My Year in Lists

So as another year slingshots its way around the last orbit of the toilet bowl of time, one cannot help but look back at the last year. I've done a whole lot of nothing in the sense that I've not really moved forward professionally or educationally; but somehow that doesn't really bother me right now. I've taken up a few new hobbies, and resumed one for which I thought I'd lost almost all interest. I've made a great deal of new friends that I really appreciate, and hope that I've broadened their horizons as much as they have mine. That's all I'm going to say on that type of retrospective self-indulgence. But, there still remains the entertainment factor of my year.

Concerts:

1. Pixies - DAR Constitution Hall
Easily the best show of the year. I finally got to hear these rock icons play in an incredible venue (the only detraction was having to stay in the area of my seat). They played the entirety of Doolittle and all pertinent B-Sides as well as encored with most of Surfer Rosa. There was a kid who even got on stage and danced across. He would've gotten away too, if the little re-re didn't try to get back to his seat after running away. I mean seriously, the security is smarter than the video game guards you go up against on the daily, junior.

2. Cake - 9:30 Club
What can I say? My first real blog was about this show, and it carried its way all the way through to my top 5 concerts. The sing-a-longs and witty repartee was classic Cake. Double set? Yes Please! Commemorative 9:30 Cupcakes? Yupcakes!

3. The Thermals - Black Cat
I have to put this concert in the top 5 if nothing else but for the fact that I was in the first mosh pit I've been in for nearly a decade. It was also the first positive mosh pit I've been in...ever, really. High energy indie pop punk that brings to mind sitting in your parents basement listening to punk albums and damning the man.

4. Matt and Kim - Black Cat
These two kids show just how happy they are to be playing on a stage in front of people at every show. That newness is so refreshing. With their wild stage antics (mule kicking, and impromptu dance party-ing) and random :30 second covers of pop and hip hop, Matt and Kim are an infectiously catchy group that I will continue to see (even if they really are retiring some of their :30 second covers)

5. Ghostland Observatory (ACLMF) - Zilker Park
I just finished writing about this, but it was that important an experience that I didn't care if it was no longer timely. I love this band, live, and had so much fun at this particular show. Between the cameo by the UT marching band and my almost-over-enthusiastic 5-person dance party people, I had to let this one round out the top 5.

Albums:

1. Matt and Kim - Grand
Incredibly simple, straight-forward, dancy indie pop. These kids are catchy and the fun of their live shows nearly translates to the album.

2. Gossip - Music for Men
Frontwoman, Beth Ditto, provides a voice that's equal parts cotton candy and whiskey over dancy guitar and drums.

3. The Protomen - Act II: The Father of Death
Incredibly geeky, but a band that is slowly producing an epic rock opera about Megaman is freaking awesome. The sound itself is way more mature with a fuller, more rockabilly influenced sound. I must say though, I do miss some of those 8-bit sounds...

4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - S/T
Sweet, noisy songs of being in love that call to mind bands like the Vaselines and the Smiths.

5. Passion Pit - Manners
Loud, dreamy songs that embody summertime fun.

Songs:

1. 1901 - Phoenix

2. Little Secrets - Passion Pit

3. Good Old Fashioned Nightmare - Matt and Kim

4. Albatross, Albatross, Albatross - The Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

5. Love of an Orchestra - Noah and the Whale

Movies:

1. Inglorious Basterds

2. District 9

3. Moon

4. Drag Me to Hell

5. Up

Comics (!!SPOILERS!!):

1. Invincible Iron Man (Matt Fraction/Salvador LaRoca)
Incredible story, if last year was the rise of Tony Stark as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.; this year's frantic spiral down into the Disassembled arc is the perfect reversal of fortune.

2. Fables (Bill Willingham/Mark Buckingham)
Fables had slipped in my eyes after the Flycatcher arc, but the goings ons on the Farm, and Buffkin rebuffing Babayaga's attempts to escape the office are both intriguing and action packed.

3. Green Lantern franchise (Geoff Johns & Peter Tomasi/Various Artists)
The War of Light that has been building since 2004 has finally arrived and gives rise to a new breed of "zombies" in the DC universe!

4. Dark Avengers (Brian Michael Bendis/Mike Deodato)
The Marvel Universe is upside down, and a homicidal maniac is in charge of the world's premiere peace keeping organization. He has used his new governmental powers to misappropriate the identities of earth's mightiest heroes and give them to known criminals to deliver his own unique brand of justice.

