ABCs of ACL

A is for Antibalas: The political season has the Afrobeat ensemble super-charged.

B is for bandannas: The "in" fashion for the weekend.

C is for Chali 2na: Galactic was forgettable but the J5 MC always delivers.

D is for Dap-Kings: With Sharon Jones out front they earned thousands of new fans this weekend thanks to an always-solid soul revue.

E is for Erykah: Visibly pregnant and quirky as ever. This writer is under the spell of the Badu voodoo.

F is for funk: There was plenty of it with the Dap-Kings, Antibalas, David Byrne, and Erykah Badu leading the charge.

G is for Gogol Bordello: I could see the crazy in their eyes from a quarter mile away and there’s no band I’d rather party with.

H is for hip-hop: The final frontier, beats and rhymes are still terribly underrepresented.

I is for international: Not a huge foreign presence this year but Friday headliner Manu Chao more than made up for it.

J is for Jamie Lidell: He looked like he just rolled out of bed but this man can sing.

K is for Kiddie stage: Never thought I’d see MC Overlord/ Big Don singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”

L is for Love Connection: I didn’t see him with my own eyes, but Chuck Woolery was in the house.

M is for Man Man: Writing about a barely tolerable CSS set kept me away, but word is they killed.

N is for Nakia: The local soul grizzly danced on stage with Sharon Jones on Saturday and led his Southern Cousins in one of my favorite Sunday sets.

O is for overreaction: Oh my god!!!! The dust!!!! My eyes!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!

P is for Paul Simon: Were those new Vampire Weekend songs or Graceland outtakes?

Q is for quotable: Overheard from a stoned San Marcos teen standing in the front row for Jamie Lidell – “Dude, this man changed my life!”

R is for Roky Erickson: Peter Babb of KUT’s Texas Music Matters said it best – “He’s like a big satanic teddy bear.”

S is for Sweet Leaf Tea: I’m a true believer in the hydrating powers of the Half & Half Lemonade Tea and I hear it’s tasty with Tito’s.

T is for Talking Heads: The classic TH material from David Byrne may be the best this festival had to offer.

U is for underwhelmed: The Sunday lineup was a letdown.

V is for vodka & Red Bull: The perfect pick-me-up come early evening and complimentary in the media tent. Cheers!

W is for the WaMu tent: R.I.P.

X is for Lovefoxxx: The CSS singer was the most obnoxious performer of the weekend.


Y is for yummy: Fish tacos, chicken cones, vegetarian ziti, County Line brisket. Mmmm!

Z is for Zzzzs: I’m still catching up on mine.