Austin City Limits, Day 3

AA Bondy

11:45-12:30 // AA Bondy // Dell Stage
Despite a burning desire to sleep till noon, I rolled out of bed at 9:30 (that’s early for a Sunday!) to make sure Josh and I were at Zilker in time to catch Alabama folk singer AA Bondy. He reminded me a great deal of Bob Dylan with a tinge of Rocky Votolato, although almost any modern folk singer with an acoustic guitar and harmonica reminds me of Votolato. Regardless of any comparisons, Bondy’s set was quite lovely, despite not being tight in the least.

Angela of Sybris

11:45-12:30 // Sybris // AT&T Blue Room Stage
Only knowing that I needed to see Bondy at 11:45, I hadn’t paid attention to anything else on the schedule, knowing I’d figure it out more or less when I arrived at the park…and had a chance to actually wake up. Initally I’d thought that Bondy was on the Austin Ventures stage, but as we neared, I could have sworn I heard the fantastic musical stylings of Ohio duo mr. Gnome. Discovering my mistake, I was delighted to find that the tunes actually belonged to the reverb-loving foursome from Chicago known as Sybris.

Though not playing to a sizable crowd (opening slot is tough), Sybris rocked out hard and most certainly drew a great performance. Those in attendance loved every second of the high energy shoegaze (oxymoron?) set. Once their set ended, Josh and I headed over to the AMD stage for Nicole Atkins and the Sea, happening upon a large spot of lawn covered in a mass of glitter. It had us thinking that Tilly and the Wall performed a secret set at ACL, and if that’s true, we’re not too happy about missing the memo on that one.

Nicole Atkins

12:30-1:30 // Nicole Atkins & the Sea // AMD Stage
As a member of local public radio station WXPN (which, if you’re a regular here, you know I pimp as often as poss.), I’d long heard of Nicole Atkins and the Sea, but this past weekend was my first chance at seeing the outfit perform live. Just the first few seconds of the set alone had me understanding why XPN loves this woman so much and I was blown away myself. Atkins has a rich and transfixing voice, intermittently punctuated with a squeal belonging to a rocker from the 50s a la Barrett Strong or even a James Brown.

Nicole Atkins and her sea swelled with great intensity as they produce poppy dance rock jams that had the crowd (most certainly me included) dancing along in the afternoon Austin heat. To do “as the Austinites do,” Atkins played a rather catchy country song she’d written as part of her set. Not a fan of country due to the twang in the vocals, I actually rather enjoyed Nicole’s rendition of a country song seeing as it lacked the twang and was just as hooky as every other song in the set. For sure an act I’ll catch in a more intimate setting, and not only because Atkins is beautiful, sassy, and I have a girl crush on her.

Day 3 was by far the hottest of the fest, so Josh and I made our way to the other side of the park to enjoy some Rock Band, football and air conditioning in the AT&T Oasis, and an oasis it was. On the way to the Oasis, we were treated to a bit of Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet‘s set, featuring legendary banjo player Bela Fleck. Man, that Bela wails on the banjo. Switching gears (and how!), as a long time fan of The Octopus Project, I mandated we leave the oasis and head to the Dell Stage as to not the Austin locals’ set.

1:30-2:30 // Octopus Project // Dell Stage
Arriving only a bit tardy, I was pleasantly surprised to find a middle school band on stage playing and dancing along with The Octopus Project. No other electronica pop band has ever had a more lush sound than The Octopus Project did on Sunday. I was delighted with the upbeat set, the band’s energy as they moved around and took turns playing the others’ instruments, and Yvonne Lambert‘s adorable sky blue dress. Lyrically, the band was slim, but they more than made up for it with huge electro-poppy melodies.

Later in the day, I briefly chatted up the band in the media area as they made the press rounds. They’re absolute dolls!

Pricilla Ahn

1:50-2:30 // Pricilla Ahn // Austin Ventures Stage
Sunday was the day of forming girl crushes, but honestly, you listen to Pricilla Ahn for five minutes and tell me you’re not in love. She has the sweetest voice and was simply enchanting in between songs as she bantered on the stage. Another cute dress noted, Ahn wore a flowy, yellow halter dress that made her shine even brighter.

1:30-2:30 // The Kills // AT&T Blue Room Stage
The Kills’ feminine half, Alison “VV” Mosshart looked just like Jack White as she took the stage, decked out in tight pants, a floppy hat and long dark hair in her face. Despite my initial judgement of her outfit (side note: I used to work for a fashion magazine, thus all the clothes talk), I was happy to find The Kills nailing an energetic performance chock full of fun rock songs.

