Bassnectar Family Photo via Bassnectar.net

This past Wednesday, an eagerly anticipated text message was waiting for me when I got off work. It read simply, “You’re Set.” It was from SceneSC’s founder and Editor in Chief David Stringer, and was in reference to my attempts to get press access to the Bassnectar show that night. Since emerging in 2005 Lorin Ashton – aka Bassnectar – has grown to become one of the premier electronic acts in the world today, even getting billed above world heavyweights Skrillex and Steve Angello (of Swedish House Mafia fame) at last year’s CounterPoint Festival in Atlanta. When I saw the Columbia date announced, I knew I had to see it for myself.

This would be my first concert at the Township Auditorium and I must say the recent renovations looks spectacular. Walking into the auditorium from the lobby, the empty floor had a bit of a gladiator pit vibe to it. Given the somewhat aggressive and abrasive nature of a lot of EDM these days, it was a feeling not at odds with the evening’s entertainment. A sizeable crowd was already inside (I would say half capacity) over two hours before Bassnectar was expected to take the stage. At first I was impressed with the costumes and signs that concert goers had crafted for the evening (as the night went on it became very clear that these were essentially a uniform, as 90% of the crowd became an indistinguishable mass of day glo and neon colors), with the “Chicken Soup for the Bass Head’s Soul” sign a particular favorite. After taking in the surroundings, the first opener was set to begin.

THRIFTWORKS

The first opener was Thirftworks, hailing from California. Taking the stage at about 7:45, most of those in attendance seemed pretty disinterested in the music, which was a real shame. Thriftworks brought a very heady vibe to the table, with 8bit heavy hip hop beats that would not have been out of place at the Flying Lotus/Thundercat/Teebs show I attended a few weeks ago. He would occasionally go into trap-style beats, perhaps in an attempt to engage an audience clearly ready to rage, before going back into his hazier, stuttering beats. Any fans of Brainfeeder material should definitely check this guy out.

GRiZ
Next came Grant Kwiecinski, aka GRiZ, and he came roaring out from the start. Equipped with a set of controllers, a laptop and a saxophone, GRiZ’s set began with what felt like a literal explosion of energy. The volume ratcheted up noticeably – (Insert earplug now. I’ve been going to concerts for a number of years now, across a wide variety of genres and venues and this was hands down one of the loudest concerts I have ever been to.), and he launched into a stream of very funky hip hop grooves. As of late GRiZ can be found collaborating with Gramatik (an artist who evokes Bonobo and dubstep equally), and their funk-meets-weird-synthesizers sound was definitely on display. Kwiecinski proved more than capable as a multi-instrumentalist, adding in sax solos and some scratching for good measure.

But these people were here for capital D Dubstep, and GRiZ was not one to keep them waiting for long. (My note at 9:15: DUBSTEP!!!!) Huge drops and a brutally unforgiving level of bass, and really overall volume, was leveled at the crowd and they loved every second of it. His set concluded and the anticipation of the main event began to build.

Bassnectar
At 9:45 sharp, Bassnectar took the stage. He warmly greeted the crowd before the gigantic digital count down began. You can’t help but be over awed by his visual display, as virtually the entire stage was a projection screen. The first chunk of the set kept things in the 90 bpm range, which allowed for a great deal of versatility. Ashton was able to seamlessly move between hip hop, drum and bass and his signature dubstep sound. And the visual display perhaps exceeded my already high expectations (for my money, they were cooler than Skrillex’s).

Another feature of this show that I liked a lot: there were people who decked out in official Bassnectar gear whose sole job was to pass out water to anyone in the crowd who needed it (if I see another t-shirt referencing someone’s good friend Molly…). Whether these were volunteers or actual employees is uncertain. Bassnectar has put a great deal of emphasis on interacting with his fans, regularly answering emails on his website, involving fans with his charity work etc, and it was nice to see an artist take responsibility for his fans (most artists/bands would leave that kind of work up to the venue).

Bassnectar’s music frequently sounds rooted in hip hop, and I was intrigued to see how much of America’s current Trap obsession had made its way into his sound. Tracks such as “Freestyle ft. Angel Haze” and “Vava Voom ft. Lupe Fiasco” were in the same tempo range and wouldn’t be out of place in a trap set, but also had Bassnectar’s undeniable touch. Several of the security guards couldn’t resist this part of his set and could be seen jumping around and dancing as much as anyone in the crowd.

