“Hi, we’re Bully,” leader Alicia Bognanno announced three songs into the Nashville grime-pop band’s Saturday afternoon ACL set. “Austin is awesome! I’m gonna walk around the whole town tomorrow on my day off. We’re going to play some more music now.”
Radiating guileless charm, you’d swear the Scarlett O’Connor character from TV’s Nashville now fronts a garage-punk band. Fortunately, this isn’t TV. It’s a rainy, chilly afternoon in Zilker Park, so Bully turns in a performance handily demonstrating Bognanno’s deft line in succinct, highly personal pop.
The singer likely possesses a record collection in which the Husker Dü, Ramones, Sonic Youth, and Pixies LPs are all worn out. Her bandmates pull off these influences with fire and skill. The drummer brought all the Sixties dynamism of Hal Blaine.
A cozy crowd gathers as Bully commences low-key, playing tunes from its self-titled EP (“Brainfreeze”), as well as both sides of a new vinyl 45 on local imprint Chicken Ranch Records, “Milkman” and “Faceblind.” As things progress, the crowd grows less cozy. ACL breakout act Benjamin Booker – band fan and friend – slides up front and bops enthusiastically, gaining a shout-out from Bognanno.
By set’s end, the audience is thick with both young hipsters and middle-aged dudes in Descendents shirts.
This article appears in October 10 • 2014.