2:30-3:30 // Gillian Welch // AMD Stage
Josh had been looking forward to checking out Gillian Welch all weekend so we swung by the AMD Stage on our way to land a spot for Stars while in search of friends of mine. As we happened by the stage Gillian played on, we heard her announce a special guest joining her on stage, so needless to say, we stopped dead in our tracks. Lucky for us we passed by at that time, because Alison Krauss joined Welch for a beautiful cover along with one of Gillian’s guitarists.

2:50-3:30 // Tristan Prettyman // Austin Ventures
Still on the way to catch Stars, we briefly walked past Tristan Prettyman’s performance and, man, what a beautiful voice. Girlfriend can sing it.

3:30-4:30 // Stars // AT&T Blue Room Stage
Never having seen Stars, I was ridiculously excited to catch them at ACL. They were absolutely amazing — which is really all I have to say about them — though I had the nagging feeling that they’d be much more enjoyable at an indoor venue. This thought was later confirmed when Josh told me that they’re better indoors. Solid.

Stars

What turned out to not be as regrettably as I’d initially assumed, Josh and I left Stars’ set early to chat with Sybris and Five Times August in the media area. Brad of Five Times August was lovely and Sybris was a wild ride. Following an interview in which Josh and I did shots with the band and they beat on each other, we hung out backstage with them, scored some free shoes, sat in on a video interview they had to give at their behest (I became the tambourine player and Josh, the bassist) and just had a hell of a time.

5:30-6:30 // Okkervil River // AT&T Blue Room Stage
Sybris had to take some things back to their bus, so the antics ended and Josh and I caught the last quarter of Okkervil River’s set. They put on a wildly energetic set that you should make your business to see.

Okkervil River

The Raconteurs, Photo: Nick Davis

6:30-7:45 // The Racounteurs // AMD Stage
Josh, and the rest of the world pretty much, could not shut up about how amazing The Raconteurs are live. Honestly, I was bored. Granted, by 6:30pm on the 3rd day of a music festival, maybe my tolerance for great music had hit an all time high or I was beginning to suffer from A.D.D. as a result of sleep deprivation. For whatever reason, I was totally bored out of my mind and just wanted to leave The Raconteurs set.

6:30-7:30 // Gnarls Barkley // AT&T Stage
Despite having lost the hype for Gnarls a while ago, I was excited to catch their set on the other side of the park since Jack [White] and Brendan [Benson] had only managed to bore me. Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse, I thought, were a more entertaining duo that day. They exceeded my expectations from the last time I saw them, but then again, I hadn’t just been blown away by The Roots. Following “Crazy,” Josh and I snuck back into the AT&T Oasis for a little R&R.

7:30-8:30 // Band of Horses // Dell Stage
Thousands of people flocked to the Dell Stage for Band of Horses late set. Josh and I scoped out a spot after leaving Gnarls a bit early, only to be told that I was going to get my throat stepped on by a Mets (boo fucking hoo, you should hate your life) fan because the Phillies clinched the division and I’m a Phillies fan (go Phils!). Fearing for my trachea, Josh and I stayed for only a few songs, including the hugely commericially popular “Is There A Ghost,” before heading back to the media area to listen to the set in piece and with way better accomodations than the dusty parkgrounds had to offer.

Band of Horses

8:30-10:00 // Foo Fighters // AT&T Stage
I’d seen the Foo Fighters for the very first time with photographer Ajay at this year’s Virgin Mobile Festival in Baltimore and was thrilled at the chance to catch them live again — had never seen them in my 23 years and then see them twice in the same summer, crazy. Dave Grohl is as dynamic a personality as they come and he is nothing but entertaining in every aspect of his stage show from hilarious and out there stage banter to just rocking the fuck out.
If you’ve never seen the Foo Fighters live, regardless of how much you like or dislike their music, I feel sorry for you that they’re going on hiatus. Foo Fighters definitely rival for a top spot in best shows I’ve seen this summer.

Dave Grohl on the JumboTron, Photo: Quiet Color

Taylor Hawkins on the JumboTron, Photo: Quiet Color

a prettier one, Photo: Ben Watts

10:00-2:00 // Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band w/ Jenny Lewis & M. Ward // La Zona Rosa
So much went on here that you’ll have to check back for another post! It was amazing.

Austin is an amazing city and Austin City Limits is one of the best festivals I’ve been to, hands down. Shout out to all the fantastic people I met and thank you to Sandee and Marcy for such a wonderful time! Here’s looking at ACL 2009.

