Two Concerts in June

Instead of giving these two acts each their own post, I will instead cram June’s shows into one and act like I did not do my usual thing and forget about this blog for months on end. Usual excuse applies, I have been living people! But on a barely functioning level. I think this is what they call adulthood.

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In the beginning of June, I had what I feel is my LCD Soudsystem I-was-there moment, I went to my first CA7RIEL y Paco Amoroso show. I like to claim I don’t do the big acts (and forget about the times I went to see Lady Gaga with my family or was given New Kids on the Block tickets due to my love of their cartoon), cause you know that even the crowd of a small show gives me the heebie-jeebies, but this was the show that may change my mind. Price wise it was not killer because I took advantage of some Ticketmaster Summer Nights deal (this will also apply to the Franz Ferdinand show that I will end up writing about soon), although I was worried because it was for the lawn of the Moody Amphitheater. 

This was a new venue for me and it is downtown, so the idea of locating it and parking was making me nervous. Since it is downtown, I ended up making use of the parking garage right next to it, so pricing was not ideal. It was kind of worth it, to me at least, for the distance to the venue and the ease I had heading back to the car once the show was over. 

The venue itself is a weird location as it is adjacent the block that contains a major hospital. The block it is carved out of, seems to be an outdoor performance space and park, maybe like the less cool version of Red Rocks? The sound was amazing and did carry to the back lawn even though I couldn’t see shit, but what must that be like as a patient? Is it worth the hospital bill, depending on the show and your luck, or does it make the outrageousness of the American health care system that much worse if it is a show for a trash act that you hate? I have so many questions and very few answers for you this time around with this blog, don’t I?

Anyway the venue is massive and has some downsides, but it is better then the Circuit of Americas so if I had to pick between those two I would give my preference to Moody Amphitheater each time. Given the size of the act, this will be the poison I would prefer if I was trying to see a massive production. 

But what about the band? Amazing and could be my favorite of the year. 

This was a concert that had a theme and matches to the recent album, Free Spirits. It was a surreal show that both embraces and satirizes society’s current obsessions with fame, wellness, and cults. The set design reflects a high end clinic and before the show starts they included insane quotes taken in context from celebrities and famous people (Gandhi, Queen Goop, and Steve Jobs are cited). Their clothing choices also reflect the theme, both in the merch they were selling and what they were wearing on stage. You can see them playing with proportions between the two in the athleisure and health goth sets that they wore. 

Most of the songs played were from their new album, but they still incorporated fan favorites (which is any song they have released). These were peppered throughout, they were fit it in a way that still made sense to the narrative in their show. They had a full band, and moved across the stage in rehearsed coordination, dancing in a style mimicking the fitness crazes of the day. There was a smoothness as they moved between performing their music, incorporating different instruments, and putting on a show by doing tough as fuck exercises (like the battle ropes seen in Crossfit or the Warrior pose in a log flow - hey that can be tough for the unbalanced). It is astounding to think they were doing this throughout the world tour night after night, still hitting their mark and notes while making it looking easy and natural. 

And the lyrics. As someone who only speaks English, I have made the effort to find the English translations because their words have meaning and full of word play. This is an act that uses their entirety to make a song, and may be even why they reference Lady Gaga in their new album, because they are making pop art with their music.  

Not all crowds dance in Austin, damn youths, but this was one that you saw people moving. They make weird hiphop that people are still willing to throw their ass to, and without demanding it of the crowd. We joined in because we were moved too, they didn’t tell us to, our bodies did. They played most of the songs I wanted to hear, and ended it with two that might be an encore staple for them but still had us losing our collective minds. A “Crazy Frog” (by Axel F) remixed into their song “Beto’s Horns.” I have the feeling they are really too young (they would have been 12) to have experienced how much that damn song was everywhere as a ringtone or ringback option, but the nostalgia for this old bitch was reallllllllll (those five extra years really make the difference).

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Starting and ending the month solid, let’s move onto the date night with a favorite band for my family, Lip Critic. My husband got me into them and mentioned how they are on the same label as some other bands he knows I dig (they are in the company of DJ Rashad, Idles, Interpol, Geese, and PJ Harvey). Our tastes do not always overlap, but when it comes to weird beats that could be described as abrasive in it’s danceability… well we are Venn Diagraming it up and meeting in the middle with those shared interests. 

It was at 29th Street Ballroom, and they are an even younger group of dudes touring with another young group of dudes who were dressed like the nineties was still happening even though their unlined faces lets me know that they probably weren’t even born yet. The crowd was young, my husband and I were the olds. 

This was a show that was moving, but that was because their acts were demanding it. Yelling out, “make a circle” or “throw ass” will not induce me to do it, I am a real rebel who bucks all authority even that of my idols, but hey to each their own. Maybe if I was younger and less like a bird, I too would be in the front thrashing around, but alas I enjoyed the show the only way I know how - from my perch in the back corner. 

From my view I could see the 4 performers without issue, this is a band with two drummers (one is a co-founder by the name of Danny Eberle), a singer (co-founder Bret Kaser), and another guy on a sampler adding electronic elements to the music (co-founder Connor Kleitz). The drummers are impressive, you can tell that they fucking love it and they were in beat together for music that is fast but also complex in how they switch it up. The lead singer sounded just as weird (but) melodic as he does on the albums. He has a vocal style that is equal parts singing and talking, it is a different form when compared to the talking style that he uses to work the crowd in between the tracks. And the other guy, he was a riot. One of those performers who may have been rolling or just really feels it every time he plays (basically he is a thruster, someone who is fucking the beat that is how much he feels it). 

