I just sold my car–well, one of them. I’m rather sad about it, as I really loved The Great Grey Green Greasy Limpopo River All Set About with Fever Trees and have so many great memories associated with it. No more Dean sticker, no more cereal under the seats, no more roof rack for the kayak. Cleaning it out revealed much more than a history of The Child’s breakfast cereal preferences: a set of darts that I’ve been wondering over, supplies I used to teach Hebrew, my Regal Crown Club card, a tiny action figure for a miniature space ship from the Star Trek universe, a few dollars in coins, more pens and pencils than I would have guessed I’d ever owned…. And a hubcap from the 1983 Bordello Red Accord, which is going into Hot Stuff, of course.

Sitting in the TX Dot office listening to people explaining why they needed copies of their cars’ titles was rather touching. Death in the family, car mysteriously in Mexico and out of reach, totaled in a wreck with more still owed, paid-off cars under lien to businesses that have changed names–the list of woes and complications was endless. My issue was so easily resolved that it made me feel fortunate and almost guilty/ashamed for having such an easy life. I’m sure that I’ve made better choices than some of these people did, but it’s so easy for life to become so hard, so I know my good fortune is good luck in large measure.

ACL wrap-up:

Gate opened a few minutes late on Friday, so I didn’t hear much of Sahara Smith, but I liked what I heard. Asleep at the Wheel did a great show, but that’s not news….

Trustworthy people recommend and enjoyed Heartless Bastards, but I don’t have much recollection of it at this point. I must have been getting food and heading over for Pete Yorn, which was a great show, even with the pyrotechnics that were so extreme that I would question their authenticity in a movie, but there was the roiling column of black smoke, the flames shooting above the trees, the fire fighters taking care of us….

It was too early in the day for Joss Stone’s set. Lots of energy, but she needed darkness to pull off the mood. This year’s KT Tunstall show?

Spoon was fine, perhaps because expectations were low. I’d planned to go over to Queens of the Stone Age, but it sounds like it was good that I didn’t swim through the throngs to get there–probably not my cup o’ tea.

I wish I’d been closer for Gotan Project, but the whole area had this crushing-crowd feeling that made me just want to stay put at my nice safe spot and wait for Bjork. Their stuff felt good even from afar, and I hope for another chance to really see them. Bjork was great! I know nothing about her other than the swan outfit, but this was solid entertainment, great fun. Not quite as amazing as last year’s Flaming Lips, but that would be a difficult goal to reach.

Saturday morning started with brunch at El Arroyo with one-day ticket holding friends who are fans of Indigo Girls. After throwing down our stuff at the Dell stage, I went to Austin Ventures for Ike Reilly Assassination, which was a great show. (Assignation would be a good name for a band.) Any band that can get people moving Saturday at noon has got something going for them! I don’t know how often they get down this way from Texarkana, but I’ll certainly be on the look-out.

The next two I sampled didn’t do much for me, so let’s just set that aside. Raul Malo was fabuloso! Steve Earle way exceeded my expectations, and Zap Mama was very fun. I pretty much just camped at the Dell stage all day–hiding from the sun under my umbrellas and using ice to keep my blood from boiling and my brain from overheating. I heard nothing but good things about Andrew Bird.

Damien Rice was fine from a distance, especially from the a/c in the Oasis. My Indigo Girls loving friends loved the Indigo Girls, and I enjoyed the show. Muse was no White Stripes, so we left a bit early and hit Kerbey Kerbey for real beer, a/c and running water. Oh, yeah, there may have been food, too.

Sunday morning found me rushing the gate to get optimal spot for Bob Dylan. I quite literally staked out a 6×8 tarp, earning admiration from the chair line guard as the most ACL Fest-savvy person he’d ever seen. Then I went and established a secondary camp between AMD and Blue Room stages. Nicole Atkins was a sweet way to start the day. Yo Lo Tengo started out a bit rough, but after it settled down a bit, I quite enjoyed the show. I knew nothing about The National, but enjoyed what I heard as I collected some lunch.

Robert Earl Keen was very good. I’m trying to think of highlights, but it was honestly all so good that I can’t say I enjoyed any part of it more than the rest. DeVotchKa was another unfamiliar band that impressed me favorably, and then Lucinda Williams came out and redeemed herself.

I wish I’d stayed for more of Regina Spektor, as My Morning Jacket was fine but not outstanding. I completely wish that I’d staked out space for The Decemberists, who I love, instead of Dylan, who was pretty much not there. I had planned to go to Mean-Eyed Cat afterwards, but by the time I got everything back to the car, I was almost too tired to even lift chairs into the trunk, so I headed on home.

In addition to the IG fans, I was lucky enough to hook up with someone from work and her crew from all over the world, and I had some pleasant conversation with locals and visitors who happened to be sitting in my vicinity. On the whole an enjoyable endurance event.

Would I do it again? Yes, I already have tickets for next year. And Platinum for SxSW. I gotta catch up on my sleep before then, though!