With so much going on downtown tonight, and so many people to watch, it can be difficult to decide what to do. I'm not into the whole "being seen" scene. If you see me at an "it" event, it is because there is a band or DJ I want to see. Otherwise, I can do without the photo booths and hipsters. I am not speaking ill of that stuff, I'm just saying it isn't my thing.
My thing really is and has always been hard music, whether it be hard rock or hip hop. Even though I don't really consider myself a metal head, I love a lot of metal. I think metal is the perfect genre for a holiday like Halloween, which is supposed to be about scary stuff and horror movies, not hipsters and zombies. The best Halloween show in my humble opinion, is happening at Trophy's tonight with non other than Pack Of Wolves.
The members of Pack Of Wolves are no "Johnny Come Latelys" to the scene. Lead singer and guitar player, Trey Ramirez, was once a member of At All Cost. Alec Padron, bassist, is actually the bassist for Latin indie group, Maneja Beto. Adrian Carillo, drums, also plays with the western-indie band Western Ghost House. Tyson, the other guitar player, used to be in Games In Theory.
Recently Pack Of Wolves opened a show at Mohawk for one of my favorite bands, The Sword, in which they impressed many a metal heads. With a new album in the works, their 2010 should be better than their 2009. They do have a few shows left this year after tonight, but Trophy's is such a cool spot that it is worth taking advantage and avoiding the down town crowd. Many who go out tonight, aren't the people who typically go downtown for shows anyway. They are there to see the freak show and check out the chicks in slutty costumes. Go to Trophy's and enjoy some good metal if that's your thing.
Here's the music video for "Concession" of their album Betrayer:
Playing tonight at Trophy's with Pack of Wolves will be Curse The Heavens, Newlywed and Baron God. Trophy's is located at 2008 South Congress Ave. Doors at 9:00pm and show starts at 9:30pm. $5 gets you in. For more on Pack Of Wolves, check out my interview the band I did for Austin Vida here:
With lots of big national touring acts coming through Austin all the time, it is easy to overlook good local talent. It isn't right, but it happens. With so much going tonight and tomorrow for Halloween, I just wanted to shed some light on an affordable show with a good local band. Tonight after new rock Gods, Wolfmother, there's an after show inside Stubb's. After all the "Cosmic Egg" craziness is over, chill out and relax to the dub-reggae sounds of Subrosa Union.
I have seen Subrosa Union several times by default, meaning they opened or played a show I was at for someone else. Shame on me, I know. An Austin staple, by way of El Paso, Subrosa Union single handedly holds it down for the dub-reggae genre here locally. Not since The Long beach All Stars can I say I have really enjoyed a new dub-reggae band. In the mainstream, I think that genre fell off after Sublime wasn't around anymore. I even remember seeing some cool bands like them in the '90s on The Warped Tour. My how times change I guess, but good for Subrosa Union for keeping it alive and doing it well.
Check out this video by Austin Vida from earlier this year and give them a listen for yourself.
Nacional Records recording artist and Chilean mix master, Latin Bitman, recently released his follow up album to his critically acclaimed debut entitled Colour. Multi-lingual, upbeat and funky, Colour feels too summery to be a fall record. None the less, it may just be what you need to warm up your iPod or morning commute. Every influence of Colour comes from someplace tropical like Puerto Rico, Jamaica or Brazil. What’s cool about Colour is that it is more international club versus being something too world music section, which makes it accessible to broader audiences.
I just got word that Warren G is not performing at Emo's tonight. I had planned on going and I know many of you had as well. You know we were all jammin' Warren G back in the day, so I am really bummed about it. Word is that his people are wanting to reschedule. I hope they do. I have never seen him live before and it would be a middle school dream come true for me. I guess I will catch ya'll out on Red River tomorrow.
