SXSW, Part 1

Due in large part to not being trapped behind the bar at Stubb's for the first SXSW in five or six years, I feel like I had a week worth recapping.  It was a busy one filled with music, friends, beer and tacos...the way it should be.  No, I didn't bartend all week and I'm not rolling in piles of dirty cash right now, but I've been down that road and it sucks the soul.  I'm gonna go day to day starting Sunday, March 15 and go through yesterday, maybe.

Sunday

Just like all my Sundays recently, I woke up tired and cursed the Mexicans power washing the meatwater stains off my driveway.  Don't they know we're sleeping?  Is power washing on Sunday morning really necessary?  Work was fine.  Sunday front bar shift.  My friend Ben had gotten into town Friday night and we had made plans to hang out when I got out of work this evening.  After pulling a Mr. Rogers and changing into my civilian clothes, my tattoo artist friend Mike and I caught a cab to the Sidebar to meet up with Ben.  He was there with Jody, David, Joey and others troopers in the New Guard Comedy forces (i,e, Danny McBride, Bill Hader) and when they all left, Mike, Ben and I walked over to Shangri-La.  The city had shut down Shangri-la's yard/patio so everyone was stuck inside.  After some beers and shots we got in a cab and went to The Longbranch Inn for a change of scenery.  Ben was fascinated with the moon tower across the street and made the requisite Dazed and Confused references.  The scene there was ok but we were restless so we made it full circle back to the Hole In The Wall.  I wanted to show Ben some local spots and upon entering the Hole In The Wall, that mission was accomplished.  After the Hole, we went back to the Four Seasons and ran into Jody and his wife in the parking lot.  The bar was closed so we searched out a hotel room party.  We found a geeky sausage party but they all recognized Ben from Foot Fist Way and East Bound and Down so we were a hit.  Ben invited them over to his room and we destroyed his mini-bar until security clamped down on us due to a noise complaint.  I took yet another cab home. 

Monday

Wake up hungover and go to work, psyched about life and all that.  Made it through work and directly after, went to rehearsal with both Grand Champeen and The Bremen Riot.  For those of you that don't know, The Bremen Riot is Mike Nicolai and the members of Grand Champeen, together as a band.  We have been playing together for years but just recently we have decided to be a band instead of his backup band.  We have two new songs called "Easy Joe" and "Ruthless, Unbroken and Profane."  We're playing these and other songs again April 11 at the Hole In The Wall.

Tuesday

I woke up and took Jennie to work and then went home to take a nap.  I don't remember whet else I did that day.  I think I ran errands and then picked Jennie up with the intention of going to $2 taco night at Quality Seafood.  Unfortunately, the lot was totally full and we realized it would take too long so we left.  

This evening was the annual Tuesday-before-SXSW-music-festival-Grand Champeen-and-other-bands-at-Beerland show.  Since it was Champeen, Glossary and Two Cow Garage, it was a near-reprise of the This Is American Music line-up.  The show was a blast for all.  It was at this show that I met Tim Easton for the first time.  After weeks of emails and studying his new album, it was a relief to finally meet the guy who was getting me back on the road!  I also met Mark Stepro who was to play drums at all our gigs last week.  Turns out he grew up in Gallion, Ohio which is stones throw from Bucyrus... home of Micah and Andy Two Cow.  (Ohio had a strong presence in my SXSW this year.)  I went back to Jennie's for a nap to rest up for my first day of playing with Easton and Stepro.