Okay, but the merchandise was interesting for this tour around the record Theft World (quick side note, the album has a narrative even if the show didn’t really follow it like the first band that I mentioned. This album is about someone stealing Bret Kaser’s identity and fucking his shit up, something that really happened. His pain is our gain as they group used it for the inspiration for their latest release). They had a massive oversize black tote with red letting for the band’s name on one side and the album title on the other. I bought it and I love wearing it out with Theft World facing outward. I have already received a compliment on it when I was in the Dollar General (I bought The Long Walk for what feels like a steal at three dollars) from a women who probably never even heard of the band before and was more of a fan of the act. It fucking made my month.

Back to the merch booth, there was an oversized custom shirt that was over a hundred dollars. Fuck, right?! They also had their albums on vinyl, which was reasonable and something we did not have so we picked those up. Just to remind you again of my age and how much I hate it, I will end this with a story about my kid. Our four year old has been asking for us to put on Lip Critic several times a week since then, he likes the frantic energy and knows that we like it enough to indulge him. Doesn’t that show how much of a cool mom that I am, that I like a weird band so hip that even the toddlers can’t resist them?

Feel Good Fest at Radio/East

Resound has been fucking nailing it with shows. Their tickets are still somewhat affordable (remember the days when tickets were 10 or 25 dollars though) and they have a list of venues and festivals that they partner with that keeps me checking their site. Most of the time, I am paying over thirty dollars a ticket, because inflation, but I recently had the chance to snag a great deal for this event. I was eyeing it because of the family rock group, Infinity Song, was in the lineup. And this was one of the first TikTok viral songs that made me realize the youth are making good music.

By getting the ticket in advance, there was a two for the price of one deal, allowing me to take a bestie and for us to get back to those event prices of our youth. Since we are two olds, we checked the event page and arrived unfashionably early, we were a hour ahead of time. So we killed time drinking our sugary corporate coffee drinks that we had picked up along the way, eyeing the food trucks that would be closed by the time we left. We should have eaten before we shuffled our way in!

Being there so early we had time to drink and snag a spot to the left side of the stage where there are tables and chairs. This allowed us to creep on those trickling in and to discovery if we were okay or would hate the other bands performing before Infinity Song.

Before talking about the bands, I want to talk about what the event was for. Feel Good Fest wasn’t just a random assortment of weird rock bands with a distinct sound, it was put together by the SIMS Foundation here in Austin to bring awareness to their services and to raise money. They are a nonprofit organization that has been around for over 25 years and are part of the legacy around a local musician who died after a struggle with their mental health. His father, along with a group of others, started the organization with the aim of offering mental health services to the Austin musical community. They are beloved for a reason and they really stepped it up during Covid.

In between the sets, they had people with the organization, and other local musicians, talk about the importance and impact of their work. Feel Good Fest is an apt name, as the vibes were positive even when talking about real world issues like mental stability and having resources to do something about it. You can tell there is a passion not just in the music that they selected, but in the work that they are doing. Which is needed in this dumpster fire of a world.

But before there was Infinity Song, there were other acts. 

The special guest was an artist performing under their name Elijah Delgado. From Austin, this is an upcoming young artist that I heard things about but hadn’t had a chance to listen to before this show. Let me tell you that has changed. It is hit or miss with opening acts, I feel most are a miss for me or not memorable enough to dig into. Not this performance, from the first song we were like who is this guy (but in a good way). Moving to the songs that feel comfortable in its sound, even if it was the first time hearing it. His music has mass appeal, it is rock for sure but with the melodic pop sound that draws more people in than it turns away. He plays with a full band, even though you know that it is his music and songs that are being performed, and there is still harmony in the accompanying sound in the guitars and drums. You can tell they rehearse together and know their set. This was still in May, so the heat was not stifling and the band seemed so perfect under an endless blue sky, a beautiful backdrop of epic proportions. 

They were followed by a crowd favorite Cigarettes @ Sunset. They are an Appalachian rock band from North Carolina that has embraced and/or created the genre Possum Rock. Although they weren’t my thing, because of their t-shirt designs I still ended up snagging one since I couldn’t turn down a skeleton smoking a cigarette. This is a four piece band that incorporates a violin and is fronted by Garrett Dellinger. He has a country voice that fits the music, there is a bit of a rasp that must come from dialect and smoking, it lends itself to concept. He also shared his personal struggles and tied it into the songs that he was singing, which razed his base into a supportive frenzy, he reciprocated the love by doing some crowd work, very much felt like an Elvis moment. 

And then it was time for Infinity Song! I have been listening to their records nonstop, even going so far to pre-add the new album. The way these sibling harmonize, I was like there are too good to be true. And I was wrong. This Brooklyn group is amazing live. They fucking brought my friend to tears, okay he is an emo boy forever at heart, but still. They have the voices of heavenly choir, each one an angel (not just the one name Angel). They do Fleetwood Mac covers to perfection, they have sassy songs that sound like it was a classic ripped from the seventies, and the way they can play a guitar. I am hoping the backing band is also part of their family, because once again they have a theme that they are selling so well. Right now there are four that are performing together: Abraham, Angel, Israel and Momo Boyd. I believe it was Israel on the electric guitar, but for sure Momo was on the acoustic. The only negative thing I have to say is that no family should be this talented and musically inclined. I would see they perform live, again and again.

