ACL 2024: Heat

I was curious about the heat this year.  Feels like the kind of thing where every year I gripe about it being hotter than ever, but I know for a fact that one of the years was outrageous.  I can remember the lines at the snow cone stand in 2015, second weekend, being insanely long because we all thought we were going to die of heat.  But I looked it up, and according to Austin Monthly, the hottest days were mostly long ago.

Although, that image is sort of BS because in 2019 there were two day 3s.  Which one?  But still.  107?  Hot damn.  I thought we were miserable at 92 during weekend one.  But then second weekend hit this year and Sunday popped up over 100 again.  No freaking thank you.

I wonder if they could ever move the festival back?  Like, could they do the first two weekends of November?  Seems like a winning idea to me.

ACL 2024: Weekend TWO: Sunday Schedule and Thoughts!

I have tried to reduce some of the bloat in these schedule posts so that you can just get the goods.  As usual, you can click the name link for each artist below to see my full post on them and find out more about each artist.

Here we go - Sunday, Weekend TWO:

12:10/12:15/12:30

Miller Lite	Daiistar: My favorite new thing (and also a kinda Britpoppy psych rock thing)
BMI	Hudson Ingram: Jack Ingram's son making legitimately solid Harry Styles-ish pop rock
IHG (12:30)	Rickshaw Billie's Burger Patrol: BIG DUMB RIFFS
Tito's	The Moriah Sisters: Powerful belting for the Lord
T-Mobile (12:30)	Molecular Steve: Super catchy rock with a little slice of psych in there from a collective of Austin folks

Man.  That is honestly a killer lineup of fun ass local music.  Like, if you could send me to an afternoon show that was all of these (except for the gospel, sorry God) then I'd easily pay money to go jam that set.  Daiistar feels like a band that should be huge, if only the pandemic hadn't ruined everything.  Ingram feels like something our kids would worship if they only knew.  Rickshaw brings out my inner caveman and makes me want more music.  And Steve was my jam for almost a week, despite the need to keep reviewing other bands.  Super good.  I guess if held to a fire, I am going with Daiistar, but legit this set of bands is all winners.  Screw the NFL, those rich a-holes don't care about you.  Come watch rad bands.

12:55/1:15 (the times are so weird, sorry this gets difficult to parse)

Honda (12:55)	Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners: One monster, if short, hit, and then a pretty good set of indie rock tunes
AmEx (1:15)	Daniel Seavey: Solo boyband guy doing solo boyband pop stuff

Seriously feels like music is missing here.  Cmon.  We want more bands!  Put one of those from the early hour here!  Give me more exclamation points!  After hearing some music in passing, would choose the oddly named Richy. !!!

1:30/1:40/2:00

Miller Lite (1:40)	Dustin Kensrue: Ex-hardcore guy making country/Americana tunes now
BMI (1:40)	Emily Nenni: Pitch perfect classic country tunes
IHG (2:00)	Petey: TikTok star through wholesome funny videos also makes pretty solid synth rock
Tito's (1:30)	Kalu & the Electric Joint: Funky African-tinged rock and roll flavor from some local fellas
T-Mobile (2:00)	Malcolm Todd: Super lo-fi bedroom pop/rock guy that I already can't remember

Sorry, I know that is an awkward group of bands spread out over times, but there are not normal start times anymore.  Very staggered.  But this hour is tough.  Maybe Petey would be entertaining, or Kalu?  Kensrue was actually pretty nice despite my apathy for his old band.  I will tell you though, do not go to Malcolm Todd.  That was jenky as hell last weekend.

2:25/2:45

Honda (2:25)	Misterwives: That band with the infectious disco-ish Reflections song from 2017
Tito’s Tent (2:45)	Glass Beams: Funky Khruangbin Vibe with Middle Eastern flourish
American Express (2:45)	Flipturn: Great indie rock pleasantness with a distinctive voice over the top

I was kind of into all three of these, but did flipturn last weekend and it was fun as hell.  The lead singer's voice is more chill in the live version.  But any of these is cool.

3:25/3:45

Miller Lite (3:25)	Medium Build: New album is nice Americana, old stuff is less interesting bedroom pop indie
BMI (3:25)	Amira Elfeky: Dark, goth-y nu-metal stuff like Evanescence seems to me
IHG (3:45)	Myles Smith: Vibey, folky soft rock that is lovely if not very sticky
T-Mobile (3:45)	Bakar: Top tier vibe guy making surprisingly enjoyable indie rock

Last weekend, I said to choose Bakar, but I wholeheartedly choose Myles Smith now.  Freaking fun show.  Well, he also does some touching, deeper tunes, but even those had me dancing.  Dude is awesome.

