#TrailOfDead

Austin City Limits Fest 2009

Wed Sept 30th

Made my way to Dallas and out to Fort Worth to catch the Amtrak train to Austin, TX for this year’s big 3 day Austin City Limits Festival. It didn’t start till Friday but I got there a few days early because Them Crooked Vultures were doing a couple of special shows prior to the festival. If you don’t already know (see the August/Lollapalooza entry below for more) that they are a three-piece comprised of Josh Homme (Kyuss/QOTSA), Dave Grohl and freaking John Paul Jones.
The first show was a taping for the legendary TV show (and the festival’s namesake) Austin City Limits. I’ve always wanted to attend one of these unforgettable performances that I’ve always admired no matter who was playing, but this was not to be believed. (thank you Leslie for the hookup).

  I was surprised that alot of people expected them to actually do songs from their other respective bands, and were disappointed when they didn’t. This was a new band making a new statement (their record wasn’t even out yet) and some people still just wanted to hear the same ol, same ol.

Thurs Oct 1st

Back for round two (three if you count Chicago) as now Them Crooked Vultures were doing a public show at Stubb’s as a warmup to their big coming out at the festival on Friday. This was a fun show and a testament to the legendary careers that all three have had, cause no one had even heard a note of this new music and the show sold out in minutes based upon the member’s collective reputations. That was a neat thing to witness and be a part of. Unbearably packed (but thankfully well mannered) and hot in there, the anticipation was huge and when they took the stage the noise was deafening.
This show was identical to the first show in Chicago.

 A big difference and nothing against Chicago but this crowd was so appreciative that it made you proud to be there. Homme who is known for his quips had a great line when JPJ changed from bass to keytar ” Only John Paul Jones could make the keytar look badass”. Here is the set-list from the show:

Fri Oct 2nd

The first day of the festival was here and I tried to prepare myself for the heat and the crowds. I had a late night the night before as after the TCV show at Stubb’s I went to a party at the Beauty Bar which is basically across the street. Made it downtown to Artist Pickup and got my wristbands and finally got to the festival a little after 5pm.

  This was my third year to attend the festival but strangely the first time in five years. Since then I had been to all of the Coachellas and a few of the Lollapalooza‘s and Bonnaroos, but this is a really nice one to attend. Its put on by C3presents (the same company that does Lollapalooza) and its in Austin and who doesn’t love Austin, Texas?
The Artist van drops me off in front of the artists lounge and the great people that do the nationwide free ice cream campaign are the first people I see with their truck parked right at the front of the lounge. Some of the best people you will ever meet, check out his site, its so awesome – icecreamman.com

  So after getting settled and embarrassing myself with a few rounds of the new Beatles Rock Band, I meet a rad local girl (who ironically was the singer in my newly formed fab four) and we head out to see our first band of the day, Thievery Corporation.

They were really good and I had always wanted to see them. Now some will fault me as the festival started at 11am and I didn’t see a band till 630pm but it was hot and admittedly more comfortable in the back with the free food so sue me 🙂
As soon as they ended we had our shuttle driver haul ass to the other side of the festival to see (you guessed it) Them Crooked Vultures. How’s this for obsessive? – This was only their fourth show in the US ever at this point and at that time I had seen ALL of them and three times in as many days. All of those shows had been club shows or other special events but this really the FIRST show in front of a huge crowd and it had that feel to it. If I had had thought the crowd was loud the night before, it paled in comparison to this ovation. It was interesting to see the appeal that John Paul Jones had on the crowd. Though the majority of the this crowd was the young and hip culture that Austin is known for, it was neat to see that some people had come to see JPJ solely and actually didn’t know who the other two people in the band were. That’s dedication.

