Yeah, we got our hairs frosted in Austin. What of it? We also filmed more than two dozen videos of our trip to the big rock n’ roll circus fest in Texas (which you can find on our Lost In Austin page). But if you don’t feel like plowing through said body of work, might we suggest this mercifully succinct highlight reel? It’s got exclusive footage of our SXSW showcase, MAKE FUNNY NOT WAR, as well as the day party we cosponsored, MESS WITH TEXAS 2.
.
And it’s all thanks to this guy.
That’s Captain John P. Arrive-Safely-At-SXSW and boy, did he live up to his name. The flight was a bit touch and go. Not only did it seem to last 9 hours. But somewhere over Mississippi, the turbulence kicked in and scared the crap out of me and Matt. Luckily, we ain’t afraid of a little soothing airplane blankey action. I even kept mine.
We managed to touch down safely here in Austin around 12:30 today. As Brian Eno once said, burning airlines give you so much more.
Now we’re at the convention center and it’s a madhouse. But we have our badges, so it’s off to our hotel which is just a hop, skip, jump and an “I-can’t-fucking-believe-they-booked-us-so-far-from-downtown-Austin” (as you can see from this Google map; we’re the lil’ number 2). Oh well.
Which means, we missed it. We don’t get there until this Wednesday but who knows? Maybe they’ll be screening it in some dark nook of the Austin Convention Center or something.
Either way, We Are Wizards is a fitting vehicle for Brad Neely’s first foray into the magical world of cinema. It’s a documentary about the rabid subculture of Harry Potter fandom and from what we can tell from the trailer, Brad figures prominently in it.
For the uninitiated, that’s Brad reading from his epic Wizard People, Dear Readers (available for download at Creased Comics). It’s an unauthorized alternative soundtrack to the first Harry Potter movie. The story goes that before he started doing videos for us, he used to do readings of Wizard People synched up to the Sorcerer’s Stone in various venues around this great country of ours. Just Brad, a microphone, a movie screen, a six pack of beer and an audience. Then Warner Brothers issued a “cease-or-we-will-sue-you-for-everything-you-have” order. Which Brad did. But clearly they haven’t silenced him from talking about the whole ordeal.
The funniest thing about all this is that Brad has told us that he’s never even read any of the Harry Potter books. Not a one. How’s that for fandom?
Got all that? For those of you who have trouble focusing on four-tone neo-psychedelic event posters, let us paraphrase: Mess With Texas 2 is going to be amazing (the Breeders? Really?). It’s also the “other” big party we’re involved with next month in Austin. For the second year in a row, we’ll be sponsoring the comedy stage at the all-day shindig and we couldn’t be happier. Especially now that it’s moved to an outside venue, is all ages, open to the public and going down the very next day after our “other” big party there.
So, once again, if you’re in downtown Austin Saturday March 15th with nothing else to do, please drop by.
It’s official. We’ve made a bright yellow poster with black writing on it. As you can see, that writing provides details about a party we’re throwing at this year’s South By Southwest music conference. It also elucidates the names of the entertainers that will be performing at the event as well as its exact location, date and time. Should you find yourself in Austin, Texas in the fair month of March, we suggest you stop by.
Update: Re-uploaded the poster to make a correction or two.
First off, this isn’t Pitchfork, so don’t expect any elaborate descriptions likening Peter Bjorn and John’s performance last Wednesday in Austin to a Wilhelm Reich essay on modernity. Up until a few moments ago, when I Wikied Reich, I thought he was the periscope operator in “Das Boot.” Not to mention that I originally assumed Peter Bjorn and John was the name of a gay day spa in New York.
However, I will say that I experienced what can only be described as a total sensory overload of music (and comedy) at this year’s South By Southwest festival. I think some 2,000 bands played in the span of four days. And those were just the acts that were “officially” listed.
Wherever I went in Austin, I was immersed in music. I’d sit down at a local Mexican restaurant, and there’d be some cool band playing on the patio. I’d use the bathroom, and there would be some singer-songwriter doing an acoustic set next to the urinal. I’d walk around the block, and there’d be a group of buskers serenading me. One night, a homeless dude even tried to get me to do a “mic check” on his crack pipe. Whatever that meant.
