Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 – Day 1

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 was a weekend of rollercoaster emotions and perceptions. That sounds like the introduction to some terrible cliche teen drama, but it is what I lived through this weekend. Blame it on cloudy perception from a lingering cold (which I’m still not over — damn you, festival dirt!) and imminent exhaustion coupled with various Nyquils and Sudafeds, or blame it on being 24 and trying to navigate my adoration of music, my desire to make it myself, and my sense of responsibility to my day job. Whatever it is, my brain was all over the place, taking in the new setting of the Auditorium Shores skyline, comparing and contrasting new Fun Fun Fun with old, trying to experience new music while staying true to my favorites, and realizing I’m starting to enjoy being with my friends more than being alone at a set only I want to see. It’s all a balancing act, and it all gave me a lot to digest after a weekend of awesome music, dusty nostrils and strange music fan realizations.

Photo by Melissa Montes

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 – Day 2

Saturday, November 5

The Joy Formidable

We took it easier Saturday, in part because I woke up feeling as crusty as an old, burnt piece of toast, and in part because nothing in the early morning really called to us. But we were determined to get to the fest in time for the Joy Formidable, and we made it in plenty of time. The Welsh trio was a ray of sunlight, and immediately blew anything and everything we’d seen the day before (except for Spoon) out of the water. First of all, the band is fronted by a guitar-wielding woman with an adorable blonde shag of hair. Their drummer grins widely at the audience during most songs, egging us on to clap and sing, and the bassist is energetic and equally joyous. Live, they really did remind me of the Silversun Pickups, but dancier. The crowd adored them, and when they went in for the kill, finishing their set with their breakout hit “Whirring,” two fearsome-but-cute inflatable cat heads blew up on either side of the stage, with their mouths opening and closing like some creepy carnival game, and lead woman Ritzy Bryan went to town on a gong that had heretofore sat unplayed at the back of the stage. I was sold — my blood was pumping, I’d forgotten I was sick and 4 other lady friends and I decided we were starting a band called Pizza Party (you may not steal this idea from us we will find and injure you. Injure you bad. Real bad.)

Fun Fun Fun 2011

Fun Fun Fun Fest crept up on me so quickly this year that I haven’t had time to scour the lineup the way I normally do. Thus, I have decided to highlight my favorites below that I already know and love – and apparently, they’re all mostly playing the Orange Stage. But my absolute favorite aspect of Fun Fun Fun Fest is the fact that I discover so much new music to love. It’s like being a college DJ all over again. I intend to hit up my top picks, but I also plan on wandering wherever my ears take me. So ultimately, that is my suggestion. Be brave, go to a stage you didn’t think you’d visit, keep an open mind, get dirty and have a blast.

For another excellent preview, check out Zack’s at Festival Crashers.

Win a canvas of your photograph and decorate my home!

My lovely readers, some of you may know that I am about to move in with my amazing and also-music-writer boyfriend, Zack Teibloom from Festival Crashers. We are excited to share a space (and a bitchin’ vinyl collection) together, but we need some help with pulling together awesome stuff for our walls. Serendipitously for us, the fine people at Canvas Prints have offered to print out some concert photos so we can rockify our apartment.

This is where you come in. We are each hosting a separate contest for Austinites with concert photos, wherein we will pick winners and not only will your fabulous pics get put up in our place, but you, too, will take home a canvas of your winning photograph. The canvas the winner receives will be 14″x11″. Sound good? Read on for rules:

1. You’ve gotta do some ‘liking’ of Canvas Prints, because we like them for letting us run this contest. PLUS, by ‘liking’ them on Facebook, every single one of you gets 50% off of your next order, and free shipping. So no matter what, everyone’s a winner.
2. You’ve gotta submit a photo of one of these Texas bands, because – let’s be honest, we want our favorites displayed. (This is where the photo contests differ. Check out Festival Crashers for more winning.) Here are your choices:

• The Bright Light Social Hour
• The Black & White Years
• Little Lo
• Royal Forest
• Brazos (Old skool!/Extinct  )
• Sarah Jaffe
• The Boxing Lesson
• Spoon

The contest runs from now until July 15, the day before The Great Migration, and we’ll announce the winners post-move that Monday. Please email your entries to: caitlin AT austinwritesmusic DOT com. You can submit up to 10 photos, and make sure you link directly to your submission (not just your general photo site for us to peruse).

Also, for more chances to win free shwag, be sure to follow Canvas Prints on Twitter.

