speed of dark

Here are another two acts from Uncle T's Day 3 at Austin City Limits 2008.

~alt-gramma~

Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet with Bela Fleck

Deciding this might be different I headed over to the AT&T stage to it check out, and stayed for the entire set because it was so good. This folk group led by vocalist Abigail Washburn included banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck and Grammy nominated fiddler Casey Driessen. In short there’s a wealth of musical talent in this little outfit, and they put on an amazing set.

They played old blues, Canadian French folk songs, Chinese folk songs (yep), and even a Beatles cover song. Bela Fleck is an incredible banjo player, and the other guys played really good as well. Abigail has a great voice, and together this band made a fantastic noise that kept the crowds coming in as their set progressed. Old and young people alike dug this music. The crowd totally loved them.

The band: Abigail Washburn (lead vocals, banjo), Bela Fleck (banjo), Ben Sollee (cello), Casey Driessen (violin/fiddle)

Set list included:
• Nobody's Fault But Mine (Blind Willie Johnson cover)
• Eleanor Rigby (Beatles cover)
• Captain

MySpace | Website | Label: Nettwerk Music Group Records
Buy at Abigail Washington Store, iTunes, and eMusic



Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue



This particular set garnished a lot of pre-show buzz, so it was definitely on my list. The ACL announcer said if there was one festival show that was a “must see”, this one was it. And he wasn’t exaggerating. This was a killer set from ex-Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies vocalist (saved from drugs and resurrected by Jesus) and his great band. They turned this stage into a glorious tent-show revival with their blend of funky and soulful rocked up gospel. The rhythm section laid a foundation of thick Memphis soul groove that you couldn’t help but move to. The full horn section (from Austin) added soul and jazz elements to the mix, while his two great backup singers provided the gospel muscle.


Mike is a great singer and performer; he was all over the stage having a great time. They mainly played songs from his 2007 “Salvation In Lights” CD. The song that I recognized from that CD was the great “Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep, which I already had on my iPod from a Paste magazine CD sampler. I was originally sitting in the front row, but had to move back a row because people kept coming into the area in front of the stage. By the end of the set, the WaMu stage area appeared to be full. This was such a good set; I’d definitely see them again anytime.

Band: Mike Farris (lead vocals, guitar) with other members on bass, drums,lead guitar, keyboard, trumpet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, and 2 backup singers

Set list included (in this general order):
• I’m Gonna Get There
• Selah! Selah!
• Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep
• Take Me (I'll Take You There)
• A Change Is Gonna Come
• Will the Circle Be Unbroken

MySpace | Website | Label: INO Records
Buy at Amazon.com and iTunes