Cruiserweight CD Release Show at Emo's

Halloween in Austin is always a good time. Downtown gets more crowded and crazier than usual. People come from all over Texas to see all the crazy costumes and especially for the Halloween parties happening all over town. This year for Halloween, I was at Emo’s for a pretty big and important Cruiserweight concert.

Other than being Halloween, last night for Cruiserweight was the CD release show. Last night’s show, (which included Zlam Dunk, Driver F, Mondo Pr!mo and The Pink Spiders) was also drummer Yogi Maxwell’s farewell show. You read that right and the flyer tells no lies. Yogi is not going to be playing shows with them anymore….so they claim. After all, he is a Maxwell and knows all the songs. We will see how long that lasts.

Now I know this is the part where I usually talk about the other bands that played and what I thought, but tonight was all about Cruiserweight. This year, starting with Free Week at Emo’s back in January, I always caught them by accident really. In other words, I was at shows in which they played but was not there for them but rather for other bands that headlined. In addition to Free Week, I saw them play with Driver F at their CD release show at Stubb’s, and then again at Emo’s for the Dynamite Boy Reunion show in April. Finally, with the release of their new album, it was their turn to headline and for a blog feature.

When I arrived at Emo’s The Pink Spiders were in the middle of their set. I saw lead singer Stella Maxwell and her brother/guitarist Urny Maxwell in costume. Stella was dressed as a sexy Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz while Urny was in his little Tin Man hat. For a while there, before they took the stage, I thought that was their only costume. As I and everyone else at Emo’s found out, they had other costume’s on hand for their set.

After setting up, the first Cruiserweight member to take the stage was Urny, all dressed up in his black t-shirt and Slash wig. He even had the big black hat. After he came out, playing the Welcome to the Jungle riff that starts the song, the other members came out in full Guns n Roses costume. During that same time I was wondering how they were going to pull a GnR set with only four members. That questioned was answered when I saw a guy dressed as Izzy come out to play with them. I could be wrong, but I believe it one of the guys from Dynamite Boy.

After a minute or so of teasing the crowd with the Welcome to the Jungle riff, the rest of the band broke into full song and Stella came out as an awesome Axel Rose. She had Axel down to the core, in her long red haired wig, red skin tight pants, shades and black t shirt. She even took on his persona, cussing at everyone and calling the other bands “pussy bands”. I loved it. No other local band in any genre I have seen has as much personality as Cruiserweight. I know a few that come close, but not like Cruiserweight. They also covered Sweet Child of Mine and went backstage to change for their regular set.

After all was said and done with the GnR bit, Stella was back in her Dorothy costume ready to go with a pumped out crowd. They brought their usual high energy and entertaining sets, performing new tracks off of Big Bold Letters as well as old favorites. There was also their older hit singles like Yellow Lights, Goodbye Daily Sadness and Cautionary Tale. Good songs do not get old, as myself and everyone there still enjoy them. The most fun part of every Cruiserweight set I have been to is Stella’s dance battle with whomever is bold enough to challenge her.

Last night Cruiserweight was on their game. It was the best performance I have seen from them in years. Being that they are going on tour starting this week, that polish should carry over to the rest of their tour dates. If you are outside of Austin and are reading this, do go check out Cruiserweight live (minus Yogi now) but practice your moves first.

As far as the album goes, see what I have to say about it on CD Fuse where I do my exclusive album and video reviews. Speaking of videos, word is that Danger Films was the film crew last night taping everything for a live DVD. I can’t wait to see that when it comes out. In the meantime, I got some low grade point and shoot footage of Cruiserweight’s GnR bit. Check it out:

Everlast at Antone's

Saturday night was a real treat for me as one of my all time favorite artists, Everlast, played a show at Antone’s. Having been a fan of Everlast since the House of Pain era, and then a fan of his bluesy alternative rock solo projects, it is a wonder it has taken me over ten years to catch one of his concerts. If he was as good back then as he was Saturday night, I really missed out.

