Deer Tick Play New Track at Austin City Limits

Deer Tick don't want to get wet. "Where did you get that?" guitarist Andrew Grant Tobiassen asked, pointing at a rain poncho -- an Austin City Limits '09 necessity. The weather on Day Two was a complete 180 from the fest's sunny, 80-degree opening day with continuous rain plaguing the festival grounds and drenching people as they watched sets from Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear and Citizen Cope.

"Maybe we can use a garbage bag?" Tobiassen asked, eying a nearby trash bin, which unfortunately had some stuff in it. Others at the festival had already had the idea. "Sure. Why not? I ain't afraid of no germs," laughed frontman John Joseph McCauley III. Deer Tick didn't grab those garbage bags and the gray skies didn't stop McCauley and drummer Dennis Ryan from sporting their matching white-framed Blueblockers.

It rained a little during the Rhode Island folk act's opening set on the Dell stage. The 45-minute show was heavy with songs off their sophomore album, 'Born on Flag Day,' along with their own rendition of 'La Bamba.'. However with two follow-up albums and an LP almost complete, Deer Tick decided to play a new song at ACL, one that Tobiassen wrote called 'The Dance of Love.' The rain dance would have been more helpful.

"I've played other sorts of things in the rain, besides music," McCauley told Spinner, assuring he was no stranger to the wet weather. "The occasional mud wrestling, spinning the tires in the mud." Thanks to the site's new manicured grass, mud wasn't an issue until later in the day. "I wish it wasn't raining, but it's still been fun, ya know." McCauley said.

As for his plans for the rest of day. "I'm gonna go snort some meth and go watch Dave Matthews Band in the rain," McCauley joked. "I don't think he's a real person." Ryan added. "I just can't wait to see him. None of us dig his music much, but I can't wait to actually see him." Why all the enthusiasm over Saturday's headliner?

"Only one of us are in college, so we haven't spent much time on a quad to appreciate it." Christopher Dale Ryan explained. "Or at the Chili's bar and grill" McCauley added, quoting from the Don Lennon song 'Matthews Comes Alive.' "The song is about all the places where the Dave Matthews Band comes alive." Ryan added, "The Earth Day festival, spring fling on the quad and Chili's bar and grill. It's really funny."