Friday, October 2nd

The Avett Brothers – 2:30 AMD Stage

The Avett Brothers have picked up a lot of attention for their country rock, most notably for the trio’s vocal harmonies and porch-bred banjo songs.  But those much-heralded harmonies failed to deliver early on.  Maybe we were spoiled by Fleet Foxes playing the same stage the previous year, but the voices just didn’t seem to be in tune with each other.

But, as it turns out, whispy folk/country isn’t the group’s go-to sound.  Once the porch melodies were tucked away in favor of more raucous material the band hit a groove.  Piano and percussion were brought out, while Seth and Scott Avett alternated between yelpy falsettos and coarse rock shouting.  As the group unraveled and switched from porch songs to party songs, they looked more like the band that has people talking.

 

Phoenix – 4:30 AMD Stage

Day one belonged to Phoenix.  “This is the biggest crowd we’ve ever played for,” remarked singer Thomas Mars, and it wasn’t surprising.  Phoenix had the first enormous turnout of the festival, and the band continued to thank the crowd throughout their set of sparkling pop gems.

Phoenix doesn’t have the glitz and glam of most traditional pop acts, but it does have laid-back, casual pop sensibility that won the ACL crowd over.  The stylish band backed up their clean sound with a strong performance that balanced fan favorites (“Too Young” from the Lost In Translation soundtrack) and recent hits (“Lisztomania”).  Mars flung himself into a horde of girls that proceeded to maul him, while his humble stage presence was unwaveringly endearing.

 

 

 

 

 

K’naan – 5:45 Wildflower Stage

K’naan – the Somalian hip-hop artist with an articulate flow and creative pop rhythms – is a charismatic fellow.  After playing the Austin Kiddie Limits stage earlier in the day, K’naan brought more of a party vibe to the tented Wildflower Stage.  He opened with a simple, rhythmic number that he claimed to have written right before the set, something to encompass the “feel of the festival.”

“This is my version of hip-hop,” he shouted before blaring into “T.I.A.”, one of his more uptempo and danceable tunes.  The African-infused hip-hop and party-starters were hits with the audience, but, inexplicably, K’naan continuously slowed down his set.  He performed “Somalia” a cappella and did “Take A Minute” acoustically.  His big hit, “Waving Flag” was also interrupted with a story and an a cappella verse that isn’t in the recorded version.  Charismatic?  Believable?  Passionate?  A yes to all of the above, now he just needs to keep the party rolling.

 

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – 8:30 AMD Stage

One of the best frontmen in rock n’ roll is actually a woman.   During the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ set (a late replacement for The Beastie Boys), Karen O encompassed all the sex, charisma, and piss and vinegar that embodies the genre.  In addition, she did it with style and a sense of poignancy that few can match.

Karen O slinked out on stage with a sexy sway, shrouded in an Egyptian robe/tapestry outfit.  The blue bullseye and giant eyeball decorum behind the stage added to the flair as the band slipped into a welcome, unpolished version of “Runaway”.  Despite their recent leaning towards keyboards and dance-inspired tracks on It’s Blitz!, the trio is still a rock band live.  Tracks from Fever to Tell haven’t developed any rust, while the crowd pleaser “Maps” (done in a much more low-key fashion) is still as heartfelt as ever.

Still, it was the recent single “Zero” that was the group’s performance of the night.  Alternating red lights flashed with the music as Karen O emerged with a studded leather jacket, flaunting it as she sang, “Get your leather, leather, leather on”.   It was one of a few costume changes for the singer, who shuttled from sultry to raucous to graceful to cool throughout the set.  She shared the mic with the front row of the audience and bounced around endlessly with her familiar yelps and shrieks.  The band closed with “Fever to Tell”, maintaining all of the fervor that brought the group to headliner status in the first place.

