Click for larger viewA fan gets a hug from a Sasquatch at the Gorge
Photo Galleries: Day One, Day Two, Day Three

Breaking out of five years of going to the Austin City Limits Music Festival by checking out the Sasquatch! Festival in George, Washington turned out to be a pretty good idea. Held over Memorial Day Weekend with one of the most dramatic natural backgrounds behind a stage I've ever seen, the festival is a unique treat to say the least.

With the location of the main stage at the base of a natural amphitheatre with the Columbia river gorge behind it, the venue inspires all those who play to turn it up a notch to at least "11."

Everyone has the dramatic "helicopter shot" moment as they crest the hill to see the big stage for the first time. And Sasquatch knows how to play this up, evidenced by this promo video. Notice the grass terraces, which are quite cushy, and except for the bugs the first day make for a nice place to lay around and catch some great music.

The first band up of the 33 I saw at least some of is The Gaslight Anthem, which helps get into the groove slowly. They have a bit of a Springsteen vibe, which might come naturally since they are Jersey boys. Blind Pilot, another mellow band, mentions after some lengthy tuning, "that concludes the first half of our set." They sound a little bit like Calexico with some pedal steel, stand up bass, fiddle and banjo, and even borrow the horn section from Calexico. They are the first of several quite good bands from Portland, which seems to have a great scene at the moment.

Newbury Park native M.Ward also rose to musical prominence in Portland. He opens with a great version of Buddy Holly's Rave On and continues with some great guitar work in his set. Be sure and check out the video for "Chinese Translation."

DeVotchKa, who began life as a backing band at burlesque shows, cranks up their accordions on the main stage and get the crowd jumping for the first time. Next Animal Collective has two songs that hold my interest, the first being "Summertime Clothes" which is a great song for an outdoor music festival. But I grow restless as it is time to check out Sun Kil Moon on another stage. Moon is Mark Kozelek's new project after Red House Painters, and although quite good, he tends to be a bit monotonous with some Son Volt style vocal echo on just about every song. And man, is he serious.

Back on the main stage The Decemberists are doing their thing in black suits. They, along with many other bands in this festival setting, seem to want to prove they can rock hard right off the bat, saving their best material for later in the set. This band is doing some pretty creative music right now, and, Arcade Fire comparisons aside, are set to become a major force.

One of the festival's more, um, interesting moments comes when a couple on the edge of the bluff decide to get naked and get busy. They are hustled out by security, but not before entertaining the crowd for several minutes. The band never seemed to notice though. Talk about extreme exhibitionism.
An au natural couple gets busted

Hustling over to Mos Def at the Wookie stage proved a wise choice as he was doing his very accessible rap thing. And on the same stage right after was Bon Iver, whose set was tragically cut to six songs due to a curfew. All those in attendance were blown away though and will surely be catching him whenever and wherever. By waiting for his set I missed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which seemed to be a campground favorite, but I'm still skeptical and consider them overrated. Kings of Leon closed out the night and impressed those in attendance.

Tshirts from day one included "Your favorite band sucks" "Pedro lacks political experience" and "Science: It works Bit•hes."

The Walkmen are the first band I make it to on day two. They are a lot like Calexico, who follow them. It is a bit odd, being so close to Canada, to hear southwest border sounds. We're used to it here in California of course, but the sound seems a bit lost on the northwestern crowd.

St. Vincent, as pale as a human can be, draws a western facing midday slot on the Wookie stage and says "I hope you're wearing sunscreen and drinking cold beer," sort of a mantra for this day. She has on great sunglasses which make her pop out from a distance and closes with the excellent "The Strangers."

The Avett Brothers, described as bluegrass punks, are back on the main stage. Their late summer release on Columbia should be excellent, watch out for it.

Blake Edwards of The Submarines

Infectiious bounciness is provided by the Submarines, the husband and wife couple from Los Angeles who are both easy on the eyes and ears, make the kind of music that Hollywood likes to put into television shows like "Grey's Anatomy." Blake Edwards is the great granddaughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald, which is a little funny since she is doing innocuous pop. But hey, their good funky groove underlayering with guitar on top makes for a nice mix which is hard not to like.

TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone wishes he could go back in time and tell his teenage self that he would one day be playing on the same stage as Jane's Addiction. His band turns in a fine set, innovative and tight. M83 and their throwback 80's sound, entertains the crowd who for the most part weren't around to listen to that style in the day. Those of us who were bob our heads knowingly.

