Category: Taping Recap

“When you’re on tour, you play places where bands have been before, and you feel part of a tradition, and tonight it’s sort of the ultimate, the pinnacle moment,” declared Phoenix singer Thomas Mars from the stage during the French band’s debut ACL taping. “We’re very proud to be doing this ACL TV show, and we’re proud that you’re doing this with us – we feel like we’re keeping Austin weird.”

Phoenix opened its stellar performance with “Entertainment,” the radio hit off its new LP Bankrupt! Tone set, the sextet ripped through an energetic set, drawn mostly from the new record and its breakthrough predecessor Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. “Lasso,” “Armistice” and “Fences” got both band and crowd up and moving, with the massive hit “Lisztomania” getting a rave response. Connecting the dots of its decade-plus career, Phoenix put “Too Young,” a tune from its debut, into a seamless medley with the more recent “Girlfriend.” The group explored moodier territory as well, with the more midtempo “Long Distance Call” and the lush “The Real Thing” proving that the band knows how to vary its approach. Phoenix also brought an epic feel to some tunes, creating a trilogy with “Trying to Be Cool, “Drakkar Noir” and “Chloroform” and an anthemic medley from “Love Like a Sunset Pt. 1 & 2” and “Bankrupt,” cheekily titled “Sunskrupt!”

Phoenix ended the main set with its other smash – the opening synth notes of “1901” drew the loudest cheers of the night. But the band wasn’t done. Guitarist Christian Mazzalai returned to the stage, while Mars ensconced himself comfortably in the crowd to sing intimate versions of “Countdown” and “Playground Love,” the Air song from the soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides for which Mars provided lyrics and vocals. When the rest of the band came back to the stage, Phoenix ripped through “Don’t” and “Rome,” the latter ending with an instrumental vamp as Mars climbed the bleachers to the studio’s second level, taking the band’s perfect pop directly to the fans. One breathless “Good night!” later, and a glorious night of ACL recording was over.

The energy rolled off the stage in waves, and we can’t wait for you to experience it for yourselves when the episode hits PBS this fall. Stay tuned for dates.

Tonight marks Jim James’ sixth appearance on our stage as he showcased his new solo album Regions of Light and Sound of God. In his new solo work James and his band explored new sounds. Based on the spiritual journey of God’s Man, Lynd Ward’s woodcut graphic novel from the 1920s, James’ music floated more than drove. Exchanging the guitar-heavy rock bombast he is known for from his band My Morning Jacket for a more atmospheric sound, his music seemed to invite us to listen rather than demand our attention. James stayed close to  the microphone adding some sliding dance steps here and there and playing as much saxophone as guitar.

“State of the Art,” “Know Til Now” and “Of the Mother Again” incorporated 70s soul grooves into the mystic textures, letting Dan Dorff’s acid electric piano and Alana Rocklin’s rubbery bass keep the clouds moving. The electronica-infused pop of “Dear One” and “A New Life,” both spiritual love songs of sorts, moved from sedate to theatrical, the melodies working in tandem with arrangements meant to draw out the soul. Perhaps most impressive was the celebratory “All is Forgiven,” which incorporated an Arabic melody, jazzy grooves, multiple tempos and an expansive instrumental arrangement  to convey its near-gospel message. “God’s Love to Deliver” was even more eclectic, starting as a dreamy waltz, moving through Rocklin’s MIDI bass solo and ending in a hailstorm of thrashing drums from Dave Givan and distorted guitar feedback from James and sideman Kevin Ratterman.

For the encore, James dipped into his back catalog, with a lovely solo acoustic version of MMJ’s “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” and a take on Monsters of Folk’s “His Master’s Voice” that fit with his solo work both texturally and thematically. James ended with a widescreen take on “Changing World,” a track from the New Multitudes project with Jay Farrar, Anders Parker and Will Johnson that puts unrecorded Woody Guthrie lyrics in a modern context – a perfect capper to James’ fusion of traditional and modern.

This experimental performance showed yet another side to Jim James’ talent, and we’re pleased he chose to document it with us. We’re anxious for everyone to see it in the fall – keep an eye on this space.

Last night we were thrilled to welcome a pair of bands that reflect two sides of the Americana coin: Shovels & Rope, with their DIY gritty, lo-fi take on countrified rock & roll, and The Lumineers, who offered their polished and elegant folk rock sound. The two bands couldn’t sound more different, but both had two important things in common: a deep understanding of American musical traditions and a knack for great songwriting.

Few bands have as much fun onstage than Shovels & Rope – the joy Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent get from playing together is palpable. “Man you can tell the way they look at each other,” commented Roger Hayhurst. on YouTube,“A lot of passion in this.” The Charleston, S.C. duo charged every song with the giddy energy of musicians that looooove being onstage. Opening with the Southern travelogue “Birmingham,” Hearst and Trent joyfully hopped from wild-eyed folk (“Bad Luck”) to chicken-pickin’ C&W (“Kemba’s Got the Cabbage Moth Blues”) to balls-out rock & roll (“O’Be Joyful”), switching off between guitar and drums along the way. Hearst wailed her way soulfully through the menacing folk rocker “Hollowpoint Blues” as easily as the duo rocked out gospel style on the blazing “Tell the Truth.” As Chistranger noted during our live stream of this show, “Every S&R song I hear I think, Oh! This one! This one’s my favorite! But then the next one comes on and I start all over again from the beginning.” After setting the place on fire with the rock ‘n’ vinyl celebration “Hail Hail,” the band left the stage to a standing ovation, having won a ton of new fans. “Fantastic!!” enthused Suzanne Day on the YouTube chat. “The BEST new music I have heard in such a long time!!!”

