It was only right that a weekday after my best man showed up for the weekend that I had the opportunity to relax and recover with the soothing sounds of Sigur Ros.  Welp, it mostly happened.  I’ve seen them before at the Uptown Tehater in Kansas City way back when and remember such a jovial, quiet style.  I guess I didn’t remember everything correctly.  They somehow managed to kick my ass in a completely eloquent style.

First off, let’s talk about the Cedar Park Civic Center.  It’s WAY up north of Austin and especially from where I live.  Apparently the arena hosts a multitude of minor sport teams from hockey and basketball.  Good for them.  More importantly, they have buffalo style chicken strips with a massive amount of fries.  While the strips were tasty, it was few.  I think they made up for it with the ginormous amount of fries that came with it.  Well that and the condiment cart that left lots of dippins free for the take.

First up for the night was the crowd warming Oneohtrix Point Never.  Okay, more like chilling.  His style, a laptop musician with experimental ambient beats, fits well at a local bar but just doesn’t translate well to an arena.  Oh, I enjoyed the beats and how they trickled out, but I left wanting more of an intimate situation with them instead of sitting way back in the arena hearing echoes bounce off minor sport achievement banners.  I will make a note to check a club headlining tour with this guy.

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Sigur Ros came up and kicked things off in their familiar, giant sheet with bright light set style.  I guessed that it was going to be that way for the whole show like in KC but was proved wrong (again) when the sheets came down and they opened up the show.  Boy did they open it up.  I was used to some of the classics, but I did not expect the full on harsh assault that existed in their new material.  Is it a reinvention?  Or mere evolution?  Doesn’t matter to me, they do it with such a  genuine emotion that I believe in whatetever feeling that they are trying to get across.  That’s a rare breed of band and you will not see it in even the biggest stadium sellers around.

It was a real treat being able to see Sigur Ros again.  Now, the next time they come, I’m not sure.  I know now what to get, in all of its sweet, genuine discourse but I’m not sure I want to ride it again.  The curtain thing is great but it’s been overplayed.  It’s all fantastic and I think everyone should go out and see it at least once.  But be sure to bring some tissue and perhaps extra napkins.

Oh what’s the twist?  Finally getting something knocked out.  Yeah, I went this year and am now just getting around to saying something about it.  This year’s take was different in the fact that I went all wristband and not the badge.  Did things work out as well?  Yes and no.

First off just check out the playlist of videos.  I uploaded dumped a whole bunch of videos this week on the YouTubes and they say more than I could right here.  Highlights included John Fogerty, Eric Burdon, Orange Goblin, Houses, Bear Mountain, and Black Pistol Fire.  It was another eclectic year and I didn’t bother trying to get into some of the bigger name acts.  That said, and what you could tell from the list, I did alright seeing both big and small acts.

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The only real downside with not getting a badge was missing out on the day parties.  Yes, it was more music, but it was also tons of free drinks and food.  It’s no wonder I survived this year and didn’t get sick like I did the last two times.  Oh, I still got mine, though.  Especially Tuesday night and Saturday.  But I digress.  The point is, the lows weren’t too low and I still managed to see some great acts.

I even got to see a KC buddy of mine’s band.  They drove all the way from KC (on tour) to hit up the Dizzy Rooster and rock out Saturday afternoon.  Good times were had by all who came to see Get Busy Living.  We even had room for them to crash at our place.  It gave me a good glimpse of what life on the road could be like.  That van was HUGE.  I can’t wait to see them again.

So that’s my short capsule review of SXSW 2013.  The usual suspects applies but it was just different enough that it sold me on next year already.  And I don’t have to feel pressured into getting the ginormous badge.  That is, unless I want to perform and/or sell my musical chops.  I guess we’ll have to see what 2014 will bring me.  Until then, enjoy the videos.