Austin City Limits: website | day 1 | day 2

Monolith Music Festival @ Red Rocks, Denver – Sunday, Sept. 14

Monolith Music Festival was just as busy and just as good on the second day, Sunday, Sept. 14. People started to come out a lot earlier for these acts. I had a long drive ahead of me, so I didn’t make it as late as the headliner Justice, but I still managed to catch a lot. Check out my pictures and reviews below. If you missed it, here is what I had to say about Saturday’s line-up: pt. I and pt. II.

2:00 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. Rosewood Thieves – Esurance Main Stage

I got to the venue in time to catch some of the Rosewood Thieves as they were finishing up their Dylan-esque folk rock set. I enjoyed the laid back jams I heard and wouldn’t mind giving trying to check them out another time.

2:45 P.M. to 3:15 P.M. Snowden – New Belgium Stage

After making the long trek up the stairs from the Esurance Main Stage to the New Belgium, I had the chance to catch my breath during Snowden‘s chill rock set. I really enjoyed grooving to their experimental rock, but what really caught my interest were the amazing bass lines and soulful harmonies of Corinne Lee.

3:00 P.M. to 3:45 P.M. Tokyo Police Club – Esurance Main Stage

Of all the bands at the festival, I must admit that Tokyo Police Club was the band I was most excited to see. This was partly because I really like their music, but also partly because they’ve canceled three shows that I’ve tried to see them at and I was finally getting to see them play live. The boys did not disappoint and put on an energetic set that had the audience clapping along. They all seemed genuinely pleased to be playing for the crowd and their enthusiasm was well-expressed in their music.

3:45 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. The Handsome Furs – New Belgium Stage

The Handsome Furs were one of those bands that I thought was really good, but maybe not as great as people are making them out to be. Denver was excited for this band because they’re not getting a visit from Wolf Parade on their upcoming tour, so I suppose this spin-off group sufficed. However, while they rocked musically, their stage show was a little dry.

4:30 P.M. to 5:10 P.M. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – Woxy.com Stage

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson has been well-supported on this site by the other editors and writers and now I finally saw what the party was all about. MBAR and his supporting crew excellently swelled from mellow acoustic melodies to exploding indie rock anthems supported with big bass drums and guitar solos. MBAR treated the audience to a few new songs, which indicate the upcoming album should be amazing.

5:00 P.M. to 5:45 P.M. Tilly and The Wall – New Belgium Stage

Omaha represent! Tilly and the Wall are one of the best live groups you could possibly see. They play a series of songs that has everybody dancing whether they tap or not. One Omaha guy loves them so much he follows them around in fun outfits and Tilly even let him join them on stage. This was the first time I got to hear songs from O live and they sounded much better when accompanied by their live stage show than the recording was able to capture. My only regret about Tilly and the Wall was that I didn’t plan ahead and try to carpool to Monolith with them.

5:50 P.M. to 6:30 P.M. The Whigs – Woxy.com Stage

When I heard the Whigs on the radio, I wasn’t blown away. For the first song of their set, I still had yet to be blown away, but once the guys loosened up their Nirvana meets The Beatles music finally caught my attention. I especially loved when lead singer Parker Gispert kicked along with every clash of the cymbal.

5:45 P.M. to 6:45 P.M. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings – Esurance Main Stage

I just caught a few songs of soulful singer Sharon Jones‘ set, but she definitely has a powerful voice that will get people grooving along. The highlight of her show was when she spotted Tilly and the Wall’s number one fan in the crowd and had security bring him on stage to dance with her.

6:30 P.M. to 7:15 P.M. The Kills – New Belgium Stage

There are just two members in the Kills, but they produce a sound as full as any band. This UK group is getting a lot of deserved buzz, but I suggest you catch them now before Alison Mosshart destroys her voice with her chain smoking.

7:15 P.M. to 8:15 P.M. Band of Horses – Esurance Main Stage

Band of Horses took to the main stage to play their easy rock tunes to a packed crowd that I was glad to see actually knew the words to more of their songs than what was in commercials like “Is There a Ghost.” I saw these guys a few years and loved the vocals, but was kind of bored by the stage show, which offered little more than what you could hear on a CD. However, these guys have come into their own and feel a lot more comfortable being on stage and it shows on their songs. This was a much improved set.

7:10 P.M. to 7:50 P.M. Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Woxy.com Stage

I wish I had gotten to this party sooner because I was forced to listen to the electronica songs of Does It Offend You, Yeah? from the hall as the played to an overflowing room of dancing bodies. Even from the hallway, they were a fun show to listen in on.