Of Montreal did their theatre performance, trying but failing to one up The Flaming Lips.

Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction, currently on their NINJA tour, took the main stage by storm to close out the second day. What can be said about these veterans that hasn't been written a million times before. They rock. The end.
Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction

Tshirts from day two: "I steal music off the internet" "Boobies make me smile"

Day three brings me a revelation. I mostly want bands to sound like their records, or a better, more inspired version of them. Maybe it is the giant outdoor setting, but many bands are almost unrecognizable when they play festivals. There seems to be a need for bands to play as loud and fast as possible, even when that is not their style. Oh well.
Grizzly Bear is a bit of case in point. They never quite take off in their set, but their records soar.
Santigold performs

So heading over to the smallest stage of the venue, the Yeti, I see some of Horse Feathers, who put on perhaps the quietest set of anyone this weekend. They play the xylophone and the saw. The crowd, respectively silent, loves it. These guys are absolutely someone to see in a small dark venue and would be mesmerizing.
Going 180 degrees from Feathers is Santigold. Oft compared to M.I.A, which is unfortunate, she turns out one great song after another, performing most of her recent recording which didn't have a miss on it. She is on the road with a band for the first time and seems to be enjoying the company onstage.

Bltizen Trapper is another band that feels the need to rock out but is so much better when they stay true to their signature sound. Of course they are treading the line between mellow put you to sleep and out right rocking on their record, so it is a bit of a balancing act. Sounding very Dylan-esque at times, it occurs to me that the poet himself wouldn't mind covering their song "Furr." That one and Black River Killer are stunning live. The latter, basically a serial murderer's ballad is just flat amazing. If you don't own Furr, you should.

Seattle's Fleet Foxes had the luck of having the best sound production all weekend, and their set from the main stage was just about perfect. Their lilting harmonies fill the Gorge and everyone within earshot is transfixed. LA's Silversun Pickups were a definite right angle to them, playing loud and fast.

Bopping back to the Wookie I was treated to one of if not the highlight of Sasquatch. A live set by Girl Talk, Pittsburg's mashup dj Greg Gillis. He had the 100 people on stage and a huge crowd in the palm of his hand as he made ordinary rave style spinners look absolutely amateur in comparision, mixing samples of dozens of popular, but unexpected songs into an incredible "can't stop moving" jam session. I was looking for the stage to collapse as the dancers jumped up and down in unison. Anyone that sees this guy live will be blown away.

Erykah Badu is wonderful, but a bit slow, especially after raving with Girl Talk. Ben Harper closes out the festival with some very solid work, touring with his new band the Relentless 7 on the heels of the just released Dark Times.

Tshirts today: "Wanna start a commune?" "Say hi to your mom"

Overall Sasquatch! is a great festival. Smaller than ACL, but this year's lineup left nothing to be desired musically. Everyone I spoke with felt this was the best group of acts so far in the eight-year history of the show. And despite the $9 beers that everyone likes to complain about, I can recommend a trip to Washington to catch this one. We'll see if they can match the quality and quantity next year. I got a hug from a Sasquatch who promised me a lifetime of peeing and pooping in the woods without social repercussion. That was the worth the trip alone.

Oh I almost forgot to mention you pretty much have to camp, as there are no local hotels to speak of withing 40 miles. Lots of locals from Seattle and other towns just go for a day, but if you are doing the festival, camping is your only only option. Premier camping or a private campground like Wild Horse are highly recommended. In the camp you will meet Seattlites, Montanans, Oregonians and of course Canadians who come down for this in droves.

Next year, Bonnaroo?

-David Sprague

December is the holiday month with presents for all, including us music fans. There are plenty of regular shows, and there are also some special Christmas shows with the summertime feeling of a festival with large numbers of bands playing. The highlight this year for me will be the second night of the annual KROQ Acoustic Christmas shows. Take a look, see what you think, and tear yourself away from present shopping long enough to catch a gift of music just for you. Happy Merry, and don't forget those New Year's Eve shows!

