Blogjangles :: Music & Biscuits

The original Blogjangles ran from 11/2005 to 02/2008 when it mysteriously disappeared. All posts erased forever, but thanks to webarchive.org I am able to salvage some junk from the site.

FROM March 14, 2006

I woke up around 8:30 a.m. Austin time and I had a few panels to attend that started at 10. For those of you who don’t know - SXSW is a week long event for film, music and interactive media. I’m here to attend the interactive festival (design, development, etc.) All that good stuff. A few panels were over and it was time to grab some Lunch… Wait.. Let’s not do lunch just yet. Henry Rollins, of Black Flag, several Hollywood movies, that song Liar and some show on the IFC channel, was speaking. So I sat two rows from the front and listened to Henry Rollins speak his mind. I thought he was very well spoken and I felt like he knew his place - socially, musically, and politically. He has his ideas and he wants to speak them, but he knows he’s not the source - just offering his opinion, unlike lots of bigger Hollywood types. Rollins is the anti-Hollywood Hollywood type who agrees with the Hollywood types. If that makes sense. He’s also very funny. Now it was time for lunch…

We head to a bar/restaurant to get some general food. It’s about 2p.m. These two dudes come in and look important - I have a good idea who they are. I listen in to their conversation to make sure my inkling was correct… I gather they are from New York and are on the phone with a guy named Nick… The Strokes. I’m sitting next to the drummer and the guitarist from the Strokes! So I eavesdrop a bit more… Fun stuff… So, right before we leave the restaurant I lean over and have the following conversation:

Stoked Blogjangles: hey y’all play on Tues right?
The Strokes: what’s today?
Stoked Blogjangles: Sunday
The Strokes: yeah.
Stoked Blogjangles: I’d love to find a way into your show if i was going to be here Tuesday night, but I have to fly back to DC
The Strokes: oh, we’d put you on the guest list
Stoked Blogjangles: dammit. that would be awesome, but sadly i have to leave.
The Strokes: too bad cause it’s SXSW.

So that was quite awesome, I must say. I didn’t think the day could get any better, but it was far from over. After the afternoon panels, we headed to Iron Cactus to for a party thrown by Upcoming.org, Yahoo, Flickr and del.icio.us… The drinks were free so I loaded up on Fat Tire and Maker’s and Ginger. Thanks Yahoo! They also had a cool band playing called - I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness. Check them out. Good Stuff. I thought about calling it a night or going to see Shearwater at Emo’s. But I got a call from my brother’s friend who lives in Austin and he told me about this Erykah Badu show. Even better. As I walk to meet him at the bar a bird shits on my shoulder. Good luck. We finish up a few beers then head to the venue. We find a way to sneak in with a discounted cost. Nice. Erykah Badu hits the stage with… Questlove from the Roots! DJ JAZZY JEFF!

I dug Erykah Badu’s set, but the real fun started when DJ Jazzy Jeff closed the night with a hour longish DJ set. Best dance DJ set I’ve ever heard. Erykah came out to wipe sweat off his face. He was spinning hard. Questlove was back on stage now. He’s signing drumsticks and throwing them out into the audience. I didn’t score one.

I head back to the Driskell Hotel and pick up some Pizza on the way and call it a night. What an amazing day. Great music, speeches and even talk to a cool/well-known band.