ACL 2020 - the Virtual Year

 Well, better something than nothing, right?  ACL Fest has announced a virtual lineup of shows that will be streamed through YouTube for free - mostly made up of classic shows from the past twenty years.  Looks like the oldest show is the 2003 String Cheese Incident one on Sunday.  A few fun items on here - My Morning Jacket is one I've never gotten to see, but have always wanted to.  The 2015 Alabama Shakes show was one of my favorite things ever.  While a few of these I would avoid, but such is the way with the festival made to satisfy everyone!

A lot of these shows, I already wrote the review for, so that is convenient!  But this will maybe give me an excuse to go hunt down some new music, which is always my favorite part of this blog and ACL.  Let's get amongst it!

Friday, October 9:

• 7:05pm - Durand Jones & the Indications.  Show from 2018.  Here is my preview of that show: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2018/06/durand-jones-and-indications.html.  Pretty cool dose of retro soul stuff.  I did not actually watch the show back then.
• 7:45pm - Melat.  New show.  Looks like it will be five minutes long?  Seems odd.  She played in 2017, and here was my writeup at the time (I have no recollection of her): https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2017/06/melat.html
• 7:50pm - Paul Cauthen.  New show.  Twenty minutes long.  He played the Tito's tent in 2017, and I wandered into there with my lunch and my family, before the Grace Vanderwall show.  This guy is good - in that outlaw country of guitar-heavy country.
• 8:10pm - looks to be an advertisement for 20 minutes?
• 8:30pm - Spoon.  Show from 2017 (but only 20 minutes of it?).  Here is my preview before they came in 2014: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2014/04/spoon.html; I failed to do a new preview before the 2017 show.  I also missed the show, just because I wanted to get up close for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  But I dig them, so I'd check this out.
• 8:50pm - Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats.  2016 show.  This show was freaking awesome.  High energy and fun as hell.  Sadly, another 20 minute slot.  https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2016/07/nathaniel-rateliff-night-sweats.html
• 9:10pm - something from Texas Monthly for 5 minutes.  Probably a shirtless Matthew McConaughey playing bongos and whispering the names of all 185 of Willie's albums.
• 9:15pm - Willie!  Hell yeah!  2016 show.  Weird, looks like I didn't do a preview for him - I guess this was back when I was only doing weekend one artists and ignoring the second weekend.  Shame on me.  I'd love to see this set though.
• 10:20pm Twenty One Pilots.  Blurg. 2015 show.  A lot of people talked this show up as being amazing, but I don't care for these dudes at all, so I'll maybe just watch Willie and let the rest go for today.  Here is my less-than-excited preview from 2015:  https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2015/06/twenty-one-pilots.html
• 10:50pm - Billie Eilish.  2019 show.  Saw this one from pretty close.  I'm glad I did that because my girls loved it.  Have zero need to ever see it again.  Here is my preview: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2019/04/billie-eilish.html

Saturday, October 10:

• 7:05pm - Sylvan Esso.  2018 show.  I think this is the one I tried to go see, disliked immediately, and then was very pleased when their laptop crapped out and they had to stop the show.  I guess that is why this set is only 15 minutes.  Here is my 2018 preview of this show: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2018/08/sylvan-esso.html
• 7:20pm - ZHU.  2017 show.  EDM.  No recollection of this group, here is my preview for 2017: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2017/06/zhu.html
• 7:50pm - Phoenix.  2018 show.  I missed this show to sacrifice for my children, but I dug them a few years before this one.  This show only existed because Childish Gambino was a punk that year.  But I'm glad: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2018/10/phoenix.html
• 8:05pm - another commercial about having a good workforce?
• 8:20pm - Otis the Destroyer.  New show.  Missed their show last year, but liked their sound.  Too bad this one is only 5 minutes.  https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2019/07/otis-destroyer.html
• 8:25pm - Black Pumas.  New show.  Far as I am concerned, they should make this one an hour long - these guys rule and are having their moment.  They were my prediction for being a part of ACL this year for sure - so I WAS RIGHT!!!  Here is a review of their album (but I never wrote up a full post about them): https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2020/02/quick-hits-vol-249-boogie-wit-da-hoodie.html
• 9:15pm - Juanes.  2014 show.  Can't say this band or person rings a bell in the slightest.  But I wrote him up in 2014 and, while I think I was trying to be jokey and sarcastic, that post makes me cringe a little.  Bummer.  https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2014/04/juanes.html
• 9:50pm - St. Vincent.  2018 show.  Bummed to have missed this show, although I just wanted to get close for Metallica more.  https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2018/09/st-vincent-2018_8.html
• 10:10pm - LCD Soundsystem.  2010 show.  This one interests me because I saw them play several years after this, and didn't love it, so I'm curious if they old school show would have appealed more?  This was my 2016 preview (I wasn't writing this stuff in 2010): https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2016/08/lcd-soundsystem.html
• 10:30pm - Radiohead.  2016 show.  Was very disappointed in this show, but I wonder what it would be like in the comfort of my own home?
• 11:30pm - Queens of the Stone Age.  2012 show.  Hell yeah.  I saw their ACL taping this year, but missed their show at the Fest, so I'd love to check it out.

