ACL Taping: Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

Doing this music site, photo thing, I get to go to some cool stuff and ACL Tapings certainly top the list. Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Nick Cave…

The latest run-through the rules by Terry Licona was to introduce Thao the Get Down Stay Down. Back to the normal formula after the Nick Cave experiment, Thao’s set was webcast, as well. Their set from ACL was really fun. Festival band all the way, but how would it translate to the taping format? Happy to announce, quite well.

Read on for thoughts and a few pics from the night and some shots of her performance by the great Scott Newton.

You get a good feeling going to a rather random show of random people and running into several friends on the way into the building. Hey, Ram. Once inside, Many more friends, seems we are like-minded and proving it. I am in a good mood. Terry does his thing, no phones, blah blah blah, announces the 40th year of ACL is on the air during the first weekend of ACL. Cool. IIRC, it is the longest-running live performance music show. Ever.

Cool show poster. Thao & the Get Down Stay Down assume their positions on stage and start one of the happiest sets with the most intricate clapping patterns of “Clap”. I seem to have a thing for the rhythm section and this is one of the best. The backline anchors the set, trumpet included as most fill is punctual. Flanked by ladies on violin and keys, both adding vocals, Thao starts off stopming about and playing that giant hollow body. The stage is set with “City”.

Once done with some music, Thao expresses her and the band’s appreciation to be taping an ACL set. They all do it, rarely feels as genuine.

Things we learned. Thao’s mom wants her to wear makeup more often. Thao ironed her dress/shorts thing. The VA roots show in the live setting more than the recorded. The hits were reserved to the end, but my fave of the latest jams is “We the Common”, dedicated to the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. “Squareneck” had Thao on lapsteel while everyone else was beating on something. “Body” and “Bag of Hammers” are some sweet live jams.

Check it out, I grabbed a few pics from beforehand and Scott Newton provides the performance shots.