Day 1
Cee-lo with Gnarles Barkley
Gnarls Barkley were pretty good. I don’ know…I know they are a young band, so I heard that. It is fishy business going from a DJ produced album to a big band; like chasing a cake with a cake mix. Cee-lo’s voice is great, but his informal appearance and banter didn’t leave much to the imagination.
Cat Power & The Memphis Rhythm Band were boring. I kinda like her albums, when I’m in a mello mood, and I was excited about the band, but it didn’t do anything for me. I only stayed for a couple songs. Not enough dynamics to her breathy pout.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore couldn’t cut it. His classic cowboy warble and demurely crisp band were drowned out half the time by the f-ing Los Lonely Boys playing on the big stage behind him. He just needed a bigger sound. Sorry Jimmie.
Thievery Corporation sounded good. I know I’ve heard their stuff on the radio, but don’t really know any of it. I was skeptical of a another DJ act, but they had lots of players well co-ordinated, both for sound and stage presence. I like their mix of British DJ and Latin sound. Well done.
Van Morrison was my favorite performer at ACL this year. I was totally impressed and drawn in by his tight band and jazzy performance. Of the three legends that performed–Willie, Petty, and Van the Man–Van has grown the most. Willie does add some jazz to his cowboy formula, but it’s pretty tired. Petty has a great band, but they still stay very close to the studio hits. Van takes old songs and makes them new. He did a great version of St. James Infirmary, scatting and saxing it up. And he played a great selection including Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance, The Bright Side of the Street, Cleaning Windows, with Gloria for an encore. I saw what I wanted to be: a consumate pro master songwriter and performer mixing pop and jazz in fresh ways every night. Check out this bit of Moondace:
[audio:https://jmolin.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/VanMorrison@ACL.mp3]
VanMorrison@ACL.mp3
Day 2
The Shins sounded good, as always, but they need a few more tricks to move up in the lineup. Don’t get me wrong, James Mercer and his band of tight alternativea have some of the nicest, smartest songs out there. But every song sounds like they play it exactly like that every time. Noone ever loosens up and takes a solo, no song ever takes an unfarmiliar turn. And none of them have any report with the crowd. Mercer is too shy and Marty (keys) is too nerdy.
Calexico has great arrangements and sounds, but I can’t get into the lead singers voice and how sincerely he uses it. I got right up front, but only stayed a few songs because of that voice and lyrics. I do love the southwester border flavor they get mixing pedal steel, horns, and latin elements.
Aimmee Mann
Aimee Mann was surprisingly wonderful. I haven’t liked her cynical nasally delivery in the past, but there was something very raw and direct about her songs, which she performed on accoustic guitar with an occasional bass and/or piano player. Good lyrics, good melodies, and a perfect this-is-who-I-am delivery. Check out this clip:
[audio:https://jmolin.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/AimeeMann@ACL.mp3]
AimeeMann@ACL.mp3
Jack White on the Big Screen
The Racontuers kicked ass! Jack White has mojo coming out every pore. He channells and revives the blues and 70’s power rock. This band rocked the festival crowd in broad daylight. I was way the hell back and it was scorchingly loud. I’m happy he has a band capable of holding up all the tent poles to his revival. Hail hail Jack n’ Roll!
Brazilian Girls were so sexy and cool. I loved them and was amazed at how well they got the crowd singing from the moment I stumbled on the crowd. The lead singer was a femme fatal leading the crowd around by a ring in our noses.
Kings of Leon rocked. They seem a little shallow to a folky like me, but they’ve got a great bead on today’s rock.
Willie Nelson was wonderful as always. It seems rare that we get a very special performance from Willie, but everyday Willie is good enough. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard exactly what I was feeling about seeing him, “Yeah I’ve seen him before.” He has a seemingly unending setlist of classics that he tries to jazz up, but the cowboy formula has made him tired. He strains at it with a solo and give in to while the harmonica takes it, depending on his energy. He did play Georgia, which I appreciated. You know him, you love him: Willlie. (I may be a bit down on Willie because Maile just got me “The Tao of Willie” and it is way to homespun and boring for me. Willie, the man, seems to have a great cynical edge, but he falls back into the southerner/Texan warmth most of the time. I wanted more edge, more outlaw.)
Day 3
Damien Marley and a few of his brothers (I’m ashamed to say I didn’t catch which ones) sounded great when they did their dad’s songs, but one of the less famous bros did way too many songs. When they did their dad’s songs, they sounded great, with fresh, upbeat, updated rythmns.
Check this clip of Could You Be Loved:
[audio:https://jmolin.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/Could%20You%20Be%20Loved.mp3]
Could You Be Loved Clip.mp3
Buckwheat Zydeco
Buckwheat Zydeco was in fine form rockin the zydeco house. He seemed happy and in complete control. What a great, big sound he had with horns and backup singers.
Ween disapointed with their song selection. They played a few favorites like, Spinal Menengitis and Dr. Rock, but a lot of the songs fell sort of flat and left the crowd chatting.
Los Amigos Invisible sounded like digital Menudo.
The Flaming Lips drove me crazy with their antics. I guess everyone loves the unending series of props they use, but to me Wayne Coyne seemed like he was running for rock president. It’s not cool to need the crowd’s love that bad. From his surfing the crowd in a big clear ball to the dancers in weird costumes, I got so sick of him reaching for confetti rifles and conducting the crowd with his arms to get more into it that it was hard to pay attention to the music. It’s like he’s not confident enough about his songs to let them stand on their own. He did too much talking too. Needs more rock and less show, less flaming and a lot less lip.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers had the crowd singing along like I’ve never heard before. Maybe because it was the last night, we endured the rain (and a rain break), and I was right up front, but it seemed like he could’ve stopped singing at most points and the crowd would have taken over. We all sang Learning to Fly, Freefallin’, Runnin’ Down a Dream, Don’t Come Round Here No More, American Girl, Refugee. They did all sound quite like the radio version, but with new solos by Benmont Tench on keys or Mike Cambell on lead guitar. That man knows how to write a simple rockin’ song.