Sunday, October 11:

• 7:05 - Alabama Shakes.  2015 show.  Not even kidding, I loved this show.  Went back so I could see it again the second weekend.  2015 had an amazing lineup of this level of bands - the guys on rows 2-4 who crushed it.  Here was my preview: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2015/05/alabama-shakes.html
• 7:20pm - String Cheese Incident.  2013 show.  My wife hates this band SO much that it would be entertaining to blare this show through the house on Sunday night, just to get a rise out of her.  I did not see this show back in the day, but here is my review of a show I saw at Red Rocks with these dudes a few years ago: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2017/07/string-cheese-incident-red-rocks.html
• 7:50pm - Los Coast.  New show.  Ten minutes.  Here is my preview when they came in 2016: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2016/07/los-coast.html
• 8:00pm - Mobley.  New show.  Here is my preview from 2017: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2017/05/mobley.html
• 8:55pm - Jackie Venson.  New show, sadly only 5 minutes.  Here is my preview from 2018: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2018/05/jackie-venson.html
• 9:00pm - Gary Clark, Jr.  2019 show.  Saw this one from way back in the crowd.  Here is my preview: https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2019/04/gary-clark-jr-2019.html
• 9:30 - Paul McCartney.  2018 show.  Very fun show - you should go watch this one.  I got to do it both weekends and it was worth it.  https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2018/09/paul-mccartney.html
• 10:15pm - The XX.  2017 show.  Here is my preview. I did not go watch this show.  https://dulljack.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-xx.html
• 10:45pm - My Morning Jacket.  2011 show.  I have no preview, as I have actually never gotten to see them play live.  Which is a major loss for me - I love these guys.  I've seen their drummer play, when he was with Spanish Gold, but that is as close as I've gotten.  Defintiely would like to watch this one.
• 11:20pm - Phish.  2010 show.  Also never seen these dudes, but I'm less sad about that.  My sister tried to get me into them at one point, and it just never took.  They're fine, but I'm not in love.

What I would love to do is buy a screen and a projector, set this up in my front yard with a cooler of beer, and proceed to just get after it each of these three evenings.  But, I sincerely doubt that I actually will go to all of that trouble - it would be worth it if I could invite a crowd of folks over to jam with it, but less so if I have to keep any gathering at less than 10 people.  Stupid COVID.  But, I definitely want to try to tune in for a few of these shows.

ACL 2020: Will There Be An Announcement?

Time works in weird ways when every day is spent in your home.  We do different things, it's not like every day is actually the same, but still, the distinct days melt away in my mind to the point where I can't remember if things were yesterday or last week or in March.  Which is all very disconcerting.

But, I had a thought this morning while walking the dog, that it is almost time for the ACL lineup announcement.  I've done a terrible job of my predictions this year - not sure that I see a point trying to research the potential patterns on Pearl Jam's concert calendar when there is no more concert calendar.  For anyone.  Everything is just gone.  Which really sucks - I love studying the things and working through what might be.  Speaking of which, I have heard several Replacements songs on the radio recently, which seems weird, and would normally make me go research whether or not they are going to get together and play a reunion show for ACL, but what will I find?  A bunch of old articles talking about a reunion that could potentially happen (in 2017) or why they broke up in the first place but zero, at all, about today or a current touring plan.  Ugh.

Anyway, that thought led me to go back and look at last year's timeline - last year's leaks of artists, through those annoying Magic Eye puzzles, began on April 25.  And then the full lineup announcement came on April 30.  Next week.  Ugh.

I'd honestly love for them to go ahead and release the lineup - even if it would likely just be a tease of something that isn't going to happen, but I'd still enjoy finding new bands and dreaming of what may be able to happen in October.  I mean, maybe, right?  There is so much we don't know about the virus, and people are working hard on vaccines, so a guy can dream!

For now, I give you the newest Run the Jewels single:

ACL 2020: Coachella Moving?

I read some rumors last night on Twitter that have me nervous.  Coachella organizers are considering moving their gigantic festival, which normally would kick off in mid-April, to October because of Coronavirus concerns.  WHICH SUCKS.

I mean, the whole thing obviously sucks - I hate that people are getting sick and dying.  That is way more important than my desire to see music.  Death is kind of a big deal.  I hate that the Austin economy just took it up the shorts because of SXSW being cancelled - so that a lot of people, venues, bands, etc. are in serious danger of being unable to make it.  SX just laid off a third of their employees, most of whom work in the music portion of the business.  That is horrible for those people, venues, and bands - it might seriously impact their whole lives.  A much bigger deal than a single festival messing up my music viewing desires.

But if Coachella moves to October 9-11 and 16-18, then they run right up against weekend two of ACL.  So, if ACL had been planning on announcing Rage Against the Machine (which I have been hoping and predicting they will do), then we might lose out on that show (and several others who would have been on the bill), if they decide to go with the California show.  And the articles about Coachella say that they plan to keep the same lineup, but I don't see how that could possibly happen - I'm sure some of those bands that have been announced already have other plans for their Octobers.  Although the big three - RATM, Frank Ocean, and Travis Scott - all currently have clear calendars in October, so maybe that is why this is being discussed.

I get why they are considering moving the festival - I suppose that the alternative is that the booking company goes out of business and the surrounding area loses hundreds of millions in impact.  I'd think it would be just about impossible for Goldenvoice to absorb the costs of just cancelling the Fest and pushing it to 2021.  I can't find any real numbers for the cost of Coachella - I found an article saying that Burning Man cost its organizers about $26 million (before artist costs), but Coachella is a very different experience than Burning Man.  The internet says that Coachella made $114 in profit in 2017, so maybe they have a war chest they can use to survive the nightmare of refunding ticket money and whatever other refunds and penalties and contract money they'd have to pay, but it would be way cooler if they could figure out a way to just push it.  I only wish that they weren't looking at October!

More to come, but this really could throw a major wrench in the lineup for ACL.

Already, more to come - Pearl Jam just announced they are postponing their tour due to coronavirus fears.  That sucks very deeply. 

Predicting ACL 2020: The International Lollapaloozas

Bonjour!  Je suis Jack!  j'demande le possoin et la pomme du terre, sil vous plait!  I am an extremely international individual, as is obvious from my extremely tight recollection of the three years of French class I took like 30 years ago.  If you need someone to order you strawberries from a male waiter, or ask the time, I have your damn back, man.  However, if you need something super basic, like a bathroom, then you are out of luck with me by your side.  J'suis desole.

