We took 16 teenagers to the Switchfoot/RelientK concert tonight at Nokia. We had an absolute blast and were able to see, not one, but two top tier bands. RelientK had a good set but Switchfoot brought the house down.

I actually had a chance to hang out with Switchfoot prior to the concert for about 20-25 min. They invited 8-10 youth ministers for a backstage Q&A before tonight’s performance. We spent some time praying together and then the band explained why they chose to play “neutral” venues as opposed to churches. I walked into the meeting with a great respect for the path that Switchfoot has been traveling the last few years and I walked out of the meeting further convinced that this band has a heart for God and wants to reach as many people as possible with the Good News. They reach teens and young adults in the middle of culture. They meet them in between videos for T.I. and Kanye, Nickelback and Foo Fighters.

The band also made a special effort to encourage us as youth ministers. It was a real special time.

The concert was great. I can’t say enough about it.

Thanks for a great night guys!!!

Sunday

Ryan Shaw We caught the last half of Ryan Shaw’s set and what a half it was. Shaw’s soulful interpretation of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” was both bold (When I find myself in times of trouble/ You’re Holy Spirit comes to me) and powerful. This kid’s got the chops. The set was a lot of fun and Shaw was the only artist we saw come back out for an encore while at ACL.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals The biggest surprise of the weekend was with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I had seen this group from Vermont perform on Leno and so I was interested in hearing them live. They exceeded my expectations. Lots of jamming and I am a sucker for organ solos. They were on a smaller stage so we were able to sit close and were able to really see just how much fun this group was having. GP&N won the Highlight of Festival in my book.

Common Common, a last minute addition to the festival line-up, played in the middle of the afternoon on Sunday. I assumed that it would be well attended but I was blown away at just how big the crowd was. I was unable to get very close but Common’s deep lyrics and socially conscious beats rang out across Zilker Park and were unencumbered by distance. Great set.

Bob Dylan I came, I saw, I preferred the mystery.

Over all I had a great time at Austin City Limits. Big props to my friend Scott who left his wife and baby boy to join me for the weekend. Their loss was my gain.

Despite losing some big name acts (Amy Winehouse, The White Stripes), ACL was a great experience. I think we saw about 20 full sets and then countless other acts as we walked the festival grounds. I am very interested in heading out to the festival next year. Who’s with me?

My weekend at Austin City Limits Music Festival was unforgettable. I didn’t know quite what to expect driving down to Austin to spend three days in the sun listening to bands from all over the planet but I was excited about the experience.

Friday

I arrived in Austin and ate lunch/dinner across the street from the University of Texas. I then drove to 4th and Guadeloupe to take the shuttle from downtown to Zilker Park, the site of ACL. When I finally arrived at Zilker Park I exchanged my ticket for the three-day wristband and I was allowed into the festival grounds.

I had left my hat at home so it was necessary for me, if I wanted to survive until Sunday under the hot Texas sun, to purchase a new hat. Upon leaving the merch tent I headed to a small stage just past the entrance for my first taste of music.

Amy Lavere (2:40-5:20) Amy Lavere and her stand up bass was a pleasant surprise and the perfect act to kick off my weekend with. Lavere’s sweet southern charm and beautiful lilting voice cast a spell over me that lingered for the rest of the day. Songs like “Killing Him Didn’t Make the Love Go Away” and “I’ll Remember You” were a hauntingly beautiful mix of traditional country, jazz, blues, and bluegrass. Amazing stuff.

Joss Stone/Crowded House At ACL there are 8 stages and 130 bands playing mostly one hour sets. Sometimes these sets over lap. One problem that I faced over the weekend was deciding whether I wanted to split sets in order to see and hear every artist that I wanted to see. The first split decision I made was to catch the beginning of Joss Stone’s set and then try and catch the last bit of Crowded Houses’s set.

Joss Stone walked out on stage and owned it completely. While standing there watching her strut and belt out her sweet soul music I couldn’t help but think of all the fake, lip synching crap female artists out there (think VMAs) who get lots of air time while a genuinely beautiful and insanely talented artist like Joss Stone barely gets a mention. I almost hated leaving her set early. I had to trek to the other side of the festival grounds to see Crowded House so unfortunately I had to take off.

When I reached the other stage Crowded House was changing instruments and introducing band members. About the time I found a place to stand they started playing their big hit “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” A wave of nostalgia swept over the crowd as soon as the first line was sung. It was a very communal experience.

Queens of the Stone Age I was bored to tears during Queens’ set. The only reason I was there was so I could have a great spot for the Killers. Yawn.

The Killers If there was one band that I was most excited about seeing this weekend it was the Killers. From start to finish their set was a complete spectacle. Brandon Flowers did not stand still once. He was all over the stage climbing on the piano and jumping off the monitors. His energy transferred to the audience and helped cap off a night of great music. They opened their set with a pitch perfect rendition of Sam’s Town and closed with the rousing version of (my favorite) All These Things I’ve Done. What a way to end day one!