I think I was amused

So what is currently happening around town is the battle of the bands for the Bmused III Festival that runs concurrent to SXSW. This particular night at the Dirty Dog was round two.

The Dirty Dog ( http://dirtydogbar.com/ ) is another of my many favorites. A great place to go have some drinks, watch some sports on one of their MANY TVs, and/or listen to some bands. There have been many performances here, from all sorts of genres of music, and this night was no exception.

Boys On the Inside ( http://www.myspace.com/ryankelsey06 ) was first up and without the drummer in tow (apparently ABI claimed another luggage victim, HA!). So sans the drummer the duo preformed a very nice set. Some covers mixed in with the originals was enough to have some in the light audience singing along. Would be nice to actually attend a performance with the full band, but on the whole, it was still an entertaining performance.

 

Jansen Hawkins ( http://www.facebook.com/jansenhawkins ) may not be the name of the band that was up next, but this is who was onstage. With a guitar and a cello, myself and a friend, were decidedly perplexed at how this would sound or turn out. Very singer songwriter style, a Sunday afternoon out in the backyard with a glass of wine on a beautiful fall day. What totally and without question BLEW me away was the cellist (sp?). This guy had an amazing ear and was able to rock the cello so good it went beyond bad ass to almost jaw dropping. What a very fun performance.

Destruction Evolution ( http://www.destructionevolution.com/home.html ) were standing around all night gnashing their teeth and pacing the floor, anxious to jump up and take the night to a new level! With a larger crowd in attendance, they started it hard and fast and ended it hard and fast. It was fucking relentless!  Although it was the first time I have seen these guys perform (after a previously missed opportunity) I am glad I took advantage of this one. The sound felt familiar, but still fresh and fun. Speaking of fun, the lead singer 'Sin', did an awesome job of running the show. There he is onstage and I swear to you the moment I blinked or looked away, he was off the stage and roaming through the crowd. He did this several times and I swear it surprised me each time. I would look up and there he was right next to someone in the audience screaming into the mic and leaning on them like they were lifelong pals. What a great showman. I will let you in on their next appearance and I hope to see you there!

Don't quite remember the name of the band that hit the stage last, but they had all the energy of rabbits jacked up on Red Bull. These kids were ALL OVER THE place.

Laters