4:25/4:30/4:45

Honda (4:25)	Orville Peck:  Weirdo, formerly anonymous, dude making country curious tunes
Tito’s Tent (4:30)	David Shaw: The Revivalists singer making similar tunes without the normal band
American Express (4:45)	Cannons: 80's tinged synth pop formed from Craiglist

All three of these should be really great.  I am certain that I will end up with the Revivalists guy, but I really have enjoyed listening to Orville Peck.  He's great.  Last weekend, I did Shaw and he is fantastic.  Such a good singer and performer, even in that hot ass little tent.  My buddy is scared that it all means that the Revs are breaking up, but I refuse to believe it.

5:25/5:45/6:00

Miller Lite (5:25)	Jess Glynne: Strong, soulful voiced Brit singer over dance beats
BMI (5:25)	The Droptines: Alt-country and good lyrics are still alive and well
IHG (5:45)	Kevin Abstract: One of the main BROCKHAMPTON guys aiming for more singing and less rapping
Tito's (6:00)	San Holo: More generic EDM
T-Mobile (5:45)	That Mexican OT: Cool mix of Tejano culture and southern hip hop

Pretty sure for this hour you could walk onto the stage with any of these folks and just hang out as they sing a personal message directly to you.  Because every other person in the park will be crowding into the AmEx zone to get ready for the next hour.  For good reason!  Here is what I think - Glynne has an amazing voice and I'd bet her show is fun.  The Droptines are talented and should grow out of their little corner of Texas.  San Holo in the Tito's Tent will probably be fun as hell.  That Mexican OT is definitely different from anything else here this weekend, and ought to be a good time.  If I had to choose, I might say the Droptines.  But also, what I did last weekend, and the right call, if to head your ass to the Amex stage and get as close as you can.

6:25/6:45

Honda (6:25)	mike.: Ex-baseball player stud, previously called Mike Stud, doing mediocre Post Malone cosplay
American Express (6:45)	Chappell Roan: Feels like the future mega-star act of the year

Fascinating the way that Chappell ran everyone off out of this hour - only the dopey last minute addition of mike. can act like there is someone who could compete with her.  You can read my review of last weekend to hear the full statement, but Roan was absolutely a great time.  Nothing was more fun all weekend long.  She'll never again be a non-Headliner, unless she quits music entirely, so go see what your kids are singing about.

7:25/7:45

Miller Lite (7:25)	The Red Clay Strays: Up and coming Americana and country rock from Alabama
IHG (7:45)	Qveen Herby: Very generic pop rap with a clever bar here and there
T-Mobile (7:45)	Dom Dolla : EDM guy

Man, what the hell.  Weekend One had Kehlani at the Miller Lite stage while we got up front for Sturgill.  And, no offense to Kehlani fans, that was lame as hell.  We could have had the RCS going over there, that would have been perfect for an appetizer.  Damn.  Seriously feels like we missed out.

HEADLINERS:

Honda (8:25)	Sturgill Simpson: Fantastic torchbearer of the type of Country I love
Tito's	Silent Disco
AmEx (8:45)	Tyler, the Creator: Very odd rapper, singer, and weirdo

Sturgill is the easy call for me.  We did that last weekend and it was volcanic.  He jams out like a classic rock band with slight southern country leanings.  Also, I really do not enjoy Tyler.  My middle kid left his show after 2 tracks saying it was just uninteresting.  And she lives for the rapper mosh pit.  But also, I have to say again that these setlist times for the headliners is bullhonkey.  1:15 from Tyler for the end of the Fest closer?  He can't even put together a two hour set?  Disappointing.

ACL 2024: Weekend TWO: Saturday Schedule and Thoughts!

I have tried to reduce some of the bloat in these schedule posts so that you can just get the goods.  As usual, you can click the name link for each artist below to see my full post on them and find out more about each artist.  Sadly, last week included a link to CAAMP, because I was really digging their chili, and then they like went to rehab or something, so you'll get nothing and like it!  Here is Jungle instead.

If anything is messed up in here, blame the late-night tequila I enjoyed while continuing to write after a full weekend of ACL, after trying to catch up on work.  My bad dog.

