Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Highlight: ACL Fest 2013 Late Night Shows

Since this is the first year that ACL Festival is taking place over the course of two weekends it's the first year that the Late Night Shows are taking place all over Texas. I know, it's a strange correlation but it makes sense. If you're going to ask a touring act to be in the same city two weekends in a row you need to book them some shows for their in between time. As you may know, when you agree to play a festival you agree to NOT play within a certain radius of said festival. That means that most of the bands who have agreed to perform at Austin City Limits Festival this year can't play any unofficial shows within a certain time and/or distance of the fest. Some of the bands who aren't playing official showcases will travel outside of Texas during the week between festivals and then return to play the second weekend, it sounds exhausting to me but I suppose that's the life of a musician.

Personally, I love these bonus shows. I prefer an intimate concert setting to that of a festival but if you're already planning to go to the festival these shows can be a nice bonus. There are lots of great official showcases this year including some really stellar shows in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Below the break you'll find both my highlights and my Highlightiest Highlights. The shows discussed in this post are all official Late Night Shows booked by C3 Presents. Expect lots of counter and competitive shows to be announced by other promoters in the near future. Generally, the folks behind FunFunFun Fest put on free concerts at Mohawk, Red 7 etc. to coincide with ACL Fest. Not really sure if that will happen in the same way this year but that is neither here nor there.

For now, I want to focus on the C3 Concerts Official Late Night Shows featuring artists performing at this year's Austin City Limits Festival. By the way, there are still tickets available for both weekends of the festival. I'll be going the second weekend so, if you want to hang with me that's when you should go too.


Autre Ne Veut - Play by Play video via YouTube


  • Monday, October 7th| MS MR | House of Blues (DALLAS)

MS MR - Hurricane video via YouTube

So, like I said, the above represents the best of the Late Night Shows HOWEVER, I want to pare that list down to the Highlightiest Highlights. These are the shows you buy tickets for if you can only buy tickets for a couple of the aftershows. Since, I live in Austin and the festival takes place in Austin none of those other Texas places make this list. In fact, fuck those other Texas places. Just kidding other Texas places but for the purposes of this list fuck y'all.

Highlightiest Highlights


You'll notice that a couple of the Highlightiest shows are happening on the same night. For two of these it's a problem, for one of them it's not. Friday, October 4th HAIM & MS MR are performing at Antone's while Wild Nothing & Autre Ne Veut play at The Parish. For me, this is a really tough decision. I've seen three of these four artists before and I know them all to be superb. HAIM & MS MR will be easier to drive to and from, you won't have to deal with downtown and these artists will surely be too large for a venue as small as Antone's the next time they come through town. If you decide to hit The Parish instead, you'll be experiencing Wild Nothing and Autre Ne Veut in the way they should be experienced, in Austin's best sounding room. I love Autre Ne Veut and I LOVE that he was booked for ACL Fest but I can guarantee that what he does won't translate to the festival experience as well as it will in an intimate space. Sophie's choice y'all.

With Widowspeak and The National, since both shows are at Stubb's you should be able to attend both without any overlap and both shows are kick ass. I'm really excited/intrigued with The Growlers' show at The Parish. It seems odd to me that Burger Records is working with C3 rather than booking thos or a similar show at a Transmission venue, or independent venue as an alternative to the fest. However, I like that this show is occuring and it's certainly one of the Highlightiest Higlights.

What are your highlights? If you answered, Dawes I'm judging you.

Posted by Unknown at 5:28 PM
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