@ZackTeibloom It’s ballsy to put an exclamation point in the title of your festival. It’s not ACL! or Bonnaroo! An inaugural festival in November deserves to have an exclamation point in its title if done right. Oh Snap! was all kinds of right. And not just because there were free hot dogs and pancakes. It was the first festival I’ve ever been to where the bands were far ahead of schedule. A full half hour at one point. And the bands that filled the two-stage set-up where Fader Fort usually is on E. 5th shined like the mid-November sun on another warm day in Austin.

Bright Light Social Hour dripped sex and blues rock. Little Lo was all high. Marmalakes dazzled with the song of the fest and The Eastern Sea insisted they would be better next show, but sounded just fine to me. It was the kind of  festival where the front row of the crowd was often filled with members other bands who were also playing. Not because they got a special VIP pass or anything. It was just that these were bands who knew and loved each other and that feeling. An inaugural festival in November deserves to have an exclamation point in its title if done right. Oh Snap! was all kinds of right.

I’d like to say I crashed it, but I have a hard time crashing a benefit show for someone who passed away that generates scholarships.  Also, it was only $6 if you bought tickets through Localiter in advance and I had no idea how easy it would have been. Oh, well. Let’s hand out some awards to the best of the fest. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom After seeing half a dozen young bands at Oh Snap! festival, it was time to see the men. Bright Light Social Hour came out balls to the wall and let their masculinity flail around with abandon all set long. Before they went on stage, a gray-haired photographer came up to guitarist Curtis Roush and told him he was the best guitar player in Austin. I scoffed to myself, thinking it was mighty high praise, but was intrigued to see if it was at all valid. Turned out it was.

Roush shreds. Whether he’s slicing up his guitar with a slide or melting faces on a solo or pounding out blues with bassist Jack ‘O’Brien, he’s a force to be reckoned with. It’s not coincidence his name is one letter off from rough. And as blistering as Roush is, O’Brien and his world-class mustache steal the spotlight just as much. Just a couple of songs into their set, it was clear why they were picked to play ACL in 2009 out of the 1,500+ bands who entered in the Sound and the Jury contest. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom There’s something special building with Little Lo. I like to imagine that the five guys and two girls in the band were all in some experimental music class years ago, where they were set free in a room with every instrument you could imagine to see what they could play. It turned out they could all play a whole lot and decided to take all their instruments on stage, smile a lot and dive in head first, charming as they went.

The sax player often acts as the second drummer, singer and guitar player. The female violinist also plays blow keys and sings while the other female vocalist plays keyboard and xylophone. Yes, they have a strong lead singer, guitarist, drummer and bassist, but it’s the smorgasbord of non-traditional instruments that gives them their unique sound and makes them a must-see live. They’re the kind of band that makes you wish you were in a band so you could have that much fun playing with your friends.  Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Zack and I dubbed Phish our favorite live band at ACL 2010. I couldn’t think of anyone that comes close. I suppose Girl Talk doesn’t fit into the “live band” category. Let’s call him our favorite dance party. Heck, he’s everybody’s favorite dance party (sorry Deadmau5 & A-Track). It’s been too long since Girl Talk’s last album came out. The long wait has come to an end. All Day drops to-day. Huzzah! You can download the full album, as one long track (as Gregg Gillis would prefer you do) or the individual tracks. Best of all, it’s free. Who am I kidding? Best of all, it’s new Girl Talk! Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom A crash like this proves that you don’t need to do anything more than just show up at the venue. It truly is that simple. Freelance Whales and Miniature Tigers were playing a sold-out show at the ND just down the street from me. I had Meg on the inside letting me know it was a square stamp on the right hand the size of a quarter with a blotch in the middle. First things first, I didn’t have my ID. I mean, I had it, but it expired on my birthday and two failed DMV attempts (grr Veterans Day) left me without valid ID. I dropped Meg at the door and drove back to see if I could dig up my passport from a drawer overflowing with festival guide books, magazines and wristbands.

