 |
 | Photo by Drew Ressler (www.rukes.com) |
AW takes a look back at the three-day festival in all its glory. From mice and bears to lasers, booty dances and daring stunts (“Is he really climbing that?!”), these are some of our most memorable moments of the musical bonanza that was ACL 2010. Here’s to next year!
Most popular character impersonation: Green Man, from
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Most excited to be at ACL: THESE GUYS
Honorable mention: Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino of Matt & Kim
Most daring performance: Matt (of the aforementioned Matt & Kim), who climbed the stage scaffolding.
Honorable mention: Foals lead singer Yannis Philippakis, who climbed over speakers and onto the second-story balcony during his opening set at the Black Keys aftershow at Stubb’s. He eventually returned to the stage by way of the back stairs. (Bathroom break, maybe?)
Best shoes: Black Keys singer Dan Auerbach’s blue (OK, grey) suede shoes.
 |
| Photo by Dave Mead |
Best-dressed overall: Matt Berninger of the National, clad in a suit and tie — his go-to concert uniform. We approve.
Most cursed stage: AMD. From Broken Bells to M.I.A. to (in some people’s opinion) the Flaming Lips, this stage was home to some of the less, er, thrilling shows. But, there are plenty who disagree with us. So, we guess it’s all relative.
Least visited stage: Clear 4G. We never even saw it.
Most random stage assignment: The Verve Pipe on the Austin Kiddie Limits Stage. Really? How?
Oddest use of glow sticks: The two glow girls at the National show. One was even wearing a tutu edged in glow necklaces. That’s some serious dedication, ladies and gentlemen.
Best dance: Kim’s (of Matt & Kim) booty dance while the audience supported her feet.
Fondest farewell: It’s a toss up between the XX, who announced this would be their last show “for quite a while,” and LCD Soundsystem, which will be laid to rest at the end of this year as James Murphy moves on to focus just on producing.
Show we’re most bummed to have missed: Gayngs, especially since this was to be the superband’s last show before the 23 members returned to their original groups. If we find whoever stole their tour bus, causing the band to cancel their show, we’ll personally kick their butts.
Trending topic 1: Comparing (lack of) wireless signals and complaining heartily about it.
Trending topic 2: Discussing how freaking hot it was. And next year’s guaranteed to be worse, since it’s been scheduled for Sept. 16-18. (We’re sweating just thinking about it.)
We can’t believe it happened: An encore by the National. Because there’s almost never an encore by a band at ACL unless said band is that night’s headliner. And the National was not. But they should have been.
So many mice:
Danger Mouse
Deadmau5's legion of fans who wore mouseheads in tribute
 |
| Photo by Drew Ressler (www.rukes.com) |
 |
| Photo by Drew Ressler (www.rukes.com) |
 |
| Photo by Drew Ressler (www.rukes.com) |
And, our personal favorite … Sad Mouse
Oh, and one bear at the Flaming Lips show. But, we don't have a pic, so deal with it.
Cover mania: A band’s set wasn’t over until a cover was sung …
Blues Traveler: Radiohead’s “Creep”
Miike Snow: Vampire Weekend’s “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance”
Broken Bells: The Black Keys’ “Everlasting Light”
The XX: Robin S.’s “Show Me Love”
The Very Best: M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes”
Matt & Kim: every hip-hop song known to man
Muse: ACDC’s “Back in Black”
Band of Horses: Cee-lo’s “Georgia”
Gimmick or not, it drew a crowd:
Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips in a space bubble
Miike Snow performing in masks
 |
| Photo by Dave Mead |
Deadmau5 in his mousehead
 |
| Photo by Drew Ressler (www.rukes.com) |
Best laser light show: Muse. We're pretty sure the lasers were visible from space.
 |
| Photo by Dave Mead |
Crowd-surfing is, and always will be, in style:
Kim Schifino of Matt & Kim (see pic above, she began crow surfing shortly after)
Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
 |
| Photo by Andrew Youssef |
Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips (albeit in a bubble, but that counts, right??)
M.I.A.
 |
| Photo by Jack Edinger |
The one thing we wish we’d discovered BEFORE the end of the festival: Zync Zone, where visitors could re-charge the batteries on their cell phones, PDAs, etc.
Most adorable accessory: The giant earphones that were loaned out to festival-goers with babies to protect their little one’s ears. (Think Drew Brees’ baby after the Saints’
Super Bowl win.)
Best post-show: The Black Keys at Stubb’s.