Today was the second day of the Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL), and it was wet. Not just a little wet, like when you have to walk through a drizzle to get the mail or something, but well and truly wet. Despite my very best efforts and constant use of my umbrella, things got wet.

The notes I'd carefully taken on each band? Yeah, the legal pad I wrote them down on is really, really, wet. The writing is absolutely unintelligible. The ACL booklet that has all-important information like each day's lineup and miniature biographies on each band? It's a pulpy mess. I'm just glad I decided not to take my laptop with me today.

Given all that, today's coverage of the festival will be a bit briefer than yesterday's. Cut me a little slack if you would.

2:00 PM - !!!, AMD Stage

!!! (pronounced "chick-chick-chick," give or take) is a great band to see live, particularly if you're unfamiliar with them. Their overall sound is a sort of funk/club band sound, which as pointed out by their lead singer, is an interesting choice of music for the early afternoon.

Half the fun of seeing !!! wasn't even the music they played, it was the shenanigans of the lead singer. He was literally all over the place, prowling the stage and periodically going down onto the ground to make a little crowd contact. There were several points where he actually stuffed the microphone into his mouth while singing. It doesn't sound that great, but it was funny to watch.

My favorite part? When he stole a fan's umbrella. This is what he said after finishing the song: "You may be wondering what you're doing here. You may also be wondering, what is that guy doing with a purple umbrella? You might also be wondering, isn't that my f***ing purple umbrella?"

Not to worry, he returned the umbrella soon after.

3:00 PM - The Airborne Toxic Event, Xbox 360 Stage

The Airborne Toxic Event was a pleasant surprise. I really hadn't heard much of them before today, but what I did get to hear I really enjoyed. They sound a bit like The Honorary Title, but with more of an electronic sound. Overall, they've got a great sound, not dissimilar to a mixture of Shiny Toy Guns and somebody like Blue October.

Article Author: Brian Murff

Brian Murff is a college student studying professional writing at the University of Oklahoma. He spends an absurd amount of his time reading, listening to music, and playing video games. He also likes playing the occasional game of bocce.

Visit Brian Murff's author page — Brian Murff's Blog