7:50 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. The Airborne Toxic Event – Gigbot Stage

So, you might have noticed that The Airborne Toxic Event‘s album’s reviews are slightly mixed, though we love it. However, one thing is for sure and that is that their stage show is phenomenal. While all the musicians are quite skilled, keyboardist and violinist Anna Bulbrook especially shined on stage as she climbed on amps and rocks, while playing the violin.

8:15 P.M. to 8:45 P.M. Paper Bird – Madeloud.com Acoustic Stage

Up in the rocky mountains, Colorado has been keeping a little secret, but I doubt they’ll be able to keep septet Paper Bird secret much longer. With bass, banjo, trombone and some of the prettiest harmonies of the weekend, it was hard to not to become endeared with this sweet group.

8:45 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. TV on the Radio – Esurance Main Stage

They almost didn’t make it. Van troubles in Utah threatened to keep the boys in TV on the Radio away. Rumors the entire day were that they were not going to make it, but TV on the Radio insisted they wouldn’t miss it for the world and the rented cars to speed through the mountains in. You have to admire a band that determined to not let their fans down. They barely got to the venue in time, but the drama of their drive and the lack of a warm-up did not seem to phase these boys as the ripped through a set of old and new material. The new album held up quite well next to the older songs.

Monolith Music Festival put together a great line-up of the finest indie acts. With five stages hosting one fine group after another, it is very hard to criticize any aspect of the festival. Although I wish more people had come for the entire weekend. In the future, a weekend with this solid of a line-up should be a sell out.

Monolith Music Festival: website | Sunday line-up | Saturday review pt. I | Saturday review pt. II

Photos and writing by: Bethany

Monolith Music Festival @ Red Rocks, Denver – Saturday, Sept. 13, Pt. II

Monolith Music Festival at Denver’s Red Rock’s Amphitheatre was unbeatable with its gorgeous scenery and great line up. Below you will find a continuation of Saturday’s festivities on Sept. 13. Be sure to come back and check out what I thought of the following day and if you missed it, here is what I thought of the first part of Saturday here.

Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008. Pt. II.

4:30 P.M. to 5:15 P.M. Cut Copy – Esurance Main Stage

Cut Copy is one of those bands I was very excited to see, but much lik Foals, the guys came out and looked less than thrilled to be at the show. So, when they started off their synth heavy set a little slow, I was worried that they would be boring. I learned that appearances could be deceiving and they soon kicked up the beat and had the audience on their feet, dancing. Singer Dan Whitford‘s voice was the perfect compliment to the band’s electronica pop.

5:00 P.M. to 5:45 P.M. Holy F**K – New Belgium

Holy F**ck must have picked their name because they knew that after people saw them live, they’d say, “Holy f**k! that band is good.” The group’s experimentation with sound had the most interesting effects and the audience was especially curious to see what the band was going to do with the old fashioned tape machine they had set up on stage. They were a great band to follow the prior electronica group, Cut Copy.

5:45 P.M. to 6:45 P.M. The Fratellis – Esurance Main Stage

Brit imports The Fratellis has had audiences intrigued by their decorative stage set, but I can’t say I am one of the intrigued. I like their songs well enough, but they just didn’t blow me away like some of the other groups I had seen that day. Although, drummer Mince Fratelli was one of the most energetic drummers of the day and he seemed genuinely excited to be performing at Red Rocks.

6:30 P.M. to 7:10 P.M. A Place to Bury Strangers – Gigbot Stage

I had been hearing a lot of about how A Place to Bury Strangers just tears the stage apart, so I went into this set with high expectations. However, I think something was off because while the band sounded fine, they didn’t have people moving and dancing quite as well as Holy F**ck and Cut Copy. Granted, I think seeing them in a small club after having a few drinks would have been a better first encounter with this group.

7:15 P.M. to 8:15 P.M. Vampire Weekend – Esurance Main Stage

I love Vampire Weekend and I suggest buckling in for this bandwagon because this ride isn’t stopping anytime soon. While they were a bit more bubbly and pop sounding than many of the other bands at this festival, they had one of the best sets of the day. They pleased the crowd by playing all their well-known songs with a few twists on the arrangements. The band also made the crowd quite literally scream as the introduced two new songs. Vampire Weekend seemed quite at ease playing to an amphitheatre audience, so I would not be surprised if they shortly found themselves in a similar setting in more cities.