Good Saturday to you all! If you re in Austin, you have zero reason to stay home today. Zero reason. All day and night in The Live Music Capital, there will be the usual array of great touring acts and local bands playing downtown. Today is extra special as Latino events dominate the music scene and art world here in Austin as the city celebrate Dia De Los Muertos, or All Souls Day. A national Mexican holiday tradition celebrated by many Mexican-Americans, Dia De Los Muertos is dedicated to our family and friends who have passed. Many traditions like pan de muerto (a special sweet bread pastry) and building of shrines are just a couple of the many traditions of Dia De Los Muertos. The holiday itself typically on the first day or two of November.
Here in Austin, our annual Dia De Los Muertos tradition is the annual Dia De Los Muertos parade put on by The Mexic-Arte. This year's festivities are titled "Viva La Vida Fest". Austin Vida is a proud media sponsor this year for the event, which looks to be just as amazing as it is every year. Everything gets started at 2:00 with live performers, ballet folkoricos, Teatro Vivo and more. Here's what happens around 2:00 as far as entertainment.
Teatro Vivo - 3:15-3:30 PM
St. Edward's Ballet Folklorico - 4:15-4:30 PM
Los Hijos de Janitzio - 4:30-4:45 PM
Roy Lozano's Ballet Folklorico - 7:15-7:30 PM
The Parade begins at 5:00 over at Plaza Saltillo on the East Side. The parade runs through 6th street and comes back around to the Mexic-Arte on 5th and Congress. The parade is one the only time a parade in Austin one ups the parades in San Antonio, home to the best parades in the state of Texas. People comes in their Dia De Los Muertos costumes, make elaborate floats and really go all out. For music, Viva La Vida Fest will feature headliners Bocastria and Charanga Cakewalk. Here is a video by Austin Vida of Charanaga Cakewalk performing at World Music night at Momo's presented by Bemba Entertainment.
Speaking of Bemba Entertainment,the third annual Xemumba Fest (prnounced like "sha-moom-ba) takes place over on the East Side at Kenny Dorham's Back Yard on 1106 E. 11th. Bemba Entertainment owner and Xemumba founder, Brandon Badillo, was profiled this week by Austin Vida staff writer Alysha Hernandez. be sure and check out the links below to find out more.
The music of Xemumba has a Latin American focus, but is quite diverse none the less. Krudas Cubensi are Cuban MCs who spit rhymes en Espanol with island flavor that could only come from island natives. There is also music from Brazil and a great local salsa band (El Tule) fronted by a gringo believe it or not. El Tule frotnman John Dell is not Latino but grew up with us along the border. His Spanish is better than most U.S. born pochos.
The treat, again this is only my expert opinion, are the two young up and comers. The first young, "must see" band is none other than Austin's own Este Vato. These Hebronville, Texas imports take the stage at 5:15PM and will be just what you need for a mid-day pick up. Este Vato is a Latin fusion band that combines traditional cumbia, hip hop and funk that draw comparisons to Ozomatli. They will be putting out their first full length CD very soon, so look out for that. Here's a clip of Este Vato from the Austin Vida YouTube Channel. The song is called "El Poder", meaning 'the power" in English.
The other group that I consider a must see is another Latin Fusion group from Austin, La Guerrilla. Their sound leans more towards traditional, South American style music. It is very danceable and makes for good live show. La Guerrilla is fronted by the talented Enrique Rumiche. He used to be with another Latin band, Ballistica, before forming La Guerrilla. Some of the Austin Vida crew and I caught them for the first time this summer and I enjoyed the show. At that particular show, they featured horns and an extra percussionist. I hope they have that same set up today. They too have an new CD on the way entitled "No Passport Required". We'll keep you posted via Austin Vida about that.La Guerrilla takes the stage at 9:00PM. Check out a clip of La Guerrilla from the Austin Vida YouTube Channel. The song they are performing is called "World Party One".
