Well, another year, another Austin City Limits Music Festival. This year everyone thought the date was too early, but the planners got lucky and the long run of brutally hot weather broke just in time for festival weekend. We made it down for Saturday only (after six years of three-day attendance), and put our energy into getting a good spot for Stevie Wonder's amazing closing set. That was a good move apparently, as weak sound toward the back marred the experience for some.
So until people start to speculate about whether Radiohead will be headlining in 2012, here are a few good videos I found of 2011. Most of these are courtesy of the official ACL website, with a few indie efforts tossed in. Enjoy!
Let's start with one that we actually witnessed. Stevie Wonder kills on the keytar with an intensity that would have made Jimi proud. I love that in the midst of his solo, Stevie has an ecstatic grin on his face that's just like the one he'd flash 48 years earlier during his "Fingertips" routine. This is a man who loves playing music for people. The people who he plays it for are lucky.
Here are a couple more we were there for. First, Fitz & the Tantrums trying to start a dance party. They eventually succeeded. Next, Cee-Lo invites TV-protégé Nakia on stage for signature song, "Fuck You."
The Walkmen closed out a powerful set with the soft-loud sonic boom of "In the New Year." Matt Barrick pounds the skins like nobody else.
Foster the People doing their best PBJ in front of one of the first big crowds of ACL on Friday afternoon.
One person's compilation that covers the whole weekend, giving you a small taste of the shuttles and a bikes and bigger taste of the massive crowds.
A final four-pack of performances from the ACL website.
Hey thanks for giving my video a shot out :)
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