Austin City Limits 2010

Another year of the Austin City Limits Music Festival has come and gone, and with the picture-perfect weather, stupendous lineup and great fan atmosphere, 2010 is without a doubt in the running for my personal best ACL ever. A day-by-day breakdown is below, and photos from Melissa Montes are here, and ours are here.

Friday, Oct. 8

I set up shop at the Honda stage to position myself as close to the front as possible for Miike Snow, which meant I caught Donavon Frankenreiter’s set in the early afternoon. He and his backing band played solid sunny, peppy rock tunes with twang (and Donavon’s cowboy hat and boots getup added some Southern flair). The most memorable moment of Frankenreiter’s set was when his bandmate whipped out a harmonica for a mean solo; it got the crowd’s blood pumping and people went from gently swaying to fist-pumping. It was great music for the Jason Mraz fan in me, but I was much more excited for the kind of dark lyrics only Swedes and New Yorkers could come up with, so when the set was over, I grabbed my photographer and pal Melissa and shot toward the front gate.

When Miike Snow took the stage, they wore their trademark masks; this time, they were silver, and the Texas sunlight bounced off of them, giving the stage an appropriate discotheque air. They ripped through a bulk of their debut full-length, kicking off with “Cult Logic.” Highlights of their set included a boisterous and fan-appreciated “Black & Blue,” an intense and light show-accented “Sylvia,” and a surprise guest appearance by Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig for a live mash-up of “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance.” The show was a wild ‘n’ sweaty dance party from start to finish; the band closed on their hit “Animal” which fell apart a little at the end, but in such a way that it seemed appropriate and everyone (fans and band members included) went nuts. The band performs with sincerity and energy every time, making them one of the highlights of ACL 2010.

The Black Keys started their set around the corner from Miike Snow just minutes after the latter band left the stage, causing Melissa and I to get stuck far off to the right side of the stage amongst the scenesters. Not an ideal position for such a stellar band, but we ignored the loud and obnoxious chattering around us and just tuned in to a stupendous set from Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney and co. The guys dug back in their repertoire for the first couple of songs, but relied on their newest album, Brothers, for a large chunk of their set. “Everlasting Light” upped the sex factor, and the guys kept it high for the sultry swank of “Next Girl,” an ode to girlfriends past and present. If hips weren’t swaying by the time “She’s Long Gone” howled out of the speakers, they were rocking then. “Strange Times” and “I Got Mine” from Attack & Release were raw and guttural, and “Tighten Up” made certain there weren’t a pair of still lips on the field. Auerbach and Carney each give a one-two punch of musicianship and showmanship, and the combination of Carney’s gut-busting drumming and Auerbach’s gripping guitar solos is overpowering in exactly the right way. (Plus, Auerbach looks like a younger and beefier Thom Yorke, so until ACL sees Radiohead headline, the Black Keys are the closest you’re gonna get.)

I scooted much closer to the stage post-Black Keys, because hometown heroes Spoon were up next. Despite having attended their STUPENDOUS (all caps because it was seriously that good) pre-show at the Mohawk on Thursday night, I couldn’t miss seeing Britt Daniel and the gang a second time. They relied heavily on tracks from their latest, Transference, and super-hit Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. The most surprising epic rocker during both the pre-show and their ACL set was “The Ghost of You Lingers.” On record, this song’s insistent piano riff is grating and makes the tune hard to swallow, but live, it is a grandiose statement, and as machine gun sounds echo across the stage and Daniel’s voice cries out the title verse, it’s affecting and heartbreaking. The jerky dance moves broke out for “Don’t You Evah” and “I Turn My Camera On,” and bodies flew all over the place for “The Underdog.” My personal favorites were the punky and sassy “Jonathan Fisk,” and the sweet, quiet closer “Black Like Me.” Before the latter, Daniel thanked the crowd and announced this would be Spoon’s last show stateside for a while. Multi-instrumentalist Eric Harvey closed things out in rock-star style, kicking over (and subsequently destroying) his stand-up piano. A fine farewell to their home state.

I passed on Vampire Weekend to get over to Stubb’s for the Jimmie Dale Gilmore/Monsters of Folk after show. Since I’ve already reviewed one Monsters of Folk performance this ACL weekend, I will only say that the addition to the set list of My Morning Jacket’s “At Dawn” and Bright Eyes’ “Another Travelin’ Song” was glorious, and “His Master’s Voice” was even more hauntingly gorgeous in the airy amphitheater.