As for the rest of the Xemumba Line up and times, here they are:
El Tule 11:15pm
Seu jacinto 10pm
La Guerrilla 9pm
Os Alquimistas 7:45pm
Azul 6:30pm
Este Vato 5:15pm
Krudas Cubensi 4pm
Ritmo 3 2:45
Gabriel Santiago Quintet 1:30pm
Buscando El Monte 12:15pm
Proyecto Saoko 11am
Don't think for a minute that this is all the Latino awesomeness going on today. There's more. Also playing Downtown are the Spanish guitar masters known as Del Castillo. They will be playing an early show at 7:00 over at Antone's. They are always a must see live show anytime they play. Hang out at Antone's after and catch Gary Clark Jr for the late show. Check out yet another clip from the Austin Vida YouTube channel, this one of Del Castillo of course. This song , "Anybody Wanna", was their first single off their current self titled album. It was filmed at Antone's during the same night they were shooting their official music video.
In case you are out all day at The Mexic-Arte events and want to find a place to sit down and drink a cocktail or three, head a few blocks east to El Sol y La Luna. Located at the corner of 6th and Red River, you can enjoy some Mexican food and drinks while listening to the traditional sounds of Leticia Rodriguez on stage. Rodriguez is quite the accomplished producer, dancer and singer. She is definitely more on the traditional Latin music, but that is the best to dine to. Her boleros and traditional rhythms are something the whole family can listen to.
Leticia Rodriguez, 8:00 at El Sol y La Luna
For something hip, young and trendy, head over to The Parish on 6th after The Mexic-Arte concert finishes. Local Latin DJ extraordinaires, The Peligrosa All Stars, will be spinning danceable Latin music mashes they're famous for. Comprised of DJs Manolo Black, Orion, Hobo D, DJ Dus, Pagame and Hobo D, you're sure to dig one of them if not all. The Peligrosa party gets started at 10:00PM. It's only a $5 cover charge but you can get in for $3 with an RSVP on their Facebook event page. These guys have spun at all the hottest hipster joints, from Creekside to Beauty Bar. For lovers of Latin music who love to dance, they do not disappoint.
Peligrosa All-Stars, 10:00 at The Parish
In the event you are a North Austinite or a suburban townie, and don't like to venture downtown or don't dig large crowds, there are a couple of good options for you as well.Austin modern rockers, Vallejo, play the last show at The Beacon in Georgetown. Vallejo, headed by the brothers of the same last name, rock with Latin Percussion a la' Santana. A staple in the Austin rock scene since the mid nineties, when I moved here, Vallejo's crowd follows them anywhere. I imagine they'll draw a lot of people up in Georgetown. It's good to see them on stage not only because of their music, but also because A.J. Vallejo suffered a heart attack back in February. Vallejo Doors open at 6:00 and the show starts at 8:00. Children twelve and up are welcome. Attendees are asked to bring a chair and it is BYOB. Click here for more information.
Also at 7:00 up North at The Baby A's restaurant, the Vitera Bros take the stage. I just saw Haydn Vitera this past Thursday night at Ace's with Kalua and Este Vato. Haydn is a talented musician who plays a mean guitar and an even meaner violin. Maybe you saw him on the cover of the first edition of the now defunct Aviva grab and go paper that later became Todo Austin. Chicks seem to dig that dude. His Myspace page lists his age 35, but that's got to be wrong. He looks younger than I do at 29. I wonder what he uses...clinique maybe?
If you're not going downtown but want to make dinner plans, why not head to Baby A's on 5610 N. IH-35 and drink their famous margaritas while enjoying some good music. The Vitera Bros play a good blend of modern rock, country and Latin. Performing song in both English and Spanish, the Vitera Bros have a unique thing of their own going for them. I think fans of Los Lonely Boys, Rick Trevino and even Vallejo would enjoy their music. Haydn has a new CD coming out soon as well, and we'll keep you posted on that via Austin Vida as well.
Well there you have it....your complete guide to Latino events for today. As I mentioned at the beginning, there is zero reason for you to stay home today. Latinos stand up!
