Day One of ACL: Crowds, a Super Band, and a Surprise Appearance

Day One of ACL ...

I think we'll work backwards with this one. At the incredibly crowded Kings of Leon concert, revelers tried to get into the music but lead singer Caleb Followill just didn't seem as into it as the crowd. It took Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder jumping on stage with tambourines during their last song to really get things going, and the crowd went wild. Vedder, full of the life and energy Kings of Leon was mostly missing, danced around and, at the end, threw tambourines and his hat into the crowd. Pearl Jam Sunday night should totally rock.

Before that, Them Crooked Vultures--is this the first Super Band to play ACL?--played a rocking show that no one could complain about. But were you to complain, you could have said something about how they stuck to the same formula that's worked for their three famous bands, rather than venturing out with something bolder and riskier. Nonetheless, the crowd loved it and the boys did it up.

Bassnectar put on an impressive show, kids in skinny jeans and converse talked about their dreams coming true.

But perhaps the best show is one I missed: The Knux. These fellas ripped into the crowd and by the end had girls and guys of all ages dancing on stage. My brother was up there (in an Austin Post tee, naturally) and absoutely loved it. You can't really top dancing on stage at ACL, can you?

On other fronts, the grass was lovely, plush, and soft. But will it last? It was already turning brown in some spots, and the drainage problems haven't been solved. Twitter was, well, atwitter beforehand with chagrin at the news that the beer choices were limited to Heineiken, Bud Light, Tecate, and Lone Star, but as a small consolation, Barton Springs Road restaurant Uncle Billy's found a way to deliver the ultimate roadie: a to-go point of local, delicious beer for $5. I tried a delicious agave hefe that I'd get dropped off on Barton Springs & Lamar just to try again.

See ya'll there tomorrow ... look for the Austin Post fannypacks! If you're following along at home, be sure to check out our homepage for Real Time Reports live from the fest!