Dia de los Muertos Austin 2013

for the Easter Seals Central Texas (http://centraltx.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=TXCA_homepage)

I had the fantastic opportunity to join a few thousand other folks on a beautiful Saturday for the 1st Annual Dia de los Muertos festival at Fiesta Gardens in downtown Austin, Texas. The beautiful grounds to walk around on, moving from the Fiesta Garden stage across the bridge to the Festival stage. Everything was set up well, with food booths, merchandise vendors, and two stages set up for non-stop music and fun. You just can't beat good music, family, and fun on a beautiful Texas fall day. With all sorts of good food to eat, souvenir shirts to remember the day with, awesome face painting, music and dancing for all, it was a can't miss day.



Austin Samba school (http://www.austinsamba.com) was kicking up their heels on the Festival stage when we arrived and was showing everyone a great time. The rhythm of drums was powerful and driving, the dancers were moving on the floor and through the crowd. All of this building up wonderful join in and dance along! Just check out the photos and a quick video here http://youtu.be/1TuQ0W82eH8

Moving through the festival, down across the bridge, and to the Fiesta stage where I caught DaHeBeGeBees (http://dahebegebees.com). These guys put the soul in Latin rhythm without a doubt. DaHeBeGeBees are a staple in the Austin music scene and can be seen regularly at many of Austin's fine music venues. When you get a chance you will not be let down at the good times and great feelings you get listening to them. In fact it will probably be the only time you can say you were happy to get DaHeBeGeBees! My personal favorite is 'Hurts to Hate', that is some powerfully fun stuff there. Check out these photos and video from the festival. http://youtu.be/ORO-obOfM4Q

Running back across the grounds was so worth it to see Flaco Jimenez (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flaco-Jimenez/187073768014785), Rick Trevino (http://www.ricktrevino.com), and Los Texmaniacs (http://www.texmaniacs.com) on the Festival stage. WOW! All that grammy award winning talent right there on one stage. It was great and the Tejano dancing crowd couldn't have completely agreed more. I will be happy to admit that I am not thoroughly familiar with all of their music, but that has nothing to do with how much fun the crowd was having and how great Los Texmaniacs were on stage. We will see if the 2nd annual festival can top a great gathering of talent like this.

Back across the grounds, to the Fiesta stage, I caught some of the performance of another of my Austin Favorites, El Tule (http://www.eltuleband.com). I first caught this band a few years ago at the Hot Sauce festival and darn glad I did. This group has that Latin sound with a cool horn section and a smoking hot rhythm section. It was completely and utterly uptempo. El Tule had people in the crowd moving to the groove. Loved It!

Now for the last time, I made it back across the grounds to catch the utterly amazing and incomparable Dale Watson (http://dalewatson.com/index.htm). Are you kidding me! This, for me, was the greatest thing. Dale Watson has had the people in Austin doing the 'quick quick, slow slow' (C'mon ya'll - the Texas Two Step) and the 'quick, slow slow' (HELLO - the Waltz) for years. I was thrilled to death when OUR Dale Watson made his recent appearance on national television on The David Letterman Show. All of that doesn't matter though as Jonas Schwartz, Chairperson of the Board, Executive Chair for Easter Seals Central Texas proudly introduced Dale Watson to the stage! My goodness you don't understand, a fan of Dale Watson for many, MANY years and I have not one darn good excuse for not going to see him at The Broken Spoke or any other place in Austin, or the central Texas area....and here he was. It was every bit worth the wait. The audience definitely agreed with me as it got really crowded and EVERYONE seemed to be dancing and singing to EVERY SINGLE SONG. The crowd even loved every second of Dale's Lonestar commercial, in the middle of his set. Here are some photos from his performance.

 

To finish off the evening on the Festival stage, on his 73rd birthday, Little Joe Y La Familia (http://www.littlejoeylafamilia.com). This looks like the event that the crowd was holding out for. Everybody up on their feet and on the floor. It was definitely a celebration of music and good times. With an epic history of making music and performing, it is undoubtedly the best way that the Easter Seals Central Texas could have capped off their 1st annual event. 

I look forward to next year and hope to see many, many more people there. Remember it is not all just good times, but for a great cause!

Special thanks to KOKE FM for allowing me this opportunity to tell everyone about this special event!

Laters

2012, a retrospective moving forward

So as I looked back on the blog from 2012 it was actually pretty damn sparse. I didn't make a whole lot of shows. However, there was a pretty wide variety in what I did see. Excluding the touring bands that came through Austin, here are my picks from 2012 as must see bands for 2013....and lets see what excitement and new things come to fruition in 2013!

