After savoring my fish tacos we made our way over to The Phoenix early enough to get a good spot for We Are Scientists’ show around midnight. En route we saw a huge crowd gathered around a band of nomad-looking-gypsies playing some festive folk music on the bustling streets of Austin. For free. For the fun of it.(Well, maybe they were taking tips…but they didn’t have a gig at an established venue!) This is what SXSW is about! An onset of music and fun and togetherness; sharing the love; peace, man. It’s the Austin way!
The venue we arrived at was pretty sweet—very west-coastish. With rich crimson fabric walls and plush seating, we definitely felt like we weren’t in Kansas anymore. They even had really awesome Renaissance-like art that Brad enjoyed.
The first group we saw was The Click Clack Boom.
These guys were pretty fun, but sadly it was still too early before We Are Scientists so the crowd was a little thin. The next two bands were so-so… I won’t waste my word limit on them. Then the comedic Chris Cain and Keith Murray made their way on to the stage and the crowd erupted.
The guys were hilarious—just as we’d hoped. Their playful banter in between songs kept everyone lively and laughing, which made for a highly entertaining show. They didn’t need to keep us any more entertained than we already were though, because their music did enough talking on it’s own. They started off with “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” and finished with “After Hours.” And they did a lot of cheek-to-cheek singing, even though there were plenty of mic’s, just for laughs…pushing that always-funny, teasing-man-kiss awkward moment envelope.
Like I said, the streets of Austin were bustling. A word that describes the entire city of Austin during the music portion of SXSW…and maybe even the entire festival! It was Austin, but better. Amplified to the fullest. It definitely didn’t feel like Texas. It was L.A. or New York. It was elsewhere. It was a vacation away from home, without leaving home. Just what I needed from a hectic few weeks of work.
We got home around 1:30 or 2 a.m. and passed out. Brad was a trooper and went to work at 7 a.m., while I slept for the next 12 hours. Ahhh…sleep. Mi verdadero amore. I was recharging for another great night to come…
Nicely done...I should have tagged along with you guys! But I did get to see She and Him...ummmm like from 5 feet away. Austin was definitely a great vacay away from "normal" Texas...however one wants to define normal. Let's Move to Austin!!
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