On one of my many trips through downtown Austin I have never stopped in to check out Beerland (http://www.beerlandtexas.com/), this time i did. Although there have been plenty of shows there and I have seen many friends attend events there, I simply had not stopped in.
Beerland is located in the entertainment district of down town Austin, TX. On the corner of Red River and 7th St, surrounded by a tiny little, black, wrought iron fence, Beerland is very unassuming outside. A small patio area for smokers and those wanting to step out of the club in between bands. You enter the door and immediately head down to what feels and looks like a basement level club. The bar is to your left as you enter and to the back left corner are the bathrooms. Dead ahead of you is the small stage with the giant BEERLAND logo on the back wall. This is the epitome of that garage/basement style club. That dark, low slung ceilinged club adds to the vibe and style of music.
Pulling up a quick seat at the bar My wife, her friend, and myself take in the scene. Apparently this evenings entry got you into Beerland and the club next door for two stages of fun and constant music.
While the ladies started on some adult beverages I hopped next door to quickly catch Lions and Tigers (https://www.facebook.com/LionsTigersTX/) onstage. What a great band and surprise. Lions and Tigers are from Austin, TX so you will be able to catch them around town after reading this post. It was a very good set of music. Currently promoting their new EP, Lions and Tigers had an energy filled set with great vocals and guitar work. I believe this evening included a loan in guitarist doing lead while the lead singer did rhythm and some solo work. Although it was an energy filled set it was not an overly energetic type of sound that made the crowd go nuts. Easy enough to move around and see all of the upturned faces watching the band and absorbing their vibe and brand of pop/punk music. Lions and Tigers are definitely on my list to share with you again and hopefully run into again around town to get a bigger, better feel for what they can do.
Back to Beerland, although this was not the band I was there to see and shoot, Forever Starts Today (https://www.foreverstartstoday.net/home) was taking the stage. My shock, thrill, and excitement just couldn't be contained. I saw this group a year or so ago at another venue and here is a shining example of my love for the Austin music scene. I was thoroughly impressed when I saw them the first time realizing they were packed full of potential. With the lead vocals and charisma of Christina Murphy, to the amazing guitar work and enthusiastic bass player, Forever Starts Today is positioning themselves, in Austin, to make that leap into the national spotlight. This performance didn't let down either. Having to throw some elbows to keep my spot down in front of the stage and snapping photos, was only intensified with leaving the font of the stage, stepping back and taking in their performance with the rest of the crowd screaming and singing along. Enjoying it to the extent of making sure I got a CD prior to the bands departure at the urging of my wife. (now to just get a signed tour poster for the wall at Tom-Cruz Studios would be very cool!) Leaving that performance with my wife exclaiming how much she loved Forever Starts Today and enjoyed Christina's voice, pretty much sealed the deal to take my wife to another performance next chance we get. You should too!
If that wasn't enough for the couple of performances I just took in, then how about Thieves (http://thievestx.com/) coming in to steal the rest of the night - SORRY, I had to do it!
At the urging (and ultimately the arrangement) to take in this evenings performance, a neighbor to Tom-Cruz Studios bragged about this band as his cousin was the bass player. Well... he didn't need to brag. The performance of Thieves stood on its own. Had I been lucky enough to purposefully see my friends in the previous band and hang out to see Thieves would have been an epic coup. Instead it was wonderful coincidence to catch my friends opening for Thieves. The performance was polished and searing. With their VERY familiar brand of Pop/punk alternative rock, Thieves is on par with, and better than, many you hear on the radio today. As for the performance, getting to the stage and stealing the few shots I got from Thieves before being pummeled by an enthusiastic crowd is one thing. The proof of how much these guys are loved was in their performance and was enjoyed more when I couldn't even make it to my seat. The crowd was jumping and screaming through the entire set.
Meeting the bass player after the show was nice. Telling him how much I enjoyed the show and like their sound was great. Even better was to tell him my daughter will be thrilled to see them the next time Thieves does another show here in Austin. He grinned, and as I took a disc he told me "You should give that to your daughter!" uhhm...NO! Daddy's keeping this one for himself. She can get her own when I take her to see Thieves live for herself. See you there!Laters
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