The last performer of the night was Night Cap, but our drinks and lack of food made us skedaddle and try to find the nearest Whataburger, so I can’t tell you what they were like. Just a typical end to a show, you can tell we got home before midnight since I did not end up scarfing down any of their taquitos.

Waterloo Records First Listen/ Shakey Graves

Of my recent musical experiences, one was free. I went to my first in-store performance at the new Waterloo Records, planning and taking time off of work to get the chance to hear some of the songs on the new album Fondness, Etc. As social media becomes a dumpster fire, growing bigger by feeding off the never ending fuel source that is our mental instability, it can be hard to remember that good things can come from it. Like free shows! But now that I have a reminder, I find myself filled with the compulsive need to refresh the pages for my favorite spots worrying about missing out.

Whatever, this is supposed to be about a success story, not the ups and downs of mania.

Anxious that I wouldn’t be able to find a parking spot meant that I was on time. Sooo, I ended up chilling in the cafe part of the record store and then chilling in front of the stage for a bit before the set started. I was smart enough to bring a book (The Hole, a piece of weird translated fiction that felt so at home in my physical setting, even if it is about a Japanese woman losing her sense of self within her marriage and the expectations of an idyllic country side life. It was a great contrast and reminder that at least I stayed in the city and did not find myself in a hole in a ground, stuck in a situation of my own impassive making, and as if that is anything different from the life I ended up choosing) and due to its length I was able to knock it out. I found parking, a free show, and had time to read; SUCCESS!

His performance wasn’t bad either. It was a nice contrast to the production at the first show I saw of his. Shakey Graves Day at Mohawk was all about working the sound set up and iconic stage, it included accompanying performing musicians and tv screens with visuals that matched to the songs. Since this was a performance given a day before the release of the record, and was part of a KUTX hosted interview here in town, this was more like a workshop session. You can see in his performance that he was applying the work and theory on how these songs will come together on stage and join his growing catalog. 

Starting off with the interview, he explains a bit of the sound and how he focused on using tape machines to give the vintage feel that he was looking for. Since he is not the only one into it this sound right now, he mentions that the price for a Tascam tape machine may be inflated because they are “pieces of shit,” but with a laughter implying an affection and that they are lovable “pieces of shit” that are worth the price, hassle, and popularity. He shared a personal story about how his grandmother gifted him one when he was younger, and confessed in the follow-up question that first was no longer around and not part of the record (which may have started the whole “pieces of shit” tangent). 

His interview was entertaining for the personal stories that he shared and for including a ghost story. He talked about the history he has around one of the guitars he used for the record, how it was gifted to him with a spirit and ghosts all of its own. There was a journey to repair and now that he has it in playable condition, the road led him to being able to use it on this record. The personals in this story and others shows an openness when discussing how fatherhood has changed him and how in the past he did not pass on the chance of getting fucked up. And with his mom in the audience! Margot Tenenbaum he is not.

He then played a set of about fives songs. Most of which were from the record and filled in with the stories that he will be telling on tour. 

At Waterloo the stage is to the back where there is a fur wall with different color fabric panels in the color scheme of the logo. I bring this up because that fucking wall was killing me with how the panels are not evenly broken up with the blues and whites. If I didn’t have a book, I think staring at the lack of symmetry would have broken my mind beyond repair. 

The stage is platform that is not far off the ground and because of the space, it is intimate. I was three rows back, in a place that probably has five rows if it is a packed set. There were still some tall people in front me, but not all the time so I ended up making uncomfy eye contact with him when he was performing. I am sure the others were digging it, but I was like ewwwww. I hate to be reminded that I am a spectator in a weird social construct with a complete stranger. We are fucking weird primates. 

In spirit of the record it was just him his guitar, kick drum, and a looping machine. He started off with “Time Flies” talking of his family and how this is a cover and written by one of his friends, the musician Franklin Russell Hoier. His third song was “The Boilermaker” and during the performance I could see the concentration and finger work, showing that he is pushing himself. I think most of his fans love the songs of course for its lyrical content, but also because of his skills as a guitar player. He can play with an edge, but even that is one that has an appeal across generations and genres. That is because he can make it twang, for those from the south the listener must concede that the sounds that they are hearing are not unfamiliar in two steppin country.

The last song of the record, was the last song from the record that he played. “No Place to Be” had a story that showed his work and patience. He said that it was his mother’s insistence that he kept it and rolled out those bones to give it structure before renaming and cleaning it up. The last song of the set was a hit from a previous record, “Roll the Bones.” See why I went with the cheesy phrasing that I did? This song is tried and true at this point, so it was a solid performance. His crowd was made up of a group of happy fans, stoked to get his new record the day before, and to get it signed on top of that, so they loved it. 

Don’t get me wrong, so do I. I stayed for the whole set even! I did, however take off as soon as he headed over to start the signing process because my social battery was depleted. I had just enough energy to pick up the used Fatboy Slim record I found and head home to torture my husband with it. As much as I like the music of Shakey Graves, when I like to dance I like it to be awkward and skanky and full of the bass.

