We made it! To Day 2! After a nice breakfast/brunch with the family, Miss Mary Mack headed back out to downtown Austin, snagged a shuttle, and made it to Zilker Park in time for most of Uncle Rock's Saturday set. I figured that since Saturday would involve not only ACL but also aftershows (i.e., Family Music Meltdown 2), we could get there a little late. Unfortunately that meant missing Jambo's set, but since we'd seen him Friday (not to mention last year), I figured that'd be OK. Uncle Rock's set contained some music from yesterday's set (the superhero medley, for example), but also some new stuff (compared to Friday), but because I'm not the assiduous set list chronicler that Gwyneth is, I couldn't tell you what that new stuff was. Here he is performing with Abu from the Lannaya Dance Troupe that's been showing off African dance during the breaks all weekend. He did wear his big black shirt, which, I gotta tell you, must have helped him sweat off a bunch of fluid, because it was slightly warmer Saturday...
After watching the BBoys and BGirls do their breakdance routines, having Miss Mary Mack get a new hairdo again (this time pink and green streaks), and making a homemade shaker, it was time to head back to the stage to hear Buck Howdy and BB do some sweet Western swing. With Buck on guitar backed (usually) by some recorded background tracks, the two of 'em ran through a lot of songs off Chickens! and Giddyup!. Buck and BB probably had the smoothest patter of any of the AKL artists. BB, however, had issues with the soap bubbles she was trying blow into the crowd of kids.
The crowds on Saturday were naturally bigger at AKL than on Friday, which meant that there were actually a bunch of kids attempt to pop those soap bubbles, and, after the break (featuring the Lannaya Dance Troupe -- well worth catching for a few minutes if you're in the area), mr. RAY took the stage with his band. His three-piece band sounded really muscular (if one is allowed to use that phrase with kids' music -- of course one is) as he ran through his late-preschool-age-friendly pop-rock. He had the kids naming what they want to be when they grow up and roaring like dinosaurs. And the tent was pretty full.
Miss Mary Mack and I played a little Ziggity while waiting for the Jimmies to come out. Actually, before the Jimmies came out, it was time for the "Special Guest," which I think must've fallen through, based on something Tor said from the stage about thanking his guests for coming together at the last minute. The show was the Q Brothers, Abu from the Lannaya Dance Troupe, a couple kids from the School of Rock. It actually sounded OK all blended together (especially for something that probably involved zero practice).
And then the Jimmies played, Ashley wearing a "rootin'-tootin'" dress with the guys dressed in their matching white shirts and different- colored ties (they've got some sort of Tally Hall thing going on). They played a couple "rootin'-tootin'" songs, but mostly they rocked out, playing songs both from their debut as well as from their next (as-yet-unrecorded) album. They were also the most prepared for the audience as their fans in-town brought out beach balls and homemade egg shakers. By this time, the crowd was definitely swelled, and the kids, oblivious to the fact that it was, like, 90 degrees, bounced madly around.
And, then, like that, it was over. Except that they still had drawings for free instruments, and a drum circle, which was cool. Kids sitting in a circle, drumming in rhythm (for the most part) for a good 20 minutes. Miss Mary Mack thought it was great, and I didn't have the heart to pull her away early even though we had to motor off to Ruta Maya for the Family Music Meltdown 2. But right around 4:30 it ended, and we boogied on out of there, re-entering the rest of the ACL Fest grounds for the first time since we entered it 4 hours before.
I'll have a post at some point later in the week about FMM2, but it was lots of fun. And now it's time to start packing and get ready to go to Day 3. Not quite sure what we'll be seeing today -- I think I want to explore some other parts of the Festival with Miss Mary Mack... It'll be an adventure.