Opening for Everlast were Brooklyn natives and long time music scene veterans, The Lordz of Brooklyn. You may have caught them on Fuse as I did this summer, with their music documentary style show called The Brooklyn Way. The show chronicled the group from their early hip hop days of the 90s, to their struggles with the industry and coping with family life. It wasn’t but a few episodes, but the show did a good job of telling their story and conveying so much emotion that the viewer had to pull for these guys and all they have been through. Had it not been for the show, I can’t say I would have heard of them or have liked them as much. Good for Fuse.

The Lordz of Brooklyn were the only opener for Everlast Saturday, making it a short but sweet concert. When they took the stage, they came out ready to play with lots of confidence and the energy of a younger band. I did not know what to expect other than the theme song The Brooklyn Way, being it was the theme for their television show. Having performed that, covering a Run DMC song and the punk rock classic I Want to Die, they did what an opening band is supposed to do. The crowd enjoyed their set, the band left sweaty and tired, and everyone was enjoying themselves. My friends and I got a kick out of their cool Brooklyn accents and their names for each other, like “Tony Salami”. Check out this clip of the Lordz playing their song The Brooklyn Way.

After the Lordz of Brooklyn were done, I finally got see Everlast live. The intro he came out to was the Superman theme song. I thought that was a little much but pretty funny. He came out looking a little older than I remember, but still cool and sounding as good as his CDs. His gritty, raspy voice is great for the blues rock genre he is in and Antone’s is the place for that sort of thing.

Early in the set he performed an acoustic song called Broken, which had good use of organ and harmonica. It was his best song of the first half of the show I thought, but Endz really got the crowd excited as well as Black Coffee. Everlast really didn’t say too much between songs, except for one instance where he said “The banks scare you and it is a land grab. I don’t give a fuck about a Democrat or Republican” right before he sang Stones In My Hand. Shortly after, he took a small break or intermission as they say.

Right after his intermission, Everlast performed his hit Black Jesus, one of my favorites. After a few more blues rock songs of his, people started to yell “What its Like”, referring to his most popular hit off his first solo album, “Whitey Ford Sings the Blues”. He responded by saying “ya’ll think you know what's coming next, but you don't”. He then started Put Your Lights On, minus Santana of course. He concluded by thanking the crowd for coming and saying it won’t be another four years before he comes back to town. He then ended with an awesome live rendition of What Its Like. If you weren’t there, check out a clip of what you missed:

Rock y Roll Dia 08 Coming November 1st

This is my first year to attend Rock y Roll Dia, an interactive community outreach event and concert. With two years under its belt, this year's Rock y Roll Dia will be its best yet. While previous acts were what I consider to be honorable mentions at best, with the exception of maybe Mexico's Jumbo, it had not garnered my interest enough to go. This year is a completely different story.

Headlining will be Venezuela's own Los Amigos Invisibles, who are known to many outside the Latin music world as the group David Bryne signed to his Luaka Bop label. I got to see Los Amigos for the first time in March during a free show at The Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC). Having heard only a few songs from them at the time, I had no idea they were so funky. Even if you don't understand Spanish, you can understand live Latin funk and good times. Mix their music with a little cocktail or chela (beer for you gringo friends and coconuts). Here is a video clip for you if you aren't familiar:

Recently added Monte Negro will certainly bring a great rock element Rock y Roll Dia didn't have without them. I got too see them live at SXSW for the first time at the Batanga showcase I worked and again this summer at Antone's on the Circo Rocktastico Tour. They are great live, sounding just like they do on CD with all the energy of their fast paced music. Kinski, lead singer, is great front man and doesn't sound like any other mainstream act out right now. They sing in both English and Spanish, even covering Bob Marley's Give Me Love. You may have seen that video on what used to M.E. TV's best show, Sonido Boombox. They were on M.E. before they were on MTV3 even, on their Discubre (discover) and Download segment. Don’t get me started on MTV3…..uuugghhhh.

The local representation comes from Michael Ramos and his eclectic band, Charanga Cakewalk. Many Austinites are plenty familiar with Charanga, especially with the M.E. Live taping for my favorite Charanga Cakewalk song La Negra Celina. To me, they are mix or regional Mexican, cumbia, Latin Jazz and Carribean. It's hard to explain, but fun to listen to and watch live.

