In 2011, Austin’s sixth annual Fun Fun Fun Fest moved from the city’s small, tucked away Waterloo Park to Auditorium Shores, a sprawling green space along Lady Bird Lake downtown. Well, theoretically green—the ground cover had worn such that the dirt underneath was turned up, and thousands of feet created massive clouds of dust that hung thick around boots and heads. But instead of complaining or leaving or demanding refunds, most fans in attendance used the conditions to develop a fashion movement of every variety of face bandana, such that the whole place looked like a convention of creative train bandits. This year, the grass was newly planted, but many people were continuing the trend as of opening afternoon on Friday, wandering through relatively clear air with faces covered in solidarity.
By Saturday, though, the bandanas were a little more utilitarian, as Friday night had drawn more feet to the fest than in any previous year’s first night. Fun Fun Fun 2012’s second day didn’t have the glitz of a raving, hair-cutting Val Kilmer (although director Terrence Malick’s crew was spotted toting gear in what looked like a baby carriage), but did have plenty of the music that everyone came for.
Sparsely attended but very much worth noting was the Orange Stage’s first set of the day from The Golden Boys, a local Austin rock band who put out one of this year’s very best but underhyped records, Dirty Fingernails. It’s hooky, raucous, vintage garage that the band played full throttle, even though only a couple dozen people managed to get out of bed for the 11:50 a.m. set.