Cobrah at Radio/East

Oh shit, here I am posting about the Rebel Ragers Tour like I didn’t shake my tits at Cobrah just weeks after lamenting about how I felt so alone at the Peaches show.

This performance was her first time in our city and was part of the Torn tour for her debut album by the same name. As my friend and I joked when I mentioned that I was catching the Peaches and Cobrah shows this year, this is part of my maiden mother crone worship that will be completed if I can snag a Madonna one before the year is out. Otherwise I think we will be stuck in this sexually regressed timeline, I am sorry for my failures if I don’t cum (bad sexual pun intended) through.

Let us start with one my biggest anxieties about leaving the house: the drive and struggle to find parking. My husband had been to this venue once before, so I avalanched him with questions he could not answer because he is a straight man who does not have my level of anxiety in all the same things. He made it seem like I could get parking near the site, but I couldn’t because this show was sold out and I took my sweet time getting there.

Driving wise it is in what I think of as the warehouse corporate district, my old job Progressive is in the area along with other sprawling office buildings with dedicated parking lots that may be tow happy, so down the street forced to parallel park did I go.

This is a coffee spot with food trucks and trees and seating for their daytime business, that can then convert to a popping night spot with an outdoor stage that will not piss off the neighbors (cause they are keeping office hours). While brilliant, it would be harder to get here if you are depending on the inconsistent public transportation that we have in Austin.

Another thing I want to mention is that it is a beautiful and open location, but the main area that will be used as the stage and dance floor is gravel and reminiscent of an unfinished Texas backyard - meaning that it is not heel friendly. Get sturdy shoes and maybe look into the terrain if you have mobility concerns.

Moving onto the next thing that shakes my nerves, how was it being at a sold out show solo?

This was a happening crowd that represented the Austin queer community, much like Peaches it was very compressed and packed in close to the stage. I was able to secure a good side spot near a couple of guys who were outgoing and drunk enough that they had to chat it up with those around them, my awkward self included. I am half deaf from youthful bad decisions, and with the earplugs I wear at concerts now I could only hear every other thing but their kindness and looking out for those around them made a difference. When I popped a squat because my old knees could not carry my stick legs anymore, one of them dropped down ready to sober me up or pull me out of a heat stroke. I had to make my apologies if I scared them, but fucking good on them for being aware of the messes around them.

Before we talk about her outfits, the clothing and kindness from the crowd was skanky and pure. This was a show that dressed to impress.

I did worry about Cobrah though with the lighting and Texas heat, she was wearing flesh toned lingerie with a mesh long sleeve body suit. It had to be stifling being overtly sexy while sweating your tits off, or at least that is what I think whenever it is still nineties degrees at night and I am wearing a tiny little outfit that is sliding off my body with my sweat.

Her set design was sleek and at times appears to be a bedroom on a pedestal. Like Peaches, she was accompanied by two dancers, these being brunette ladies that were also in their chonies that showed off how cut their bodies were as they rolled in timed to the beats. It would seem that she was "singing” more to a track than other performers I have seen, but this is a show that is more about the production. It has the pulsating lights and the pounding bass, I imagine it is hard to hit the moans or words with the same breathy tone as she incorporates hairography that may result in an occupational injury.

Much like the venue, there is a trade off when it comes to aesthetics. These things are not the worst downsides to encounter, just things that need to be considered.

Overall the show was amazing, one in which she was able to play most of her works because her songs are short and her catalog right now consists of EPs and this album. So of course I wanted more, which I think is was she wants and needs from her audience.

“Dog” has been on repeat since, and is the perfect compliment to my movie of the summer, Pillion.

Rebel Ragers Tour

I will disappoint you (or uphold the viewpoint you have that I am a vapid consumerist with no morals) with this one. You see my complaints about the Big Boi, M.I.A, and Kid Cudi show at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater won’t be about how M.I.A. started the disaster off with a (bamboo)bang(er), but how much I fucking hate the place.

It is massive and has been renamed. I believe the first time I was there, I was still able to snag affordable seats to see Elvis Costello with then coworkers, and it was still called the Circuit of the Americas. Since then I have been so frugal as to regulate myself to the general lawn for multi touring acts like Incubus and the Deftones. 

So far my most memorable and enjoyable time was when I was able to see Death Cab for Cutie with friends. The tickets were free and the nostalgia was being aided by my first heavy go of drinking post baby.  

“So I should have known better,” is then best way to sum up this show. 

I should have known better how crappy it would be to park, get to the gates, have a bag that passes the arbitrary policies. I should have known better that the view and experience is crap, that I would be spending a lot of money on public high school cafeteria quality food and festival level merchandise. I should have know better that it would start on time and that if I was late, I would be missing what I paid for since I was more into the opening acts then the headliner. 

Oh and I definitely knew better when it came to the antics M.I.A. would pull.

When I first bought the tickets for my husband and I, I reasoned it out with the idea that I would like all the music that would be playing. I would probably be asking my husband to stay out longer since I was the one that was more of a fan of all three artists.

The night of, I was the one ready to book it. We had a wet and unusually cool spring and summer, so the temperature was dipping and the walk and first part of the show was in the rain. I am always a bit late now of days, so by the time we got on the shuttle and through the front gates we can tell Big Boi was into his set.

