ACL Fest Live Shots
Friday, Sept. 15, Zilker Park
By Jim Caligiuri, Fri., Sept. 22, 2006
Van Morrison
Sure he's a legend, but after a long hot day, Van Morrison seemed more worn out than the immense audience that gathered to see his appearance. Maybe he left it all on the Austin City Limits soundstage the previous night, or perhaps it was his band, which included three backup singers, a couple of guitarists, a fiddle player, and Austin's own Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar. Collectively they were pedestrian at best, failing to catch fire on any groove and offering solos best described as routine. Covering his wide-ranging career, Morrison offered blues, reaching way back for "St. James Infirmary"; a couple of tunes from his latest country effort, Pay the Devil; and, of course, his renowned blue-eyed soul. Yet from a scat-along version of "Bright Side of the Road" to surprisingly rote closer "Gloria," the dapper singer, dressed in a sports coat, white fedora, and tinted shades, demonstrated very little emotion. Even during the last half hour of the 90-minute set, when hits like "Moondance," "Wild Night," and "Brown Eyed Girl" appeared, Morrison couldn't break a sweat.