Tag: acl taping

Show Review: Willie Nelson @ ACL (11/19)

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Willie is the godfather of Austin being weird. Or at least, that is what we are told. A rebel, legendary country artist, yet a through and through hippy, political activist (kind of), he is responsible for giving the world a collection of amazing songs, but away from those songs, he has a legacy of creating legends around him.

His song craft, both writing and interpreting, was on display Monday night at ACL TV. It was his eighteenth taping, but his first in fifteen years with his band, his way, the songs he wants to play. The recent flurry of activity from the octogenarian has raised eyebrows. Is it a new energy or is it finality? Was this the first of many last times?

Read on for more thoughts and some photos from the venerable Scott Newton.

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Show Review: Band of Horses ACL Taping (10/2)

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boh2As the ACL Music Festivities came to a close a stones throw away from downtown Austin on Sunday evening, Seattles Band of Horses found themselves hanging in the balance between two very different musical settings. On Friday night, the band performed for the mass festival crowd in front of thousands at Zilker Park which brings a certain degree of exuberance and community, yet still slightly impersonal vibe. Struggling with sound bleed from adjacent stages, the quieter moments which the band is well known for dont lend themselves well. Sunday night however, they graced the Austin City Limits stage for the second time (Season 36, 2010) for a deeply personal and cathartic experience for audience and band alike, showing that the band is a true master of dynamic range when given the proper venue. Hit the jump for more.

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A Tale of Two Nights: Courtney Barnett in Austin (6.4 & 6.5)

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Admittedly, I’m a sideline Courtney Barnett fan.  The tunes are good, and I enjoyed The Double EP, but these two nights were definitely meant for my ladyfriend, who many might call a super-fan.  So, for the two nights we shared together with Courtney Barnett, I just sat back and watched her enjoyment, while taking in the whole situation of one of indie rock’s fastest rising stars taking over Austin.

Please, read more…

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Show Review: Nine Inch Nails ACL Taping (11.4)

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NIN @ ACL TVBased on the throngs of people begging for tickets oustide of Moody Theater, Monday night’s taping at ACL Live was a pretty hot commodity. Myself, well, again I was fighting to reclaim my youth by revisiting the catalogue of Nine Inch Nails.

The folks at ACL should definitely be proud of bringing in Nine Inch Nails for a taping.  Sure, they’re huge in the grand scheme of things, though not necessarily the largest act to grace the studio.  But, what it did represent was the power behind the PBS program, as the importance of the show continues to grow with each act that comes to the venue.  It also allowed for many of us to get a version of Nine Inch Nails that me mightn’t have seen otherwise.

Read on for my thoughts on the evening…

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Show Review: Queens of the Stone Age ACL Taping

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_DSC3860I’ll start off that I’ve always watched Queens of the Stone Age from afar.  Their music hasn’t necessarily always been aligned with my interests, though they’ve had some undeniable jams that I think most people can appreciate.  I headed out to the always incredible ACL Taping on Thursday night to see what the group had to offer live…it was sort of an ACL pre-test.  Read on for my thoughts. Read more