5. Batman and Robin (Grant Morrison/Frank Quietly & Philip Tan)
Bruce Wayne is dead. His son is the new Robin and the first Robin is the new Batman. Grant Morrison's sense of the bizarre and macabre lends itself seamlessly into Batman's world and shows that Batman is an ideal and not just a man while delivering us new villains and unique takes on classic ones.

TV:

1. Sons of Anarchy
The biker drama roared back this season with a super-intense opening that grabbed you by the throat and kept squeezing like a vice until the finale kicked you to the ground to recover for next season.

2. Flash Forward
Who thought that stealing half of Lost's concept would work so well and not feel as hackneyed as it sounds? It brings up great predestination/free will arguments to boot.

3. Modern Family
Well-written mockumentary style show about a complex interconnected family. Ed O'Neil proves that he's not just a one trick pony that needs to be put out to pasture.

4. Community
In my opinion, the first of NBC's post-Seinfeld comedies to hit its stride in the first season. The credit bits with the guy from Derrick Comedy? Easily best part of the show.

5. Venture Bros.
The stoners at Astro-Base Go! bring us Season 4 of Venture Bros. The cast continues to expand, characters continue to grow and change, all the while delivering top-notch satire and nostalgia.

ACLMF Day Three: Mudpies and Exhaustion

If previous days have served as lessons in different matters, then Day 3 at Zilker had to have served as a lesson in just how much my aging body can handle. I don't know if it was two festival shows back to back or the fact that the previous day was spent in a torrential downpour; but I was already exhausted. While it was easy to stand and wait for sets to start the other two days, I found myself skipping out early on sets I didn't really care about to stake out a dry spot to sit and wait for other shows. Having learned my lesson from the previous day, I had dressed appropriately for the almost assured downpour. The good folks at weather.com had assured me that there was a 70% chance of rain, so I dressed in appropriate garb (flip flops, board shorts, and a grubby t-shirt I didn't really care about). At first the day started out just as bleak and dreary as the day before, but by the end of the first act, the skies had cleared. Zilker reeked of mud and shit and didn't help the empty stomach I had. After we filled the water bottles it was off to see the first act of the day:

The Dodos:

The Dodos were easily the biggest let down of the concert. I was thoroughly impressed with both albums Visiter and Beware the Maniacs. The driving drumbeats and wistful lyrics were great draws for me. I found ultimately, that I was unimpressed with the live show. Neither of the members had anything in the way of stage presence, and if you're an early show at a festival that's something you're going to need if you want to get the people to move. Additionally I suppose I have only listened to the Dodos in mixes I've made for myself and rarely as an album. This was likely my first experience hearing more than four songs in a row outside of my initial listening of each album. What I had not noticed was how much their music just starts to run together after too long. We had debated on seeing the Dodos at the Rock and Roll Hotel in DC the week after ACLMF, but decided that our time would be better spent at a bar instead after this set.

With no real sets that interested us until 4 o'clock, Ryan and I set out for the Rock Island Hideaway, an area set aside to watch college football games on Saturday and NFL games on Sunday. I caught up on my fantasy stats for awhile while Ryan grabbed a nap. For a time, I even indulged in a short power nap myself. I woke to the sounds of the B-52's and decided to enjoy the show from the Hideaway's patio.

The B-52's:


Despite growing up during the '80s I have never considered myself to be a child of the '80s. I didn't start listening to music that wasn't my parents' until the early '90s so I don't have the same fascination with what people refer to as "'80s music". That being said, I think everyone can get behind such hits as Love Shack and, thanks to Family Guy, Rock Lobster. I can tell you right now I did not stay for the whole set, and as a result I did not hear either of those songs. Even without those hits I can say that I still enjoyed myself. The B-52's brought a sort of manic psychedelia to their music that kept me interested. Well, at least until I had to get over to the BMI stage for The Heartless Bastards.

The Heartless Bastards:


This band, like Cotton Jones, was selected based on the description listed in the ACLMF program guide. Having set their roots in the same bluesy garage revival as The Black Keys (even on the same label), I could not ignore such a band. Front woman, Erika Wennerstrom, has a smoky voice that fits perfectly with bluesy rock churned out by Michael Wienel on lead guitar. I was somewhat impressed by what I heard, but not enough to seek them out. A good live band, but maybe in a smaller venue.

We were then supposed to see State Radio, splinter group of Dispatch, but were instead treated to Brett Dennen who had just been called up to do the Late Show with David Letterman. Dennen had a light playful sound that brought to mind Pat McGee or Jason Mraz with a little bit of an island vibe to it. It did not, however, hold our interest and we opted to stake out a spot for Arctic Monkeys.