RapCore/HardCore/Metal - The Dirty Wormz 
Facebook  - http://www.facebook.com/DirtyWormz
Website - http://www.dirtywormz.com/
YouTube - http://youtu.be/rUOIs_wAu8U
Twitter - @dirrtywormz

WHAT! Are you surprised? Are you fucking kidding?! This is your favorite rock bands rock band! I still contend that the Wormz should be nation wide. Touring the big venues and spreading The Viruz ALL OVER THE WORLD! If you haven't been to a show, GO! Performance wise they are at the top of my list for live performances in Austin. The energy, the performance, the show, the music. The Dirty Wormz have got the formula and the package. It is a spectacle to behold when you go, and go you must!

Cover Band/R&B/Funk/ - Les & The Funk Mob
Website - http://thefunkmob.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/thefunkmob
Twitter - @FunkMobATX
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDmoOpSfrXU&feature=share&list=UUaknllwwU4QcNWhLOWAB7Kg

Definitely the hottest All-Star act/band to see. This group is BUSTING AT THE SEAMS with talent. Every single member of this group has got a music resume that would drop your jaw and make many other local musicians green with envy. The huge catalog of what they perform is astounding, and the bad ass ability that Les & The Funk Mob does it with is very impressive. This is the band you take a date to when you really want to dance and have a great time. Whether or not you can dance, you will be on the floor with EVERYONE else in the house!. If you have a large group and want to make it an evening that they wont forget, be the hero and head to one of The Funk Mobs shows.

HipHop/Rap - MC Overlord
Website - http://www.overlordmusic.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/MC-Overlord/341239455857
Twitter - @MCOverlord
YouTube - http://youtu.be/tz5GZLnhAUk

Another "R U KIDDING ME?" remark here! This is THE godfather of Austin Hip Hop, PERIOD! BAR NONE! He does it better than anyone else and doesn't need a wall of awards to prove it (but that wall of awards is pretty bad ass!) The thing about an Overlord performance, is that he blows your mind with the way he flows and the way he moves. I think that a friend of mine put it out the the best "I like him because he's positive." True that! Hear is the deal with an Overlord performance, you never know who is gonna join him onstage. It could be anyone from the live music scene in Austin...ANYONE! So you really should get to a show and check it out. You won't be dissappointed, in fact you will leave with a story to tell and an "Oh my goodness you won't believe who I saw last night" to the folks in the office, family, and friends.

Blues, Rock, Latin, and Soul - DaHeBeGeBees
Website - http://dahebegebees.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DaHeBeGeBeeS
Twitter - @dahebegebees
YouTube - http://youtube/YvkGeFnTrxw

These guys may border on the saying "words can't do them justice." The latin vibe, the rhythms, and the whole package all amount to a good time to be had by all. Definitively different and really bucking that 'Austin sound' that many other bands can get sucked into, absolutely lands them on the list of MUST SEE bands for 2013. They have a fun vibe and a rapport with the audience that is top notch.







There are SOOO many other bands that I have seen over the years that UNDOUBTEDLY deserve to be seen. The big point from me to you is this...just go out once a month (minimum), see a local band. We, the fans of local live music and residents of this amazing city, need to do our part in keeping the live music scene ALIVE! 


Laters

just to be Frank, it was Angie's night!

Frank ( http://livemusicinaustin.blogspot.com/2012/10/two-for-one2one.html ) is located just in the beating heart of Austins downtown entertainment district. Right there in between 4th and 5th. A restaurant, a hot dog place, a bar, a music venue. Kinda your one stop shop. I have been there a time or two before. Though the sound is not quite on the level as some other venues, it still provides an intimate setting to check out some music.

With one new voice to here and a couple of familiar faces, I was once again happy to be among the heartbeat and soul of Austin, LIVE MUSIC!

Angie and The Night Owls was first up. Not knowing what to expect or having no expectations at all can sometimes serve you well. You show up with a pre conceived notion of who you are gonna see and what you are gonna heat, then BANG! You do the double take. Angie did this to me for sure. Although I will give a brief nod to the other two acts from this particular show, I am gonna talk big love about Angie.

Lets put it this way...SHE STOLE THE SHOW! It was a knock your sock off performance. Soulful, sassy, loud and proud, she had it all. Covering some Motown, doing originals, she mixed it up and threw it down. When asked if I knew about her or had heard her before I proudly said "No!" The joy of discovering something new and enjoying the hell out of it is so great. Angie's voice filled the room and dare I say she probably didn't need a mic. Find her and take a seat (betcha wont be sitting for long) and take a listen.



Ryan Harkrider ( http://www.ryanharkrider.com/ ) after doing some back up duty for Angie and then a quick change of his jacket, Mr Harkrider performed again. I am pretty damn sure this set was all new stuff and I cant wait to get my hands on the new disc. Still keeping with his roots, but having a slightly different sound than from his debut release, it is lively and a hugely unexpected sound altogether. Ryan is a showman no doubt! Performing as if he was onstage at Carnegie Hall, you can be assured if you get the opportunity to see Ryan Harkrider perform, he will be the epitome of classy.