Tonight there are quite a bit of choices for excellent rock shows. The Bravery headline Emo's outdoor with The Dustys. There's local indie goodness with Quiet Company and Morakestra at The Parish and The Blackheart Procession at Mohawk. My personal, expert recommendation for tonight is the show at Emo's inside stage, which features headliners The Subjects. Tickets are $8, maybe a couple more at the door which opens at 9PM.
The real treat and reason for making that show my pick is not for the headliner, but for the band Bad Veins. They came through Emo's last month when they played under The Black And White Years and after Built By Snow. Their self titled album came across my desk earlier in the year and has been one of my absolute favorite albums of the year. It is very Killers-esque, but much more eclectic in terms of instrumentation and sound. Their music sounds like it's an eight member band, but it is indeed only two dudes. The two dudes, Ben Davis and Sabstien Schultz, hail from Cincinnati, Ohio. I used to live in Cincinnati before moving to Texas in 1995. It was cool reminiscing for a bit.
Me with Bad Veins at Emo's in Austin, Texas
I got to chat with them last time they were Emo's and catch their live show. It was totally bad ass to say the least. It was the first time I got to see someone singing into a box with a telephone as a voice encoder. They sound just as good live as they do on CD and won over the audience in attendance. I'm glad to see them come back again and hope they always come around. I love this band. Go check out Bad Veins tonight and check out this new video interview Ajay and I did for our good friends at Double Stereo.
Earlier this year, Austin Vida featured an exclusive backstage interview with The Chris Perez Project at Pachanga Fest. Not surprising to the staff, we were flooded with emails about more videos, mp3s inquiries and other general questions about Chris Perez. What was a little surprising was the amount of interest given to the project's frontman, Austin’s own Angel Ferrer.
Having lived in Austin for so long now, I often forget Ferrer is a virtual unknown to many these days. No stranger to the Austin Music scene, Ferrer has been playing in Austin since the late '90s. Whether it was with his own band, the Austin Music Award-winning Ill Camino, or with local heavy hitters Vallejo, Ferrer has a reputation as one of the better rock-and-roll voices in Austin. His unique look, great singing voice and songwriting ability is what put Ferrer on the path to front Chris Perez's newest band. While that's still in development, Ferrer chooses to stay active musically.
Ferrer’s latest solo project, Angel Ferrer’s The Daylight Sessions, is not the modern rock he’s known for. The Daylight Sessions is an R&B/soul collective that is comprised of his brother Albert Ferrer and other local musician friends of Ferrer’s. Proving to be a jack of all trades, or in this case genres, Ferrer is soon to be a local headliner again. Get to know the rock, and soul, side of Angel Ferrer.
Click here to read the full interview with Ferrer and watch live video of his new band, Angel Ferrer's The Daylight Sessions.
When L.A. based Killola came through Austin last month, I was lucky enough to catch up to them for an interview. I saw them last year with The Action Design at Red 7 and have been a fan ever since. There in the picture you see me with Lisa, lead singer and soon to be movie star? Check out my interview with Killola to find out what's coming up for Killola in the coming year. I also posted the craziest music video for their song "Cracks in the Armor".
On September 25th, the Tijuana Sound Machine known as Nortec Collective came to Austin and gave a killer performance at The Hogg Memorial Auditorium. I wasn't there as I was covering another show, but my crew from Austin Vida were there. For the Nortec show, Austin Vida teamed up again with our friends from Blastro to bring you two cool new videos from the show. The one I posted below is the best live video ever captured of Nortec Collective. The sound is amazing and the show visually mind blowing. As jealous as I am that I didn't get to attend, this video puts me there. My hat is off to Blastro and Nacional Records on this one. Did I mention an interview? That's right! My girl Christina Garcia sat down with Bostitch and Fussible of Nortec for a NRP-PBS style video interview. They even let her play with the Tenori. I'm jealous again there.