Fuck.

He played a free show on campus in the last year that we both missed for legit reasons (work and we felt it would have been packed with the college youths). So this was a big pull for us to only get to see half of his songs. This would carry on for each artist.  

What we did see was full of energy, he gave a standard rap performance with a DJ booth set up and another rapper to help back him up. He played a medley of his music, but it seemed most of it was the songs that he is known for in Outkast. Because we fucked up in missing his set, yes I would watch him again if given the chance.

Now remember how we missed most of M.I.A’s set as well? It was because I was hungry for the shit food and I needed to waste my money. 

The Big Boi shirts were too expensive, but I knew I wanted something from my crazy girl M.I.A. Before the show we talked about how if she would be selling her anti-vac conspiracy wear and yes there was crumpled up tin foil looking bags that were so overpriced that it restored my faith that humanity will continue to grift no matter what the science says. I picked up one of her long sleeve shirts with a crazy pattern, excited to cosplay at the expense of my pocket book and at the expense of a woman with, I am sure, a complicated mental health state given the things she has said. And because it was chilly, I spent most of her set in the bathrooms behind the stage taking a piss and then layering that shit up.

We made it to the lawn to see her bring people on stage, hear a comment meant to bait the audience, and then get cut off mid “Paper Planes” for bringing all those people on stage. The crowd watched in silence as people twerked to what seemed like nothing, leaving them to build the theories that would start to pop up on Reddit. 

While waiting in line before all of this though, two things happened. My cousins spotted me, that was the only legit cool bit: that they were there as well. I was my awkward self and ran off before we could selfie. 

The other and actual pertinent thing was I did hear a female couple in the crowd call her MAGA with disgust, but for the most part just like Regina Spektor I would say the crowd was complicit, or more than likely (which is worst) they just did not give a fuck.

Then Kid Cudi came on and we listened to it for a bit before I was able to convince my husband I was done and I wanted to start the trek back home before everyone else. I would say he has passion for his music, but he is not the most talented singer or performer. Personally, his lyrics or beats just do not hit the same way that Big Boi or M.I.A. does. Still solid, but more of an at home album experience than live one for me. Which, is another “I should have known better” thing because duh I have listened to his albums.

While I am a sell out, let me just say that as much as I am trying to be woke I am also aware that I like music and art and movies and tv and jokes and books from people who are a range of dumb fucks to outright monsters. 

I like M.I.A., but way before this concert I was made aware that she was saying some questionable things about American politics and health policies that made me take a step back from respecting her as much as I once did. What she had to say in the past about borders and the immigrant experience was something that I was not hearing in the music I was listening to at the time, but what she is saying now just makes me side eye her and do a southern, “bless her heart,” cause it is dumb and I am sure tied up to things and experiences in her life that I cannot understand. I am not going to stop liking her music, I just have to like it ironically (90s Alanis Morissette style). 

It also consoles me that she is not an American voter, so while her poor opinions have an impact I wager it is less than Stevie Nicks. Who admitted in her show that she didn’t start voting until the last election and the apathy that rich (American) people express in that situation is more soul crushing than M.I.A.’s comments. 

And yeah Kid Cudi and everyone else in the audience should have known better too. 

Going Solo to see Peaches

Seeing Peaches perform is like a bucket list show for me, so much so I made sure to get her ticket the second the presale option was available. After reflecting on the set, I am still glad I went. However, it was a mistake to go by myself. This is a show to be seen with the group that sees you for the freak that you are.

Enough of regrets, but what of the set?

This was my first time at Central Machine Works, parking is nonexistent on this part of town so find a neighborhood street and prepare to walk into traffic. I missed the opening act trying to find the place and then a spot. Which sucks because they sounded amazing. I ate up a good hour walking, heading to the merch booth, waiting in the lines for the bathroom, and then waiting in line for a drink. I did not eat however, which may have been a missed opportunity since this is a beer venue with food. They also sell liquor for those like myself who can’t stand the taste of beer or wine. Shout out to the bartender who was able to make a tasty vodka drink for this picky person knowing nothing of my personality and with the items that she had available.

This was a packed show, you had to get tickets in advance which is part of the reason I was alone. As an adult some of my friends have to make a choice between medical bills and enjoyment because life sucks like that now. My quick moment to advocate for both universal health care and free show vouchers given out by the government as mental health aides, let us live a healthy and enjoyable life.

Peaches is the closest that I have come to seeing performance art in person. Yes she played the hits that I wanted to hear like “Operate” and an encore set that included “Fuck the Pain Away,” but she did these things while walking on the crowd’s hands or in pasties that had nipple hair so long it dropped to her crotch.

She made use of monstrous set pieces that brought to life the nightmares of our conservative leaders. Larger than life genitalia, in designer suits no less! Did John Waters come up with her set design, or just approve it? It was like nothing I have ever seen and left me booth skeeved out and keyed up. Can you image what it would have been like on psychedelics? If so, describe it so us straight edged adults can trip through you.

Now it wasn’t just a one woman show, her dancers were buff and beautiful Adonises that could stomach roll in unison in the most hypnotizing way. A magic act that hid the hip thrust that exposed comically large dicks that waved around in rhythm. Bopping like a lure on an angler fish from the deep.