Arctic Monkeys:


Now, I have been told that I have only listened to an inferior, more recent record, and therefore did not know of Arctic Monkey's true rock prowess. Even so, I felt that this would be a good place to find out their skills. Frontman, Alex Turner, has lots of witty banter and swagger that can be expected of a brit-rock lead. I feel however, that it just was not enough to carry the band. I enjoy brit-rock as much as the next guy, but it can get old, and as tired as I was, I needed more to get me excited. Eventually both Ryan and I grew tired and headed off to stake out a place to sit before Passion Pit.

Passion Pit:


Passion Pit opened for the Phoenix show in Central Park I saw two weeks earlier. I had grown to really enjoy their music since I had to choose between their show and a TV on the Radio show at 9:30 Club, and chose TV on the Radio (no regrets there). I find their music insanely happy and infectious, although the falsetto has been known to turn off others. The energy that the entire band brings to stage is incredible and has the crowd jumping moments after the first note is played. They started their set by allowing a concert attendee to read a poem he had written, a thoughtful gesture. Once the music began the over-sized balloons and glow sticks began flying. I found it odd, the same happened at the Central Park show, but the glow sticks did not have the same effect with the sun still out. Hopefully, in the coming year, their notoriety will grow after having played with Phoenix and their single, Sleepyhead, making its appearance in national commercials.

The Dead Weather:


The Dead Weather was both the day's "pleasant surprise" and "rock and roll" band. Although, I can't believe I wasn't expecting the show I got with a pedigree that includes the razor blade vocals of Alison Mossheart of the Kills, and the eponymous Jack White of the White Stripes. The music played by the Dead Weather is still in the style of the garage revival out of Detroit, but on a whole new level. I find it more intriguing that Jack White is on Drums. My friend Ryan put it best, "What is it like to be lead guitar for this band? Knowing that at any moment the drummer can just walk over and be like, 'No no no, let me show you how it's done'". Mossheart's vocals and attitude embody rock and roll as evidenced by her impromptu cigarette break held midstage as she lay in front of a fan. Instant classic.

Girl Talk:


I was concerned that the sun would not be down by 7:00 rendering a light show ineffective and the infamous mash-up artist known as Girl Talk's set at half power. Luckily the sun had indeed begun to set, and by the third song we were one gigantic dance party. This was like nothing I'd ever experienced. I take that back, I suppose I experienced the previous night with Ghostland Observatory, but I could not grasp the scope at Ghostland sheerly because I never took the time to look around me because of my 5-person dance party group members were all consuming. Since I attended this set alone, while Ryan sought out my much recommended Mighty Cone, I had the opportunity to look around at what must have been a 15,000-person dance party. My friend, Pete, told me that Girl Talk's set killed at Virgin Fest, but I could not conceive what seemed to be a club-friendly act doing well in the great wide open. How I was wrong. Girl Talk took music that I find obnoxious and ignorant mixed with music that I appreciated and poured auditory orgasm into my ears. Good Times had by all.

Pearl Jam:


If one needs any proof that the '90s have returned look no further than ultimate headliner for ACLMF 2009, Pearl Jam. Forget the fact that they are rock icons and likely the most noted band from my generation's high school years. Their music has stood the test of time and likely will. So it's easy to understand that even after immediately running toward the stage after Girl Talk's set, we were easily 3/4 of a mile from the stage the crowd was so huge. Pearl Jam was not playing opposite anyone else unlike the other headliners during the festival, so they had full command of the crowd. From where I was standing, the jumbotron screens were about the size of the screen on my iPod. That fact, in addition to our exhaustion made it reasonable in the heads of Ryan and I, that it was okay to listen to few songs, and leave early and get home and finally rest up. While I understand the significance of a band like Pearl Jam, and respect it, I was never a psycho fan for it. I'm slightly more aware than your average radio fan, so that's what I told myself as I shuffled (with a little shame mind you) my way toward the cab lines.

