Austin City Limits 2009

Im back!! and posting!!!

So I lucked out and got to go to ACL this year with my friend Shane. Last year I had free VIP 3 day passes, but my sister was coming to see me in college that week, so I couldn't go. (But thats another story).

Going into it, the bands that I was most excited to see were Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Girl Talk, The Dodos, Bon Iver, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They were all very good btw, but Ill get to that in a bit.

FRIDAY OCT 2
I got to the festival just in time to see Phoenix at 4:30. Besides being vexed at having to pay $8 a beer and a $4 ATM convenience fee, Phoenix amazed me. I had just heard them a couple days before the show, but the live show made me a fan. From their very catchy tunes to their retro "Members Only-esque" style, the performance was fun.

After Phoenix, we went and saw Bassnectar, who was alot of fun. It was a big dance party for the most part. From Bassnectar, we saw Andrew Bird, who was good minus the annoying whistling. After Andrew Bird, we went to get a good spot to see The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen O. KILLED it. Her high energy kept the crowd on their feet and dancing. From her crazy wardrobe to her nearly shoving the mic down her throat, the performance was short of dull moments.

SATURDAY OCT 3
It rained all day long. Seeing as I didnt have a poncho, this made it very difficult to enjoy myself. I like to consider myself a hardcore fan, but being cold and wet (right after being sick) just wasn't sounding like a fun idea to me. Before we left, we did get to see Grizzly Bear. This performance made my trip. I was most excited about seeing this band. Fortunately, they brought their A game. This rivaled for one of my favorite performances of the trip. After GB, we went to see Bon Iver. Going into Bon Iver I wasn't sure how it would sound live. They have a very different sound, and I wasnt sure that a live performance was going to do it any justice. They destroyed it as well. The band played very well, and the harmonizing vocals were done very well.

Shortly after Bon Iver, We left.

SUNDAY OCT 4
If Saturday was named the Rainy day, then this was the aftermath. Sunday was the Muddy day. There was mud everywhere you looked, but that wasn't going to ruin my day of good jams. Shane and I got there just in time to see the end of the LAX show, which was alright.

From there we ventured out to see The Dodos, who played a very upbeat and fun set. The lead singer looked absolutely nothing like I thought he would look. From there, we went to see the B-52's which were a whole hell of alot of fun to watch. Actually the crowd was more fun to watch. The older people jamming and dancing to an old hippie band was a sight to see. They didn't play "Rock Lobster" or "Love Shack" until after we had left, which bummed me out big time.

After the B-52's we watched the Arctic Monkeys, which put on an alright show. The lead singer seemed a little bit cocky, but it made for good entertainment. In the middle of their set, we went over to get a good spot for Passion Pit. They put on a GREAT show. Although the vocals were not loud enough, the synth made up for it. That guy can jam. (Note to self: get good at playing, then buy a Moog). After Passion Pit came Girl Talk....Epic. This was truly a dance party. The VIP guests on stage were all dancing around his DJ set and he was tearing off clothing. It was awesome. This wouldve been one of my favorite shows, but the annoying sweaty bitch dancing all up on my back with her nasty elbows bugged me all show.

Overall, the experience was a great, but expensive one. I look forward to seeing the lineup for next year and saving up a little more cash until then.