So I recovered from both The Hives and the bachelor party enough to make it out to Stubb’s to see some sweet psychedelic music from Tame Impala.  It was a tasty evening at Stubb’s even though I didn’t have any BBQ (a first for me there).  The opening act, The Growl, was even an unexpected surprise.  Although I’m still digesting them.

Yeah no food at Stubb’s. Nothing much to talk about for the venue.  If you haven’t been, you should treat yourself at least once to the venue.  It’s odd shaped and produces some decent on the fly BBQ.  The best spot is right in front of the soundboard, maybe off to the left where the tree grows.

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The Growl came up first.  I did not know what to expect.  I half thought it was some kind of grungy version of the psychedelic music Tame Impala jams.  Boy oh boy, I was wrong.  It was a much of some slow, rusty, drone type rock with a couple of blues songs (even a cover) tossed in.  I’m not sure how I feel.  It was different, but I can’t really recall any songs from their set.  I just remember the cool blues cover they did.

Tame Impala was next.  When you think of psychedelic music, you think of crazy, lava lamp like visuals with a pulsing guitar rhythm and some softly voiced dude murmuring over it.  That’s what I got.  And I loved every second of it.  It was an almost religious experience out there.  There were a couple of breaks in the action, though.

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A good indicator of how well a psychedelic band performs is in their long, solo jams.  Tame Impala had them, but it just didn’t quite hit with me.  It seems like they are still finding their solo voice.  Just take a listen to Elephant.  They slow it down and kind of fiddle around but it doesn’t exactly hit.  I have great confidence that with time, they will make it flow better.  It’s still and acceptable platform of rock.

So The Growl is like a fiber in my belly that leaves a taste that I’m still trying to figure out.  Tame Impala has some spicy burnt ends but the middle still seems rough.  All in all, it was a great meal to feast on at Stubb’s.  I just wish they had some ear-bibs at the front gate to catch the noise dribble’s.  That’s a thing, right?  Ear-bibs?

Woooo!  Man what a great way to get fired up for a bachelor party!  I hit up Emo’s on February 21st to see The Hives for the second time.  The opening acts helped support the banging, but it was The Hives that totally came through and jazzed me up for what ended up being a non stop abuse of all things excess.  I can’t believe I actually remember some of this so just bear with me and help me relive this outbreak.

I keep getting confused.  Is it Emo’s East, the New Emo’s, or just Emo’s  I have no clue so from henceforth, it will be called Just Emo’s.  And it really is.  I seem to remember a better beer selection there but apparently it waned out.  Oh well, I wasn’t really looking for something crafty, but I coulda used something more than what they have.

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I was there to see some music.  First up was The Act Rights.  I had to go back and listen to this song to get a good idea.  Very sweeping rock music.  It’s a little different but it doesn’t evoke any special emotion in me.  If anything, warm up perfectly fits.  Sweeping between a couple of hard rocks solos and then sweeping back to some rhythms.  Works for me.

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Flesh Lights were up next and we went from sweeping to seizures.  I think I get the lineup now.  The rock n’ roll good times of The Act Rights mixed with the obvious punk of the Flesh Lights culminates into our final Main Offender.  Yes, these guys moved the punk needle.  And while I’m not totally punk, I do appreciate more of the raw sound and not the lame-o mainstream sound.

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Finally, we got The Hives.  I barely remember them from a looong time ago but it was right around their first big phase here in the US.  Much has happened since and they seem to have dropped off the radar for me and the rest of the states.  It didn’t matter much to them though as they came out and totally owned the crowd.

That all goes to the grandiose bombasity of lead singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist.  The cocky was charm and he had everyone hovering about the basket.  The songs, of course, were that garage punky rock and roll that has always been their sound.  One can’t help but bob their head at near bangin’ speed during songs like Main Offender or Walk Idiot Walk.  The neck even hurt a bit afterward.

If ever there was a way to concentrate the energy from these acts and condense it into a tasty drink, the barker of that product would rake in millions.  I felt like I had ingested ample amounts and it carried through the bachelor party in Las Vegas.  The best part:  this was the only drink that didn’t give me a hangover.