ACLMF Day Two: The Day of the Mud People or Pay Attention to Weather Reports

Day 2 at Zilker was a lesson to check in on the weather reports before going to the show. After having some complications with the cab, we headed off to Zilker. Had I checked the weather reports during this down time waiting for a cab, I would have found that a huge storm front was moving in for a long, cold, rainy day. I could have dressed in slightly more waterproof attire, and may have neglected to wear anything on my feet at all. My only consolation was knowing all the hipsters who had chosen to wear their woolen vests and dress pants with their patent leather shoes were absolutely miserable. But on with the day:

Deer Tick:


I have never seen Deer Tick live before, but I got almost exactly what I expected from this band. I already love the cigarette and whiskey abused voice of John McCauley. He greeted us with a simple declaration, "This is easily the earliest I've been awake in the last 3 months". I believed him; he looked like 10 miles of bad road, but still pulled it out to be an 11 o'clock set. Their set was even balance of Born on Flag Day and War Elephant and closed with a monster cover of La Bamba. They were the perfect hungover band to watch after waking up sore from an all day concert and hungover from a night of drinking afterwards (much thanks to the folks at New Belgium for their Fat Tire Ale).

We had no idea what to do with 12:00 hour, and wandered over to see the Virgins on the recommendation of a rando in the crowd. They were awful. Whiney pop punk infused with people more concerned with their image than the music they made. We hastily then made our way to get up close for the next act.

Cotton Jones:


Cotton Jones served as the day's "pleasant surprise" band. The Cumberland, Maryland natives came on stage with their soothing country-ish folk music. I did feel as though the lead singer, Michael Nau, tried his best to pick the most tattered t-shirt he could find. The female vocalist added a greater softness to the twang provided by Nau. The music was fit well with the early afternoon drizzle that had started over Zilker; it sounded both sad and cheerful at the same time. Overall a very good bad to watch, and I'd watch them again given a chance.

!!!:


I'll be honest, I had never heard of !!! before ACLMF, and half the reason I wanted to check them out was that I did not care for Mute Math whom Ryand and Clark were going to see; and that I wanted to know how one pronounced, !!! (chk, chk, chk). I was also pleasantly surprised (but not enough to award them with the title) with the amount of energy and attitude that they brought to the stage. By this time, it was pouring rain in the middle of the day so they still did not have the benefit of a light show and they still had people dancing and shaking their collective groove thang.

Grizzly Bear:


I have to admit that I think I was too amped up from !!!, to really appreciate Grizzly Bear. I attended the set on the recommendation of my little brother. Their brand of L0-Fi indie pop that seems to be the sound of half the bands coming out of Brooklyn these days was not enough to keep me interested in the pouring rain, and shortly after arriving I sought out sustenance at Austin Eats Food Court where I met my aforementioned love, The Mighty Cone.

Citizen Cope:


Clarence Greenwood or Citizen Cope has been a personal favorite of mine since my first year at college, and the opportunity to see him on a stage as large as this was too good an opportunity to pass up, even if staged opposite Flogging Molly. I waited nearly an hour in the pouring rain with some ACLMF veterans as we griped about the younger attendees rudely shoving their way to the front. When Cope took the stage, he was humble yet confident in his power to move the crowd. Admittedly, I was curious to see if his everpresent unofficial partner in crime, Alice Smith would also be in attendance. Sure enough, when the set reached 107 Degrees, Miss Smith took the stage and proceeded to fill all of Zilker with her voice. Mind blowing, really.

I tried finding my friends throughout the entire set of Bon Iver but was unable to really get a sense of the show. If I could say, it was probably one of my bigger regrets at ACLMF. Even more to the point, I didn't even find them given the entire set. Since Mos Def was late to take the stage, I decided to grab a fish taco at Austin Eats.

Mos Def:

I love Mos Def, probably more than most white people do. I've seen him twice before this; once at the Kennedy Center. That being said, I felt that Mos did not bring it to the show. Despite just recently releasing an album, The Ecstatic, it seemed that Mos Def's side project Amino Alkaline: The Watermelon Syndicate was the bigger influence on this show. He opened with an exorbitantly long drum solo, that just served as a large let down after having stood in the rain for over an hour. Mos was still able to bring "it" when "it" needed to be brought, belting out ridiculously well flowing lyrics.

I popped in on the first two songs by The Decemberists in an attempt to find my friend, Clark but to no avail. So, knowing that Austin natives Ghostland Observatory were headlining the AMD stage, I made my way to the sound booth to stake out a good spot just as I had for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. And like I "watched" Them Crooked Vultures, I got to see STS9 from the sound booth of the AMD stage, overlookin the Xbox 360 stage.

STS9:


I don't usually go in for instrumental music, but when it comes in the package that is delivered by STS9 I don't think anyone could stand still. They're unique blend of jazz/funk infused electronica coupled with a psychedelic light show was a perfect appetizer for the main course that was Ghostland Observatory. From the second they picked up their instruments, it was a 60 minute dance party worthy of any European club, except it was in a rain-soaked, muddy field.

