Next weekend just so happens to consist of the greatest three days of the entire semester (thinking in school-terms, of course) in Austin, Texas. Naturally, I am referring to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. From Friday, September 26th until Sunday, September 28th, 65,000 people will be rocking out to fantastic music in the lovely, concert-converted Zilker Park. Naturally, as a music blogger, I must recommend artists for those of you attending who aren’t sure who to catch! I am starting with Friday; I’ll post about Saturday and Sunday tomorrow.
Friday is a great, great day. If you only see one artist, it MUST be the much-buzzed-about Gogol Bordello. This band is truly stupendous, and their fan following is super devoted. You may have seen lead singer Eugene Hutz in a 2005 film called “Everything Is Illuminated” with Elijah Wood (based off of the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer.) The group, a Ukrainian gypsy punk band based out of New York, has awesome energy during live shows. Often, they will leap out into the audience, crowd-surfing on a giant drum head. They are political and raucous and put more passion than is conceivable into their show. They’re scheduled to play during the heat of the day, so be sure to stock up on water to avoid passing out! Here is a video to give you an idea of what to expect:
Another great, dancey band begins right after Gogol Bordello: Hot Chip. These guys, from Great Britain, have a fantastically danceable blend of electric and pop sound, and their stuff is super catchy. Keep the water intake up! Here’s another video to give you a taste:
After all of that dancing, I recommend cooling off with The Swell Season, comprised of Glen Hansard (of The Frames) and Marketa Irglova. You will probably recognize them from the 2006 indie musical flick “Once.” They have been touring around with songs from the film, as well as other original tunes they have created together. Their sound is absolutely gorgeous; the voices compliment beautifully. Many of the songs are love-themed, either about new romances or “lover scorned” heartwrenchers. Mostly, they are a truly great way to calm down in the beautiful Austin evening.
I’ll be back tomorrow to give you my recommendations for days 2 and 3!
