It’s Sunday. I can’t believe I’m alive. Everyone in my hotel room is gone, Im the only one lucky enough to have a late flight… I was in no need to rush this morning! While I was packing I had music from my ipod blasting, the curtains open and the door open ajar, the housekeeper cam in smiling all big waiting for me to be finished she thought it was hilarious I was the only person packing up with ALL THIS STUFF left over: piles of flyers we never got to handout (post cards), crayons? Rockstar cans, paper from schedules, promo stuff, posters, a coffee can and some other swag we ditched.
Wow what a FUN SXSW!!!!! I wasn’t hustling around like I usually am from show to show. I didn’t keep a tight schedule this year. I wasn’t working, and I wasn’t there for work this year, just for my pure enjoyment, which was actually REALLY nice. I just went with the flow and opted to hang with my friends rather than hit every single show I wanted to see. I did head to a few by myself, I saw local Nashville artist Mike’s Pawn Shop who was amazing as usual.
I hung out with Mike a little bit before the show, he had stret throat and I’m SO amazed how well he did. He sang the shit out of his songs and he danced around like a nut, a few label friends stopped by, his attorney is shopping him for one. Please check him out: www.myspace.com/mikespawnshop. In fact, we are planning the first HellYa!Nashvegas! with Mike’s Pawn Shop and Cage the Elephant www.myspace.com/cagetheelephant.
Speaking of my other favorite boys Cage the Elephant who as usual are the nicest sweetest and nuttiest guys I know which is exactly why I love them, had a few AMAZING shows. The first one I went to was at Chuggin Monkey as a part of the Red Guerilla Festival (url). (actually thirsty nickel). I literally grabbed my buddy Jammmmmez from the Palm Door where Kelsea had to put some posters up for her artist A-Trak and we ran into the Thirsty Nickel just in time. They ROCKED THE HOUSE. It was LOUD as usual. People were watching from the street. I love my boys. They have an energy about them that I haven’t seen in years. People heard about the thirsty nickel show and flocked to the Antone’s show. Their energy is unreal. I brought 5 friends who hadn’t seen them before and their reaction was “I want to have sex with that music”. I LOVe bringing people that hadn’t seen them before and watching their enjoyment.
I noticed something while I was in Austin this year: Austin doormen don’t give a sh** who you are, example 1: Thursday night’s Fools Gold afterparty at the Palm Door. My girl Kelsea’s Thrive artist A-Trak had a DJ set and she put us all on the list and kept saying if there was a problem getting in to hit her up. I usually don’t go anywhere if I’m not on the list, I hate trying. I’m either legit or I’m not. In this case not only did I RSVP but Kelsea had me on. We got there and the line was down the street and the VIP line was also enourmous. I kept going to the dude asking if I was on there and he said he doesn’t have the new list yet but refused to go get the new list with our names on it. Kelsea kept asking if I got in and she sent several people out to come get me. No luck. Then Steve Aoki showed up, even HE couldn’t get in! The door guy goes “I don’t know who you are.” And Steve was like showing him names of people who threw the party on his blackberry. At that point I thought “great, this isn’t looking good. If Steve can’t get in, neither am i. So I backed off. I went over to grab him a hug and chatted with him a bit. Eventually they let him in and soon enough the door guy said I was cool too. We fuck duh I’m cool I’m on the list twice and my friend’s artist has a DJ set! I never throw fits so I was very patient. Nonetheless we got in and it was SUPER fun. I LOVE dancing to electro music. Helped Kelsea sell a few t-Shirts, we all got drunk (helloooo open bar!!!) and eventually bailed at like 4:30 AM and for the first time saw a dead 6th street! PICTURE.
