ACL Live Shot: The Eastern Sea

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

Eastern Sea principal Matt Hines paid through the nose to see this year's Plague into fruition, braving nothing short of member mutiny and production complications involving wildfires and city condemnation (long story). With a solid lineup now that includes seven other members – including two drummers – the locals made the best of a bad situation and were steeled by the struggle. Plague dispenses knotty pop songs that curve unexpectedly, better suited to live performances than their recorded counterparts. Set opener "Central Cemetery" paired musing on mortality with a bright orchestral flair, fully utilizing the power of flute, trumpet, and keys alongside the band's backbone of guitar, bass, and drums. 2009 standout "The Snow" was too subtle to withstand the festival treatment, but newer songs like "The Match" had no difficulty filling the wide open space. Hines, acknowledging the band's rough gestation and miles still ahead, dedicated closer "Your House" to both the "old and new faces" in the audience.