ACL Live Shot: Esperanza Spalding

Photo by John Anderson

ACL MUSIC FEST

• Friday ACL Live Shots

• First Aid Kit

  BY DOUG FREEMAN

• The War on Drugs

  BY LUKE WINKIE

• The Relatives

  BY JIM CALIGIURI

• L.P.

  BY CHASE HOFFBERGER

• Esperanza Spalding

  BY CHASE HOFFBERGER

• Jovanotti

  BY THOMAS FAWCETT

• Umphrey's McGee

  BY JIM CALIGIURI

• Tegan & Sara

  BY ZOE CORDES SELBIN

• The Afghan Whigs

  BY ADAM SCHRAGIN

• Alabama Shakes

  BY ABBY JOHNSTON

• Florence + the Machine

  BY MELANIE HAUPT

• Weezer

  BY ZOE CORDES SELBIN

• AVICII

  BY LUKE WINKIE

• The Black Keys

  BY MELANIE HAUPT

• Saturday ACL Live Shots

• Wild Child

  BY DOUG FREEMAN

• Wheeler Brothers

  BY JIM CALIGIURI

• Zola Jesus

  BY ADAM SCHRAGIN

• Bombay Bicycle Club

  BY ABBY JOHNSTON

• Rufus Wainwright

  BY ZOE CORDES SELBIN

• Father John Misty

  BY DOUG FREEMAN

• Sonámbulo

  BY THOMAS FAWCETT

• Big K.R.I.T.

  BY CHASE HOFFBERGER

• Oberhofer

  BY ZOE CORDES SELBIN

• Andrew Bird

  BY ABBY JOHNSTON

• Lee Fields & the Expressions

  BY THOMAS FAWCETT

• Kishi Bashi

  BY MELANIE HAUPT

• The Roots

  BY CHASE HOFFBERGER

• Antibalas

  BY THOMAS FAWCETT

• Gotye

  BY MELANIE HAUPT

• Jack White

  BY LUKE WINKIE

• Neil Young & Crazy Horse

  BY JIM CALIGIURI

• Sunday ACL Live Shots

• The Eastern Sea

  BY ADAM SCHRAGIN

• Kimbra

  BY MELANIE HAUPT

• Stars

  BY ZOE CORDES SELBIN

• Gary Clark Jr.

  BY DOUG FREEMAN

• Two Door Cinema Club

  BY ABBY JOHNSTON

• Thundercat

  BY LUKE WINKIE

• The Lumineers

  BY DOUG FREEMAN

• Barrington Levy

  BY THOMAS FAWCETT

• Crystal Castles

  BY LUKE WINKIE

• Avett Brothers

  BY JIM CALIGIURI

• Iggy & the Stooges

  BY ADAM SCHRAGIN

• Red Hot Chili Peppers

  BY CHASE HOFFBERGER

A quick rundown of the local landscapes that would have better suited Esperanza Spalding Friday afternoon: Bass Concert Hall. The Elephant Room. The HighBall. The Paramount. The Gypsy Lounge. Ming's Cafe on Guadalupe. That park outside Central Market. Even the Maudie's on Lake Austin Boulevard. The 27-year-old bassist is a wonder to see onstage – vibrant, loose, in complete control of her crack 11-piece band, but the uncommonly massive exodus after only a few songs spelled trouble for jazz's fate at such a scene-y fest. Not that Spalding cared in the least bit. The part-time local jazz master never strayed from her primary motive of, "Telling you all a little somethin' somethin' about what Radio Music is all about." Flipping scat lines and breathy, flighty lyrics over a big band strapped with modern reconstruction, she switched from electric bass to stand-up and stretched out her songs, twisting from Radio Music Society standard "Radio Song" to "Crowned & Kissed" with a joyful smile and syncopated step. Those who stuck around saw one of the best jazz talents in the prime of her life. Those who didn't proved a hard-earned lesson: it's tough playing jazz when everybody else just wants a hula hoop.