Finally, the last group added to the bill will be Los Hollywood from (you guessed it!) Los Angeles. Given who is behind Dia, I should have expected some sort of LA injected into this. Just from listening to their music online, they sound like a younger, Latino version of No Doubt circa early 90s. Los Hollywood sings in both English and Spanish, so they too are gringo friendly while keeping it true to their roots so to speak. This group and this party, while being a Latin Music showcase, is for everyone. I hope to see you there.

Be sure to come early and get your tickets now, as it at The Mohawk and should sell out. Tickets are available on CD Fuse and you can find more info on the pre parties (whoot whoot!) on the Rock Y Roll Dia Myspace or on Do512. If you want to hear some of the music by these artists, you can listen to Rock y Roll Radio and check out the various shows from your computer. I don't normally plug or promote upcoming shows but my company, Gwizsk Design, are sponsors and the web marketing team for Dia. I say this in the spirit of full disclosure and just wanted to share this great event with you all. I will be posting another blog a couple days or so after the show in case you're lame and miss Rock y Roll Dia. You can read about what a great time it was for all.

Carolina Liar & Some Power Pop Bands at Emos'

Thursday night The Academy Is show at Emo’s was the ultimate teen rock fest of a concert. I might as well have been a parent. As a matter of fact, this show had more parents there than ACL (not really). Upon arrival, I was starting to wonder if I was in the right place. I showed up to see one of my favorite new bands, Carolina Liar.

When I first got to Emo’s, Hey Monday had just started their set.

They were the second band to go on and already had the crowd excited. I first heard Hey Monday on a Fall Out Boy mix tape I was sent this summer. I know I can’t be the first out there to say this publicly, but one can’t help but draw Paramore comparisons. If Paramore had a younger sibling, Hey Monday would be it. That being said, being compared to Paramore is not a bad thing. Anytime a young Alternative Press looking band of guys has a young female lead, like Cassadee Pope of Hey Monday, Paramore is who you are judged against.

Hey Monday was received well by the young crowd. Their music was a little young for me, but I can see why the kids love it. Their music is fast, energetic and catchy. It is all about the hooks and sing alongs in this young power pop genre. Hey Monday has all those elements. Listen to How Long? and see for yourself. It is their best song off their album “Hold On Tight”.

After Hey Monday, Carolina Liar came on. With the shirts they were wearing, they could have been called Carolina Boy Scouts. I dig the band, but I didn’t quite get the outfits. One of their guitar players looked like the guy who played Stiffler on American Pie and had the hipster headband on. None of the band matched their lead singer, Chad Wolf, who was in a blue cub scout uniform. He also looks a little bit like Jesus with a scarf.

The unusual choice of wardrobe is the only negative thing I have to say about Carolina Liar or their set Thursday. Their radio hit I’m Not Over has been playing on 101X locally for some time now and I sing to it in my truck. Their sound is more indie rock/alternative compared to the rest of the bands on the bill. How they got on this tour or this show baffles me.

Carolina Liar sounded just as good as they do on CD Thursday. Scot Wolf is a phenomenal singer and song writer. He doesn’t lose a step or miss a note live. At least he didn’t Thursday night. He epitomizes what a rock front man should be. He woos the ladies in the crowd while flailing his long hair and scarf, often dropping to his knees. Backed by a good band and great keyboard sounds, Carolina Liar stands out from an over saturated market of indie bands. His best expressions and rock star moves come during Show Me What I’m Looking For and what sounds like an 80s hair metal ballad, Coming to Terms. On Coming to Terms, the key board and over all vibe remind me of old Motley Crue ballads or even bad Cinderella songs. I loved it. The power ballad needs to be brought back to rock. I dug it all.

The young crowd also loved Carolina Liar and sang along to I’m Not Over as they concluded their set with their big hit. It will soon be a timeless classic that Bob plays in his radio station years from now. I still hear it on 101X now. In case you live under a rock or missed the show, check out this clip from the show:

The Sword Rocks the Earth at Stubb's

Saturday night the rock God’s of the Earth touched down on Austin and brought us my absolute favorite metal band, The Sword. The Sword hail from Austin, so I guess this was a homecoming show for them after touring with Metallica overseas. Saturday night at Stubb’s, they opened for Clutch. They seem to be doing pretty well for themselves in the black t shirt world.

