The Boss at The Bowl

Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest sporting event out there. The hype and marketing is gold. With that brings probably one of the biggest most viewed concert of the year with the half time show. So why not have the biggest American rocker play at Americans biggest game. The NFL announced that The Boss Bruce Springteen and E Street Band will play the half time show at Super Bowl XLII

2008 ACL Festival Recap

Another great ACL Festival has come and gone. This was my 4th year straight going and this year had to be the best weather yet! It was still hot at times but over all it was great.

Additions to this years festival that I liked first was the Big Daddy (24oz cans) Lone Star Beer all though I think they under estimated the Lone Star beer drinkers as they ran out of the big daddies on Sunday. Second was the ingenious marketing ploy of "Rock n Recycle" were they were giving away t-shirts to people who picked up cans and plastic bottles. All weekend I saw people with plastic bags picking up cans and at one point saw a lady going though a trash can for plastic bottles and beer cans. It was quite comical. Anyways on to the music part.

Best Bands:

Vampire Weekend- One of the bands I was really looking forward to seeing and they didn't disappoint. What was surprising was the crowd, it was much bigger than I expected.

Ryan Bingham- I have seen Ryan a few times and every time it's a great high energy show. This set was no different only shorter and he should have been on one of the bigger stages.

Old 97s- I have known about this band for a while but only recently gotten into their music. This was my first time to see them and won't be the last.

Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band- Conor backed up what could be the best album of 2008 with a great live set.

Okkervil River- Great set by another band I was really looking forward to seeing. The Beach Boys cover of Sloop John B was cool.

The Raconteurs- Always enjoy seeing Jack White play.

Band of Horses- A band I like but have never really gotten into a lot of their stuff but after their set at ACL will be listening to them more.

Best Moment:

Seeing the legendary Robert Plant sing with Alison Krauss. This was my first time to see both and it was a great show and am glad I can put another legend on the list that I have seen.

All in all a great weekend and I am already looking forward to 2009!

Coach Pop or Santa Claus

It's the off season for my NBA team the Spurs. As you can see Coach Pop doesn't shave in the off season as he could pass as Santa Claus. Anyways with training camp getting ready to start I wonder how long he will keep it.

ACL Countdown: My Schedule

As we move closer and closer to the ACL Festival kickoff I went back and reviewed the schedule and started to formulate my plan. Here is what I have come up with (as always this is subject to change the day of)

Friday
12:30-1:30 split time between Asleep at the Wheel and Rodney Crowell
1:30-2:30 open
2:30-3:30 Vampire Weekend
open till 4:40
4:40-5:20 Bobby Bare Jr.
6:30-6:40 Eli Young
6:40-7:20 Ryan Bingham
After that only artist with interest would be Alejandro Escovedo at 7:45

Saturday
12:30-1:30 Old 97's
1:30-2:30 open
2:30-3:30 DBT Band of Heathens, Sharon Jones and Dap-kings one or mix of these
open til 4:30
4:30-5:30 REK
5:30-6:00 Electric Touch
open til 6:30
6:30-7:30 Conor Oberst
7:30-8:15 The Black Keys
8:15- ??? Robert Plant and Allison Krauss
on the way to Beck can listen to a little Roky Erickson
????-10:00 Beck

Sunday
12:50-1:30 Scott Biram
1:30-2:30 The Kills
open til 4:30 to check out other bands
4:30-5:30 Neko Case
5:30-6:30 Okkervil River
6:30-7:45 The Raconteurs
7:45-8:30 Band of Horses
8:30-10:00 Foo Fighters (not sure how long we will stay)

ACL Countdown: Weekend Weather

Tomorrow starts the ACL Festival and in past years the weather has been hot. This year the weather looks to be much cool than years past. Here is the forcast.

From weather.com
Friday - High 92 Low 62 and sunny
Saturday - High 93 Low 64 and sunny
Sunday - High 92 Low 64 and sunny

From Google
Friday - High 90 Low 56 and sunny
Saturday - High 88 Low 61 and sunny
Sunday - High 88 Low 59 and sunny

From Austin American Statesman
Friday - High 90 Low 62 and sunny
Saturday - High 89 Low 61 and sunny
Sunday - High 88 Low 63 and sunny

ACL Countdown: Top 5 bands

The week of the ACL Music Festival has arrived. Now starts the countdown we are 4 days away from the first note being played. So leading up to the first day I am going cover a few things the first is the Top 5 artists I am looking forward to seeing.

Number 5: Old 97s - I have liked this band for some time but keep missing them when they come though my area until this past Wednesday when I saw lead singer of the band solo at Sam's Burger Joint. It was an incredible show and really got my juices flowing to want to see the full band. They play Saturday at 12:30pm on the AT&T stage.

Number 4: Ryan Bingham - The hottest fastest rising bands coming out of Texas. Ryan has one of the best CDs in the past 2 years and is working on a new one as we speak. I have seen him once and can't wait to see him again. He plays Friday at 6:40pm on the BMI stage.

Number 3: (Tie)Vampire Weekend - Just got turned on to this upcoming band this year. I love their sound and self titled debut album. They play Friday at 2:30pm on the AMD stage.
Okkervil River - I love their album The Stage Names and could be the next Austin band to follow Spoon. They play Sunday at 5:30pm on the AT&T blue room stage.

Number 2: Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band - Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fame is touring behind his debut solo project. His new album is one of the best albums released this year and I am really looking forward to seeing him live. He plays Saturday at 6:30pm on the AT&T stage.

Number 1: The Racontuers - Jack White and his buddies come to the ACL touring behind another great album Consolers of the Lonely. I saw them 2 years ago at ACL and was blown away, so I am looking forward to another great show this year. The play Sunday at 6:30pm on the AMD stage.

Rhett Miller at Sam's Burger Joint in San Antonio

Wednesday, September 17th will be a place night at Sam's Burger Joint as Rhett Miller (the front man of the great alt-country band the Old 97's) makes a solo appearance. So if you are in the San Antonio area you need to make plans to be at Sam's Burger Joint. Tickets are still available but going fast click here to purchase your tickets.

Series: Preview ACL Festival

It has been a while since my last ACL preview but with the ACL Festival right around the corner, about 10 days away, it's time to ramp it up. The next up in the preview is the alt-country band Old 97's.

For over 15 years the Old 97s have been putting out some great music. You can call it rock, call it country, or alt-country what ever you to call it the bottom line it is good original music. They have been the mold of consistency though the years putting out one good album after another. They released their seventh album, With Blame It On Gravity, earlier this year and made a statement with what is being called their best work.

Here is the video of "Dance With Me" off the new album.

The Old 97's will be playing Saturday at 12:30pm on the AT&T stage.
Visit them at their:
Web Site
ACL Discovery

Previously: Series: Preview ACL Festival:
Eli Young Band
Okkervil River
Bobby Bare Jr.
Asleep At The Wheel
Ryan Bingham
Shooter Jennings
South Austin Jug Band
Band of Heathens
Scott H. Biram

Cowboys and Rest of NFL Kick Off Season

The Cowboys kick off, what hopefully be be a run for their 6th title, season today in Cleveland against the Browns. The Cowboys return 13 Pro Bowl player with key additions of Adam Jones, Zack Thomas, and rookie Felix Jones.

Other intriguing games include:
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens - The player formerly known as Chad Johnson makes debut as Chad Ocho Cinco.
NY Jets at Miami Dolphins - Brett Farve's Jets debut against the player the Jets cut to sign Farve in Chad Pennington starts for the Dolphins.

New Songs From Owen Temple

One of my favorite singer-songwriters of the past ten years is Owen Temple. Well he is been back in the studio recording his follow up to his great 2007 album "Two Thousand Miles" and today released on his MySpace site two new songs from the recording project. The songs one is called Broken Heart Land and the other called City of the King.
Go check them out at Owen Temple's MySpace you won't be disappointed.

R.I.P. Jerry Reed

Country Music legend and actor Jerry Reed passed away Monday after he suffered complications arising from emphysema. Known as 'The Guitar Man' Jerry won 3 Grammy Awards and recorded over 40 albums though his career. He first had success as a songwriter. With Elvis Presley recording two of his songs, "U.S. Male" and "Guitar Man". He also wrote the hit "A Thing Called Love," recorded in 1972 by Johnny Cash. Other songs of his were recorded by Brenda Lee, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and the Oak Ridge Boys.
He also was an actor starring in all 3 Smokey and The Bandit movies as "Snowman" Cledus Snow.
Jerry Reed performs "Amos Moses"


Jerry Reed in "Smokey and The Bandit"


Thanks Jerry Reed for all the good times!