Photo by Scott Newton / KLRU
In recent seasons, Austin City Limits has continued to widen the appeal of their programming by reaching out to a variety of audiences. While roots and folk music still seem to dominate the programming (and we aren’t complaining), their incorporation of younger rock acts is laudable. Then, of course, you have bands like The War on Drugs, that seem to give ACL and their audiences the best of all worlds. Under the leadership of Adam Granduciel, the band produces introspective, atmospheric rock that leans on technical guitar noodling and draws from the same tonal palette as American greats like Bruce Springsteen.
Photo by Scott Newton / KLRU
As fans entered, I noticed a few more wide, excited eyes than I usually see at a taping. Without hard data to support this theory, it seemed that the up and coming indie-rock mainstay brought in a different crowd of fans that might otherwise attend a taping–a fact about which I couldn’t be happier. Opening the set with “Under the Pressure,” the lead track from their most recent and highly acclaimed album Lost in the Dream, the six-piece mesmerized the crowd with intricate, dreamy waves of indie-rock. The impeccable sound at The Moody Theater created a perfect environment to see a band whose aural template is so lush and developed. The crowd swayed gently to the even-keeled song structures, but made it clear they remained engrossed as the band played an older number or two as well as the title track from Lost in the Dream.
Photo by Scott Newton / KLRU
Between songs, flowing sound samples bridged any down time and seemed to keep applause a bay to a degree, adding to the evening’s mellow vibe. Even though the fans constituted one of the most reserved crowds I’ve ever seen at an ACL taping, it didn’t stop seated fans from jumping up as the theater exploded in applause as the band finished playing breakout single “Red Eyes.” During that song, fans rocked out more so than at any point in the night, bursting into a wavering sea of pulsing bodies. “We finally got warmed up!” Granduciel said, before joking, “It’s almost over!” Indeed, when the band played their final song, they didn’t return for an encore, a move perfectly in keeping their ephemeral, fluttering psych rock. It was sort of beautiful to see a band not return for an encore, despite the entire house standing and cheering. I think sometimes we fans can forget that these artists owe us nothing and have already given us so much. The venue had to bring up the lights and crank the house music to get everyone to leave. If you were among those wanting more, it leaves something to look forward to for next time.
