Wild Weekend in store for Austin power-pop fans

The great irony of power pop acts is that, well, most of them aren't all that popular. Most of them are outsiders, even unabashed nerds like Cheap Trick or Weezer, trying to take over the airwaves with a skewed version of Top 40 songcraft. They're far too often the kids with big dreams and bigger hooks, left wondering why they can't break through to the big time.

At last, a music festival has emerged that will give these misfits a place to congregate, commiserate, and obliterate (listeners' eardrums, that is). Wild Weekend Power Pop Festival debuts in Austin this weekend (Friday and Saturday), with a mind-blowing assortment of vintage and emerging acts on hand to churn out their scruffy, sugary gems for appreciative fans.

Some quick highlights:

The Boys: Original punkers, this is their first U.S. show in 25+ years.
Paul Collins' Beat: Featuring Paul Collins of the Nerves.
20/20: Their song "Yellow Pills" gave name to the legendary power pop fanzine and album series of the same name.
Nikki Corvette: Cult performer whose career dates back to the '70s. The All Music Guide calls her the precursor to Debbie Harry.
Gentleman Jesse and his Men: Highly recommended recent Paste Artist of the Week selection.

The festivities unfold at Austin's Mohawk and Beerland clubs. Day shows are free, night shows cost $25. For everything you could possibly want to know (schedule, band bios, audio/video), scoot on over to the festival's righteous MySpace.

Related links:
Wikipedia.org: Power pop
Absolute Power Pop blog
Paste:Local - Gentleman Jesse and others

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