Last up on the list this evening was DaHeBeGeBees ( http://www.reverbnation.com/dahebegebees ). Although the band wasn't with the full ensemble onstage, It was a good shuffling, good music time. I wrote up another review of a performance in which they had they whole band together and in a location that had a sound man and a stage to die for (  ). So I will leave my positive words and excitement for these guys to influence you to go out and support them and live local Austin music.

Laters

Two for One2One

It seems like the bar was gone too long, but then you walk in and realize you are home! The Grand re- opening of the One2One was a wonderful event! I was there on Wednesday for the soft (or quiet) grand opening and then again on Friday for the real deal. So I will lay upon you fine readers two perspectives of the club.

One2One (http://one2onebar.com/) looks good inside and out. Plenty of FREE parking, well lit, easy access from just about any where. Just a quick minute to downtown if you so choose, as well as some decent eats close by. Inside through the double doors and it opens into a giant room! Bar on the right stretching the entire length of the seating area. The decor is simple and nice. Functional art on the wall created by staff and some cool photos. The stage is a monster set up straight ahead of you when you walk in. Large enough to fit even the biggest ensembles. I can say the stage was put to the test on this particular weekend with the likes of  DaHeBeGeBees, Mingo Fishtrap, and MC Overlord. Bathrooms are to the left and right of the stage, and it was very funny to see women continually trying to go into the men's because they didn't know.

Seating is limited, but available if you get to your favorites bands show early. Although, if it is your favorite band, then why the hell would you sit down. This is also the thoughts of the staff and the feeling of most of the bands.

Speaking of the staff...Gregg and Destinee have managed to hang onto their amazing staff of people during the transition and move from the old location to this new beautiful one. They are attentive and pretty quick. Even if there is a delay, they do a good job of eye contact and letting you know. On the floor the service is just as good if you are lucky enough to get a table. Always with a smile, I really love it!

So here is the two for one part. I was there on Wednesday. The Agitators and Karl Morgan, was I lucky to see them. I am EXTREMELY happy they gave it a couple of days with music playing before hitting it hard on the official opening day. The first day the sound was really tough, very tinny and bouncing everywhere, BUT was dramatically different when I was there two days later for the real deal. Stunning how 2 days of performances and some strategically hung curtains made such a dramatic difference. This goes a long way into showing the professionalism of Gregg, the owner, knew there would be hiccups and did everything right to ensure that it was gold on Friday.

For anyone reading this that wasn't there or hasn't gone yet, take my word Dammit! This is a destination for live music in Austin (pun intended). Even the God father of all that is good in Austin music and clubs, Danny Crooks (http://youtu.be/7veXqwRYH6I), came in!

The Agitators (http://www.whiteyconwell.com/home.html) were the inaugural act. Bring a pretty decent sized crowd with them, I think any place in Austin would love to have these guys come in with all of their cheerleaders. The sound is just right for the clubs, fun, energetic, and a nice mix of originals and covers. The Agitators kept the attention of everyone while they were onstage.

Karl Morgan (http://www.karlmorganmusic.com/#) took the stage with his 3 piece next. Absolutely one of the most under rated and flawless guitarists in Austin. In a city so storied in guitar legends and so saturated with talent, that is saying a lot. The thing about Karl is that he makes it look easy, just simply bad assness in an unassuming wrapper. He gets on stage and doesn't even seem like he breaks a sweat. The music is mainly originals and Karl's voice is definitely different than expected when he sings. Although, as a whole,  the band isn't something that makes you get out of your seat and get all excited. It is just Karl's unassuming self that makes you forget about everything and stare...saying to yourself...'Fuckn-A, that guy is the shit!' For any takers, I believe Karl has a regular residency here at the One2One, so take time out and hit up the web to confirm.

SO, Friday night comes, I have two stops to make with the first being here, of course. Unfortunately for me I was only able to stay long enough to see DaHeBeGeBees and miss out on Mingo Fishtrap. Don't EVER let that be your mistake! Grand opening night and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The sound was just kick ass and spot on. It really is now a premier place to catch some quality music in Austin!

 DaHeBeGeBees (http://www.reverbnation.com/dahebegebees) were in full accompaniment this evening.  I have seen them recently and they were missing a few parts to the ensemble, and what a difference that makes. The sound is hard to describe although I think they put the fun in funk. The horn section is just spot on for the sound, the duel vocals are definitely an integral part, and lastly a rhythm section that just bounces you on the floor. They make you dance and groove no matter what!. [http://youtu.be/YvkGeFnTrxw] to see a song from that grand opening performance. Make your decision and then make tracks.

Like all Austin music be prepared to go to a show and watch who you are rubbing elbows with at the club or bar. Austin musicians vigorously support each other and attend each others shoes. Make it a point to go out and do it, Support live local music in Austin and patronize the One2One.

Laters