Austin’s festival season is probably the only thing longer than its summer. Kicking off with SXSW in March and lasting until Sound on Sound Fest (formerly Fun Fun Fun Fest) in November, almost every weekend seems to have some sort of festival or event going on celebrating stuff like hot sauce, oysters, ice cream, or Eeyore’s birthday, and every event features some sort of musical component. What started out as a live music showcase on public access television, Austin City Limits has grown to include its own venue and a festival of its own. Celebrating its sixteenth year, ACL Festival is continuing its back-to-back weekends with a little more variety than previous two weekend years to create a larger differentiation between each weekend. In what also seems to be a lesson learned from years past, this year’s lineup sees a marked decrease in the amount of EDM acts that brought in swarms of Molly-chomping college kids. This year’s ACL includes headliners like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gorillaz, The Killers and Jay Z. Though this year doesn’t seem to offer too much variety from other North American festivals, there are some impressive acts playing before the sun goes down.
LĪVE (Saturday, October 7 &14, American Express – 4pm)
Nineties nostalgia will reign at Live’s festival set. Live achieved worldwide success with their 1994 album Throwing Copper and the band had a string of hit singles in the mid-1990s, of which at least half their set will be made up of during their set. Singer Ed Kowalczyk’s energy on stage promises to make this throwback act one not to miss.
Carseat Headrest (Saturday, October 7 & 14, Honda – 2pm)
One of the most talked about bands on the bill was originally just Will Toledo recording albums and putting them on Bandcamp. After signing to a major label last year, Car Seat Headrest has been garnering a huge word of mouth reputation lately. Though most of Toledo’s albums are self-produced and live solely on the internet, their new album Teens of Denial has made a splash on critic’s reviews and radio stations with its low-fi pop sound.
La Femme (Friday, October 6, BMI – 5:15pm)
The French psych-punk rock band boasts nine members who perform synthetic, hypnotic music that brings to mind The Velvet Underground and Kraftwerk. Different styles like coldwave, punk, psych-pop and Yé-yé combine to create a style of music that will stand out among all the generic pop, hip-hop, and electronic bands that will be performing throughout the weekend.
Ice Cube (Saturday, October 7 & 14, American Express – 6pm)
This former member of N.W.A. is one of the most influential figures in gangsta rap and hip-hop. He wrote over half the lyrics for the classic, Straight Outta Compton, as well as Easy-E’s solo album, Eazy-Duz-It, before parting ways with N.W.A. Ice Cube continued to release great songs over the past few decades as well as pursuing his acting career. If you’re looking to hear some real “gangsta ass shit”, this is the place to be.
The Growlers (Sunday, October 8 & 15, Miller Lite – 5:15pm)
The California garage rocker’s sound has been described as “a trademark style of music that somehow combines country, surf, pop, rock and beat”, which has been labelled “Beach Goth”. Their newest album, City Club, was produced by Julian Casablancas and the addition of these post-punk songs are bound to make their already stellar sets something to behold.
Sandy (Alex G) (Friday, October 6 & 13, Barton Springs – 1:15p)
Multi-instrumentalist Alex Giannascoli is an artist that tends to find a balance between the fine line that is quiet music and abrasive guitar licks, creating a personal experience for whoever may be listening. For any festival goers that are arriving early, this is sure to be a set that will kick off the weekend on a positive note.
The Black Angels (Saturday, October 7 & 14, Barton Springs – 5pm)
Austin’s own psych rock heroes are no strangers to the Austin festival scene, even creating their own festival in Austin that catered to the increasing interest in the psych rock revival. Currently touring on the release of Death Song, The Black Angels have been performing amazing, energy filled shows and recently did an Austin City Limits TV taping. Any fan of great rock music needs to check out their set.
Spoon (Saturday, October 7 & 14, Miller Lite – 7pm)
Indie rock, indie pop, art rock, experimental rock. Whatever you want to call them, Spoon is arguably one of the most well-known rock bands to come out of Austin in the past couple of decades. Whether they are playing songs from one of their classic albums like Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Gimme Fiction or something from their excellent new album Hot Thoughts, Spoon is bound to blow you away with a stellar set. If you can only make it for one day, Saturday boasts two of Austin’s best bands, The Black Angels AND Spoon!
The Austin City Limits Festival takes place in Austin, Texas October 6-8 and 13-15. Stay tuned to Glide for more coverage!