 

Saturday, October 3^rd

Neon Indian – 1:00 Xbox 360 Stage

A last-second replacement for The Raveonettes – who faced dreaded “passport issues” that they would later manage to blame on, uh, The Olympics and politicians – Texas-based Neon Indian floundered in the spotlight.  The simplistic, '80s-influenced pop was mired in some technical difficulties; forgivable for a band asked to play at the last second.  Still, the group’s lack of energy made for a snooze-fest.  This is your chance, Neon Indian!  Do something memorable!  Wear nothing but socks, bite a bat’s head off, whatever!  Instead, mop-haired singer Alan Palomo and company managed to coast through their tracks in forgettable fashion, impressing only those who were wanting to be impressed.

 

!!! – 2:00 AMD Stage

!!! gave a lesson in showmanship.  As the rain began to come down more heavily, Nic Offer offered up an impressive zeal for stage presence and charisma.  The dance-punk group embraced the weather, with Offer tearing off his track jacket and continuously interacting with the crowd.  The soaking frontman also established a lighthearted, funny banter with his bandmates and audience between songs, never allowing for a dull moment.  While the downpouring rain had originally discouraged the crowd, Offer transformed it to a positive, making no excuses for what would become a dance party near the stage.

 

Grizzly Bear – 3:00 Dell Stage

Arguably one of the most successful groups in indie this year, Grizzly Bear’s dreamy blend of pop was not exactly well-suited for the rainy confines of the Dell Stage.  Still, droopy-eyed singer/guitarist Daniel Rossen’s vocals stood out and the audience responded positively to the more rock-oriented tracks of the band’s set (which was a healthy mix of material off of 2009's Veckatimest and older material).

Nonetheless, the band – who was forced away from the edge of the stage because of the weather – seemed distant during the set.  Though this vague distance encompasses the band’s sound at times, it wasn’t as entrancing as it has the potential to be.  Blame the rain, blame the fact that it was an intimate band playing a big festival, but the casual onlookers were relatively ho-hum about the group.

 

 

 

Airborne Toxic Event – 3:00 Xbox 360 Stage

Airborne Toxic Event was the antithesis of Grizzly Bear; the massive crowd very much engaged in the radio-friendly band’s set.  Live, it’s startling how much frontman Mikel Jollett’s voice resembles that of The National’s Matt Berninger.  You know, if Berninger joined an alt-rock band and did a lot of melodramatic shouting.

 

Bon Iver – 5:00 Dell Stage

Justin Vernon’s warm vocals fluctuated with a sonic dissonance during the band’s first song and it was immediately apparent that his velvet vocal chords were every bit as good live as they are on record.  In one of the most compelling sets of the weekend, Bon Iver battled the worst rain of the day with a mesmerizing performance.

Vernon strummed a steel guitar during “Skinny Love”, singing with a raspy yelp.  As the rain came down, Vernon’s backing band alternated from string to percussion, utilizing the two drum sets on stage.  The gradual building to the climax of “The Wolves (Act I and II)” was perhaps the highlight of the day.  The crowd sang the background vocals as the group’s scattering sound culminated as the rain subsided.  At times haunting, at times chilling, and at times inspiring, Vernon’s pitch-perfect renditions kept the crowd in hushed wonderment.

 

DeVotchKa – 7:00 Wildflower Stage

Nick Urata croons with the best of them, and the eclectic DeVotchKa perfectly suits his balance of heartlfelt intimacy and extroverted bravado.  Be it upbeat flamenco, Eastern European-inspired stompers, or more accessible indie folk, the group established a positive energy with a sweeping set of theremin, accordion, tuba, trumpet and violins.  As if that weren’t enough, the Chicago-based outfit snuck in a Velvet Underground cover to fit with their wonderfully world sound.

Despite winning over the dancing and bopping crowd with this eclecticism, they saved their best trick for last: a dancer balancing between two velvet curtains hanging from the roof of the tent.  Her acrobatics matched the pivotal moments of the band’s music, complementing the burlesque aspect of the group’s sound.  Clad in underwear that had a few jaws dropped, she twisted and turned between the curtains with free-fall drops, flips, and acrobatics.  It was a stunning visual accompaniment to a band that, suitably, can balance genres with a smooth flourish.