-David Sprague

Mon 12/1/08 Jake La Botz, Ladyfingers Redwood Bar
Wed 12/03/08 Smashing Pumpkins Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk
Wed 12/03/08 "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live" Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
with BB King, Foo Fighters, John Mayer, others
Thu 12/04/08 Ryan Adams, Oasis, Matt Costa Staples Center
Fri 12/05/08 Phantom Planet Regent Theatre
Sat 12/06/08 Judith Owen & Harry Shearer's Holiday Sing-A-Long Steve Allen Theater
Sat 12/06/08 Aimee Mann The Wiltern
Sat 12/06/08 Jim Bianco Troubadour
Wed 12/10/08 Indie 103.1 "Wreck The Halls" with Bloc Party, others Club Nokia
Wed 12/10/08 The Blasters, Los Lobos House Of Blues

Fri 12/12/08 Mike Ness, Ryan Bingham El Rey Theatre
Sat 12/13/08 Speedbuggy Regent Theatre
Sat 12/13/08 "KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas" w The Offspring, Stone Temple Pilots, Rise Against, AFI, others Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk
Sun 12/14/08 "KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas" Death Cab for Cutie, Franz Ferdinand, Paramore, Snow Patrol, The Cure, The Killers, Vampire Weekend. Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk
Tue 12/16/08 Missy Higgins House Of Blues
Thu 12/18/08 Glen Glenn Regent Theatre
Fri 12/19/08 The Duke Spirit The Roxy Theatre
Sat 12/20/08 Wayne "The Train" Hancock Alex's Bar
Sat 12/20/08 X, New York Dolls, Cracker Club Nokia
Wed 12/24/08 Royal Crown Revue Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Mon 12/29/08 Dada House Of Blues
Wed 12/31/08 Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine House Of Blues
Wed 12/31/08 Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys Regent Theatre
Wed 12/31/08 Bob Wayne & The Outlaw Carnies Regent Theatre
Wed 12/31/08 Wayne "The Train" Hancock Regent Theatre
Wed 12/31/08 Young Dubliners Saint Rocke
Wed 12/31/08 The Wailers The Roxy Theatre

The last time I saw Pete Townsend perform was from the remove of at least half a football field in a stadium where that was considered a good ticket. So, if you'd suggest to me that I'd ever see him in the comfy environs of the Troubadour, alongside Death Cab for Cuties's Ben Gibbard, the Eels' E (Mark Oliver Everett for you initial-haters), Jakob Dylan and Zoey Deschanel, well, I'd've replied, give me a ticket.

And so, someone did, and I slipped inside the inner circle of the "In the Attic" production Friday night. "In the Attic" is a sporadic series of webcasts created by Pete's significant other, Rachel Fuller, featuring artists around Townsend and whoever's hot at the moment in an intimate setting. Friday's show was captured for eventual release (on both CD and DVD) by a big-box store that you'd never imagine being thanked so copiously from the stage of the indie-minded Troubadour. It'll be available for everyone else - with the false starts edited out, naturally - in March of 2009.

Highlights included Gibbard's acoustic performance of "I Will Follow You Into the Dark," Dylan's take on "6th Avenue Heartache" with Townsend on guitar and Everett, Townsend and Gibbard performing "Let My Love Open the Door" in tandem.

Townsend collaborated with just about everyone, but sloppily (he repeatedly needed to refer to charts or start over, all of which will no doubt be edited out of the final DVD).

It wasn't until he took the stage for his own set when he came into his own and regained his raw, unexpurgated passion for his songs (he couldn't even remember his own lyrics for "Mary-Anne with the Shaky Hand" for his duet with Gibbard).

(Don't look! A guitar legend is forgetting his own lyrics!)

But at the end, alone onstage, he pretty much torched "Acid Queen" -

- and "Won't Get Fooled Again." (He acknowledged the "Meet the new boss/same as the old boss" lyric probably didn't apply when comparing Barack Obama to George Bush.)

All the participants reunited for the finale, and all I remember about that was that E was onstage text-messaging someone while everyone else was performing.

So: When your musical heroes aren't in their venues of choice, they can kind of d!ck around and not care so much, but they can also create inspired stuff that you'd never expect of them. And that mixed bag is actually kind of cool.

The Broken West

So turkey month brings some good music, notably shows by Jonatha Brooke and Lucinda Williams both touring behind recent albums. Tonight LA locals The Broken West perform at Spaceland which should be a great show. I'm still recovering from the election, but managed to see Old Crow Medicine Show last night. Sorry about not getting to the calendar this month sooner, but this first week was a thriller in other ways not musical.

