Festivus

Sitges Film Festival 2008: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:00:29 -0400

All that is mondo melts into Sitges. Brain-eating zombies! Samurai assassins! Spooky children with spookier smiles! Post-apocalyptic clones! Robot monsters! Naked babes! Dead naked babes! Dead naked babes that bite!

ACL Music Fest - Part Two

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:18:27 -0400

Walking to the ACL Fest can be kind of an adventure. Unless you have a VIP parking space close by there's a good chance you're on a trek of anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. But the walk isn't boring. Street musicians, homeless people (sometimes they are one in the same), vendors selling hats and caps and pipes and earrings and water and food, plus ticket scalpers looking to sell that day's wristband. I even saw a guy selling puppies.

I happened to be backstage when John Fogerty, Mr. Creedence Clearwater himself, was preparing to go on. This guy amazes me. Big old smile on his face, guitar strapped on, waving to the small bunch of folks in the back like he's just stepping outside to pick up the Sunday paper. Then, suddenly, he's on stage singing for what looked like ten or twenty thousand people, ripping into "Travelin' Band". So much energy! "Just like a ringing a bell," as Chuck Berry used to sing. It may be true that his best material is behind him but man, what a catalog.

I shortcutted through the back of the stage and travelled to the opposite end of the fest to hear the end of Conor Oberst doing Paul Simon's classic "Kodachrome". I think I like the new Bright Eyes. Oberst's band rocked.

I listened to some of a sedate Iron & Wine set from afar before heading to who I most wanted to hear this weekend: Beck. I had been told I would be able to sit in one of the bleacher sections on the side of the stage but when I got there they had changed it to some sort of VIP only thing. By now the crowd out front was unbelievable. While hanging near the steps to the stage, some guy brushed by me and walked straight by security guard Patrick before I realized it was Lance Armstrong. A bit later Patrick introduced me to the stage manager who had me come up and stand near him, which was about as close as a non-crew person could get to the band. Okay, it was kind of behind the band, but it was still close! And to my left was Lance. Although Beck wasn't moving around much his voice was in fine form. And the band was sensational, playing a wide variety of his material which never seems to get old for me. He didn't let the crowd down with classics like "Loser", "E-Pro" and "Where It's At". But hearing stuff like "Lost Cause" from the beautiful "Sea Change" CD reminded me of what a talented songwriter he is. And I couldn't think of a better way to end the night.

Austin City Limits 2008, Day 3: Gillian Welch

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:43:37 -0400

Gillian Welch is my second favorite live performer. She and David Rawlings are so consistent, it's like all they need's a few instruments and each other. And there's something about seeing them at a festival that makes me think they should only ever perform outdoors--a natural setting somehow authenticates the songs. On the AMD stage Sunday, played a lovely mixture of old favorites like "Look At Miss Ohio," live favorites like "Throw Me A Rope," and a couple of soon-to-be-favorites--one about a knuckleball catcher and one about a sweet tooth. They even invited Alison Krauss (who played the same stage night before with Robert Plant) onstage for an a capella rendition of "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby." I can't wait for her new record.

Austin City Limits 2008, Day 3: Nicole Atkins & the Sea, Okkervil River, plus the Swell Season's Austin City Limits taping

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:34:06 -0400

For me, the last day of a festival can go either way: I've either hit my stride and am entertaining delusions of being able to keep up the pace for another few days, or I'm dragging my feet through the dust, struggling to make it from tent to tent and ruing the fools who thought hosting an outdoor music event in [insert Southern state here] in [insert summer month here] was a good idea.

ACL Music Fest - Part One

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:28:11 -0400

It was a crazy weekend in Austin. It's not enough that thousands descended upon the city for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. But because the powers-that-be cancelled the Texas-Arkansas football game a few weeks ago (in fear of Hurricane Ike) the game was rescheduled for Saturday, the second night of the fest. There are a LOT of people in town! But no worries. Great music makes everything else great...

Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello

The first artist I saw on Friday was the extremely talented Jamie Lidell on the Dell stage. I started out backstage but when he began "Another Day", the most infectious song of the summer, I had to circle around to the front and move with everyone else. For a British white boy this kid's got the kind of soul that would have done Stax Records proud. Then I ran over to the AT&T stage to catch the beginning of the Gypsy rockers Gogol Bordello. I'm not sure if it's Ukrainian, Russian or Bohemian style dancing but frontman Eugene Hutz had everyone jumping.

Austin City Limits 2008, Day 2: Roky Erickson

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:55:27 -0400

Wound up going with Kate and Kevin to see Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at the AT&T stage on the way to Roky Erickson last night. It was a huge surprise for me-- with this new musical turn, he's shed not just the Bright Eyes name but the Bright Eyes mannerisms and affectations. Last night he seemed looser and happier than I'd ever seen him, and I believe he did a better Dylan than Dylan himself did last year on the very same stage. But more on that from Kate later. (Actual conversation we just had: "Do you want to do Conor Oberst? Oh, uh, I mean--" "Yes, and yes I'll blog about the show.")

Moved on to Austin Ventures for Roky Erickson after Oberst & Co. covered Paul Simon's "Kodachrome," and was stunned at the tininess of the crowd. Apparently the Austin-American Statesman called Erickson a "retirement-age rocker," which maybe was an easy way of skirting the decades of mental health issues, drug addiction, institutionalization, but hardly sums up the weight of his life and strange breadth of his career. The small crowd went wild as his band came on, and wilder as the man himself was escorted onto the stage, wandering to the side and standing with his arms crossed before being nudged to the front by a handler. For a moment it seemed like he wasn't sure what he was there to do, or wasn't interested in doing it, but with a guitar in his hands he was transformed from a seemingly hapless, ill man to a consummate rocker. Along with his apt backing band, he howled through opener "Cold Night for Alligators," "Don't Shake Me Lucifer," "Mine Mine Mind," and "Bloody Hammer." Had to leave a bit early to meet the rest of our crew, but it was a total dream and a privledge to the the man to play such a stellar set to his bafflingly miniscule but devoted hometown crowd.

Okkervil River and Tegan & Sara just swang by for some TOMS-- now it's time to see Gillian Welch!

Austin City Limits 2008, Day 2: Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, CSS, Man Man

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:21:16 -0400

Let me add this to Kate’s Fleet Foxes write-up: Though they seemed more than a little overwhelmed by the immensity of the AMD stage (“We’re not used to communicating on this scale,” lead singer Robin Pecknold apologized) when the awkward banter finally dissolved into music, it was fantastic. “Ragged Wood” always gives me goosebumps—and even today, in the heat of the day, they rolled right up my sweaty legs.

Austin City Limits 2008, Day 2: Fleet Foxes, break-dancing kiddies, fashion tally

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:15:28 -0400

Today we got to the park and headed straight to see Fleet Foxes suffer for fashion in what I'm pretty sure was flannel. They must have been nervous--between songs, they talked about their hot feet, someone's cousin getting married, WaMu and what would happened if all of the band members were attacked by bees. It was unfunny and uncomfortable, but the music saved the set--their live harmonies are as stunning as the recorded ones, and they're all so good at their instruments!

Austin City Limits 2008, Day 1: Mates of State, Jamie Lidell, Patty Griffin

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:30:16 -0400

This morning I chatted with Mates of State about adding instruments to their live shows and touring with kids--they bring their baby June and four-year-old Magnolia everywhere they go. They needed something to protect the baby's ears during shows and couldn't find mini-headphones at a music store, so they had to buy some for June at a firing range! A baby in headphones is one of life's cuter things.

Austin City Limits 2008, Day 1: M. Ward, The Swell Season

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:07:52 -0400

If there's one thing I have in common with the fourteen-year-old indie girls of America, aside from the inability to properly apply eyeliner, it's that I can credit Zooey Deschanel's involvement with She & Him with introducing me to the duo's inarguably more musically established half, M. Ward. His dreamy, bottom-of-a-deep-dark-well crooning on "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and "I Should Have Known Better" on Volume One gave me the long-overdue push to explore his solo catalog. It's proved to be an absolute revelation but also a never-ending source of guilt for not listening sooner. I've been actively atoning all summer and decided to further pursue absolution by seeing him live this afternoon on the WaMu (R.I.P WaMu) stage.

