Just about now, every year, when we are amidst of our 2nd or 3rd cold blast, I start to get the itch. Got my early bitd tickets to Old Settlers Music Festival. But that doesn’t suffice. I need that “Old-Timey Sound.”  Bluegrass and nothing else will do.  Essentially this is the DEL MCCOURY BAND WITHOUT DEL. On stage are: Ron McCoury on mandolin, Rob McCoury on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle, and Alan Bartram on bass , with featured guests on guitar and vocals, is the latest incarnation of the most awarded band in the history of bluegrass -The Del McCoury Band. “Known for their individual prowess on their instruments and their rapidly expanding reputation as collaborators with the members of numerous musical icons from Vince Gill to the Allman Brothers, The Lee Boys and Phish, this touring unit blends the best of the Appalachian tradition with the improvisational magic of jazz. Unique live collaborations are the hallmark of their performances, and demonstrates why people across the country hail them as the best bluegrass band in the world.”  I have seen these boys play many times with and without Del and am  always blown away by  the McCourys generational representation on stage.The McCourys name will surely live on in music for years. Seeing this gig at One World was awesome, up close and intimate.. Only problem; nobody  was dancing until I  closed my eyes.
(THANK YOU K.F. FOR  THE PICTURES.)

My picks from the Austin Film Festival are four strong. I saw more but I liked these the best.
Three of which are gonna be Oscar contenders( or should be).
“The Road, The Messenger and Precious…..” all blew me away.
Now, the way I do this festival is to not do any research on the premise or the stories of the films. Sometimes I am tipped off by the buzz, sometimes not. And yes, sometimes I win and sometimes I see some bad stuff, but I never have any expectations. Surprise of greatness is an awesome experience in film watching.
First was “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.” This screened to a sold out Paramount audience. There is truly no better way  to screen a film. I don’t believe there was a dry eye in the house when the credits rolled. God, it was brutal. This girl’s life was so sad and harsh but there was love that climbed out from the darkness. Truly inspiring. The writing and the cast were so tight that I felt like I was watching a documentary more than once. You will hear more about this in weeks to come
“Pocket Full of Soul” did it for me. It was a documentary on the harmonica. It was music to my ears. I learned more about a subject that I know a “little” about.Man I wish I could play that thing. I do love that sound.
Next up was“The Messenger.” The buzz about this was huge. It was co-written and directed by the screenwriter of “I’m Not There,”  the Bob Dylan film. It starred Woody Harrelson and  Ben Foster as” death notice officers” for the Army. The folks that deliver the bad news. Both of these guys were great.  Ben Foster just shined. I’m gonna say best actor but who knows we have a few months. The pace was slow. The acting was the gift here.
“The Road” played to a full house at the Paramount.I liked this the best. It was bleak but very fine tuned. I found out that night that it  was from  a novel. Post apocalyptic wandering father and son, Viggo Mortenson and Kodi Smit Mcphee dodge cannabals and search for food on the never ending path to a  warmer place. I normally avoid films with kids as main actors, expecially these type of films.  I had no problem here. Everything worked. This was well done .   This film is sure to garner some awards. Bring a sweater when you see this one.

That was my Austin Film Fest 09 see yall next …………………….

Hello Darlings….
Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 is off to an absolutely fantastic, funtastic start.
With seemingly more people than ever this year, this growing festival is still a great experience, still with plenty of room and without people fighting for their turf up front.

After catching early shows from Sugar and Gold and the mega-funky Foot Patrol (music for those with a foot fetish), I caught Shonen Knife’s set. This all female trio from Osaka, Japan showed us what women can do with guitars and choreographed stage moves. They wowed an exuberant crowd with their poppy songs and eye-popping fluorescent dresses.

I next heard Vega, a disco rock dance that put on an exciting performance with their combination of synthesizer, bass and drums. Keep your ears out for this outfit in the future.

Then came the highlight of the day for many, including me – The Sword. Playing with purpose and enthusiasm, they blew away the audience with their combination of killer tone and incredible riffs. It got me to thinking that great riffs are one of the things that are sadly lacking from rock n roll today. Thanks to The Sword for bringing them back!

Athens, Georgia’s Dead Confederate rocked me with their reverb and delay drenched sounds. Their dynamic music was both atmospheric and driving, and the members were completely absorbed in their performance, drawing you in along with them.

The much anticipated group Death started their set as night began fall, and were mightily impressive. They were nearly unheard of before their recently discovered 1974 demo was found in an attic and released by Drag City records. Proving themselves way, way, way ahead of their time, this Detroit trio played garage rock that would have sounded progressive even if it had been written ten years later.

Day 2 of Fun Fun Fun Fest promises to deliver many more thrills. Be sure to stop by Waterloo Park and catch it if you can. My picks for the day include Street Dogs, Lucero and Mission of Burma. Look out for me at those stages Darlings, and keep an eye on the Daze website for photos, interviews and more reviews.

I do love me these guys. I have been a fan and friends with the Hairy Apes BMX  for many years. These guys rarely play as Hairy Apes BMX anymore. When they do, my butt is there. Because of my bad timing call for T-bird & Breaks, we arrived before the scheduled start time. Way too early. So, I checked out some old Clifford pictures. I don’t know what my photographer got into. Now, the Apes have some die hard fans, like me, that will brave distances and elements to get that beat fix. I saw some faces that I haven’t seen since the last Apes show. We caught up and solved mysteries. The mystery of the early ending gig we saw on Fridaze night was solved. The Mohawk’s outdoor stage is outdoors. The sound ordinance shows its fangs again.
They began.    Mike started in on that beat that just sucks you in. JJ’s bass riffs keep you there. They went through the standards and I filled my veins.  Oh baby! Then some guy named Topaz joined in on sax and hand held  drum. This group of  three; a drumer, a bass/vocals and xylophone/percussion/vocals is really tight. A perfect ensemble, if you will. And yet this Topaz managed to find a way in and hold his own. Cool to see. They played through much of my favorites. I need that fix often. God, I hope I find  that bootleg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See you next time. Photos shot   by   Kyle Woods

The timing  was off. I purposely sought a late arrival. Maybe because it is hot, because I have been hanging out with musicians or maybe because of faulty logic, I ignored the scheduled start time and figured they would go on later. A blend of all three sounds good. Lesson learned.  Ok. I’m gonna start this blog. I will  write about going out and about. I will bring a photographer when I can. Read the rest of this entry »