Saturday, Oct. 9

I raced to the Austin Ventures Stage with fellow AWM blogger Brittany Rodriguez, and we met Melissa and promptly danced like loonies to Two Door Cinema Club. The guys raced through hits “Undercover Martyn,” “I Can Talk” and “Something Good Can Work” at breakneck speed, and despite the sweltering heat in the early afternoon sun, the sizable crowd shimmied and leapt in unison. “Something Good Can Work” is a perfect summer jam, and since it is, after all, still summer in Texas, it made for a fitting festival soundtrack.

After sweating off all of my sunscreen, I ran up the Zilker hill with Brittany to attempt to meet the Monsters of Folk. Sad story short, it was just not in the cards this year; the Waterloo autograph line was maddeningly long, and the “no soup for you!” cut off was about fifteen people in front of me. I watched with puppy-dog eyes as Conor Oberst and co. were shuffled off, away into the distance.

Next up, Brittany and I made the decision to camp our at the Budweiser stage for Muse. That gave us the opportunity to catch a strong set from the Silversun Pickups. The Silverlake, CA band started out with the mellow jam “Growing Old is Getting Old” from their sophomore release, Swoon. Lead singer Brian Aubert informed the crowd that their ACL performance was the last one they’d do on their Swoon tour, and the group let it all out. “There’s No Secrets This Year” left destruction in its wake, and swept right into “The Royal We.” For any given song, you could watch any band member and be entertained. Aubert sings with urgency and intimacy, bassist Nikki Monninger is somehow simultaneously ass-kicking and adorable, Joe Lester tends to dole out intense stares from behind his keyboards, and perhaps the show-stealer, drummer Christopher Guanlao lets his long hair fly as he hits the set like it’s life or death. The group ended on their two mega-hits, “Panic Switch” and “Lazy Eye,” and seemed to completely win over the crowd by the time Guanlao kicked over his drum set to finish the show.

Next up on the main stage was LCD Soundsystem. Before their late Saturday set, I would have called myself a casual fan. After this performance, I’m a diehard. LCD stole the day and, possibly, the entire festival, with a raw, honest, fun and blissful dance party. In line with the rest of the performances, much of LCD’s set consisted of songs off of their latest release, This Is Happening. They kicked it all off with a stirring rendition of “Dance Yrself Clean,” and “Drunk Girls,” “I Can Change,” “All My Friends” and “Yeah” left no room for rest. Frontman James Murphy was a perfect everyman, apologizing for wearing sunglasses because it was bright. “I’m not just wearing them to be a douche,” he promised. It’s hard to pinpoint one reason why this set was magical; the fans were great and all very clearly in love with the band, which was a key ingredient. The band was clearly thankful of the fans and also clearly enjoying what they were doing, which is also important. Murphy’s voice has some kind of siren-like quality when it rises with a combination of suffering and hope. The lyrics of LCD’s songs are easily relatable and very personal. And the sun seemed to set at the perfect moment, allowing the group’s disco ball to rock us all away with closer, “Home.” Everything conspired to make the set more than memorable; it was one of those soul-quenching shows that remind you why live music is so special. Way to be, LCD.

Personal space became non-existent the instant LCD Soundsystem’s set was over. The good news is, Muse fans tend to be incredibly friendly, so when you’ve got one person’s elbow in your ribs and another person’s armpit in your face, you’ll at least have the opportunity to befriend said people. After an hour-long wait for fans and years of career building for the band, the headlining spot three rockers from Britain have long vied for was theirs. Armed with lasers, lights and smoke machines, the band entered the scene to the mad delight of their adoring sea of fans. Lead singer Matt Bellamy’s outfit was outrageous enough to warrant its own sentence – the post-glam rocker was sporting a shiny, sparkling silver suit that made him look like some kind of holiday decoration. Revolution was in the air among the opening chords to the band’s set, as “Uprising” echoed around the park. The set list was littered with songs from four of their five full-length records, plus a tease of their cover of “House of the Rising Sun.” “Resistance,” “Undisclosed Desires” and “United States Of Eurasia” were the only new tracks the group performed, and past hits “New Born,” “Time Is Running Out,” “Hysteria,” “Plug In Baby,” “Supermassive Black Hole” and “Starlight” all made appearances, with a chorus of fan voices to support every one. Notable theatrics included a standing light-up drum set for Dominic Howard, a piano with a transparent lid and a neon-glowing keytar for Bellamy (to compliment his silver suit, obviously). The pomp was delicious and wonderful, and when “Stockholm Syndrome” ended the first part of the band’s set, there was no stopping an encore. Nary a head was still when the opening chords of “Knights of Cydonia” rang out, and Bellamy killed his surf-rock riff with expert ease. The band seemed truly thankful for the love Austin, Texas has shown them, and went so far as to proclaim Texas their favorite state in the U.S. Muse wore their headlining crown with flair.