I had a weird realization a year ago when we went to Italy for a vacation - Italian is a language that I literally know nothing of.  I knew, like, grazie! and prego!, and stupid shit like BELLISSIMO!!! or "Ey, GABAGOOL give me some gravy for this prozzzzyute, ma!"  But I feel like a lot of other languages seep into your mind over time, but Italian is just not one of those for me.  We got there and I was just totally screwed.  Didn't know how to ask for water, or bathroom, or "how much?"  Weird.  Anyway, you didn't come here to learn about my weird language hangups.  You came here for semi-plausible ACL predictions!

I frequently discuss the strong link between the Chicago Lollapalooza lineup and the ACL lineup.  So I have tried a few times to see about the foreign Lollas and foreign City Limits festivals to see if they tracked the ACL lineup - but - the link is weak.  Also, it would appear that neither the Auckland nor Sydney City Limits festivals exist anymore.  With these foreign festivals, there is some commonality in the past, although it is more like 1 of the top 6 who will show up in Austin, not 4 or 5 of 6.  Still, time to take a look at the international Lollapaloozas to see if we could divine anything from those posters.

Lollapalooza now throws down in Berlin, Paris, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Stockholm.  So, what do we have for the top lines from those posters?  First, let's check the history:

2016 Lineups:

• Lolla Brazil, Argentina and Chile all had the same top 6 headliners: Eminem (no), Florence & the Machine (no), Jack U (no), Mumford & Sons (yes), Snoop Dogg (no), Noel Gallagher (no).  So only 1 of 6 match.
• Lolla Berlin: Radiohead (yes), Kings of Leon (no), Major Lazer (yes), Paul Kalkbrenner (no, wtf?), Phillip Poisel (no, wtf again?), New Order (no). 2 of 6 match.
• Auckland City Limits: Kendrick Lamar (yes), The National (no), Fat Freddys Drop (errr, no?), Modest Mouse (no), Girl Talk (no), Shapeshifter (no).  1 of 6.  WTF is Fat Freddy's Drop and what is it doing on the top line of a poster?  New Zealand people, man.

2017 Lineups:

• Lolla Brazil/Argentina/Chile: Metallica (no), The Strokes (no), The Weeknd (no), The xx (yes), The Chainsmokers (no), Flume (no). 1 of 6.
• Lolla Paris: Red Hot Chili Peppers (yes), The Weeknd (no), Imagine Dragons (no), Lana Del Rey (no), DJ Snake (no), London Grammar (no).  1 of 6.
• Lolla Berlin: Foo Fighters (no), Mumford & Sons (no), The xx (yes), Hardwell (no), Beatsteaks (no), Marteria (huh?  no).  1 of 6.
• Auckland City Limits: Was cancelled in 2017.

2018 Lineups:

• Lolla Brazil/Argentina/Chile: Pearl Jam (no), Red Hot Chili Peppers (no), Killers (no), Imagine Dragons (lol, no), Lana Del Rey (no), LCD Soundsystem (no).  Zero of 6. Interestingly, zero cross-over, although we had recently had The Killers and LCD and the Chilis.
• Lolla Paris: Depeche Mode (no), Gorillaz (no), Killers (no), Travis Scott (yes), Nekfeu (WTF?), Diplo (no).  1 of 6.
• Lolla Berlin: The Weeknd (no), Kraftwerk (lol, no), Imagine Dragons (nope), KIZ (?!?), The National (yes), David Guetta (no).  1 of 6 again.
• Auckland: Beck (no, dammit), Justice (yes), Future (no, thank God), Grace Jones (like the lady in that James Bond movie?), Phoenix (yes), Peking Duck (no).  Two of six, BUT Phoenix was only added to ACL late once Childish Gambino punked out.
• Sydney: Beck (no), Justice (yes), Future (no), Vance Joy (no), Phoenix (yes), Tash Sultana (no)  2 of 6 again.

2019 Lineups:

• South America Lollas: Post Malone (no), Twenty One Pilots (no), Arctic Monkeys (2018), Sam Smith (no), Kendrick Lamar (no), Lenny Kravitz (no)
• Paris Lolla: Twenty One Pilots (no), Martin Garrix (no), The Strokes (no), Migos (no), Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (no), Orelsan (no).
• Berlin Lolla: Kings of Leon (no), Swedish House Mafia (no), Twenty One Pilots (no), Kraftklub (no), Martin Garrix (no)
• Stockholm Lolla: Travis Scott (2018), Lana Del Rey (no), Foo Fighters (no), Laleh (no), Chance the Rapper (no), Lil Uzi Vert (THERE IT IS!  The single one!).

What does that tell you?  People in other countries will allow headliners that would cause me to riot?  Yes, there are a few connections, but you aren't seeing a good, strong, locked-down connection here.  Last year literally had one, single, solitary matchup, and it was a guy who was super low down the ACL lineup.  So this is a very weak connection.  But let's check out the lineups for this year, and pick one that we can carry on as the headliner to match up:

• South America Lollas: Guns n Roses, Travis Scott, The Strokes, Lana Del Rey, Martin Garrix, Gwen Stefani.
• Paris Lolla: Billie Eilish, Pearl Jam, Khalid, Vampire Weekend, Vald, Burna Boy.
• Berlin Lolla: Rage Against the Machine, Miley Cyrus, Annenmaykantereit (WTF?!?!), Deichkind, DJ Snake, Apache 207.  How the hell is Run the Jewels on that lineup as #9?  They should definitely be above Alligatoah.  Germany, man...
• Stockholm Lolla: Pearl Jam, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, The Killers, Camila Cabello, Ellie Goulding.

Some of these for sure won't be here, as we've recently had GNR, Eilish, Khalid, and the Killers.  But what about some of the rest of these?  I'm just going to note that I finished this like a week ago, and blogger lost all of it, and so I've been slow to go back and re-do it all.  Dammit!