Here's the live video! This ain't a YouTube clip folks. It's twenty minutes of Puro Chido:
Today through the magic of Facebook, I learned that the world's greatest young metal band was added to this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest Line up. That's right....Austin's own rock Gods, The Sword, will take the stage on Saturday at the black stage. Check out the Fun Fun Fun Fest website for what that means exactly.
The addition of The Sword really solidified this year's festival for me, and not just because I am the biggest fan boy on the planet. I always look forward to Fun Fun Fun Fest as it the Red River rat mecca of festivals, but this year it was missing a little something in comparison to last year. When I saw Bad Brains (even though it sucked), All, Dead Milkmen and Brownout, it kicked total ass. Even with Danzig and Jesus Lizard as the headliners, I felt Fun Fun Fun was missing a metal piece. Not anymore...good move Transmission.
For those of you who like metal and want to see the next up and coming band, be sure to check out Pack of Wolves. I have seen the guys from The Sword at some of their shows if that tells you anything. They are at where The Sword were like maybe five years ago. The first time I saw The Sword was at Room 710,may you rest in piece. Then I saw them at Emo's, then Stubb's as they embarrassed headliner Clutch. I have all the respect in the world for Clutch, but you can't play after The Sword in Austin.Only Metallica can do that, and they have as The Sword was their opener on a good leg of their world tour this year.
In case you don't have a pulse or are just plain lame, let me briefly introduce you to the world's greatest metal band and the best thing to come out of Austin since EVER. This is the video for "Maiden, Mother & Crone" off their latest album, "Gods Of The Earth":
For more info on Fun Fun Fun Fest, visit the following links:
This Tuesday night, October 13th, it all goes down at Momo's. World Music Night is also promoter Brandon Badillo's Birthday party. Badillo is the owner and driving force behind his Bemba Entertainment Company. Badillo turns thirty, which we all know is the new twenty. Most known for his Souled Out shows at The Victory Grill and Xemumba Fest, Badillo is making quite the name for himself with World Music Night at Momo's on Tuedays nights. Last month(also coming up in November) Charanga Cakewalk was the main draw every Tuesday.
One of my favorite local Latin groups is playing Badillo's birthday bash, La Guerrilla. A great Latin fusion band, La Guerrilla is the next new thing in the local scene. With a new album on the way and more local notoriety, they are well on their way for a big 2010. Check out La Guerrilla live here on this clip Austin Vida shot at Mohawk this summer.
There are many other great bands on the line up for Tuesday. For more info on the show, checkout the post on Do512 here for more details.Get there early though, as the show starts at 7:30 and is free...but do make a donation as those are welcomed.
Austin indie rockers, Quiet Company, just sent over their new video for their single "On Modern Man". The song is their show closer and has quickly become a fan favorite as the band openly invites audience members to join them on stage and perform the song with them. The video just premiered today and looks great. It was directed by Digital Shakedown's Justin Kirchhoff. Check it out and give it a listen. After watching, someone please tell me if that is downtown Round Rock. It looks really familiar.
Many of you may not know Landon Pigg by name, but you have probably heard his song “Falling In Love At a Coffee Shop” on AT&T commercials. If you went to the movie theaters to see Whip It, you may recognize his face. Now it is time you get to know Landon Pigg the musician, not the actor or commercial jingle singer. His new album, The Boy Who Never, might just make you forget he acts.
Many of you will purchase The Boy Who Never just because of “Falling In Love At a Coffee Shop”. It’s a soft, poetic love song made for chick flicks, Myspace profile songs and of course commercials. Many know it as the AT& T song, and that is the only thing not to love about it. Pigg’s high pitched vocal stylings take you in; while the cello provides the perfect romantic backdrop Pigg needs to compliment his acoustic guitar. Occasionally the piano drizzle a few notes which really complete the song. At this point, it is already a timeless classic.
