What?? That sounds serious....well my friends, it is.
Rewind back to February, when I anxiously awaited seeing the musical mega masterpiece that is Broken Social Scene....I talked about it for months. Only to be taken down by half of a bottle of Sweet Tea Vodka as Kevin Drew took the stage....then woke up at 6 the next morning with a frantic, "What the hell happened???" I've been bummed out since the blackout, because I never do that for a show and also made the man friend bail with me....but really folks, he was the STV enabler.
Yeah...I barely remember this...
A half of a year has passed since the incident, I've become very experienced with the Sweet Tea Vodka, and Broken Social Scene are coming back to Houston on August 8th!!!! It's a two-day festival hosted by Free Press Houston on Buffalo Bayou near downtown...and the ticket prices are 10 measly bucks a day! Accompanying the Canadian supergroup for this weekend of awesomeness will be Of Montreal, The Octopus Project, What Made Milwakee Famous (I did!! ...jokes, jokes), and Austin's own Explosions in the Sky!
I highly recommend that you go, drink your Sweet Tea Vodka cautiously, and party your sweaty lil bayou butt off!
For all of you loyal ACLfestivallers who have been wondering, "When the HECK is ACL going to put the passes on sale???" Well fine folks, your question has finally been answered. With extremely little notice, the tickets will go on sale TOMORROW! This is for the early bird pricing...although I'm not exactly what that even entails. I suppose they wanted the early birds to also be the www.aclfestival.com site stalkers since no emails were sent out to those of us on the dist list.
This weekend's invasion of Austin and SXSW-crashing by the man friend and I was quite a success!! I am going share my insider tips of the trade, even though they were completely accidental...everything just happened upon us! We saw the best bands, drank the best drinks, ate the best food, and we did it ridiculously cheap. I'll give you the play-by-play...introduce you to some newly coined terms...and teach you some lessons. Keep in mind that these learnings can be leveraged for use at other festivals and the like.
Friday, March 20th
We start the day by getting our game plan together, looking at the bike routes, and hitting Highway 290 all the way to Austin...listening to the tunes of Yo La Tengo (no they weren't playing at the fest...but we're getting excited about Pitchfork Fest over the summer).
We rolled into the north side of the city to the 29th Street park entrance to the bike trail. This trail follows Shoal Creek all the way to Towne Lake. Parking lot, check...signs along the path leading us in the right direction, check...hip waders to traverse the creek with my bike, damn I forgot those! Good thing I was a tom boy when I was young...my stone steppin' abilities definitely came into play. Fifteen minutes later, we were cruisin' down 4th Street in the midst of the festival. After the bikes were well secured, we wandered into Cedar Street for the Filter Magazine's free daytime party...we didn't recognize any bands on the list until later in the afternoon so we got our wristband and walked around to find sustenance and cold beer. We hiked up Congress to Hickory Street for their $3 pints, unlimited salad/baked potato/sundae bar, and delicious phillycheesesteak!
Tip #1: Individually wrapped cornbreads from the salad bar fit well into a backpack for drunken noshing. Tip #2: Bring a backpack...it doesn't get checked....ANYWHERE. And personal water bottles for that matter...
We paid our tab just in time to mosey back to Cedar Street for the Late of the Pier and Razorlight shows. LOTP was a Britishelectro group and creepily entertaining to watch. The lead singer gets bonus points for his mid-song fight with the bouncer and return to the mic/guitar promptly after taking some swings. Razorlight also put on a good show...but after a couple of stiff drinks we knew it was time to finally check into our hotel.
Late of the Pier
Razorlight
Tip #3: Go to a Specs Liquor Store (before 9pm) and pick up your clear liquor of choice, a couple of bottles of your mixer, and a bottle of water. Drink some of the mixer, pour in your desired amount of booze, drink the water, then pour the rest of the booze in the water bottle. This should be adequate for getting two people tipsy.
Tip #4: Park by Shoal Creek/10th Street and walk or bike to the fest...it's easy!!
After our trip to Specs and such, we parked by Shoal Creek and made the short walk back to Cedar Street for Canada's Bedouin Soundclash, Peter Bjorn & John, and Grizzly Bear. We had great views from our free sidewalk location...sippin' on some Coke Zero (w/ Cruzan rum) and eating taco's from theCasa Del Fuego...it was magical. Bedouin put on a terrific show...they had horns and brought me back to my ska days.