-David Sprague

Fri 11/07/08 The Broken West Spaceland
Sat 11/08/08 The Blind Boys Of Alabama CSU Northridge Perf. Arts Center
Sat 11/08/08 The Mother Truckers Key Club
Sat 11/08/08 Dave Alvin Largo
Sat 11/08-09/08 The Who Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
Sun 11/09/08 Jenny Lewis Club Nokia

Mon 11/10/08 I See Hawks in LA, Listing Ship, Plunkin' Creede, Badwater Bob Tangier
Tue 11/11/08 Kaiser Chiefs Music Box @ Fonda
Tue 11/11/08 Travis Troubadour
Wed 11/12/08 Crown City Rockers House Of Blues
Wed 11/12/08 Jonatha Brooke Largo
Wed 11/12/08 Grace Potter & the Nocturnals the Roxy
Thu 11/13/08 Jonatha Brooke Canyon Club
Thu 11/13/08 Kathleen Edwards, John Doe El Rey Theatre
Thu 11/13/08 Alanis Morissette Orpheum Theatre
Thu 11/13/08 Alexi Murdoch Orpheum Theatre
Fri 11/14/08 What Made Milwaukee Famous Echo
Sun 11/16/08 Brad Mehldau Greek Theatre
Tue 11/18/08 Matisyahu Club Nokia
Tue 11/18/08 "Hotel Cafe Tour" Music Box @ Fonda
Tue 11/18/08 Emily Wells Music Box @ Fonda
Tue 11/18/08 Kate Havnevik Music Box @ Fonda
Tue 11/18/08 Lenka Music Box @ Fonda
Tue 11/18/08 Meiko Music Box @ Fonda
Tue 11/18/08 Rachael Yamagata Music Box @ Fonda
Tue 11/18/08 Thao Nguyen Music Box @ Fonda
Wed 11/19/08 Lucinda Williams Majestic Ventura Theatre
Thu 11/20/08 Gov't Mule House Of Blues
Thu 11/20/08 Old-Time Jam hosted by Triple Chicken Foot Hyperion Tavern
Fri 11/21/08 Medeski Martin & Wood El Rey Theatre
Fri 11/21/08 Lucinda Williams The Wiltern
Sat 11/22/08 Of Montreal Hollywood Palladium
Sat 11/22/08 Rhett Miller Coronet Theatre
Sun 11/23/08 Old 97's Largo
Sat 11/29/08 Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs Spaceland
Sun 11/30/08 Blitzen Trapper Echo
Tue 12/02/08 Smashing Pumpkins Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk
Wed 12/03/08 Jonathan Richman El Rey Theatre

Hey scare dee cats, get out there this fine Hallowed month and see some cool music, will ya?
KCRW has some good music the next couple of days, you can revisit the 80s with Killing Joke,
catch the Hotel Cafe tour at the Hotel Cafe, see k.d. lang and her amazing voice. Or some up
and comers like Ryan Bingham or All Time Low, or way cool established acts like Neil Young
and Jenny Lewis. In any case, don't be frightened by the overwhelming choice of music this month

-David Sprague

Tue 10/7/08 11:15A The Broken West on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic 89.9
Thu 10/09/08 Killing Joke House Of Blues
Thu 10/09/08 11:15A kd lang on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic 89.9
Fri 10/10/08 "Hotel Cafe Tour" Hotel Cafe
Fri 10/10/08 Brooke Fraser Hotel Cafe
Fri 10/10/08 Erin McCarley Hotel Cafe
Fri 10/10/08 Holly Conlan Hotel Cafe
Fri 10/10/08 Meiko Hotel Cafe
Fri 10/10/08 Julieta Venegas Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
Fri 10/10/08 Duffy Orpheum Theatre
at 10/11/08 The Crystal Method Vanguard Theatre

