What the World is Watching

Wow I haven't posted anything in a while

sorry bout that folks

but this one should more than make up for it

hope you don't have to go anywhere soon

so, for those of you that aren't in the know, this past week and a half was a little thing called "South by South West"

it's a film, music and interactive (tech) festival here in Austin, TX

the biggest portion of this thing is the music side

all of the world it seems like, gathers here in the Capitol city

the amount of bands that play here is beyond ridiculous

just to give you an idead this is a tiny fragment of the bands that played:

A-Trak,Abigail Washburn,Above All,AC and DELL,Aceyalone,Acrylics,Adai,Adam & Alma,Adam,Arcuragi & The Lupine Chorale Society,Adanowsky,Adebisi Shank,Admiral Fallow,Adrian Lux,Adrian Younge Sound Orchestra,Adventure,Afrojack,Agalloch,Agent Ribbons,AgesandAges,Agnes Obel,The Airborne Toxic Event,Aislyn,Akina Adderley & The Vintage Playboys,Albert,The Albertans,Alcoholic Faith Mission,Alessi's Ark,Alex Highton,Alex Khoury,Alex Koll,Alex Skolnick Trio,Alex Winston,Alexander,Alexis Foxe,All Tiny Creatures,Allie Moss,Allstar Tribute Jam for Gary Claxton,The Almost,Alpha Consumer,Alpha Rev,ALTAAR,AM & Shawn Lee,Amanda Shires,The Ambassador,Amber Asylum,Amber Digby & Midnight Flyer,Amen Dunes,American Fangs,American Music Club,American Scarecrows,The American Secrets,The Amity Affliction,Amplified Heat,Amusement Parks on Fire,Amy LaVere,Amy Schumer,Amy Speace,An Horse,An-Ten-Nae,Analog Rebellion,Anamanaguchi,Ancient Astronauts,Ancient VVisdom,And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead,Andrew Allen,Andrew Belle,Andrew Nafziger,Andreya Triana,Andy Clockwise,Andy Grammer,Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys of OMD,Andy Pratt,Anika (DJ Set),Animals as Leaders,Anna Nalick,ANR,The Answering Machine,The Antlers,Antonia Bennett,The Apache Relay,Apex Manor,Aphasia,Apollo 18,The Appleseed Cast,AraabMUZIK,Arabrot,Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti,Arms,Army Navy,Arson Anthem,Art vs Science,Artifacts,Asher Roth & Nottz,Asking Alexandria,Asobi Seksu,Astronautalis,Asura and Anenon,The Atlas Moth,Atomic Tom,Augustana,Austin Hartley-Leonard,Austra,Automatic Loveletter,The Autumn Defense,Ava Luna,Awesome Tapes from Africa,AWOLNATION,Azealia Banks

these are just the bands that start with A

the point of me posting that is to give you an idea how these bands take over the city

every corner is a venue

and the whole city is an audience

this year was the first time I participated in it


it's all due to my brother in arms, the Swagger

Swagger blew into town a few days before the music fest begain

we kicked it off by hanging out on the east side

we hit up one of my favorite dives

after hours we came across a tailer park with food vendors

we befriended a few cool cats from the UK

they had set up a dart booth, carnival style

we hung with them and they took a liking to us

here's a clip from BVTV:

UK cool cats from Big V TV on Vimeo.

now the music fest starts

and now enter the Pure Voulume House

Swagger made nice with the people that run this place early on in the week

this place was a VIP stop during the fest

it was also an afterhours party that served until 5 am

and all the booze was free

I first went on Sun and Tuesday

man, these poor people that were drinking for free for hours didn't stand a chance in there

they were walking around like zombies

they would walk right up to me

stare at me

then turn and walk away like zombies

I can't tell you how many told me they have no idea where they were

I took it easy those two days

I was just people watching

at one point I was outside waiting for Swagger to come out

I saw a guy come out

his head looked like it was leading the way

but he started to lean a little too much with his head and he was picking up too much momentum

he was heading right toward a tree

his buddy grabbed his arm at the last second making one of the greatest saves I've ever seen

another guy came out

sat right at my feet and tried to text

then he noticed he was bleeding

he looked around his body and it might not have been his blood

but it freaked him out and got up to leave

when he tried to put his phone in his pocket, he missed and his phone hit the pavement and exploded

he picked up the pieces and took off down the street

drunk, bleeding, alone, and phoneless

good luck buddy

meanwhile I'm still outside waiting for Swagger

the police show up and shut the joint down

we call it a night and go home to pass out

the next day I get a message that my old co-worker Byrd is in town

now I hadn't seen Byrd in a couple of years but we would shoot the shit at work and he's been to a few get togethers at the den

and as a true sign of the times, we've kept in touch online chatting here and there

and he's read a blog or two I've posted

so we meet up with Swagger and hit up a bar

we catch up , then Swagger wants to take us to Pure Volume

hey free all you can drink Vodka

yeah sign us up

Swagger works his magic and we all get in

Byrd and I start talking to the peeps in the building

we witness a man get exchanged for cocaine

I got my hands on an artist wristband

and Byrd and I have some fun with that

we might have talked a girl and her friends to go to MOMO's on thursday to see us play

we told her we'd put her on the guest list

at 2 AM we get kicked out

we hit up 6th street and Byrd does the high five challenge

a rapper gives us a couple of CD's which we sold one for two bucks

Byrd keeps a buck and gives me the other

that might have been the fairest thing I've ever witnessed

we meet more people and eventually head to my place

we shoot an interview for BVTV and then pass out

the next day I had to work until midnight

I didn't get to meet up with Byrd till around 1am

now normally that would have been the end to the night

but we met up with Swagg again at Pure Volume where an after hours party was just kicking off

we were all waiting at the side entrance to be let in

Swagger told me and Byrd to stay close to him

we get split up when a security guard with flashlight in hand yells "EVERYBODY GET BACK!"