Photos by Andrew Harris

The night of Sept. 18, 2006, Band of Horses packed up their gear after finishing a Monday night show at Headliners in Columbia’s Vista. Front man and Columbia native Ben Bridwell (located center in above photo) probably didn’t know the club he just played would close its doors for good in 2009, barring his possessing psychic powers that he hasn’t made the public aware of (Tell us now, Ben – what does the future hold?!). By the same token, he probably didn’t know it would be another six-and-a-half years before his group would return to play in his hometown.

Tonight, the audience at the Township Auditorium will welcome Band of Horses back with open arms and open ears for a night of music steeped in southern roots.

Formed in Seattle in 2004, the band relocated their home base to nearby Charleston, S.C., before the release of 2007′s Cease to Begin, which was their first release to crack the Billboard U.S. album chart’s top 40 (peaking at number 37). Horses’ popularity has been on the rise ever since, with Infinite Arms (2010) garnering their best performance on the charts (peaking at number seven) and major summer music festival dates becoming a regular part of their tours.

Much of the band’s success can be attributed to Bridwell’s voice, as its constant treble cuts through the mix with a pristine, often bell-like quality. Layered atop the quintet’s no frills indie-rock instrumentation, his vocals steer the mood and dynamic of each track. Whether it’s through the grit and aggression on the verses of “Ode to LRC,” the inquisitive, almost panicked use of his upper register on “Is There A Ghost” or the placidity of “Infinite Arms,” Bridwell’s versatility shines through as the band’s focal point.

Joining Horses on tonight’s bill are Columbia rockers Josh Roberts and the Hinges and Athens, Ga., alt-country group Futurebirds. Whatever guitar solos the rest of the show might be lacking, Josh Roberts will surely make up for, as he’s easily one of the best improv rock guitarists in the Southeast (NOTE: all audience members should come prepared to have their faces melted, only hoping and praying that maybe Ben Bridwell’s soothing voice can work as an aural aloe to heal their rock-induced burns). Futurebirds make their home somewhere in between the Hinges’ and Horses’ places on the rock spectrum, melding belted harmonies and a wall of reverb guitar sounds with a Southern rock swagger to create a mystique that perfectly treads a thin line between beauty and dysfunction.

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Band of Horses / Futurebirds / Josh Roberts and the Hinges

Friday, May 3 at the Township Auditorium (1703 Taylor St., Columbia, S.C.)

$35 floor (no seating); $30 reserved balcony

Doors open at 7 p.m.; show starts at 8 p.m.

(Via Press Release)

Hopscotch Music Festival—North Carolina’s biggest and most diverse music festival—is proud to announce the lineup for its fourth-annual party in downtown Raleigh, N.C., scheduled for Sept. 5–7, 2013. Nearly 175 bands will fill 15 venues this year, bringing together some of the most noteworthy artists working today in a variety of genres—from hip-hop to indie rock, from electronic noise to electronic dance music, from old-time music to heavy metal. Hopscotch combines the best of North Carolina’s highly regarded scene with bands from around the world, creating a weekend that’s both local and global, proud of the place it calls home but connected to the world around it, too.