Then the old SXSW officials started cracking down on the growing sidewalk audience. The cops even laughed at how they couldn't do anything, but we moved out of the way and onto the street. What made me more pissed than anything was seeing those of us who really wanted to hear the band being pushed into the street and people in the douchebadge line who couldn't care less saying things like "Ha...look at all these people without badges" accompanied by a smirk no less. This is when we started using the term, Douchebadge = one who has money for a badge but unworthy of actually putting it to use. This jerk was stuck on the street with the rest of us, but in a line. Which leads me to the next tip...
Tip #5: Badges are useless unless they are free and platinum...and don't even think about buying a wristband, it's a waste of your money. SXSW is a caste system...higher rankings get first priority. It's not worth it.
Peter Bjorn and John didn't play a single thing from their last album and only a few of the new songs are actually decent. Some of the new stuff is a lot darker...and not as enjoyable. The bottle of rum was gone by this point so we ventured back to our hotel to eat the cornbread reserves and rest up for day two.
Day one was definitely a success! We saw a couple of celebs....the people watching was just unreal!
Saturday, March 21st
This day wasn't even going to happen. We had tickets to see Andrew Bird at the Houston HOB that night, but after seeing that Explosions in the Sky were playing a free show, we had make the gametime call to stay for another night. (Thank you Nikole for watching Mallory at the last minute!)
With a slight looming hangover, I had to get my head (and stomach) right for another full day of musical madness! This required a visit to Kerbey Lane Cafe before even thinking about heading to downtown. We dined on huge pancakes (their's are quite possibly the best I've ever had), omelets (mine was roasted chicken with verde salsa, the MF had his stuffed with cheese, homefries, and other good things)...but the two bloody mary's saved my life. KLC makes theirs with a spicy infused vodka that gets your game face back on. It was time to park the car and bike it back down to get in line for Rachael Ray's party at Maggie Mae's!
Tip #6: Eat at Kerbey Lane Cafe on Kerbey Lane...its wonderful! I want to go to there...again....soon.
Our plans were put to a halt when we saw the line for the buzzworthy event was wrapped way way way way around the block. Hell no! The Blind Pig is the pub next door, it has an open rooftop which is next to the open rooftop at Maggie Mae's and there wasn't much of anything going on there...hmmm...no brainer! We envisioned hours of sitting above 6th Street watching the SXSVesters (these are cool cats with black vests...the coolest of which do not even need a shirt under the vest. It's usually accompanied by some sort of stylish hat. Indie fashion icons before my eyes!), drink some beers in the sun, and listen to the bands as they play next door. This didn't play so well in our favor once bands started jamming on our rooftop. So much for eavesdropping...we needed another plan. With four hours of liquid courage in me and upon hearing one of the MF's favorite bands start their set, I looked at him and said..."alright, lets jump the fence". With a huge grin on his face (and I'm sure he was shocked and proud of me for actually breaking the rules...not to mention on the second story of a building) he handed me his bag and jumped in to the 30 Minute Mealer's bash...all the while, having his foot on my finger while making the climb. Thankfully it wasn't broken! An old man looked me in the eye and told me to "please be careful", then I made the hop to the other side. Our two friends were also successful...one had a war wound, a pulled leg muscle, but that's just the price you pay to sneak into a free party to watch The Hold Steady! They put on a rockin' set!! The crowd was dancing, singing along, drinking heavily...it really was magical and we were right by the stage. Rachael Ray came out to thank everyone at the end...and we left through the front door. It felt great to be a rebel!!
Tip #7: Have NO shame in being resourceful! Use your surroundings and the weaknesses of others to do whatcha gotta do. Any wall can be climbed if no one is looking, any door man can be bought for at least $20, and no one looks at the picture on the badge.
Tip #8: Don't park your bike on a motorized gate...I lost a brake. It's a bad decision...don't do it.
Our drunken bike ride from Maggie Mae's to the free shows on Lady Bird Lake took no time at all...and just as the rest of the weekend occurred, we accidentally ended up in all of the right places at the right time. Perhaps the music gods were with us...and we were definitely worthy of it. We parked our bikes at the bike valet, which I've never heard of, but am I huge fan of now. Bike valets should be present at more places, because it was a very efficient and safe way to store your bike.
