Full Moon Over E. 6th St . / Austin , Tx.

     Since I've been back from the SXSW Fest. in Austin , several of my friends have asked me what it
was like , and as my leg muscles were still recuperating I'd say somthing like , " lots of walking", or ,
" it was overwelming ", which it was and I did do alot of trucken' around Austin . Lots to see and hear
and I wanted to touch as much of it as I could and thus the physical exaustion . Now I've been home
for almost a week and wanted to try to describe a few moments down on E. 6th St. under a full moon
on a Saturday night . Which was the last hurrah for the two week indie film and music celebration .
    My day was starting late as I'd been up very late the night before and I was seriously tired and so
took a bus into town . I remember now , I actually started by walking ( limping ) to a record shop ,
that was about a 15-20 minute hike away from town but there was stuff happening all over the place ,
not just downtown , and I wanted to hear this guy give a talk on East African groove music or som-
thing . When I got there I stuck my head in the door but nothing was going on that I could tell but I
did hear some lovely guitar strummen' and female singing comin' from somwhere so I walked around
to investigate . There , behind a "vintage"  clothing place called Amelia's was a little rock-garden set
up with a stage and maybe 15 or so people sitting around at tables or on fold out chairs listening to the
beautifully voiced , Dayna Kurtz . It was a georgeous day , maybe 3 or 4 in the afternoon and the
grekels were chirping and cawing away , seeming to enjoy Dayna"s singing as well as the 84 or so
degree weather . I decided , for a change not to be in quite as big a hurry as usual and stood listening
to another few songs and then stayed for a few more from the next performer , Ray Bonneville , who
was another excellent singer/ songwriter . I bought a CD from Dayna , foolishly forgetting to even ask
for an autograph from this completly humane and gifted lady , tucking into my swag bag , headed on
down the road .  After a couple of minues I strolled past a kind of Funk-metal band playing out in front
of what I think was a head shop . I stood listening for a couple of minutes but soon moved on 'till I got
to the bus stop . I had a pass from the previous night and within a few a bus came and carted me into
town .  Now, I know I was gonna talk about wild things goin' on down on 6th St. but I wanted to say
a word first about the food in Austin . I should have asked around more but believe me when I say I
looked and being a vegetarian was somwhat disapointed . There was plenty of 'tacos' but no seeming
burritos and for all the other fast food joints and bar food I found there was scant in the way of good
'veggy' meals especially when it came to portions . I did land at the 'Pita Pit' on Congress Ave. a
couple of times and though I enjoyed the make your own pita thing (and being able to sit down) ,
I rarely felt full . Also , let me add that there's nothing quite like ordering a sandwich at a bar down on 6th when things are swingin' ; not only was I wondering how the hell my server was ever goin to find
me but knew that with loud music and the steady flow of hundreds of bar patrons that another con-
versation with the bartender who took my order was probably out of the question . Somhow they
found me , and I wandered out to the carnival street to consume my hard fought prize .
    Now , I knew months ago when I ordered my ticket to fly to Austin that there'd be a full moon at
the height of this festival. Knowing what I know , ( I consulted my astrological sourses ) , full moons
are generally a good time to throw a party as everybody is feelin' groovy and upbeat . This was a kind
of pandemonium I wasn't prepared for . I should say somthing here about the weather , which on the
whole was much like the day before and the day before that . I've already mentioned that it was in the
mid 80's and it was perfect during the day , that is when the sun was shining but  as soon as the sun
started sinking the wind would pick up . And when I say pick up I mean no B.S. gusts of 20 to 30 mph
winds sucking between those modern high-rise buildings and down every little side street in Austin .
There was no place to hide , well maybe in one of the hundreds of over crowded  , loud-ass bars but
hey , the party was in gale force right in the middle of the street . Thousands of mostly young , hip,
college students were out marching up and down , looking for somone or somthing while most of the older tourist meandered along the edges trying to take it all in and not get caught in the current .
Yeah , hightide was rippin' and the fools were runnin' , some in skimpy little T-shirts and some in the
cutest , shortest skirts that looked soo cool when the wind wasn't blowen' but was causen' the ladies
to stroll with one hand over their back-sides while the other arm wrapped the top tryin' to keep warm .
And it's not that it was cold ; probably in the low 70's but with the low humidity of centrl Texas and
that darn wind it felt a bit colder . Still , everyone looked cool , and I could tell that some people were
beyond caring what the winds may bring , as well as some who suffered when the sun was hot but
because we wore long jeans were doin' OK . 
    So it's gettin' late and I'm wonderin' what to do and I start milling down 6th in an easterly direction,
and it's been a day already but here I am goin' for broke and just walken towards the loudest, crowd-
edest place in this big party of a town . This is old town and many of the bars , stores and converted
warehouses have an early western feel to them , and this is where some of the most renowned metal
bars have located . Well , somwhere between San Jancinto and Neches I started noticing somthing
remarkable . Hundreds of people coming and going , while the open aired bars were starting to wail.
The vibration rolling out of these music halls was down -shifting and the pulsing droned out metal
basses were causing my guts to roll , and I was in the middle of 6th St. ! Then , another phenomenon
entered my awareness ;  the hundreds of people that were jam-packed in this paticular block were
all talking . LOUDLY ! So as to be heard by this or that comrade and the din that was being produced
rivaled the gut wrenching spasm that only heavy metal can muster and the resulting vibration , both
physical and auditory left me serching for comparisons . Maybe cloned drones being chewed up by
the metal munching monsters on acid and then being regurgitated with the gravity of Jupiter causing
the whole thing to somhow implode while short , modulated waves washed over and around us .
Anyway , I couldn't believe it and also couldn't believe how to most people it seemed like just
another opportunity to out do the scene. Man , that shit was loud . That's it . I took a long time to get there but I hope it was worth the wait . Now I'm gonna go get my swag-bag and put away my maps
and mardi-gras beads .

