ACL: Four Bands Save Day Two from Meh-ness
Wait, you missed our full coverage of Day One? Click here to get the skinny…
I’d love to look back and say all 16 acts we caught on the second day of Austin City Limits brought the heat, but instead it was the equatorial Texas sun that did the job. It was the kind of day that can convince even the laziest lardass to shed a few pounds. At one point the front of my lower legs from knees to ankles were drenched in sweat, which is something I never knew was possible. At least this festival is teaching me the basics of human perspiration.
Day Two of ACL lacked the sense of intensity and must-see urgency that the Friday session delivered, but that first day was admittedly tough to top. Still, only four of the 16 sets managed to truly floor me, with the rest of the day’s performances ranging from generously mediocre to only fairly impressive. Those four, though — Dr. Dog, Paolo Nutini, Andrew Bird and Arcade Fire — validated the entire afternoon and evening, even if we’re still a little pissed at the White Stripes for pulling out of the Saturday headlining spot against Quebec’s finest.
That introduction to the second day’s festivities shouldn’t imply a complete lack of good times at Zilker Park. But sandwiched between the instant reminiscence of Friday’s spectacular beginning and the eager anticipation of Sunday’s jam-packed lineup, the middle-day quasi-letdown was only natural. In any event, read on after the jump for a full recap of the day’s events, including our second straight photo gallery supplied by our photographic genius, Danfun.