Tip #9: Keep your water bottle inside of your bag. They don't check, and if they don't see it, then you don't need to empty it out.
We were STARVING! With all of the fence hopping, we didn't get the free yumm-O grub from RR's shindig....so we spotted a BBQ trailer and made a B-line towards it. The trailer was made out of wood, so it had to be legit, right? After obtaining an order of BBQ nachos (yea...you read that correctly), a pulled pork sammich, and two overpriced daiquiris, we headed to the stage...and walked directly in front. Done and done! With only one act before Explosions in the Sky took the stage, we were holding our ground till showtime!
Eryka Badu and her new beatmakers, The Cannabinoids, opened for EITS and they were pretty good. Eryka Badu was late due to some stalker complications...got boo'd...and sang a couple of songs. Nothing to really write about...it was, meh.
Then, magic happened. The humble and brilliant members of Explosions in the Sky walked on stage. They looked completely shocked at how many people were there (I still have no idea how large the crowd was...but I would say thousands!)...they took their instruments and made their beautiful music right before my eyes. The set list, the Austin skyline in the background, the weather, the intensity with which they performed, the expressions on everyone's faces, the person I was able to experience it with....were all nothing less than perfect. Then, perfection was surpassed....during the last song, while listening to EITS...there were actually explosions in the sky! I'm referring to the awe-inspiring surprise fireworks display across the lake from the stage. There were no words to describe...it was the most stunning thing I've ever experienced and I didn't want it to end. I've looked forward to seeing them for so long...and to see them for free, up-close, in Austin, and with a fireworks display...it's still unbelievable. I'm so glad that we stayed to be a part of that.
After the bike ride back to the car, the only thing I could do was listen to more Explosions, eat some ice cream and put myself to bed. I was overwhelmed and spent from the most spontaneous and enjoyable days on record. I can't wait for 2010!!
Tip #10: The Arboretum area isn't far from downtown and is much cheaper. Besides, you don't have to deal with all of that traffic on I-35! But if you do have a place to stay downtown...I highly recommend that instead, of course. Also, Courtyard by Marriott has a pretty tasty continental breakfast, and it's free on the weekends. MMMmmm...waffles shaped like Texas.
NOTE: CHECK BACK! I'M GOING TO PUT UP VIDS, PICS AND MORE TIPS!!!
This weekend, the stage at Houston's Continental Club will be blessed with the performances of two amazing bands. Friday night New Orleans' own Big Sam's Funky Nation will be jammin' out with their funky selves and Saturday night, Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights will take the stage. These are two of my favorite surprise opening acts of 2008.
I caught Big Sam for the first time in the middle of the day at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Jazz Fest to those in the know, and it was Dance Party USA. In August, I had to drag some friends to see them at the Continental Club...and I had to drag those same friends out of the bar because they were having way too much fun!! I also took my little brother to see them at the Blue Nile on Frenchman Street in NOLA, and he had a blast. There were even random trumpet players coming into the club from off of the street to jam out on stage. Big Sam looks is always stylin' and profilin' while dancin' around in his sunglasses, and playing the trombone...and the rest of the band definitely knows how to get funky! If you're up for gettin' your dance on this Friday, that's the place to be. I'm always a fan of hearing music from my beloved New Orleans in Houston!
Speaking of getting your dance on....Jonathan Tyler and crew are also a must-see at the Main Street venue. I caught these guys before the O.A.R. show at Warehouse Live in April and was blown away by their performance. We purchased their CD and its fun and funky....if you're a fan of anything with a steel guitar and you're a jammer...then you will most definitely dig these guys. They will be opening up for JJ Grey in early 2009 at several House of Blues across the south, Houston included. The tracks "Gypsy Woman" and "She's From the Other Side" are catchy and if you can't find a way to dance to them, then you need to get some boogie shoes.
My fellow yoga ninja in training, Nikole, our yoga ninja master, Mandy, and myself have started a weekly ritual of enjoying a tasty froyo from Swirll. It's big fun...we sweat our butts off for a couple of hours and indulge in yogurty goodness for anywhere between $6-9...well worth it.
