ACL Days 2 & 3

**I wrote this post months ago, and then I never posted it. So here it is. I'm going to try to get back into this thing...

The rest of ACL was also incredible, and, of course, I don't have enough time to write adequately about it. I saw some great shows--Jose Gonzalez, The Octopus Project, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Beck, Neko Case, Okkervil River, part of the Raconteurs, and Band of Horses. Band of Horses especially stands out in my mind as putting on a really great show. Their music just pulses in you. 

Sunday night I cut out early, because I did end up going to the M. Ward, Jenny Lewis, and Conor Oberst show at La Zona Rosa. M. Ward played by himself on his acoustic guitar for a few songs and then was joined by Gillian Welch! I was pretty close to the stage, so I could see them pretty well. It was amazing.

After his set I moved even closer to the stage. I could see Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst unbelievably well. Too bad my camera doesn't work well in the dark. Jenny and Conor each had a great set, and I really enjoyed being able to hear them do live versions of the same songs they'd played just a day or two before. 

The encore of the show was the best part. Conor and M. Ward played several songs together on their acoustic guitars to lull us to sleep, as they put it. Gillian Welch and Dave Rollins joined them at the end for a group rendition of a Lucinda Williams song. Altogether an incredible show!!

Now I'm back to reality and, while reality is good in some ways, it also involves too much grading and not enough time to research. Sigh.