Zach Patton, one of ACL’s illustrious interns, offers his perspective
on what really happens during an Austin City Limits taping day. Here’s
his account of the taping we did on August 22, when blues luminaries
Jimmie Vaughan, Omar Kent Dykes, Lou Ann Barton, James Cotton, and
Delbert McClinton (among others) converged in KLRU’s Studio 6A to pay
tribute to a blues legend – Jimmy Reed.

12:00 I wake up to a
phone call from fellow intern Jihae, who gives me my first official
task of the day: buy beer–for the dressing rooms, of course.  Sign
number #1,893 that this internship is great: I’m required to buy beer
at noon on a Wednesday.

12:30 With task number one complete, I
proceed to the next objective: getting two cases and four bags of ice
into the building.  I get some weird looks from people around UT’s
communication, who are no doubt wondering what exactly I’m doing on
campus with so much Shiner Bock at this time of day.

2:00 An
hours-worth of set-up and standing around later, it’s time for the
dress rehearsal.  The band takes the stage. Kim Wilson immediately
electrifies the studio with some frantic, fierce work on the harmonica,
while lead singer Omar Kent Dykes growls with that raspy, grizzled
voice that only comes with a decades of booze, smokes, and Texas blues.

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