 

Sunday, October 4^th

The Dodos – 12:30 Livestrong Stage

As mentioned, Sunday was the day the mud took control of the festival.  Few were around in the early afternoon, making it all the more a shame that The Dodos – a capturing, infectious indie band – had such an early time slot.  The three-piece was undaunted, masterfully touring through the band’s urgent folk-pop, focusing mostly on tracks from the recently released Time To Die.  Unfortunately, there just wasn’t a large audience to hear it, and as the band closed with “Fools”, most patrons were more concerned with figuring out the best way to navigate the mud than the fantastic band onstage.  Another time, Dodos, when you can be properly appreciated.

 

Here We Go Magic – 1:15 Xbox 360 Stage

Some bands just aren’t made for festivals.  Despite the group’s airy, at-times-eerie pop nuances, the set fell mostly on deaf ears.  Be it the mud or the fact that the majority of the crowd had never heard a single song from the new group formed by solo artist Luke Temple, the group had trouble winning over the small audience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B-52’s – 2:00 AMD Stage

A year removed from their first release in 16 years, the B-52’s garnered the first prominent crowd of the day, a collection of mud-crusted and zeitgeist-enthused fans.  With big hair intact, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson wore teal dresses and danced with an unwavering jubilance.  For those looking to relive the glory days of non sequitur campiness, the band closed with a precise rendition of “Rock Lobster”, cowbell included.

 

 

 

 

White Lies – 3:00 Xbox 360 Stage

With their matching black aesthetic, the members of White Lies have a style that matches the band’s flair for the dramatic.  With big, anthemic dance-rock songs the group was nestled in nicely in the festival atmosphere.  The synth-driven tracks were clean and catchy, with a strained urgency most accentuated by frontman Harry McVeigh.  They brood like a poor man’s Interpol, but the dense vocals and dramatics are most reminiscent of Brandon Flowers of The Killers fame.

The relatively sparse crowd responded to the band’s polished, radio-ready sound with fist-pumping, and the group added a cover of Portishead’s “The Rip” for a little variety.  A capable set for a band built for this type of environment.

 

 

 

 

 

Arctic Monkeys – 4:00 AMD Stage

Playing the same stage as the group did in 2007, Arctic Monkeys carried a definitively different air about them.  Separating themselves from the bratty upstart mentality that made the made a rousing success in 2006, frontman Alex Turner (sporting lengthy locks) and company opened their set with a poised, midtempo track that sported the band’s newfound polish.  “You look like you need some Arctic Monkeys,” said Turner dryly while taking off his shades, announcing it as the gentlemanly thing to do.

The four-piece is definitely more collected and refined than its previous appearance at ACL, for better or worse.  Though the band showed off a darker, more sneering maturity in its new songs, the youthful enthusiasm on the group’s earlier, more pop punk-oriented tracks had been traded in for this new disposition.  Though the band sounded great, they weren’t bouncing off the ceiling with energy in the way many of the songs merited.  While Arctic Monkeys has obviously broadened its sound, hopefully it won’t sacrifice the things that its best at.

 

 

 

Dirty Projectors – 5:00 Dell Stage

Unfortunately, Dirty Projectors was placed in the same timeslot as Passion Pit across the park, a strange scheduling considering that the bands have similar audiences.  Thankfully, Dirty Projectors were good enough to make most fans completely forget whatever they may be missing.

From afar, Dirty Projectors is a tough nut to crack.  At first, they seem disjointed, an art-rock project more interested in adventurous songwriting than precision.  Upon closer review, the group is actually firmly placed in precise musicianship.  Each nuance is carefully placed, like jigsaw pieces falling perfectly into place.  The details reveal a band with amazing creativity and execution, with stunning vocal trade-offs that brought loud ovations.  The soaring vocals were matched with jangly guitars and a small amount of sonic haziness.  Dodos' frontman Meric Long looked on as the outfit balanced choppy indie rock with exotic, brave arrangements.