Saturday couldn’t have been a better night for The Sword. Stubb’s outdoor is the best venue to see a show in Austin…when the weather is nice that is. The last time I saw the Sword was in January at Emo’s. At that time their latest album "Gods of the Earth" was not out yet and they only performed a couple of tracks off the album. After months of listening to it since its spring release, I was more than ready for this show. I knew in January they were playing some serious next level music. At this point and from here on out, they are so far ahead of everyone else.

How Metallica and Clutch could let them open baffles me. On one hand they get to play with The Sword and help draw in new fans, putting together a better show. On the other hand, the one I consider to be the stronger hand, The Sword will one up you. Maybe it is to pass the torch and for The Sword to live out their dreams of playing with those guys. Still, playing with either of those bands is a testament to the respect they have in the metal world.

As soon as they came on, they played their Gods of the Earth album intro, making the crowd scream and throw up their metal horns. By that point it was dark outside with only the stage lights keeping them visible to the packed crowd. Their title track Gods of the Earth, the third song on their set, got the pit started. It pretty much continued throughout the rest of the set. My body was a little sore from just being in there for fifteen minutes. I know better, but that rush one gets when your face is rocked off overcomes you and you have to get that energy out in a pit.

The Sword didn’t really say much. They did introduce the band at one point, and said “this is an older one for you” before breaking into their Guitar Hero II song Freya (By the way, that is the only song I can play on expert. I can’t be touched on Freya). What else took me by surprise was that they did a Kiss cover right before that. I don’t listen to too much Kiss, so I honestly didn’t’ recognize the song. I just found it funny given that I tell people who never heard of The Sword that they came from the seventies as the demon rock child of Black Sabbath and Led Zeplin. Kiss is more of old style camaro mullet rock, but whatever.

Overall, this was the best I have ever heard The Sword play. They get better every time I see them. I become a bigger fan every time I hear them. Not since Rage Against the Machine or early Metallica (Kill Em All & And Justice For All era) have I been this excited about a band. I even started a Sword tattoo I am going to base a sleeve around.

I did not stay for Clutch Saturday. I had other obligations downtown Saturday night, but I heard from friends who stayed that they were good. I was wondering who stayed as I saw many people leave after The Sword finished. Plus, I have seen Clutch before in San Antonio at The White Rabbit a long time ago. One Clutch show was good enough for me. As for The Sword, I can’t get enough. If they come to town, I’m there. If they put out a new album, I buy the CD and the vinyl. If you don’t like metal, The Sword will change that. I know fans Saturday who were seeing them for the first time, will see them again. In case you are lame and missed the best concert this year, here is a clip of the show for you:

My A.C.L. Blog

After all these years of not going to Austin City Limits (ACL) Fest, I finally gave in. It's not that I am not a festival person, because I love music fests. It is just the music fests I prefer have better, faster, more hardcore or danceable music. ACL is also a place where posers and real hipsters alike go to listen to indie rock bands and act too cool for school. I mean, even though they weren't on any signs or promo material, I'd have sworn American Apparel or Urban Outfitters was a sponsor. It was headbands and bandana scarves galore.

Why go then if that stuff bugs me? Why put up with that and the heat? Well because Sunday The Foo Fighters and Against Me were on the bill. Not to mention Texas's own (Christian) rock group Fly Leaf. Sunday was a day where I could bypass the indie rock and see groups I actually wanted to see. I am not saying ACL "gets it" or does a good job of catering to my musical tastes, but Sunday was a good day for non hipsters to check out.

I arrived at Zilker Park, via the Capital Metro shuttle bus, at around one o' clock. The first band on my list was a local favorite of mine, The Octopus Project. Words can try to explain what The Octopus Project sounds like, but seeing them live is the only way you can know. They are unlike any band I have seen before. Even though they are often labeled as "experimental", they are way past the experimenting stage of their music. Their unique sound is so in tune and polished that they own whatever genre of music they are in. With no vocals and a theremin, they are sure to capture your interest. By the way, I had no idea what a theremin was until I saw The Octopus Project for the first time.

