Local legends

Bands don't have the staying power that they used to.

Oasis has bickering brothers, Hootie & The Blowfish’s lead singer apparently loves singing country music — and let’s be honest— everyone shed a tear when Justin Timberlake told N*SYNC he could bring sexy back all by himself.

Enter Ghostland Observatory. The two members declare that Ghostland Observatory isn’t a band, but a collaboration between friends doing what they love most — making music.

There is no pressure and no animosity between the two friends.

“Artistically, if we don’t agree, we move on. We won’t force it,” said drummer and producer Thomas Turner.

Their music is an eclectic mix of guitar, drums and electronic sound. To categorize them would be doing the band an injustice. There is no such thing as limits for them. During their performances, audiences enter a trance and discover an inner groove even if their body movement would suggest otherwise.

They fit in multiple genres, including electro, rock and funk. Self-proclaimed influences clearly find roots in their music.

“For me personally, I love Daft Punk, The Clash, Bowie, disco, all that stuff,” Turner said.

The band is an oddity to ACL. They aren’t flying in from overseas or driving across state lines to make it to the concert. Both men live in Austin. As residents of the “live music capital of the world,” the members feel tremendous pressure to bring their best when they come to the show.

“We have a sense of responsibility to represent Austin to our audience,” Turner said. “The reason we live in Austin is because of the music scene.”

Their fans are all over the world, but Turner does mention one audience in particular that show up to all the shows.

“We have tons of UT students coming out to the shows to show their support,” he said.

With all of the hectic demands placed on the band on the day of their performance, the band does hope to catch a show or two outside of their own.

“ACL this year has a killer lineup, but it’s so different when you are playing and in production,” Tuner said. “The best thing to do is go on the days when you aren’t playing.”

Having attended ACL previously, the band has noticed a change in the show.

“ACL has always been large, but within the past couple of years, it has become this worldwide kind of thing,” he said.


WHAT: Ghostland Observatory
WHEN: Saturday, 8 p.m.
WHERE: AMD (West) Stage

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