Set list:
Mansard Roof
Campus
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
M79
White Sky (new song)
Bryn
A-Punk
One (Blake’s Got A New Face)
I Stand Corrected
The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance
Giant (new song)
Oxford Comma
Walcott

8:15 P.M. to 8:45 P.M. Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons – Madeloud.com Acoustic Stage

Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons were tucked away on the acoustic stage, which is a pity because they were a set that it would have been a shame to miss. Relaxing piano melodies, Chisel’s sweet vocals and the Wandering Sons, which included the appearance of a Band of Horses member, made for a special treat.

8:45 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. Silversun Pickups – Esurance Main Stage

Silversun Pickups lead singer Brian Aubert does things with a falsetto I would not have thought imaginable if I hadn’t heard it in person. The only thing that was disappointing about this set was that the crowd size seemed somewhat diminished after the turn out for Vampire Weekend on the same stage. The band tested out some new songs, and the sophomore album sounds promising from those samples.

9:10 P.M. to 9:50 P.M. The Presets – Gigbot Stage

I hadn’t heard of the Presets until I arrived in Denver and discovered this was one of the most buzzed about groups at the festival. Determined to get out from under whatever rock I must have been living under, I checked out this electronic outfit. The overflowing crowd loved dancing to the group’s Faint-like numbers. And while I was entertained, I again thought the Presets didn’t quite live up to the high bar set by the day’s earlier electronica outfits.

9:45 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. Atmosphere – New Belgium Stage

Another hyped up act was Atmosphere. I really enjoy the single, “You,” but Slug seemed to spend so much of his time trying to get the audience to get their hands up inbetween songs that it seemed hardly worth the wait for the duo to get to their actual music. I seriously think he spent at least half the set saying stupid one-liners like, “Denver, put your hands up cause this is a stick-up.” This group is over-hyped.

10:30 P.M. to 12:00 P.M. DeVotchKa – Esurance Main Stage

Denver locals DeVotchKa headlined Saturday’s festivities. They quickly showed they earned that headlining spot by offering the audience an ecletic mix of instruments. As if it wasn’t enough to watch Tom Hagerman on violin and accordian, Jeanie Schroder on sousaphone and acoustic bass, Sean King on drums and trumpet, and vocalist Nick Urata on guitar and theremin, the group was also joined by a small string section. To see this group and hear their full sound reverberated off the rocks was the perfect close to the day.

Check back for Sunday’s installment.

Monolith Music Festival: website | Saturday line-up | Monolith, pt. 1

Photos and Writing by: Bethany

Monolith Festival 2008 Line-up: Sunday 9/14

The other day we strongly recommended checking out this year’s Monolith Festival held September 13th and 14th in Morrison, CO at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. We’ve already posted Saturday’s schedule and now you can check at the amazing line-up for Sunday posted below:

Esurance Main Stage
10:30 PM :: Justice
8:45 PM :: TV on the Radio
*7:15 PM :: Band of Horses
*5:45 PM :: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
4:15 PM :: The Avett Brothers
*3:15 PM :: Tokyo Police Club
2:00 PM :: The Rosewood Thieves
1:00 PM :: Fox 31 “Fox Rocks” Contest Winner

New Belgium Stage
9:45 PM :: CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy)
8:00 PM :: Akron/Family
*6:30 PM :: The Kills
*5:00 PM :: Tilly and the Wall
*3:45 PM :: The Cribs
*2:45 PM :: Snowden
1:45 PM :: Astra Moveo
12:45 PM :: The Elms

WOXY.com Stage @ Southwest Airlines Heart of the Rock Theatre
8:30 PM :: Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
*7:10 PM :: Does It Offend You, Yeah?
*5:50 PM :: The Whigs
*4:30 PM :: Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
3:10 PM :: Grampall Jookabox
2:00 PM :: Pomegranates
1:00 PM :: Jukebox the Ghost

Rock Room Stage
9:10 PM :: The Giraffes
*7:50 PM :: Airborne Toxic Event
6:30 PM :: Chester French
5:10 PM :: Hearts of Palm
3:50 PM :: Moonspeed
2:30 PM :: American Bang
1:30 PM :: The Chain Gang of 1974

MadeLoud.com Acoustic Stage
10:00 PM :: Dave Beegle
8:15 PM :: Paper Bird
6:45 PM :: The Wheel
5:15 PM :: Joshua Novak
4:00 PM :: Lynsey Smith
2:45 PM :: David Moore
1:15 PM :: Alyse Black
12:30 PM :: Miles Nielson

Monolith Festival: website | customize schedule | buy tickets

*recommended sets!