Believe it or not I spent some time at the rest of the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival. I have so many conflicting obligations when I visit the Festival, that I never feel like I see enough of the non-Austin Kiddie Limits music. The first part of the day was cool enough, but it was time for the adult in me to enjoy a little music without the kids. So after helping my wife, Miss Mary Mack, and Little Boy Blue get back to downtown Austin (they're not quite the festival hounds I am), I finally made it back to Zilker Park and made my to the Wildflower Center stage to see K'naan.
Every year there's one performance I didn't quite anticipate that ends up blowing me away. K'naan's set, or at least the last 30 minutes that I caught, was that experience for this year. How good was this Canadian hip-hop artist originally born in Somalia? I bought his album Troubadour at the Waterloo tent pretty much right after his set ended. His set-closing performance of "Wavin' Flag," of which he did an abbreviated version that I half-caught at the Austin Kiddie Limits stage, might very well be the single best musical experience I've had in 3 years of attending ACL. This YouTube clip can't do it complete justice, of course, but the way he works the crowd together freestyling for about 6 minutes before launching into the music is masterful. "When I get older / I will be stronger / They'll call me freedom / Just like a wavin' flag / And then it goes back / And then it goes back / And then it goes back." I'm still singing this nearly a week later.
K'naan - "Wavin' Flag" (Live @ Austin City Limits Festival 2009)
K'naan - "Bang Bang" (Live @ Austin City Limits Festival 2009)
On my way to the Waterloo tent after his set, I stopped by the BMI stage to hear the Greencards (nice bluegrass with a hint of gypsy and non-North American influences). After picking up the CDs, I made my way over the Xbox 360 stage to hear Them Crooked Vultures, a supergroup featuring Dave Grohl on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. I'm not sure I'd buy their album and listen on a regular basis, but in a live setting on a beautiful evening, they absolutely rocked. Even a kajillion miles away I could see Grohl drumming away, grinning like Animal. Makes me happy everytime I seem him drum.
Them Crooked Vultures - "Mind Eraser" (Live @ Austin City Limits Festival 2009)
And, conveniently, I just needed to turn around and see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs open up on the AMD stage. But by that point it was getting late and I knew I had another 45 minutes (or more) of traveling before seeing my family again. So I stayed for 3 songs of Karen O and her boys, then took off in the perfect Austin night.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Runaway" (Live @ Austin City Limits Festival 2009)
Video: "Adventure Quest!" - The Jellydots
Here it is, folks, the first video for The Jellydots. Doug made good on his suggestion that his upcoming album Jelly Jukebox would be a lot more beat-based, and with this video for "Adventure Quest!" from the album, he's playing around with a younger doppelganger. It's a video every bit as funky (and fun) as the song itself.
The Jellydots - "Adventure Quest!" [YouTube]
Vote Today in the Top Kids Music Albums of All Time Poll
I don't ask much of you, my readers, but today I'm asking that if you haven't already, please please please with sugar on top vote in the Top Kids Music Albums of All Time Poll. Tonight at 8:59 PM west coast (11:59 PM east coast). You don't have to be like Bill or Jeff (thanks for the shout-out) or Kathy or Phil and do this as a hobby or career. You just have to have made music for kids and families part of your life. Go to the link above to read all the voting directions. Remember that lobbying for votes for yourself or others is bad, but that spreading the word is A-OK.
Don't overthink it -- just vote! Thanks!Video: "Meet the Elements" (Live on Jimmy Fallon) - They Might Be Giants
I know, I just posted a video for this song yesterday. But. It's an awesome song, and if the moment at about 1:13 into this clip of They Might Be Giants performing the song on last night's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon isn't the "greatest moment in television history," as one YouTuber suggested it might be, it's pretty darn close.
They Might Be Giants - "Meet the Elements" (Live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) [YouTube]
Austin Kiddie Limits (ACL Fest) 2009: Day 3 Review
On to Day 3 of the Austin City Limits Festival 2009, or at least the Austin Kiddie Limits stage. (If you missed it, read my thoughts and watch YouTube from Days 1 and 2 here and here.
So remember all that rain from Saturday? Remember the nice green grass the city had installed with C3's money with great fanfare?
It wasn't, like, Glastonbury mud, but it was deep enough in some places that, as Gwyneth noted to me, it felt like it could suck the shoes right off.
Anyway, after meandering through the media area and (ever-so-briefly) the Artists' Lounge (cleaner than the media area, and with ice cream), we (Miss Mary Mack and I) headed to see Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears from backstage. Saw Bill and his family up there. Jammed to the last few songs of the set. Made our way through the mud to the AKL stage. There we saw Ralph's World play their second set of the festival. Ralph Covert has a pretty tight band at this point, and he's got his live act down pat...
Ralph's World - "The Rhyming Circus"
Ralph's World - "Dumptruck"
Ralph's World - "Sunny Day Rainy Day Anytime Band" (particularly apropos for the weekend, always a good set closer)
After Ralph, Romeo and the guys from BBoy City came on and did their stuff, which is pretty incredible and has been each year. Might have been Miss Mary Mack's favorite part of the festival...
(Check out this last one. Oh my.)
At this point, it was either fight the mud and crowds to catch the second half of the B-52s' set or stick around at AKL. And while I'd've been willing, asking Miss Mary Mack to do that before a long series of transportation options that would park us back home 5 hours later was too much.
Of course, at least we got to see another Secret Agent 23 Skidoo set...
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo - "Boogieman"
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo - "The Whalephant" (new, unreleased track)
And then we skidaddled across the mud, onto the shuttle bus, into the car, and after many more transportation changes, made it back home. I'm not finished yet with my AKL/ACL thoughts -- more to come...
Dan Zanes and Friends: 76 Trombones and 17 Tracks (Or Is It 18?)
As previously noted, Dan Zanes' take on Broadway tunes, 76 Trombones, is due out November 17th on his Festival Five Records.
We here at Zooglobble have the tracklisting (actually, we have the whole disk) and thought we'd share. Because we like to share. The list itself is after the jump...