Ghostland Observatory:

The Austin duo of Ghostland Observatory was easily the "rock and roll" band of the day. On top of the Floyd like laser show they used, frontman, Aaron Behrens acted with such swagger and raw rock and roll energy one found it hard to think of anything else but how fun this show was. Having just seen them, at 9:30 Club 3 weeks prior, I knew what I was getting into this time, and was prepared to dance my ass off. I chatted it up with a cute photographer who had been taking freelance pictures for her friend that day and compared notes. We were later joined by three enthusiastic girls for a 90-minute dance party that climaxed as the UT marching band joined them on stage for The Band Marches On. It was incredible. One minute the lights are down and the second they come up the entire band is on stage blaring out the song.

I shortly met up with my mud covered allies, and we taxied our asses home for some Home Slice and Fat Tires.

ACLMF Day One: A Study in Scope

Very briefly, my first day at ACLMF was shocking in scope alone. The size of Zilker was one of the biggest fields I've been to in my life. The crowds, were easily some of the biggest crowds I've seen barring inauguration. This may have been because Zilker is such an open area and expansive park, but it was if I could see everyone in attendance. Anyways, on with the show:

Blitzen Trapper:


I really didn't know much about Blitzen Trapper when I went to see him and it showed when I finally got there. He had some good moments but nothing really worth writing about. I do recall that the band looked exactly as I imagined them. I ended up leaving after 15 minutes so that I could get to the next band in time.

The Knux:


I had promised my friend Joanna (JoSoPhine of Washglob anonymity) that I would check out the Knux because she liked the free download of their song, Bang! Bang!, provided on the ACLMF e-mails. She was originally going to join us in balmy Austin; but ended up teaching young, svelte Spanish boys English instead. So as Jo's proxy I witnessed the event that was The Knux. I must say I was rather impressed by their energy. I've found that energy is essential at a show where a significant portion of the crowd have only heard one or two of your songs. That being said, The Knux possess a strong stage presence that includes audience participation, demonstrated dance moves, and witty stage banter. The music itself is funky guitar driven rap that I thoroughly enjoyed (I dled the album shortly after returning home).

The Avett Brothers:


The Avett Brothers were the "pleasant surprise" act of Day 1 at ACLMF. Promoting their new album, I and Love and You, The Avett Brothers were a huge contrast to the funky rap of The Knux. The music they played was soulful, wistful, playful and a whole lot of other -fuls. Their music was...full. Their distinct brand of alt country blended seamlessly country, bluegrass, and folk with some indie hooks; but they could also rock when needed. I remember several times being caught off guard by the ability of Scott Avett (vox, banjo, guitar) to scream/sing certain lyrics making you feel the force with which he feels what he's singing. Accompanied by a bassist and occasionally a cellist the two brothers were able to create a sound that filled our part of Zilker completely.

At this point we took a break for lunch because frankly The Walkmen and Dr. Dog while good, were not that high on our priority lists considering that we were starving and ready to devour small children walking without a parental escort. I chowed down on some kebabs from somewhere in the food court and was very impressed with how moist the meat was, although off-put by the addition of potatoes to the kebab. They would have been good were they the texture of roast potatoes, but these chunky tough morsels were fingered to the ground. After we ate and refilled our water bottles, we returned to the music:

Phoenix:
There's not much to be said about the Parisian Alt Rockers that hasn't already been said. Having just seen them not two weeks before in Central Park, I was still impressed. Though their set was dramatically truncated from their Central Park show, the band was able to dole out a generous portion of very danceable rock for all to enjoy. It reinforced my need to inform my little brother to get their music any way he could (only to have him tell me I was right a few months later by thanking the Shazam app and Cadillac). I thought it funny that they refer to the "soul clap" as "the Prince clap", big up to Prince or the Artist or whatever he's calling himself now for managing to stay relevant to someone (I kid, I love Prince). They closed with 1901 and drove the crowd crazy and left them wanting more. I was impressed they got people moving that much in the middle of the day like that. It's hard to do at a festival show, and Phoenix proved themselves to be great showmen.