• Pearl Jam.  Still feeling this one.  Key facts: (1) tour goes from March 18 to July 23.  (2) That leaves time for both Lolla Chicago and ACL. (3) The tour does not go to Chicago. (4) Pearl Jam loves Chicago and the Cubbies. (5) There is no way they are skipping Chicago on their tour. (6) The tour does not go to Texas at all. (7) Houston,  San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin are the 4th, 7th, 9th, and 11th most populous cities in America. (8) There is no way the tour would just wholly skip Texas. (9) The new album Gigaton, comes out March 27. (10) I'd be fine with Pearl Jam being a headliner every single year for ACL.  As such, let it be resolved, that Pearl Jam will be at ACL this year.  Yes.
• Post Malone.  In case you never read it, Please go read this review from Jeff Weiss of the Washington Post.  "a rhinestone cowboy who looks like he crawled out of a primordial swamp of nacho cheese. Post Malone is a Halloween rental, a removable platinum grill, a Cubic Zirconium proposal on the jumbo screen of a last-place team."  So delicious.  He is playing Austin on March 10, and the show isn't sold out.  I don't think a March show blocks him from ACL, but the failure to sell out a show here seems a bad sign for him.  His tour ends on July 2, so he ostensibly has the time to come out, but I just don't see any reason (hopeful thinking on my part).  Going with my gut to say no.
• Kendrick Lamar.  His website lists only three shows, all of which appear to be festivals of some sort (and none of which are the Stockholm show?).  SO he doesn't appear to really be on tour.  But, there is new music rumoured (why did I spell that word that way, am I secretly British?), so he very well could be releasing a new album soon, then launching a tour.  For now, I don't see any reason to think he'd be on the lineup, but we'll see after the new album comes out.  no.
• Travis Scott.  Not actually on tour, just playing the south American Lollas and then Coachella.  I also think he's been here too recently, without any new and notable music, to merit another shot at Austin. no.
• Lana Del Rey.  Nope, her tour rolls right through both weekends, with shows on the West Coast throughout both.  And she might not even do those dates - this article says she had to cancel half her tour because of vocal issues.
• Martin Garrix.  I usually pick some random EDM guy to be a headliner for ACL, because I have no clue who is hip in this world and just have to randomly pick someone who pops to mind.  This guy has a few shows in Vegas, but otherwise is doing nothing in the US this year.  I don't see any reason to pick him as the token EDM guy.  no.
• Vampire Weekend.  LOCK IT IN.  Their calendar couldn't be more perfect - they're in Tulsa right before weekend one, then play New Orleans and Birmingham in between the two weekends, then have nothing on their schedule afterwards.  There is a huge glowing hole in their touring schedule that has ACL 2020! written in invisible ink.  Yes.
• Gwen Stefani.  I jmean, is there anyone who wants this?  I know she was married to the guy from Bush and then the dude from The Voice, but has she personally done anything since Love Angel Music Baby or that Target commercial?  She has a few shows at a Vegas residency, and then she plays Rodeo Houston (what the actual fuck?  At the rodeo teaching people to spell Bananas?), but I see no reason for her to be in Austin in the fall.  no.
• Camila Cabello.  This may have been my least favorite thing at ACL in the past few years.  Yes, even worse that Billie Eilish.  The only redeeming factor for this show was that I held my daughter up in the air for like 5 songs (of mounting pressure and pain) and not only were the people around us extremely cool to us about it, but to hear her little voice singing along was enough to warm this grinch's heart.  BUt I don't need her back again.  Her tour goes through Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston over the summer, and then ends in September, directly before the Fest, but I'm still going to give it a no.  I just don't sense any excitement for her - is anything on the new album a hit?
• The Strokes.  Please don't bring these slugs back again.  Their set a few years ago was so lame.  I couldn't tell if they even had a pulse.  They just released a new single, and a new album is on the way on April 10, so it may make sense, but I'd be disappointed for sure.  Their current tour seems less like an official tour and more like a few festivals and some random hopscotching back and forth between a few places.  I suspect that a real tour announcement would come after the album is released.  But, as of now, their tour stops in mid-July, then has another date in mid-August, leaving time for both Lolla and ACL.  So that feels like it could happen.  Soft yes.
• Rage Against the Machine.  I know we've already talked about them, but since that last post, they have announced an official tour (with Run the Jewels opening!!!) that has a funny run like the Pearl Jam one does.  Other than the El Paso show to start, no Texas dates, and the whole tour stops on Sept. 12 in Vienna.  Again, it doesn't seem normal for a major reunion tour to skip some of the most populous cities in the whole country (but go to like, East Troy Wisconsin and Buffalo, NY).  I fully expect that they'll announce ACL and then announce more dates on their tour as well.  To which I say hell yeah.

So, that looks like an amazing festival to me - Pearl Jam, Vampire Weekend, and Rage Against the Machine!  C'mon!  And even if The Strokes end up being on the bill as well, maybe the new album will be redeeming and it will be a more exciting show?  Crazier things have happened, right?  Maybe this year will be a good connection to the Internationals!  One can hope, right?

Predicting ACL 2020: Major Tours

Normally, I like to do a post that looks at all of the other festival lineups of the year (like this one from 2018), but Rob Mitchum has apparently stopped making the spreadsheet that I used to get all of that information in one place.  Which is super lame.  And after looking online for 30 seconds, I couldn't find a comparable listing of all festival lineups mashed together for my convenience, so I'm super not going to do that post this year if it means looking at posters myself.  That would take at least 8 minutes.

So, instead, I'll look at those artists who are supposed to have big tours this year, to see what their schedule looks like and if ACL can fit into those spots.  I'm using a few lists online of "anticipated" or whatever tours, so if you don't see your favorite in here, blame Google.  Or tell me what else is coming, and I'll dig in to that as well.

I also left out the more minor bands/artists - trying to think about headliner, or at least the big type people, so leaving out someone like Schoolboy Q or Angel Olsen.  Also, leaving out Tame Impala or Brittany Howard or others who just played ACL last year.

