3/13, 10:30am - Test test. Lets see how this works from the sidekick. Okay perfect. I tell myself I'll do something like this whenever I travel to something or somewhere interesting, but never really get it off the ground. My new motivation is that there is no way I'll ever find the time to recap this week when I get back, so maybe I'll have better luck just doing it as I go. The spelling will be bad and I'll often be typing under the influence of free booze and brisket from my sidekick, but nonetheless lets give it a shot. I'll try to edit, add pictures, etc the morning after, but no promises.
Ok. Leaving for the airport in an hour.
12:38 - Can't stress enough how easy the airtrain is. Even to Newark (tho they could use a few signs pointing you in the right direction at Newark-Penn). I really hope people use it and it wasn't a colossal waste of money.
So I wanted to make a list...a checklist of sorts, on what I'm hoping to accomplish this week in Austin. It started as a list of 7, but I'm gonna go till I run out of ideas.
1. See Kings of Leon: I go through phases with these guys when I get a sudden urge to see them play. Loving the new album a whole lot and feeling it again. Seeing that they're playing roseland on this next tour means I wanna see them somewhere rad like stubbs even more now.
2. Get new sneakers: My current kicks are kind of getting a bit grimey. I've got my eye on getting to the Saucony party ealry on Thursday to snag what'll likely be one of the few pairs of 13s. And to catch the rad post rock/metal group Russian Circles, who go on first.
3. See the Faint: Its been a while, never seen them headline a show. If they're not playing some latenight dance party, I'll be pretty disappointed (I think I've got this figured out tho...)
4. See Menomena: The first three songs on the last album are three of my favorite of the year, but the rest of the album drags miserably. I'm hoping a short, sxsw set will include at least 2 of those songs, and I won't have to sit through too much of the rest.
5. Migas: The legend of migas greatly outweighs the actual experience, but a trip to polvos is an absolute must.
Ill finish this when I get to the terminal...
1:50 - Wow...lots of band-looking people in the waiting area. Go figure. 6 rough-yet-pretty looking swedes to my left. One has a "fragile" sticker on his jeans jacket. Cute. Anyway. I was thinking, those 5 things above are really all I've got right now. Without looking over schedules or anything, my priorities are pretty set. I say this every time, I know, but I'm gonna try and take it easy for the most part. Spend as little as possible, stick to the parties that aren't too much trouble. Enjoy myself without stressing out or getting annoyed.
Okay, I've boarded. This plane is half people in bands and half frightened elderly folk. I'm sitting next to a really nice kid from Norway in an unsigned band called Davy Jones Locker (or something? couldn't quite understand what he said). They're playing a BBQ on Saturday near the convention center and described his music as sounding "Foo Fighters-ish." Love it. I'm marking down seeing these guys play as #6.
Hey look, its Blonde Redhead trying to squeeze an overstuffed piece of luggage into the overhead bin! Sxsw is awesome.
5:50 - Waiting for the supershuttle to take me to hotel #1. Jen is letting me crash there tonight. It is POURING here. Like just coming down in sheets. At least its not cold tho. I can handle a warm rain.
Made plans to hit up a highly recommended Mexican spot with Darin and others. El Chile? Getting pretty hungry.
6:05 - The supershuttle guy says the rain will clear up by tomorrow noon. That's good.
10:50 - El Chile was el fantistico. I've been sort of anti-mole since a leftover thanksgiving turkey dish my uncle whipped up several years back that I didn't really like, but I got these roasted pork enchiladas covered in red mole sauce which was absolutely perfect. They've also got this salsa in Austin I cannot for the life of me find in NYC. It's some sort of burnt jalapeño/chipotle thing. Killer. They have the same thing at Baja Fresh out West, but seriously nothing like it in New York anywhere. Anywhere. I've looked everywhere.
Anyway, that's all I've gotten around to so far. I think we're heading out to the Beauty Bar here for some party, but I'm just going with the crowd tonight. I don't know what to do on a normal night around here.
11:30 - Beauty bar is odd. Every other city it's a SPOT. Always something big going on. But in New York its a total dive. Like a hipsterfied Kingshead tavern. Actually, Kingshead probably has more cred. I saw Albert Hammond Jr. there once. How does this franchise thrive everywhere except the one place it actually belongs? I don't get it.
Just saw a band called Zygos or something that was described to me as a "mid 90s indie band that came up around here the same time as Spoon, but never took off." There were only 2 members on stage, and the bass player came in for something like half a song before walking back off. They sounded exactly as you'd expect. Not much left there, it seems.
1:25 - Swang by the Purevolune space...free redbull vodkas, frozen drinks, and mediocre emo till 4am every night. And they have a wii. This might be the official fallback spot for the week. It'll be right by my hotel this weekend too.
1:40 - ALSO...major makeout session on the outdoor couches at pv. Like...seriously hardcore. 3 chicks, one big hairy guy in a cowboy hat. I feel like I'm watching a deleted scene from Varsity Blues
1:50 - oops! They're totally doin it they're totally doin it they're totally doin it! Just like, right there. On the couch. Whaaat the fuk. Everyone at the party suddenly feels superuncomfortable.
2:45 - The bands suck here tonight and it has officially gotten late. Back at the hotel, big day tomorrow. This all hasn't even gotten started yet...
The Migas are as good as the hype.
Posted by: Darin Bresnitz | March 14, 2007 at 10:43 AM
Dude, how was the Davy Jones Locker show?
Posted by: Petter Kirkeholmen | March 19, 2007 at 07:03 PM