Raphael Saadiq:


Speaking of showmen, Raphael Saadiq, former frontman to 90's R&B group, Tony! Toni! Toné!, was a close runner up for "rock and roll" band of the day. I understand that it's hard to picture how the newly branded Neo-Soul artist as a rock star just by thinking about the words together. But picture those old soul music shows with their matching costumes, dancing, and spectacle. Raphael Saadiq embodied all these things as he took a small section of Zilker back to a simpler time when people were just concerned about people accidentally stepping on their new shoes as they went to the club for the night. He has fully embraced the Neo-Soul movement and belts out great songs from his new album such as 100 Yard Dash and Love That Girl. He even pulled out a (forgive the pun) "pearl" when he reprised his duet with 90's R&B star, Lucy Pearl, Dance Tonight. And oh, how we did.

John Legend:


The eponymous John Legend did not disappoint for what I was able to see of him. He started his set in the aisle that led from the sound stage to the main stage with an acapella cover of Redemption Song. I stayed for three or four hits off of Let's Get Lifted, which were phenomenal. This man is truly the next Marvin Gaye. That being said, I was hungry and left early to find food.

I found sustenance in a pulled pork sandwich from the famous Stubb's, which as Ryan had warned me, was nothing special. Perhaps it merits a trip to the actual establishment to check if it was just the festival conditions that made for a ho-hum sandwich; but that's for a future trip, and we still had more sets to see:

Andrew Bird:


A one-time member and perennial favorite featured artist for the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Andrew Bird's solo career has really started to take off. Even though he's still referred to as, "That-guy-who-does-that-whistling-song", Andrew Bird's extremely mellow chamber pop is something to behold. I was lucky to catch two or three songs after dinner before running off to get set up for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs set.

Them Crooked Vultures:


As someone who considers himself somewhat savvy when it comes to music, I must admit my complete ignorance of the formation of what can only be called the rock-super-group, Them Crooked Vultures. Comprised of drummer, Dave Grohl; keyboardist and bassist John Paul Jones; and vocalist/lead guitarist Josh Homme, Them Crooked Vultures provided some of the loudest rock I heard throughout the entire festival. I did not actually get to see them, as I was located at a close by stage getting in position for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs; but I heard the entire show and dled the album as soon as I could.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs:


The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were, fittingly, the "rock and roll" band of the day. Instead of seeing Kings of Leon with my friends (I think they sound like the band that kicked Jack Black out in the beginning of School of Rock), I chose to post up by the other stage and watch a band that I had heard a lot about in terms of their live show. I was certainly not disappointed. The stage was decked out in a large hypnotic spiral emanating from a gigantic eye hanging from the middle of the stage. Lead singer, Karen O came out on stage in what I could only describe as a Native American kimono out of the mind of David Bowie. A single light illuminates her from above as she began gently with Runaway off of It's Blitz! which eventually kicked into high gear and revved up into the rest of the show providing its attendees with the heavy danceable rock for which they are known. The concert was complete with costume changes an incredible light show and very "rock star" moments like Karen O swallowing the whole mic and screaming. After their encore, she just repeatedly swung and slammed her mic into the stage...so punk rock...I think I was in love for one hot second.

ACLMF

So, it's definitely taken awhile for me to get this up and running, but hopefully I'll be writing more regularly for real this time. I'm starting to regulate my schedule a little better and caring less and less about work, so I think I'm going to be spending more time goofing off (read as blogging, reading, and playing video games).

Now that you've granted me this small bit of self-indulgent personal life bullshit, let's get on with the dishing.

As I said in the previous blog, I visited Austin, and the main reason for me doing so was to attend the Austin City Limits Music Festival or ACLMF. What I didn't know until my arrival was that this was actually different from the Austin City Limits that I had grown up watching on PBS. The ACL concert series is a series of concerts that began filming in 1976 and take place on campus at the University of Texas at Austin complete with a mock image of Austin's skyline. The ACLMF takes place in Zilker Park and is now counted amongst the country's premier music festivals.

My personal preparations for the festival were relatively simple. Upon arrival I spoke with my friend Ryan (thanks for letting me crash at your pad) about how we were going to work the schedule. He informed me that the website (which I had failed to check since I bought the tickets back in June or whenever) had a tool where one could simply look through the schedule of bands and highlight the bands you want to see. He showed me how the iPhone even had an application that showed you the schedule of bands (p.s. ACLMF iPhone app, please be clearer about who's on what stage). We discussed what we wanted to see but really didn't do anything until the next morning.

After waking up slightly hungover from the previous night's craziness at Midnight Rodeo, we looked through the schedule of the day and blocked out which bands we would see at each stage. It was agreed that Zilker was too far for us to walk there, so we called very early for a taxi. Due to complications with Ryan's friend showing up late, we had to drive into the city and grab one of the convenient shuttles to Zilker. As pulled into the parking lot, it was stunning to see how many people rode their bikes to the event. The articles I had read on the internet boasted the show topping out between 60,000 and 70,000 guests; and it looked like half of them biked there. The stage setup was great, very easy to flow from one act to another and very rarely was I forced to choose between two bands resulting in only seeing half a set the entire weekend.