Here we go - Saturday, Weekend One:

11:55/12:05

Miller Lite	Joe P: Straight-forward guitar rock that sounds great, despite the weak name
BMI	Jordy: Pure pop that unflinchingly looks at his life being a gay man
IHG	Being Dead: Crunchy, fuzzy, local psych rock goodness
T-Mobile	Jonah Kagen: Poor man's Noah Kahan

Starting before noon makes for a crazy long day, so I don't know that you'll ever find me here this early.  That being said, this is an honestly amazing hour.  Like, I thought that both Joe P and Being Dead are things that I would pay real money to go watch other than with the Festival.  And the other two are also enjoyable (for me, Kagen more than Jordy, but diffrent strokes and all).  

The UT/OU game doesn't start for a few hours anyway, come in here and check Being Dead.

12:35/12:40/12:50 (why can't we just have a single start time?)

Honda (12:40)	Billy Allen and the Pollies:  Excellent alt-country band from Muscle Shoals (but fronted by a soul singer)
Tito's (12:35)	The Tiarras: Local trio of sisters singing in English and Spanish
AmEx (12:50)	Goldie Boutillier: Shape shifting gal seeking out the winning formula in a pop-influenced alt country

I think the Pollies would have been my jam if I had discovered them back in the day.  In this new iteration, with a soul singer blaring in the forefront, they are not as good IMO, but I think I'd still aim that way.

1:25/1:35

Miller Lite	Nico Vega: Riff-heavy rock and roll featuring the funny dude from Ant-Man
BMI	Jon Muq: Absolutely lovely indie rock from a golden-voiced Ugandan living in Austin
IHG	Valencia Grace: Unmemorable pop singer with a nice voice that can Adele at times
T-Mobile	Geese: Wild NYC art rock with a few too much dissonance for my taste

I am honestly mad about this hour.  No lie.  Jon Muq has an amazing backstory and a few excellent songs, but Nico Vega involves a famous person and sounds pretty rad.  I'd have a hard time there.  Also, I really wish that was Goose and not Geese.  Eggy turned me on to the jam love in a way I had not previously recognized.

2:05/2:10/2:20 (they really don't line up the bands anymore...)

Honda (2:10)	Movements: Strained yelping on the otherwise rocking emo tunes isn't it for me
Tito’s Tent (2:05)	Bob Schneider: An Austin institution still churning out great lyrics and well-crafted little pop rock songs
American Express (2:20)	Lola Young: Strong voiced Brit singing hard-edged and confessional pop

Man, Bob Schneider rules.  We got to see him this summer at Antone's, and that is a legit fun time.  In the Tito's Tent, working the crowd?  Gimme.

3:05/3:10/3:20

Miller Lite (3:10)	Say She She: Three classically trained singers over the top of Nile Rodgers funk
BMI (3:10)	Emei:  Olivia Rodrigo rip-off and other bad pop experiences
IHG (3:20)	Spinall: Nigerian DJ funking it up with his Afrobeats
Tito's (3:05)	Balthvs: Khruangbin copycats from Columbia

T-Mobile (3:20)

The Beaches: Poppy garage rocking ladies

Wild hour full of fun weird things.  The Beaches are my choice out of this hour, saw them last weekend and it was a blast.  Maybe needed some subtitles for the lyrics, but the raw fun of their music was fantastic.

4:10/4:20

Honda (4:10)	Teddy Swims: Soulful tattoo monster who went from YouTube covers to one huge hit
Tito’s Tent (4:20)	Elyanna: Arabic pop that is otherwise pretty generic
American Express (4:20)	CAAMP: Folksy Americana with a bunch o' banjo and several legit bangers Eyedress: Kinda jenky bedroom pop heavy on the new wave synths and basslines

I forgot to remove the highlight from the AMEX stage last weekend, and the wife was more annoyed at me than I expected when we went to Teddy instead of Eyedress.  It is Teddy Swims time.  CAAMP cancelled their show.  Freaking sucks for sure.  Swims has an amazing voice for sure, even if his brand of soul/R&B/quasi-country isn't tops for me.

5:10/5:20

Miller Lite (5:10)	Remi Wolf: Former American Idol contestant who loves vocal effects despite a strong voice
BMI (5:10)	Braxton Keith: Young guy doing classic-sounding Nashville country
IHG (5:20)	Wave to Earth: Really lovely South Korean indie pop/soft rock (that seems weird to be here)
T-Mobile (5:20)	Hermanos Gutierrez: Instrumental guitar magic

Man, you should seriously see the brothers do sweet guitar things.  My friends last weekend were jenky about it, but they seriously ruled.  It is not going to make you dance, or mosh, or do most of the normal 5pm concert things, but the vibe is impeccable.  

