like order…

I like schedules…

I like to do lists…

I had the afternoon off from work so I got started on my SXSW 2010 Game plan.

Where do we start?

1)Bands -  M has pasted the list of SXSW Showcasing Artists to a Google docs spreadsheet.  From there we download the torrent and begin rating the bands (somewhere along the lines of “sucks balls” to “I would give an organ to see that band”).  If there are too many in the “I want to see this so bad”  we make an attempt to check out more songs by the band to determine the new ranking.

From there I have been using the wretched my.SXSW feature to save the list of bands I am interested in checking out.  The only perk is that it exports to Google Calendar.  I can make sure that all this gets added to sched when the time comes.

2) Schedules- Now there are a few scheduling tools out there. The best one available so far is Sched.org.  Unfortunately they don’t have the 2010 schedule up right now.  In the interim there are a few tools/sites M and I are using to get a head start on RSVP’s and such.

(edited 2/27)I built a Google calendar to share which has all of the day parties that have been listed on Donewaiting.com/sxsw, Do512.com’s SXSW Edition,  and Austinist’s SXSW guide (M has also been cruising the Twitter).  If it is on the calendar, it means that M and I are RSVP’d and ready to go.  Right now the plan is to RSVP for everything and sort it all out later when sched is back.

I finally checked out the schedule and I think I figured out what I want to see.   Dear Transmission, I would really love it if you could make me a grid schedule (even better if you could give me links to the band’s myspace page).

• Sunday 1/3 - Sally Crewe @ Club Deville
• Tuesday 1/5- Cruiserweight @ Red 7
• Wednesday 1/6 - Brothers and Sisters, The Laughing, Oh No Oh My @ Emos
• Friday 1/8  - Ume @ Emos, Corto Maltese @ Club Deville
• Saturday 1/9- T-Bird and the Breaks @ Mohawk

For now I will give you the wrap up for 2009.  I may have some words on the last decade later.

This year in live music: Broken Social Scene, Lymbyc Systym, The Submarines,  SXSW (Flosstradamus, Asobi Seksu, Titus Andronicus, Chairlift, the DJs from the Hood Internet, Kanye West, Big Sean, GLC Consequence, Really Do, Tony Williams, Mr. Hudson, Kid Cudi, Common, Erykah Badu, Buck65, B.Dolan, Sleep, Sage Francis, the Obits, Handsome Furs, American Analog Set, the Rosebuds, Bishop Allen, Au Revoir Simone, These Arms are Snakes, Cursive,  Passion Pit,  the Soft Pack, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Matt and Kim, Amplive, Franki Chan and Curt from Flosstradamus, and Echo and the Bunnymen),  Crystal Castles, Loxsly, the Dears, Great Northern, Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes, Clues, Explosions in the Sky , De La Soul, El Ten Eleven , Free Press Summerfest (Broken Social Scene, Explosions in the Sky, Prince Paul, Voxtrot), Los Campesinos!, Broken Social Scene,   FFF Fest (Royal Bangs, Crystal Antlers, Foot Patrol, Sugar and Gold, Vega, MC Chris, Neon Indian, Yeasayer, Les Savy Fav, Pharcyde, Atlas Sound, Why?, Broadcast, Dj Numark,  Lucero, MIssion of Burma, Buraka Som Sistema, GZA, Kid Sister ) Regina Spektor, Hockey, and Pheonix.

This year in non-live music: I am still having Last.fm iPod scrobbling issues.  Here’s to this year’s new albums that kept me awake at my desk. NASA, Mos Def, Amanda Blank, Del tha Funky Homosapien, Discovery, Walkmen, Headlights, Passion Pit, Yo La Tengo, Heartless Bastards, Animal Collective,…

This year in Sewing: I entered the Little Black Dress Contest and helped a friend who is writing a book on green clothing design.

This year on the interwebs: I am still bad about updating Twitter.  I have fallen in love with hulu and the hood internet.

This year in Movies: (theater) SXSW (RIP: A Remix Manifesto,  500 days of Summer,  Died Young, Stayed Pretty, The Time of Their Lives, Yes Men Fix the World,  Alexander the Last, and  I Love You, Man), Inglorious Basterds, Up in the Air, (dvd)Persepolis,  Thank You for Smoking, Fast Food Nation, The Yes Men.

