Happy ACL time! For my money, Friday is the best day of this year's lineup because you get some rock and roll and punk to offset some of the EDMiness of this year's poster. At the same time, at the end of the night, it is not my bag anymore...
Also, have you looked at the weather? Not looking very fun out there at all. Hope it isn’t going to get cancelled like Two Step last year.
Just wait until 1:20, and then let that issh build in your veins until it must erupt into pure joy. I want to be one of those guys who jumps the stage with the full commit.
Here we go — Friday, Weekend ONE:
| Tito's (12:45) | The 4411: Local boys making some raw indie rock |
| T-Mobile (1:00) | Asleep at the Wheel: Every year's favorite western swing purveyors |
| AmEx (1:15) | Hunx and His Punx: Doo-wop punk goofiness |
In all seriousness, I doubt I would make it in the park quite this early, but the local 4411 is probably the right call.
| Miller Lite (1:45) | Faouzia: Heavy vibrato pop |
| BMI (1:45) | Elle Coves: Pop, but a more pleasant sort |
| Beatbox (2:00) | Night Traveler: 80's rock redux |
| Tito's (2:00) | Solomon Hicks: Classic blues guitar slinging by a younger guy |
| Snapchat (2:00) | Elijah Delgado: Local indie rock with a Leon Bridges-lite voice |
I lean towards the guitar slinging in the Tito's tent, but Delgado over at the Snapchat tent caught my ear during the listening. Either are probably going to be good.
| T-Mobile (2:30) | New Constellations: the 80's called and they want their synths back |
| AmEx (2:45) | CMAT: Irish power pop gal with a strong voice |
CMAT, but I could also be convinced to go find some water right about here.
| Miller Lite (3:15) | Paris Paloma: A feminist anthem and some Florence and the Machine sounds |
| Tito's (3:15) | Bo Staloch: Local kid doing some low key indie/folk that keeps bringing the Lumineers to my mind |
| BMI (3:30) | Izzy Escobar: 'member Adele? I 'member |
| Beatbox (3:30) | Marlon Funaki: Self-taught, self-produced indie psych rock fella |
| Snapchat (3:30) | LP: A billion stream track hiding here among the whistling and warbling |
Paris Paloma is good, as is Bo Staloch, but my tastes would likely take me over to Beatbox to see Marlon Fanaki. But, none of these are must see things, so I could be convinced otherwise.
| T-Mobile (4:15) | Jesse Welles: Modern protest music for the current moment |
| Tito's (4:30) | Rebecca Black: "Friday" and other slightly better garbage |
| AmEx (4:30) | Amyl and the Sniffers: Unmuzzled, brute-force punk and roll riffage (in a great way) |
Obviously, Rebecca Black sucks on toast. You could not pay me to see her. But I am bummed that they stacked Welles against the Sniffers. I would choose the Sniffers every time - I must jam out to "Some Mutts" someday - but I think Welles is a talented and funny songwriter who is right on time with the currently jacked up world around us.
| Miller Lite (5:15) | Brandon Flowers: The Killers |
| BMI (5:15) | Grocery Bag: Local grungy psych rock blast that rules |
| Beatbox (5:30) | Rusowsky: Latin Trap seems like genre to avoid |
| Snapchat (5:30) | Bunt.: EVEN MORE regular ass EDM |
Easy peasy - Grocery Bag all day.
| T-Mobile (6:15) | Turnstile: One of my favorite recent bands — a little hardcore, a lot awesome |
| Beatbox (6:30) | Steve Aoki: Techno remix king |
| AmEx (6:30) | Labrinth: Squawky, glitchy R&B with infrequent forays into rap-ish squawks. Squawk. |
100%, Turnstile may be the thing I'm most excited to see all weekend. Aoki feels like he would be a fun show, just to dance along with the things I already know and whatnot. But Turnstile, no doubt.
| Miller Lite (7:15) | Leon Thomas: Former child actor turned R&B crooner |
| Beatbox (7:30) | Molly Santana: Mumble-jumbled, auto-tuned rage rap |
| Snapchat (7:30) | The Chainsmokers: EDM, just like you've heard so many times before |
Butt. Just butt. I guess I would choose The Chainsmokers (so help me, God).
| Tito's (8:00) | Silent Disco |
| T-Mobile (8:15) | Skrillex: Pretty damn terrible, aggro EDM |
| AmEx (8:40) | Charli xcx: Forgettable pop at the top of the pile |
Again, what a bummer. I guess I'd go see Charli and see what the fuss is about. But I remember saying the exact same thing about Dua Lipa and then feeling like I'd wasted that piece of my life.