The first time we went, we were sitting outside partaking in some excellent girl talk....when out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy doing flips back and forth along the sidewalk. He was a cute and petit little guy and for about 5 minutes entertained us with roundoffs, flipflops, walking on his hands, and even a little bit of breakdancing. We were speechless. Then, just as quickly, he got in his mom's corolla (she had been parked while he was putting on the show), rolled down the window and waved, and then they drove off. The three of us let out a collective, "WTF?" and a "Did that just happen?" Yeah it did...it was weird..but I thought for sure it was a one-time act of randomness.
Low and behold, same time, same place last week...the kid is back. We had more witnesses with us this time, so we knew we weren't crazy. We cheered him on. Then we asked his name...it was Nigel...of course. He is in gymnastics and apparently just wanted to do some flips. When a friend's husband said he could show him some new tricks, Nigel said "I don't NEEEEED any new tricks" So said husband sat back down....only to be assaulted by little 8-year old Nigel moments later.
Nigel walked up to the hubby, grabbed his shoulder and said "Don't make me have to tell you to move!!!" He had the most serious look on his face and clearly he was not joking...I was honestly a bit scared of the kid.
Nigel may be performing randomly at a Swirll near you...but watch out, he's feisty! Just let him do his thang and get back in the car. He accepts applause, but that's about it. Best of luck kiddo.
The Voodoo Music Experience lineup is out! Unlike last year, I will not miss the festivities. This is the tenth anniversary of the fest, so they are referring to it as The Tenth Ritual. Check out more online: www.thetenthritual.com
Highlights of the lineup include:
JUST ADDED: Lil' Wayne (Hells yeah! Done and DONE!)
Stone Temple Pilots (C'mon, what 80s baby doesn't want to see STP??)
Deathcab for Cutie (yes I need to see them a third time)
DeVotchKa
Cold War Kids (saw them at ACL last year and loved them!)
Lupe Fiasco (duh)
Thievery Corporation
Ghostland Observatory
Joseph Arthur
Tokyo Police Club (yay!)
Ozomatli w/ Chali 2Na (They rocked at Jazz Fest..need to see them again!)
Big Sam's Funky Nation (they put on a TERRIFIC SHOW)
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
I will be purchasing tickets for the fest.
New Orleans, October 24, 25 & 26th...why WOULDN'T you go? I'm in for getting a hotel...anyone else???
Tonight is Game 6 in the Hornets vs. Spurs semi-finals...and I will be glued to the TV at my favorite local watering hole to cheer the bees onto victory! I'm not used to this much excitement during the spring. This is when I start counting down the days till football season begins. Lets hope this GENIUS is there! I still can't believe they took his Eva Longoria poster away after poor Frenchy Parker missed both free throws.
The Soul Rebel Brass Band has put out the Hornets "Fan Up New Orleans" theme song on their MySpace page. It's so good, that I'll probably go check them out live the next time I'm in NOLA.
The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) is having a Cajun Day and Hornets Day on Saturday, May 17th. This will feature Louisiana's own Blue Dog man George Rodrigue, Hugo and the Honeybees (I know Kent will enjoy that!). Free Cajun dance lessons at 1pm and great Cajun music in the WaldaBesthoff Sculpture Garden. I wish I were in town for this!
Best of luck to the Hornets tonight and I'll have my Peja on a Stick ready!
It's official and the countdown till 3 days of pure musical bliss is ON! Upon first glance, I was a little worried....but after looking at the complete list....I'm beyond excited!! Let's just hope that there are no stints in rehab, anxiety issues or illnesses during the last weekend of September.
Stars (My favorite band at the moment...love them LOOOOVE THEM!)
Foo Fighters
Beck
The Raconteurs
Gnarls Barkley
Conor Oberst
N.E.R.D.
Tegan & SAra
Iron & Wine (!!!!!)
Band Of Horses (Soooo excited about finally seeing them!)
The Swell Season (For those of you who have seen and love the movie "Once"...yeah...it's THEM!)
Okkervil River
HOT CHIP (I'm gonna dance my butt off just like LCD Soundsystem last year!)
Duffy (She sounds like Amy Winehouse, minus the crack addiction)
Jose Gonzales
Jamie Lidell
MGMT
M. Ward
Yeasayer
Louis XIV
CITY & COLOUR (Their live tracks rock...can't wait to see them in person!)