I applaud her ability to use her music to protest the state of things for so long, for being so open to consenting kink and queerness, she has built a community that I am rediscovering as I moved from skank to mother skunk. I just like my idols to be from afar, especially when I am by myself. Her movement into the crowd confused me as I didn’t see us all drop to our knees to plead our lack of worthiness, we have not right to be part of this other then to perceive it.

If my friends were there, maybe I would have been more in awe and less in fear. Maybe I would have danced harder, drank more, become the mess that is always rolling underneath my skin. Instead I wished that you were there to enjoy it with me, this miserable life that is sprinkled with moments of escapes in the vices we keep. Fucking the pain away only works if there is a glint of knowing in the eye that you catch.

Peaches if for lovers, I mean she doesn’t ever really talk about masturbation unless it is mutual. You shouldn’t be dancing by yourself, but with others. So go, but go surrounded in love.

Last thing, I made a joke about her merchandise including a branded strap-on only to find that she was selling 30 dollar lubricant. Love the marketing, but god damn at that price. In this economy, as I jealousy watched everyone wearing their 100 dollar crop top mesh jersey that I couldn’t bring myself to buy. Could you imagine what the strap on harness would have been priced at?!

Deadly Prey Gallery Presents/ Alien, Evil Dead 2, Heat, Mask, and The Sopranos

What if my husband and I did things outside the one date a month I have started to schedule for us? What if we did things as they came up?

Then I would have more shit to write about on this damn blog!

My first time at the Museum of Human Achievement was to spend money on prints from the Deadly Prey Gallery. All credit around knowing that this event was going down goes to my husband, like most things that I end up going to - he told me about it. While he does not have a TikTok he still makes use of Facebook and Instagram like the hipster old man that he is, and I really need to appreciate him for that.

Every time we take the route from our house to the east side, it is like a drive back in time as we pass house after house that we were pushed out of due to lack of space for our family and lack of funds. Like damn, it would have been nice to have been able to walk to Medici coffee and whatever those bougie shops are, when we lived in the neighborhood it was just a used tire shop and rental dance hall. But also, fuck is it something to see your white side gentrify the minority (latinx) spaces and not get to benefit from your colonizing genes, I have a blue eyed baby let me (w)in!

And so the cycle continues.

Like the consumerists/wannabe capitalists that we are, we bought tickets for the chance to buy prints from this Chicago based gallery that showcases movie posters prints made in Ghana. Our understanding is that the proceeds go to a group of Ghanaians who create bizarre hand painted movie posters.

Based on a tradition from the 80s and 90s when the cinematic infrastructure of the country was based around mobile VHS screenings, the way to advertise the services was to get local artists to draw posters that were hung on the outside of small trucks. The trucks were then driven around as a way to let the locals know what movies were available.

The art is a folk reinterpretation or reimagining of classic film posters, as some of the artists knew little more about their commissions other than some basic details. As you look through the images you will see different artists take on what they thought Alien was about: one artist giving all the xenomoprhs guns and another realizing the horror was all in the concept of face huggers. Each poster leaves you wondering, what gave them the impression that it was going to be about that?

The group represented all seem to be male, and the images reflect stereotypes around that gender with hyper masculine imagery: so much gore, many beheadings, every movie is an action or horror flick, actors unrelated to the film are added in, and there is unnecessary nudity (unnecessary to the plot but not to the art). When there are dicks, they are aggressive and menacingly hard. Breasts are full and high, but there is no softness to their use. And death is everywhere.

As this is my first known exposure to artists from the region, I am not aware of the prevalent symbolism in their art but the skeletons are in a style that is recognizable and appealing to me. They have the same angular whiteness and disproportionate shape that recall the skeletons seen in Frida Kahlo’s or Diego Rivera’s work. The gore in some of the images reminds me of the ribbons and dissections seen in Kahlo’s pieces. It is unsettling, but so beyond surreal that it becomes absurd.

Which is why they are still being produced to this day through this gallery.

One or two of the older artists have passed, but the proceeds are said to go to their families. And I hope it does, this is the type of art that is ideal for patronage. Give the masses what we want and allow the paintings to live and produce beyond their lifespan.

The small space that it was in was at capacity with so many lining up behind us to get a chance to buy. As the last stop of the tour, this was a (five to members of the Austin Film Society I believe) four hour time slot where you could buy in person from the gallery instead of the website. And people were buying. Even as we snatched up what we wanted for ourselves and our boys, I was overwhelmed by others doing the same. It was a claustrophobic frenzy.

But hey at least I blew my money on the things, right? We didn’t get everything we wanted, if we did I would be broke. But what we did get, I am excited for. I can’t wait to posses it, mount it, stare at it in silence, ignore it, take if for granted, let it catch my eye at the right moment and remind me of the night and how before this we had rewatched Basquiat and after this we walked to pick up dinner holding hands and talked about art and talked about stupid things and talked about nothing and slept the day off and woke up to a new one.

Shakey Graves Day 2026

Okay but what if I complain about how this show was not hardcore enough? If seeing Shame at the beginning of the year was a reminder that I am old and not comfortable rocking out with the young fans, then Shakey Graves Day is yet another sign that as I approach my forties I am still clinging onto the Goldilocks mentality. Same conclusion, just a different set up that gets us there.