    This show was identical to the television taping just a few days prior. Though I had it pretty much down at this point, this is a great new exciting thing that must be witnessed.
My new Austin friend was chomping at the bit to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who were thankfully playing on the adjacent stage right after. We scrambled around to watch from backstage but couldn’t really see anything so we got as close as we could up front. Now I don’t really have anything to add to my previous and recent description of their performance at Lollapalooza (see previous entry) and I’m of course biased.
But they were replacing the Beastie Boys again just like this past August but this time they didn’t make the nod to them like that show. They did however put on a very powerful and visually entertaining show as always.
 So after they played my new friend and I walk out of Zilker Park and you can see that this festival has just taken over the whole town. This city is always alive with young, progressive people, but this was total meltdown and all the vendors had lined the streets with tents selling their wares, apparently the demographic is alot of tie-dye and bong hits. Good times though as we danced in the streets with everyone else and made our way to get something to eat.
Her and I had different agendas however as she had a birthday to attend so I had her drop me off at Emo’s where some friends of mine from Brooklyn,  !!! (pronounced chk chk chk) where doing a warm up gig of their own before playing the festival tomorrow. For those not familiar, they are one of the most fun and energetic live shows you will ever witness. They have reached beloved status because of their legendary live show and when they hit stage around midnight people were ready to get down!
I have seen a half a dozen of theirs shows or so and I say this every time I see them but this was one of the best ever. The energy and momentum is incomparable. (Editor’s Note: Since this time and now drummer Jerry Fuchs died in a freak accident in Brooklyn- We miss you Jerry R.I.P.)

 I danced my ass off and had a great time as the ended with the one-two punch of Intensify and Heart of Hearts. Got out of the show around 2am and waited to meet a friend who was coming from Round Rock to have a late night meal with me. She finally shows up around 3am and we go to Austin staple Kerbey Lane by the University. A bit of a wait even at this late hour because of the festival so after we eat and talk and she drops me off its after 6am.

Sat Oct 3rd

The night before Nic (chk chk chk) said that since they are going on at 2pm that if I came to the Emo’s gig I didn’t have to show up early. I wanted to prove him wrong but alas I didn’t get into bed until 7am. I didn’t even wake up till after 2pm and when I did it was really gross and rainy outside. Not the ideal setting for a mass outdoor event (more on this later).
I met up and had lunch with Nic and Paul from (chk chk chk) and I asked them how their set was despite the gross conditions and early start time. Those guys could throw a party anywhere.
Then I ventured out to catch the last half of Trail of Dead, another Austin mainstay that are always great live. It wasn’t just raining, it was a freaking buzzkill. Lightening and misery just made everyone and everything seem gross. I did stick it out to see the first couple of songs from Mos Def, who seemed totally unaffected by the rain and brought a huge posse of dancers and a live band. This would have killed in a club and I was disappointed that the conditions made me just want to be a big wuss and retreat to the comfort in the Artists Lounge.

  One of the things I was most looking forward to today was the arrival of my oldest friend Chris Todd and his wife Tammy. They weren’t getting in till after Day 2 of music was over so I promised him I would check out Devotchka. I know I sound so spoiled but wait till you see the pics of the fucking mudpeople, I hold no since of nostalgia for Woodstock nor a need to recreate it, but I kept my word and checked out a bit of their set, and I’m glad I did, they were fantastic.

Now that the rain had cleared and it was night-time (always a bit of an incentive as far as mood goes) I was ready to experience another Austin export that I’ve hearing about from everywhere, Ghostland Observatory. The cool thing about this was that I literally had NO idea what they were about period. Even based on what I heard they were totally (and refreshingly) different. I thought I was gonna be in for like a Radiohead clone (to illustrate just how removed I was from them) but just as I got up to the scaffolding side stage, these two freaks (that being a Texas native, these two could ONLY have come from the Lone Star State) come walking out, one wearing a Tron/Dr. Who looking electric cape and the other was a cross between Richard Petty and any cast member of Easy Rider. So what is THIS gonna sound like? The crowd is already going crazy and then here it comes: This dancy wailing banshee freak show complete with laser light show, just fucking awesome. It occurred to me however what a feat that they had brought this to such a high-profile level, cause being in this business as long as I have and being from Texas I could easily see this just being something that 50 people in Austin care about (but those 50 would REALLY freaking care).  From my perspective I was able to get a small shot of Mos Def who was dancing a jig behind the drum riser that was completely obscured to the audience.

Then has the show had reached such a high momentum, they did a fun smart thing, that dials right into that Texas local pride by bringing out the UT Austin Longhorns Marching Band to join them for a few songs.