6:10/6:20

Honda (6:10)	Benson Boone: Sounds like a boy band refugee, with a strong voice and great lyrics
Tito’s Tent (6:20)	Grand Funk Railroad: Homer Simpson's favorite American band jamming out since 1969
American Express (6:20)	Khruangbin: Funky instrumental goodness

I still don't understand how Khruangbin is a headliner of a major festival, but whatever.  I'd choose them here.  That being said, know that my friends called them a, *gasp* "jam band" as they noodles and funked their way through a killer set of more impeccable vibe tunes.  One friend went to Boone and was very impressed by his flips and vocals.  Grand Funk has some good old hits, but it's one of those Frankenstein bands with rando members now.

7:10/7:20

Miller Lite (7:10)	Jungle: Grooving funk soul
IHG (7:20)	Vince Staples: Great flow from an odd rapper with critical love
T-Mobile (7:20)	Renee Rapp:  Pop bubblegum from an actress-turned-belter

Here is the deal.  I bet you want to see Dua Lipa and so right now you think you should skip this hour and get close.  Jack with his time machine is here to tell you that you should definitely go watch Jungle or Vince Staples, and then you can walk over and see some of the generic MTV music awards ass dancing from the screens (but you won't hear it because Pretty Lights is turned up to 11) and then bounce.  That is the right call.  But not Rapp.  That is not good.

HEADLINERS:

Honda (8:10)	Pretty Lights: Honestly enjoyable electronic background music
Tito's	Silent Disco
AmEx (8:20)	DUA LIPA: Disco pop bubblegum somehow at the top of the ACL poster

So, I watched Lipa last weekend.  Did not love it.  You can see my more fleshed-out quotes in my review of last weekend, but it was mediocre for me.  And Pretty Lights was insanely loud and pummeling in a way that did not interest me.  I had two friends tell me that sitting way back for Dua was awful because Pretty Lights was so loud that they couldn't hear Dua.  Be forewarned if you wanted to watch something else and then truly enjoy Dua.  You need to make a choice. 

It would have been so great for one of the Friday night headliners to be here so that there was something to look forward to.  So, I guess my advice up above stands.  Or else do some wicked drugs and do Pretty Lights.  Or just resign yourself to seeing a hot lady rub all over herself while powerfully singing bad nu disco.

ACL 2024: Weekend TWO: Friday Schedule and Thoughts

I have tried to reduce some of the bloat in these schedule posts so that you can just get the goods.  As usual, you can click the name link for each artist below to see my full post on them and find out more about each artist.

Here we go - Friday, Weekend TWO:

12:55/1:15 (feels like the start gets later and later)

Honda (12:55)	Late Night Drive Home: A little Strokes, a little Nirvana, for some rockers from El Paso
Tito's (1:15)	The Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective: The Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective
AmEx (1:15)	Paul Kelly: One of Australia's best songwriters, blasting folk and rock from the desert

Do you ever get sad about how certain people are treated on theses schedules?  Like, Paul Kelly is widely recognized as a top tier singer songwriter in Australia, and yet he's relegated to the dustbin of this festival like he's an 18-year old with three songs on Soundcloud.  I'd definitely choose him here.  Although, Late Night Drive were enjoyable as well.

1:40/2:00

Miller Lite	Katie Pruitt: Quasi-country singer with a great voice and no fear about tough subjects
BMI	Vanilla is Black: Super tasty funky grooves
IHG (2)	Theo Lawrence: Shockingly excellent classic country crooner from Paris
T-Mobile (2)	Sir Chloe: Catchy alternative indie rock born out of a senior thesis

Without a doubt the hardest hour of the whole day.  All four of these are good.  I saw Pruitt last weekend and absolutely loved her show.  She is excellent - loud buy confessional and tender while strong.  But Sir Chloe is legit, Vanilla is Black is funky and fun, and Theo Lawrence is strangely compelling (in part because of him being French without any real hint of it).  Go with God here.

But seriously, go listen to Theo Lawrence.  I still can't believe this dude is born and raised in France.

2:25/2:45 (they really don't line up the bands anymore...)