The Octopus Project played a good set, with guest instruments played by a local group of middle school aged kids accompanying them on stage for a few songs. The crowd loved it and cheered, and it was fun to see their reactions. It was evident that many had not seen or heard of them before. One guy next to me was just wondering why they didn’t have a singer. I told him they don’t need one. There were hundreds of other curious faces and looks of bewilderment. They are the quintessential festival band…a must see.

The next band I wanted to see was Fly Leaf, playing across the park over at the AT&T stage. Understand this about ACL and festivals in general. If you don't camp out at the front of the stage early, you will be far away watching from the jumbotron screen. I ended up close enough to see but far enough away to leave easily to catch a show after. I was actually surprised and pleased that Fly Leaf was at ACL. I would have figured they were too metal (even though they are not metal) for this festival. I had never seen them before and loved their set. Fly Leaf singer, Lacy, can sing and scream really well. There was also a larger crowd than I expected watching them, and many were older (as in no one in high school or college aged).

Something else about Fly Leaf, is that they are indeed a Christian rock band. Did C3 know that I wonder? I don't mind that about Fly Leaf. Yeah they don't hide their faith in their music, but it is not too preachy or hitting you in the face with their beliefs either. Lacy did say before singing All Around Me that this song was about Jesus Christ. Good for her. No shame in letting people know where the song's inspiration came from, whether it be JC himself or anything else. There was no shame in their performance either as they rocked liked nobody's business. I only wish I were closer and could have made it to their autograph session at the Waterloo tent.

Right after Fly Leaf, it was time to make way to the front of the Dell Stage for Against Me. This was a group I hadn’t seen live before and was really looking forward to seeing. They spent their summer touring with ACL headliner, The Foo Fighters. Not just anyone can open for The Foo Fighters. Dave wouldn’t have it. That being said, I had high expectations for Against Me.

My expectations were totally met. I felt that I could have gone home after their set and been just fine. They sounded just like they do on CD. I say this now but I only began listening to Against Me this summer. Having listened to them online, I find I like their new sound better than their older, more punk rock sound. Against Me is good blend of punk, rock, and alternative….my three favorite genres. They played mostly songs from their most recent album, New Wave. It’s funny because all the hipster type kids were at another stage and the cool kids were at Against Me. I felt at home for the first time at that stage. Check out this clip from their set Sunday:

After Against Me rocked my socks off, I walked across the park to the big AT&T main stage for none other than Gnarls Barkley. I managed to get semi close on the left side facing the stage. Gnarls, Cee Lo Green from Goodie Mob and DJ Danger Mouse, play live shows with a house band consisting of a guitarist, a piano player and bass player. Danger Mouse plays piano/organ and Cee Lo sings. It is quite the musical collaboration. Their perfect blend of hip hop, old school soul and techno appeals to a broad audience.

For Gnarls, ACL was the last stop of their summer tour. What a way to go out, playing for thousands and thousands of people. Cee Lo sounded good despite being a little hoarse from all the touring. They performed all their hits from both their albums, including Crazy, which made the crowd go nuts. It was at that point, with all those people by the main stage, when ACL really felt like the massive music fest that it is. The sun was just about to go down and there was more of a breeze than before. All the fore mentioned elements, combined with Gnarls Barkley’s performance, made ACL even more memorable and it wasn’t even finished yet.

Before the main headliner (The Foo Fighters) came on, there was one more band that was a must see for me. I made my way back over to the Dell Stage to catch an old favorite from my teen years, Blues Traveler. I thought the window to see Blues Traveler live closed a long time ago with lead singer John Popper’s personal struggles and all. I always credit them with building my tolerance and eventual acceptance of the harmonica. Too many musicians think they can play it and cannot, just killing it for me. Popper is the real deal though. On Sunday he and the rest of Blues Traveler proved they still got it.