• My Chemical Romance.  I thought about adding these guys to the whole "Old Guys" lineup, just because they were ostensibly broken up, but I feel like they "broke up" for all of eight minutes, so I'll just keep them here.  The big news the other day was that they have not only re-formed, but that they are also about to go on tour in 2020.  Confession here - this is one of my guilty pleasure bands.  They're kinda emo, kinda high school drama club, but whatever dude, I still like to jam both Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and The Black Parade.  Anyhoo, they're about to hit the road, with dates in Australia first, and then the US by September.  Sadly for me, no Austin dates on the calendar, and they'll be in Denver and Tacoma for weekend one, and then Sacramento and Vegas for weekend two.  So no chance for me to scream about how "I'm not O fucking K!" with a crowd of Gen X dads in eyeliner.  No.
• Adele.  Her website has this weird letter to the fans on it about cancelling shows at Wembley a few years ago when her voice gave out on her.  Which is odd.  You can probably take that down now?  Also, whatever website said she might tour this year, is full of it.  Nothing on her website says anything about a tour, and this article from 2017 says she may never tour again.  So, I could have deleted this line, but I'll leave it in since I just spent four whole minutes googling her for your benefit.  No.
• Vampire Weekend.  Playing the South American Lollas, and the Paris Lolla, as well as a bunch of other Fests, including Bonnaroo (booked by C3).  Their touring schedule doesn't quite fit with Chicago's Lolla, they will be playing Montreal on the Friday night of Lolla.  They could still make it for the other two nights.  BUT, the tail end of their tour leaves an absolutely perfect gap for ACL.  They play Tulsa on Sept. 30, then have shows in New Orleans and Alabama on October 6 and 7 (which is the Tuesday and Wednesday of the week in between the two ACL weekends).  I had been hoping for them to come last year, but they booked two nights of sold out shows in Austin not long before the Fest, so it didn't happen.  I think this looks really solid.  Yes.
• The Avett Brothers.  Playing Austin (with the Violent Femmes?  That seems weird.) at the end of April.  Also, playing three sold out nights at Red Rocks, which is wild.  They have a perfect gap for Lolla, with nothing scheduled between July 24 and Aug. 8.  Tour is over in mid September with a date in Vienna.  I won't say that I'm super psyched to see them again, the new album isn't my favorite of their stuff, but they're a pretty good band and they appear to have the time in their schedule, so I'll give it a yes.
• Rage, Springsteen, Elton, Dixie Chicks, and Bon Jovi - talked about these dudes in the Old People post.
• Coldplay.  Another one that is a big fat pssssyyyyyych.  They have zero tour dates on the calendar, and in fact, last year they said that they won't tour for this album (and they claim they won't tour again until touring becomes more environmentally friendly).  So, this is a no.  Which is too bad - I'd still really like to see them live.
• Harry Styles.  This one just smells right.  We've gone into this style of music recently, with Camilla Cabello and Shawn Mendes, so this sort of pop rock stuff is no longer a stretch for ACL.  He plays Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas in mid-August.  But, he's in Mexico on the Saturday of Weekend One, and then Brazil and Argentina for the Friday and Sunday of Weekend Two, so that isn't smelling as sweet anymore.  He could probably figure it out to come, but I really doubt it with that schedule in place.  No.
• Pearl Jam.  Be still my beating heart.  Please, please, please let me get what I want.  The fact that they are touring at all gets me excited, but the idea that they might come back to ACL has me positively turgid.  Playing Lolla Stockholm, Lolla Paris, and then their tour "ends" on July 23, right before Lolla Chicago.  You know they're not really done in July.  Come on.  No dates in Texas at all, no date in Chicago, so this certainly looks like an incomplete touring schedule that could absolutely soon be revised to include both Lollapalooza and Austin.  WHICH WOULD BE FREAKING AWESOME!  I'm going to give in to the joy and hope and go for it.  Yes.
• Taylor Swift.  Playing a handful of European fests like Mad Cool, Glastonbury, and Roskilde, but the tour, as of now, ends in Boston on August 1.  So she's not making it to Lolla.  Years ago, I would have given this an automatic no - ACL doesn't do mega pop stars - but that has changed over time.  Now we do get megapop.  I mean, we've never had TayTay, but we've had folks from the next tier down show up.  I'm still of the mind that they wouldn't get her for Austin, but she'd be a massive draw, and her schedule currently has the time, so who knows?  It could happen.  I'm going to stick with my gut for now though and say no.
• Green Day.  They are currently on tour with Weezer and Fall Out Boy (of all things), and they come through Dallas and Houston on the same dates as Lolla.  For some reason, I thought their tour came through Austin, but apparently not.  The tour is over on August 29, so they will have the time to swing to Austin and jam out.  But I'm not feeling it.  Something about them touring with Fall Out Boy rubs some of the shine off of their status to me.  They could totally do it, but without also playing Lolla, I'm gonna say no.  
• Post Malone.  This freaking guy.  I hope he's not coming, but he very well could be a headliner.  I wish I could type in a way that evoked his weird mega tremelo.  Thiyiyiyiyiyiyis guy blohohohohohohohohows so haoaoaoaoaoaoaoard!  He's playing the Erwin Center on March 10, but that's not so close to the Fest to preclude him showing up at both.  However, there are still a ton of tickets available for that show, so maybe it makes no sense to have him come to ACL if he can't even sell out a regular show.  [hopeful thoughts...]  His tour peters out in June, so he would have the time to make it to ACL, but I'm hoping that he is not going to!  No.
• Sturgill Simpson.  Another guy who is playing the Erwin Center in March.  Another one who is not sold out either.  And like Malone, his tour ends in May, so he has the time and space to come out to ACL.  But, without more information I don't see any reason to predict this one.  No.
• The Black Crowes.  I'm so pissed that they are coming here in June - I'll be out of town that week so I can't go.  I still love their first two albums - absolute classics.  Their tour ends just right before ACL, with a show in LA on Sept. 19, so they could pull it off.  And I'd be thrilled!  But it doesn't feel like they would - a non-sold-out Austin show in June, no new music that I know of, just doesn't seem like a buzzworthy band that the kids would get pumped to see.  No.
• The 1975.  Playing Austin in April, and show isn't sold out.  Nevermind, they'll be in Spain for Weekend one and Belgium/Germany for weekend two.  No.
• Dave Matthews Band.  Hmmm.  The tour finishes right before ACL with a 9/23 final show in Mississippi.  And not a single show, as the tour is currently listed, is in Texas.  Which seems odd, right?  Durant, Oklahoma can get two nights, but neither Dallas nor Houston get anything?  Huh, that feels like maybe the right call.  Maybe they are holding up on listing the other dates because they are playing Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio on the nights in between the two weekends.  Hmmmm....  I like it.  Going with a yes.
• BTS.  I feel like a fraud even mentioning them.  I have no clue what the deal is with them, but I also get that they are exceedingly popular.  Playing two nights at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and then the tour stops in July.  No reason to imagine them coming here and serenading a crowd in Korean.  No.
• Foo Fighters.  That is not a tour.  Their website shows seven festival dates.  I'm not sure I'm entirely ready for them to come back so soon either, quite frankly.  But this doesn't really look like a tour, even if Grohl told people they had "big plans" in 2020.  Nope.

