The Lumineers courtesy KLRU / Scott Newton
Austin City Limits has deep roots in folk and country music, and its earliest tapings included artists such as Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, and Townes Van Zandt. As folk music has evolved, a new vanguard of folk artists is in the spotlight, and ACL does a great job of recruiting those artists for performances. Tuesday night exemplified this as Shovels and Rope and the Lumineers both made their ACL debuts.
Shovels and Rope courtesy KLRU / Scott Newton
After stomping and shouting through two fiery songs, Cary Ann Hearst walked around Michael Trent and began tapping out a snare line as Trent played guitar still seated on the drum throne. Suddenly she hip-checked him stumbling out of his seat and sat down to take full command of the drums. Trent found his way to the microphone to begin drawling out the lyrics for the song. This is Shovels and Rope—adorably theatrical and energetic. Something like a folk-leaning version of early White Stripes built on redneck romance instead of mysterious sibling/ex-lover vibes.
Shovels and Rope courtesy KLRU / Scott Newton
Trent and Hearst are on more equal footing than the Jack and Meg, commanding attention equally with gravelly warm vocals and upbeat drums and guitars. The duo plays into country motifs with song titles like “Boxcar,” “Birmingham,” and “Gasoline.” The music is good, and the live show itself is great. It’s no wonder that this band is rising fast since they more or less stole the show Tuesday night.
The Lumineers courtesy KLRU / Scott Newton
The Lumineers had a tough act to follow but the crowd seemed pleased by their performance. Although they don’t have the charm and raw onstage charisma as their opening act, they do deliver crisp folk songs with beautiful instrumentation made distinct by their use of cello. The band exists in a category alongside any other number of bands such as Dawes, The Head and the Heart, Avett Brothers, and Mumford and Sons. While the bands do have subtle differences, their rapid ascent to stardom and widespread fan fervor has been shocking. After a recent performance of the song on SNL, “Ho Hey” had the crowd up out of their seats chanting along. The group also worked some notable covers into their set including the Talking Heads’ “This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody)”. Definite points for choosing one of the coolest songs in existence, but we kinda missed some of that song’s quirky antics.
With Vampire Weekend, Grizzly Bear, and the Lumineers in the past and Phoenix and Jim James still ahead, season 39 of ACL is shaping up to be a profoundly excellent season, which is saying a lot for a television program so storied.
