Jessicka, Rickey Lime and Christian Hejnal contemplate the fields of scarecrow stuffing behind them in honor of their upcoming album, So Long, Scarecrow Scarling.—among scant other bands and scant other people—possess an uncanny ability to soothe a constant fear I have that I am utterly alone on this globe among a sea of yabbering people.
For those who have had the opportunity to attend any live shows at Kilby Court know that it can sometimes lead to an odd assembly of strangers with one common intent: to experience their favorite artist’s music in an intimate atmosphere. … read more
I was caught off guard the night of Feb. 10 by some sort of speedy Swedish gear-switching that left me still in the bar with half a tall glass of Pabst in my hand when the Backyard Babies from Stockholm took the stage at In the Venue and struck their first notes in support of Social Distortion. … read more
Lucky for me, I stumbled into a bowl of pure organic octane. As fate should have it, my reason for being at the lounge was unable to perform that evening due to an illness. Allured by the mere mention of “Shack” and “Shaker,” I was curious about the roots of the headliner that evening. … read more
The last night of SXSW, on Saturday, Angela and I went to see a Bill Kirchen show with Bad Brad at this cool wooden cafe on the other side of the bridge from downtown Austin. … read more
I was having one of those days where I felt like hurting myself for no reason. I was irritable, lonely and in need of violence, whether emotional or psychological. Not that I’m usually violent or anything, but it happens, you know? Therefore, a night of mellow and/or cute bands at Kilby Court was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had agreed to review the show and I wasn’t gonna wuss out. … read more
So I was parked in front of Port O’ Call around 10 p.m., playing Tetris on my crappy phone and listening to the divine sounds of Television on Local Imposters when two dudes got into my cab, disturbing my happy little microcosm. They were extremely well dressed, extremely rich and extremely handsome. Oh yeah, and
My buddy Scott, my girlfriend and I sauntered into the safety of the crowd as Dios Malos was finishing up their set but concluded that a beeline to the bar and cheap well drinks were far more in order than standing and watching a band that wasn’t rocking that hard anyway. … read more
Billed as a Utah Cobras’ Super Cement Jam, it was the premiere BMX event thus far this year. (OK; the only one in Utah.) There was an amateur and pro-class, with a Hot Mom Contest between heats. The entire contest was run in a jam format with five riders per heat. The Top 10 in each class went to the finals. … read more
Being labeled “the best” of just about anything is as much a curse as it is a blessing. So when a reckless journalist labeled Bloc Party the best new band in the UK, they might as well have thrown in a first-aid kit for all the bruising that the band had waiting for them. It’s hard to see past all the hyperbole and look for potential, even when you consider yourself a sympathetic fan. … read more
