Austin City Limits Music Festival 2009: Can't Miss This - Friday, Oct 2

The PARLOR MOB - Sat. 10/2, 2:20pm (Austin Ventures)

People, you’ve got to be ready for ACL right out of the gate– and we know you are. With the impossibility of scheduling every band in its ideal time slot, gems like The Parlor Mob risk getting lost in the shuffle.
Hailing from Asbury Park, New Jersey, Parlor Mob is a now-and-then collision of the sounds of Jack White, the Black Crowes and Led Zeppelin. Guitarists Paul Ritchie and Dave Rosen transcend their age and shred up riffs that would make Michael Schenker or Rik Emmett blush. Vocalist Mark Melicia is high-hitting and explosive.

These cats can really put on a show as evidenced here. For an audio sample of what you’ll experience, head here and then click on the song “Everything Your Breathing.” Follow it up with “Carnival of Crows.”

Signed to Roadrunner Records – a label who knows their talent – And You Were a Crow,  is the band’s debut album and it’s a smoker.

Parlor Mob plays early in the day on the Austin Ventures Stage – and with the newly planted  grass, turns the greenish venue into the closest thing ACL has to Chateau de Versailles. You’ll be able to get up real close for this one and get the Parlor Mob get your blood pressure going to start your ALC 2009.

~jason repko

Austin City Limits Festival 2009: Can't Miss This - Raphael Saadiq

Raphael Saadiq - 5:30pm, Friday 10/2/09  (XBox 360)

By the time Raphael Saadiq - former bassist of 80’s and 90’s swing and R&B outfit Tony! Toni! Tone! and known then as Charlie Ray Wiggins – hits the stage at the ACLFestival, he should be a household name once again. Staying relevant with last year’s Grammy-nominated solo album The Way I See It, Saadiq recently performed everywhere from Bonnaroo to the Stockholm Jazz Festival. Leading the way to the revamped R&B throwback album era are Joss Stone, Corrine Bailey Rae, Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones. It’s about time one of the guys returns to Hitsville with one of their own. Saadiq hits the Grand Salami. 

Saadiq’s bass playing roots are prevalent in the heavy stepping vibe and he pairs it with a soulful vocal delivery. Here’s a little nugget from his website www.raphaelsaadiq.com and a recent video performance from Sept. 28, 2009, on NPR’s Tiny Desk. Along with guitarist and right hand man, Rob Bacon, Saadiq performs “Love That Girl,” “100 Yard Dash,” and “Sure Hope You Meant It.” After your mind is blown by these acoustic numbers, try to imagine it with a nine piece band on stage Friday evening…

Now stop imagining things and go catch a Mowtown hit for real. 

  

~jason repko

2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival: Happy as a dog!

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