Sunday Plans

Plan A: Go to a movie.
We drive to see "In Bruges" but end up circling the neighborhood for twenty minutes unable to find a parking spot. The movie starts without us.

Plan B: Walk on the beach.
Still without a parking spot, we head to Baker Beach for a relaxing stroll. Strong coastal winds pelt our faces with sand. The beach is deserted, a few sad picknickers are crouched under trees. We return to the car.

Plan C: Purchase cheap doormat.
Remembering that there is a sale at Cost Plus, we drive to Daly City and purchase a colorful doormat for $7.99 -- along with $80 of cheap wine with colorful labels.

On some days leaving the house is overrated.

sláinte to Kim Bitter

Happy Birthday to Kim Bitter -- she of the Fearless Rescue Sled!

Boing! It's Springtime

Our backyard is full of unfurling fronds.

Happy Easter Eggs

The (attempted) annual Easter gathering of the 3 o'clockers was achieved in 2008. (minus one ailing PVC whose absence was mentioned many times throughout, both verbally and in the pagan graffiti on the plastic tablecloth. We missed you PVC.)

All ready for the PAAS - because only the traditional kit will do.
No camo or Dudley please.

Rodeo queen (mostly all recovered) immediately claimed the sheep stickers as fashion accents. A sure sign of a full recovery.

I retained my Egg Boxing Champeeen Title (whew) all thanks to Mad Midwestern EB Skillz.

Ace CPA brought this choco-marshmallow-nut bomb. Ouch, my teeth hurt looking at it. No thank you I said, it will kill me dead.

Sugar counter-balanced with RQ's magic strawberry spinach salad. yum. and farmer's market All-Star tamales.

Nice eggs -- all ready for the hiding and hunting.

Happy Easter!

Assorted SXSW Highlights

Deer Tick at the Brooklyn Vegan Showcase.

Jeffrey Lewis & the Jitters.

Fantastically funny AND educational with a whole song devoted to the Russian Revolution complete with hand drawn pictures! They call this sort of thing anti-folk.

Blurry picture of Eau Claire's Bon Iver (aka Justin Vernon). I had to sneak away from the iPhones peoples to take this picture (checking e-mail at a concert is stupid so cut it out.) Writers like to go on about how Justin made this album when he was living in an "isolated cabin" in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and ate venison to survive the frozen winters. Very ex-ot-ique, noh?

Have I gone on about how much I love Kelley Stoltz? As someone I befriended at this concert said to me "This is how music is supposed to make you feel!"

Another highlight -- a free show from The Dodos. Why is that whenever I travel miles away I always end up seeing another band from San Francisco that turns out to be my favorite...and how do they get that giant marimba around town?

This is a Dodo's tamberine footwear innovation. (I want one).

It was hot, but there was (non-diary) ice cream! DJ Big Cookie picked the best one.

Little Teeth come with pots and pans (and accordions).

We took a pedi-cab to the 3am punk rock show on the Lamar Street Bridge. "Awesome!"

If you didn't believe me earlier, J. Mascis was there.
*gray hair represents!*

It was crowded and we decided to steer clear of the swirling mosh pit. Then we got sleepee and went home. It was 4am after all and beds are comfortable.

My Favorite Geezers

I'm not immune to the power of rock stars idolized in my youth. The best part of Carbon/Silicon (Mick Jones' new band) was how happy he was playing in front of the crowd. When he did the Clash guitar walk the happiness was infectious. Fan girl confesses that at one point when he looked straight at her for a few seconds too long she felt dizzy and nearly keeled over. I think he was hypnotically drawn to my beaming grin. Mick Jones people! He looked at me! (thud).

...and then there was Jad Fair. At one point Atsushi asked me, "Which one is Jad Fair?" and I responded "He isn't on stage yet. He wears big black glasses." Which left me feeling like an idiot when I realized that he was the old guy with gray hair. Some Half Japanese expert! Can you back me up on how obsessed I was with this band? Like Clark Kent with lasik surgery -- secret revealed when he starts to sing "I Know How It Feels...Bad."


Which brings me to My Dad Is Dead. I slipped around the corner because I couldn't believe that they were scheduled to perform. The nose was the most recognizable. I stood with a smattering of other Homestead Records fanatics -- suspicious sideways glances all around. Songs from "The Taller You Are The Shorter You Get" but everything else is different. I am stubborn in denial. I deny you passage of time.

A fuzzy memory

The fact that I attended the first SXSW Music Festival in 1987 is a closely guarded secret -- sure it dates me, but also I don't mention it because I can't quite remember if it's true. I have the T-shirt in a box somewhere in the garage but I can't be bothered to dig it up. Was it 1987? Was that the year we drove down from Madison listening to the cassette (supplied proudly by the Librarian) of the Partridge Family singing "Point Me in the Direction of Albuquerque"? Or was that the following year? Was that the year the Buck Pets played and Kim Bitter scared the bartender at the UT lounge? And why is that the only show I remember seeing? Actually, mostly it's not even the music but following the Buck Pets with their giant hair down the hallway and giggling. There was also something about an overcrowded Bob Mould show and Gibby from the Butthole Surfers sitting at the bar, but I believe that was SXSW #2 or 3? in 1990 or 91 -- because that year I brought the Chef along and Kim Bitter met up with us in Austin. I recall being jammed into a very tiny bar watching another great show from The Texas Instruments. Also, instead of another music showcase, The Chef made us go see an art movie (gasp) that was "Killer of Sheep" which was finally restored and released last year. The Chef always knew what was going on way ahead of time. Plus, he just reminded me that we saw Uncle Tupelo in the Waterloo Record Store parking lot. (I recall that particular year all the music showcases were WAY more crowded, and I promptly returned home to tell everyone that it was not worth the bother to attend. This year in Austin, Joe reminded me that I told him that.)