Sat 10/11/08 "Divas: Simply Singing!" Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Alicia Meyers Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Angie Stone Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Coko Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Kenny Lattimore Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Leigh Jones Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Loretta Devine Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Miki Howard Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Patti Austin Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Patti LaBelle Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Raven-Symone Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Roslyn Kind Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Sarah Dash Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Sherri Lewis Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sat 10/11/08 Siedah Garrett Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Sun 10/12/08 k.d. lang Malibu Performing Arts Center
Tue 10/14/08 Tokyo Police Club, Weezer The Forum
Thu 10/16/08 Ghostland Observatory Mayan Theatre
Fri 10/ 17/08 Bob Schneider, Amie Miriello @ Safari Sam's
Thu 10/16-19/08 Tegan and Sara Music Box @ Fonda
Thu 10/16/08 South Austin Jug Band The Mint
Sat 10/18/08 Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys Bordello
Sat 10/18/08 Patti Smith Orpheum Theatre
Sun 10/19/08 12:00P BRUNCH AMERICANA-Amy Farris, Dead Rock West Safari Sams
Sun 10/19/08 Andrew Bird, Haley Bonar @ Largo at the Coronet
Thu 10/23/08 Stereolab Music Box @ Fonda
Ryan Bingham
Fri 10/24/08 Ryan Bingham, Welldiggers Banquet Topanga Roadhouse
Sat 10/25/08 Flogging Molly Hollywood Palladium
Sun 10/26/08 Stan Ridgway House Of Blues
Tue 10/28/08 Apocalyptica The Avalon
Tue 10/28/08 Ted Leo And The Pharmacists The Wiltern
Tue 10/28/08 Jack's Mannequin Troubadour
Thu 10/30/08 All Time Low Majestic Ventura Theatre
Thu 10/30/08 Every Avenue Majestic Ventura Theatre
Thu 10/30/08 Mayday Parade Majestic Ventura Theatre
Thu 10/30/08 Jenny Lewis Orpheum Theatre
Thu 10/30/08 Death Cab For Cutie The Forum
Thu 10/30/08 Everest The Forum
Thu 10/30/08 Neil Young The Forum
Fri 10/31/08 The Black Angels El Rey Theatre
Fri 10/31/08 Mickey Avalon The Avalon
Nov 6 2008 Old Crow Medicine Show Henry Fonda Theatre

Neko Case

The last day of ACL was a bit slow, but after all the fun of the previous two days, preshows and aftershows, I was ready for a little slow. Photo gallery day three.

Nicole Atkins is a rising star, providing what she calls "pop noir" and is a bit reminiscent of Roy Orbison. And then their is Gillian Welch, who had Allison Krauss joining her on stage for a bit of a O Brother reunion, performing Don't Leave Nobody but the Baby for an electric moment.

Stars played their melodic pop, closing with Your Ex-Lover is dead and turning in a workman like performance.

Neko Case was a highlight today, using her voice to totally take over on the large stage, leaving one wondering how much she would completely anihilate a smaller venue. The sound on her show was some of the best of the festival, with her voice rising and falling in her trademark style.

Austin's own Okkervil River is doing some new work from their just released latest album The Stand Ins. Their Unless It's Kick is still stellar and uplifting.

The Raconteurs, winning the prize for the loudest bass coming from their stage, to the point of painfulness even with earplugs, rocked through their set it more than adequate guitar work. Jack White seems to really relish this work.

Band of Horses, of Seattle, is one of Sub Pops records latest finds, is soaring and dark at the same time. The crowd loves them and so do I. Can't wait to see them next time around.

Kevin Fowler of Austin provided one last kick in the but country, and of course Foo Fighters headlined the last night. But I had had my fill, and not being a big Foo fan, headed for the exit.

Some favorite t-shirts from the weekend included:
My football team can beat up your football team
Keep Dallas Pretentious
I smell like strippers
and
Chick Kryptonite

Overall a very good year in Austin. A bit of dust, a bit of sound bleed, but the lineup, the people, the attitude, and of course Austin itself make this festival one of the best in the country. Til next year, enjoy!

Story and photos by David Sprague

Gillian Welch and Allison Krauss revisit O Brother

Allison Krauss and Robert Plant
Day two at ACL brought some chances to see some bands I've been waiting to see for quite a while, as well as some old friends. ACL Day Two photo gallery

Fleet Foxes are a band that is going places, and after they get from their UK and Australia tours we will get a chance to see them here in Southern Calfiornia. Their singer said "We just don't know how to communicate on this scale" when faced with one of their bigger audiences at the festival. After playing a couple of their longer rambling pieces someone in the crowd yells out "One more song!" which draws a laugh and the band says they think they have one or two left. Harmonizing on White Winter Hymnal is as good as anything from the sixties in my book and is just plain mesmerizing. It does seem a little early, just after noon, to be hearing this sort of thing. Around midnite would be better and I can't wait to catch them here in our city in some dark nightclub.
The Fratellis
The latest Brit band to take up the mantle of Franz Ferdinand are the Fratellis. Their videos are definitely something to check out as they are highly entertaining. Chelsea Dagger and Flathead certainly define their style.