Sun Oct 4th

No sleeping in today, as it was the last day of the festival, and I had to meet with my com padres Clutch who got a shitty time slot of 2pm. However the weather did take a nice sunny turn, but when I got to the site, holy shit, yesterday’s monsoon had just the sheer power of the foot traffic had turned the general population area into mushy peat bog about a foot deep. You could literally smell the ooze in the air, probably because as always there are some good-natured folks who embrace this sort of thing and can’t resist saying “fuck it, let’s become Swamp Thing“.

   So after hitting the Lounge for an early lunch I went to meet up with Clutch, whom I’ve had a long history with throughout the years. It was cool watching them rehearse out in the open and so early in the day down beneath the stage. Now it was showtime and they were all business, so I bid them a good show and took my place sidestage. Obviously given the short set-time they wanted to showcase their newest record Strange Cousins from the West as seven of their nine songs were from that record. For a band I’ve come to know so well, it was great to see them so out of their element which is completely what they strive for and deliver every time.

    

   Next up was time for some other old friends of mine from Fort Worth, the Toadies.  Hadn’t seen them since London over the Summer. They are like the equivalent of Classic Rock in Texas, just perfect for a sunny day in Austin who gave them a hero’s welcome. They played exactly what you would expect in a festival set, right to the hits, no bullshit, and then whipped out Got a Heart, which was a nice surprise.

        After their set I hung out with Mark (drummer) and his wife for a bit catching up and debating if we all wanted to eat or go see the Dirty Projectors. The heat was taking its toll, so food it is (Nourishment 1 – Indie – Trust Fund Rock 0) but the shuttles were so congested we had to wait forever for one (which became the theme of the day,so it made the decision of how bad you wanted something interesting), so we just split up and met back up in the catering tent.
Their merch guy Tony used to be in a Dallas band Hagfish, along with their new bass player Donni Blair and his brother Zach who is now in Rise Against, who joined us for lunch but I don’t know if he was playing that day or not. After eating I took as much juice/soda/water I can carry out to the general population to find Chris and his wife and some other friends of mine to offer them something that no doubt being overcharged for, when I made it about 5 yards in and I literally started to sink. I felt guilty about it but I was getting the fuck out of that mess!
   Now it was time for something I was greatly anticipating, The Dead Weather. To know me is to know my complete and utter devotion to the music of Jack White, and now that would take on yet a different form as he has yet another new band where this time he is playing drums. Another cool thing (and a testament to our friendship) is that although Chris and I haven’t any contact whatsoever is over five years, during that time he had developed a similar obsession, so it was great to share this excitement with him.
Besides Jack White the band is rounded out by Alison Mosshart ( The Kills) , Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) Jack Lawrence who is White’s partner in crime in his other band The Raconteurs.
This is designed to go down in a small, dark, smokey club around 1am but they killed! My fave set all weekend and perhaps one of the best of the year.

    Now this next part requires a little bit of explaining and a backstory if you like. I was prepared to make an effort right after the Dead Weather finished to go to the other side of the festival to see Girl Talk. As a DJ and a fan of music and a marveler of mashups and as someone who is pretty dialed in to popular culture this was something intriguing to me. I’ve heard everyone back in Brooklyn talking about him, I’ve heard and downloaded his stuff and was very impressed, enjoyed the backstory of this guy being some mad scientist who quit his career as a bio-mechanics engineer to rock the house etc.. I bought it, I was in, let’s go.
Now for this space I’m not gonna lead a pretentious type of discussion about what is truly a DJ, should they be looked at as musicians etc…all that crap you have heard before. I have my own ideas about all of that, none probably original so I’ll spare you and just talk about the experience.
The shuttle driver drops me off behind the stage where there is already a mob of people trying to get a glimpse. I had seen pictures of his performances and it looks like New Year’s Eve everytime so I get the hype. He’s got his finger on the pulse of that FIT, NYLON Magazine reading, 18-20 female crowd, that brings dudes of all ages around as well, so he really can’t do no wrong here.
However, what I witnessed was absolute shit. Call me an old curmudgeon who’s lost the plot but this whole thing had no place for me and I can’t help but feel all the better for it.  As so super lame as it sounds and I hate it myself when I hear people say this, but the entire time I was witnessing it I could hear a little voice of reason saying “This is exactly what’s wrong with everything, this is the defining example of where everything went to shit”.
Now having said that, he played, people danced and smiled (a few even got naked) and I’m sure a majority of people left that with a feeling of a good time and that’s great they should. My problem lies not in the absurdity of its popularity but its power. From behind the stage I could hear people chanting stuff in unison but didn’t know what was leading the charge. I learned later it was the screen they were facing (that I was behind) and all of the requests no matter how preposterous (like…”throw money in mud” ..and a few questionable ones)  were fulfilled.
As I watched this from sidestage, all these people were onstage dancing with him to make it a party, and everyone else was trying to get onstage to join them.  And the admittance regardless of credentials was some super lame velvet rope thing a la Studio 54, with some intern in shades (it was 8pm at night) making the selection. “what the fuck am I doing here?” I exclaimed and the problems only begin with the social aspects of this travesty.
Now again, if you go to FIT, read NYLON and you are reading this you will probably say “Dude, relax and dance” and you will probably be right and if you are everyone else you should criticize me for having waaay too much to say on something so insignificant.

