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Monday, October 4, 2010

Fall weather + ACL 2010 = Nirvana.

Ok Austinites. Huddle in close, so nobody else can hear.

How amazing is this weather?

It's like a drug!  Even routine acts that take place outdoors are now very exciting.  Walking up to Pronto Mart yesterday, for example.  Oh, it was more than a bit thrilling.  Is that a slight nip I feel?  I kept asking myself. What is this refreshing breeze, playing along my shoulders? 

We are blessed with a handful of luscious weeks per year here in Austin, when the sky is still blue, but the temperature gets crisp. It makes me nostalgic for my parents' fireplace, it brings out the hot chocolate and apple cider, and it welcomes the return of big, comfy sleepwear.  Do you have a pair of shamelessly dorky pajamas?  I hope you do.

Another reason this Fall weather is so welcome is because ACL is happening next weekend. When I looked up the weather forecast on my phone today, I was greeted with a straight vertical line of perfect yellow suns and 70/80 degree temperatures for this week.

Now, some of you may remember the days when the ACL Powers That Be insisted on having the festival in mid-September. And for those of you that don't remember, you were likely passed out in a corner of Zilker Park from heat exhaustion, your concerned friends dousing you with bottled water and/or lukewarm beer.

HOWEVER. This year will be different. There will be sane temperatures, and according to Weather.com, there will be no rain, either. The highs will only get up to the mid-80s, and the lows will be in the 60s.  How fun / historically significant would it be to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, at ACL?

This year is also different, because it's the first time I've applied for (and, got!) media credentials for ACL.  I counted 15 acts on the ACL website on Saturday that I was excited about, as in, if presented with opportunity to speak to in person, would likely result in A) spontaneous loss of speech, or B) me soiling myself.  I'm going to be a great music journalist.

Anyway, if I could keep my mouth and pants together (that didn't sound right, AT ALL), here are the acts I would most like to interview.


Are you surprised to see a quasi-country singer on this blog?  I know.  I am too. But Austinite Sahara Smith completely fascinates me. Her voice! So sultry and sexy. And she's only 22! Damn girl. Don't hurt nobody.

I don't think I've said, "hey, I really enjoy this country singer" since I was 10 and nursing a crush on George Strait. Ok, 13.


Would you believe I actually DID interview The Temper Trap, randomly, for SXSW 2009?  It was for G4TV, and they hired me to do it.

I came home that night and wrote this breathless blog post about their show, and I like to think it was that singular blog post that launched the band's international fame, 500 Days of Summer soundtrack inclusion, and Diet Coke commercial.  You're welcome, Temper Trap!

Anyway, G4TV never aired the interview, sadly -- they went with my evaluations of these two other, slightly more obscure bands, uttering stunning musical observations such as, "they were good" and "sound, was loud." So.  I think it's time to catch up with Temper Trap again, if they'll have me.




Heh. This one's probably a pipe dream!  But a girl's gotta dream, right?

I've suspected for a long time that Flaming Lips frontman, Wayne Coyne, secretly wants to move to Austin. He debuted his movie Christmas in Mars, after all, at the Alamo Drafthouse, ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Because all Wayne Coyne wants for Christmas is Austin.

So, in this fantasy world of mine, where I get to speak with Wayne Coyne, I will ask him: "would you ever consider moving to Austin?" And, I will report his response verbatim.

Because can't you see him pitching a tent inside Toy Joy, with coloring books and Hello Kitty dolls to entertain him, and becoming a Guadalupe fixture?  I certainly can.

12 comments:

Heather Howell said...

I'm SO excited that I actually get to experience ACL this year. I haven't been able to buy groceries for the past week and a half but I think it'll definitely be worth it! Can't wait to read about your experience.

Amy Strecker said...

ACL sounds amazing! After surviving several of the heat exhaustion years, this year's weather sounds superb!

katherine said...

katherine = jealous. let me know if you need any back up; i'll be there all three days and even if the back up is dousing you in water and/or lukewarm beer, i'm your girl.

Sarah Vasquez said...

congrats. ACL doesn't give passes to college newspapers so I didn't get one, plus I'll be out of town for most of it so I'm not that bummed.

If you need pointers/advice, i'll be more than happy to help. :)

bsimms8907 said...

Woo yay for press passes. I too am unable to get any since I write for a college-based web magazine but I'll be doing reviews of the acts I'm able to see while I'm there. It'd be awesome if I actually saw you while I was there since I am a HUGE fan of your blog. I'm always recommending people read it.

search engine optimization services said...

In exactly one week, Rocks Off will be broadcast live from the Austin City Limits Music Festival Zilker Park in Austin. This will be our fourth lap around the field since 2007 and every year I swear I will not fall in love with a waitress in the tent of the media.

Austin Eavesdropper said...

@Heather - Um....maybe we should meet up?! To celebrate your new Austin status? I know phones hardly work at ACL, but just in case, I am at: 530-908-8495. I will be there all 3 days.

@Amy! I miss you. And you're right, we are unbelievably lucky to have weather that's actually desirable for ACL this year.

@Katherine - GIRL. You two on meeting up. Have we traded #'s yet? I think we have on Facebook...but just in case...what is yours? You can email me if you like, rather than announcing it on the interwebs. :) (You too, Heather). tollymoseley[a]hotmail.com

@Sarah - Thank ya ma'am! I just may hit you up.

@Bsimms8907 - Which magazine? And, which acts are you most excited to see? Not gonna lie...I might freak the f out during the MIA show. I didn't mention her in this post, but she's one of my all time grrl crushes. You are so sweet to say such nice things about my blog, too. :) I'm glad you enjoy it!

@Search Engine Optimization Services - I can honestly say I was poised to delete your comment UNTIL I read the comment itself, and, you are funny! What is Rocks Off?

bsimms8907 said...

Well I'm most excited for Muse, but I was really excited for MIA as well until the ACL powers that be decided to leave me with the heart-wrenching decision of who do I want to see more. I really wish they hadn't done that.

I guess besides Muse I'm most excited to see The Black Keys, Gogol Bordello, and Beats Antique. Hence why I suggested people check them out in my article I wrote for the magazine I write for. It's called hercampus.com and I write for the UT campus branch of the website. Hopefully my ACL article will be up in the next few days since it will be pointless to read if it posts after ACL happens.

bsimms8907 said...

So I am saddened to announce that I will not be at ACL, and I will not have the opportunity of running into you by chance. The tickets I was sold for ACL were fake, and I basically threw away $360. Sad, Sad, Sad, day. Beware everyone, do not fall victim like I did.

Austin Eavesdropper said...

@Bsmimms8907 - Omg, that is TERRIBLE!!! I am so sorry that happened to you!

We should rally here on this blog, to see if any kind, good, soul would be willing to hook you up for free. Because that level of swindle shouldn't happen to anybody, especially in this town.

bsimms8907 said...

That would be wonderful... I could buy more tickets but as a poor college student 2 tickets for 360 was already more than I could afford :( Spending over 700 to go to one festival just isn't a smart decision for me. Also BTW would you be interested in being interviewed for the campus magazine I write for. We have a section called My Campus Celebrity where we profile cool people in Austin, and as long as I get the ok from my editor I think an interview with you would be AWESOME! and it would hopefully get you more readers here.

Austin Eavesdropper said...

@Bsimms8907 - Well we will see what we can do about that! I've got another post going up later today for ACL, let's see if there's any way the good people of Austin can help you out with your situation.

Also, you are so sweet! I would love to be interviewed, Brittney! HerCampus.com is awesome. My email is tollymoseley[a]hotmail[dot]com.

:)