Athens band Drive-By Truckers got a little bit of a slow start and didn't even seem like the same band I've seen in the past. Maybe it was a little too much sunshine or their darker country moments.
Dancing to MGMT
MGMT had the kids dancing with their one, two, three punch of their best songs, Electric Feel, Time to Pretend and Kids. Who couldn't dance to this stuff? Maybe we will see them in LA next year after their European/Japanese tour finishes.

Bright Eyes front man musical boy genius Conor Oberst is touring with the Mystic Valley band, and has some pretty good licks up his sleeve. He seems to be changing identities almost as much as Madonna. Conor Oberst






The highlight of the day, if not the whole festival came when Robert Plant and Allison Krauss did Blackdog, slow, nearly acapella, with a fiddle filling in for the guitar lead. The crowd was dead silent, listening to something they had never hear before, something very familiar but completely different at the same time. It was a work of genius, with even old hands at the music critic game exclaiming "That was cool!" as soon as it was over, complete with goosebumps.

Photos and story by David Sprague

Krauss solo

Vampire Weekend
The seventh version of the Austin City Limits Music Festival once again proved why this gathering of musical acts is so popular. The range of music, quality of acts and performances, sound, atmosphere, food and people are all great, with something for everyone and more than a little bit of "you had to be there."

Photo gallery Day One
Kicking off the fest on Friday was Vampire Weekend, the ultimate buzz band of the summer. Their quirky, poppy, crowd pleasing set set the tone for the weekend, with the crowd into the music from the first chord. And I know I'm getting older, but with them fresh out of college they looked like high schoolers to me.
Louis XIV
Louis XIV ramped up the rock in short order early in the day. I had heard they were great last year, but missed them, so made a point to catch them this time. Their "Finding out true love is blind" is great rock and sounds nearly like some of the recent Brit bands to invade. Lo and behold they hail from San Diego.

Patty Griffin, ever the fab, tries to come out for an encore to sing something solo acapella, but sound bleedover from another stage caused her to cut it short and call back the band. In years past the volume levels of the different stages seemed to be under control, with balance between quiet and loud bands, but this year returned a bit to the problematics of running eight stages in an outdoor venue.

Gypsy punks Gogol Bordello did their mixup of the Clash, the Pogues and the Gypsy Kings and the crowd went wild. They easily won the "most energy of any band at the festival" award. Formed in New York, the eastern European group of eight certainly provide fine theatre and musical jams. Frontman Eugene Hütz lists Hendrix and Parliament-Funkadelic as influential to their sound. It shows.

Gogol Bordello

Jenny Lewis

Native Angeleno Jenny Lewis took the stage in the Washington Mutual tent to a huge overflow crowd. She is jazzed about her new record Acid Tongue and for good reason. The title track gives her a chance to strut her stuff solo. At other times a little wurlitzer and vintage guitar sound really accentuates her voice and makes one continue to wonder if they like her better by herself or as part of Rilo Kiley. But thank goodness it doesn't have to be one or the other.

Ryan Bingham
Next up Ryan Bingham, the 26-year-old whose country songs are way, way wiser than his age, puts out a set that is part pure country, then pure country rock to the delight of the crowd. Anyone who is a fan of that genre should definitely check him out. His backstory of being a bullrider, drifter and oil hand is one that is too true to be believed, but it injects his songs with an authenticity that can't be faked. Anyone prone to the genre will instantly like his stuff.

Listening in on N.E.R.D. from a distance, one hears a cover of a White Stripes song that is pretty surprising. Others later tell me that they are different than expected and put on a great show.

The Swell Season creates an intimacy with their audience immediately at the beginning of their set with their honest openness. Still somewhat unknown despite the success of the film Once, people are getting to know and appreciate them. Falling Slowly is a truly touching song that affects all but the most cynical.

Manu Chao, aka José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao, finishes off the evening with his Spanish - French influence summed up in the song El Hoyo. Manu Chao

Photos and story by David Sprague

Hey gang, it is that time of the year again, when we head to Austin for the seventh edition of the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

We'll be bringing you atmosphere, reviews, impressions and photo galleries. Check back in the next few days for the goods. Until then, check out the line up here and listen to some of the bands live here.

-David Sprague

Hey gang, it is that time of the year again, when we head to Austin for the seventh edition of the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

We'll be bringing you atmosphere, reviews, impressions and photo galleries. Check back in the next few days for the goods. Until then, check out the line up here and listen to some of the bands live here.

-David Sprague