Real quick y’all.  I’ll be regurgitating some tasty concert action from the last month, as well as spurt up some SXSW swankiness going on this week, but in the meantime, I actually have my RPM Challenge album up.  Yup, for 2013, I did an album in the month of February.  Now, I didn’t have extra time to put some pizazz on it, but I did crank out enough to call it an ‘album’.  So there’s that.  Head on over to my real life blog for a little more on the process.  Check out the tunes rightcheer:

Whew, what a rough start to the month of November.  A festival and couple of concerts under my belt and I still had energy for one more show for the start of the week.  I closed out my marathon checking out White Denim at Antone’s along with some other Bonaroo alumni.  Now there were some ups and downs but man, I can watch White Denim play for hours on end.

So this Bonaroo thing had an emcee that was also a comedian on the stand up portion of their festival.  I forgot who her name but was, but that was in part to the fact that nobody was really laughing at her jokes.  I’ll give her credit, though, she plowed on through with a cute smile and kept the pace of the show moving.  Kudos to whomever that was.

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Asherel got on first.  So another show and another hard rocking opener.  I’ve lucked out to some real curtain jerkers here recently.  Asherel had that flavor but more on a blues side.  I also really dug the rhythm guitarist mesh hat.  I have to admit, my head banged just a wee bit.

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Next up was Maps & Atlases.  Who are they?  Well think if instead of selling out, Kings of Leon went granola and heavy indie.  That’s Maps & Atlases.  I definitely got a prog rock feel out of these guys. The sentiment is sweet and calm and everyone should check these guys out.

So this is my third time seeing White Denim.  The first time blew my mind and the second one kinda left me wondering what happening.  Well, the third time saw them return to form for me at least.  Although I have this one nagging feeling.

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They are a jam band and they rock out really well.  But the progressions between the songs are the same.  I think the same chain of songs first time around was alot like this time.  The switch over from Don’t Look That Way At It to It’s Him to At The Farm is way too familiar.  Now, it’s not a big deal, but I’d like to see them grow just a bit more and be able to flow between all of their songs.  That’s all.

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And that’s my only gripe.  I still walked away happy and entertained, even though comedian lady tempered it just a bit.  This will be the last time I say this: go see White Denim.  It’s fun and you will be happy after as well.  Heck, you might as well do it a Bonaroo.

So on November 9th, I was already recovering from both a full Fun Fun Fun Fest and a private whack out with Primus in 3D.  It was not enough to keep me home, however, as it was a day for an intimate performance with The Black and White Years at Lambert’s BBQ.  The last show for the year for those guys saw the debut of some new songs and a good stream of their known jams.  I was there in full tow and got the whole experience.

Okay let me talk about Lambert’s BBQ first.  It’s a downtown Austin food joint that somehow had enough room for an upstairs event space.  One look at the menu revealed a downtown city expensive meat selection.  Nope.  I think the drinks might have been expensive but I don’t really remember.  The event space had a loud ass PA system so I was happy to hang in the back and not have to pay attention too much.

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On to the tunes.  Hundred Visions opened up and they blasted my ears right off.  In a good way.  Sometimes you just need some straightforward rock and roll and Hundred Visions gave that to me.  I really have nothing else to say.  The Light That Starts The Day says all that there needs to be said.

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So with some heavy duty riffs out of the way, it was time to get quirky.  The Black And White Years got up on stage and kind of awkwardly jerked their way to some funky grooves.  I like to think of them as some kind of stuttering 80s break dancer.  Sure they may look a little off, but man can they move.  It’s most evident on songs like Up! and Steady As It Goes.

They closed out their set with a couple of upcoming songs and we were on our way.  I tend forget just how unassuming an small intimate show could be.  The smells of the BBQ didn’t distract me too well.  Hundred Visions kicked me in the pants and The Black and White Years stood me back up and slapped me silly.

