Austin City Limits 2007

After last year's Lollapalooza '06, I attempted to coin the phrase Mega-Festival to describe the attempt to shove massive amounts of people into a single space over the course of a weekend. Well, Austin City Limits blew that festival away by the sheer size of it. The day-after guesses bring the number at sixty-five thousand, which might be lowballing a little, in my opinion. That number seems sort of abstract and hard to pin down, until you're on a field with sixty thousand other people trying to flee a festival you tried so hard to get to in the first place.

But I'm skipping ahead.

First off, we had some trouble starting off. Actually, before we even left our home state, we were terribly delayed by stupid airline nonsense. I won't bore you with the details (which I'm sure you can guess it), suffice it to say, our plans for the day were thoroughly shot down before they barely began. And we missed one of the bands we really wanted to see mid-day Friday, Peter Bjorn and John. Word around the campfire was that we didn't miss much, but still. Sucks. Big time.

We did manage (desperately) to catch Spoon's 6:30 pm set. We were a little too exhausted that day to remember we had a camera so no pictures from that first night, but Spoon put on a damn good show for a few thousand of their loyal Austin fans. I had heard in years past that Spoon's live show leaved something to be desired, and it's true, the pitch-perfect perfection in Spoon's brilliant albums were missing in the one-or-two-note performance, but my hips certainly didn't mind. I shaked my white ass to such classics as "I Turn My Camera On" and "Someone Something" as well as almost every song from the new album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. I had been waiting to see this band for a long time and was so glad we got there in time.

We caught a little Gotan Project on the way to buy beer or iced tea. I knew them from my trip-hop days. A very engaging performance from a band I knew very little about. Made mental notes to check them out some more.

Headlining that evening was the irreplaceable Bjork. Her liveset was, as you can imagine, crazy. Lasers, costumes, a jangling and dancing Icelandian sounding beautiful amidst super-loud beats. Unfortunately, the day caught up with us and we didn't stick around for the whole set. It was hard to leave, but very necessary.

Saturday, we woke refreshed and ready to take in the day and some of Austin. We grabbed some kick-ass barbecue downtown and went to the festival in time to rock out to Cold War Kids. I never heard of this band before so I didn't really know what to expect. I was impressed. They have a sprawling rock sound that references a lot of post-rock, but with lyrics. It's indie rock for adventurers.


We then headed to see one of my favorite new artists, the amazing Andrew Bird. Those who knew his stuff cheered at every opening chord. Those who didn't stood perplexed but amazing by this extremely talented violinist/whistler/singer/songwriter. He blazed through the opening tracks to Armchair Aprochrya and The Mysterious Production of Eggs to ferocious applause. His vocals, his dynamic violining, the authenticity of his words poured through those speakers and I was transfixed. His performance was everything I hoped it would. The first highlight.

And then, particularly no time later, the big highlight of the weekend: Arcade Fire. Shawn and I moved in real close to get the best of this wonderful band. It wasn't easy. It was hot. And sweaty. And sort of gross. (And eventually dangerous). But so freaking worth it!

Everyone - I think - has heard of Arcade Fire's legendary live performances. Allow me to elaborate: Every word you've ever read is true. Watching them blast through fiery song after fiery song, my mind kept saying.. As if there was any doubt, this is the best band in the world right now. It felt like there was hundreds of thousands of us in the audience shouting every word, singing our hearts out to such made-for-concert choruses to songs like "Leave the Car Running" and "No Cars Go." (I don't know why they're obsessed with cars, but I digress.)

The Arcade Fire have somehow tapped into a sense of need in today's young people. We need this band. We need its anthems of rebellion and justice and glory. And we need it delivered with every ounce of being in their collective bodies. Three or four songs in and the band's sweat matched the audience. The way they shouted every lyric (even if they didn't have a microphone anywhere near them) was spellbinding. The washes of horns and guitar and violin and whatever the hell Regine was playing was caked with emotion. An amazing experience, from beginning to end.

The only downside was that some kids just got into the spirit too much and decided to crowd surf, almost coming down hard on Shawn. Stupid kids.

Sunday, weary but determined, we woke early to grab some waffles and eggs and oh-so-delicious bacon for fuel and headed to the festival in time to watch The National, one of the most promising young bands in the indie rock scene today. I've been a fan for years, but have never been lucky enough to watch a performance. I was mightily impressed, as was the few friends we had around who weren't familiar with them. They played mostly stuff from their new album, of course, and they played with such fire, I loved every moment of it.

Next big band came at the Big Big set for Britain's Bloc Party. They didn't play any b-sides, much to my disappointment, and for some reason, I felt like the massive set and huge huge audience were a little too much for the kids from England, but they still played a fun and upbeat set. I'd seen them before and wasn't too impressed, but the new album tracks worked out really well live.

Next up was Amos Lee, a soulful guy from Philadelphia who poured his heart out for an hour to much ado. There wasn't much God talk this weekend, and this guy wasn't evangelical or anything but his soul grooves and pure heart leaked out and was infectious.

Then, another highlight, the wonderful My Morning Jacket. These guys know how to have fun. They dressed up the set and themselves for this headlining spot. It was a Hawaiian motif with lead singer Jim James in a blond wig and tight-pants, complete with Hawaiian girls holding pineapples and some dudes metal-detecting on the "beach." As for the performance, incredible. So much power in that voice! So much emotion in those guitar licks. People around me didn't seem as into it as I was, but that didn't faze me from rocking out until my flip-flops were so sweaty, I almost tripped.

Finally, after three very long days, the last shows of the fest went on. There were quite a few performances before the headlining Bob Dylan, but I, of course, chose to see The Decemberists. It was my third time seeing them and, though they didn't seem to have the same intensity like when I saw them last in San Francisco, it's hard not to be transfixed to such a wonderful band, even half-exhausted as I was immediately following the My Morning Jacket set. These guys have such wonderful material and they played some of their best songs in an all-too brief set, closing with the powerful "I Was Meant for the Stage."

The final act of the festival was Bob Dylan. At this point, the sixty-five thousand people converged on a single section of Zilker Park and though we had intended to stay for a few songs, we got the hell out of there as soon as we could. I don't "get" Dylan, so I didn't mind leaving. I was curious, for sure, but I was more convinced I didn't want to spend a few hours in line waiting for a bus back downtown after a looooong day out in the sun.

To sum up, Austin City Limits was a remarkable experience. There is no way one person could see so many different bands in such a short time for so many different parts of the country and the world than in one of these mega-festivals. Sure, it's a lot to take. But it's also wonderful. And extremely memorable.

(Stay tuned for a couple more Austin posts, including "Fun Diversions" and - assuming I can figure out this new Blogger feature- video!)

Miami Spice Begins Today!

I hope you're hungry!

Miami Spice officially kicks off today and runs for the next two months. There's a bewildering amount of restaurants participating so if you're having some trouble figuring out where to start (as I am), check out this great Miami Herald article that namedrops a lot of great places. Thanks to Consumable Joy for the link.

Awesomely Bad 90's Russian Music Videos

By the Russian "Weird Al," Sergey Minaev, doing some ridiculous covers of some classic songs and originals (?). This stuff is pure ridicilousness.



Lots more here.

Hat-tip: Matt.

Oh, if I had the ability to bend time and space...

I would have gone to see an amazing show at the Hollywood Bowl this past weekend featuring The Decemberists with the LA Philharmonic (!!!!), not to mention opening acts Band of Horses and my current obsession, Andrew Bird.

Pitchfork has some pictures to satisfy the sudden sadness I feel. Maybe some mp3's will show up on the internet later today.

Update! P'fork linked to amateur YouTube videographer, capturing the brilliant "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" complete with swirling violins. It's a little noisy in the middle there but still awesome.

Announcement

So, I'm thrilled. I, along with some trusty compatriots, will be attending the ridiculously awesome Austin City Limits festival in September. The lineup is crazy. So many wonderful bands. So many new artists I haven't even heard of!

Well, to prepare (and since I have the whole summer to think about it..), I decided that I should make it my mission to listen to every single artist on that lineup. And what better motivation (*jokes*) than a blog?! So I started a new one:

AustinCityLimitsArtists.blogspot.com

It will be my way to catalog and comment on every band on that lineup. See that box marked Bands on the right side of that page? Give me a month and it'll be totally full. Obviously, I've started writing about bands that I know and love and will continue to do that while I experiment with new artists. I'm not just going to do one post about each band. The goal is to have a wide range of information and commentary (cause you know I love to wax poetically about music) about every single band.

So, wish me luck. Spread the word. And see you in Austin!!

Words to Live By

Swiped from some weird blog via zwrk.

Spotlight on Midtown Miami

Today's cover story from the Miami Herald shines a light on the true urbanization of Miami, the bustling Midtown/Design District area and the new pedestrian-friendly neighborhood around the Performing Arts Center. Also, namedrops Michael's and the Charter Club!

Thanks to Transit Miami (my new favorite blog) for the link.

Lost - Season 3, Episode 17 - "Catch 22" Recap/Review

Only one word can describe last night's hour-long thrill ride: "Yes!" as in, "Wow!" *pumps fist* "Cool!"

Some fellow Lost fans were trepidatious about the follow-up to the brilliant Desmond-centered, time-travely episode, "Flashes Before Your Eyes," but I knew we were in for a good one. I listened to the Lost Official Podcast yesterday before the episode and Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof said something "momentous" was going to happen in "Catch 22," and they were right! Let's get to it, then.

The episode starts in the deep jungle, in the rain, with Desmond leading a motley crew of survivors: Hurley, Jin, and Charlie. Hurley and Charlie are debating who would win in a race, Superman or The Flash. Suddenly, Charlie steps on a wire. He looks up to see an arrow pointed at his head. Instead of calling out for help, he continues his step, removes pressure from the wire (this was a "WHAT?" moment for me) and the arrow flies out and impales him in the neck. The scene is gruesome and bloody for Lost.

I was shocked. We all know about Desmond's flashes, but my brain didn't go there first, it went straight to "Oh my god! Charlie!"

Desmond and the others fly to grab his body. Jin begs Desmond for help but he fumbles, screams, "There's nothing I can do!" Charlie gurgles and chokes to death.

Flashes! A sequence of images foretelling the future come in rapid-fire speed on the screen. We see Hurley picking up a cable in the sand, a strange red light in the sky, the familiar picture of Desmond and Penny, Charlie dying, and finally, feet dangling in the air.

Desmond opens his eyes. He’s on the beach, fishing. It’s a clear blue day. He looks behind him at the other survivors. His gaze moves from one face to the other until he sees Charlie walking along, alive as ever.

Desmond immediately jumps up and runs towards Hurley. He asks Hurley if he knows where Rosseau’s cable is up the beach. Hurley says yes. (He found it after he went on a walkabout after Libby died). He then asks him for his help in some “future stuff.” Hurley asks why. Desmond thinks for a moment as if running through his memory. He says, “Because someone’s coming.”

Cue LOST logo.

The first flashback sequence finds a silent Desmond in a monastery. A monk comes to see him and hands him the brown robes of a new recruit. The monk’s name is Brother Campbell and he speaks briefly about a vow of silence that the brothers take to show their devotion. Campbell had doubted Desmond’s devotion, but now, he sees Desmond is ready. He’s one of them. Desmond breaks his silence and says, “Thank you… brother.”

On the beach, Hurley and Desmond go up to Jack and ask for a first aid kit. Desmond says he’s got a twisted ankle and he wants to borrow some tape. Why Jack doesn’t just give him tape but rather hands over a whole medical kit is a little bit of a mystery, but hey, whatev!

Next, Hurley and Desmond go spy on Jin catching fish. Desmond doesn’t know how to ask Jin to help them. Hurley says, “Let me handle this.” He goes up to Jin and says two important words: “Camping” and “Marshmallows.” Jin smiles and agrees to come.

Then, the most important piece of the puzzle, Desmond goes alone to see Charlie, who’s playing his guitar. Charlie, of course, is reluctant to agree. “This has something to do with me dying again, doesn’t it?” he says (paraphrased, of course). Desmond begs him to come, tells him he needs for something important. Charlie just says, “Can I bring my guitar?”

Meanwhile, another pointless Sawyer storyline is going on. This one has to do with Kate. Sawyer goes to see her in a pretty gratuitous state of dress and they talk about “the Doc.” Kate says he knows that her and Sawyer slept together. Sawyer seems pleased. He says now that that’s out of the bag, how ‘bout a little “afternoon delight?” Kate walks away, but not before Sawyer calls out, “What? Do I need to make you a mixtape?”

Away from camp, the four intrepid explorers (the B-team, as I’ll call them, because these are not the typical “go out and adventure guys!”) walk up the beach until they find the cable. Charlie wonders if they’re going to go deep into the jungle now but Desmond shakes his head. “It’s getting late,” he says, “let’s make camp.” Jin is excited. “Camping??”

The next flashback finds Desmond and Brother Campbell putting on stickers on wine bottles. Desmond asks about the name the brothers have given for their wine: Moriah. The mountain where God commanded Abraham to kill his son, Isaac, as a test of his devotion. Campbell says Desmond underestimates the importance of sacrifice. Suddenly, another monk appears and says a man insists on seeing Desmond. The man punches Desmond in the nose and then walks away. Desmond looks up at Campbell and apologizes.

Back at the camp, Kate meets Jack in the kitchen. Kate says she doesn’t really know what to do with herself these days, with no one to rescue, “no cells to escape from.” Jack assures her that something will definitely go wrong in a few days. He then takes two bowls of oatmeal and goes to have dinner with Juliet.

Kate then goes to Sawyer’s tent and jumps on him. Sawyer is, at first, reluctant. He says, “Are you crying?” Kate tells him to shut up and attacks him (in the not-bad-way).

Down next to the cable, the boys are having a good 'ole camping experience. Charlie is using his guitar for sound effects while Jin is telling a horror story in Korean. It ends the same way every campfire horror story ends, with a man without a hand! Desmond is sitting away from the others and Charlie goes over to see him. Desmond is looking at the picture of him and Penny in Sydney.

A loud sound coming from the ocean seems to get louder. Jin is the first to notice it, and then they all stand up and stretch their ears. “Is that…. ?” Charlie exclaims, “It’s a helicopter!” They stare up at the cloudy sky. They don’t see anything, but the regular sound of the helicopter’s propels sputters and then there’s a large splash in the ocean. The guys wonder about jumping into the water but it seems far away. Then, they look behind them and see a blinking red light coming down over the island and crashing nearby. Desmond immediately wants to run after it but the others –especially Charlie- make him wait for the morning.

Back in flashback land, Desmond goes to a house in a suburban neighborhood. He knocks on the door and sees the man that punched him in the nose. The man says, “Leave,” but Desmond just asks if “she’s” here. A woman appears. Her name is Ruth and she and Desmond sit down to have tea. Desmond begins to apologize but Ruth cuts him off. She says there’s no way he can make up for what he did. Desmond apparently left town just days before their wedding, meanwhile everything - the catering, the hall, etc. - was paid for. Desmond just apologizes (again).

In the jungle, the B-team comes upon some random stuff fallen on the jungle floor, including a hula-hula girl doll and an Italian-language edition of Joseph Heller’s “Catch 22,” and a Satellite phone! Of course, the satellite phone dies as soon as they turn it on. Desmond picks up the book, though, and thumbs through it until he finds a picture lodged as a bookmark. It’s a very familiar image. It’s Desmond and Penny!

Desmond is convinced it’s Penny who fell out of the sky. He gets them all to move faster than before, intent now on his beloved.

In flashback land, in the monastery, Desmond is getting drunk on the Moriah wine. Brother Campbell comes upon him and asks, “What are you doing, Desmond?” Desmond is basically like, What does it look like? Campbell sits down and tells him he’s not cut out for the monk lifestyle. Desmond is surprised. He says, “But I am a monk.” Campbell shakes his head, “Not anymore,” he says.

In the jungle, heavy rain starts to fall. Charlie and Hurley start arguing about who would win in a footrace, Superman or The Flash. Desmond gets a strange look on his face as the events unfold exactly as he saw. He even looks back just in time to see Charlie’s surprised look as he steps on a wire. An arrow flings towards Charlie’s neck. Desmond screams, “DUCK!” and tackles Charlie to the ground. The arrow narrowly misses both their heads and plunges into Charlie’s guitar.

Charlie is astonished and gives Desmond a look of, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!”

Back in Flashback-land again, a plain-clothes Desmond goes to see Brother Campbell to say Goodbye. He doesn’t seem to hold any remorse or anger. Desmond is a go with the flow kind of guy. (Notably: on Brother Campbell's desk, there's a picture of Ms. Hawking from the previous Desmond episode.) Campbell says if he’s willing to wait, someone is coming to pick up a shipment of wine and can give him a ride. Desmond, of course, agrees and next we see him loading boxes onto the back of a station wagon. The driver is Penny and the two of them seem to fall for each other within moments.

Back in the jungle, the B-team comes upon a person hanging from the trees. A parachute lies above them. The person has a black flight suit on with a white helmet obscuring their face and a red blinking collar. Desmond climbs up a tree and uses his machete to snap one of the ropes. The parachutes falls into the hands of Jin, Hurley, and Charlie. Then Desmond cuts the second rope and the person falls onto the makeshift net. Desmond quickly runs down the tree and cradles the person’s head. He says, “Penny,” and takes off her helmet. But it’s not Penny. It’s a dark skinned woman we’ve never seen before. She whispers, “Desmond,” and then passes out.

* * *

Well, I don't think my simple recap really did justice for this wonderful episode. There was an incredible sense of drama and timing and a sharp visceral feeling to the episode. Everything just popped. Lots of great character interaction, some surprising laughs, and some truly exciting moments. If Lost keeps up this momentum, we're in for a hell of a season finale!

I will say that the episode did not inspire such wonder as the "Flashes Before Your Eyes" episode. I felt like the time travel and other weirdness factors in that episode really upped the level of possible Sci-Fi Lost-ness, while this episode was more typical LOST, all the regular actors, a nice big journey through the jungle, while still surprising us. Think about us, it's been almost 3 full seasons and this is the first time someone else has crash-landed on the island (besides the fictious Henry Gale/Ben thing). I can't wait to find out who this person is and what her connection to Penny is.

I want it to be Wednesday again!

(Images, as always, from Lost-Media.com and lostpedia.com)