This is fine.
We are a little bit clear of ACL 2021’s two weekends. We dealt with the mental gymnastics required to attend both weekends during a pandemic. Proof of a negative test or full vaccination likely meant that Zilker Park was the safest place in Austin. But then again, a lot of people are liars.
So difficult to let go of being safe, yet so easy to get caught up in the moment.
Let’s get on to some thoughts a few photos.
| Date | Thursday, July 8th |
|---|---|
| Location | The Aristocrat |
| Doors | 5:30PM |
| Tickets | FREE! |
If you haven’t heard, the ATH crew is back in action with our vinyl nights going down a couple times a month. Our new spot is The Aristocrat over on Burnet road which features some great staff and cheap prices on all drinks. We’d love to see you next Thursday as we play some of our favorite joints on vinyl and hang out with some of our favorite people. Let’s get back to normal and enjoy some sweet sweet tunes. Requests will be listened to but not necessarily honored…
ACL Festival 2021 is happening. The lineup is out, wristbands are available at noon. This is technically the 20th anniversary edition.
If you had wristbands for 2020, here is a path to verify your 2021 carryover. Find your email for your order by searching your inbox for ‘Your ACL Festival Weekend [One or Two] Receipt’. Get your order number. Click on the WE1 or WE2 ticketing links. In the top menu, click on Manage Your Order and enter the email, order number and phone number. You should get a confirmation page for 2021 wristbands.
GET VACCINATED.
Over the last two weekends, I have been out to see a couple of shows, as some of you may have noticed on the instagrams. Two Saturdays ago, I had procured tickets to see Sun June with Buffalo Nichols at 3TEN. This past Saturday, it was a quick trip down to The Far Out Lounge to support SIMS Foundation, see some friends and catch a bit of Moving Panoramas. I have to tell you, it was release of stored anxiety while being a source of stress. I wasn’t sure if it was okay to be out, to feel nearly normal. There were some fist bumps, goose bumps and even a few hugs. Let’s get into the venues, the bands, the CDC, the resulting social politics without being too political and a big batch of photos.
It has been some time since we have heard from Andre Obin. Out of the Boston area, I’ve been a fan for some time and thankfully, he returned the back catalog to the streaming services after remastering a bit at the start of 2020. “Disconnect The Wires”, hopefully a preview of what’s to come on his work on Cleoparta Records, is a perfect slice of darkwave. The tone is set with snaps and a distorted synth bass-line that evolves with the track as it builds. Put on your best headphones and let it rip as there is a ton of space between the elements that are introduced independently in breaks until it all starts to collapse in on you with an abrupt yet graceful exit.
For this show review, we’ve brought in a new contributor to the team who will hopefully hit up some shows we might not normally attend and offer even more coverage in the Austin area. On Saturday night our new writer, A.Burnett, went out to Scoot Inn for a show by the now legendary performer Dan Deacon. She wrote some words for us and took some pics as well. Her review along with photos can be had after the jump.
Last Wednesday, we were treated to an evening of tunes from the legendary and mystical Dan Bejar. Riding high off the well receivedHave We Met, Bejar returned to the Mohawk to a nearly sold out crowd. After years of creating tunes largely under the radar, and really seeing his breakthrough record around a decade ago, I was pleased to see so many people brought back once more, or perhaps out to see Destroyer for the first time.
Click past the jump for words on the evening and some photos.
SXSW is meaningful time to all of us here at ATH. It allows us to now only see some great bands, but to also meet some truly amazing people from all over the globe. One of our dear SXSW buddies hails from Glasgow and originally turned us onto Catholic Action a few years ago at a showcase he helped put together. Today I am pleased to share this short interview from the band prior to their appearance in Austin next month. Hit it after the jump.
Part of the fun in SXSW is discovering new bands both before and during the festival as you see where the wind takes you. For me, Kentucky based scream pop group GRLwood is one of those new bands and I’m already really digging what I’m hearing. From the small sampling of music I’ve listened to today, I can tell that this band must put on one hell of a live performance. Hit the jump to read their responses to our SXSW questions.
Philadelphia based Beach Slang has long been a favorite around the ATH offices. Through some turmoil in the past, founder and leader James Alex has managed to persevere and create some killer tunes over the years. Of course this means we were overjoyed to have Alex answer our SXSW interview questions this year. You can find his answers after the jump.