Okay...so I know that I probably won't be able to see every single act, but I'm going to give it a shot. Last year I thought I would be the only crazy one with a highlighted & printed out schedule...nope....there were lots of other crazy people there doing the same thing. Now I just need to book our awesome hotel that supplied us with candy to take to the fest....and fresh baked cookies for us every night when we got back! Best hotel ever....
Who are you looking forward to seeing....and who's comin' to party with the Brandie, Richie and Jesse crew??
"Ain't no party like the ACL party, cuz the ACL party don't stop!" - The Gospel Singers at the 2007 Fest
Thursday night some fellow lover's of live music joined me for the G. Love show at Warehouse Live in Houston. This includes Charlie who had no idea who G. Love was, but took my advice that this was a yearly show that you simply do not miss. Of all of the concerts I attended in 2007, G. Love definitely stands out as the one that I had the most fun at. I think Charlie was happy with his decision...even if it meant paying the not so "convenient" charges from T-Master.
Tristan Prettyman opened for the Philly freestyler. I had heard some of her tunes on XM and remember liking them, but I definitely could not name or pick out any of her tunes if I heard 'em. I distinctly remember thinking...hmmm...Tristan Prettyman? Name sounds like a dudes and she's obviously a chick. Cool name though. Her voice was amazing and I'm always impressed with (and slightly jealous of) any cute chick with a guitar. She has a voice similar to that of the poppy Colbie Callait (who I also am a fan of...can't get tired of that "Bubbly" song) and the looks of Jessica Beal. Charlie did not have his glasses...but when I threw out J. Beal's name...he said, "Ooooh! Tristan's hot!" Lucky for him, he got to meet her after the show and actually see her up close. She was a sweetheart and was dressed totally cute...I'll be checking out her music and wardrobe choices in the near future.
After singing along with some Modest Mouse and Beck between sets, G. Love and the Special Sauce was ready to jam. I think I was the only one in our group who had seen him live and warned everyone that they had better get ready to shake their booties. We all did...and had a blast. G played all of his good stuff...Rodeo Clowns (sans Jack J...boo...but still good), Baby's Got Sauce (in true jam band fashion), and Cold Beverages (it just cracks me up). He also did some sweet freestylin' and I love his harmonica and beatbox skills! Great great show!!
The only rant that I have was that it could've been a little louder. One of the guys in our crew was talking (mind you, we were VERY close to the stage) and some rude chick said, "Hey can you keep it down, I can't here the music!" Chill out sistah!!!
Five hours after the show, I was prepping for my flight to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras Half-Marathon on Sunday. Yes, I know it's not Mardi Gras anymore...but the race is already titled as such and the actual holiday was abnormally early this year. I'm getting nervous about my 13.1 mile trek through the streets of the Crescent City....wish me luck!!!
This past Saturday, I happened to be fortunate enough to get a ticket to Barack Obama's rally at the Toyota Center. I knew it was going to be a big deal and that I was super excited about it...within 15 minutes I had purchased Radiohead tickets and obtained my free pass to hear 'the man' himself speak. I was completely beside myself and almost started doing laps around my living room. But really...I had no idea how huge this event was actually going to be.
Monday I started getting my Obama-mail about how people were going to get there super early to stand in line (of course it was general admission) which made me start to get slightly paranoid. So my work day was slow and I made a game-time decision to take a couple of vacation hours to hold my spot in line. Luckily, my friend Jordan managed to get a ticket from a very gracious person...so not only did I have someone to go with, but Jordan LOVES Barack and is extremely fun. I knew that good times were ahead...
I pulled up to the Toyota Center about 4 and yelled to the cabbie, "Yo holmes, smell ya later!" Okay, so I'm not the Fresh Prince...but I did decide to cab it for sanity purposes and the place was ridiculous. It was like the Superbowl...every media truck was lined up outside, helicopters were circling, tents were set up for radio stations, food vendors, THOUSANDS of people....madness. The demographic was all over the board...every color and age...there were hippies sitting next to young professionals in suits. I was fortunate to be towards the front of the ticket holder line and had the pleasure of standing by the Praise 92.1 tent for 2 whole hours. When Jordan texted me to find out where I was, I replied "Just follow the soulful sounds of DJ Revelation"...his reply "I'll bring booze!"
So we entered and I'll spare the details, but two hugs from J to random event volunteers and a couple of little white lies later, we were sitting in the VIP section! We decided to forego the crazy food lines and go straight to the bar, where we obtained our libations of choice...doubles of course. I have to say, the pre-rally events were not at all what I expected. There was a band playing with the most fabulous costumes I've ever seen...they were covered in sequins and played the best KC & The Sunshine Band hits. So for over two hours, we danced, made some friends and found out that Obama had won Wisconsin! (Thanks Francis!!) Then...it was show-time!
Once Will.I.Am's "Yes We Can" video started playing and the lights dimmed, we definitely got FIRED UP! Then he took the stage. Barack's speech was as eloquent as ever and I'll spare the details and my opinions, because no one really cares what I think and you can watch for yourself on CNN.com. I will say that he was so passionate that I damn near yelled out an "Amen", but perhaps that was just the Praise 92.1 talking.
I now understand why all of those people are so excited for rallies. When everyone is sitting around basically "tailgating" for hours before the actual speech, you tend to be a little more excited than usual. Hey...it works for sporting events!
Last night my kickball team, Balls & Dolls, had just lost our first two games of the season and since I had to wake up early to drive back to New Orleans, I opted out of drinking away my sorrows with pitchers of beer. I had fully intended to go home, walk the dog and go to bed...when I received a text message saying "Bravery isn't going on until 10:30". I had already accepted the fact that any Thursday night concerts would not be possible during kickball season (it's a serious sport....trust me) so I just sent back a "No thanks". Then the reply was "No drinks and straight home...you only live once"...a couple more convincing texts later, I was in the shower getting ready to rock out.
Rock out I did...thanks again to my concert buddy for dragging me out of the house!! The Bravery did not disappoint and, as always, Warehouse Live was a terrific venue. I was a little surprised that the crowd was not so big, but then again I'm the same person who was in total shock over a showing of about 40 for Albert Hammond, Jr. (I am such a huge fan...surely I thought everyone else was too) So I’ll admit that I am not the biggest Bravery fan, since I totally thought they were from England. With the accents and all in their songs, it's easy to make that assumption...but when the lead singer started talking about the election (points are always docked for this sort of behavior...if you're not Barack, I don't wanna hear it), he was definitely American. Is this a new movement? The Killers have this same thing going on...not that I'm complaining, since everyone knows I'm a sucker for a British accent. Do we think the Brits are pissed about the North American Scum ripping off their style? I'm gonna say, probably not...I mean, I'm totally cool with Christian Bale and Hugh Laurie playing Batman and House. Sorry for going off on a tangent...I had six hours in the car with the puppy and plenty of time to ponder such ridiculous things.
I had not made the I-10 Houston to New Orleans journey alone in months...and I forgot how enjoyable it can actually be. I get to spend six hours in the car, listening to XM and jotting down new songs along the way...I don't think Mallory the pup enjoyed my singing, but she does seem to be a big Peter Bjorn & John fan. Maybe it's all the whistling... Here are some highlights of the trip:
I found my New Pornographers Challengers album!! It had been misplaced for a while...god I forgot how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE that CD!!
The City and Colour song Waiting kept coming on XMs The Verge....kind of a depressing ditty, but still so good.
I may have attempted to practice my "Superman" dance somewhere around Lake Charles...
Mallory appears to get car sick...I'll spare the details, but I did have to line the seat with garbage bags in Vidor, TX. Does anyone know if Doggie Dramamine exists??
Seeing all of the LSU fans still driving around like its football season...we don't get that in Houston. GEAUX TIGERS!!!
Well now I'm back home in my beautiful New Orleans and ready for an amazing crab boil tomorrow!!
Posts
This past Saturday, I happened to be fortunate enough to get a ticket to Barack Obama's rally at the Toyota Center. I knew it was going to be a big deal and that I was super excited about it...within 15 minutes I had purchased Radiohead tickets and obtained my free pass to hear 'the man' himself speak. I was completely beside myself and almost started doing laps around my living room. But really...I had no idea how huge this event was actually going to be. 
