Across the world, the communal experience of gathering with thousands of like minds to celebrate your favorite bands has become an annual rite. Music festivals have become larger and more popular, with no sign of slowing down. And while the largest of the festivals offer much of the same – large grassy fields, mega crowds and hundreds of acts scheduled over a long weekend – the smaller, boutique festivals are making their mark and winning fans by providing something different.
Rewind. 2005. The Parish, Austin, TX. A first attempt at concert photography with a band that consistently dropped sonic milestones throughout my adulthood. Somehow I kept my shit together and strung together a few images I was proud of, and that was the fire that lit my photographic career.
Thursday, July 14th marked another milestone show in the storied history of Antone’s in Austin, TX. Celebrating its 41st anniversary, the venue hosted a surprise family get together featuring Gary Clark Jr and Barbara Lynn, as well as Don Leady & his Rockin’ Revue, featuring Jack Montesinos. With Susan Antone in attendance and a sell out crowd lucky enough to share the intimate evening with TX music greats, the new space on E 5th felt just right. Half way through his set, after commenting on how damn hot it was, Gary Clark Jr. recognized the uniqueness of the night – both points agreed upon by all in attendance.
It’s that time of the year in Austin, TX. The weather is getting a bit cooler and so it is time to Fest. First up on the fall schedule is the iconic Austin City Limits Festival. Inspired by the PBS concert series of the same name, the festival is in its fourteenth year of existence and I was in attendance to cover for my tenth straight year.
Last night, Austin’s own Gary Clark Jr. took the stage for his second stint headlining the legendary Austin City Limits television show. With an expanded band that included backup singers Stevvi Alexander and Sophia Stephens and members of the Austin Afrobeat act Hard Proof on horns, Clark set things off with a smoking rendition of ‘Bright Lights”. Longtime bandmates, guitarist King Zapata, drummer Johnny Radelat and bassist Johnny Bradley anchored down the sound for the rest of the set that included tunes from his LP Blak and Blue and Clark’s upcoming release The Story of Sonny Boy Slim. The set will air later this fall on your local PBS station.
Click below for photos from the show.
California doom metal darlings, Sleep, reunited for a packed show at Austin City Limits Live. Click after the jump for the gallery…
It’s hard not to slip into hyperbole when writing about Sturgill Simpson’s Austin City Limits taping on Wednesday. It was truly something special.
Chad Wadsworth | Photographer 