There were a couple others that some websites said should be announcing a tour soon - Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, Beyonce - but there is no indication now that they are doing a big tour, so I dropped them from this list for now.

If these predictions are true, I'm all set for a supremely awesome and bro-tastic ACL.  Pearl Jam?  Vampire Weekend?  Avett Brothers?  Dave Matthews Band?  My college dorm called and they've got my beer bong.  I would be positively giddy to get all four of those on the schedule.

ACL 2020: Predictions: Old Folks [EDIT]

Happy Prediction Season!

I'm doing this one again, despite being a wonderfully insightful zero for five last year with my predictions of old folks who might come to the Fest.  WHATEVER!  No need to be right, right?  Everyone just loves to get their hopes up and then have them dashed to the ground when Drake clogs up the spot I had promised would go to the Stones!  So fun!

For this first prediction blog, I thought I would look for the old people who might be on tap.  Last year, I'd consider Guns N Roses and The Cure to be oldies but goodies, with zero recent music but huge fan bases nonetheless.  Two years ago, it was Paul McCartney (and to some extent, David Byrne) who made the Festival into a must-see for die hard music people, regardless of genre.  2017 didn't have anyone like that (although I would argue that Jay-Z acted like he was a 76 year old just there to get paid and get back on the bus).  2016 had Willie Nelson (and to some extent, LCD Soundsystem and Radiohead) as the old school legacy act you needed to see one more time before he dies.  So, who might be our non-currently popular headliner this year?

For this, I'm listing bands that either are broken up, don't put out current music, or otherwise seem like nostalgia acts who may show up here.

Fleetwood Mac.  They were on tour last year, but this year don't seem to have any dates at all on their calendar.  So, nope.  Stevie Nicks is on tour (sorta) with dates at Jazz Fest, Governors Ball, and something called Jazz Aspen Festival in Snowmass, CO.  She's done with those dates by Sept. 6, so she has the time to announce ACL.  Personally, I wouldn't be that excited to see Nicks on her own, but I could see this being popular with all of the young ladies out there who cite Nicks and her scarf collection as an influence.  Maybe.

Bruce Springsteen.  He claims to be going on tour in 2020, which is promising.  But as of right now, his website has a totally blank touring schedule, so there is no way to know what might be coming.  I'll just keep my fingers crossed, despite the intelligent side of my brain saying this will never happen.  Likely not.

R.E.M.  PLEASE?!?!?!  There's just about no way.  Almost every article about them explains that they broke up happy and there's no reason to revisit that decision.  WHICH BLOWS!!!  No.

Rage Against the Machine.  Hell yeah.  I hope this one will work.  They announced a headlining slot at Coachella last year, and then a tour poster leaked showing dates at several other festivals throughout 2020.  Which really should mean that they'll be here for ACL.  That same article right there claims that an anonymous person has claimed responsibility for creating the fake poster, but it seems weird that the official RATM account would have shared the fake?  Smells real to me.  However, this poster shows them in Rio on the Saturday of weekend one, which sure would make it exhausting for them to still show up in Austin and play on either Friday or Sunday.  That takes a little of the wind out of my sails.  Screw it, I'm still gonna go with it.  Yes. 

[EDIT] - but, RATM was just announced for headliner at Boston Calling (May 22-24) (which has an extremely awesome lineup, with Foos, Rage, Chilis, Jason Isbell, Run the Jewels, and others) and Firefly (June 18-20).  Neither of those Fests are listed on that potentially fake tour poster, so it seems like another nail in the coffin for that being fake.  BUT, it also is good that they are headlining two other Fests, and may have no conflict with that Rio show.  Feeling even stronger about this one.

Last year, I was sure we might get Dead & Company, which would have been awesome to me.  That obviously did not happen.  They aren't on tour this year, and the only show on their calendar is at Jazz Fest, so I don't see this one happening.  No.

Elton John.  Elton's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour started back in September 2018 and included past dates in both Houston and Dallas, but none in Austin.  AND ITS STILL GOING.  I don't know if I could take being that guy, still doing the farewell tour like 18 months in a row.  Plugging away at the same greatest hits show every night...  He's in New Zealand and Australia right now, with Canadian dates to come, before ducking back into the States for another bite.  He hits Dallas and Houston for two more dates each in June and July, but again doesn't come to Austin.  He takes a big break with nothing scheduled in August, but then picks back up in September in Germany.  Which means he is in Spain for weekend one, and France for weekend two, so it looks like no "Honky Cat" for you!  No.

Rolling Stones.  Their tour just wrapped up at the end of 2019, so I don't see how this makes any sense with their current touring schedule.  If they add more shows, then maybe we'll revisit, but that was like a 3 year tour, that included a health scare for Jagger, so I don't see it.  Nope.

[EDIT]  There was some excitement last week, as a big Rolling Stones-themed mural was painted on the side of the old Le Bare at Congress and Riverside, so people were curious if that meant an appearance at ACL, or a stand-alone concert.  It's now been announced that it is a stand-alone concert, Memorial Day Weekend, at Circuit of the Americas.  So yeah, they won't be coming back for ACL.