As for the rest of The Boy Who Will Never, it is not worthy of the same high praise. For an album to generate interest based on a near perfect song set the bar high for Pigg. I didn’t expect more hits like “Coffee Shop”. There are a few good pop songs that people will love, but only Pigg’s hardcore fans will remember them. It’s a shame really, because Pigg is a talented artist.
“Take A Chance” is good pop song that sounds like something you’d hear by The Fray on a Top 40 radio station. With indie guitar sounds (spacey notes, crunchy guitar) and heavy bass line, it is a song that even pretentious hipster audiences would love. It is a more up tempo love song about letting that special someone in and “taking that chance” on a relationship.
For those looking for more great ballads from Pigg, “Look So Tired” should give you your fix. Other noteworthy tracks include the brass accompanied “A Ghost” and the folksy “Made For Glory”. Pigg is totally capable of making great pop songs that don’t’ sound like the slow ballads he is best known for. He already proved that to me when he released his This is a Pigg EP.
Landon Pigg is a talented artist who should remain a mainstay in music world and specifically in the Top 40 realm. For those not yet familiar with Pigg, think of him as the love child of James Blunt and The Fray. That’s how he sounds to me. I’d love to see him take high singing voice to a track that rocks a little harder to see how that would sound. Continue to expect big things from Pigg in the future.
Checkout the video for “Falling In Love In a Coffeeshop” off of Landon Pigg’s album, The Boy Who Will Never:
In what began as an inside joke between a friend of mine and I, my indie girl crush series posts have my highest numbers this year. It is evident that blog readers love such silliness, including my friends who have already asked me who my next crush will be. I have also had publicists send me a few suggestions for my next crush, which isn't something I planned on doing again really. Like I mentioned, it was an inside joke amongst a few friends and it has now taken on a life if it's own. If this sort of column can help me introduce cool new bands or artists to the masses, then I will go indie girl crazy.
My most recent indie girl crush is a little different from my previous crushes, Ingrid Michaelson and Zooey Deschanel. I recently became twitterpated with a beautiful lead singer of the Brooklyn indie group whose name means "casual sex" in Japanese. My latest indie girl crush is none other than Yuki Chikudate from the fantastic indie group, Asobi Seksu. Accompanying Yuki Chikudate in Asobi Seksu is James Hannah.
Asobi's Seksu's music falls under the indie genre referred to as "shoegazing", which basically means kind of spacey guitar effects like floating notes or crafted uses of distortion. Chikudate's voice is perfect for this sort band, as it is not overpowering but can still be heard clearly. She also has a smokin' hot look that I describe to friends as indie meets mod-chic. The fact that she's of the Asian persuasion adds that extra touch.
Check out this recent video from Asobi Seksu for their single "Me & Marry" off their current album, Hush. If you're in Texas and like what you hear, you're going to have to just pick up the album as Asobi Seksu won't be back around here as they are on tour. Some of you lucky Austinites may have caught them at Mohawk recently, and if you were there, I absolutely hate you.
Tonight at Emo's (inside) marks the return of one my favorite bands I discovered this year, Dear and the Headlights. Coming off this summer's Warped Tour, believe it or not, the guys are touring to support their album Drunk Like Bible Times. These guys are constantly touring and are certainly in love with Austin. They've been here at least twice that I know of this year already. I also caught them at Warped Tour this summer in San Antonio. They were the lone indie(ish) band there but still had a great reception amongst the punk kids.
Dear and the Headlights are indie rockers with a hint garage rock and pop. Some of their songs sound very '60s, some sound very Pitchforky. That's referring to the online indie site, not a comment on musical pitch. My favorite song that I'd suggest to you is "Talk About" off of Drunk Like Bible Times. It's also cool that the lead singer is named "Ian". Okay, maybe that's not that cool but I like that name for some reason.
I'd usually go into more detail on my blog here, but I already have a recent interview with the guys I did before Warped Tour. If you like what you hear on this YouTube clip, check out the links below to learn more.
