@ZackTeibloom There’s something special about a weekly residency. It’s how Festival Crashers got to know Ezra Furman so well and we couldn’t be happier about that. Thankfully we have a residency starting up tonight, as Hot Club of Cowtown begins a 5-week run at Continental Club. Don’t know them yet? Well, they’re a three-piece band with violin, guitar and stand-up bass and they all sing. Singer and violinist Elana James describes them as similar to early string bands. Like Norah Jones w/ some Wayne Hancock. Comparable to Caroline Chocolate Drops.  Still not sure what to expect? She insists you have to come see them to really understand. Bob Dylan saw them live opening for Willie Nelson and brought Elana on tour. The only woman to tour with him in 30 years. Convinced yet? It’s only $5, which also lets you in on happy hour specials.  Read the rest of this entry »

Green Day did such a spectacular job of getting the crowd involved that this section needed its own post. I captured three of my favorite moments, but there were 5 crowd participation moments that you couldn’t help but love.

5. The Cute little girl in pigtails Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Passion Pit is so synth driven, I wondered how they’d sound with just Michael Angelakos on acoustic guitar, later joined by another member on electric. Would the songs hold up without the explosion of synth that is their driving force? Could they take the sweaty dance party, strip it away and make it just be about Angelakos’ voice and sparse guitars and have it work? Absolutely they could.

It was a mesmerizing three-song set with witty banter a lively crowd and an emphatic voice for vinyl. Pretty much everything you’d want from an in-store performance.   Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore There are several different reasons to see a band more than one time. You will never see the same show twice with improvisational bands like Phish and Umphrey’s McGee. Other times, the musicians are so good, it is worth catching them live every time. I would put any band with Tom Morello, Jack White and Dave Grohl in that group. Sometimes, the band will play the same set, the same exact way, every time, and they’re still worth seeing every time. That’s probably the rarest kind. Matt & Kim fall into this last category. Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom I’ve seen LCD Soundsystem open for Arcade Fire at the Hollywood Bowl. I was there when LCD played “Daft Punk is playing at my House” before Daft Punk played right after them at Lollapalooza 2007. I was there when LCD played Coachella in 2010 between Them Crooked Vultures and Jay-Z. None held a candle to last night.

It was a pantheon performance by LCD Soundsystem. One that made you feel alive. If you were there. I reviewed the whole show doing a slight variation on “Losing My Edge.” I’ll also debut the new rating system Shore came up with. Excuse all the “I was there” lines. I’m not rubbing it in for those of you who weren’t. Just listen to “Losing my Edge” while you read and it will all make sense.

“If it’s crowded, all the better.”

A sticky, sweaty, swaying sold-out sea of citizens saw it go down at Stubbs.  Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore The anticipation of seeing Paul McCartney had been building since Zack first told me the show was announced. It built even more when my brother managed to get me a ticket while I was in the car, on the way home from San Diego. It reached a head last week, when I thought the concert was last Wednesday. What a disappointment finding out I had another week to go! I couldn’t take it anymore, by the time I got to my seat in the Hollywood Bowl. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so excited. Asides from excitement, Macca had me running the gamut of emotions. Tears welled in my eyes because I was finally seeing Sir Paul himself. I cried, unashamed, as Paul sang “Here Today” to John. I screamed at the top of my lungs after every song, and sat in silence after the show because there just wasn’t any words. Read the rest of this entry »

@AndyShore Haiti has left the headlines, but there is still a ton of work to be done there. Harmonies For Haiti reminded us of that, bringing 17 bands together to raise money for the Red Cross. Hosted by Jonas’ Chelsea Staub, the event saw many of Hollywood’s young stars onstage and in attendance. I stood out like a sore thumb, standing a head taller than the hundreds of tweens in attendance. Regardless, I enjoyed most of the music and managed to get some pretty decent shots. I’ve been in LA about five months and I’ve now shot a cast member from the Hills and a Cyrus. Have I dropped n00b status yet? Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom Picture yourself in the Waterloo parking lot. The nicest January day you’ve ever felt. A shield-your-eyes-it’s-so-sunny afternoon. Picture the biggest band to come out of Austin in the last decade playing for free. It feels like I’m quoting a Spoon song, doesn’t it? Actually, I’m kind of quoting two. It’s the kind of thing you pick up on when you see a band you really like, but don’t love for the fifth time. You notice how Britt does the same “I’m playing the guitar like a machine gun” squatting pose, plays with his frizzy/matted down hair (depending on how he pushed it off his face last.) You notice how much of a rockstar he looks like with the leather jacket and sunglasses. How Australian he looks with his sunglasses off. You notice they start two songs the exact same way. Picture it.  Read the rest of this entry »

@ZackTeibloom ”I’d have to be in the hospital to miss a Gil Mantera show” @den_mom told me as she fought off a double ear with a beer before the midnight show at Emo’s. That’s dedication. Me? I actually bought a ticket.* Yes, it’s worth risking your health and deepest beliefs** to go to a Gil Mantera’s Party Dream show. A three piece like you’ve never seen. Unmatched sexual energy, ridiculous costumes where they start looking like ninjas and end up in thongs with girls groping licking their stomachs and throwing their bras at them. It’s a party dream all right. Read the rest of this entry »

@DoctorCollins Austin’s recent brush with brisk weather and the Mountain Goats’ ability to draw out the coolest of the cool kids gave Antone’s the feel of a hip mountainside ski lodge after a day on the slopes. The calm, sweater-clad crowd gathered around the stage as if it were a crackling fire, patiently waiting for the bands to provide them with warmth through their musical stylings. The Mountain Goats and Final Fantasy were happy to oblige (pictured right). Their brand of intimate, thoughtful song writing offering welcome respite from the increasingly chilly weather. With colorful scarves draped carefully around their necks, the polite concert-goers broke their manners only to yell out song requests or compliments bathed in adoration. Read the rest of this entry »