Everyone’s Invited: Day Three of ACL 2014

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

ACL is not the coolest festival on the planet. It’s not even the coolest festival in Austin. And it doesn’t need to be. After all, coolness often requires a certain element of exclusion. In festival terms that might mean heavy curation or specificity, and the descriptor of coolest would likely differ from person to person. Instead, ACL offers something for everyone. Although many acts veer toward roots and Americana music, the lineup each year proves to be filled by acts with a variety of styles and sounds. I, for one, rarely feel compelled by festival headliners. Of course on the occasion of Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you’ll certainly find me sticking around, but the draw for me remains the acts that play during the fest’s early and mid-day hours. However, as Thoreau said, “It’s never too late to give up your prejudices,” and I do find a good deal of joy in watching fans flock to the front of the crowd and sing along with bands I don’t find particularly exciting. What are festivals good for if not checking out bands you might not otherwise.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

After a night that ended in sets by rap giant Eminem and EDM guru Skrillex, I began my Sunday with a band that impressed me when they toured through Austin earlier this year. The Districts’ music vacillates between somber, brooding folk and explosive rock. With a slight connection to the band through Pop Press International’s Assistant Editor Lukas Truckenbrod, who like the band is from Pennsylvania, and a little help from C3’s photo team, I was able to stand side stage for the first part of the show to catch a few choice shots. The Districts will undoubtedly be happy to add an ACL performance to their résumeé, but I can’t help but feel bummed that their 12:15 PM set resulted in a meager crowd–not only because of my affinity for the band, but my certainty that anyone who watched their unhinged and raw onstage antics would be an instant convert. The Districts are ripe for a big following in Austin, so if you missed them, keep up with them here and do yourself a favor by catching them the next time they pass through.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

Early in the day, I wandered out of the festival grounds and up Barton Springs Dr. to Do512’s Clubhouse, an RSVP hangout featuring free booze and food. I have to wonder if ACL, as it sprawls out over multiple weekends and begins to include an increasing number of official night shows throughout its ten day stretch, will become akin to the behemoth that is SXSW. Positioned in the fall and the spring, what’s clear is that these are the city’s mainstays that evidence its status as the Live Music Capitol of the World. I wandered back to the media lounge and spent a few minutes catching up with 101x DJ and local personality Deidre Gott, who is always a pleasure.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

Back inside the park, my folky morning got even folkier with the country stylings of Nikki Lane, a member of the New West Records roster along with Steve Earle and Patti Griffin. Onstage, Lane jokes easily about how many rednecks one needs as fans before being propelled to widespread success before launching into her song “700,000 Rednecks.” I guess that answers that. In lacy, short shorts and a cowboy hat, Lane exemplifies a rare breed of modern country musicians, self-aware and irreverent. She would’ve fit well in our conversation about the ladies of ACL, published yesterday.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

After Nikki Lane left the Austin Ventures stage, indie pop band Cults were the next to take it. Fronted by yet another very cool lady, Madeline Follin, the band kicked off their set with notable single “High Road,” drastically shifting the Americana mood to contemporary indie pop touched with synths. Follin has never been remarkably dynamic onstage, preferring to sway cooly and shimmy slightly, but she still possesses a sort of captivating electricity. It doesn’t hurt that the band’s tunes are so catchy that just mentioning the song “Go Outside” has it stuck in my head for days. Can you hear me whistling it now?

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

The only music I caught on the large Honda stage all day was one song by Fitz and the Tantrums. Having seen the band a few times, I haven’t found myself drawn in to their hook-heavy, big band pop. However, they certainly know how to work a crowd, with duo Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs feeding off of each other’s excitable energy and belting out impressive vocal performances. It’s undeniably catchy, and crowds eat it up. It’s not surprising to see them on so many festival bills. One more example of the diverse roster of artists that gives ACL wide appeal. From there, I wandered through the Beer Hall for a few minutes, taking in the fest’s vibe and watching attendees hang out in the shade and watch football. It’s always a good idea to incorporate some down time into the madness of a festival weekend.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

