5 days wasted

although I was invited to hang out. Some how the fact that I am NOT a rockstar, I do not sing in a band, play drums in a band, or play lead guitar, did not escape me. I seriously wanted to spend time with my friends from Chicago, but alas, work and family over rode the freelance will to go balls out. Instead I lived vicariously through the band Black4. For 5 glorious days of them recording in one of Austins newest studios (SkyAcre Labs - although I think The Spank Bank sounds cooler) and then watching them travel around Austin and enjoying our city. All while killing their livers...NICE!

To Bryan (Audrey), Brian, and Curtis...Thanks for making yourselves at home in Austin. We were happy you were here. Me personally, I can't wait to take my wife to Chicago and return the favor.

The Hole in the Wall (http://www.holeinthewallaustin.com/) on Guadalupe has been a mainstay and local college hang out in Austin, Texas for as long as I can remember. Punk, hip hop, rock...this place has seen it all. But alas, it seems it may have seen the end times as well. With developers doing their job to make a buck on the backs of the common man, it appears it may be going down for the count.

Located right where Dean Keeton dead ends into Guadalupe. If you miss it, it's cause you crashed into it. When you walk in the front door it opens to a small, dimly lit lounge are with a bar immediately on your right. Walking a little farther in you go past the bathrooms on your right, down some steps, and there you are by the stage. 

The stage is immediately on your right as you go down the steps and is located in the corner of the room. Housing a bar along the back wall in front of you and a pool table they have impossibly wedged in between the stage and the bar. There is an exit door to the back left, just in front of the bar that leads out to a very nice patio area.

Tonight was a list of 4 bands. With amazing tight set times, it kicked off just after 9:30 with Positive Disturbance (https://www.facebook.com/positivedisturbance). With their live hiphop stylings, Positive Disturbence was a nice, mellow way to open the evening. Easily in the top Five bands that has the balls to do hiphop with that jazzy type flair and do it live. The lyrics flowed well, the harmonies were dead on, and the lead guitar player was damn hot at what he was doing. It is impossible to not compare them to a couple of Austins great, live hiphop bands, and no doubt The GodFather of live hiphop music in Austin, MC Overlord, would be proud to share the stage with these cats. The place had a good crowd and all were grooving to the jams.

Hit By A Car hit the stage next (HA! - I made a funny). The one night only, reunion show, showed the ever growing crowed why this trio killed it back at the turn of the millennium. It was definitive, it was loud, and it was about as punk as it can be. Hit By A Car blasted through their set like there wasn't a stop sign in their way!

Black4 (http://black4band.com/) came all the way down from Chicago to have their sound permiate the every loving, ever living walls of The Hole In The Wall. In town to record some tracks for their upcoming album, Black4 used us as a practice mat for the musical assualt that is...well basically...Black4. This is how Rock-n- roll used to be and still should be. Not punk, not hardcore, not metal...just good old fashioned Rock and Roll.

This is what your daddy listened to and loved in the 70's and early 80's. Tight sound, but gritty and harsh. Shredding vocals that make you want to sing along at the top of your lungs, and lyrics you can hear and understand, amongst the kick you in your fucking balls sound! The crowd had swelled and it was fun watching folks throw their hands in the air.

SkyAcre (http://skyacremusic.com/) was the headliner. The hosts of the evening came out and did their thing well. The crowd was at capacity for this set. Blending the lines between that Black4 style of rock n roll I talked about and the Hit By A Car punk sound, SkyAcre is a smart blend. It was actually very cool watching those in the house break their necks to SkyAcre, and then smoothly drink a beer. The thing to watch out for with SkyAcre, is an amazing thing. How the hell does a 3 piece drop the big sound like these guys? Just watch'em!


Laters

Black is the new black

In the course of a year there are many things that can change. Even things that are the same can be different. For example, I saw the band Black4 at SXSW 2014 by accident. Getting to a show early to make sure we would be able to see a friends band. We got there early enough to witness this rock n roll genius and fun that is Black4.

I wrote that review (http://livemusicinaustin.blogspot.com/2014/04/piece-by-piece.html) and was lucky enough to be contacted by the band with gratitude (I don't do it for that, but it's damn nice). We had continual contact for the next year, joking around, and even helping them try to find some extra gigs for their upcoming return to SXSW for 2015 - to no avail, which is everyone else's loss.


