ACL 2011 @ The Four Seasons
On Friday the 16th, join Kevin Connor on the lawn of Austin’s Four Seasons Hotel as KUT kicks off ACL Fest in style. There’ll be live music by Charles Bradley, Hayes Carll, Ha Ha Tonka and the North Mississippi Allstars–plus gourmet breakfast tacos and coffee. Your suggested donation of $10 supports the Seton Shivers Cancer Center. It’s great music for a great cause. Mark your calendar and make sure to join us starting at 9am Friday the 16th at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Ha Ha Tonka
Southern indie rock band Ha Ha Tonka revel in their West Plains, Missouri roots, and it shows. The sensibilities and attitudes of their hometown bleed through their music, leading to great songs with rich lyrics. Those rich lyrics are further enhanced by the band’s four-part vocal harmonies, emphasizing every last emotion in the music. Ha Ha Tonka released their newest album, Death of a Decade, this past spring to a warm critical and fan response.
Charles Bradley
Charles Bradley is a funk and soul musician in the classic style – meaning the awesome style of funk and soul from the 60′s and 70′s. Each of his performances and recordings have the authentic feel of that era, but his style is far from stale. His work is colored by the emotion of painful life experiences, giving power and weight to each lyric. Charles Bradley recently released his first studio album after years of playing music professionally.
Hayes Carll
A Texas native, Hayes Carll honed his sound playing in bars in Galveston and Crystal Beach. His debut album Flowers and Liquor was released in 2002 to critical praise and comparisons to the likes of Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson and Bob Dylan, three of Carll’s key influences. His brand of country/rock/folk has lead many to claim him as the return of the great Texas songwriter.
North Mississippi Allstars
North Mississippi Allstars, unsurprisingly from northern Mississipi, have shaken the metaphorical dust off of the southern rock jam band genre since their debut in 1996. They have released more than a dozen albums, which have each had a great critical and fan response. Members of the Allstars have expanded into side projects including the Black Crowes and Hill Country Revue.
Loved the KUT Four Seasons event last year with Blind Pilot and Robert Randolph and others. But that was $5. These kind of events have always been $5, and it’s always been worth it. I know it’s ‘for a good cause’, but $10 is pushing it to see each band only play 3 or so songs. I’ll probably check out the other radio stations ACL morning instead, as their’s is still $5.