Primus hits real close to my 90s kid routes.  It was about the time in high school when I discovered this band and I’ve always identified with the quirky and technically proficience of the group.  Let by Les Claypool, this band found a way to drive home some hard rock while doing it in a fashion that is not of this planet.  These alien rockers were in Austin on November 7th and I finally got to see them, in 3D nonetheless.

Bass Concert Hall is on the campus of Texas University.  Actually it’s right behind the football stadium.  It’s reserved for stand up comedians and classical music so having a band like Primus be there does not fit in.  That’s perfect.  It set the tone right off the bat.  I think the best part of the venue for me is that I could sit down in actual seats.  It didn’t last long, but it was nice during the intermission.

I needed the rest too.  The 3D experience part of it was lively and dynamic and did not strain my eyes at all.  There was a sensory overload but the intermission, and the Popeye cartoons that were played during it, helped keep things in check.  The graphics matched was played during the song and evenly distributed the 3D portion with 2D background.  Yeah, it was neat.

But what was neater was Primus.  Neater to the extreme.  Les Claypool’s bass lines border on schitzophrenic and rest of the band kept up like the old pros that they are.  Green Nogahide was their latest release and they inserted tunes from that without being too overbearing.  Lee Van Cleef is my pick from the new set, mainly because of the name.

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My favorites included the rousing closer Tommy the Cat and selections from the Brown Album.  Tommy the Cat showcases Les’s playing the best out of all the songs and is long enough to provided the rest of the members to breath.  Songs like Over the Falls come from the Brown Album and remind just how often I jammed that in my beat up Oldsmobile back in the day.

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The 3D experience was great but what was even better was finally punching Primus off the concert bucket list.  The off center style that they exhibit make much more a study of how alternative music can really be alternative.  After enough listens, it starts to become normal.  That’s when you need to take off the 3D glasses.

Okay it’s been over a month since Fun Fun Fun Fest and now I’m finally getting down to writing about it.  For the uninitiated, Fun Fun Fun Fest is a music festival in Austin, Texas that takes place in the fall.  Amongst the bajillion music festivals in the Austin area, this one seems to be the most alternative and wacky.  That’s two things that are near and ear to my heart.  Last year I went with a day pass, but this year I plunked down some change for the 3 day pass.  I’m glad I did.

Since it’s been awhile I’m going to pick out some highlights from the days.  Yeah, there’s tons of video online but I think the highlights are enough.  The 3 day event featured music from the alternative, hip hop, techno, and metal areas of music. Plus, I got to sample some other mainstream type things like half pipes and professional wrestling.  Let me hit that up first.

I’m not a big skater or biker so the half pipe didn’t appeal to me too much.  I did enjoy the other peeps bouncing up and down the ramp during the shows, however.  The wrestling was more my kind of style.  Anarchy Championship Wrestling is a local independent type promotion and they had a ring setup right next to the ramp.  It’s all in good fun and was way more than I expected with a wrestling drinking game match.

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Now on to the music.  First day’s highlights include The Dum Dum Girls, Tia Carrera, and speical performance by The Black Lips with Val Kilmer.  Yeah, that Val Kilmer.  I’m conflicted about who was the biggest highlight of the day:  Santigold or Run DMC.  When I think about it, I think Santigold will get the nod.  Run DMC almost did a medley of songs and finished fairly early.  Plus they were really pimping Jam Master Jay’s kids and their DJ careers.

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Yeah it goes to Santigold.  The songs were deeper and they stage show actually impressed me.  It takes alot for me to praise a stage performance but Santigold had a good showing without over powering the music.  Speaking of the music, the live band made swallowing some of the beats more palatable.

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Day two saw some other great tunes.  The highlights for me include Real Estate, Love Inks, Daughn Gibson, and Power Trip.  Refused’s reunion closed out the night and blew me away.  I didn’t know that Swedish people could do heavy metal so well.  The unfortunate part about was the Black Stage was way at the end and we had to walk that way to get to the bus.  So we lapped the venue just to get home after that.