Anyway, I'm certain the Librarian and Kim Bitter have better memories than indie rock granny and can set me straight and make additions on all of the above. Glass Eye, The Reivers, The True Believers -- Doctor's Mob? I think that was a whole other story. Lend me your smarts.

The last SXSW I attended (which I believe was #4?) was in 1998 -- don't fall over but that could also be described as "ten years ago" and my oh my the clock ticking gets loud. I met up with Rock Mama that year, before she was a MAMA! (wow). Highlights include backyard bbq parties in the suburbs with Old 97 fan club members and trying to see variations of the Mekons/Sally Timms/Waco Brothers twenty times. Neko Case blowing my socks off. Freakwater! Accidentally coming across the best Alejandro Escovedo performance I've ever seen (and oddly, standing in line for the bathroom w/ Glenn from Doctor's Mob snicker snicker) and shortly afterward eating the best taco ever from an taco truck on the outskirts of town. Rock Mama feel free to chime in, I know I'm missing other good bits. Wanda Jackson signed my CD at the record store! That was a very happy twang year.

That brings us to a few weeks ago -- SXSW #5? I came prepared and focused to see as much music as humanly possible in three days -- and despite that, I still feel like I missed out. Indie Rock Granny is never happy unless she hears and sees everything and that never happens. Dammit! Just for the future blurry memory record, this year I managed to see Deer Tick, Jeffrey Lewis & the Jitters, Mahjong (thumbs down), Kaki King, Frightened Rabbit, Bon Iver (from Eau Claire!), Kelley Stoltz, The Dodos, Tim Fite, (insert a whole Social Registry showcase that is a blur involving Joe and two members of the Upright Citizens Brigade and yelling "Traitors!" as they waltzed off to the Playboy "Rock the Rabbit" Party - note: indie rock granny is proud that she has strong opinons about dumb ass events that market themselves via sexy ladies with big tits. As I said to the third person who invited me "wow, playmates. That sounds super-fun. not!"), Raveonettes, Jens Lekman, Carbon/Silicon (Mick Jones!), Portastatic, Half Japanese, Chet, Little Teeth, Evangelista, Citay, My Dad is Dead and (away from the swirling mosh pit -- either No Age or F*cked Up?) More importantly J. Mascis was there.

A SXSW shout out to all the adventure seeking co-conspirators over the years -- the sweet librarian, Kim Bitter, the Chef, Rock Mama and adding to the list this year the wonderful DJ Big Cookie, her "awesome" pal Mark, my old friend Joe the hipster indie label mogul and the good-natured Scrabbel posse.

I am going next year and hope you all will join me.

Speeding Motorcycle: The Musical

Walking back from SXSW showcase #36, I walked under this banner which made me SCREETCH. "Speeding Motorcycle," the MUSICAL! If I only had another week to spend in Austin, I would be standing in line for tickets.

Oh, and stay tuned for a suitcase full of "Indie Rock Granny goes to SXSW, sees all her favorite bands from the '80s and is somewhat surprised that they look old" stories. However, that doesn't mean she (and J. Mascis!) couldn't stay up until 3AM to attend the punk rock party on the Lamar Street Bridge.

IRG is proud to remain in denial and encourages you to do the same.

Procrastination

Watching: "Breaking Bad"
(Missed it? Season 1 repeats next week)

Reading: "Persepolis"
(before I see the movie)

Listening to: "What's Happening In Pernambuco?" Kelley Stoltz "Circular Sounds", Monade "Monstre Cosmic", Marty Ehrlich & Myra Melford "Spark!", Mountain Goats "Heretic Pride", The Terrordactyls, Evangelicals "The Evening Descends" and (new!) Del The Funky Homosapien.

Doing:
Procrastinating by making random lists to avoid packing for Austin.

PVC Surprise!

If I had my camera -- this entry would feature blurry photos of people hiding and giggling with the lights off, astonished looks and retaliatory punches, nice people and familiar family members, a long balloon string wrapped around a small dog (and rampant running around of dogs of all sizes), crazy delicious food (brisket!), a giant cake with frosting dots, a deconstructed lemon meringue, discussions involving the antics of David Thomas, a picture of the birthday girl from twenty years ago (OMG) when she first met the very same fellow who set up her surprise birthday party - last night.

Happy Birthday PVC! We are glad you decided not to hit the road to visit the Doris Day dog hotel.

Noodle Paws

Buddha transistor

Donna's cool radio buddha -- part of the Activist Imagination show @ Space 180. We will be back to bang on the door and hear the song.