Ah, Austin, a city I've called home (or home-away-from-home, or home-away-from-home-away-from-home) for well over twenty years.
Which means that I'm entitled to feelings of "when-the-hey-did-they-build-this-thing?," even if I was just there a couple months ago. Driving from the airport to the Glenn at the Backyard, site of the first Austin Kid's Day, held this past Labor Day weekend, I was constantly amazed at the width of the freeways and the number of power centers I passed. (Of course, this being Austin, many of those power centers are tastefully tucked in behind some trees so they're not nearly so noticeable from the road.)
I take that brief detour (metaphorically) to suggest that Austin, while it might have been able to put together a music festival 20 years ago, it certainly wasn't at the point where it might have supported a long afternoon of quality kids' music.
ACL Fest (Austin Kiddie Limits) 2007: Day 2 Report
OK. It's 11:15 AM Sunday, and I'm in the press tent. I am -- of course -- sweating like a really sweaty dog. The kid-band We Go To 11 start in about 15 minutes, and I'm probably about a 14-minute walk from the AKL stage, so, uh, I'm going to be brief. (Well, probably not, but briefer than I otherwise would be.)
Miss Mary Mack and I had a leisurely morning on Saturday. Since the Bummkinn Band and Jambo were playing the first two sets on Saturday and we'd seen 'em on Friday, we took a pass. (The fact that we'd be watching music until 9 PM thanks to the Family Music Meltdown also, uh, played a role in the decision here.) So we got to the Austin Kiddie Limits stage a little into the Sippy Cups' first set of the day.
The Sippys had the most impressive stage setup of the day. Banners on the side and bright day-glo costumes to rival Bjork's for long-distance visibility. The crowd was definitely bigger today than on Friday. Must be something about that whole school is on Friday thing. Their first set was mostly covers, finishing with their reworking of "I Wanna Be Sedated," changed into "I Wanna Be Elated." Can you call it a mosh pit if nobody's actually bouncing off one another, just bouncing up and down?
The Sippys had the most impressive stage setup of the day. Banners on the side and bright day-glo costumes to rival Bjork's for long-distance visibility. The crowd was definitely bigger today than on Friday. Must be something about that whole school is on Friday thing. Their first set was mostly covers, finishing with their reworking of "I Wanna Be Sedated," changed into "I Wanna Be Elated." Can you call it a mosh pit if nobody's actually bouncing off one another, just bouncing up and down?ACL Fest (Austin Kiddie Limits) 2007: Day 0 Report
I'm sitting in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, availing myself of their free Wi-Fi, and I'm proud to say that the first 90 minutes of this trip has gone off without a hitch. Without a hitch, I tell you!
Boarding passes retrieved? Check!
Last-minute bathroom run made? Check!
First snack selection given my daughter's A-OK? Check!
My goal for the flight? To get to Dallas with everyone happy and with a website name for my daughter so I don't have to constantly call her "my daughter."
With any luck, I'll have a Day One post sometime Saturday morning.
Gotta go -- they're boarding.
For Those Of You Worried About Saturday's Family Music Meltdown
Even though the White Stripes have cancelled their Saturday night show at the Austin City Limits Festival, there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that the Deedle Deedle Dees will abandon their 8 PM-ish slot at the Family Music Meltdown to fill the Stripes' 8:30 slot.
Again, to repeat, the Deedle Deedle Dees will be playing at the Family Music Meltdown Saturday night, not at Austin City Limits.
Thank you for your concern.
(Oh, and thanks Jumping Monkeys for the plug. They had nothing to do with the whole Deedle Deedle Dees rumor.)
The Deedle Deedle Dees -- On Tour Endlessly
OK, not endlessly, but it's an honest-to-goodness tour. Those of you in Pennsylvania (sorry, that was today), Kentucky, Texas (including something called FAMILY MUSIC MELTDOWN -- c'mon and join us!), Arkansas, and Virginia, come on out and see The Deedle Deedle Dees. Lots of fun.
The tour, with some notes from Ulysses Dee himself, Lloyd Miller.
Sep 10, 2007 10:00 AM Barnes & Noble Pittsburgh, PA -- The Dees return to the venue Ulysses S. Dee calls "the nicest Barnes & Noble in the country. It feels more like a yarn outlet in Western Massachusetts than a chain store."
Sep 11, 2007 9:00 AM elementary school show Frankfort, KY
Sep 13, 2007 4:00 PM Austin Public Library: Spicewood Springs Branch, Austin, TX
Sep 14, 2007 9:00 AM elementary school shows Austin, TX
Sep 15, 2007 10:30 AM Austin Public Library: Terrazas Branch -- The home library of Joanna Nigrelli, the reigning champion of American library science.
Sep 15, 2007 2:00 PM Austin Public Library: Harmon Branch
Sep 15, 2007 6:00 PM Ruta Maya -- The Dees' first trip to the home of Ulysses S. Dee's original songwriting partner, Greg "El Mato" Helmick.
Sep 16, 2007 3:00 PM Little Rock Zoo Little Rock, AR -- The co-author of "Henry Box Brown" lives in Little Rock, but no longer in the zoo.
Sep 19, 2007 TBA TBA Lexington, KY
Sep 21, 2007 5:30 PM Charlottesville Pavilion Charlottesville, VA -- A benefit for the Virginia Discovery Museum. The show is free for the whole community, but if you can please donate to this awesome family destination.
Sep 22, 2007 11:00 AM Jammin Java Vienna, VA -- First show in the DC area. The Dees are thrilled to be visiting the greater metropolitan area of the third and current home of the nation's capital.
Oh, I Like This Poster
Seriously, doesn't that look great? I'd think it was pretty cool even if my website's name wasn't on there.
Remember, the Family Music Meltdown will be Saturday, Sept. 15th, starting at 6 PM, at Ruta Maya in Austin, Texas. Great lineup (Deedle Deedle Dees, Joe McDermott, Laura Freeman, Telephone Company), cheap tickets, it will be lots of fun.
And many, many thanks to Jay from Lunch Money for designing the poster.