The things I noticed immediately were the enormous amount of flags that were being held by groups, which in hindsight is super-smart. If you're going to be in a sea of people, it makes sense to bring a mobile landmark that will readily identify you. It looked like a scene out of Braveheart, except you had different factions of music lovers instead of Scots.

One of the cool things I really enjoyed about the concert series as a whole was the keen attention to supporting the local commerce. There were local vendors comprising a very interesting outdoor mall. The Austin Eats food court was comprised entirely of local eateries and restaurant. I made a point to eat at a different stand each meal so that I could sample as much of the local eats as possible.



All things equal, I found the food from the Mighty Cone to be the best of the bunch. This was evidenced by the line of hungry, eager patrons that stretched nearly a quarter mile. The mighty cone was essentially a soft taco served in a snowcone paper cone. Your tortilla went in first accompanied by either chicken, shrimp or both; coleslaw; and fried avocado should you elect to add it; and two distinct yet complimentary sauces. I'm not sure what they were exactly, although one was definitely some sort of southwestern ranch while the other had a sweetness and salitness suggestive of some kind of Asian soy-based sauce. Delicious either way.


An interesting phenomenon occurred as well. Each day had what I started referring to as a "pleasant surprise" act. These were bands that we had scheduled to see even though we were not familiar with their work; and when we arrived we were pleasantly surprised by how great they were. Each day also had a band that just seemed to exemplify what rock and roll really means to me in my mind. The showmanship, the attitude, you all know what I'm talking about.

The crowd was way different from any other festival show I've attended. I don't know if this is a function of the show taking place out West, or if it was unique to ACLMF, but the crowd was incredibly nice to one another. There were tens of thousands of people there but moving through the crowd was simple and easy. For the most part pushing and shoving didn't really happen (although there were a few youngsters who "just had to be up front" that annoyed the older heads in the crowd). Everyone was willing to share just about anything from food to drinks to drugs (none for me thanks, I'm high on life, Arthur). The swaying, collapsing crowds of the HFStivals of my youth were nowhere to be seen or be crushed under.

One weird thing, I mentioned above how readily drugs were being circulated throughout the concert. It may just be me in my advancing age, but I have never seen kids this young doing drugs like this. I wanted to threaten to "beat them up for their lunch mon-I er mean your drugs..." or threaten to text pictures of them to their parents. Yikes a whole other topic for a whole other day.

All in all, ACLMF was everything I'd hoped it be and more. I'm not sure if I could afford it if I didn't have a friend with whom I could stay; but should you still be out there, Ryan I'm coming back in 2010!

If You Can't Stand the Heat

I really didn't know what to expect from Austin when I touched down at the airport last week. When I had left DC it was a sunny day with a brisk breeze sweeping through the area. I arrived on time at the airport and as soon as I stepped from the plane into that metal hallway/boarding deck thing I was immediately hit in the face with heat I had not been familiar with in over a month.

I told my friend who picked me up, "I left DC in brisk, jacket weather only to punched in the face with hot fart weather." He chuckled and let me know that this is actually much better than it had been during the summer (duh). He told me that there were long stretches of days where the mercury didn't fall beneath 100 degrees.


A mere 5-10 minutes later we arrived at his apartment, conveniently located about a mile from the hip area of town located on South Congress St. (SoCo to the locals). If you've been, I'd equate it to the Cary Town part of Richmond with its funky little shops peddling their equally funky chotchkies and small hole-in-the wall eateries. I unpacked my things and greeted his sister upon her arrival. We exchanged our hello's before she had to leave for work. Looking for a bite to eat, she suggested a local TexMex joint with good happy hour specials, Chuy's. Instead we hit a NY Style pizzeria cleverly named "Home Slice". Along with cheap beers and cheap pizzas, the restaurant itself was a well designed space with innumerable band postings by their front door, and great artwork everywhere else.

Austin is an interesting town to say the least. Their shirts advise to, "Keep Austin Weird"; but I see it more like "Keep Austin Real". This area seems to be more genuine than the places I frequent. I don't see people feeling the need to put themselves into categories the way the seem to in DC (whether intentionally or not). People just seem to like what they like regardless if some indie kid is supposed to like, or even be aware of the latest release from Taylor Swift. This is apparent at Home Slice as I peoplewatch and see aging hipsters dining with young post punks, emo kids in their skinny jeans eating with hippies in their tie-dyed glory. This phenomena is made crystal clear when we are invited to go drinking at Midnight Rodeo a local watering hole.