I like his music, and just like any show that I am leading up to I make it a point to listen to the artist’s discography so I do not come off as a poser. This was my first attempt to see this local but loved musician. I just assumed the sudden pop up date at Mohawk’s was because the artist needed the cash (cause they are starving and all for the craft) but it turns out that in 2012 Austin declared a day in his honor and he takes that as a chance to give back to the community. So this, and his previous shows on the anniversary of that declaration, is just the historical context as to why I look like an ass by jumping to those conclusions.

This year was to benefit HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians) an important organization that stepped up as a safety net during the pandemic. Although most would like (and I am including myself in this) to imagine Covid as thing of the past in this shitty time line, we all should also acknowledge that it is more important then ever to make sure that all within our community are insured and have the means to use their insurance to take care of their health.

Venue was solid, the weather was better, and the reason for the show is commendable. So what could I even bitch about?

It was sold out and the crowd matched the tone of the music. Rich country roots with a modern sense of urban awareness, the crowd was one that you could imagine is awaiting the second coming of Ann Richards to save this state from its stereotypical conservative ways. They believe in this and other socially aware causes, they can also identify with the lyrical content of Shakey Graves. But more importantly the crowd seemed to match where he may be in life, growing up while his daughter grows up, settling down to give the family thing a try, and sobering up as best as you can given your past and what will be needed of you in the future.

Ugh, isn’t it boring to be reminded that time changes and music takes on new meaning as you move from young adulthood, to adulthood, to old adulthood.

He played a mixture from all his albums, with a hint to new things. His set started out solo, but as he played other songs he called up musicians that would be needed to hambone or blow into a harmonica as an accompaniment. It shows that as a musician he may be writing his songs to what his abilities are, but that his abilities may be varied as he thinks about what else is needed to flesh out the song that he is creating. A guitar here, a kick drum there, and working with others to teach them how you play it - it shows more skill than what may be needed now in the age of AI.

My impression of his music has always been that the stories follow three line of thoughts “I am womanizer looking for the one to save me from myself,” “I booze too hard,” and “they only want you when you are 17 (when you are 21 you’re no fun).” And maybe that isn’t incorrect, since he does tell little tales in between songs to encourage a connection with the audience to a meaning. “Chinatown” is about a friend’s dream apartment that allowed him to crash and dirtbag around while finding himself. Another song is about a girl helping him to settle down, but has new meaning now that he has a two year old daughter (with a cliche realization that one day horn dogs will pull some tired tricks on her).

He talks and flirts with the audience, making them feel that they are in an Austin more idealistic than it really is. You were a rascal, but now you are cool family man (or woman). You have a love worth fucking and swaying with. Cool grown up things of happiness and content.

I hated how loved he is, with so many people there to experience that. They may be able to lose themselves in the crowd but all I could think was, “this is what I get for like a popular artist.” Long lines and being forced to touch elbows with happy couples. Barf, but also good for him for being so appealing and talented. May definitely see again, but here is to hoping no one else shows.

My First Show of the Year: Shame at Mohawks

My first show of the year was a Sophie’s Choice of sorts (I love that book, so yes I know what I am doing with my flippancy). I purchased a ticket to Shame at Mohawk’s months ago. I love Resound for the type of shows they have been booking and the price points, but the fear of not getting a ticket in time means I purchase as soon as I see a show is in town. So it was devastating, DEVASTATING, to realize that Meredith Marks was Paris Hiltoning at Empire Control Room the same night.

With a couple of rumor posts on the Austin subreddit about how shitty the owner is for Empire Control Room, the knowledge I already spent money on the Shame show, and the knowledge that Meredith Marks may be the less talented musician of the two groups…I stuck with my plan to see Shame.

And maybe this post is more about how I let fate continue on its way with me.

After starting our year with a real winter, the city was shut down for a week because Ted Cruz boarded a plan to Cali and we have collective PTSD from almost five years ago. By the time Shame was to play, it was a week later and no longer freezing shut down cold, it was just titsicle cold (as opposed to the weather standard for Texas: hot as balls). There was a couple of reminder emails to say the show was being pushed ahead an hour since there is no way that the native Texans and Austinites had adequate clothing. Facts, we all came out with cute hats thinking it was doing something, and it did not.

Which fine, it means that there would be less people out downtown because of the cold (even though it was a Saturday) and I was able to snag the convenient street parking to the side of the venue. I made it just in time to realize that the opener (who I incorrectly named as Wolf Mother, then Ghost Mother, before landing on their correct name GhostWoman cause my brain is old and scrambled from motherhood) did not suck. GhostWoman is the type of alternative rock that I could dig. I could not discern the lyrics, but I also couldn’t help but be into the droning guitar and heavy drums from the two person band.

I thought I would be able to stay warm and bop my way through both sets towards the back of the downstairs pit, securing a spot that allowed my short ass to see the opening act. That delusion started to dissipate after GhostWoman stopped playing and the dude groups started to move in. Taller bodies everywhere appeared out of nowhere and I could hear in clear detail one friend group discuss how they had “four layers of shirts, 3 layers of socks, and enough drugs to stay warm” which transitioned to how MEREDITH MARKS was playing. Proof that many were sadden to not be doing caviar bumps and dancing indoors in their cute fashions.

Would I have been more understanding of the crowd there?

Shame comes on and it seems they had some sound issues to start. But the mens in the crowd did not care or notice, they were true fans of the band and physical contact ensued as they started to thrash forcing the crowd to surge back.

