What's better than a SXSW Platinum badge? Two music-loving diamonds in the rough!!

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 philly cheesesteak!

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 British electro 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 the Casa 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!!!

Guess who is going to SXSW...

Yours truly...well I'm going to crash SXSW. Perhaps one day I will be cool enough to get my hands on a press wristband, but pass or no pass I have to go...and I am. I've done my research and found free day shows that do not require the highly coveted wristband, RSVP'd for parties, and looked into the tricks of the veterans to this yearly mecca for geeks and hipsters. I fall somewhere in the middle of the two...okay fine, closer to the geek end of the spectrum...but I'm okay with that.

I haven't done a music report in a while so here are some artists that I'm loving and who are performing this year. Caution, this could cause you to go into music overload. I'm completely expecting this to be a monkeys wedding.

• School of Seven Bells
• Ida Maria - I thoroughly enjoy her song "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked".
• M. Ward - I've been a fan since I first listened to Chinese Translation from his last album, Post War. He took a brief break from the solo scene and teamed up with Zooey Deschanel to form the duo, She & Him. Now he's back on his own, with a little background vocal help from Zooey D, with Hold Time.
• Winter Gloves - This video is remarkable.
• Delta Spirit - I saw these guys open for Dr. Dog in Houston and at ACL. They're getting a lot of recognition! During the song Trashcan, they actually play one.
• Human Highway
• Meiko - She opened for Josh Radin and I thought she was adorable. I loved her lyrics and she has a great voice.
• Ladyhawke - She's from New Zealand....it's better than Old Zealand.
• Heartless Bastards
• The Avett Brothers - They're from North Carolina and keep true to their roots. I love the song If It's The Beaches. Looking forward to catching them at Jazz Fest too.
• Peter Bjorn & John - No description needed...they had us at "Young Folks" a couple of years ago.
• Glasvegas - They have a chick drummer and their from Scotland!
• Cold War Kids - Free show!!
• Army Navy - Nope, nothing to do with the military.
• Grizzy Bear - They are amazing and the new album leaked early...and it rocks. Their video on Blogotheque.net is like indie acapella.
• Two Hours Traffic - So I like some poppy stuff...it happens on occasion.
• Aqualung - I will always have a special place in my heart for him.
• N.A.S.A. - Nope, not the space shuttle people...it stands for North America South America and it represents the nation of electronica.
• Datarock
• Passion Pit - I LOVE THIS SONG!!!
• Women - Not a single one in the band...
• Matt & Kim - The ENTIRE album is fun!! Daylight is their first single.
• The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
• The Soft Pack
• Handsome Furs
• Bedouin Soundclash
• Loney Dear
• The Bird & the Bee - Their last album is poppy and I loved it. The new single is buzz worthy.
• Au Revoir Simone - Nope...not from France. They're from Brooklyn and they make beautiful music.
• Explosions in the Sky - FREE SHOW!!!
• The Octopus Project - They have a therapin, and they're not afraid to use it!
• Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights - Saw them open for O.A.R. last year and they outperformed the main act.
• The Little Ones
• Ra Ra Riot - I absolutely adore this band!!! The lyrics are amazing, they are super nice guys, and put on a ridiculous live performance!!! Listen, listen...listen!
• The Spinto Band - Oh Mandy!! Can't get tired of it!
• Wintersleep - One of my favorite albums of 2008...and of course they're Canadian. Canada is putting out some sweet sounds. I love the Weighty Ghost!

I hope my festivalling buddy is ready....let the music festivals begin!!

For those of you who are curious why I'm traveling the globe...

I'm working with the major chemical and investment companies who want to produce polysilicon for solar energy purposes. I attended a solar technology conference in Moscow and had meetings there, Seoul and Taipei. We signed two contracts for new plant designs in the 12 days we were gone and we are going to Italy for another signing next week!! It's ridiculous how many companies and investors are jumping into this booming market and the press is JUST now starting the buzz...

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/SuperModels/ItsSolarPowersTimeToShine.aspx?page=1

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/JubaksJournal/OutOfTheSpotlightSolarWillThrive.aspx?page=1

Photoblog of Paris

I decided that it would be way too much to type about everything that happened in Paris and think that a photoblog would be much more entertaining. Enjoy!

Maggie standing outside of our fabulous hotel suite upon arrival!

Confections at "Lenotre", a ridiculously priced and delicious patisserie around the corner from our hotel. The cakes were upwards of 35 Euros! I'd pay it though.

Maggie and I couldn't believe that the upside down pyramid was so easy to find...silly Da Vinci Code. I had to go along with the Asian tourists and take goofy pictures.

Maggie posing with one of the sculptures outside of the Louvre. I will have you know that there were multiple people taking much less tasteful pictures with these statues.

So apparently my hair was 'tres grande' in Paris...the combination of their water and the weather made for perfect hair days. I think I'm being a little sassier than the statue...aaah oui!

My artsy pic of the Louvre. A place that I will most likely never go again...The Louvre was my least favorite of everything that we did. Too many crazy people and kids...it was like Disney World times five! We did meet this sweet little old Frenchman just after taking this. He didn't speak much English and surprisingly I could understand that he was telling us what we should see and that we should come back in the summer. After a 15 minute convo, I attempted to tell him that "We need to leave now"...instead I said "You go!" Whoops...thank goodness he understood though.