Lucky for me and all who attended, Black4 got a return spot to perform at The Aquarium on Saturday for SXSW15. Even better is I happened to be downtown on the Thursday of SXSW15 at The Fader Fort. After some messaging back and forth and missing the mark, one of the guys in the band invited me to their rental spot to hang out for a bit. GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE! Hell Yes! I am not stupid, or maybe I am. I found their rental place off of Oltorf and Congress and walked around to the back where I heard laughing, clanking of glasses, and music blasting from a cell phone speaker.












There I was face to face with the members of Black4 and their entourage. It was a surreal and amazing moment. Meeting these guys casually was not just awesome enough, it was having the lead singer jump up out of his chair and giving my a huge hug and exclaiming to everyone, "Will Tompkins! HOLY SHIT! You ARE fucking real!" How funny that the internet brings people so close and into our lives, but it is only that moment you meet them face to face it is no longer virtual reality...it is reality.












I was, and am, so humbled having the opportunity to share some personal time with these guys. Share some drinks with them (Lonestar it was!), and even share meal (bbq it was). The words I write about my experiences at different venues seeing different bands I do for the love of Austin, and the hopes that some one out their reads a review and decides to see that band or go to that club. To be taken into the fold and treated like family was stunning. Some point in time I will probably write more about this evening.

Don't get me wrong, I hang out with lots of guys here in Austin, but it is always at shows. I can think of only one time I have been invited to someones home to hang out and drink (and man did I get FUUUUCCCKKKEDDDD UP - thanks to MC Overlord and the guys from Aimless Gun/Cody Bryan Band).

Back to the show, believe it or not, there is a performance review in here.

The Aquarium is located on 6th St, Austin, Texas. Right in the middle of the entertainment district. Just a few blocks off of Congress Ave. It is a long bar. As you walk in the door the stage is in the corner immediately to your right, and there is some seating to the left. Ahead of you is a long bar that runs the length of the right wall and in wall fish aquariums run the length of the left wall. In the back are the bathrooms and some stairs that take you to an upstairs area for hanging out as well. I don't think the stage is set up for night time musical performances because there was absolutely no stage lights...just a neon beer sign in the corner above the stage.

Doesn't matter. The band that was onstage before Black4 was GRABBER (https://www.facebook.com/grabberatx). By admission of their lead singer/guitar player, it was probably their 4th live performance. These guys were really good, with that hard Southern Hard Rock kind of sound. I really hate throwing out comparisons ('cause I know damn well this is not what you will hear, but I heard Molly Hatchet in their sound). They were loud, they were entertaining, and they were just damn good. I would not have a problem hanging out at a venue where these guys will be performing again.

Black4 (http://www.black4band.com) took the stage and proceeded to tear that place down. By the 3rd song the Aquarium was packed. There were people in there that seemed to show up for something else, were surprised at the energy and sound, then stayed for the whole performance. Yup! some folks weren't expecting this at the Aquarium on a Saturday night and left, too bad because Saturday night got slayed!



















With such a small stage the bass player and guitar player kept taking turns stepping off the stage and right into the crowd. The guitarist, Curtis, just kept is head down and commenced to punishing his guitar for the love of it. The bassist, Jason, now that was an entertaining and different sight. Being that he was on the corner of the stage next to the door, he would step off the stage and to the door, entertaining the hell out of the crowd outside.

All the while the drummer sat tucked in the corner killing it and flinging sweat everywhere. and there, There in front, Bryan, belted out the vocals in the most vicious and fun way. Smiling at the crowd like some kind of barker from a side show carnival, Bryan held no bones to entertain the crowd. Tales of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll between songs, and a wicked voice to carry them music right through your eardrums.

It is not just a pleasure meeting these guys, but a rockgasm watching and listening to their performance. I was lucky enough to catch one of the songs from that evenings performance, check it out here (https://youtu.be/CpV3_qv9meM).











Best wishes and healing speed to the guitarist Curtis, as I write this he is currently recovering from a motorcycle accident that left him hospitalized. He is on the mend and recovering, but best wishes to you Curtis!



































Laters

Whew!

