The Shouting Matches | Photo by Jeremy Quattlebaum | www.theangrymountain.com

All photos by Jeremy Quattlebaum | www.theangrymountain.com

Last week’s Austin City Limits Festival featured a variety of sounds and styles, ranging from the soulful harmonies of the Blind Boys of Alabama to the introspective and moody hits from The Cure. Held in Austin’s Zilker Park, the six-stage, two-tent festival was a non-stop show of up-and-coming acts like the electro-rock group Cherub to the soulful sounds of Luella and the Sun to the stadium filling acts like Muse and Kings of Leon.

Local Natives | Photo by Jeremy Quattlebaum | www.theangrymountain.com

The ever-present heat did not stop Local Natives from giving there all in a high-energy set that was a departure from their more mellow albums. A raucous set by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was the highlight of the first night, with the front man acting as part bluesman, part revival minister, and part rock god. The Queens of the Stone Age’s set featured a bevy of fan-favorites like “Go With the Flow” and the high speed closer “Song for the Dead.” Depeche Mode wowed the audience with their mix of dominant stage presence and the over-the-top graphics that accompanied their set.

The second day’s performances were typified by the alt-rock shuffles of the Silversun Pickups and a bluesy set by The Shouting Matches, who peppered their set with blues standards that got the audience moving. Passion Pit proved to be the favorite for the dance crowd as the audience chorused their electro-pop hits when they were not in a dancing fury.

In fact the only thing that could stop the top caliber performances was a true Texas gully-washer that flooded the festival and caused the festival to cancel its final day.

Jeremy Quattlebaum

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