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Another birthday celebration at Plucker's. It's a tradition.
Do you remember a time when everything you could possibly want could come in a just a few boxes?
He got everything he wanted, and some college money too.
OK, we got something for ourselves a well....
I'd been quite proud of not owning a lawnmower, ever. But then I bought a used mower for the house in VT. Then we started to clear back the decade of scrub and weed brush from this house, and I bought a brand new Craftsman mower for here... All the sudden I owned TWO mowers.
Our acre here in Westlake had never been mowed. Once I got started, the change was amazing. A real landscaping plan was coming together. Then I hit the stump... my new mower had about an hour of hard use before I found the stump. I had found several other rocks and chunks of debris, but this stump stopped my new mower. Dead in its tracks, the new mower was done.
I spent hours on the phone with craftsman, I received conflicting advice and instructions. In the end, I was thanked for my honesty, but because I admitted I had hit a stump, I had no options other than buy a new mower. I managed to sell the stumped mower on craigslist to recoup a portion of the replacement cost. The first mower had been purchased on sale, the price had since gone UP. I paid more for the replacement mower #thanksobama
With the new mower up and back in operation, I was a bit more careful. The yard is a cornucopia of hazards. I spend time walking off a small section if it's not been mowed before. I move rocks in piles around stumps. After I mow around the stumps, I come back with my chainsaw and cut them flush... It will soon be too hot to continue, but the results have been positive.
These areas were waist high with weeds and scrub.
Quiet Company put on a great show at Capitol One House (Antone's)
new EP due out at the end of march.
Taylor did some crowd surfing, with his fender.
Smashmouth helped out on keyboards.
Saturday is when we usually take the kids along for music at Whole Foods Rooftop Quantum Collective. They boys hardly looked up from their devices, all too common.
Kat really enjoyed the Quantum Collective Party, she even bought a bicycle... we paid cash, the hitch was that the bike had to be picked up at 6:30... That sort of dictated what we could do for the rest of the day.
Day one of the CHIVE TV party at the rooftop pool at the Westin.
Day Two at Chive TV:
Laura uses her balloon wig to retrieve Keri's hat from the pool.
Three:
We arrived early on Day three of Chive TV party. Grabbed a quick bite to eat (love those deviled eggs) and got into the party when it opened.
Early bird gets the worm! We scored a table close to the pool, next to the bar and close enough to the stage to hear the music. The views were good too.
Several friends came over and shared our table.
and that was it... we stayed till almost 6 PM, then walked to Whole Foods, claimed Kat's bike. My mom picked us up with her bike rack. We were home in bed by 10 PM, after feasting on fajitas.
CMoore walked from Whole Foods for more SXSW adventures. He made it home at 3:45 AM, but that's a whole other story.
(BIG)
Kat had suggested I see the Cuckoos. She said they sounded a bit like Joy Division. Early into their set, I was picking up more DOORS than JD. I even joked "I sure hope they close with "Riders on the Storm". But their bluesy rock and funk description came true when (much to my delight and surprise) they closed with "When Doves Cry" a Prince cover.
We had a table at the Big Picture Media press event.
Edison was the first band we interviewed. They are experienced musicians, came well prepared for the rigors of SX. They had even won a contest with HomeAway affording them one of the best locations. Convenient access to downtown takes a lot of stress from getting to commitments.
We may have been a bit stumbly and the meeting concluded with them asking us "exactly WHO are you?".
Jocelyn and Chris Arndt actual siblings, I admire these two. My son and daughter play eight instruments between the two, but I can't get them to play along with each other. They were so comfortable and charming.
The Cuckoos from Austin. "Blues, Psychedelic and Funk" turned out to be accurate. we caught their live show. More on that in the next post.
Ligula (from Spain) were so excited to be here. Their music has a strong Classic or Southern American Rock influence. They were looking forward to seeing some of the landscape that shaped their musical interests from such a distance. They had no issues with gaining entry to the US, turned out to be a non-event despite all the negative SXSW press that had surfaced just days prior regarding bands being refused entry or deported. I was disappointed I was unable to catch their show.
