Austin's Deadman Kicks Off ACL Music Festival Weekend

There are a lot of great shows in Austin this week and a lot of great food to eat - like the chicken cone from Hudson's on the Bend. It will change the way you look at festival food forever. What else should you look forward to at Austin City Limits music festival this year? The forecast calls for a few scattered showers, mostly on Saturday, but don't knock it until you've been through 69 days of over 100 degree heat or seen bands play during a dust storm. We'll take a little rain. Besides, Patty Griffin delivered one of the best performances ever in the rain during the second year of the music festival.

Of course, we all know Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam headline. But who are some of the other acts you should see? We recommend Phoenix, Los Amigos Invisibles, Citizen Cope, Devotchka, Raul Malo, Federico Aubele, David Garza, and the Heartless Bastards. You can sample many of them at the ACL Music Festival website.

If you're an ACL veteran, you probably got to town a few days early or have plans to stay a few days after the festival to check out some of the smaller live acts making headlines. Last night, the place to be was Momo's on W. Sixth Street. Deadman, fronted by songwriter extraordinaire Steven Collins, played a stellar set to kick off one of the biggest weeks of live music in the Live Music Capital of the World. With roots rock influences like The Byrds, The Band, Neil Young, The Black Crowes, and Van Morrison, Deadman brought a foot-stomping, spirit-filled blend of gospel, soul, blues, and rock to the stage.

Deadman will also be playing the Twin Creeks C.C. on Friday night and again on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Momo's with Dan Dyer. Don't leave Austin without checking out one of their shows. Trust me. I've been seeing live music in Austin for over 15 years, and this is one of the best local bands to come along since Storyville.

Below you'll find audio from a Deadman performance recorded at the Saxon Pub earlier this summer. I've also included a link to a DVD that the band will be releasing at the end of this year, featuring the John Lennon inspired single, "We All Need Love." All of their music is available on itunes, and for a short time you can download some of their newer stuff for free at Reverb Nation.

I've talked about America's spiritual drought before. Well, this is music to help cure it. Have a safe weekend and enjoy the live music, fall weather, and friendly Texas hospitality. More ACL Festival updates to follow.

DEADMAN DVD PREVIEW: WE ALL NEED LOVE