Honda (2:25)	Hudson Westbrook: Solid young country fella, reminds me of Wyatt Flores
Tito’s Tent (2:45)	CMAT: Irish power pop gal with a strong voice
American Express (2:45)	Dasha:  Pop country one hit wonder who wants to abandon her boyfriend in Austin in his time of need

I'm still mad that Catfish & the Bottlemen aren't here anymore.  Jerks.  We watched a few songs of Westbrook last weekend and I have to say that it didn't grab my attention.  If you want country stuff, then head over there.  But CMAT could be a good one instead.  I could see her blowing the roof off of the Tito's tent.

3:10/3:30

Miller Lite (3:10)	The Sinseers: Another redux classic soul band crushing the style
BMI (3:10)	Bre Kennedy: Truly lovely poppy folky singer songwriter stuff
IHG (3:30)	Mickey Guyton: Pop-forward country by a trailblazing artist
T-Mobile (3:30)	The Paper Kites: Lovely indie folk and lite rock full of harmony

Uh oh, back on saying everything is lovely.  Sorry.  Interesting that this whole hour is completely different from week one.  Most of the hours above shared a few over the weeks. 

Anyway, I think I'd angle to the Kites.  The Sinseers are damn good at that classic soul thing, and Bre Kennedy would probably be amazing at that little BMI stage.  Maybe the right move here is to do 15 minutes of Kennedy and then go catch the Kites and just have a lovely little hour.  Lovely.

4:10/4:30

Honda (4:10)	Norah Jones: One of the finest vocalists around, maybe forgotten, but still making jazzy tunes
Tito’s Tent (4:30)	Eggy: Prepare for noodling guitars and extended jams, baby!
American Express (4:30)	Carin Leon: Like I'm in Taco Cabana waiting for my fajita taco plate (man, reading that again now, that is terribly rude)

I know that I should go see Norah Jones.  She's amazing, and I know that she'll put on a top tier show backed up by decades of being badass.  But then I think about some rad and ridiculous jam band noodling like the video above, and I feel myself drawn into that sweaty little Tito's tent.  I did Eggy last week and freaking loved it.  No RAGRETS.

5:10/5:30

Miller Lite (5:10)	Royel Otis: Aussie fellas recreating new wave sounds in some fun indie pop
BMI (5:10)	WhooKilledKenny: Austin rapper who moved to L.A. and wants his fee to be paid
IHG (5:30)	St. Lucia: 80's synth pop renaissance with a few good songs and then <sound of Pac Man dying>
T-Mobile (5:30)	Stephen Sanchez: Another insanely popular thing based upon sixty-year-old vibes

Sanchez is fascinating, a total throwback to an old school style, and yet has a billion streams.  But I think Royel would be my choice here, they just seem like their show would be pure fun.

6:10/6:30

Honda (6:10)	Foster the People: The Pumped Up Kicks guys, still making pop rock goodness
Tito’s Tent (6:30)	Santigold: Very surprisingly enjoyable weirdo indie dance music that leans into rock sounds
American Express (6:30)	Leon Bridges: One of the great modern soul singers

That is a bummer hour.  I'd really like to get to see Bridges again, now that he is a bigger and better performer.  But I very much expect that I will be jamming along with Foster instead.  Foster was excellent last weekend for sure.

And speaking of disrespect, does it seem weird that Santigold gets the little Tito's tent?  She seems bigger than that.

7:10/7:30

Miller Lite (7:10)	Elderbrook: generic electronic music
IHG (7:30)	Jeezy: Classic trap rapper from Atlanta
T-Mobile (7:30)	The Marias: dime store Billie Eilish bedroom pop with that "Hush" song

This looks like a good time to go get a corn dog and get in position for the headliners.  Elderbrook graduated from the 5:10 hour they had on first weekend.  Wonder why?  And honestly, Jeezy would probably be fun.  He has a lot of hits you'd likely recognize.

HEADLINERS:

Honda (8:10)	Blink 182: Top two biggest pop punk band ever
Tito's	Silent Disco
AmEx (8:30)	Chris Stapleton: Literally saving country music

It's too bad that someone else isn't the headliner opposite these two!  Feels like their demographic is likely all the same, whereas none of the old dudes who would want both of these guys are going to care a whit about Pretty Lights or DUAL IPA.  We saw Stapleton last weekend, and while his stage presence and banter is non-existent, his killer voice and ridiculous guitarwork more than makes up for it.  Stud.