10/14/2005 - ACL Dust Bowl
So I realize this is a few weeks overdue, but alas, I've been spending my spare time sleeping. I have these really noisy neighbors who apparently don't have jobs or sleep. Now, I'm a stay-up-late, sleep-in, kinda person who doesn't like conventional office hours or the like...but these precious people above me...I just really think they don't sleep, ever.

And wow, I can't believe all the hurricane stuff that's been going on. There's so many more intense, trying stories and people to help, but it's been strange to know my family down in Beaumont has been affected. No electricity, no school, trees everywhere. There's not much else to say really. Just makes me pray & wanna help more.

But on to the title: I went to the big ACL Music Festival this year in Austin. Oddly enough, instead of all the rain from the hurricane hitting the fest, I think (in my best newscaster voice) that there was an upsweep of warm air from the gulf and it gave us, no joke, 108 degree weather. I didn't know that until I got home; all I knew was that at every minute 'til sundown, I wanted to pass out. My sister and I trecked across the fest for 3 days, listening to the best music. Some of my favorites were Lucinda Williams (of course), Robert Randolph (sick), Wilco, Ruthie Foster, The Black Crowes, Lyle Lovett, and Coldplay singing Johnny Cash. There's a lot more where that came from, but those are my highlights. And if anyone related to ACL is reading this, I wanna play. :) Some of my favorite non-music fest moments were 1) getting Jamba Juice smoothies everyday to survive the heat, 2) seeing good 'ol Leslie, the Austin cross-dresser (no description necessary), and 3) watching my sister finish the entire Harry Potter #5 book (yes, she read during the shows...it hurts.)

But the most memorable part of the fest was at the Coldplay concert. There was all this dirt & dust and it was manageable until the last night. Everyone and their dog was heading to see Coldplay so when you have like 40,000 people walking in dirt & dust to see the same show, it apparently creates a dust bowl. Who knew? If you looked around, easily almost everyone was coughing or covering their faces with do-rags or t-shirts (I personally preferred my ACL schedule). It kinda looked like the wild west with cowboys everywhere. I guess nothing says Coldplay like dirty haze and asthma attacks. And who were those people that KNEW to bring medical face masks? Hmm...but it was great. Next time I'm sneaking in more water & medical masks, though.