I come back home to see @Shiftywhiteguy engrossed in his NBA 2K11 Pacers season on Xbox and he seems disappointed in me that I’ve returned so soon. Not to worry. I dig up the passport and head back. I quickly stamp my hand in the car and it’s barely registering. It may be time for a new stamp. This thing has carried me for three years, but I have to get it wet just to make any kind of mark. I attempt a small square on my right hand with a blob in the middle and head in. The set-up inside is a door guy right at the door who is just checking ID’s and giving you the stamp. OK this is important. I didn’t need any kind of stamp, just the passport. He stamps over my feeble stamp and it’s on to round two. One guy checking a will call list and a second guard blocking the entrance. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Sunday is already called “Sunday Funday” by the kinds of people who need excuses to have fun on the weekend. Sunday is fun. There’s football, it’s completely allowable to spend the entire day working off a hangover and/or chasing one down and until recently we c0uld end the night wishing we were Don Draper. But what would happen when a festival (already the most fun thing in the world) decided to throw three fun’s on their title and have bands like Yelle, A-Trak, The Descendents and an air sex competition and have it all go down on a Sunday? Oh, and did I mention my birthday would be the same day? Well, it happened.

The afternoon was ripe for sitting. Four straight bands on the Orange stage with almost no interruption. On a blanket. We got up when things got hot. And not just for the front women of Cults, Best Coast and Yelle. Let’s relive Sunday of Fun Fun Fun. Pictures by Eric Pulsifer, captions by Zack and Eric. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Zack and Caitlin had fun fun fun at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010. So many funs in threes that I had to question Caitlin for using funs in ones. Upon further review, “Funs in Ones” sounds like a Dr. Suess Themed porno…with only solo scenes. Sorry. I went there. Speaking of going there, they named Moshe Kashner best comedian of Fun Fun Fun 2010. Who else deserved awards? Who deserved two cameras for an interview? Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Saturday at Fun Fun Fun Fest was a sunny, brisk November afternoon overflowing with music, with enough time to ride a mechanical bull, trampoline bungee and catch a little comedy. Thankfully, @Supercooleric stayed on task while I had side adventures, capturing over a dozen bands on Saturday alone.

There was the rapper with too much bling, the bearded rock poet, the kid hanging out in a tree, bear suits, crowd surfing performers and a couple bands who shouldn’t leave the studio. I didn’t even mention RJD2, MGMT and Dirty Projectors. Here’s day one in pics. Photos by Eric Pulsifer, captions by Zack and Eric. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore I got up extra early for 10am football here on the West Coast. I forgot about daylight savings time. It’s possible Zack isn’t even awake yet for his birthday brunch. I am sad I couldn’t make it to Austin to celebrate his birthday with him and attend Fun Fun Fun, but I know he’s in good hands out there. He had a blast yesterday, according to the text and tweet updates. Hopefully today will be even better. How can it not, capping off the evening with an A-Track dance party? How can it not, when this hilarious Beatles video is wishing him a happy birthday? Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Weird Al Yankovic headlining an Austin music festival. The 14 year-old me who went to record stores with listening stations and brought a stack of four Weird CD’s to the station was psyched. The music snob in me wondered if I could unironically wave my hands from side to side for “Amish Paradise” and really get into the novelty of it all.

Really, he’s a novelty act who has always been a novelty act and is quite self aware. Would he have mastered his live show due to repetition theory? (He’s played 1,000+ shows.) Or would he be more of the joke than in on the joke? (Sometimes it’s hard to tell, but his Behind The Music made it clear he knows his place.) Would it be like the Weird Al DVD I watched when I babysat a kid (who’s now a junior in college) with Al wearing an insane amount of costumes and bringing an embarrassing amount of energy to his audience full of little kids and their parents? Could Austin get into this? Read the rest of this entry »