Byrd mention that it was a Titanic moment

we were not getting on one of those boats

Swagger sees he lost me and Byrd so he gets us and takes us to a back door that no one knows exists

his buddy Austin shows up to tell the guard to let Swagg and his peeps in

we get in through a VIP section to a VIP party and it's after 2am

Moby is on stage performing a secret show for these few lucky ones

here's a clip:

Moby after party from Big V TV on Vimeo.

Byrd and I are people watching and Byrd has an idea

he asks," how many strangers do you think would let me take pictures with them?"

I loved it, Byrd was thinking my way here

so we go around and get random pics

and get served and drink till 5am

Byrd said,"this doesn't happen in the U.S."

"London but not the U.S."

that made me proud

after the place gets shut down we go out and take Byrd's pics

Byrd I borrowed these from you:

Me, Byrd, and my moustache took a pictue

Big V's accountants

These hobos may or may not offered us a hobo joint that we may or may not have partaken in

Byrd and family west

notice in that last one I'm throwing the "Wolfpack" sign and not the "Hook em " one

ha ha NWO 4 Life

so again Byrd and I drive home exahusted and drunk

but not before we talked an insane man from going to jail

at least in our pressence

but we get to the house and before passing out the last thing I remember is Byrd saying, "hey, today's St Patricks day."

which brings me to St Patty's day

I got to spend it with my Brother

we went to see the Strokes at Auditorium Shores

good show

they even had a free fireworks show

I went to get a strawberry daiquiri in a yard

but they were sold out of that size

the lady told me she can add wine to the already alchoholic daiquiri

man that drink packed a punch

or maybye I wasn't fully recovered

either way the music and fireworks were making me emotionals

later at a bar on the East side my brother is buying the rounds

when he closes his tab he comes back over to us and said his card didn't go through

somehow his direct deposit didn't go through yet

so we're all broke and wondering how to get his card back

so I look at the artist wristband I'm wearing

so I tell them I'm gonna sell it

so I go up to a group of people and tell them the situation

I only want what we need to clear the tab

I get an offer and I take it

we pay and get the hell out of dodge

then the bartender comes running out with the cash saying the lady ran it twice and it locked up the computer

but it went through eventually

oh well I had used that wristband only once

and that was to tell people a lie about the band I was in with Byrd

the next day Sharpie calls me up and says he has the day off

and he says it would be a shame if we didn't go downtown and take a look at the festival

I agreed and we made it a Jack Daniels kinda of day

in the afternoon

Sharpie and I drank Jack Daniels all god damn day

and walked around and saw show after show

Sharpie wanted to go to the Elephant room

but we had to leave because he started to freak out

that place is a little claustrophobic

and the jazz was terrible

two things that will make Sharpie freak out apparently

I had heard that Lovely and Nae and Jay were in town

I got Kate the great to find out where they were

we found them and I asked them, "Who the hell do you think you are, to come into MY town and not call?"

they gave me an excuse and I told them to " get outta here, now come on I'll buy you guys a round."

so we went into a bar and I bought everyone a round

Sharpie was not too excited about that surprise

he hadn't seen them in years

but he was polite to them

they left and Sharpie and I met some cool people sitting at a table

we joined the party and took it to another level

shots, farts, laughs, mental pictures, rounds

it was good times

I got yet another nick name- "Dakota"

don't ask

later we met up with Swagger

he told me about a couple that were being snooty to him

later I got introduced to the lady in the snooty couple equation and I refused to shake her hand

and I told her why

Swagger is a class act and my brother

so Fuck you very much lady

she was um, not happy

I burst into the john that Swagger was pissing in and told him that story

h ah ha good times

Swag pulled a disappearing act with my blessing

I gave him a head start and stalled the ladies

then told them, "he's gone ladies"

we met up with him at Pure Volume again and drank their Vodka

till 5 am again

at the end of the night I was peddling a paddy cab with a passed out Sharpie next to the cabbie enjoying the ride

the next night I get a call from Kate the Great

her and the Gentleman were on their way

I was already downtown with my Brother and we met there

they had been drinking all the way up to Austin and when they got to me they were wasted

we went downtown and took in the sites

then there was a "party" in my brother's car

the elevator ride back down to the street was party in itself

take a look:

Elevator ride...next stop...fun from Big V TV on Vimeo.

we make it back to my place and Sharpie joins us

quick fun fact about that night

I was hanging out with, Rube, Erick, Kate, Sharpie, and Gentleman

I have lived with all of these people at one point in my life

great reunion

we drank and laughed and had a blast

Sharpie and I went outside so Gent and Kate could get some sleep

we were outside when the sun came up

if were were Vampires we would've commited suicide

Kate and Gent get up in the morning and get ready to leave

they come back in and Kate asks," where did you guys move my car?"
she got towed

so now instead of Gent being a little late and Kate spending just a little bit of money

she now has to go get her car

out of all this crap, Kate's car was the only one that went to jail

so we drive her to get it and her and Gent drive off

probably vowing never to come back

ha ha I don't blame her

now I'm in recovery mode

and I think I'm just about caught up on the sleep I lost

hope you enjoyed all this