 

 

 

The Dead Weather – 6:00 Livestrong Stage

Jack White is a presence.  Even tucked away behind a drum kit, he looms large, and the mere possibility of him taking the frontman role injects a buzz in the air.  Fronted by Alison Mosshart (though, again, it’s White’s gig), The Dead Weather took the stage with a gothic aesthetic and immediately channeled a dark, southern-tinged rock sound that was equal parts modern and revivalist.

Mosshart carried a devil-may-care attitude through the group’s blue-laced sound.  The guitar licks courtesy of The Raconteurs’ Jack Lawrence seemed as if they were emanating from White himself: they squealed and resonated with a distorted haze.  Eventually, White would take the mic for “You Just Can’t Win”, his Edward Scissorhand hair draped over his face.  With ominous overtones, the band was certainly darker and heavier than White’s other projects.

In one of the best sets of the festival, The Dead Weather embraced the role of big-time rock band with a dirty sound that matched the dirt-riddled festival.  It was a fiery, take-no-prisoners set from a band that just became one of the biggest names in modern rock.

 

Girl Talk – 7:00 Xbox 360 Stage

Girl Talk isn’t a performance, it’s a party.  A dense crowd chanted for Greg Gillis and went into the unavoidable frenzy when he ran out to the stage.  About forty fans soon followed, flooding the stage with dancing as toilet paper rolls, confetti, and balloons were thrust into the audience.  It would be the final set at the muddiest stage in Zilker Park, and Girl Talk made sure it went out with a bang.

In the mess of sampled songs, “Blue Heaven”, “Single Ladies”, Pilot’s “Magic”, and “Since You Been Gone” were just a few of the crowd-pleasers.  Glowsticks were flung through the air and one fan spun an electronic sign reading “Girl Talk” as a random array of words and visuals flashed on the screen.  Tomorrow, all that will be left in its wake will be empty pizza boxes, a lost goat, broken beer bottles, and a stranger sleeping on the couch.

 

Pearl Jam 8:00 Livestrong Stage

ACL 2009 may be remembered for the number of side projects and supergroups that dominated the lineup.  Dave Grohl and company rocked as Them Crooked Vultures.  Jack White’s The Dead Weather sneered a compelling set.  Dan Auerbach performed as only half of The Black Keys and The Levon Helm Band stems from the frontman’s previous act, The Band.

Then there’s Pearl Jam, playing for the better part of two decades and recently returning to the top of the Billboard charts.  With a soft piano intro, the band came out on fire, baring teeth for a set that would span the band’s career with more than 20 tracks.  With a snarling and trembling aggression, Eddie Vedder’s voice held up flawlessly with a direct urgency.  “I’m not going home – personally – until I’m covered in dirt,” Vedder announced to the massive audience.

During “Even Flow”, guitarist Mike McCready wielded the guitar behind his head for an astonishing guitar solo (one of many he would have on the night).  Tracks like “Daughter”, “World Wide Suicide”, and “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” captured the audience, which had collected into an ocean of balloons, flags, and flashing lights.

Despite the grunge movement association, Eddie Vedder is a pretty positive guy, and brought that same positivity to the performance.  He remarked about how everyone there was an individual and insisted that the audience treat each other as such.  He also took the time to acknowledge more than 100 troops that had made it from a Texas hospital for injured soldiers returning from Iraq.

After remarking that he had stayed up until 8:30 that morning drinking beer and tequila with Ben Harper, he brought Harper onstage for “Red Mosquito”.  A cover of The Who’s “The Real Me” was a treat, but nothing could top the final trio of songs that Vedder and company had in store.  After a goosebumps-inducing performance of “Alive”, Pearl Jam brought out Perry Farrell in all his sassy rockstar glory for a cover of Jane’s Addiction’s “Mountain Song”.  In the climactic finale, Vedder shot out a dedication to the troops before the band blasted into “Rockin’ in the Free World”.   As the final chords rang out and the house lights came on, fans were left with the buzz of what they had just seen…more than enough to help them wade through the mud.