Get to Emo's tonight at 8:00pm to catch Kinch and Rajiv Patel, both Arizona based artists. Tickets are $10 and the show is all ages. My guess is that this is your last chance this year to catch Dear and the Headlights in Austin. Take advantage. Trust me. You'll dig 'em.
For more on Dear the Headlights, visit the following links:
Tonight at The Austin Music Hall, the world's hottest hip hop act takes the stage. Mr. 305, Armando Pérez aka Pitbull is coming through Austin in support of his new album, Rebelution. As a long time of fan of Pitbull, I look forward to hearing his radio hits, but moreso for me his street stuff that never makes it the radio. Tracks like "Dammit Man" and "Everybody Get Up" get you through a weight workout. I doubt he'll perform them because those aren't songs fans will be able to sing along to, but you never know.
When he first came on the scene with his major breakthrough album, Money Is Still A Major Issue, I couldn't have been more proud of the fact that he was Latino. He has proven that a talented Latino rapper can be a commercial hip hop star that gets love from the blacks, whites, Latinos, all hip hop fans. He didn't fall into the trap that is the label "Latin Rapper". Everyone loves Pitbull and with good reason. He makes hot club tracks that turn nice girls into naughty girls dancing in cages. Your abuelita dances to Pitbull.
Something else I love about Pitbull that no one really points out or notices are all the freestyle and DJ Laz samples he uses. He did the Spring Love remake with the original artist, Stevie B. He gets down with Reggaeton stars, like Rakim y Ken Y, on songs like "Tell Me". He can probably pull a Nelly and cross over into country if he wanted to. Pitbull is the real deal. No one has the diverse portfolio or resume Pitbull has in any genre of urban music. People tend overlook that because of his radio success. Lately he has stuck to party songs,but no one does them better. Check out the music video for "I Know You Want Me" off his new album, Rebelution.
Also performing tonight is MTV3 and Mun2 darling, Kat DeLuna.She is no slouch as an opener by any means. Her breakthrough hit, "Whine Up" still gets spins in the clubs and radio play on occasion. She'll be performing new songs tonight off her upcoming new album. DeLuna fans won't want to miss that.
Arrive by 7:00 to ensure a good spot for the show. The Austin Music Hall is located 208 Nueces. Look for a parking garage and parking lot by some condos. You'll have to pay to park, but that's like anywhere else and those spots make your life easier after the show ends.
If you still need your tickets., click here to purchase.
I actually have been wanting to see Jay Reatard live. I dig his music, but he's not getting a lot of love after a recent YouTube Video that's surfaced of his Goner Fest performance. I know musicians drink before and while performing on stage, but usually they hold their need to pee until after the set is done. Well apparently Jay Reatard couldn't hold it and didn't want to interrupt his show to excuse himself. To top it all off, he goes full fledged rock star and pees with his hands waiving in the air in front of the audience. It's like a scene from a bad movie. I guess I'll play it safe and just enjoy the records or stay in the back of the venue when I go see him live. Check it out in case you haven't seen it yet.
After watching the video, I saw this on his Twitter: "Fyi .. No pee got on the dude I was pissing on the ground .. Also that is not my solo band its the reatards .. Get your bands straight ."
Born To Lose is one of my all time favorite punk bands. It is still hard to believe as good as they are that I still get to see them at Red 7 on Wednesday. Their sound is so gutter, raw but yet polished, and worthy of a mid to high level Warped Tour stage. I have been to many a Warped Tours and three fourths of the bands there don't hold a candle to Born To Lose. I even saw Born To Lose play Warped a few years ago in front of a small but satisfied crowd. Seeing them live is like reliving my early twenties all over again.
They have been a Red River staple for years now. The reason you only see their name in show listings every so often if that much of their time is spent kicking ass and taking names in Europe, a much better place for punk bands from what I hear. Everyone who loves punk that I have shared their music with has always become a big fan. When they played at Emo's this summer with Gallows, the crowd loved them. People saw me singing along to the words during the whole show, which prompted them to approach me after and ask questions about them. "Who are these guys again?" "Are they local?" "Can you send me some MP3s?"