Kiss.  Nah, they play Austin on October 1, so there is no reason for them to bring their show to ACL.  (which is good news in my opinion)

Madonna.  Every year, I hope that my research will lead me to believing that she'll be here.  Every year, I find nothing to lead me to believe.  This year is no different.  She's playing a bunch of shows at the London Palladium, then a bunch at a place in Paris called the Grand Rex, but then is done by March 11.  No reason to expect an ACL appearance.  Sadly.  No.

Aerosmith.  Man, I loved me some Aerosmith back in the day.  "Back in the Saddle" used to get me all sorts of riled up.  They went off the rails in the mid-90's, but their stable of hits is unquestionable.  The interesting thing is that they played the Grammys last night, and seem to have a little more interest and noise around them right now.  They continue to have a Las Vegas residency going on, with multiple dates per week at the MGM, but then in June the shoot off to Europe for some shows and festivals.  Those dates end on July 27, before a Sept. 18 show at Fenway Park.  Which means they could fit Lolla Chicago (7/30 to 8/2) and ACL (early October) into their plans pretty easily.  This would stay in line with some of the recent old guy headliners - feels pretty good to me.  Yes.

The Cure.  No.  They just played here.

George Strait.  I mean, this is just wishful thinking.  He wouldn't get the same reception as anyone else on this list - even if he is the MAN with regard to modern country music.  He purportedly retired a few years ago, but his touring page shows a handful of shows this year.  None conflict with ACL dates, so this is theoretically possible.  I don't buy it.  No.

Billy Joel.  In my opinion, he's not nearly the draw that Elton or Fleetwood or most of these old bands are, but at the same time, singing "Piano Man" and "Captain Jack" at the top of my lungs with 70,000 other people would be pretty sweet.  Huh.  His current tour has a gap between July 10 and August 15, leaving him time for Lolla, and then ends on Sept. 11, so his schedule has time for both of those.  My instinct, just based on how popular I think he'd be with the young folks, it that this one wouldn't happen.  But it would also fall in line with some of the nostalgia action we've had recently.  Still going to go with my gut and say no.

Ozzy Ozbourne.  He's just recently announced a Parkinson's diagnosis, so I don't see any way that he would keep touring.  But his website shows more tour dates starting up in May. There is an ACL sized gap from July 31 to October 23, but I hope, for his sake, that is just a space for him to rest and relax.  It honestly bums me out that he is still touring.  No.

Bob Seger.  He just finished his purported last tour ever, so I'm just going to go with No.

Queen + Adam Lambert.  I think they missed out on this last year - after the biopic and awards season lavishing the movie with praise - it felt like the right time.  But this year I wouldn't say the buzz would be as hot, and their tour is all European, Japanese, and Australia dates before it peters out in June.  I see no reason for them to come to ACL.  No. 

The Who.  I just read an article/interview about the Who and their current tour, and it bummed me out.  Reading about bandmates who detest each other, and Townshend being glad that two of his old school bandmates have died, was not my favorite rock and roll story. Their tour brought them through Dallas for a non-sold out show last year, and they'll be swinging back through in April (with another date in Houston also in April), and then it looks like they head to Vegas for six shows at Caesars.  All done by May.  They're playing Jazz Fest, but no other big festivals on the docket.  I think that makes this one unlikely, so I'll say no.

Bob Dylan.  Appears to be on his neverending tour for all time, but this year just has all April dates in Japan, and then nothing else. I guess I'll go with a no. 

The Eagles.  The tour is still plugging along, with five upcoming shows in Texas (2/29 to 3/17, three in Dallas and two in Houston), and ending with two at Wembley at the end of August.  So again, they could have the time to do it, but would they?  I still hold that The Big Lebowski killed their ability to grab the Gen X and Millennial generations.  So even though this one looks technically possible, I'm going to go with no.

AC/DC.  No tour dates currently announced, but they've recently said that there will be a new album this year and a tour following - although this article says "a tour of the band's native Australia," which would obviously not include Austin, Texas.  Until I hear more about the tour being bigger than just down under, no.

Bon Jovi.  I can't decide if this would excite me or not.  On the one hand, singing a lot to several of those big, classic hits would be highly enjoyable.  "Livin' on a Prayer" or "You Give Love a Bad Name" or "Bad Medicine" or whatever - that would be a good time.  But I'm not sure I could see that for a full two hours from this band.  As of now, they have a short tour going on that includes June stops in San Antonio and Dallas, and then ends at the end of July.  So, they could ostensibly show up at both Lolla and ACL.  And I think they'd sell some nostalgia tickets.  But until they announce something else, like more tour dates or any festival dates (nothing on this tour appears to be a Fest), then I'm not so sure.  Maybe.

Dixie Chicks.  Are they broken up?  They certainly seemed that way years ago.  I get to see them play in about a week, with Gary Clark Jr., and I'm pumped.  But beyond that, there are exactly zero tour dates on their calendar.  Like I said in my All Protest lineup prediction, they'd make great sense for the Fest, but without more information, I see no reason to guess this is true.  No.

Neil Young.  Of all the people on this list, this is one of the few who continues to put out new music.  I'm not in love with it or anything, but at least its new music.  I see no touring dates on his calendar, so no reason to think this one is happening, as of now.  No.

The Beach Boys.  They're playing Jazz Fest, and are on a pretty full tour, but they play Austin at the Bass Concert Hall in April (with tickets still available as of late January), so that doesn't smell like a solid choice.  Their current tour ends in August, so they'd have the time and space, but I'm not feeling it.  No.

Neil Diamond.  Not touring, so I'll go with a No.  But I could see people getting pumped up to sing along with the hits.

ZZ Top.  They're on tour, although I wouldn't put them on the top line of the ACL poster even if they came.  They are playing the Whitewater in New Braunfels in June though, so it doesn't seem like they would need to come back to the Austin area so quickly right afterwards.  I think they'd be cool to see, but I don't see this one as a draw or a reasonable guess.  Will go with no.

