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

Gettin funky with it

Les and the Funk Mob ( http://funkmobaustin.com/Bio.html ) one of the biggest and most fun surprises so far this year. Having a pretty regular residency at the Speakeasy ( http://www.speakeasyaustin.com/ ), and sometimes one or two other joints, these guys are pretty easy to find.

The Speakeasy happens to be one of those places that is multi faceted with 3 different venues to enjoy. The inside lounge has very luxurious vibe with multi levels of seating, a mezzanine/balcony, smooth dance floor with plenty of room to break it down or get dirty. and the stage...wow! plenty of room for a large band, even the size of the Funk Mob!

Now as for this tasty piece of entertainment,DAMN! This is absolutely a band to go see if it is girls night out! To go see if you have a date with you significant other and you REALLY want to dance, or if you simply love the danceable radio hits of the 70's through today. The mix of all of the different vocalists, female and male, give the group huge diversity in being able to reproduce most hit and dance tunes.

Props to the drummer Les Fisher. It makes me smile to say this... you know you are a bad mother fucker as a drummer/vocalist if you put your kit right up front for all the world to see. None of this drummer-tucked-away-in-the-back-of-a-stage bullshit here. Hell no! Les has got dem big balls to put his shit right up front and let you know he kicks ass on the drums and vocals!

Seeing my friend Ter'rell Shahid, with what he refers to as his 'day job', was just fantastic. Ter'rell can also deliver some mean saxaphone as well. From the lead guitar to the keyboards and the soulful female vocals by Rayshay Kisslinger, this group delivers all the entertainment and fun you need for any one evening.

So when they are collectively not on tour or recording with any of the multitude of projects that they ALL have their hands and voices in, enjoy this piece of Austin funkiness with all your heart and the soles of your shoes.

Laters