ACL Preview: Bob Schneider Is Always Evolving

Bob Schneider played the first two years of ACL Festival, but this will be the first time he’s been back to play since. The former Ugly Americans and the Scabs frontman has a new album, The Human Torch, in tow, his latest effort to keep surprising himself with his music.

So how does the longtime Austinite feel about returning to his “hometown festival”?

“It’s a big deal for the band and me,” Schneider replies. “I really appreciate the invite.”

Austin Chronicle: You’ve had a front-row seat to a changing Austin and Austin City Limits. What’s your favorite memory from the festival?

Bob Schneider: I took my son to a show when he was 4. I had backstage access, and he rode on my shoulders most of the day. That’s definitely been the highlight for me.

AC: Your music comprises so many different genres. In many ways it feels like a reflection of Austin. Has your songwriting evolved as the city has?

BS: I’ve gotten older, and the things I’m interested in writing about have changed, but in terms of how I write, it’s pretty much the same process that I’ve always used. I sit down and write a song. As for genres, people make a big deal about how many different styles of music I write in, but I think of it all as one thing. I don’t know why people stick to one sort of song or style. No matter how good something is, it gets so boring after a while. I need the diversity to maintain my interest.

AC: What songs of yours are festival crowd pleasers?

BS: “Tarantula” is a favorite and has been since I started playing it with the Scabs back in the late Nineties. I usually close the show with it, because I can get the whole crowd to sing along, and it’s almost impossible not to dance to it.

AC: How has it been incorporating The Human Torch into live sets? What kind of energy does it set?

BS: It’s funny, because I always put my favorite songs on my albums, no matter what style of music they are. So my records tend to be pretty diverse musically. I realized a few years ago that every time I go into the studio to record a new record, what I’m trying to do is put out a “Steve Miller Band’s Greatest Hits” record. Not a “Steve Miller Band” record, but the “Greatest Hits” record, and after spending all that time in the studio with the songs, I do get a little tired of hearing them and tend to move on to whatever else I’ve written that I’m not tired of listening to. So I don’t always end up playing those songs after I’ve put the record out. I do play the songs I’ve written a lot before the record comes out, so there’s no telling which songs from the new record will actually be in my set when I play ACL.

AC: What is the most important thing you want the audience to take away from your ACL performance?

BS: I want people to have a good time. Life is hard and confusing and scary, so for an hour or so, I want the audience to forget all that and just relax and enjoy themselves and know that we are all in this together. And at least for this moment in time, everything is just fine.

Saturday 12 (Weekend 2 only), 2:05pm, Tito’s Stage

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