Indie darlings Real Estate performed as the sun began to set on Zilker Park and my final day of ACL 2014. Perhaps my expectations were too high the first time I heard Real Estate, when I found them to be enjoyable but ultimately similar to many bands making breezy, tight indie pop. Since then the band’s warm tunes have grown on me exponentially. They sounded outstanding on Sunday afternoon, finding that sweet spot of steady but mellow pop, achieved with twinkling guitars and reverb-tinged vocal croons–the perfect soundtrack for a late summer sunset.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

If ACL sent out save the date reminders, Jenny Lewis would be a strong candidate for the image on the front of the postcard. She’s at the center of this vast web of diverse bands that play ACL. She’s got cred with indie rock fans who couldn’t ignore Rilo Kiley’s mass appeal in the early aughts. Her subsequent forays into solo material and classic country sounds have made her a favorite of Austin’s brand of music fan as well as the middle-aged demographic. She’s an empowered female songwriter and thus a hero for ladies. Speaking in brainless stereotypes that certainly won’t apply to everyone, she’s cute enough to keep the attention of otherwise disinterested boyfriends. Who doesn’t like Jenny Lewis? Moving from guitar to piano and back again, Lewis navigated a set of material culled from across her album, leaning heavily on material from her most recent, Voyager. At a festival that offers something for everyone, Jenny Lewis is an examplar of that same mentality.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

Two artists bookended excitement this year–Oukast on the fest’s first night and The Replacements during Sunday’s early evening. The time had come. Before the set, the photo pit filled with eager photographers, prompting one guy behind me to exclaim, “Whoa, look at all the photographers; this must be a big deal.” I turned to find a middle-aged dude. Somewhat surprised, I concluded that he must be posted up for the upcoming Pearl Jam. “Is this a big thing?” he asked me. “Yeah, man! It’s the fucking Replacements! This is gonna be awesome! Are you ready?” I grinned. He smiled back, and soon after the legendary punk rockers took the stage, launching to a blistering rendition of “Favorite Thing.”

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

With Paul Westerberg at the helm, the four-piece plowed through a setlist of some of the band’s most beloved songs. Right before “I’m in Trouble,” I turned to find the aforementioned middle-aged dude wearing the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. He laughed almost maniacally, pointed at me, nodded, and cheered loudly. I had to hear later set numbers “I Will Dare” and “Can’t Hardly Wait” from the back of the crowd, but The Replacements were easily the day’s most memorable band.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

I caught just a few minutes of The Last Internationale on the small BMI stage, largely because the pit was surprisingly full of photographers for a small stage and the afternoon light was perfect for photos. I later discovered the the band’s drummer is Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine and that the band is currently on tour opening for Robert Plant. A little crunchy rock worked as just one more variation on the day’s musical stylings.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

I ended my ACL 2014 by watching Chromeo, who always has the crowd pumped up to the max. Employing an appropriately chromed-out stage setup, the duo of David Macklovitch and Patrick Gemayel creates funky electronica that quickly induces a dance party. It’s not a set for the thinking man, and the lyrics can be flat. But the feel-good dynamic and infectious, constant grin on the handsome face of guitarist David Macklovitch make the set pretty irresistible for anybody who’s just looking to cut loose. This band is that one friend you have who just refuses to take anything too seriously. Not a bad way to end a weekend.

Photo by Bryan C. Parker

Since the end of the festival, most of the social media posts from my photographer and music journalist cohorts have talked about how much fun they had hanging with friends at the festival. Sure, if you look around at ACL, there are die-hard fans getting to see a band they’ve wanted to see for years, maybe decades. But more importantly, people are enjoying time with the people they care about. Yes, that may be taking place inside of an enormous monument to consumerism and advertising, and it’s okay for that to bug you. But the diversity of the lineup reflects the diversity of the music lovers in Austin and around the country, and it has the ability to bring divergent groups of people together. I whole-heartedly believe there’s a time and place for a less populist (and populous) music festival and likely enjoy the music more at a number of other events. But you don’t get to exclude your aunt from the family reunion just because she has a grotesque number of cats. Once a year, it’s nice to have a huge party where everyone’s invited.

All photographs © Bryan C. Parker & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.