@ZackTeibloom Finding parking has been more of an issue than actually crashing a show in Austin lately, but I had a pit in my stomach all afternoon. I couldn’t tell if it was from the upcoming crash of a sold out Phoenix show or from having to face Manning/Addai in fantasy playoffs. I’ll have a harder time coming back from the 34 points Manning put up than I did on this crash.* I worked 11-8 instead of 3-midnight so I could get there in time for the opening bands, White Denim and Hockey.

I drove around for ten minutes looking for a spot and settled on one where I was half parked illegally with the ass of my car in a tow zone. I decided it was safe enough and packed a sandwich. Just as I finished packing it, a car two spots ahead of me pulled out of a legal spot, I ate the sandwich and headed to the venue. This felt like a good sign. As I walked up, a clearly cold gentleman asked if I had a ticket and that he’d offer me $60 for it. I want to make it clear that usually a scalper is out there offering you a ticket for $60, which he won’t get, but this guy wanted to pay $60. I told him I didn’t have a ticket and he said, “Good luck, I’ve been out here for over an hour and there’s nothing.” “Don’t worry about it. I do this all the time. I’m the Festival Crasher.”

I knew La Zona Rosa was a two-part deal from my Umphrey’s crash a few months earlier, so I went and got the 21+ wristband first. That’s huge. Any time you can get a valid pass for a venue, it’s key. Plus, it got me inside and near the crown and coke while I plotted my next move. They scan your ticket at the inside door and stamp your right hand with a black rectangle. I found a couple dudes who were hanging out, having a drink, and saw one of them had the stamp. He let me compare it side by side as I took out my trusty Pita Pit stamp and recreated what he had on his wrist. I was about to touch it up with a sharpie, but he told me it already looked perfect. I thanked them by stamping up his buddy as well.

It was just about 9:00 and White Denim was about to start. I was a little weary of my forged stamp, so I kept following the Colts-Jags game on my phone. I saw my boy Dallas Clark scored another touchdown and it gave me all the encouragement I needed to make the crash. I strolled up to the guy checking passes, flashed my stamp, said “How y’all doing?” like a real Texas boy and waltzed in.

So..how was the Phoenix show?

*Though I did start Dallas Clark who gave me 28 pts and his 2nd touchdown inspired me to make my move.

Related posts:

1. Successful Crash #20: Umphrey’s McGee at La Zona Rosa
2. Successful Crash #13: FOTC “It’s Crashing Time”
3. Successful Crash #14: Birds, Fly Away
4. Successful Crash #5: Les Savy Fav and the Pita Pit Stamp
5. Successful Crash #23: The Dirty Projectors at Antone’s