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The big highlight of day two was Public Image Limited.  John Lydon’s post Sex Pistols band was a little more 80′s and a little more mainstream.  He kept the crazy eyed look though.   That said, he didn’t keep up his waistline.  Man that guy was huge.  But the songs were very melodic and had me humming them well after the festival.  Also, the guitar player was amazing.

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The last day marked a fat middle with some less then enthusiatic book ends.  The highlights for me include Black Moth Super Rainbow and Balmorhea.  A Place to Bury Strangers blew me away with their explosive set.  De La Soul talked WAY too much during their set and I’m sad I sat through it.  But it allowed me to see AraabMUZIK up close and for the third time.  This time I saw a whole set.  Bosnian Rainbows suprised me as it really was a reschedule of Omar Rodriguez Lopez’s new group.  Yeah he has a new one and it was great, even though lead singer lady Teri Gender Bender bent weird on stage.

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The last day’s highlight for me is a little known band by the name of Valient Thorr.  Basically it’s a bunch of bearded dudes doing to some good ole fashioned rock and roll.  Their syncopation reminds of some 70′s jams from bands like Ram Jam.  The lead singer, Valient Thorr himself, is what really had me rocking.  They guy had the crowd in the palm of his hands.  He was bouncing all over and even climbing the rafters way up high to rock out.  It was nearly impossible for anyone in the dirt not to follow.

And that’s Fun Fun Fun Fest.  It was less grimy than last year, but we had enough most pits to kick up some dust.  The food and beer situation was weak and they need to get better at it.  The eclectic selection, however, needs to stay put as it was the perfect of unknown and classic music makers from a wide swatch of the musical spectrum.  Seriously, if you get a chance, get the tickets and head on out.  You may even get hit by the taco cannon.

Hey I’m back again and I scored myself a pretty sweet deal seeing Jeff The Brotherhood Monday night.  They headlined a small tour and it showed right up at Stubb’s  Now, I was entertaining guests at the time so I didn’t get a chance to catch the first band, but I did get to see the 2nd biller along with these tiny little headliners.  There was plenty of entertainment for both the tunes and the crowd.

Okay a word to the wise.  If you happen to be in Austin and you happen to be at Stubb’s and you happen to see a show inside, just stay upstairs.  You’ll get a great view of the band and you won’t have to bust a sweat just standing there.  We caught the first dudes downstairs and had to run back a couple of times for water.  Upstairs was nice and air conditioned.  Yeah I know, but on the plus side the full bar was right behind us and not crowded.

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Let’s get to the music.  First up was Diarrhea Planet.  Now the peeps I were with weren’t too impressed and I have to say that I only got into a couple of tunes.  We collectively couldn’t get passed the fact that they have four guitar players in the band.  It seems a little egregious.  But hey, the drummer reminded of Animal from The Muppet Show.  It would be worth it to check out the guys vamping on stage but I wouldn’t blow your load over it.

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Jeff The Brotherhood took the stage after we took the upstairs.  It was fairly obvious we were about the get our faces rocked because there were two lamp lights and a god damn smoke machine.  Yup, it’s another garage rock duo and they delivered.  From the first note they just belched out some hard grunge and acted like they really didn’t give a fuck about whether or not you liked it.   And we all ate it up.

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That was part of the fun of the night.   The crowd was completely into it.  It’s been awhile since I’ve seen some major stage diving an Monday night caught me up.  I even got to see a lady dressed up as a Sailor Moon girl jump off the stage.  Also, I think there was some dude with epilepsy up front because he was tossing his crutches on the stage.

Great times all around.  Very perfect of Jeff The Brotherhood to close out with and epic jam called “The Tropics”.  Even a couple of guys from Diarrhea Planet popped on to the stage to help finish out the night.  So yeah, it was a fantastic end to an otherwise slow starting night.  Check out Jeff The Brotherhood the next time they are in your neck of the woods.