The start of their set was a memory lane trip right off the bat. They started with a cover of the Cheap Trick classic I Want You to Want Me and their own 1995 hit Hook. Oh the smile that brought to my face. I remember being 15 years old and not being able to get into their Austin show at Antone’s. That sourness I carried with me all these years went away with the beginning of Hook. Popper sounded so good live, almost as good as the CD itself. His adlibbing is the only thing keeping me from suspecting him of lip singing. He was that good. It was also pleasing to see people of all ages in the crowd for their set, as it is a testament to their timeless music that was able to transcend genres even then.

It would have been a perfect experience if not for these two drunk, snobby women spilling beer on my blanket telling me I had issues with my “personal space”. After asking them to their face if there was a problem, they had the nerve to tell me that I was taking up too much space, when there were empty spaces all around the stage they could have easily walked to. We have all encountered “these types” of festival goers before. I don’t know what made me think I was immune from it.

None the less, Blues Traveler was so great that even those two she-beasts couldn’t take away from my experience. Kudos to the band, as they were on point all throughout the whole set. I wanted to be sure to mention that so people wouldn’t think Popper is a man crush of mine or anything. But lets face it folks, he makes Blues Traveler.

After the ever so ear pleasing set from Blues Traveler, it was time to go back to the AT&T stage for The Foo Fighters. The good fighters of the evil foo (I hate foo!) were set to go on around 8:30 pm. I made it pretty close to the left side of the stage, but still felt so far away compared to how close I get to all the other concerts I usually attend. By then it was totally dark and all the crowd could see was the stage lights and spotlights.

The Foo Fighters immediately came out and owned the stage, giving the people their early hits from the late 90’s. I think they were the perfect headliner for closing out ACL this year. They appeal to fans of many ages, have had lots of radio hits, and are now revered by many as rock Gods. I mean, Dave Grohl was in the most important band of the last century (Nirvana in case you didn’t know).Needless to say they were amazing live. Experiencing them live with all those thousands of people was something else. Sunday night was the only night where literally everyone in the park was at one stage. Friday and Saturday nights people had two headliners to choose from. Sunday it was all about Foo Fighters.

Dave Grohl was hilarious in between songs. The highlight of their set for me was the acoustic version of Hero. That was the sing along song of the whole day, and probably the whole festival. Only the triangle solo could compete with that. Yes, a triangle solo. Grohl was correct in saying we would never have expected that. Nothing says rock festival like the triangle. And here I was impressed with the theremin earlier. What was I thinking?

All in all ACL was a good time. It doesn’t come around every day and the weather in September is beautiful in Austin. Just know if you come next year that you will need a mask or scarf to put over your face. I think I am still coughing the dust I inhaled all day at Zilker. Finally I leave you with a Foo Fighters video interview that Roxwel sent me. Check it out:

Foo Fighters - ACL Music Festival Coverage
Download Music Video Code at www.roxwel.com

60 Tigres at The Sound and The Jury Competiton

Last night I ventured out to Antone’s to see one of my favorite new Latin rock bands from Mexico, 60 Tigres. Hailing from Monterrey (the coolest city in Mexico it seems) , 60 Tigres brought a unique and original sound to The Sound and the Jury competition. They are a good mix of psychedelic and bass heavy funk, with a Latin percussion of course. They also have two singers, their bassist and their drummer.

The bands at the showcase last night were chosen by online fan voting. That being said, it was an amazing accomplishment just to be there. I know that sounds PC and cheesy, but considering the amount of quality competition, being there as one of the top vote getters speaks volumes. I think it speaks especially well of 60 Tigres being that they were the only foreign band in the top group.

Now I knew going into Antone's that they weren't going to win. The odds were against them as they were going against local favorites and other top vote getters. The competition was judges by the in house crowd and a panel of industry judges. There were other factors that were against them also, such as the fact that they sing primarily in Spanish. It is often hard for people sometimes to get into a band at first if they don't understand the language they are singing in. The other factor they were going up against was that they had equipment issues. Luckily for them one of the other bands, T-Bird and The Breaks, were kind enough to lend them equipment.

T-Bird and The Breaks was also the band that went on before them, and up to that point they were the band with the best crowd support. Man did I feel for 60 Tigres after they finished. Hell, even I thought T-Bird should have won if 60 Tigres couldn't. They were awesome and more original than the other generic indie rock bands playing. That's just what ACL needs right…more indie rock.