Austin City Limits 2008: It begins! Mates of State, Dan Dyer and more

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:28:55 -0400

First of all, a note to anyone who saw us nearly passed out on the VIP couches at our ACL kickoff party at Emo's last night: We were not drunk. We were not even drinking, minus the one beer each we imbibed around 9:30. Rather, we both were besot by sinus-crud related exhaustion. See, unlike here in Austin, fall arrived on schedule in Atlanta last week, and bestowed upon us one of the great gifts of this fair season: The nasty head cold. Unfortunately, this meant we spent the better part of last night's festivities sprawled out in various ladylike poses, chugging water and entertaining thoughts of propping our eyelids up with toothpicks, while bands played downstairs and people drank (for real) and enjoyed the party all around us, occasionally shooting us judgmental stares and having way, way more fun than us.

Fantastic Fest - Day Three - Girls Rule!

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:54:52 -0400

I hadn't intended to focus on films about powerful, independent women but that's how it turned out on Day Three of FF. Barely made it into the first film in time to see an extended trailer of Disney's new animated film Bolt. It reminds me a bit of The Incredibles with its fast action and secret agent type adventure. Curious if the rest of the film is as good as the clip.

TERRA

A peaceful race of aliens receive an unexpected invasion from earth in this animated tale. With voice talents from a lot of folks like Evan Rachel Wood who played main character Mala, plus Luke Wilson, David Cross, Dennis Quaid and James Garner the film has a gentle beauty about it that's enjoyable to the eyes. But there's a little too much stereotyping of the war mongering earthlings (all obviously American) vs. the eco-friendly "in tune with nature" aliens. Although, the aliens do prove to have some of their own war secrets, unbeknownst to Mala who does her best to save her planet, mostly on her own.

FIGHTER

This Danish kung fu film about a Turkish girl studying martial arts surprised me. I expected a lame version of Karate Kid III but instead there was some quality insight into the traditions and culture of a Turkish family living in Europe. Newcomer Semra Turan, as Aicha, secretly trains because such behavior would shame the family's name. Turan has an innocent, but determined, J-Lo quality about her. Even the inevitable championship between Aicha and a male Turkish fighter comes with some surprises.

ZOMBIE GIRL

A 12 year old Texas girl directs her own zombie film and really kicks ass with it! This documentary of her journey through unreliable (and unpaid) friends as actors, understanding/misunderstanding parents and just the day-to-day grind of being a kid will entertain and inspire more than you would expect.

All Tomorrow's Parties 2008: Day 3

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:45:23 -0400

[Above: His Holiness Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine]

A new flyer went up around Kutsher's late on the second day of All Tomorrow's Parties' New York debut. Earplugs would be available, for free and in large quantities, for everyone. Smart people (like me) had already brought their own: the unofficial reports from My Bloody Valentine's London shows was that they were reaching 132 decibels during their set, which is just slightly softer than a jet taking off.

All Tomorrow's Parties 2008: Day 2

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:23:54 -0400

[Above: Thee Silver Mt. Zion]

Day 2 of ATP began with a scare: there was a rumor, spread over Blackberries and touch-and-go Internet access, that Kutsher's and the surrounding Catskills hotels near the festival site had severe bedbugs infestations. It was hard to determine which was scarier: the idea of carrying bedbugs back to our homes, or standing too close to the stage during Les Savy Fav's set.

Fantastic Fest - Day Two - Pig with Rice, Not Lipstick

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:58:39 -0400

Tim League of the Alamo Drafthouse joyfully serves as ringleader of the festival. If he's not introducing a film he's out in the lobby chatting with fans and filmmakers. Inspired by the world premiere of Seventh Moon League came strolling into the theater as a Chinese monk and blessed the film with sacred incense in one hand and a can of Foster's in the other. Accompanying him was a roast pig. A real roasted pig, similar to what was seen in the film. Director Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project) and much of the cast, including the beautiful Amy Smart (Road Trip, Peaceful Warrior) were all there as we munched on roast pork (yes, that pig) and "forbidden" rice. Just another average night at Fantastic Fest.

Amy Smart keeps watch for some real creeps in Seventh Moon.