Happy Furry Puppy Story Time with Norbizness

What To Listen To And What To See

Roky Erickson: now significantly older.

The Austin City Limits Music Festival grid (Fri. September 23rd -- Sun. September 25th) has been introduced, as well as the increases in ticket prices (the three-day pass is now $105, and a one-day pass has gone up by 50% to $45). As I previously mentioned, the crowded, hot disaster that was the 2004 Festival may be avoided by a few changes, including 10,000 fewer tickets being sold, better public transportation (3-4 hour waits for shuttles were not uncommon), more powerful speakers (so the Pixies don't sound like they're coming out of a 1920s victrola), and some goddamned artificial shade for a fucking change. There was no 2004 review, because I was so disgusted, but here's my 2004 advice.

If I were going, and it's a pretty big if given the large gaps in the grid where I would have any interest, my schedule would look something like this. Except for the 5 closing bands (2 on Fri., 2 on Sat., one on Sun.), none of which really excite me. The names in parentheses are the stages where the bands will be playing; no map is available right now:

Friday
-- 11:45-12:30 Bukka Allen (Austin Ventures)
-- 2:30-3:30 Steve Earle and the Dukes (Cingular)
-- 4:30-5:30 Robert Earl Keen (Cingular)
-- 5:30-6:30 Spoon (AMD)
-- 6:30-7:30 John Prine (Cingular) or the Allman Brothers (SBC)
-- the closing bands are Lyle Lovett (8:15-9:15, Cingular) or the Black Crowes (8:30-10:00, SBC)

Saturday
-- 11:45-12:30 Split Lip Rayfield (Heineken)
-- 12:50-1:30 Asylum Street Spankers (Austin Ventures)
-- 2:30-3:30 Buddy Guy (SBC), or Built to Spill (Cingular)
-- 4:30-5:30 Robert Randolph and the Family Band (SBC)
-- 5:45-6:45 Dirty Dozen Brass Band (Capital Metro)
-- 7:30-8:30 One of the toughest decisions possible. Jimmy Cliff (Heineken) or Austin legend Roky Erickson & the Explosives (Austin Ventures)
-- the duelling finishing bands present equally unpalatable options: either Oasis (Cingular) or Widespread Panic (SBC)

Sunday
-- 12:50-1:30 Pong (Austin Ventures)
-- 2:30-3:30 Brave Combo (Capital Metro)
-- 3:30-4:30 Sleater-Kinney (Heineken)
-- 5:30-6:30 either Dave Alvin & the Guilty Men (Austin Ventures) or Bob Mould (Heineken)
-- 6:30-7:30 interesting options, either Wilco (Cingular) or Franz-Ferdinand (SBC)
-- 7:45-8:45 Tortoise (AMD)
-- and the key note player, the band to end all bands without any competition.... COLDPLAY (8:30-10, SBC Stage). Weren't we supposed to get Radiohead or something? Triple feh!