After such a barn-burning performance, The Lumineers had to rise to the occasion, and darned if they didn’t do it. Like S&R, the Denver quintet takes American roots music and strains it through its own distinctive filter; also like the Charleston duo, The Lumineers take the stage as if its their home. From the stripped-down folk rocker “Flowers in Your Hair” and the bluesy honkytonker “Ain’t Nobody’s Problem” to the acoustic pop tune “ Dead Sea” and the old-fashioned folk song “Charlie Boy,” the band easily engaged a crowd primed for their indie folk sound. Even a new song, tentatively titled “Duet” as leader Wesley Schulz and cellist Neyla Pekarek share the vocals, captivated the fans immediately. (“Call 911,” posted fan Matt Stigal, on YouTube “cause Neyla has officially stolen my heart.”) The group’s huge hit single “Ho Hey” arrived early in the set, which seemed surprising at first, but given the anthems that dominated the second half of the show, understandable: “Slow It Down,” “Big Parade” and especially “Stubborn Love” encouraged massive sing-a-longs. For the encore, the group ventured into the audience for an unamplified take on “Darlene,” complete with xylophone solo, while an audience member held up the xylophone. Closing the show with a pair of unexpected covers – Talking Heads’ lovely “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” and the Violent Femmes’ raucous “American Music” – The Lumineers left the ACL stage in a state of bliss. “This is ‘genuine’ music,” declared fan Archangel Micael on YouTube.

“This entire concert is amazing,” proclaimed catperson74. “I don’t think I can wait until fall to watch again.” We can’t wait for you all to see it, either, but, alas, we’ll all have to be patient. Trust us, folks – the episode featuring these fantastic performances will be well worth the wait.

Few indie rock acts can boast the acclaim that Grizzly Bear has garnered in its near-decade of existence, and after tonight’s show, it’s easy to hear why. With its sweeping psychedelic indie rock in full effect, the band turned in a stellar set as its debut ACL taping.

Concentrating solely on its most recent records Shields and Veckatimest, the Brooklyn quintet essayed what fan Hallie Sianni on Facebook described as a “great setlist – some of their best.” In the sweeping art rock of “Cheerleader,” “Yet Again” and “Half Gate” and the shuffling psych pop of “Ready Able,” “Sleeping Ute” and “A Simple Answer,” the band showed off a fetching shimmer as much as an ambitious craft. Speaking of ambition, this is not a band to work one groove into the ground – the band was equally as comfortable with the minimalist ballad “Foreground” (featuring bassist Chris Taylor on bass clarinet) and the jaunty piano pop of “Two Weeks” as it was the counterpoint vocal-heavy “While You Wait For Others” and the atmospheric grooves of “What’s Wrong.” Closing the main set with the stunning, Smile-like orchestral epic “Sun in Your Eyes,” Grizzly Bear earned every bit of its critical praise.

“Sun in Your Eyes” was a hard act to follow, but the band did it with an even more enchanting version of “Sleeping Ute” and a surprise (to both us and the crowd): “Knife,” from the group’s breakthrough Yellow House and one of its best-known tunes. Closing out with the lovely acoustic ballad “All We Ask,” Grizzly Bear brought the evening to a close not with a bang, but a wistful sigh. A fine show, and we can’t wait for you to see it in its final form later this year.

When Esperanza Spalding appeared on Austin City Limits in 2009, she frankly blew us away. A great singer, composer, bandleader and bassist, the Portland native-turned-Austin resident wasn’t a household name, but she made a huge impression on everyone who saw her on our stage. So we were pleased to have her back, with a Best New Artist Grammy on her shelf and a new twist on her distinct vision of jazz and soul.

In a direct nod to her latest record Radio Music Society, a giant jambox adorned our stage; when it started to glow, the band began to play, jumping genres amid radio static to emulate someone switching stations looking for the perfect song (a theme she’d come back to later). Then a deejay announced “Us,” a funky pop tune in which Spalding explained “the philosophy of the Radio Music Society” and introduced her 11-piece band. Stage appropriately set, she and her musicians danced skillfully across a line where jazz, R&B and pop hook up. She veered from the romantic pop/soul of “Crowned and Kissed” and the overt R&B empowerment of “Black Gold” to the jazz balladry of “Hold On Me” and the bebop fusion of Wayne Shorter’s “Endangered Species” (now given environmentally-conscious lyrics).

But Spalding and the band did more than simply play different but related styles. They mixed it all together, adding scat singing to the lovelorn soul of “I Can’t Help It,” slathering the R&B ballad “Cinnamon Tree” with busy jazz guitar (provided by Jef Lee Johnson, a cult figure for guitar nerds) and spicing the singalong soul pop of “Radio Song” with a free jazz piano solo. “Radio Song,” in fact, climaxed the set, rolling the entire “philosophy” of the Radio Music Society into one number, with explanatory dialogue, a catchy chorus and a call-and-response vocal line that made the audience part of the performance. Spalding left the stage still playing and leading the crowd in song.

She encored with a nod to her jazz roots, essaying a sweet take on Betty Carter’s “Look No Further” accompanied only by her drummer. It was a perfect way to cap the big music of the main set and a reminder of her mantra from her first ACL appearance: jazz ain’t nothin’ but soul. You’ll hear for yourself when Esperanza Spalding’s episode airs in February. Don’t miss it!