This year in Books: Goodreads This is what I read: Story of the Eye-Georges, Bataille, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper- Diablo Cody, He’s Just not that into You- Greg Behrendt, Fast Food Nation- Eric Schlosser, The Other Side of Thirty- M.A. Thakor, The Manual- Steve Santagati, Another Roadside Attraction- Tom Robbins, Love is a Mix Tape- Rob Sheffield, Even Cowgirls get the Blues- Tom Robbins, Choke- Chuck Palahniuk, High Fidelity- Nick Hornby,

Here is the list of things I neglected to do in 2009 along with excuses for not doing them:

1. More bike rides (and maybe a bike with gears). No new bikes.  I did go on a few long rides though. I would bike more if I weren’t allergic to outside.
   
2. A jumble of personal goals: tolerance, being a better person, being more trusting, baggage reduction, etc… I haven’t made things worse (At least I don’t think I did).
3. Design for another fashion show.  Hopefully Stitch, when it returns. Stitch did not return this year.
4. Demolish the back porch and fix the fence. Those are still there.  The plan is to ditch the whole house.
5. Road trip. Didn’t happen.  I flew to Seattle instead.

2010 will be my 33rd year.   My Yenta says it should be one of the best.

M and I should try to tell you more about free stuff around town (or how to live a rock and roll lifestyle on the cheap).  I usually tell you after the fact during SXSW, but this year I will make an effort to tell you ahead of time how to save some $$.

The Channukah Fairy dropped this in my inbox last night.

Just when you thought there would be nothing to do between now and SXSW, Transmission decided to say, “Fuck the Recession”, and give us free week once again.  January 1st-9th you get an all you can eat buffet of music along Red River.

And now for my psa…

Just because you get to see shows for free doesn’t mean you won’t be spending money.  Please support the bands by buying stuff at the merch table.  Please support the bars by buying booze.  …and lastly, don’t forget to tip those bartenders.

So last night I went to the 101Xmas Show.  Thanks to the internet, I had a set list to confirm my hipster math calculation. I was spot on.  I decided to head down early to try and find decent parking.  I found primo parking on that street where I usually park for events at the Music Hall and La Zona Rosa.   I managed to hit LZR at the end of White Denim’s set.  Which was perfect.  Arriving at the end of the set allows you to get into position to fill the gaps made by the people who need beer refills.

I was about eight people back from the stage, just left of center, before Hockey hit the stage.  I felt like I had entered a time warp.  Was the lead singer wearing a feather earring?   Is it me or is there more Disco throwback music in circulation?  Is that why 101x only plays Too Fake?  Seriously, their set sounded like the Flashback lunch, new wave and disco (I happen to like these things, but then again, I was there the first time that music was in fashion.).

The crowd started to grow larger at the end of Hockey’s set.  People had stupidly paid scalpers $80+ to see the next band and they wanted the primo spots that myself and my other happy camping buddies had acquired.  I stood firm (BTW.  since when is it acceptable to use another person as a post to lean on.  I swear,  this chick was all up on my ass like I was a wall.  I decided to take a step forward to see what would happen.  She almost fell down.)

I was able to move up about 2 people thanks to the crowding situation.  Because I am a nice person, I let 2 short girls behind me move up (they were well behaved and quiet, not the pushy bitches to my left).  Phoenix was all I expected them to be and more.  (I have no clue why they aren’t in my ipod.  I don’t think it matters now that I have seen them live.  You can’t get that sound out of an ipod.)  I was shocked that they could rock that hard at the end of a long tour.  I had assumed that we would get 45 minutes tops.  Try over an hour of old songs and new.  The crowd danced and sang and eventually I was able to forget the pushy bitches to my left. All was well until the band decided it would be a good idea to let the crazies get on stage with them after 1901 (Dear bands,  it is a bad idea to let the lemmings trample people so they can get their 15 minutes).

Here are the rest of the pics. Enjoy!

The show sold out as predicted.  Lucky for me I had the laptop and credit card ready to go before I went to bed.  I set the alarm for 9:50am.  Bought my ticket at 10am and went back to bed.

I am looking for a sidekick for the evening (M will be on vacay).  Doors at 8. Show at 9.  Based on the hipster math I am guessing that Phoenix goes on at 11.  I’ve seen White Denim before but I would like to catch Hockey. I could do drinks at Star Bar before the show or maybe grab dinner at Hut’s or Frank & Angies.