Hopscotch 2013 Lineup

LINEUP

Big Boi, Spiritualized, The Breeders play Last Splash, Local Natives, John Cale, Sleep, Earl Sweatshirt, Low, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Future Islands, Action Bronson, Matthew Dear, Oblivians, The Rosebuds play Sade’s Love Deluxe, Califone, ADULT., Merzbow, Chatham County Line, Mikal Cronin, Pere Ubu, Marnie Stern, Pig Destroyer, Ryan Hemsworth, Pissed Jeans, Matmos, Grouper, American Aquarium, Waxahatchee, XXYYXX, Charlemagne Palestine, Wolf Eyes, Mount Moriah play Miracle Temple, Mount Moriah and The Letting Go, Angel Olsen, Purling Hiss, Holly Herndon, WOLD, Richard Youngs, Torres, Night Beds, Houses, Big Black Delta, Jonathan Kane’s February, Gorguts, Amor de Días, Foot Village, Doug Paisley, Kopecky Family Band, ASG, Lapalux, Riton, Ken Vandermark & Tim Daisy Duo, Lonnie Holley, Nightlands, Pelt, Charalambides, Evoken, Inter Arma, Ashrae Fax, The Backsliders, Ex Cops, Helado Negro, Fat Tony, Sal Mineo, Slavic Soul Party!, SUUNS, High Wolf, Ex-Cult, Endless Boogie, San Fermin, Magik Markers, Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, David Grubbs, Swearin’, Shannon Whitworth, Pharmakon, Dauwd, Cy Dune, Jeanne Jolly, Majical Cloudz, Golden Void, Malcolm Holcombe, Rose Windows, Leech, Daniel Bachman, Deleted Scenes, Overmountain Men, Alpoko Don, Whatever Brains, Dan Friel, UBT, OXYxMORON, Double Negative, Spacin’, Survival, Expo ’70, Broken Prayer, Cian Nugent, Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba, The Beets, High Highs, Gross Ghost, The Lollipops, The Kingsbury Manx, Toddlers, Protomartyr, Loincloth, Arborea, Water Liars, Libraness, Zen Frisbee, Cesar Comanche, Coke Bust, Speedy Ortiz, Drug Yacht, Ilyas Ahmed, Mike Shiflet, Alexander Turnquist, Ahleuchatistas, Villages, The Everymen, Sylvan Esso, Katharine Whalen, Jamaican Queens, Last Year’s Men, Dub Addis, Ryan Gustafson’s The Dead Tongues, Shirlette Ammons T4GB, The Dreebs, Plume Giant, Airstrip, Ironing Board Sam, Nathan Bowles, Schooner, Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass-Kickin Team, The Shilohs, Solar Halos, Beloved Binge, Regina Hexaphone, Bitter Resolve, TONK, Richard Bacchus & the Luckiest Girls, Morning Brigade, Prypyat, High Aura’d, Horse Lords, Turf War, The Human Eyes, Old Quarter, The South Carolina Broadcasters, Maple Stave, Melissa Swingle, DJ Paypal, Wichita Falls, Boyzone, Casual Curious, Ama Divers, Body Games, Estrangers, Noise Trauma, Black Zinfandel, Twilighter, Waumiss, Co., Midnight Plus One, Spooky Woods, Wool, Eros & the Eschaton, Late Bloomer, Saints Apollo

Last week both Mat Cothran projects set the internet abuzz with the much-anticipated release of the first single from the new Coma Cinema album Posthumous Release, and with the release of Holo Pleasures via his full band Elvis Depressedly.

While the  new Coma Cinema song “Satan Made A Mansion” made its national debut on Spin, and was covered by numerous national websites including Pitchfork, Cothran’s other project Elvis Depressedly dropped last Tuesday quickly selling out of physical tape copies, and becoming the most popular SC album streamed on music site Bandcamp. In fact all the Elvis Depressedly and Coma Cinema releases have remained as some of the most streamed albums on Bandcamp from South Carolina for some time now.

Last year Shuffle Magazine contributor, and Free Times music editor Patrick Wall wrote an article on the recording process of Cothran titled “Beg, Borrow, and Steal” focused on Cothran’s unique style of home recording. With Holo Pleasures Cothran stuck to this signature style, but branched out in a different way by writing with close friends, and bandmates Delaney Mills (keyboards/vocals) and Eric Jones (guitar/bass).

Cothran’s music is best known for its realness, and lyrical honesty, and that trend continues on the new release. The new seven song EP clocks in under 12 minutes total, with all the songs coming in under 2 minutes 35 seconds, something that is common among all Elvis Depressedly songs. Much is made of the “lofi” quality of the recordings, but listening to the album it’s not something that is noticed. The song structures, hooks, and forwardness of the songwriting lend themselves to multiple listens. Soft keyboard and vocal hooks make this album stick with you, each song making a comfortable nest in your memory. The songs are short and sweet, never overstaying their welcome, cutting much of the bull shit from his song structures that many artists think they must have in every song.

There’s a reason Cothran has made his name nationally known in the indie music world with little help from PR companies cramming the music down media gatekeepers throats. When someone becomes a fan of his music, they most commonly stick around, and stay a dedicated fan. It’s a testament to his ability as a songwriter, and his lyrical connection to his fans.

More Highlights

-The bass line of “Weird Honey”

-Everything about “Thinning Out” most notably the cello parts

-”Teeth” stands out from the rest of the album in a good way

-Subtle hints of Elliott Smith sprinkled throughout

-The overall ease of “pepsi/coke suicide”

Both Coma Cinema and Elvis Depressedly catalogs are free to download or pay what you want.

The new Coma Cinema-Posthumous Release is out June 11 on Fork & Spoon Records / Orchid Tapes and was recorded over 9 days in Los Angeles with Brad Petering and Jason Wyman from TV Girl and Rachel Levy (R.L. Kelly).