      Now another surprise came but this time from some familiar faces. In the early 90’s I got to experience as a very young person, the great boom of new music that came out of Seattle, that everyone still talks about and makes silly claims about its importance or non-importance. Great time to be a young person and I was right in the middle of it, but because of my punk/metal/thrash tastes at the time I had to be a convert. I liked the heaviness of Nirvana and Soundgarden and my age would dictate that I enjoyed belonging to the something from its beginning. You really couldn’t be into just one of these bands, even though they were sold separately, they may as well just bundled them because once you had Nevermind or Badmotorfinger surely you had to buy Ten to complete the set.  Much like growing up in the 80’s you were surely into G.I. Joe , Transformers, and He-Man, but someone had to be number three.
For me, this is where Pearl Jam has always stood. I really enjoyed them, think they are an incredible band, one of the best live bands I still have ever seen to this day (hell I even worked at Stone Gossard‘s label Loosegroove for a period) but the interest somehow didn’t come as natural after somewhere around that third record.  Working in music I was aware of their subsequent releases, and even if you didn’t who could forget their headline-grabbing (and at times…temple-scratching) decisions like battling Ticketmaster and releasing their entire tours live to diffuse the bootleggers of their profit.
Since I was caring less about the music I was caring less about the cause so eventually I tuned out completely. So that’s why although their popularity hasn’t waned, I really had no idea that since 1996 when I last gave a fuck that this band had become this generation’s Grateful Dead.  Seems that everyone I spoke to only came on Sunday and only to see them. Everywhere you looked on Sunday it was the Pearl Jam nation.
So I thought I should check some of this out, and what followed was a two hour + marathon that would make anyone a believer. I knew that this was a high-profile gig and it has that potential of something special happening, but it was so effortless that it gave me the impression that this is what happens at all of their gigs, hence the cult like following.
I saw Perry Farrell backstage shortly before they hit stage, struck by inspiration going on about how he wanted to get up and do his own band’s Mountain Song and how unforgettable it would be.
Here is the setlist and pics from the show: (including a great pic of when Eddie Vedder joined the mud-people)

 

