ACL 2019: Weekend One: Friday: Thoughts and Schedule

YES!  it's finally happening!  I freaking love putting together my schedule.  Running back through all 130+ of the artists I have listened to.  Remembering the ones that were cool, figuring out how to navigate the stages, activating my true inner (and outer, I guess, since this is pretty public) music nerd.

If you can bail on work, the early Friday time at ACL is so great.  I usually try to go eat a good lunch with my out of town buddy - impress him with something awesome and Austin-y that he can't get in the park.  I'm still mad that Freedman's closed - that place ruled.

As I did last year, I've changed up the preview format so that you get hour-by-hour thoughts and layouts.  Previously I had ranked all of the bands and that was insane, and also completely useless, because who cares if Oliver Tree is my 83rd favorite band?  What you need to know is a choice during each set, where the artists are actually duking it out on the poster.

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.  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 EDM guy with electronic stuff?"
• 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).
• Interesting that nothing starts before 12:30 this year?  Do we have less bands than in the past?  Going to need to dig into that question.
• Also, note that the old HomeAway stage is now called T-Mobile, and the old Barton Springs Stage is now the VRBO stage.

Playlist!  This is mainly going to be the bands I recommend, with a few extra songs if they are notable or I couldn't make a definitive choice of bands.

 


Here we go:

12:30

Honda (12:45)	Asleep at the Wheel: Every year's favorite western swing purveyors
Kiddie Limits	Barton Hills Choir: The elementary school choir from the campus closest to Zilker Park.
American Express	The Amazons: Slightly lighter Royal Blood (apparently the only rock reference point I recall now)

There is a part of me that feels like a bad Austinite if I ever skip out on Asleep at the Wheel, but I actually really like The Amazons.  That would be my choice if I am out there that early.  Although, now that I think about it, kind of a bummer for those guys, right?  Come all the way from England to be posted up against some children singing Dead tunes and a band that has played the Fest 17 times?

1:15

Miller Lite (1:30)	Houses: Depressingly rote chillwave and sad piano balladry.
VRBO	Sam Fender: Voice like Brandon Flowers with some good guitar-driven Springsteen anthems.
Tito’s (1:00)	Erin Rae: Lovely crooner walking a line between country and indie
BMI	Kim Viera: Like an up-and-coming Shakira?
T-Mobile	Alesia Lani: Local R&B lady who made a video maybe at Bull Creek

You could have offered me $50 to recall anything at all about Houses as I started to write up this schedule.  No freaking clue, even though I listened a bunch and wrote them up back in May.  They really stick with you!  This one is an easy call for me – Sam Fender is really good.  Although if you dig Americana, Erin Rae is solid.

Random aside: I'm pre-emptively pissed that T-Mobile is a stage sponsor.  Because my shit AT&T service is going to be the usual garbage, and some kid with a T-Mobile next to me is going to be streaming the Texas game, while I can't get a single text to send.  Dammit.

1:45 – 2:45

Honda (2:00)	Scarypoolparty: American Idol runner-up with fantastic voice.
Tito’s Tent (2:00)	Oliver Tree: Weird ass rapper with terrible hair and bad sunglasses
Kiddie Limits (2:30)	School of Rock: Kids jamming cover tunes based on what they learned at private lessons
American Express (1:45)	Fidlar: Punky LA dudes with some tunefully fun, cheeky jams.

I’d feel a pull to go see Scarypoolparty just because his voice is so amazing, I feel like I might be missing out.  But I’m almost certain I’d rather go freak out with Fidlar.

2:45 to 3:45

Miller Lite	Black Pistol Fire:
VRBO	Cherry Glazerr: Grungy pop rock named after an NPR reporter
BMI	Palm Springsteen: One song that sounds like a Jack White alter-ego who loves synths
T-Mobile (2:30)	Jai Wolf: Varied electronic tunes that border on indie rock

Dang.  Didn’t even write a one liner for Black Pistol Fire!  So rude!  They are some good times rock and roll blasting though.  I’d probably choose them here, even though I actually enjoyed all four of the bands on this list.  Maybe do Cherry Glazerr instead?  Game time call on this one.

3:30

Honda	King Princess: Gritty pop music reminds me of cleaner Billie Eilish, dirtier Maggie Rogers.
Tito’s Tent	Monsieur Perine: World music chameleons that seem perfectly fine
American Express	Tyler Childers: Great lyricist making fine Americana and country music.

Another easy one for me – Childers has the songwriting chops to be a legit star.

4:30

Miller Lite	Kaytranada: Groovy electronic producer with a bunch of B-list singers.
VRBO	K.Flay: Not Britney's ex, instead, surprisingly good indie hip hop from the lady who went to Stanford
Kiddie Limits	Gustafer Yellowgold: Kiddie Limits alien with a nice, sweet sound
BMI	Weyes Blood: WTF?  Gentle, soft-focus 70's rock is apparently back.
T-Mobile	TroyBoi: Pretty solid EDM guy

Ehhh?  None of these light me up as must see artists, but all of them, even the Kiddie Limits guy, have some fine tunes.  Maybe just make a call per your mood – you can choose between EDM, groovy R&B, rap, 70’s soft rock, or an alien.  Go for it.  

I actually read the book that Weyes Blood named herself after, and while it was 100% weird, I enjoyed it and it made me think alot.  Mainly about how freaking weird it was, but also about how weird it was.

5:30

Honda	Lil Uzi Vert: Random lyric generator rap garbage
Tito’s Tent	The Comet is Coming: Freaky jazz instrumentals.
American Express	The Raconteurs: Jack White's power pop band still tossing out jams

No brainer for me.  Lil Uzi is terrible.  The Raconteurs are fantastic.  The Comet is Coming is freaking weird.  Jack4LYFE!

6:30 – 7:00

Miller Lite (7:00)	Thom Yorke’s Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes: Radiohead's lead singer doing his 2014 solo album for some reason.
VRBO (6:30)	Jenny Lewis: Kind of funky indie rock stuff with a great voice
T-Mobile	RL Grime: EDM guy with a name playing on his childhood reading.

I mean, if I’m being perfectly honest, I’m not seeing any of these.  I’m gonna see every second of Raconteurs and then wait for Guns n Roses.  But if I had the choice, would absolutely do Jenny Lewis.  She’s great.

HEADLINERS:

Honda (8:15)	Tame Impala: Tasty psych rock goodness and modern groove science
American Express (7:30)	Guns N’ Roses: One of the best hard rock bands ever

Man…  I really would have liked to have seen Tame Impala.  Their show a few years ago opened my eyes to a different side of rock and roll, and I was pumped to have them on top of the lineup this year.  But I’m seeing GNR.  There is no way I pass up the opportunity to see the mostly classic lineup for Guns N’ Roses.  Hopefully I can pull off a Friday night next weekend to see Impala.  Also, with a 7:30 start time, does that mean we are going to get two and a half freaking hours of GNR?  Or are they just building in an hour for Axl to throw a fit backstage and refuse to go on?

I feel like, regardless of the rest of the day, getting to see The Raconteurs and Guns N' Roses is going to be a pretty solid day.  The rest is just the good times gravy of the Fest.