Austin City Limits Music Festival

ACL 2012: Friday's 12 Best and Funniest Moments at Zilker

In the interest of being tidy and not boring you with minute details of the three-day exercise in sweaty and human endurance underway in Zilker Park this weekend, Rocks Off is giving you a break. Our team on the ground at the Austin City Limits Music Festival -- Brittanie Shey, Craig Hlavaty and Mar ... More >>

50 Don'ts For Your ACL Festival Weekend

We know you know what to do at the Austin City Limits Festival, but we're not positive you know what not to do. So, here's a list of 50 don'ts for your ACL weekend: 1. Don't try to look like you're from Austin. Austin knows you're a poseur. 2. Don't bring a cooler with you. Bring an entire refrige ... More >>

My Morning Jacket and Guns N' Roses Top a Good, Solid List of Show Announcements

My Morning Jacket​On the heels of an incredible performance at Austin City Limits Music Festival last weekend, My Morning Jacket have announced that they'll be taking their show on the road. And, thankfully, since they skipped North Texas on the first leg of their Circuital album tour, they'll be ... More >>

British Heroes Elbow Talk Their New Album, The States and Their North Texas Connection

Marco TorresElbow guitarist Mark Potter onstage at ACL.​For nearly two decades, cinematic Manchester act Elbow have been fairly silent in the U.S., despite drawing comparisons to Coldplay, Doves, and Radiohead. Meanwhile, their five records have earned critical acclaim back in the U.K. Their last ... More >>

Austin City Limits Music Festival: A First-Timer's Recap

Pete FreedmanThe sweet, sweet ACL crowd.​Before this weekend, I'd never been to Austin City Limits Music Festival. Actually, I'd never been to any outdoor music festivals the scale of ACL. I've probably been to eight or nine South By Southwests, and, before heading down to Austin this weekend, I h ... More >>

Day Three of Austin City Limits '11: Dallas-Born Ruby Jane Kicks Thing Off and The Sun is Back

Pete FreedmanDallas-born 16-year-old Ruby jane kicked off Saturday's proceedings in fine fashion.​ After a lackluster Saturday, things are already heating up on Sunday afternoon at Zilker Park. Actually, they were plenty hot in the morning, too: Temperatures soared into the '90s, but, more importa ... More >>

ACL Capsule Reviews: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., The Walkmen, Broken Social Scene, and Elbow

Elbow brought the Manchester rain on Sunday.​And just like that, the heat returned. The hot sun beat down on the wet grass, creating an inescapable humidity in Zilker Park on Sunday. As such, the people came prepared to sweat it out. The same guys hawking ponchos yesterday now had packets of ... More >>

Last Night at ACL: Coldplay Plays All the Hits and The Others, Too.

Coldplay AMD Stage -- Austin City LimitsSeptember 16, 2011 Better than: waiting for Coldplay to release a Greatest Hits album. Coldplay​It would be a pretty hipster thing to say that the Coldplay show at Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday was cheesy and overly sincere. But you won't actu ... More >>

Last Night at ACL (With Pics!): Kanye West Is The Best Performer You'll See, Just Ask Him.

Kanye WestBud Light Stage -- Austin City LimitsSeptember 16, 2011Better than: what you probably heard about the show, unless you heard it from Kanye.Pete FreedmanKanye West​It didn't take long for Kanye West to buy into his own hype last night, as he headlined the first night of the 2011 Austin Ci ... More >>

How Many North Texans Are Playing ACL '11?

​Over on the Star-Telegram's music blog this afternoon, music critic Preston Jones posted a nice little Q&A with Hudson Moore, the Fort Worth-based country singer-songwriter who has been tapped to be the very first performer at this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival. It's either an awes ... More >>

Concert Foul No. 16: Lawn Chair People

​Spring and summer mean many things to many people. To the DC9 reader, we assume, the sun-soaked days and humid nights in the middle of the year mean it's time to catch some outdoor music performances.Maybe it's the larger, high-dollar festivals, like Austin City Limits Music Festival, for which y ... More >>

In Which We Ask The New KXT Program Director About #KXTFail, Among Other Things.

