Sunday. I’m always burnt out by Sunday of ACL. I’m also always burnt by Sunday of ACL.
Thankfully, this year, I felt energized going into Sunday of ACL. I was super excited for my lineup: Franz Ferdinand, Eric Church, and Phoenix.
I also wasn’t burnt due to my vigilant reapplication of SPF 75 sunscreen (not even a little bit kidding). But let’s get back to the music.
Franz Ferdinand was good. I’ve seen them perform before at ACL, and they were good during that performance as well. Albeit, I only know a handful of their songs, but they’re entertaining and that’s really all that matters. My friend and I set up our chairs in the grass, put our hats on, put our feet up, and watched the show. Franz Ferdinand is a great sit down show. Or stand up show, if that’s more your speed. They performed all of their hits… as well as a bunch of songs that I didn’t recognize (but definitely liked). If you’re not aiming to see anybody else during the time slot, stop by the show. Again, they put on a good show.
Next on my list was Eric Church (pictured). Ugh, love him. “Smoke a little smoke” is one of my favorite bad-boys-of-country-esque songs. But the best part of his concert wasn’t that song – it was when he forgot the lyrics in the midst of singing “Springsteen”. It was precious. And awesome. All at the same time.
Even without the fumble, Eric Church put on a fantastic show. My friend and I hadn’t moved from our perch we occupied during the Franz Ferdinand concert, and we weren’t planning on doing so. This show actually was the perfect show to sit down during. The artist’s energy was high but the music was calming (even though I was constantly imitating a Jewish grandmother and becoming more and more concerned every time he mentioned how much he drinks). Despite his concerning drinking habits, he put on a fantastic show. Fan-freaking-tastic show. Don’t miss this one.
Isn’t that the most beautiful view? All weekend the sunsets were absolutely stunning!
Okay so now for the last concert I went to during ACL: Phoenix.
Other than Muse and Kings of Leon, Phoenix had the largest crowd I saw at ACL. A very lively crowd as well. This was the only show I saw where essentially nobody was sitting down. The energy – both from the band and from the crowd – was great. It was a bit of a throng, but it was great.
As per usual, I only knew a handful of the band’s songs. But I kept feeling like I knew the songs they were playing. Which obviously couldn’t be true since I live under a rug. And then I realized that a lot of their songs sound very similar (my apologies if you’re a Phoenix fan!). My friend and I only stayed for about half of their concert, which I believe was the perfect amount of time. My suggestion if you’re not a big Phoenix fan? Swing by the concert for a little bit, but then hit up some of the other acts during that time as well.
What I missed:
Grouplove – I’ve heard good things about Grouplove’s performances so I was a bit bummed I missed the show. Their music is great. If you’re free during their time slot, swing by their show – you shan’t be disappointed. Yes, I did just say shan’t.
The National – A few years ago, I really enjoyed listening to The National (I think they had a few songs appear on Gossip Girl or something…that’s how I found out about all of my music). If you’ve never heard their music before, try to swing by the show (before Eric Church, of course.
Shuggie Otis – I walked by his tent on my way out of the festival and his music sounded really cool. And different. For a taste of something different, you should swing by his performance after/during the Phoenix concert.