Their current album, Saints Gone Wrong, is in regular rotation in my truck's CD player. People new to Born To Lose need to pick that up first as it is their best. If you really want to get into Born To Lose, pick up Blessed Days. The recording and sound quality isn't as good as on Saints Gone Wrong, but the songs are phenomenal. In fact my favorite Born To Lose song is on Blesses Days, a song called "Borrowed Time".
Tonight Born To Lose takes the stage with any great local punk band called Capital Scam. I have seen these guys around, I believe most recently at The Broken Neck skate park. Tonight's show is also serving as Capital Scam's tour kick off show. Expect nothing but their A-game as always. I suggest arriving at Red 7 around 9:00. Red 7 is located on 611 E. 7th, right off I-35 and adjacent to the uber hipster Beauty Bar. I couldn't find anything that mentioned the cover charge, but it can't be more than ten dollars.
For some punk rock goodness or to check out Born To Lose for the first time, take a look and listen to this video for "Saints Gone Wrong".
For more info about tonight's show and the bands, visit the following links:
Typically Austinites have to wait for No Control on Friday nights to get this much metal in one night. Local promoters DAG Presents is bringing a kick ass metal show featuring heavy hitters Trivium, Dirge Within, White Chapel, and Darkest Hour. Make sure to put on your best black t-shirt and call in Wednesday morning. Metal heads will not want to miss this.
Although Trivium may be the main attraction and headliner, I am more excited about checking out Darkest Hour. I missed them during SXSW this year and have been eagerly awaiting their return to Austin. I figured if they did tour Texas after SXSW, they'd hit up San Antonio at the very least. Austin, although it has been a little better this year, isn't the metal haven San Antonio or Dallas are. When it comes to metal touring acts, Austin gets skipped over a lot. Hopefully that nonsense stops sooner than later. As I see more hardcore shows pop up online, the more I see that starting to change little by little.
Darkest Hour is touring to support their current album The Eternal Return.Categorized by most as a melodic death metal band, Darkest Hour is no Johhny Come Lately. With five albums in their catalog, there seems to be no slowing down anytime soon for Darkest Hour. The Eternal Return is my favorite album of theirs as they sound more polished, faster and even darker than on previous albums. As far as good older material from Darkest Hour, check out Deliver Us as well. That album was almost what The Eternal Return is, but not quite. If you haven't checked them out yet, then you're clearly not into metal.
Something else cool about tonight' show for Trivium fans especially is with each purchased ticket, you will be able to download a full soundboard quality recording of Trivium live from the show. All one has to do is use the ticket barcode on Trivium's website to redeem it. I only wish they'd let us download a full live album. Still, not a bad give away for a show you'd be buying a ticket for anyway. Doors are at 6:30, so get there early.
I have posted some helpful links about the groups and about tonight's show specifically. Also, check out this video of Darkest Hour performing at Red 7 during SXSW this past March. They're performing "Doomsayer" off their album Deliver Us.
Ian is a graduate of Round Rock High School and attended St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. In 2008 he joined the team at Double Stereo (formerly CD Fuse) as their Blog editor where he reviewed concerts, albums, and did interviews for the popular music site.In January 2009, he became the Editor in Chief for Austin Vida. In 2010, with the help of some of his most talented friends, he launched Red River Noise. "Ian's Music Blog" is also one of the few blogs selected to be a Do512 All-Star.
On any given night of the week he can be found in downtown Austin on 6th Street and the Red River live music district.
With so much going on downtown tonight, and so many people to watch, it can be difficult to decide what to do. I'm not into the whole "being seen" scene. If you see me at an "it" event, it is because there is a band or DJ I want to see. Otherwise, I can do without the photo booths and hipsters. I am not speaking ill of that stuff, I'm just saying it isn't my thing. 