We may or may not have found Mark Abuzzahab's Driver's License photo.​No, Mark Abuzzahab, the new program director at KXT-91.7 FM (and their very first, by the way), isn't here yet. Won't be for a few more weeks. He's still down in Austin, finishing up his stint as the music director at KGSR-93.3 ... More >>

Mayer Hawthorne Covers 1960s Dallas Soul Band The Festivals On Free Covers EP

​Seem everybody is doing the soul revival thing these days. And, while that's true to an extent, there's a couple of acts out there who are really doing the resurgent genre some justice -- like, say, Mayer Hawthorne of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The 32-year-old soul singer and Austin City Limits Music F ... More >>

Over The Weekend: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights at the House of Blues

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Jonathan Tyler & The Northern LightsHouse of BluesFebruary 18, 2011Better than: watching Almost Famous yet one more time.Patrick MichelsGrace Potter performing at the 2010 Austin City Limits Music Festival, in a dress longer than the one she wore on Friday.​ ... More >>

Over The Weekend: The Sword at the Granada Theater

The Sword, Garuda, Eagle ClawGranada TheaterFebruary 12, 2011Better than: dealing with the ramifications of a water-pipe burst at my house. Thanks, Snowpocalypse!Brian TamborelloThe Sword​The Granada Theater in Dallas hasn't exactly been a haven for metalheads in recent years. No, despite piling u ... More >>

Young Talents Thrive at the Kessler.

Last Night: Chiddy Bang, Vonnegutt at Trees

Chiddy Bang, Vonnegutt TreesDecember 2, 2010Better than: going to an actual SMU party.Chiddy Bang​Lest there remained any question as to whom the music of Chiddy Bang is meant for, the Philadelphia-based, indie rock-sampling hip-hop duo provided the answer at Trees last night.Or maybe it's more ap ... More >>

A Blow-by-Blow Field Report From Austin City Limits 2010.

Claudia Deheza Leaves School of Seven Bells--Meaning The Band is Now Half-Local! (Yay?)

Guillermo HerrenSchool Of Seven Bells​School of Seven Bells is no longer a family affair.The trio comprised of former Dallasite Benjamin Curtis and twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza were mid-tour when the latter Deheza's absence at Austin City Limits Music Festival raised a lot of question ... More >>

Giveaway: Five Pairs of Tickets to See Mayer Hawthorne Tomorrow Night at The Loft

Last time soul revivalist Mayer Hawthorne came through the region, it was back in March for a gig at The Loft as he and his band, The County, stopped off along its travels to SXSW in Austin. Tomorrow night, he returns to The Loft, and under similar circumstances: Hawthorne, this time around, is trav ... More >>

Last Night: Kings of Leon, The Black Keys at Superpages.com Center

Kings of Leon, The Black KeysSuperpages.com CenterSeptember 23, 2010Better than: the last time Kings of Leon came through town.Rachel ParkerThe Brothers Followill. See more in our slideshow.​It just felt so comfortable--all of it, from the band's performance to their crowd's reaction and their own ... More >>

Maybe The Eagles Aren't So Bad, Actually.

Last Night: Passion Pit at the Palladium Ballroom

Passion PitPalladium BallroomJune 21, 2010Better than: seeing Elmo in concert.Passion Pit​It was startling, actually--even to the band on stage. "This is one of the biggest audiences we're playing to on this tour," Passion Pit frontman Michael Angelakos announced to his adoring crowd somewhere in ... More >>

Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights Readies Its Major Label Debut

Kirtland Sets A May Release For Sarah Jaffe's Upcoming Full-Length Debut, Releases First Single This Week

​Well, we knew this was coming along soon enough: Via a press release just sent out today, Kirtland Records has formally announced a release date for new signee Sarah Jaffe's upcoming full-length debut, Suburban Nature. Well, kinda. It's announced a month: May. So there you go. But, oh wait, here' ... More >>

Starter for '10

A look at 2010's most anticipated DFW album releases

Does ACL Actually Hurt Dallas?

Some Band From Austin Beats Out Dentonites Vying For Final ACL Spot. Big Shocker.

Erin Austin and Andrew Tinker's Band headed down to Austin last night.​ For the past few weeks, we've been following the efforts of various DFW area artists trying to scam their way into the final slot at this weekend's Austin City Limits Music Festival via the annual competition called The Sound ... More >>

Dallas Observer Music Awards

Dallas benefits, again, from being near Austin City Limits

Look at all the concerts ACL is leading our way this weekend (while ignoring the ugly side effects)!

Ozzfest 2008 is One Show Only...In Frisco

Can the city withstand being the focus of speculation by thousands of metalheads?

Blog Log

Roky Erickson

Thursday, March 1, at the Double Wide

Ben Kweller

Monday, February 26, at Gypsy Tea Room

Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band

Saturday, September 16, at the Gypsy Tea Room

My Treasure

Colleyville's the Rocket Summer hides Jesus in sharp emo-pop melodies--and a major label deal

2006 Dallas Observer Music Awards

Odds & Ends

Rubber Gloves will soon be able to pour one out for the indie-rock homies

Odds & Ends

Sara Radle's off to L.A.; LM5 calling it quits; Rubber Gloves gets anew look

Tricksters

An air of Mysterium

Making Waves

Denton's Midlake inks record deal, prepares debut LP