2014 wrap up. I thought it was a quiet and slow year for Live Music In Austin, which looks to be slowly expanding to be Live Music In Texas....YAY!!! But I started to

review and here is what I found...

I saw 80 bands in total. 70 of them I have never seen before. The other 10 are bands that I will always make a point to go see and support here in Austin.

I wrote 42 blog posts. 33 of them were performance review based. The rest were multi part reviews, an album review, and a video post. Doesn't sound like much until you realize that is a show I am going to every 1.5 weeks!

Of all of my trekking around, 13 new venues were explored and talked about. Just a guitar string more than 1 per month.

So the best I can do (without getting crazy with hash tags and photos) is just a few photos from '14. In no particular order or reason, randomness. I will see you in 2015!

Laters

Piece by piece

I am gonna post my spring break, musical experiences from Austin Texas piece by piece. First one I have to drop is from Fri. the 14th of March, my birthday! We did a couple of different events. First was at The Nook Amphitheater (?) on 6th St. Then we hustled down to 'Rock the Lot' at the parking lot of the Austin American Statesman.

First time at The Nook (https://www.facebook.com/nookamphitheater) and let me say amphitheater in the loosest sense of the word. Don't let that stop you or bother you, with three different levels to hang out at and still watch the band, that is pretty damn cool. Plenty of bars for your drinking needs and quick service make it nice to hang out in. The entry is somewhat of a cat walk. As you walk in and look down you see the sub level, with a nice size stage against the entrance wall, it's back to 6th St. If you remain on the street level and go back, it opens into a very nice area, with stairs leading up to the open, second story. The whole set up is basically the gutted out remains of an old beloved music venue. The walls are the buildings next door and effectively there is no roof, just open to the world.

During the fun week of music that falls during Spring Break in March we made the journey here to see an old friends band and got the surprise of the week.

Black4 (https://www.facebook.com/black4band) is a group of 4 guys from Chicago, Ill. With only a five day notice, they packed up their gear, and lucky for us, we caught them on their last day in Austin...and my life will never be the same. Without any question or hesitation, this was the most stunning, exciting, and best set I saw, not only this year, but probably in the last several years!

Showing up early to wait for our friends to take the stage (I will talk about that performance below) was unquestionably worth it. Black4 is what rock and roll used to be, and apparently still is in the hearts and souls of these 4. The live stage set was energetic, fun, and just down and dirty-in you face, BAD ASS! Not only can you feel the fun these guys were having onstage with their music, you felt the music rumbling your bones. The crowd was definitely taking notice here.





....I also don't normally review albums...It is called Live Music In Austin ya know. But lucky me to get a copy of Black4's album 'Tales of Cuatro Negro'. This is where you will undoubtedly hear and feel what I described about the live performance. I don't always like to use descriptions of what I think a band sounds like ('cause it it may not be what you hear, but I am gonna do that now). I want you to know what I felt and am talking about in their live performance and on the CD.

It has the bottom heavy, bass guitar- bass drum infused sound of Clutch with the vocals to match. The harmonies in the chorus very much like Black Sabbath of old (LOL harmonies...Black Sabbath...hehehe I am funny). And some punk/hard core infused lead guitar riffs and snare drum like any number of punk bands out there (real punk - World Burns to Death, Disclose, The Ramones...PUNK music! The perfect birth and rebirth of what Rock music needs today, used to be, and still lives in Black4!

Then our beautiful friend Ansley Hughes, with Super Water Sympathy (http://superwatersympathy.com),  took the stage. WOW! A slightly different band arrangement. New drummer and bass player, but all good! Ansley apparently is in awe of the drumming prowess of their newest member Hali, telling me "She's the best! I love her energy and her dedication. I am so happy she is with us!"


Apparently regaining their strength, the crowd pushed forward for an amazing and electric set from SWS. The music was amazingly powerful, haunting, exciting, and slightly darker than their previous stuff, and it was all new music! Super Water Sympathy blasted through their set and I don't think anybody at the Nook took a breathe until Ansley finished. The most passionate set, albeit it was abbreviated, that I have seen to date from SWS. As I looked around in the crowd, there was no doubt the performance of SWS, did it to everyone. Even my new found friends in Black4 were overheard commenting about the performance.

Sorry you missed it, glad you are reading about it.

Laters