Moog Music has partnered up with Paxahau, the production company behind Detroit’s Movement Electronic Music Festival and Jazzfest, to present the return of Moogfest in April 2014.  Paxahau is reknown for their commitment to honoring the history of electronic music and innovation, a quality that was sure to appeal to the lasting legacy of Bob Moog that Moog Music upholds.  The shift towards spring dates will allow for outdoor and daytime events, as well as distancing Moogfest from AC Entertainment’s Mountain Oasis Music Festival.

“Moogfest is not just about Moog or music, it’s about celebrating the creative, forward-thinking spirit of both Bob and the city of Asheville. We’ll shine a light on inventors, new media artists, circuit benders, programmers, and people with ideas that could change the way we experience music, art and performance.” 

 -Emmy Parker, Moog’s Senior Brand Manager

I would imagine this means an added emphasis on workshops and talks, which were a part of Moogfest during it’s run with AC Entertainment, but at times felt like an afterthought (especially the 3rd year).  The switch in production companies will almost certainly be reflected in the lineup choices.  I for one would be extremely excited about a lineup chock full of Detroit Techno.  In the end, Asheville ends up with two top notch music festivals.

With Record Store Day on the horizon we’re on the verge of hearing a lot of new music, with tons of special releases planned for April 20.

Among those is a collaborative 12 inch single with Manchester Orchestra teaming up with Frightened Rabbit for one song and Grouplove for the another.

“We wanted to release some sort of 12-inch for Record Store Day, but we had no idea how it would come about, or with whom we could trick into doing it with us,” said Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull. “I sent a text to the first two bands we wanted to work with and they said yes. Being friends with both Grouplove and Frightened Rabbit, we decided instead of doing a split, we’d make it a full on collaboration.”

“This is our way of putting some Manchester Love on some Group Orchestra,” added Grouplove’s Hannah Hooper, who helped design the release’s artwork. Manchester Orchestra’s Chris Freeman also contributed to the artwork.

Back in November of 2012 Grouplove did a special acoustic set at The Stuffing, an annual concert put on by Manchester Orchestra the night before Thanksgiving. Their song for the record store day single is a barebones rock tune, similar to Manchester Orchestra, with the big difference being the deep bending keyboard part introduced as a prechorus and then dropped again as the outro.

The song with Frightened Rabbit “Architect” is a sad little song written back and forth through iPhone voice memos between singers Scott Hutchison and Andy Hull. This is the song that many longtime Mancester Orchestra fans will fall in love with, similar to Hull’s solo material.

GROUPLOVE ON TOUR:
4/12 – Baltimore, MD – John Hopkins University
4/17 – St. Louis, MO – University of Missouri
4/18 – Lincoln, NE – University of Nebraska
5/12 – Napa, CA – BottleRock Music Wine & Food Festival
5/17 – Gulf Shores, AL – Hangout Music Festival
5/18 – Atlanta, GA – Party in the Park
6/1 – Ozark, AR – Wakarusa
6/28 – Kansas City, MO – Kansas City Speedway
7/26 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest

FRIGHTENED RABBIT ON TOUR:
4/10 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
4/11 – Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre
4/12 – Little Rock, AR – The Rev Room
4/13 – Dallas, TX – Trees
8/2 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza

PNC Park with the most people you’ll se in it all year.

After a seven-and-a-half hour drive from Virginia to Pennsylvania that was only supposed to take six and a marginally good night’s sleep, I woke up in Pittsburgh to see snow falling on my friend Bobby’s deck. Sorry, shorts I foolishly packed. It’s not going to be your week.

The snow could’ve gotten us down – our friend Christine, joining us from Buffalo, had seen enough of it recently – but we had motivation in the form of lunch. Primanti Brothers sandwiches awaited us.

Capicola + cheese + hand-cut fries + homemade slaw + tomatoes = food coma.

With multiple Primanti’s locations to choose from, we chose the original in the Pittsburgh strip for the most authentic experience possible. Bobby, my freshman year roommate at USC, has been harping on me to make a road trip if only to try this sandwich for years. It didn’t disappoint.

What sticks out with Primanti’s, outside of the unconventional move of putting fries on the sandwich, is the freshness of the ingredients. I’m generally not a fan of coleslaw, at least how it’s often served in the South, because its thick mayo coat softens the vegetables into a grotesque paste. The slaw at Primanti’s is the exact opposite, providing an excellent crunch and forgoing the mayo for a peppery, vinegar based dressing that goes perfectly with the spicy capicola. The ripe tomato slice and the creaminess of the melted provolone balances the crunch factor, and all ingredients are held in by two slices of fresh baked french bread. The sandwich was an experience I won’t soon forget and hope to enjoy again today, time and appetite willing. Strike that, just time willing.

After walking off our food coma, the three of us waded through the largest pack of Pirates fans you’ll ever see for their season opener against the Cubs. As a Braves fan, I feel slightly guilty that the Pirates haven’t had a winning season since 1992 (see “The Slide” – thanks, Sid). Therefore, I had on my only black and yellow shirt and was ready to toss back some oat sodas in support of the Buccos with 35,000 Pittsburgh residents all skipping work.

Iron City – fueling angry Pirates fans since 1850.

My goal at the game was to drink only beers brewed in Pennsylvania (which I succeeded). After being passed over by the only beer vendor I saw in the first half hour, I headed to a concession stand and procured a Yuengling. If you don’t know about Yuengling already, crawl out from under your rock, pawn the iPad 2 you’re using to read this and head to a grocery store to buy yourself a six-pack. Later in the game, I had to grab an Iron City Lager from the most frustrating vendor in the stadium who thought my South Carolina ID was a fake. IC is a classic American lager, akin to Budweiser, but with a darker, maltier body, making it more enjoyable in my opinion. Not a high-class brew by any means, but at roughly $6-7 a six-pack at your local Total Wine, it’s well worth trying to have your own Steel City beer experience.

In the middle of the 6th inning, the real reason I came to Pittsburgh finally happened – the famed Pirates pierogi race. I had my money on Onion. Much to my chagrin, Chester Cheese took the checkered flag in a photo finish. Still, it was every bit as ridiculous as I’d hoped it’d be – and that’s as ridiculous as four humans racing around an outfield dressed as Polish dumplings.

Fucking Chester Cheese, man.

Sadly, my attempt to get into the Pittsburgh spirit couldn’t help the team, as they fell to the Cubs 3 – 1. It’s more of the same for Pirates fans and just what I expected, so I don’t feel any worse for their fan base. However, I do feel bad for the owners and operators of PNC Park. It’s one of the newest and nicest ballparks I’ve had the pleasure of visiting and it’s a damn shame that attendance won’t nearly reach Opening Day numbers for the rest of the season.

Day one in Pittsburgh was highly entertaining, satisfying my love for sandwiches, beer and sports. Day two, I hope to mainly satisfy my love of beer and find some great area craft brews.

Until tomorrow.

While driving home to Virginia this Friday, I learned I would be leaving the ranks of the unemployed nine days later. In the midst of my excitement, I realized I had the perfect opportunity for one last blowout as a slacker – a weeklong road trip up north to visit friends, eat delicious sandwiches, drink beer and crash on couches.

“Cameron Goes North” will be the written manifestation of my encounters. There will be one of these posts each day chronicling the previous day’s events. Hopefully I’ll find some new beers and grub you haven’t seen over and over on Travel Channel or Food Network and inspire the gastronomic adventurer in you to journey toward new tastes.

The schedule:

Pittsburgh, PA – 4/1-4/2
Brooklyn, NY – 4/3-4/4
Philadelphia, PA – 4/5
Washington, DC – 4/5
Columbia, SC – 4/6
Charlotte, NC – 4/7

If you have absolutely nothing better to do, you can follow my endeavors in photo form on Instagram @tycampo or using #camgoesnorth.

The Primanti Bros. sandwich atop this post serves as a preview to tomorrow’s write-up from Pittsburgh, Pa., which will include state staple beers and a bunch of pissed off Pirates fans.

Link to Pittsburgh, Day One

By Terrence Richard of Junior Astronomers

Right now I’m tucked away in the van driving what to me seemed to be a Tornado in Florida. Its been some time since we left Austin but it feels like only yesterday I was hungry and sweaty all over. Searching for free booze and new tunes. This is how my voyage went down.

After spending two weeks on tour with our Mississippi brothers The Weeks we arrived in Austin on Tuesday. The first and last night in Austin is always my favorite. We met up with our great friend Dan Millice, who mastered our record to check out a house show. I didn’t think too much of it until I was told that Thomas Pridgen (ex Mars Volta drummer) was playing with his new band The Memorials. We got there to also catch Lite, this crazy band from Japan that sounded like Battles and BOYFRNDZ from Austin, Texas who actually had their record produced by Ikey from The Mars Volta as well. After a few beers and half bottle of Evan Williams we preceded to Red 7 where our dude’s we’re about to start their SXSW week off. Anytime you can catch these guys please do. One of the few bands I can watch every night and never get tired of. We ended the night on top of some roof listening to dance music and getting bottle service. One of us may or may not have thrown up off that roof. I’ll leave it up to you to guess.

Day Two started off rough but we grabbed some truck food and made it to catch The Rocketboys at Rusty’s. I only caught probably 3-4 songs but this is close to one of my favorite sets I saw at SXSW. We had to rush to the Billy Reid shindig to catch the second The Weeks set so we jumped in a cab to avoid the stress of rushing. Billy Reid sure knows how to throw a party. Beautiful women, great bands, and free Old Fashioned’s. We stuck around to catch The Weeks and Dawes before heading to our first show at SXSW. It was a house show in someone’s backyard. Making it for only two acts before us we decided to grab some beer and enjoy before our set. One group named The Lower Class stood out. Young rappers that definitely had their own style. When it came to our turn to The Weeks showed up and we got down. I will never not enjoy house shows. The energy at them is non comparable to a club show.

Day Three we kept it pretty chill until later that day. The drinking in the sun the past few days had taken a toll but we were still pushing on. First thing you have to understand about SXSW is that time management is key. After ordering most definitely the best philly cheese steak sandwich I checked the time only to notice my dudes Sol Cat from Nashville were going on in 5 mins. I handed my sandwich to Philip and walked down to catch the tail end of Kingston Springs set. First time catching Kingston Springs since last years Serpent and Snakes party so in hindsight I’m glad I left my delicious sandwich. Up next was Sol Cat and these dudes never fail to get the party started. Definitely the grooviest band I saw at SXSW. We ended the night at what seemed to be a Nashville party (Miley Cyrus reference?) to catch Dino’s Boys (Atlanta) and Natural Child (Nashville). Nashville’s scene is one of my favorite scenes right now in the country. Seem’s to me from outside perspective that everyone is just trying to rock and have fun.

Day four started with catching our hometown buddies HRVRD play at their record labels showcase. It’s always gnarly seeing your dudes you grew up playing with grow as a band and it brings me complete joy seeing tons of people get into these dudes. They played a killer set then had to bounce so we trekked it to catch a drink and see Natural Child again. We probably ended up seeing every band twice this SXSW trip. After some whiskey shots and a bit of confusion we decided to catch Turbo Fruits play at Hotel Vegas. These dude’s always put on a killer set and if you haven’t seen them make sure you catch them. Our second set was later that evening for the Vulcan Army Showcase. Due to PA troubles our set got pushed back about 2 hours so we made it for Pan,Co, Cloudeater, Winter Sounds, and Cusses. It’s crazy going so far away from home and still have relatively local bands playing a show with you. After drinking free booze for those two hours we proceeded to play inside the gallery. More cramped then ever but still a great time. We only had enough time for 4 songs since the show got pushed back but it was just enough.

The last day at SXSW had finally come. The day to party like this is your last SXSW. We started with our last The Weeks set at The Serpent and Snakes/ All Saints Party. This was my favorite set of theirs. We got properly day drunk and took some promo shots behind the venue with Laura Meek, our photographer friend from Mississippi. Afterwards with a lot of down time before the next set we went on the search for the last SXSW meal. We ended up at a delicious BBQ spot where both Obama had been and signed a menu. I’m surprised they didn’t ask me to sign a menu but whatever. I guess Obama’s more famous. After eating we went to get cheap drinks and talk to our friend Brent. Needless to say this was the downfall of the evening. First time we’d all got real drunk together the whole week so we we’re on top of the world. Loudest dudes at the bar and buying too many drinks. In fear of not being able to get into the last The Weeks show we decided to try and catch Dignan. Eli and I trekked it back down to Rainey St to a packed house. Dignan is probably one of the most underrated bands in this country. Everytime I catch them play I asked myself why they aren’t huge. They played all my favorites and truly was the perfect end to my SXSW trip.

Everyone has their own opinion on SXSW. Its gotten to commercial, it doesn’t really help smaller bands anymore, blah blah blah but what I do is take everything face value. It’s just a great week to hang with your friends, catch some music, eat gnarly food, and drink as much free booze as you can. If that sounds too commercial to you then don’t go but I’ll make sure myself and Junior Astronomers show up every year. Three more dates left on our tour home with HRVRD and I already miss Austin.

3/25 – Jacksonville FL – Phoenix Taproom
3/26 – Charleston SC – Tin Roof
3/27 – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern