Austin City Limits 2011: Wanda Jackson + Cut Copy

Much like Loretta Lynn experienced back in 2004, Wanda Jackson was recently given some new musical life, through a collaboration with Jack White. However, to watch her live, at a spritely 73 years of age, it is hard to imagine she ever really needed any help at all. Looking every bit like the Queen of Rockabilly, she seemed perfectly at ease on the stage, dressed in a bright pink, layered fringe jacket and sparkling earrings. Mixing a number of originals with a handful of choice covers, like Hank William’s “I Saw the Light” and Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel”, the Queen may have lost a step since her early days but she hasn’t lost a bit of the swagger or the vocal bite.

Providing one of the more energetic sets of the weekend, Aussie’s Cut Copy took to the stage just as the sun was beginning to set and instilled some much needed energy to a long afternoon. Riding the momentum of their most recent release, 2011’s infectious Zonoscope, the band managed to shake people from their afternoon daze and had the crowd dancing from the front row all the way to the back of the crowd. The band relies heavily on keyboards and electronics while instilling just the right amount of organic performance to keep things as interesting on stage as off, as with a rendition of “So Haunted” which had guitarist Tim Hoey flailing about the stage with his guitar. Performing songs that spanned all three of the band’s albums, the upbeat set was loaded with high points, such as “Lights and Music”, “Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution” and “Hearts on Fire”.

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