SXSW dropped a big bag o’ Xmas cheer.  The 2010 Showcasing Band List.  Which means I get to start my research early this year (last year I barely scratched the surface).

Stay tuned little readers.  This weekend I will start the google docs spreadsheet.

Bands I look forward to so far…

Apostle of Hustle (Toronto ON)
Bomani Armah & Project Mayhem (Washington DC) - Read a Book!!
*Breakestra (Los Angeles CA)
*The Dollyrots (Los Angeles CA)
*The Ettes (Nashville TN)
*Fool’s Gold (Los Angeles CA)
Frightened Rabbit (Selkirk UK-SCOTLAND)
*HEARTSREVOLUTION (New York NY)
*The Hood Internet (Chicago IL)
We Are Scientists (New York NY)

So I have received a billion (well, maybe not that many) invites to the Smirnoff party in last year’s SXSW Fader Party shack.    The party sounds like a great idea.  Who wouldn’t want to get all liquored up (hopefully they will be serving vodka and not that Smirnoff Ice crap) and dance around to DJ Peanut Butter Wolf and Foot Patrol?

But wait for it…    Some super genius decided that it would be a good idea to let a bunch of intoxicated adults put paint on their feet and dance around on canvas in the name of art (…and no, I did not make this up).

The theme for the event is the “Art Sole” party. Art Sole provides a unique live art installation and live music event for the party-goers of Austin, TX. People will be asked to dance on a giant canvas after dipping their feet in paint. The event attendees will be dancing to the music provided by special guest performers.

Once again I say, “WTF!”  As an ex-preschool teacher I know what happens when you have the best laid plans to create art with imagination, paint, and body parts.  You get messy.  Messy to the point where it may be easier to burn the close and hose the kiddos off in the yard.

I am thinking that drunken adults will yield the same results as my room full of three year olds.

So, Be There, but Beware.  You might want to put on some clothes/shoes you don’t care about.

(edited on 11/9/9 after a good night’s sleep)

It is way past my bedtime.

I came home, showered (to remove mud and to get the smell of smoke and bad weed out of my hair) , tossed in a load of laundry,  made dinner, and now I am eating a vegan chocolate cupcake and writing to you.

First, let me thank the people that run this fest and make it magical every time.  You let me pick up my wristband early so I didn’t have to stand in line.   For the low price of $79.97 (Early Bird in the house)  I saw 20 acts in two days.  Many of which I hadn’t seen before.   Although I didn’t partake in food and beverages, there were a ton of choices for me, the vegetarian who also avoids HFCS).  Thank you!

Second, let me complain to the fest organizers about having to make my own grid schedule.  The website was nice and flashy but there is something to be said for low-tech (umm, it runs faster).  I had some issues making the scheduler work.  I have up and made myself an excel spreadsheet.

Lastly, Is there a person I can complain to about the people who got to the show late and tried to push their way tot the front?  Or can someone do something about the people smoking bad pot?  Better yet, can umbrellas be banished?

Here is the photo montage from my weekend,  you can get the details after the jump…

(more…)

Kevin and the Boys getting some love from Austin, originally uploaded by Limorama.

They brought friends, originally uploaded by Limorama.

The rest of mine and 10HDG pictures can be seen here.

Broken Social Scene played last night at the Austin Seaholm power plant. It’s that crazy 20’s art deco building over on Cesar Chavez. It was a beautiful night for a show outside. Just a touch cold, but awesome nontheless.

10HRDG and I moved his stuff to my house the night before, all night long. There’s been some developments on that btw, but I’ll also save that for another post.

We had been up for almost 28 hours before getting a 3 hour nap in that afternoon. And somehow, magically, Kevin and the boys always seem to know what to do. I can’t begin to explain how tired I was, I could barely stand up, but when BSS came on, it was like a 4th or 5th wind.

They were amazing. After the show Brendan was kinda hanging around the side of the stage, so of course I went over to talk to him. I told him that I thoroughly enjoyed their set, and also that in Houston I was impressed with Kevin telling some dudes in the crowd to stop fighting. He replied that it was Kevin’s “Eddie Vedder circa Lollapalooza ‘92″ and that “He’s got a few years on me.” He was a super nice dude, and I’m very glad I got to see them again.