Seven Acts To Change Minds

Defending the Austin City Limits lineup: Stevie Wonder is so much better thanThe Eagles

Stevie Wonder
Courtesy photo
Sara Bareilles
Photo by hercampusphoto/Photobucket
Ray LaMontagne
Photo by Yaffa Phillips
Arcade Fire
Pretty Lights
Fleet Foxes
Cee Lo
Kanye West

First off, full disclosure: I've never been to Austin City Limits.

It's a travesty, I know, having spent 18 years in Houston and promptly moving back post-college, but it's true. So what I'm about to argue won't have the same context as it might from a more frequent festival goer — but I'm gonna say it anyway. I think the ACL 2011 lineup is the tits.

There's been much said (as there was last year) about the lineup, its ability to whelm people and whether some acts "belong" or not. But I (a person whose musical tastes span from the Avett Brothers to Arcade Fire to Afroman, and who relies on friends to point me to the more obscure, because I must not be on the same mailing list) am straight pumped. Here are the seven acts that I think make the whole sweltering weekend worth it, and why:

Stevie Wonder
Why? Because he's a goddamned legend. And I don't even want to get into The Eagles' appearance last year as any sort of generational comparison, because there isn't one.

Stevie has 22 Grammys as a solo artist to The Eagles' six. I'm just glad I'll get to see him in my lifetime.

Ray LaMontagne
Why? Because I honestly believe he's the greatest songwriter of our generation. So much so that the very first time I heard his utterly raw, rending voice, he seemed so out of place among the contemporary musical landscape that I thought he must be long dead.

Kanye West
Why? Because Kanye might be a polarizing public figure, but the show is going to be sick. SICK. And if you need any proof that Kanye can put on a balls to the wall live performance, I refer you to his set at Coachella 2011.

Sarah Bareilles

Why? I don't care if it's a cover. I just mean, she gives me chills — and stand-alone voices like hers are rare.

Cee Lo
Why? It's got nothing to do with The Voice. Because I've loved Cee Lo since before Gnarls Barkley, when I used to toke up in high school jamming Cee-Lo Green . . . Is the Soul Machine and The Grey Album and think . . . you know what we should do after we write our hit sitcom?? Convince Cee Lo and Danger Mouse to collaborate.

Arcade Fire
Why? I would be lying if I said it wasn't partially because I'd GEEK OUT if they projected the postcard I wrote to myself when the band launched its "We Used to Wait" video/website The Wilderness Downtown.

Fleet Foxes
Why? Because they move me like they move SNL's Jorma Taccone.

unspecified

one night only

Diplo concert kicks off Houston's World Cup pop-up restaurant and bar

Courtesy of Diplo

Diplo will perform in Houston on Thursday, June 11.

A high profile Houston pop-up is kicking off its World Cup run with a concert by one of the world’s most famous DJs. International superstar Diplo will perform at The Ranch Presents Pitch Live on Thursday, June 11.

Known for a host of accomplishments — including co-writing M.I.A,’s Grammy-nominated “Paper Planes,” producing Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)," and collaborating with fellow star Skrillex on Jack Ü, and many more — Diplo will bring his signature high-energy performance to Pitch Live’s main stage for a concert with full scale lights, sound, and visual. Tickets, $175, are available now.

“Having Diplo at Pitch Live is a huge win for Houston,” Pitch Live co-founder Army Sadeghi said in a statement. “This city shows up for global moments, and we wanted an artist who matches that vibe. His performance brings energy that reflects exactly what this city and World Cup are all about.”

Sadeghi, a co-owner of Clarkwood, Melrose, and recently-opened cocktail bar 1111, partnered with Berg Hospitality founder Ben Berg and Houston soccer legend Brian Ching to open The Rance Presents Pitch Live in the former Warehouse Live space in EaDo. Open from June 11 through July 19, the 35,000-square-foot pop-up venue puts an international spin on The Ranch, Berg Hospitality’s restaurant at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that operated from 2022-2025.

It offers a public main stage with screens and bars for watching every World Cup match, a ticketed restaurant, and a private VIP lounge led by Sophie owner Ashley Muncie. Food options will include some of The Ranch’s most popular dishes as well as pop-ups from restaurants in Houston that represent the countries playing in that day’s matches.