2017 Year in review

Another year, as I look back, which has surprised me. Although I may not have made as many posts as I would have liked to do, there were still a lot of shows I attended and new places discovered. So let me summarize and then give a little more insight.

Shows attended - 52
New Venues (places I stepped into the very first time for a show) - 20 
New local bands (bands I experienced for the first time) - 43 bands

Total number of bands seen - 105 (this does not include some of the locals I saw more than once).

Speaking of locals more than once Cody Bryan Band and the Michael Dillard Band take the honors for the bands I have spent the most time with. Click on their names to go to their respective pages. Check them out, go to a show, buy their music.

From 3Ten@ACL to Zilker Hillside Theater, there were definitely some fun, great new places I went to and experienced. In the heart of Austin's Entertainment District there was the Bat Bar, Hotel Vegas, and The Liberty. I really love the vibe and set of of The Liberty. Inside has the bar to the right of the main entrance. Keep to the left and there is the stage side, which has a really weird set up - you walk right in front of the stage (which is on a lower lever) and then up to the seating area. Outback is an amazing little seating area with a food trailer and some good grub!

Attending The Austin Hip Hop Awards was a highlight and an amazing way to start 2017. In addition I was lucky enough to go to CD release and listening parties for Super Smash Brothers (SSB), Vondoom, Big Don, Black Heart Saints, MC Overlord, XII, and Cody Bryan Band. Click on any of the names to go to their page to order some music.

Once again I attended shows for Rap, Texas Country, Rock, Metal, Blues, and a little Funk Shui Planet (one of my favorites from SXSW 2017 - in a parking lot completely Funking up the place. They were great, but they are from California so you will have to look them up.

Overall, it was another great year for the live music scene in Austin and a good year for Live Music in Austin. Thanks for peeking in on me.

2018 is shaping up to be a blast again as it is just the 18th of January and I am 3 shows in with a national touring show under my belt.

Laters

Sunrise on the Wake Up Call

The home of great music and amazing good times on South Lamar...One-2-One (http://www.one2onebar.com). Located in a humble little strip center with plenty of free parking and easy quick access to and from downtown, the One2One is home to great music pretty much every night of the week. It's always good, the staff is always friend, and the whole live music vibe is to die for in there!

The "to die for" event this particular evening was for The Michael Dillard Band (https://www.facebook.com/MichaelDillardMusic/) release of their debut, full length CD - "Wake Up Call". I reviewed the disc here (http://livemusicinaustin.blogspot.com/2016/10/is-this-your-wake-up-call.html) and you can pick it up at their website...or better yet...AT A SHOW! Or here

https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaeldillardband

Putting on a release party can be anywhere from the same old same old to the full blown cake and balloons. Somewhere in-between you have someone who cares so much  about the live reproduction of the new disc you end up with 13 people on stage! Uber Epic! In addition to the normal players for the Michael Dillard Band, there was added an extra guitarist, two percussionist, 4 strings, and brass. I always thought the One2One had an pretty damn nice sized stage until I saw this...

and this...

As for the performance itself, an undertaking of this size is bound to have some hang ups and hitches. For this show it was a solid 30 minute delay. Dude! You're killing me smalls, you're killing me! With that complaint aside, the band took the stage and proceeded to rock the packed and overflowing house. With people standing shoulder to shoulder inside and waiting outside The Michael Dillard Band reproduced their debut CD in what seemed like effortless and glorious fashion.

It is very difficult to describe how amazing this perform was in whole. The subtleties of the strings and keys with the percussion just rolled together with the stunning vocals of Michael Dillard himself. The crowd was proof of this. Very few words in the house, all eyes up, and mouths open. At the end of the first, song the split second silence was followed with the stunned crowds collective roar and applause. It was over, it was done, the ice was broken. Putting all of that bad ass stage talent to use seemed easy with the great songs behind it. The crowd stayed fixated until the end. I know this because it was a MASSIVE Pain In The Ass trying to move around and take photos. It was a  performance to be proud to say you were there.






The rest of the night just poured out of the speakers, into our ears, and warmed us all at joy for Michael Dillard and his band. The overall, collective effort for the song writing, story telling, and performance will not be reproduced again. If you weren't there take a moment, buy the album, look the band up and make amends.




Laters