Coherent Ramblings.

Post Sx In Review…

So as most of you can tell, I made it home for a quick trip to Tejas. It was a real whirlwind. Flew in late last Friday night to Dallas to hang with the family for two days, then headed to Austin to catch about 2.5 days of the festival.

I know I’ve been neglectful these past few months with Tumblr, but hey - I’m in grad school, what can I say? I can tell you that I completed more work that I ever have in my life taking 17 graduate-level hours of class in 2.5 months.  I’m already knee deep in the first day of my third module and officially half-way through the program now!  I already have a case analysis paper due on my first day of class tomorrow and about 120 pages of reading tonight, so I’ll keep this short.

Band Highlights: Youth Lagoon. Let me say it again - Youth Lagoon. Best set I saw. Other notable highlights: Nite Jewel - caught her at the Fader Fort (aka the douche castle) and really loved her. Dan Deacon was crazy. His banter with the crowd was pretty hilarious in itself.  Miike Snow - been wanting to see them for awhile.

Bands in the middle: Teengirl Fantasy, Fanfarlo (glad I saw them, just not my style)

Mleh Bands: M. Ward (BOR-ING), War on Drugs (ok, but after all the hype, I expected more), Kasabian (not into it)

The Thing that I am Still Losing my Mind Over: At the closing interactive party at Stubb’s, a company paid for an open bar for 2,000 people all. night. long. I can assure you, these are not people who have one glass of wine and leave (I, myself, plowed through 4-5 Stella’s and 3 Casadores on ice).  I used to work at Stubb’s many years ago and that is a *stupid* amount of money to throw around, for the same brand equity they could get just sponsoring the party with the name on the flyer.  I talk more about this at the end.

Regrets: Losing steam and going home on Thursday at 1am, only to miss Niki and the Dove (for the second year in a row) and more regrettably, VHS or Beta - whose new album really kicks some ass. Not running into Anthony Bourdain as he canvassed our fair city.  I need someone to introduce me so I can be his production assistant/concubine. 

Sadz: Not seeing Leslie downtown. Poured some Lone Star out for him. Lost my personal taco challenge with myself - I wanted to eat 25 tacos in 2.5 days and I only got to 13 or 14 I think. Major Fail. I hold onto the fact that I only had two meals that were not tacos the entire time and only because they weren’t on the menu. Believe me, I asked.  I also missed a handful of people I was trying to see and didn’t get to spend enough time with my pup because sadly, it’s not sx + your pet.

Happys: Saw a bunch of random people I didn’t plan on seeing. That is what I love about the Austin music scene.

Perplexed: I’ve been going to sx for something like 10 years now and in the last three years especially, I’ve noticed a major shift in the crowds.  All of the sudden, consumer marketers have realized it’s the ‘place to be’ for a specific demographic, and are flooding it with ten-foot tall free stages and huge acts that frankly, belong at some other festival (*ahem* the Doritos 10-story vending machine thing with Snoop Dogg).  With all the free beer and mainstream acts, it’s become a spring break destination of sorts and with that - comes alot of douchey ‘jersey shore’-type crowds.

I don’t know why sx allows this when it’s directly contrary to what the festival is about, but I’m sure the city has a hand in it as well, as money talks.  Either way, the city infrastructure is buckling under the extreme growth and craziness (i.e. I have friends who walked miles home to their place at 3am because there was simply not a cab to be found anywhere).  I wonder how much bigger and crazier it can get and what kind of changes the city and the festival can make to ensure a better experience for all involved?

Takeaways: I think I said this last Christmas, but I’ll say it again - I sure miss Austin alot more than I thought I would. I’ve traveled all over the world, and I still love you the most.