Pop Cultural District

ACL 2007: The Sunday slate

AUSTIN -- G'day from somewhat cooler Zilker Park; there's a bit of a breeze and a few more clouds today, which is a pleasant change from the stifling heat of the two previous days.
Kicking off the final day was an absolutely phenomenal set from East Coast rockers Grace Potter and the Nocturnals -- you may not know the name now, but if this quartet keeps delivering live sets like the one that tore up the WaMu Stage, they'll be superstars before long. Sensational stuff.
Common (who played Dallas' House of Blues Saturday night) is doing a solid job filling in for Rodrigo y Gabriela, and I'm saving my energy for a late afternoon run that includes Lucinda Williams, My Morning Jacket, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Decemberists and, of course, the fest-closing Bob Dylan (look for a review of his set in tomorrow's Live! section).
More later ...

--Preston Jones

ACL 2007: Saturday's smokin' ...

AUSTIN -- Back up and running after some technical problems prevented blogging earlier today ... after a restful night's sleep and some energy-producing munchies, the second day of ACL Fest is underway. While cloudier today, it doesn't feel one degree cooler. Ah, thank goodness for the shade of the media lounge backstage (I said hey to Steve Earle just prior to his set on the Dell Stage).
The day started over near the Austin Kiddie Limits stage, an oasis of families and fun activities for the younger music fans parading around Zilker Park -- I'll say this: The Sippy Cups are one trippy act, aimed at kids or not. On a more grown-up note, I can hear Earle's set from where I'm typing this and I'm hoping to move on and catch Cold War Kids, Kelly Willis, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and what will serve as my headliner for this evening, Arcade Fire (the grumbling about the White Stripes pulling out has mostly subsided, although the commemorative T-shirts for 2007 still list all the acts that aren't performing -- nothing that could be done about that, however).
Keep drinkin' that water, kids, and I'll try to check in a bit later on ...

--Preston Jones

ACL 2007: Friday so far ...

AUSTIN -- While the weather isn't as scorching as it's been in years past, it's still pretty toasty outside.  Fortunately, the heat's dissipating slightly as I write this -- I didn't make it inside Zilker Park until around 3 p.m. (a fire just off the festival grounds held up entering the park for about 20 minutes), but it was just in time to catch Peter Bjorn and John performing their smash single Young Folks.
Other acts on the afternoon menu: Blonde Redhead (dissonant, ghostly rock), Manchester Orchestra (face-melting intensity from kids barely old enough to drink legally), Crowded House (the New Zealand band's final stop on its U.S. reunion tour) and presently, the future-shock throb of the oh-so-limber M.I.A.
The crowds are sweaty, large and very friendly ... aside from the odd bit of heatstroke, things appear to be very mellow.
Rest of the night? Spoon (seeing them now, since their Metroplex gig is double-booked with Girl Talk in November); possibly the Kaiser Chiefs (who just axed their Dallas date) and the lady of the evening, Bjork (whose Volta tracks I'm looking forward to seeing onstage).
More from the live music capital of the world later this evening ...

--Preston Jones

ACL 2007: And we're off ...

Later this afternoon, I'll be standing smack dab in the middle of Austin's Zilker Park, soaking up the sounds of the 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival. Keep checking back for semi-regular updates (mostly hinging on how often I can find Web access) and look for reviews of the weekend's headliners on the Live! page beginning tomorrow.

--Preston Jones