I booked it. I adore dancing, but Robyn style on my own. Do. Not. Touch. Me. I have a personal bubble and it extends several feet to all sides of me, you get in that space and I will tense up like the little roly poly that I am. This tends to work out because people (especially in Austin) do not dance. It has also been at least ten years that I went to a hardcore or punk show by myself so I forgot that goes out the window when young men feel the urge to fuck shit up when listening to music.

Taking to the upper decks, I could people watch and enjoy the band without fear of human contact. The singer lost his shirt, but not his sun glasses, as he belted out the lyrics to a mixture of different hits from their four albums. There was some chatter between songs while one guitarist would get a new instrument handed off to him by the crew. Aside from the sound issues at first, they gave a quality show and kept up the energy that you get from their records.

I think I am just too old and was too cold, but I refused to stay for the whole show. I heard the songs that I am most into, like “Cowards Around” “Nothing Better” and “Tasteless.” They covered one of their weirder sounding songs, a song that seems more like it came from the 80’s and is an unexpected historical Brazilian tale called “Lampião”, it’s a song that brings a smile to my face every time I hear it. But by the time they had hit into their last song (“One Rizla”) before the encore, even though they yelled out their support for Palestine, I had already made a promise to myself that I was going home to my warm bed and was snagging some Whataburger french fries. I walked down the steps yelling with the crowd “Free Palestine” and maneuvered to my car singing out loud and off key about how “my voice aint the best you heard,” lyrics that I love and is a constant in my angsty playlists.

The cold gave me an excuse, but I must concede the show was good and if I thought I was too old for that scene then I would have been disappointed on the amount of money I would have spent feeling that way for Meredith Marks.

At least I got to have my personal moment, to a song I love, on my own terms. I hope this portend wells for the rest of the shows I see this year.

My Last Show of the Year: The Faint at Emo’s

I miss the old location on sixth street. I had seen Childish Gambino and She Wants Revenge there, you know all the best Millennial dirt bags musicians. Now, do not get me wrong. Just because I am doing the whole “I was there” thing, that does not mean that I refuse to drive over to the Riverside venue. Like any true Austin transplant, I am pointing out my history with the city in order to give myself an air of credibility.

To add to that, I need to admit that this was not even the first time I have been at the new Emo’s to see the Faint. I picked up a ticket because I like the band, this time I would not be going with coworkers that I would stop keeping in touch with before anyone even quit or moved, and because I needed to get out of the house and dance. I do need to be realistic, if they were still on sixth street I would be bitching about how annoying it is to get to the old venue location and park. Cause you know, I love to complain.

I hate driving, so the same bit applies about getting to Riverside. Since they are no longer downtown they have a dedicated parking lot, but it was getting pretty full because I like to pull up in the middle of the opener’s set. I fear I may be at that age where I want to do shit on my own time, but mainly I need to take some time to build up the courage to step outside my doorstep.

I should have planned better and got there sooner. The opener was killer and the merch booth was long. As I drank my expensive vodka drink, I felt compelled to dance in place while I watched my chances dwindle away at getting one of the Hercules & Love Affair muscle tanks. Due to my no longer young age and destroyed hearing, I held onto hope all the way until the group in front of me was able to ask about it. I then realized the head shaking for the first twenty people was because we were all wondering the same thing. My consumerism was limited to a new The Faint t-shirt, but I could have spent so much more between the two. If only The Faint would just lean into their lyrics and do some type of makeup collab. You know, the take my money meme.

Shirt secured, I made my way to the fringes of a crowd that was feeling it. This may have been one of the rare shows where the people were moving. You could tell from the energy of the crowd that quite a few people understood the glory that is a live performance given by Hercules & Love Affair. I did not know of their brilliance at first, but the next day I made sure to track down their discography on steaming services and have been listening to them since. My understanding is that they started performing in the late 2000s, they have the indie electronic feel that was blowing up around that time. I feel they may be more niche than some of the other electronic acts from the time period though, with their queer positive songs recalling classic house. They played “My Offence”, and their other hits, giving themselves a pathway to shuffle step straight into my heart.

I think that the opener and dance style of the headliner also helped me to feel so at ease during the show (well that and probably the vodka). The crowd demographic was queer, filled with friend groups looking to dance their night away, and hetero couples already paired up cause it was their date night. I did not feel out of place dancing by myself, nor did I feel like I was going to have to skulk away to avoid getting ground up on by someone I did not lust for. So that alone is a success!

What I dug about the old venue location still applies to the new, Emo’s has a way to make it feel intimate while also being hugggggge. Even at an outer edge you can get close to the stage without the claustrophobia of being dead center, giving a good view of the performers on stage. In between my head bops and the lowering of my creaky knees so I could get down, I was able to see that the band was giving their performance of their hits as much as we were giving them in dance moves. Album wise they focused on tracks from Danse Macabre and Wet From Birth, but even when they played an older or newer track that may not have been as popular the crowd did not relent in their dancing devotion.

While I dipped out on the last bit of the encore, I wanted to get home before I started ranting and raving about Waymos and what is happening to this city, I did so ecstatic over the money I had spent and the aching in my body from acting like I could dance the way I used to when listening to The Faint. It was a good night and an amazing show to end my year with.