The bar looks to be a converted roller disco from the looks of the oval dance floored lined with bar rails. Again, I see an interesting mix of ancient cowboys swirling about the floor with sorority girls there for their 21st birthdays, butch lesbians airstepping with their dates in ways I will never hope to achieve. Another thing becomes apparent. No matter who you are in Texas, you love to fucking dance. And I'm not talking about dancing like the half-assed swaying and nodding your head seen at most clubs with the aloof hipster crowd. I'm talking full on twirly-whirly spin your girl with the most complex kinds of pirouettes one could imagine. And like I said, it's not just the aging cowboys; it's self-styled hip-hop Asian teens, Larry-the-Cable-Guy-looking dudes, hipsters, and butch lesbian types.

All in all what I understand about Austin, is that the people are cool and super friendly. The food is incredible and the support of local business is strong. The local commerce is just as interesting and unique as the people who live and thrive here. All in all the perfect place to call home for a kid caught between social circles as I often was/am. That is, if I can get past this heat...

Stay tuned for reviews of ACL Music Festival.

Listening to Cake, and Eating it Too

Now, I've seen Cake in concert before. It was an incredible show at DAR Constitution Hall with two opening bands, Brazilian Girls and a singer/songwriter whose name I don't recall. By some incredible turn of events, we were even in the front row. That, being said, their recent show at 9:30 Club has now snuck its way into my top 5 concerts ever. It certainly helps that Cake is now also in my top 5 favorite bands.

Cake, for those of you who don't know, had that huge hit back in the 90's, The Distance. Since then, they have put out about one or two hit songs per album (now totaling 6 released stateside). Personally, I love their sound which is unique to the band, blending elements of ska, country, rock, and jazz. You hear a Cake song, and instantly know it's Cake (with the exception of maybe Jolene off of Motorcade of Generosity).


On top of the great music, the 9:30 Club debuted (rather appropriately, I might add) their new cupcakes. Done up to be a fancy version of the popular Hostess Cupcakes, these cupcakes boast a thick head of chocolate ganache with a fantastic buttercream filling.

Lead singer, John McCrea not only provides the recognizable "Hey's" and "Yah's" but is truly a band leader conducting not only the other band members but the audience in what might be some of the best audience participation one could experience at a show. Like at Constitution Hall, McCrea engaged the audience in competitive sing-a-longs making comparison of "the have's and the have not's", "the winners and the losers", ""those who are worthwhile and those who just coast by on the efforts of others". McCrea has this way of saying things where it leads me to believe that he's doing things mostly for his amusement in a Kaufmanesque inside joke. Extremely charismatic, McCrea has great banter and snarky remarks reserved for overenthusiastic viewers who might ruin the experience for others. This was readily apparent in the band's custom of giving away a tree to a lucky concert goer that can answer a trivia question. McCrea scanned the audience looking for someone "that is quiet, and gazing at me with intensity. So if you're yelling at me? I'm not going to call on you."

John McCrea was not alone in his musical excellence. Vince DiFiore provided a show of his own with incredible trumpeting and synth work. Half of the group I came with was standing near the front in front of the lead guitarist, while a few of my other friends and I were gathered in front of Vince. During intermission, I convinced the remainder of my group to come over to watch the jazz heavy solos. Vince also provides excellent background vocals and even came to the fore for one song. Bassist Gabe Nelson provides some of the most underrated bass solos I've had the pleasure of watching/hearing.

The band played for nearly an hour and a half for the first portion of the night with about half an hour for the second portion followed by two encores. The band played three new songs from a forth coming album. McCrea informed the audience that they can release it on their own schedule given that they have separated from their record label; joining the growing ranks of popular musicians who are moving to independent publishing. Between the great snacks, the extremely intimate venue I don't think I could have asked for a better first experience at the 9:30 Club for my friends.

First post

I don't know why I'm starting another blog when I can't even post regularly on Washglob. I guess because I have a specific style I want to use on that blog and that mood doesn't always strike as frequently as I feel bored enough to write. Right now, I believe that I will just comment on things regardless if I feel if they've already been reviewed. I guess I'll just be one more person putting out their meaningless thoughts out into the void, but it's a void, right? Can't get much worse.