60 Tigres, like the other bands on the bill, only had about a 20 minute set. Despite their short set, I honestly think they made a good impression on the majority gringo crowd there at Antone's. That is one thing I love about this town. People are open to different types of music and embrace it even. Of course the Hispanics there were going to love them, but seeing everyone else nod their heads and dance (thanks to the beer I suppose) was great to see. 60 Tigres noticed as they made it a point to thank everyone for listening and let the audience know how honored they were to be there.

I hope they make it back to Austin next year so more people can get a chance to see them. They were great live and if you like to dance at concerts, then you'll love 60 Tigres. Having got a chance to speak with them after their set, I got the impression that they want to come back as soon as they can. They loved it here. In the meantime, you can check out their music for free on their website. Click here to check them out, and do check out this video from the show:

The Everlasting Sound Tour at Stubb's

Monday night I was at Stubb's with my friend Facundo (drummer for The Banner Year) for The Everlasting Sound Tour. We hadn't hung out in a while and we both wanted to go support The Material. The Banner Year played with them at their first show in Austin over at The Red Eyed Fly back in July. Being that it was a Monday night, I didn't think there was going to be a large turnout.

We got to Stubb's early enough to hang out, get a drink, and catch up with The Material. I got the scoop on the other bands on the tour from Colleen (lead singer for The Material) as I was unfamiliar with them. I figured she would know since she was on the road with them and played shows together for the past couple of months. She had nothing but good things to say, which I expected because she is probably friends with them all by now.

She told me that they had to get a local band to fill in as Run Doris Run wasn't in Austin for some reason. They were on the tour myspace, flyers, etc. So, local Dub Raggae Ska band, Subrosa Union, was the fourth band on the bill. They are completely different from the other pop/power pop band on the tour, but they won many members of the crowd over none the less.

The first band to go on was And Then There Was You from Miami, Florida. There is no doubt in my mind that they were heavily influenced by Fall Out Boy, as many new young bands are. They had the shag hair to th side with bangs, skinny jeans, Vans slip ons, the whole works. Now I cringe when I see bands that look this way most of the time. I strongly dislike that kind of super pop punk or power pop, whatever its called. It's the kind of music that Aleternative Press covers and you see on Warped Tour now. However, these dudes weren't that bad.

A couple of things I can't say about And Then There Was You is that they lack energy or that they are stuck on themselves. They even did a Helmet cover, which was both cool and unexpected. I am not going as far as to say I would buy their CD, but their live show was good. They lead singer(Steven) had a good voice, not emo or girly at all. They also had a really good drummer, noticeably good. Being that it was a small show, everyone got to talk to all the bands and they were cool guys. I got an interesting lesson in the Miami scene from their bassist, Eddie.

Following them was my favorite band on The Everlasting Sound Tour, The Material. Having seen them at my mom's house two days earlier (true story), they knew I was coming. Their lead singer Colleen was a little sick with sore throat as I saw her drinking hot tea all night before they went on. The Material still sounded good despite her sore throat and performed all their songs on their current self titled EP. This time around there were more people in attendance than there was at their show I caught in July. Several young ladies up front knew the words and were singing along. I think they all have girl crushes on Colleen.

Their set was great as always but short. That wasn't as big of a deal to me as them not performing their One Republic cover of Apologize. I can totally understand why they don't, as they probably don't want to be known as a "cover band". The thing is though, it is what got them many new fans from their performance on MTV2. It is on their myspace, so click on the link I set up to their myspace to check it out. I would love to hear The Material do it live one day. Other than that, I can't say anything bad about this band. I think they will have a breakout 2009.

After The Material was done, Blameshift (another band new to me) went on. All I knew of Blameshift was what Colleen (The Material) told me earlier, that they had a guy and girl lead singer. They also had that "power pop/pop punk" look, but they looked around my age (late 20s) so I was less skeptical about them. I know, that's very age-ist of me.

