Snortblog

If you really want to cool down, take a break and head to Barton Springs. Dive into the water, don’t test the water or you may lose the will to chill. Stay in the water as long as you can, preferably until you get goosebumps. Rinse and repeat as needed. I find that I feel comfortable for an hour or more afterwards when biking and for a few hours when not moving much.

I was asked who I was looking forward to seeing this year. While there are many bands I know I like, I’m more excited about the band that I’ve never heard of that blows me away. In years past the bands that have stolen the show for me have been Café Tacuba, Los Amigos Invisibles, and Zap Mama.

More tips here and here.

What I learned to bring today:

• Water with a screw on cap. I brought in a apparently outlawed gallon of water, which the security team must have missed. It had a snap on cap, which snapped off in my backpack, thereby drenching everything I had.

Bands we saw:

1. Terri Hendrix
2. Gnarls Barkley–a highlight of the day
3. Thievery Corporation — eclectic, sitar followed by rap
4. Oliver Mtukudzi & Black Spirits — an acclaimed popular singer from Zimbabwe, also an actor. They performed infectious tunes in English. Their dancing imitated motions made when working, digging, hoeing or winnowing grain.
5. John Mayer
6. Van Morrison — by the time we made it to Van Morrison, we succumbed to gravity, too tired to stand.

The bike ride home reminded me of why I love Austin. As I made my way east, the music from the ACL music festival gave way to music in Fiesta Gardens, and then farther north, I encountered a neighborhood party at a Catholic school.