tea leaf green (3.12.10 @ stubb’s), focus group (3.13.10 @ east siiide, ATX) & perfect pants (3.13.10 @ the belmont)
at
the disco biscuits @ stubb’s, austin - interview 9.19.09
my interview with the disco biscuits before & after their show at stubb’s - magner in the port-a-pottie, allen sticking by the rails, marc in the bus and barber bouncing around after the show…check it out! and if you missed the show, roxwel has it available for live streaming: set I and set II.
Top 10 Live Performances of 2009
…That I Saw
1. Phoenix @ La Zona Rosa, 12.17.09 – This is most definitely “the show of the year” for me. I just can’t stop gushing about and crushing on these talented and humble musicians that make up Phoenix, hailing from France. I got to meet them before this show too, which was pretty cool.
2. The Disco Biscuits @ Crystal Bay Club, 4.4.09 – My favorite band playing my favorite venue in Tahoe (where I used to live for a couple ski seasons) that’s not only super intimate but is also a casino. What’s not to like about that? Oh yeah, and they encored with the song I was dying to hear that night. Perfect.
3. The Black Angels @ The Mohawk, 10.30.09 – I really can’t get enough of these local Austinites, and since no one else can either – evident from their constant national and international touring – I don’t get to see them all that much, unfortunately. But this show was a blast. If drony, psychedelic rock peaks your interest, check ‘em out!
4. Ghostland Observatory @ ACL Music Festival, 10.3.09 – Having been in Austin for two solid years now, I somehow did not see Ghostland until ACL ’09. After nearly a full day of rain, the gloom lifted right before this show. The energy was just flat-out amazing, as was the light show.
5. Nico Vega @ Emo’s, 5.13.09 – Aja Volkman has the most commanding stage presence of any female I’ve ever seen perform. Explosive live performance, soulful vocals…just can’t get enough of her.
6. The Disco Biscuits @ Stubb’s, 9.19.09 – My interview with the band that began in a port-a-pottie and ended right after the show is probably what made this night so special…and bizarre. Of course, the fact that they killed it doesn’t hurt either.
7. K’naan @ ACL Music Festival, 10.2.09 – I was surprised by several ACL performers, but this was the surprise highlight of ACL for me. Having been completely unfamiliar with K’naan, I had the luck to happen upon this show and found his lyrics to be powerful and his background awe-inspiring.
8. Lotus @ Ace’s Lounge (post ACL), 10.3.09 – This show was after my favorite day of ACL, which also happened to be the rainy one, and I definitely dried out at this show and then immediately worked up a sweat from all the dancing. They had to shut down early (at about 3:15am versus 4), but the band did some crowd-surfing, and I scored the setlist.
9. SOJA @ Flamingo Cantina, 10.14.09 – Another surprise here. I really had no idea who these kids were but was feeling up for a Wednesday night reggae show at one of the chilliest venues in Austin. Good thing because it was irie, mon.
10. Eyedea & Abilities @ Habana, SXSW, 3.19.09 – Two white dudes from Minnesota aren’t what come to my mind when I think of hip-hop, at least until I saw these guys. Think slam poetry combined with some sick nasty beats, and you get Eyedea & Abilities.
I’ve got 6 videos in my Top 10 playlist since the bands I typically like don’t really do the whole music video thing.