This is Cafe AND Restaurant Voltaire. Maggie and I stopped here based on a rec from a friend. We intended to go to CAFE Voltaire and instead stepped into RESTAURANT Voltaire. We saw white tablecloths and people who clearly had much more money than the two of us. After looking at the menu and seeing the cheapest app was 35Euro...we told the waiter there was a mistake. He said..."Oh you want a snack". Yes sir we did...and our 'snack' was quite yummy! We met a college kid from NJ and the waitress tried to play matchmaker...aw how cute!

Oh the Pompidou...it was as strange and impressive as I had remembered from the pics in my high school French book. Lots of performance artists in the plaza too...it reminded me of Jackson Square in New Olreans. The museum was very interesting as well...I think it would've been better if I weren't completely hungover at the time..ugh, roughest day in Paris.

Maggie and I seriously need one of these in the states! MONOP was a little shop across the plaza from the Pompidou with premade lunches, salads, sandwiches, desserts...along with the wines and all kinds of super cute things that we really wanted to spend our money on. But instead we got salads and a baguette and sat in the plaza trying to make our hangovers go away. Tom was approached by a crazy Frenchman, who asked him, "Do you like question marks?" (Note: Sounds much funnier with a French accent...try it) Tom's reply was something along the lines of, "Question Marks? Uh...yeah man, I like 'em. I use them in questions and they're a great form of punctuation!" Bizarre...

The view from the top floor of the Musee D'Orsay. I couldn't stop staring...Sacre Coeur is the highest point in Paris and is a spectacular church. It's in Montmartre, which was very unspactacular and it was the only time I feared for my life.

Sacre Coeur much closer! Maggie and I were brought to tears..but she thinks now that it was from climbing all of those stairs in the cold rain and finally reaching our dry destination. Either way, we were moved.

Thanksgiving was a sight for sore eyes!! The sign on the right says "Cuisine de Louisianne" and this was right around our hotel in The Marais. Of course we went inside, and the shop owner was delighted to meet some people from New Orleans. He said he loved the city and couldn't wait to go back again. The place was streaming Zydeco and the shelves were stocked with Zatarain's, Tony Chachere's, and Abita Beer!!! How cool?? All Louisianians who visit Paris, should stop by and tell this gentleman hello.

If anyone knows what this place is a cover-up for, please let me know! Nespresso is on the Champs-Elysees and was the creepiest place I've ever set foot in. There were people getting consultations on coffee, crazy little espresso accessories, candles.....just weird. We would've taken a picture of the inside, but were a little scared. There was even a "Gold Card Member" section with posh seats and desks to speak with associates....it was like being in a Porsche dealership. I'm still creeped out.

Gotta love modern art. Excited little Mickey Mouse was in the Palais de Tokyo. Don't really know what else to say...

I'm squishing you with my fingers! I have definitely left a lot out...like the time I asked the lady for an umbrella and then realized that I asked her if she WAS an umbrella...or the time I fell at the Bastille, in the middle of the street...Tout va bien!

I can't WAIT to go back!!! A bientot Paris!

The week that Paris got GOT by Brandie, Maggie and Tom - Part Un

Finally...item numero un of my bucket list, done and done! I went to Paris! Who better to complete the top item of my life to-do list with than Maggie. Yaaay! Maggie's hilarious and fun brother Tom also made the journey across the pond with us. There are so many things to blog about...it has to be done in segments.

We look so Euro chic!

Day 1: Parlez vous Francais?

After an exhausting 9 hour flight from Houston to Paris, we arrived to Paris feeling the affects of sleep aids and in serious need of showers and a change of clothes. Our amazing airport shuttle picked us up within minutes and drove us through the districts of Paris one by one on our way to the Marais. Our hotel was the Hotel Castex about a block from the Bastille...pretty much the perfect location for Paris first-timers. Tons of restaurants, boulangeries, patisseries, clubs, a nearby Metro station...fabulous!


We got the key to the room, walked in and saw a front room with two arm chairs, a roomy bathroom, and a bedroom with a king bed. Nice...but for three people, we were expecting the room we saw online with at least two beds. I wasn't exactly cool with sleeping in an armchair for a week. A little upset, I went to the front desk and tried to sort things out. The attendant told me that they upgraded us to the biggest room since we were there for so long and that it was for four people. Huh? Four midgets that want to share a bed maybe.... Then she explained how the arm chairs were actually "beds"..kinda like little futons. After Maggie and I took a while figuring it out (I'm blaming it on the Sudafed)....everything was tres bon.


Tom locked himself in the bathroom at one point...I think he was in there for ten minutes. We couldn't get the lock to budge, but finally I pulled my best McGuyver move, grabbed a penny and set him free. Then it was on to the week o' feasting!


Cafe Moderne was our first intro to French cuisine and my first chance to test out my high school French. Amazingly, I was able to get us a table and interpret the menu. Thanks Mademoiselle Guy (my HS French teacher)!! Maggie had her first of 10 salmon dishes and everyone else had a pretty delicious meal. Mmmm!


Then it was on to wondering the streets of the Marais and the Isle de Citi to see the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was breathtaking and much more elaborate than I had imagined. The island that it is located on should be named the dessert island. The only thing there are creperies, ice cream shops and gelato cafes. How the French are fit...I have no idea. It must be all the walking and smoking. We got some gelato at one of the places and Tom met a french ladyfriend. Go Tom!


That night we ate dinner at La Petit Chaise. It means, "The Little Chair" in French and the food there was superb! I got the soup l'oignion (aka French Onion Soup), duck with an apple chutney accompanied by some of the best mashed potatoes ever and a baked apple, then dessert was a mousse with a warm chocolate/hazelnut sauce. It was a party in my mouth. Tom's soup came out cold, he told the waiter so, and fifteen minutes later his soup returned piping hot and he had to wait like ten more minutes to eat it! Ha! Lesson one...don't complain about your food in Paris...you'll pay.



After downing lots of wine, we walked off some of our grub and found the Eiffel Tower. Anyone who knows me, knows how OBSESSED I am with the tower. It's kind of ridiculous actually... When I saw it twinkling for the first time, I was in complete awe. I was speechless....drunk, but still speechless.

On the way home, we got lost and couldn't find the metro station (in what we later found out wasn't the safest area at night..whoops!). We eventually found a station, but the train stopped and let us out before we reached the Bastille. Kinda scary, but we managed to grab a cab. What a good day....

13.1 Miles: Half the pain, twice the fun

Last weekend I went home to New Orleans to run the Mardi Gras Half-Marathon on Sunday 2/24. I love going home...the older I get, the more I miss New Orleans. Sigh.

So on Friday, my brother and I went to the Hilton to pick up my race packet from the expo. Past experience with expos is that they are huge...there are vendors from many various health food companies and athletic outfitters. I always stock up on discounted energy gels and bars, as well as peruse the workout gear. Not at this expo....I was actually embarrassed that this was my hometown's representation of an expo. There wasn't even a protien bar to be found, I had to stop at GNC on the way home. Other runners were just as dissappointed. People were walking around saying, "Is this really it?" Unacceptable.


Saturday I was forced to turn down a family crawfish boil (if you know me, you know that this was an extremely difficult task....). Consuming a week's worth of sodium the day before running 13.1 miles might lead to a painful run down St. Charles Avenue....and possibly death. So instead my parents were gracious enough to treat me to the uptown Louisiana Pizza Kitchen (LPK to us regulars). It's nothing like Cali's CPK...so much better! I got my carb load on, and stayed true to my healthy diet, with the Rosemary Chicken with pesto whole wheat pasta. It was delich!! Knowing that I was going to run most of it off the next day made it even more enjoyable. Mom got a yummy kitchen sink pizza and dad got this calzone with some bad ass sausage.


The next morning, I was up and at 'em for 4:45am for the race! The weather was absolutely perfect. About 55 degrees, overcast, a little humidity (but not too much)...optimal weather for the avid runner. This race was the first that I did not have a running partner, so I opted to bring the iPod along with a super sweet playlist. (Thank you Hey Willpower, Chemical Brothers, Postal Service, The Bravery, and Lupe Fiasco...just to name a few) I wished some friends good luck, stretched, the sun came up and we were off!


The first two miles consisted of running down Bourbon and Toulouse Streets. Bad idea. Sure, in theory you think, "How entertaining!" Not so much. When you're trying to pace yourself for either the full or half race, seeing vomit and smelling that wonderful Bourbon St. stench doesn't really help. Besides that, the street slopes down from the center and there are cars parked along the narrow street, which makes for shin splints and lots of obsticals. Me and some others decided to take to the sidewalks and dodge the drunkards. It felt like I was on American Gladiator!


The rest of the race was along St. Charles, around Audubon Park, and back to the dome. I was hoping that since uptown is highly populated, especially post-Katrina, that there would be a lot of spectators along the course. Not the case. There were a few people lined up, but most were only cheering for their loved ones. A bit of advice from a runner: if you're there to spectate, cheer for everyone! We need it...it keeps us going....and most of us will return the gesture with a greatful, "Thank you!" Sorry...enough ranting, on to more uplifting topics!


As I ran past every timekeeper, I noticed that my pace kept picking up. At mile 8 I knew that I was going to beat my 2:10 goal considerably....so I pushed myself harder. My parents were at the turn before the finish line where I was about to give out (thank goodness for Bloc Party at that point) and my dad took this beautiful candid (and why are those people standing in the middle of the street behind me?):

A few seconds later, I made the turn to the dome and saw the finish line and race clock. 2:02!! Oh my goodness...I would have never thought that I would be able to finish with a pace faster than 9:30 minute/mile. Unbelievable....I'm still in shock actually.

After downing lots of water and pigging out on bananas and king cake (mmmm!), I drank my celebratory beer at 9:30am...on a Sunday! Most people are just getting up and going to church...I was already drinking a beer. Fantastic.

Next race....Crescent City Classic 10K 3 weeks and counting...

Time Won't Let Me Go

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!!