Setlist –
   1.Why Go
2.Corduroy
3.Got Some
4.Not For You
5.Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
6.Given To Fly
7.World Wide Suicide
8.Even Flow
9.Unthought Known
10.Daughter
11.Hail Hail
12.Insignificance
13.Present Tense
14.State Of Love And Trust
15.The Fixer
16.GoEncore:17.Jazz Odyssey
18.Red Mosquito (with Ben Harper)
19.Do The Evolution
20.The Real Me (The Who cover)
21.AliveEncore 2:22.Mountain Song (Jane’s Addiction cover w/ Perry Farrell)
23.Rockin’ in the Free World (Neil Young cover)
   I mean fan or not who could fuck with this?, my goodness. What other band could put an exclamation point on the weekend as being the last band on the last day in this fashion? Now I get it, fucking legendary.
I made my way back to the Lounge to catch the shuttle back to downtown. Chris and his wife had made an early exit to get cleaned up from all of the mud and we had planned to meet up a bit later to go to another party. The next two hours became very social, I don’t because if it was the end but everyone was talking to everybody. I first ran into my good friend Sam from LA (who was working the event and ironically was my assigned shuttle driver) as I was taking the golf cart back to pickup I rode with this couple who were on something of a third date and I turned on the cut-through-the-bullshit mode that I’m known for and started asking questions that clearly they were both afraid to ask each other. An hour later they came to find me to tell me that they had decided to make their relationship official and it was because of what I said and they were thanking me profusely. Good times.
As I was walking out some of the guys in Pearl Jam were coming in namely Jeff Ament, and behind him I see Doug Pinnick (King’s X)  & he came up and we had a nice chat.  I knew that he had some correlation to Jeff Ament as its seems every interview I’ve read over the years Jeff has found someone way to talk about King’s X and I think they are working on a project together, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him hanging with PJ, but as any performer who is not scheduled to play its surprising and exciting to see them.
So after I talked to Doug for awhile, Sam told me the van was ready and it was time to go. So I and a few of the performers climbed into the van, and here is where things come full circle. I was to be the last stop as I was going to the farthest and so I could hang with Sam for a bit, and the last two people were me and this other dude who were both going to the same place (Beauty Bar) and as we are talking its starting to occur to me that this is the Girl Talk dude. Greg I believe his name was, was totally cool and really funny and I kinda felt bad for talking shit earlier (but not really haha). He’s telling me that he wants to do a gig right now at the Beauty Bar since no one knows anything about it. All I can think of is the walls caving in with throngs of girls from American Apparel ads (not such a bad thought) besieging the place as their cool status couldn’t sustain the notion of missing something so hush hush once word got around.
I thought now to have Sam take me somewhere else but this is where I was to meet Chris and his wife and my oldest friends works here too who I hadn’t had the chance to say hello to yet. Girl Talk dude and I go into the Beauty Bar and within minutes I’m hearing that the place is not prepared for the headache of what would happen once word got out, so they put the kibosh on it and I saw him leave shortly after.
Two girls from San Francisco were chatting me up and dancing and as the place was closing they asked if I knew of any other after-parties.
I had heard that something was going on at the Congress Bridge, but those things usually get busted and in a hurry, but these girls were anxious to make their last night continue, so into a cab and off to the bridge we go. As we walk up their is Greg Girl Talk dude…again (someone is following somebody).  I had to admire him for wanting to rawk it here as this was about as real deal as it gets, open and to the public.
As expected, he hadn’t got two bars into the first track and here come the police:

 

SXSW 2009: Playboy Party w/ Jane’ Addiction + Tricky & more

Ok so every year, I like others who work in the Music Industry or just simply those that are into absorbing ALOT of music, free booze and food for a week, descend upon Austin, TX like white on rice. Nothing attracts a crowd, like a bigger crowd and every year their’s always some big promise of seeing a huge band in some impossibly small setting, or catching the next big thing. I’ve seen this festival change and grow over the years. Purists cry fowl and want it to remain smaller and intimate and resemble its original intentions of small band getting exposure on a national or international level, others embrace its steady growth every year. Whatever your take this festival does get bigger and more insane every year and this year was no different.

Day 1: The Official Start of the Music


Time to get slightly Metal, as I made my way to the Paramount Theatre to see Flight 666: The Story of Iron Maiden. I try to see a few films every year (usually documentaries) and this was the one I really wanted to see. I will watch a good documentary on just about anything if its done well. I had seen the director’s of this film, Scott Mcfayden and Sam Dunn, previous entry in 2006, Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey, and though it may sound like I making one of my regular jokes with that title, the movie was nothing short of fascinating. Totally cerebral (the filmmakers are credited Anthropologists), and yes as you can imagine, totally nerdy. I’m not an apologist about this side of my personality. Something about Metal culture is just so fun, and non-casual to me. I love how into it and dedicated they are. When I passed by the theatre earlier in the day, their were fans in Iron Maiden shirts, already lined up in like 85 degree weather. Now I realize what an easy target this makes them for the cool kids to laugh and sneer at, but I was more interested in seeing this first hand.

And again, casual they were not, as silly as it sounds, it was awesome seeing these people freak out, even in a movie theatre! Their were dude-bros in the FRONT ROW with their shirts off and swinging them over their heads! Great stuff. The movie followed with a brief Q&A with the directors.

So it was now officially time for the afterparties. I gave my wonderful hosts passes to the Red Bull Moontower Party, and they were already there, so I hopped into (yet another) cab and took the trek down Cesar Chavez. When you arrive your greeted by what looks like a spaceship landing and since the party stretched till Saturday, instead of giving you four different invites (or maybe just a wristband like the Fader Party) they apply temporary tattoos, that are supposed to survive your schedule (that apparently doesn’t include showering) for the next four days.

This party was a little boring at first. The band with the most lethal name in history, I love you but I’ve Chosen Darkness, failed to make good on their potential. It looked great though, free booze, great setup, a photo booth, and a very lavish, futuristic looking stage. Next was Shephard Fairey, who I knew was gonna be there, but I just didn’t know at what capacity. Regardless I knew because of his involvement that it would prove to be interesting at least. He performed a pretty solid DJ set, with a great visual accompaniment of a flash show if his graphic design. I’ve always found him interesting, despite his recent high-profile criticisms, but I was surprised to learn that most people there didn’t recognize the name, until I mentioned these. Even my hosts didn’t know and when I elaborated, even they responded with “You mean that plagiarist?”.

But he got everyone dancing, and I was near this group of rowdy but fun kids that were just going crazy, that you couldn’t help but go crazy with them.

After that it was time to get some more drinks, pay a visit to the fun little photo booth they had set up and get ready for Monotonix, in the best manner that one would prepare for such a thing.

It now being 330am what could wake up more than some crazy Isaraeli’s playing from inside the crowd while the singer, clad in short shorts, was singing from a trash can on top of it.
I’ve seen numerous Monotonix shows, and I know they had several shows booked, but some of those were at like noon for 20 min. This show was designed for their element. Super late, super drunk, outdoors so as to minimize potentially burning the place down. With all of the photographers, from a distance all you could see was flashes, and people scrambling for position. It looked like when Britney Spears goes shopping. Then the singer emerges on top of the crowd and proceeded to destroy everything in his wake, until the powers that be finally killed the power sometime after 4am.

 

Day 3 – The Craziness continues + Playboy Party

I knew that this was going to be a really long day so I did my best to pace myself. After getting in from the previous nights’ Red Bull party at 6am and having my first meeting at 10am, I chilled and didn’t get started on the music until about 3pm. Grabbed some food and headed to Mohawk’s for the Rhapsody Rocks Party. First band I saw was Glasvegas, whom despite the hype, I thought were really lame. I can’t tell you how many times I have that same schtick. The singer with his indecipherable Scottish accent and drunk afflections totally bored me. The place was packed beyond belief (methinks the open bar may have been a factor) and they had this awesome “white trash snack bar” , with pop tarts, chips, candy and ramen noodles.
Next up was hometown gang Trail of Dead, who were totally great as always. I’ve seen probably a dozen of their shows over the years (including an infamous one at Red Eyed Fly years ago that ended with the singer throwing the bass drum…and almost the drummer in the revine behind the club) and this time their was no infighting, just rocking.

Glasvegas

Trail of Dead

I ran into some friends from NYC and from Austin towards the end and hung out for a bit before going over to Beauty Bar to see Mike Relm. I’ve been friendly with Relm since seeing him perform a few times in the last few years. First time was with Peeping Tom in Brooklyn, and last year I saw him open for the GZA in Manhattan and it was incredible. He’s one of only a few turntablist I’ve seen to use the video outputs on his Serato interface, to create, manipulate, and basically “remix” visual images, to really create a unique performance. Pioneered by DJ Spooky, I was ready to see Relm take the shit higher, but when I got there, I was told by my friend that works there, and a few of his own people from San Francisco, that he didn’t like the setup and felt it would compromise the performance and threw some diva fit and pulled out. Another cancellation!

At least now I had time to get some more food and head to the Levi’s Fader fort again. Although it was across 5th st this year, I was totally excited about seeing Tricky (especially after Martina cancelled). I get there and see one of those Mexican Lunch Trucks, selling some BBQ across the street from the kids in line. I get in line (for food) and realize that the shirtless patron in front of me, is also the musician I have come to patronize. Seems Tricky was eager to repair his past diva persona, and have some BBQ with the commonfolk. We talked for a bit and ate our rib sandwhiches, as just two hungry people, shooting the shit. His accent was a bit much to understand so I did alot of nodding.
I was early enough to see a bit of Late of the Pier, whom I had seen this past October at CMJ. This set was even better, very energetic, great sound, and the crowd was very responsive.

I took advantage of the free booze, to wash down my just bought BBQ and chilled for a bit. They had an internet lounge set up with couches and free copies of the Fader, always one of my favorite parties.  Caught the end of Lissie Trullie , and prepared for Tricky. I had just seen Tricky perform a pickup date on Monday in Dallas , and it was the first time I had seen him perform since May ’99, and it was the first time he had performed anywhere in the U.S. besides the shows he did in LA and NYC last year, since opening for Tool in 2001. I skipped that show back then as I didn’t see the worth of seeming him perform in a huge arena to an assuming, uninterested crowd, for 30 min. I had already learned my lesson by buying an expensive ticket to just see the opening band at a Tool show earlier that year, to see Tomahawk, thinking that their crowd might be a bit receptive to something new. WRONG! Gotta hand it to those Tool guys, they always seem to take out my favorite bands, regardless of genre, I also missed shows by the Melvins and the Cows because of this.
Perfect placing as the sun was setting and you could feel the crowd get closer. The band takes their places and then we see Tricky and Francesca Belmont emerge to their respective microphones. Besides Martina (of course) I think Francesca is my favorite of all of his many (usually female) collaborators. She is just fucking intoxicating! So talented, so sultry, and so devastatingly beautiful. Tricky is hard to upstage, but I found it near impossible to look away from her every move. Few performers have the ability to entrance at that level. She has a solo record coming out and it deserves to be huge. Starting with “Past Mistake” off last year’s Knowle West Boy, his first record in five years, the show kept soaring, largely with the help of a great backing band and Belmont’s presence and voice. One of the great things about seeing Tricky live is that you will hear unreleased material, and or completely different takes on exisitng songs that maybe only performed that way, that one time, creating a very unique experience. An example of this was the show closer, an almost Metal take on “Trickykid” (how appropriate for this site eh?) that had this infectious little staccato guitar riff, that helped Tricky charge right into the crowd, where he stayed till the lights came on.

Tricky

Setlist:

1) Past Mistake
2) Black Steel
3) Puppy Toy
4) Girls
5) ‘Tricky & Francesca’s Rap’
6) Overcome
7) Council Estate
8) Vent
9) Tricky Kid

 
So now I was headed back to the Beauty Bar to see the Death Set. One of my favorite new bands and perhaps my fave of the festival. I had seen them open for Matt & Kim in Brooklyn last year and was very excited to see them again. They had already played once today while I was in a meeting. The line to get in was annoying as thankfully my friend Matt relieved one of the door guys and I was then ushered in. This band is so the real deal. Total energy, great fun, just everything that a young band should be, original, energetic, genuine enthusiasm, and a freaking blast. They were all over the place and the crowd was singing every word. It was so charmingly chaotic.

From there it was time to head over the waaayy over-hyped Playboy Magazine Party. Every year at this festival (and many others like it) their is the always ultra-exclusive hot-shit  party that everyone wants to go to just because they hear its the hardest one to get into. Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd right? These parties couldn’t possibly live up their expectations and its seems the attraction is all about elitism than the actual party itself. In years past at first it was the Spin Magazine Party when it was super secret late night affair, until turning into a boringly predictable afternoon thang now usually held at Stubb’s on the Friday afternoon (stay tuned ha ha). What gives the hype its power is that sometimes the party does reach some pretty amazing heights. For example in addition to the ultra-strict invite list for Playboy, everyone as heard somone talk about last year’s party, that was freaking awesome!! So those two things combine create something mythical that the cool kids gotta see for themselves. They even hold them at non-traditional venues located off the beaten path just to keep out the so-called rif raff.
This year it was held (for you Austin locals) at the old Safeway across I-35 on 12th st. Adding to the mystic is that wave their money around by always having some really big band perform that otherwise would never be playing to a crowd that small, or exclusive or that ungodly hour. To prove that the attraction was mainly in the admittance, I asked everyone around me who was playing ( it was one of the worst kept secrets, but I kept hearing conflicting reports that it was Motley Crue) and NOT ONE PERSON could tell me or had any idea.
After a brief mix up at Will Call, I finally secured my bracelet and went inside. Not before I saw half the music industry trying to get into this thing. It was like a reunion, I ran into everybody it seemed. I saw my old buddy Erv (Idol Records), Michael and Tony from BMG, and Errol, my old boss at Astralwerks. As you entered you were checked three times for your bracelet (I was momentarily derailed as I came in like a loser with my backpack which they didn’t allow, so I had to hail a cab and drop it off and then return, thankfully I was only staying a few blocks away).
Then you were greeted by the obligatory Playboy Bunnies, who are gorgeous but I still felt a little embarrassed (especially when my friends insisted I take some photos with them, with their cheesy cell phone no less) then you were given a small gift bag, that had a few promotional items as well as the first season of Afro Samurai on Blu-Ray DVD, which for a super-nerd like me, I was as excited about as the surgically enhanced barbi-doll in a rabbit outfit that gave it to me.

An impressive spread of free food and Jack Daniels abound, I had just finished eating and put a few back before the start of the evening’s main attraction: Jane’s Addiction. Now I haven’t seen Jane’s since High School, and to be honest I think their great, but I was never fanatical about them like most people were and to an extent still are. I was kinda taken aback (yet thoroughly enjoyed) by the crowd’s enthusiasm, yet I just still don’t see their relevance. They looked and sounded great however, and even at the late hour after a very long day, the crowd was all theirs. I’ve just never been around anyone, let alone a gathering of people that excited about Jane’s Addiction, usually I just hear Perry Farrell used as a punchline, so it was unique to see for sure, and the show was great.

Setlist:

3 Days
Ain’t No Right
Whores
Shower
Ted
Stealing
Hadadad
Mountain
Ocean Size
Stop

They finished just after 3am, and the party was scheduled to continue ’till 5am, with a DJ set from A-Trak. However by 315am the place had cleared like a bomb scare, I mean the place was dead. As much as I enjoyed seeing Jane’s, I was in contempt in spite of myself for having gave into the same hype I criticized, while most of my friends were across town at the KVRX Explosion watching a no doubt full-scale riot of Monotonix, The Death Set, and Ninjasonik. They were seeing the real deal, while I schmoozed with fucking hipsters. However in my defense I had already seen Monotonix this festival and had seen the Death Set that day, and I see Ninjasonik all the time in Brooklyn. However, this was NOT a legendary party, this was a Jane’s Addiction concert with a velvet rope.
Soooo you would think, I would be done for the evening (for those that don’t know me, I don’t ingest cocaine) but people were texting me from the Red Bull party that the Riverboat Gamblers were killing it and Lady Sovereign was next. So I hailed a cab and back down Cesar Chavez I went for the second night in a row. I arrive just before 4am, in time to say hi to the Gamblers, grab a drink, and get ready to shake a little ass. Now I spin Ladysov all the time when I’m DJ’n but I had yet to see her perform. I know that she likes to work her bratty schtick, but she came out bitching and whining and didn’t let up. (I would learn later that this was par for the course as far as her live shows are concerned….assuming she shows up at all…stay tuned) She starts with the first song off her new record Jigsaw, called “Let’s Be Mates”, that gets things off and running, but she kills any and momentum by creating a tense vibe by openly insulting the sound guy, and just fucking complaining in general. She clearly didn’t want to be there and after about 20 mins, neither did I. She had the chance to really make a fun party that was so way more happening than that Playboy shit I just left, even greater, but instead she just kinda brought everybody down. Lame.

Photos –

Roy Turner