ACL 2018: Second Weekend: Saturday Thoughts [EDIT AGAIN]

Rock and Roll, baby.  This day could allow you to mosh your way into the end of the night, with three bands on the American Express stage from 4:30 on that are either hard rock or metal.  I'm curious to see if we get an influx of metalheads with their cool Hot Topic t-shirts on to show how O.G. their love for thrash metal really is.

But, even if you aren't into the metal world, you can get some other great bands this day.  Chvches, Trampled by Turtles, Highly Suspect, The Breeders.  Even smaller things like Wallows and Ruston Kelly.  This will be a good day.

I don't usually make it out there first thing on Saturday, but in the past I've done that if there were top notch early things to see.  This weekend, I think I'd like to make it out there for the 12:45 hour to see Wallows.  We'll see how that works with tiredness and our Lyft ride.

AAAAAAND they just added Lil Wayne to Saturday or Second Weekend only.  That is cool as hell.  Trying to make up for the loss of Child Ass Gambino.  BUT, for me, that makes things difficult.  Wish they would have added him to Sunday night instead, because now he conflicts with Chvrches and goes right up to the start of Metallica.

A few prelude thoughts:

• 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.  
• 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 first column in each box is the stage where the band is playing (in case you thought I was just playing a weird word association game).

Playlist!

12:00 – 1:00

Miller Lite	Lo Moon: Gently lovely indie pop.
Barton Springs	Mamafesta: Local jam band grooving out in the dark.
Kiddie Limits (12:30)	Barton Hills Choir: The elementary school choir from the campus closest to Zilker Park.
Tito’s (11:45)	Ty Morris &H.O.W.: Gospel
BMI	Charley Crockett: If Hank Williams Sr. liked to get soulful and bluesy every once in a while.
Home Away	Slenderbodies: Whispery, falsetto indie pop that still somehow grooves

These early morning offerings are pretty bland.  If I’m there this early in the day, I guess I'd go for Crockett (but will probably just show up a little later...) 

12:45

Honda	Donna Missal: Strong-voiced pop with a retro bend
Tito’s Tent	Harry Paradise: Forgettable electronic guy from Austin that even ACL doesn't seem to care about.
American Express	Wallows: B-list movie star band with great indie rock chops.

Wallows is the easy choice here for me.  Paradise is not good.  Missal is fine, but I'm not going to pass up rock for retro pop most days of the week.

1:30 to 2:30

Miller Lite	Durand Jones and the Indications: Retro Soul goodness with a great live sound.
Barton Springs	IAMDDB: Generic mix of rap and R&B from a Brit lady
Tito’s (1:45)	Ikebe Shakedown: Funky instrumental jam outs with tons of horns
BMI	Ruston Kelly: Very good Americana and alt country from husband of Kasey Musgraves
Home Away	Verite: Moody electronic pop and 1975 covers.

This hour is all over the map.  You can literally just choose the type of tunes you want.  Durand Jones is good, if you are looking for retro soul.  Ikebe Shakedown are super funky and groovy, if you want instrumental groove.  But Ruston Kelly is legitimately good.  I've been listening to his new album even after being done with all of these bands, he was one of the few bands in this whole thing that have stuck in my head.

2:30 to 3:30

Honda	Mon Laferte: Spanish-language music I don't understand
Kiddie Limits	Lard Dog & theBand of Shy: Kiddie Limits silliness
Tito’s Tent (2:45)	Curtis Harding: O.G.-sounding soul man.
American Express (2:15)	The Wombats: Highly fun Brit rock and roll with that Dance to Joy Division hit

On the one hand, Curtis Harding is pretty freaking cool.  I might be swayed to go over there and eyeball his style.  On the other, upper hand, I think I’d likely prefer high energy rock and goofiness of the Wombats.

3:30

Miller Lite	SMINO: Singer/rapper leaning more to R&B soul than hip hop.
Barton Springs	Japanese Breakfast: Great melodic indie rock to go with thoughts of sushi pancakes
BMI	Lucie Silvas: British pop early, morphing into rootsy almost country, with dramatic violins always involved.
Home Away (3:15)	The Breeders: Alternative rock's girl group from the 90's (yes, you remember "Cannonball").

Kinda tough call here.  Japanese Breakfast is one of the new things I’ve found through this process that turned me into a fan.  But the Breeders are a part of my 90’s alt rock upbringing.  I might make my buddy choose for me.  I think I’m leaning Breeders.

Note, however, that they just adjusted the time for that show to 3:15.

4:30

Honda	Brandi Carlile: Great lyricist walking the line between rock and Americana
Kiddie Limits	Ralph’s World: Kiddie Limits silliness
Tito’s Tent	Rhye: Beautiful falsetto-driven chill tunes
American Express (4:15)	Highly Suspect: Excellent alternative rock

This is where Saturday could become your hard rock day.  Interesting the way that the Fest has cooked up a three show run here at the AmEx stage where you could just dig in for a series of mosh pits and head bangs from 4:30 to 10:00.  If it weren’t for Chvrches, I’d be tempted.  Anyway, Highly Suspect will get my vote here, although Brandi Carlile is very very good.  If you get to go both weekends, then go see her for one of them.

For real, I'm playing the playlist up above as I painstakingly put together all of these little charts, and "Little One" just came on.  I've heard that song 40 times by now, and yet I still broke into goosebumps during the chorus and needed to belt it out.  Definitely doing HS.

5:30

Miller Lite	Blood Orange: Bummer R&B crooner over down-tempo synth beats
Barton Springs	Marian Hill: That Apple commercial song with the wall dancing.
BMI	Trampled by Turtles: Bluegrass traditionalists who can haul ass on the banjo
Home Away (5:15)	Bazzi: Generic R&B guy made famous by a meme

This one is very simple, because most of this is not good music.  Trampled by Turtles is fun and exciting bluegrass music.  Maybe you don't like fun music and want to go suffer through bad R&B or bands with one massive hit and then a bunch of detritus.  Be my guest!  

6:00 to 6:30

Honda (6:30)	Chvrches: Excellent electronic dance pop from Scotland
Tito’s Tent (6:30)	San Holo: More generic EDM
American Express (6:00)	Disturbed: Oooo wahahaha!  Nu metal rockers with a schlocky side.

Chvrches, all day, for me.  A case could be made to go see Disturbed and relive some of my Nu Metal days, but they just dive too deep into some bad tunes in their shows.  If they would just play "Down With The Sickness" over and over for 45 minutes, then end with the dumb "Sound of Silence" cover, I'd consider it.  But as is, Chvrches.

Just noticed this will be the first show that takes me from the Amex side of the park.  I need to lobby the C3 folks to move swap Chvrches for Disturbed so I can just stay on that one side of the grounds.

7:00 and 7:30

Miller Lite (7:30)	Sylvan Esso:  Glitchy-sounding electronic indie pop that weakens after the Get Up Get Down one.
Barton Springs (7:30)	Residente: Spanish-language EDM and hip hop from Puerto Rico
Home Away (7:00)	Lil Wayne!  Self-proclaimed best rapper alive.  I don't go that far, but he can drop some perfect one liners (among a bunch of groaners).

Now this got all jacked up because of stupid Childish Gambino.  Justice got move up to the headliner slot here, and St. Vincent got yanked from this hour (and day) and put onto Sunday night.  
So, that totally changes the question here.  Where did Sylvan Esso come from?  Ah, they used to be Sunday night.  WTF.  Both of these are not good, so this will be the time when I get up close to see Metallica.
Wait!  Now they added in Lil Wayne to this spot!  I'm going to go crazy trying to keep up with all of these changes, I can only imagine what the people are C3 are feeling like right now.  BUT, with him playing at a 7pm slot, that jacks up me seeing Chvrches.  Too bad they didn't add him to Sunday night, rap lovers could have done Staples, then Wayne, then Scott.  Oh well.  As it is, I'll miss this hour to go from Chvrches to Metallica.

8:00 to 8:30

Honda (8:30)	Justice: Old school electronic dance party
Tito’s Tent (2:45)	Silent Disco
American Express (7:50)	Metallica: Metal Gods

Travis Scott is out, moved to Sunday night headliner.  Now you get Justice, who is actually pretty legitimately good for electronic dance.  That being said, I would not miss out on Metallica, regardless of who was in this slot against them.  I know I have been beating this into the ground, but they are seriously great live.  Even if you’re scared, just go anyway and let yourself be taken in by the power.  Also, note that the Metallica show has been expanded to two hours and ten minutes (instead of just 1.5).