Austin City Limits 2008, Day 1: Mates of State, Jamie Lidell, Patty Griffin

This morning I chatted with Mates of State about adding instruments to their live shows and touring with kids--they bring their baby June and four-year-old Magnolia everywhere they go. They needed something to protect the baby's ears during shows and couldn't find mini-headphones at a music store, so they had to buy some for June at a firing range! A baby in headphones is one of life's cuter things.

Jamie Lidell was our first show of the day. His band came out in costumes--including an Elvis pantsuit and a bathrobe. He played a handful of songs from his new soul record (my favorites were "Another Day" and "Wait For Me"), and holy crap, that guy can dance!  At one point, he looped his voice at the beginning of the song and caused a stir where Rachael and I were standing. We were behind two very Botoxed and wine-drunk women who thought Jamie Lidell was lip-syncing. One woman looked horrified and said to her friend, "That is DUBBED." Her friend asked what dubbed meant, and the woman said "He CLOSED his MOUTH and it's still PLAYING." After causing a scene about how he was "MOUTHING" the words, she grabbed her friends and left the show early. We took her spot.

After that, I headed across the field to see Patty Griffin, who looked like a tiny red-headed fairy on that big stage. "Heavenly Day" was a perfect opener, and after that, she played a good mixture of new songs, old favorites and a few covers, including a heartbreaking gospel song called "Waiting For My Child To Come Home." It was fun to see Patty Griffin play in her hometown, and her voice amazes me.

We had a great day with our friends at TOMS Shoes, and I'm looking forward to seeing Fleet Foxes tomorrow. Now we're off the watch the big debate--can't wait!