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@AndyShore The line up for Caribbean Holidaze 2009 has been announced. The Disco Biscuits and Umphrey’s McGee top the bill with three shows apiece. The New Deal, Perpetual Groove and Lipp Service (Eliot Lipp & Members of Pnuma) each have two shows. Also set to perform is Yacht Rock, Omegas Moos, Dan Lebowitz (of ALO), Brock Butler and two shows from Michael G (of Easy Star). Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore The first time I ever saw Les Claypool live, he was sauntering across a dark stage wearing a helmet that had two little lights, as if they were eyes, on the front. It was during “Shadow of a Man” at an Oysterhead concert when I was in high school. That image cemented the character and awesomeness that is Les Claypool in my brain forever, and created a lasting appreciation for him as a musician.  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity when friend of the Festival Crashers and WZRD radio DJ Ed Klotz invited me to hang out in the studio for his Les Claypool interview and in studio performance. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Ezra Furman and his guitarist stayed at my house Friday night, listening to records and having some Sparks. OK, Ezra just ate a strawberry cheese danish and milk, but I was having Sparks. I don’t think he ever parties.

Somehow the conversation shifted to favorite albums and Ezra started making a list, which he called “The Favoritest albums.” I’m pretty sure that’s not a real word, but I’m not here to get technical. The list is 11 albums long and has a five album subsection called “But what about…”

Here we go, in no particular order: Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom I “worried about the wrong things. The wrong things.” I was so wrapped up in wondering how late Kanye would be and how awful he’d sound singing without his vocoder that I forgot how incredible he can be. I expected the worst.

I forgot Kanye could “make it good. Make it hood. Make ya cum. Make ya go.” It was everything a hip-hop show should be:

Amazing guest stars making the most of their time on stage, Kanye deferring attention from himself and a constant trade-off as superstars put it all out there in a true showcase of talent.

So, who did Kanye pull out of his arsenal Saturday night at Levi’s/Fader Fort? Simply everyone. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom It was the worst kept secret of the festival. The Guitar Hero Metallica showcase at Stubbs was just a front for a performance from the Metallica themselves, the worst kept secret in rock.

Metallica is the only band in history to have five consecutive albums debut at number one on the Billboard top 200. With over 50 million albums sold, they topped the charts once again with Death Magnetic, which stayed on top for three straight weeks.

Lead singer James Hetfield enjoyed being too big for Stubbs, which only holds 2,200 people, just a fraction of the stadiums Metallica has filled for over 20 years. “We’re a young band from Norway and we want to get signed” Hetfield said in an admittedly weak Norwegian accent.

As comedian Todd Barry said on stage the next night, “You think the guys in Metallica saw the word BBQ on their tour schedules and got a little confused?” Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Another night of perfect timing. I didn’t get to the festival until 5:30, but I made up for lost time. I stumbled into a face-melting extravaganza at a tiny stage where J Mascis was sitting in with a band I’ve never heard of.

They sounded like The Hue likes to dream they’ll one day sound. 45 minutes of uninterrupted vocal free madness that rocked too much for one hand. The crowd was simply stunned.

I moved over to the Fader Fort Levi party where I accidentally saw Tinted Windows, a band I’d been insanely curious about. This “super group” features James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins and Taylor Hanson of, yes, Hanson. Shockingly good. Chalk it up to repetition theory. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Well, my Guitar Hero dreams went down the drain this weekend. I’ve come to the realization that not only will I never reach that zenith level of Guitar Hero skill, I really don’t want to. I saw where it takes you.

It takes you on stage at Stubbs in front of several thousand people, opening for Metallica, playing Guitar Hero Metallica on a giant screen. It leads to a fat, Mohawk’d DJ calling you a virgin. It leads nowhere. The dream is over. I’m perfectly OK with that.

I can still play with more style than anyone. And that’s really all I’m going for.

@ZackTeibloom I’m convinced Andrew Bird is the descendant of a bird. I’m not saying his mom or dad had wings, but a couple generations ago … there was some bird in there. Maybe his great grandad had a beak. Human beings just don’t have wind instruments like he possesses.

His whistling is as versatile an instrument as he has in his already impressive arsenal. His immense control over it, the range, the power of it. The first time I saw him, I wasn’t in the line of sight and assumed he had to have an instrument other than his mouth to make those sounds.

You’d be foolish to take your eyes off Bird in a performance. He seamlessly moves from strumming a guitar to whistling those majestic bird sounds to striking a xylophone to picking a violin, often all in the same song.

He had Stubbs far more into his performance than The Decemberists had the night before. Bird also wins the award for best stage set-up of the festival. His over-sized gold phonographs framed him elegantly as a double-ended silver phonograph spun to a whirring sound. The whirring sound was coming from the phonograph, but it just as easily could have been the audiences head’s spinning. 9.1/10

Photo by Pure Amber

@ZackTeibloom I finally felt like I was at a festival after taking a rickshaw over to the gorgeous venue they call Auditorium Shores. One big field with all the usual festival perks: funnel cakes, stands selling pipes and sunglasses and long skirts. I finally got sunglasses. I hope they make it to JazzFest.

The Cold War Kids were strong, with Nathan Willett equally as impressive on keyboard and guitar as the sunset Thursday night. They got their biggest reaction from the held notes on “Hang. Hang. Hang  me out to dryyyy” on their single. They have good songs and play them well, but there’s nothing particularly note worthy about their live show. 7.6/10.

M. Ward was worth paying attention to. His gravely, raspy voice is complimented well whether he’s on the keys, doing some quick finger-picking on his guitar or backed by a full band. Worth checking out. 8.4/10.

The venue was a $10 rickshaw away from downtown, so it’s not worth the trek for one show, but for a little two band set to start the evening, it made perfect sense. Definitely an Austin venue worth going back to.