And then there’s the actual music venues: the clubs, the bars, the concert halls, the tents, the fucking McDonald’s. They were all packed at all times with an ever-changing roster of bands. Sometimes two or three different acts would be playing in different rooms of the same place at the same time. Sometimes it seemed like two different bands were playing in different times on the same stage.
Of course, to hear the music, you had to schlep to the music. And that, my friends, was the second biggest activity at the conference. You schlep everywhere. You schlep to the shows, you schlep to the parties, you schlep to meet up with your friends. I met one hipster who had been schlepping for so long, evolution had taken over, and his man-purse actually grew into an appendage.
Speaking of hipsters! Does anybody know how many it takes to see a show at South By Southwest? 100. Ten to watch the band, five to blog about it, and 85 others to stand in line for it. Now multiply that equation by five-fucking-million, and you’ll have some sense of the impromptu population of scenesters, gawkers, shit-talkers and rockers that descended on the Texas capital last week.
And what an ironically homogenous group of non-conformists we were. For the boys: disheveled, skinny, and mustached was the look (as opposed to preppy, fat and clean-shaven?). I swear to God, there was enough lip hair there to form a complete chain of “Ironic Moustaches Across America” coast to coast. Only the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca can boast more facial scruff for your buck.
For the girls—and I’m not even going to pretend to know what the hot-shit fashion of the moment really is—Olsen Twin chic still seems to be holding sway. You’d suspect every cute indie chick was nursing a black eye, judging by all the oversized sunglasses being donned.
But I digress. Overall, South By Southwest was a lovely affair. Despite the long lines, the crowds and the drunkenness, I can’t remember seeing even one person having a bad time. For the most part, the attendees were cheery and polite, and the locals, gracious and inviting.
Lastly, our party was a blast, and if you couldn’t make it, you better axe somebody! Big ups go out to following peeps for making it the best damn two-day comedy/music extravaganza there: David Cross, Aziz Ansari, Eugene Mirman, Brian Posehn, Jon Benjamin, Hard & Phirm, Jonah Ray, Michael Showalter, Zach Galifianakis, Jon Glaser, Leo Allen, Les Savy Fav, The Black Angels, Andrew W.K., Dark Meat, Brother Reade, Spindrift, Danava, Matt & Kim, David Vandervelde, The Apples In Stereo, Ladyhawk, Fatal Flying Guiltoteens, The Carbonas, The Cubical, Dead Meadow, The Walkmen, The Black Lips, The Ponys, Deerhunter, Fucked Up, Sloan, Erase Errata, Sean Blacklist, Adam Hobbs, Henry Owings and Jared and the entire staff at Red 7.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, mothertruckers!
If you’re not swimming in a sea of green beer today and find yourself in Austin, why not come down to our fine party, MESS WITH TEXAS, DAY 2!
Thanks for everyone who came out yesterday and waited in line for our very democratic party (no badges required!), especially to all the comedians who made us laugh—and, of course, all the incredible musical acts who rocked our world. We’re sifting through pics and footage we’re dying to show you (that’s all but hindered by our slooooooow hotel Internet hook-up and our alcohol-rotted minds), so stay tuned.
In the meantime, here are some random pix of our Texas invasion.
If you’re in Austin and want a dose of some awesome comedy to go with your muzak, come to our party today and tomorrow… Noon - 6 pm.
SXSW Lost In Austin Brad Neely Super Deluxe Tim and Eric Nite Live Make Funny Not War music Baby Cakes Rants Bob Odenkirk Podcasts Atlanta Jonah Ray Professor Brothers Eugene Mirman Watch and Listen odd Austin Texas interviews Olde English Fark TV Devin Flynn Y'all So Stupid Chelsea Peretti Mess With Texas 2 Super Deluxe Uploaders Site Updates Daily Inspiration Launch blogs Hard N Phirm Xmas MySpace Drugs Are Bad Mmkay Reviews Dave Hill Thank You news Frumondah South By Southwest Super Deluxe employees Super Deluxe blog Tim And Eric NYC The Post Show Ben Schwartz Cartoon Corner All My Exes David Cross
