Kick Ass Festival
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Any of you who know me, know me as the happy, irrepressible girl that no adversity can keep down! And I’m not about to be stopped now!
Despite my most recent woes from my former ownership of Coney Island High, which resulted in all my assets being frozen by a former disgruntled partner; I went down to SXSW to ROCK some shows, see some rock, and see friends! I got all that and more!
The Epiphany Stage was an independent four day festival to raise money for cancer research and the Global Music Project (www.globalmusicproject.org). It was completely awesome! What a great community of folks and bands! Though it has had its share of trouble with crooked partners (don’t I know!), it was the “Little Festival that Could” – and it DID. THANKS to Bofunk, Mesa, Mykee Ramen, and Steve of Ill Gotten Gainz for helping me with my shit and my shows! Great bands there were Ill Gotten Gainz, Epileptic Hero, Darlington, River City Rebels, Splitting Seconds, Chapter Four, Gantas of Love and my favorite, The John Wilde Group, all the way from Wales!
The Mexico Lindo ROCKED. I played a solo show there every day, and I had the best tacos I ever had in my LIFE! Every day was like a jam session with great folks and bands and it was a total free-for-all!
Martin Percival came all the way from the UK for this, and he got me a place to crash (as I had nowhere to stay!), and took me to the Scottish Invasion Party Thursday night. Great music, both new and old, was what we rocked to. The Rezillos and Aberfeldy, who were really different and interesting, had quite a charismatic front man.
Friday, Randy Haecker of Sony Legacy was a DOLL by getting me and Martin passes to the Spin magazine party with the New York Dolls! I liked The Futureheads, too. Stubb’s had GREAT BBQ and FREE BEER and the Dolls are better than EVER – I don’t care what anyone says! The new song is great too, written by David Johansen and Sami Yaffa, formerly of Hanoi Rocks. Sami adds a REALLY solid foundation to the rhythm section, too. The guy pouring the beer at the Scottish Invasion party sees me and somehow talks me into giving him my sunglasses, because he’s from the Bronx. We saw a lot of the folks we met at the Scottish invasion party, like Aberfeldy, and their soundman Tim, and we got to hang with them! We even talked Tim into coming over to my Mexico Lindo show afterward.
When we got out of the party, the streets were PACKED with cars and pedestrians. I had to get over to my Mexico Lindo show. All the cabs are taken. I am calling a cab, and a vision in blue appears — this most excellent electric blue late seventies Chevrolet Caprice. ”Yo, your ride is PIMP!” I holler out to the driver. ”Thanks!” he smiles back. Taking a chance, I ask, “You a taxi?” He asks, “Where do you want to go?” I RUN across the street, hop in the front and drag Tim and Martin along. I introduce myself and find out our pimp driver is named Jeff, a student at the University of Texas.
Two blocks up the road, I see The Black Halos outside Emo’s. I make poor Jeff pull the car over and run across the busy street in what Adam (Halo) described as a “flying ball of leopard print.” ”I’m on the way to my show — you wanna come?!” I ask. Both Adam and Denyss follow me back across the street, and two more rockers pile into the car. Jeff was such a good sport, seeing that we kidnapped him and hijacked his car to drive us to my show. We vow to buy him beer all night long, and he joins us in our evening’s misadventures. Even John, a former New Yorker whom we met the night before at the Scottish invasion, came out to see me. I learned it is not a good idea to play a show after drinking all day, but it was FUN, and at least I was surrounded by friends!
Bryan Swirsky of Complete Control Booking had a great night of music planned at the Elysium. He walked our whole posse into the show with Wreckless Eric, The Alarm, New Model Army, The Rezillos and Shonen Knife! That was something special! Completely amazing. Jeff wound up buying me tequila shots, which are my one weakness… things got a little fuzzy ‘round about the time The Rezillos went on…
Saturday, I met up with my friend I met at last year’s Las Vegas Rockaround, Bill Anderson of The Meat Purveyors. He and his friend Mamie take me out to Las Manitas, which is the best Mexican restaurant in Austin. We go back into town, and I get to see a bit of Bill’s soundcheck with one of the many bands he is playing with this weekend — a Japanese girl band that does country and western-style cover songs! The Black Halos have an RV parked outside Emo’s, so we buy beer and chill out there while I’m waiting around. Bill drives me over to see the Rezillos play an amazing show inside Cheapo’s record store, and then takes me over to my Mexico Lindo show on his way home, and it’s time to rock again.
But the party did not stop there — I get a cab over to The Black Halos RV to hang before their show. More beer and fun transpires until they play. They had an amazing set with lots of new fans. I see some old friend like Nessa and her new husband and Tony From Cheerldr, and make some new ones like Spider and Patrick, who later sent me a nice e-mail apologizing for his shameless flirting. Nessa buys a Black Halos skate deck and has the band sign it. The Backyard Babies also kicked ass and I told them I would see them in NY. Jeff came out to hang with us again, so I guess he didn’t mind us acting like total jerks the day before!
Sunday was the lull day. Martin went back to the UK. The Black Halos are on the way to San Antonio. I had my day show at the Epiphany stage and another show at the Mexico Lindo. I am TOTALLY burned out. I almost want to blow it off, but I decide I am here to rock so, I shall! It is SCARY playing on a stage all by yourself with a guitar and no one to hide your mistakes! I am also hoarse from four days of whooping it up and partying — not to mention three other shows under my belt. Jeff came out to my shows, and Eddie Christman of Billboard Magazine and his friend Joe came out to see me, which was awesome. I am totally beat. Jeff is a doll and not only puts me up, but drives me to the airport at 5:30 am to catch my flight!
So I sorted out my shit, didn’t stop THE ROCK, and made a lot of new friends who really did a LOT for me! Especially Jeff, so I hope we didn’t ruin his semester! Maybe we made a convert to the rock and roll lifestyle!
Next year, the whole band will be back at SXSW with our new record and will KICK ASS!
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