After checking their set out, I bought a Blameshift CD. Ok so I bought it before they went on as I was talked into it by lead singer, Jenny Mann. I also used that as an opportunity to take this picture. Blameshift was good live. I liked them. The whole tag team lead singer thing works for them and thier show is also very high energy. There were no annoying screams or nasaly voices. The Sirens Are Set was the song that stood out to me the most. Their set seemed to go pretty fast as all their songs are pretty uptempo. Anyone who likes this genre will love Blameshift. Even if you don't usually listen to this style, check them out anyway as they are worthy of your ear time. Don't be like me and let their look detur you from listening.


All in all, this was a good showcase of good up and coming bands. I once again ventured out of my usual realm of hip hop and hard rock. I also thing that had this tour come through Austin on a weekend, there would have been a better turnout. There was maybe 35 people at Stubb's that were not band members or crew. There was also members from local bands She Craves and one guy from The Riddlin Kids in the house. They were all there to see The Material, as was I originally. I leave you with a clip of the show, this one from And Then There Was You.

Hot 93.3 and Baby Bash at Antone's

Thursday night at Antone's, Austin's own hip hop radio station Hot 93.3 put on a concert showcasing some of their featured artists. You couldn't just buy tickets to this show, you could only win them on the radio. Thanks to my trusty Sidekick, I can text in to win faster than people with other types of cellphones. Anyway, so I won and I went. Truthfully, I was really only there for headliner Baby Bash and crossing my fingers Frankie J would make a guest appearance.

As I arrived at Antone's, one performer was just finishing up and radio Hot 93.3 personality Boogie was hosting the showcase. Shortly after he was done with his drunk speak, West Coast rapper extradonaire Lil' Rob came out. Lil' Rob is best known for his smash hit Summer Nights. Anyone who listens to hip hop radio in town knows of that song, as it was on every hour during its initial popularity. The crowd loved him and it was evident that he has lots of fans in Austin. People were singing along with him and Lil' Rob was loving it.

I have to admit I haven't much of a fan of this sort of Chicano, Lowrider style Hip Hip in long time. Not since Lighter Shade of Brown or Delinquent Habits have I really payed any attention to this niche market genre of hip hop, but Lil' Rob is alright. He holds it down live and I really enjoy the (strip) club jam Bring Out the Freak in You. His set was short, maybe just under 30 minutes. It was long enough to be good and short enough not for me to get bored. Check out this Lil' Rob clip here:


After Lil' Rob was finished with his set, Boogie came out with Houston rapper Rob G. He had a show with Pitbull the next day, so he must have showed up early to party. He didn't perform, but it was fine as I was wanting to see Baby Bash and go home after a fight broke out in between sets. It never fails. At every Hot 93.3 concert I have been to, there has been a fight break out. I just expect it now. It is not something that happens at other Hip Hop shows I go to, but then again those are shows for artists not on major Austin radio stations. Those shows are about the music and the true spririt of hip hop, not about being hard or fronting like you are. No worries, though, once the brawlers were kicked out it was back to the fun.

The crowd was at its largest for Baby Bash. As soon as he came out with his crew, the energy immediately went up and the party got started again. Baby I'm Back was the song he came out with, one of his popular hits and a personal favorite of mine. I was really hoping Frankie J would come out with him and perform as hey have a lot of songs together, but instead Paula DeAnda cam out and sang the Frankie J parts. I would have preferred Frankie J, but Paula actually did a good job holding it down for him. She could actually sing, something I didn't know. She was great on the Baby Bash and Frankie J collaboration Obsession (No Es Amor). Good for her.

Baby Bash came out with a crew of hypemen as he always does, the Stooie Bros. He came out with them last year at the Hot 93.3 Winter Meltdown. Usually, too many hypemen are annoying as they serve no real purpose, but Bash's crew dances with him and is always high energy. They also do a good job of not trying to take away attention from him. I don't know how many bad hip hip shows I have been to where the hypeman is trying to get all the attention. They get down crazy with Bash on his hits What Is It? and Cyclone. The only thing bad I can say was that the set was too short and the show eneded too early. Oh well, I am sure I will see him again soon. Bash isn't going anywhere. Ladies love him too much and the fellas respect him. Check him out here on this clip and check out what you missed: