, Samia was my choice for sure, but that is because everything else that weekend was bad stuff.  Here you've also got a legit rock band in Michigander and a good rapper in Nokia, so you can kind of choose your poison.  I think I'd probably go check out Michigander.  Sloppy Jane is a hard no for me.

[EDIT]  MOFO!!!  I had been really enjoying Michigander, I've been listening to him more in the last week getting geeked up for the show.  Well now he's not on the DAMN schedule anymore.  Somebody named Josh Fudge took his place and I say FUDGE YOU!  Freaking red-headed FUDGEFACE!!!  (just kidding, he's actually pretty fun.)

4:15
Honda
Boy George and Culture Club: Classic 80's band with a surprisingly short lifespan
Tito’s Tent
Disko Cowboy: DJ with a western flair, I suppose.
Kiddie
Alphabet Rockers: Positive kiddie raps
American Express
Wallows: B-list movie star band with great indie rock chops.

Wallows for the win here, although it might be entertaining to see Boy George.  The problem is that they really only have two or three songs, and then they might try to play their new stuff, and that part would get depressing really quickly.  Maybe not, maybe their live show is a ton of fun, but I'd still probably just do Wallows.

5:15
Miller Lite
Sofi Tukker: Electronic dance music for the dumbing down of America
BMI
The Brummies: Retro, indie rock that makes me think of Harry Styles last album
Barton Springs
Sabrina Claudio: Whispery, slinky R&B lady
T-Mobile
The Front Bottoms: Lo-fi emo punk



Another tough call here - The Brummies and The Front Bottoms both have a cool thing going.  And no, it is not a hard call at all to avoid Tukker.  I think I'd choose The Brummies, although I feel torn about it as I'm typing that out.  Either would likely be fun.

6:15
Honda
Death Cab for Cutie: One of the finest indie rock bands of all time
Tito’s Tent
Big Gigantic: Electronic hip hop and jazz with lots of guest vocalists
American Express
Lil Nas X: The "Old Town Road" guy is still making insanely popular but mediocre raps

So annoying that Death Cab isn't weekend one as well.  That is rude.  I'd absolutely choose them here, although I will readily tell you that I have found the electronic bands in the Tito's tent to be a fun experience.  Everyone all packed in there and sweaty and jumpy and groovy.  I saw Griz like that a few years back and remember that experience fondly.  Also, isn't it odd that one of the eight main headliners on the initial poster gets a six o'clock slot?  Shouldn't Lil Nas be the one at the end of the night?

7:20
Miller Lite
Diplo: Electronic kingpin with generally uninteresting songs
Barton Springs
Tobe Nwigwe: Houston rapper with a great range of voices who will fight you when Jesus won't
T-Mobile
The War on Drugs: Top notch indie rock band with a heavy touch of melancholy and classic rock flourishes

They really loaded up on the EDM stuff with Big Gigantic before Diplo before Flume.  I hope the kids are able to bring enough drugs to keep it going for three whole back-to-back-to-back shows.  Nwigwe is great fun - if you are wanting rap stuff this weekend, then this is your chance.  But I've wanted to see War on Drugs for a while and will definitely choose that show.

HEADLINERS:
Honda
Flume: EDM guy
Tito's
Lady Bird
P!nk: Pop rock star from 20 years ago

Ehhh, I guess I'd go see P!nk?  Or maybe call it a night and just head out to get a cheap drink at the house?  I just don't care all that much about EDM.  Maybe we'll run in to some friends and just chill at the back of the Flume show and let the sweet bass drops happen from afar?  Meh.

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