Loads of others I suppose I could look at, but I don't see a ton of point.  CSNY?  Oasis?  The Police?  The Kinks?  Led Zeppelin?  Nirvana?  White Stripes?  Talking Heads?  Pink Floyd?  Creedence?  Rush?  Uh, like, Genesis?  I think we all know those guys aren't getting back together for a slot at ACL.  Important members died, or they all hate each other, or whatever.  Who knows - maybe they'll prove me wrong and score a massive Pink Floyd reunion gig, but I doubt it very much.

And I know I'm super copping out with the maybe answers, but we are so early in the year that nothing is published for a lot of these tours past the summer.  Once we get a few months closer, we'll see if any new news would help discern who its gonna be.  In order of likelihood for them actually being on the poster, here are the three that pass on from this post:

1. Rage Against the Machine
2. Aerosmith
3. Bon Jovi
4. Stevie Nicks

Am I missing some important old band that very well could be making a run this year?  I'm definitely missing any sort of rap groups up there - whats left of Run DMC, NWA, Beastie Boys, Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang Clan (weird that all of those are missing a member b/c of a death) - and then skipped over other smaller things (B-52s?  My Chemical Romance?  Nickel Creek?  Creed?  Limp Bizkit?  Uh, Sonic Youth?  I mean, there are loads of other bands we could think about).  But if you have one you think I need to add to this list for future reviews, holler.

ACL 2020: A Protest Lineup?

OK, now I am fully aware that a lineup prediction when the grass is still trampled to death in the park is almost always complete folly, but I had a good idea for a cool lineup the other day when I found out that Rage Against the Machine is reforming for several shows that include Coachella headlining.  

The All Protest Headliners Lineup.

Man, Rage rules.  Their live in LA album from like 15 years ago is so awesome, I've always believed they would be a rad live show.

Think about it - the 2020 election day will be less than a month after the two weekends of the Festival.  If the current political climate is any indication, the entire nation will be frothing at the mouth with fear and excitement and loathing and anger.  So what better way to sink our teeth into that environment than to have a lineup of headliners who all know how to stick it to the man?

Rage Against the Machine.  Even if we don't have a festival of all protest music, this would be an amazing addition to the lineup for me.  Never seen them live, but would love to see them blast out the jams in a big festival setting.  The only shows announced so far are El Paso, Las Cruces, Phoenix, and Coachella, so they have plenty of time to come to Austin in October and rage through their hits for us.

Bruce Springsteen.  I've been wishing that he would show up on the lineup for about as long as I've been writing about these lineups.  Not necessarily so that I could hear him play Ghost of Tom Joad from front to back or something, but just so that I could enjoy the hits and finally see Springsteen.  Forbes says that he is going to put out a new album and tour in 2020, so this one could actually work!

Green Day.  American Idiot from front to back, anyone?  They are on tour right now for something called the "Hella Mega Tour," which is an unfortunate name, and also features Weezer and Fall Out Boy.  Which, I have to say, actually appeals to me regardless of how much that hurts my credibility.  The tour hits Dallas and Houston in July 2020, but no Austin or San Antonio dates.  Plus, the tour ends on August 29 in Philly, so they have plenty of time to rest up to come and blast us with Dookie at Zilker.  Who says no!?!

Public Enemy.  Fight the Power!  I mean, this would be super cool to see them again.  I saw them a few years back at Stubb's and they still bring the noise.  However, the web has no evidence of them touring at all, and their last Twitter entry was in November 2017.  That being said, Chuck D has been playing with the Rage guys as part of the Prophets of Rage project, so why not bring the guys together to support their homies?

Neil Young.  Although I'd actually prefer to have Pearl Jam come and just play "Rockin' in the Free World" on his behalf...  I read that he postponed 2019 touring plans to work on movies, but that he is "likely to tour" with Crazy Horse in 2020.  And then this article says that he wants to do a "Democracy Tour" in 2020.  So, sure, why not?  That fits into what I am trying to put together here.

Bob Dylan.  Don't get me wrong - I'd rather not listen to Dylan croak on stage for two hours.  Did that one time and am fine without hearing it again.  That being said, any discussion of an artist who puts out political lyrics that crush the competition would be woefully incomplete without Dylan.  He is currently on a tour that ends in April 2020 in Japan, so he could fit it in.

Dixie Chicks.  Prior to crapping on W, and releasing "I'm Not Ready to Make Nice," you probably wouldn't have called them a political band, but with that history, and them getting pretty well cancelled by conservative Country radio, now I could see it.  Also, how awesome would it be to see them in Austin?  I had tickets years ago when they came through the Austin 360 Amphitheater but we ended up having to sell the tickets.  Their website only lists two shows next year, and the second is in Austin in February.  Hell you say!  I want tickets to that immediately.  It is a show called "Voices for Justice" and includes Gary Clark Jr.  See!  They are wanting to tour on the back of political messages!  They've got the time and space to make it happen!

Uh, like System of a Down?  Or U2?  Or an NWA reunion?  Like half of all bands have already sent out a cease and desist to Trump to stop using their songs at his rallies, so I can't just blanket include them.  But other folks have kind of generally spoken up about political issues in the past.  An R.E.M. reunion?  Be still my beating heart.  Dave Matthews Band?  Is Joan Baez still alive?  Wilco and Billy Bragg could come and play all the Woodie Guthrie songs from Mermaid Avenue?  Crosby Stills & Nash could come without Young?  John Cougar Mellencamp?  He slammed Trump at a Farm Aid show.  Willie Nelson?  He seems primed for it.  Hell, Taylor Swift has started speaking out politically, even if none of her songs ever go there...

On the other hand, ACL could book some counterpoint artists like Kanye West and Kid Rock and Ted Nugent to come play to provide the counterpoint for all of the MAGA folks.

It's an interesting idea though, right?  Right?