Sunday, Oct. 10

It’s difficult to rouse oneself after LCD Soundsystem and Muse back to back, but I managed to drag my tired body down to the festival grounds in time for Devendra Banhart and the Grogs. Banhart was superbly strange, and he and his bandmates are stellar performers. Banhart plays the role of bizzaro-world crooner well, and I perked up especially for the oldie, “This Beard is for Siobhan.” If the crowd didn’t love Banhart for his playing alone, everyone perked up when he graciously invited any ole’ person (in this case, some guy from Houston) onstage for a brief solo performance. The guy seemed close to tears for the opportunity, and he was good to boot! He adopted Banhart’s warble as he picked at an electric guitar, and fans ate it up, applauding him warmly. Banhart and the Grogs returned to the stage, and they closed out the set with the dancey “I Feel Just Like a Child.” A friendly way to start off the day.

My highlight of Sunday hit the stage next, and despite the burning heat, Yeasayer made it hotter. Once again, the band members came onstage for their own sound check, reinforcing their almost-famous space in music at the moment. The guys brought the funky star of the “Madder Red” video (whom they have dubbed Bommel) out with them when they officially entered the stage, and opened with that song. “Rome,” “Mondegreen” and “Sunrise” got bodies moving, including singer Chris Keating’s; whenever he sang lead on a song, he’d jump around the stage and tease audience members by hopping down to the ledge below. The group’s big hits went over best, with “O.N.E.” and “Ambling Alp” closing out their show. Though Yeasayer is super skilled at crafting catchy pop songs, this does not mean their tunes are simple; the band members are each incredible instrumentalists. Anand Wilder shone on the haunting Odd Blood track “Grizelda,” and Ira Wolf Tuton melted faces with his fretless bass – his solo in “Grizelda” literally forced gasps to escape from the group of fans standing next to me.

My next hour was spent camping out to meet Yeasayer, and I will not indulge myself by forcing those details on you. I’ll only say that they are completely down-to-earth and humble; just a great group of people.

I finished my ACL experience with the National. Their fans came out for them, chanting every angry, depressed word of every song right along with Matt Berninger. The set was solid, featuring old and new tunes. “Bloodbuzz Ohio” incited excitement, as did “Mistaken for Strangers.” “Boxer” was the first song where Berninger really started to howl, screaming out to the crowd without a mic near the end of the track. This is what makes the National such a memorable live band; they add energy that just can’t come off on their studio recordings. Despite their downer lyrics, the band members themselves are quite perky and hilarious. When a large, white bouncy ball appeared in the crowd, Berninger quipped, “I’ll pay $1,000 to the first person who pops that.” One of the Dessner brothers said, “I think the Flaming Lips sent that over.” Berninger remarked, “Yeah, Wayne Coyne’s actually still in there, watch out. He’s puking all over the place.” The final three songs of the National’s set were my very favorites; “Fake Empire” kicked it off, and “Mr. November” picked up the energy as Berninger leapt down from the stage and up on the fence, half-leaning on the crowd. “Terrible Love” rounded it out, and Arcade Fire’s violinist-gone-solo, Owen Pallet, joined the band for the tune. The crowd so loved that song (and the band in general) that they insisted on an encore, which the National actually obliged. Berninger jokingly explained, “I was hanging out with Glenn Frey in the shower earlier, and he told me we could have five more minutes. So thanks, Glenn. And thanks for the shampoo.” I will straight up admit, I don’t know what the title of their encore song was, but it was gorgeous and, according to the Dessners, an older one. It was a beautiful, dark goodnight kiss and a peaceful, mellow way to close out the festival. (Well, that and singing “Hotel California” with Melissa and the Eagles across the Zilker Park field.)

Everything conspired to greatness this year; great fans, great weather, great bands with great performances. Festival experiences like these remind you exactly what festivals are for – they are here to let you live in the moment, and remember it forever in a song.