Sweet Crude is from New Orleans, just like CMoore. While it wasn't clear what their sound was when using terms like "Drum Pop Louisianais", their answers turned out to be accurate when we caught their show the next day.
Emily Bell , also from Austin.
Kylie Hughes said my shirt was a nice match with hers. I won't disagree. She was fun to chat with and also put on great showcase. This was her first trip to Austin. I hope she enjoyed the breakfast tacos.
Of all the artists we interviewed. there was a lot of consistency in the answers. When CMoore asked "What do you hope to get out of SXSW?". The answers were never about themselves. These artists were genuinely excited to spend time with other musicians. They told us about the shows they wanted to see, and being able to spend time with label mates. From the excitement in their eyes, SXSW is more of a summer camp for working musicians.
Blank Range at the Cliff Bar House (black heart)
Sundara Karma at Stub Hub (Banger's)
Diamond Thug at Doc Martin House (containr bar)
Kweku Collins at Twix House (Bar 96)
ESKEI83 (DJs and knob twisters are now a big part of SXSW as music consumption changes)
MONDO COZMO back at Stubhub (Banger's)
As always, abundant beer...
The burlesque sideshow is the third component to the Bugout party
Some people ate live worms.
That's a picture, of a picture, of a picture... Always new tech being demonstrated at SXSW, Prynt was fun. Not just the printed image, but it becomes a video when viewed through the app.
All the Friends Ball is curated by Mother Falcon. It was a great opportunity to see many talented artists in a fun and comfortable venue.
Calliope Musicals opened the show.
Belcurve played an intimate set inside.
Little Girl, had a creepy 80's era horror movie soundtrack vibe that I liked (think Stranger Things soundtrack material)
No SX would be complete without a Peelander appearance.
RF Shannon (above) and Fragile Rock (below)
Hard Proof really tore it up good for an amazing set on a beautiful Austin Day.
It's SXSW time again. We attended the Austin Monthly Bands to Watch Party
We enjoyed John Wesley Coleman III, The Bishops, White Label Analog and Otis the Destroyer.
Otis the Destroyer lived up to the name. They were both southern rock and metal, with frequent tempo shifts. You know the show is gonna be good when the drummer is all smiles and the bass player is like an animal all glisteny with sweat.
White Label Analog also put on a great show. Shannon said "they remind me of every band I loved on the 80's wrapped up into one". They sort of reminded me of Future Islands, the band that gave every goofy white guy license to dance.
Before I jump straight into the food and beverage, we've been hard at work here with the house and yard. The purge of decade long extra stuff is another work in progress.
We've also cleared another area of land. We'd tried to keep things natural, but scrubby weed bush and non-native invasive varieties were quickly taking over and blocking views. It took many hours with a pick axe, loppers, and manual labor to clear another section. A few trips to three different nurseries and we are on the way having something presentable.
CHEF RÉMI FOURNIER from Anger France had a French food and wine event at Lenoir.
Wines pairings from the Loire Valley.
It was a rainy day, but we managed to make something of it.
The T.A.P. TX 4.0 at Pint House Pizza is a really good brew. I believe it's the result of a PHP and Odell Brewing collaboration. I've also managed to get a few more cans of SWISH from Bissell Brothers Brewing. The sunny and 68 degree Sunday evening was a nice opportunity to enjoy one.
It seems new breweries are popping up all over Austin lately.
We were walking by Lazarus and stopped for a Taco al Pastor and a Pint.
Fresh beer is always better than bottled/canned. The tacos were really good, the salsa too, nice heat.
February has afforded us many warm evenings for outdoor patio fun.
side note: I occasionally make strangers disappear. Either by cropping or other means if necessary. I got rid of these three dudes below (same pic as seen a few pics up). Disapearer.
We attended the launch party for a new Poblano Pepper liqueur from Ancho Reyes Verde
Craft cocktails mixed up at Whisler's featured the pepper flavored liqueur.
The poblano flavor is evident. The cocktails combined it with either Rum or Tequila along with a variety of ingredients including cucumber, lime, roasted tomato, watermelon... they were good.
For sample recipes, click HERE
Mr Poblano made an appearance.