'Psyche' Music @ the SXSW Fest

Upon returning from Austin, Tx. I thought I'd talk a little about what I heard and saw ...

     ... and now for a word about our sponsor , 'Psyche' Music ; not that psyche stuff was bank-rolling
the events ; that would be all the corporations , bussiness' and record co.s' that dumped buckets of money on this liberal , south-western college , scenic 'American' stage but it was everywhere .
   It seems that the wagon many have hitched their hopes to is a throw-back to the late '60's/ early '70's,
that was characterized by the blarring electric guitars , fully amped to express the hightened sense of
the psychedelic experience . Wah-wahs , feedback , reverb , distortion and perhaps a slight disreguard
for proper tuning are back in vougue only with a little less reckless abandon , a little more tastefully
presented .  Not that the 'psyche' scene has been ignored by the burgeoning rock world only now it
seems to have expanded to include nearly all musical genres .  African-beat , Country-rock, Folk,Funk,
Rap , Reggae , even Pop , which to my mind is no longer pop when the guitar solos play too loudly or
too long over the smooth vocals of innocuous love songs . But there it was , pop styled songs from
Brazil , Japan, New York and beyond , all wrapped up with the sustain and wild ramblings of brash ,
lead guitars .  As I said before though , it's a designed release , as if the various musicians know where
the line is for their particular style and whether it be to compliment the tobacco-chewen' twang of
lonely cowboys or the dangerous , urban machine-gun word smithing of rappers most seem only will-
ing to wade in the shallows , never to fully submerge themselves else they'd lose their particular claim
to idetity .   Perhaps Tim Leary was right after all , about psychedelics being      the great equalizers .
    Of course some are more equal than others and I felt that the psyche influence works better with some
sounds than others . I liked the Afro-rythmn stuff  as it seems to be open enough to the seeming improv
of screaming guitars , perhaps also affording a sturdier framework for the looser guitar sounds to
bounce off of . Also , the direction of Country-rock seems headed towards a successful marriage of
acid-soaked slide guitar fused with dusty, working class , toe-tappen' tunes . This can be seen as a
continuation of the early Hawaiian lap steel or later Les Paul stylings that revolutionized the tradional
ballads and waltzes of early country music. Although this current psyche influence stems more from
the Roger Mcguinn school or Johnny Winter than any debt owed to Chet Atkins.
   I don't want to give the impression that all heard at SXSW was 'psyche' music , in fact there is much
experimntation going on of which this is only a part . I was particularly interested in the quality of
plain ol' folky type singer song writers , but it has to be said that the greater music world is entering
a much more complex phase where hyphens are the norm as people absorb and try to comunicate
with an audience that is expanding while the globe shrinks .
    I wonder about the people running these record companies and if they're standing there scratchen'
their well coifed heads, 'cause I doubt most of them would know a hit sound unless it reached up and
bit them in the wallet . And what are the various musicians thinking ?  Do they feel the 'psyche' thing
is a real part of what they're doing or merely another tool in their kit bag to reach a hipper audience?
    I suppose it is an evolution of sorts , much of it tied to the hopeful sounds of youth , living for the
moment ; and the hope of the industry that these retro-hybrids will be seen as 'cool' and sell .
As I recall , not many had the prescience vision to hear Dylan at Newport in '64 and know what was
gonna happen next.
    All in all I'd say it's a rich, curious and creative time in the larger music world . And who knew ?
That 'psyche' music would come back so pervasively and carry the day ?
 

Reflections On Time / Austin Tx.

I'm in Austin for SXSW. It's a beautiful town with very friendly people  and mostly all are into the festive energy . I came here, like many , just to enjoy the scene ... the music and the craziness of all these people out for a "good time" and to be a part of something , perhaps a happening or maybe something bigger than my little world . Since I'm an older guy I don't exactly fit in with the young party-down crowd but that's also because I choose not to get drunk and howl at every opportunity as if I were part of the show .
But of course , we are and I do believe in applause , even exaggerated hooting if something really moves
me .  So , I am enjoying myself  and will probably be investigating many new ( to me ) artists after I get 
back home .  For now though I wanted to say a few words concerning our sponsor , or  the "commercial" aspects  of the big Austin shindig .  I don't think anyone is kidding themselves that everything costs money and to notch it up a little ,  that all of our actions have consequences  . Now , I don't  get the sense that I'm walking down a carny mid-way with the obligatory cons and hawkers but there is no doubt that this production is about trying to sell.   I suppose because I'm not an industry insider that I don't understand the whole deal and how people come from all over the world to spend money here , thus stimulating the local economy and that when a record label throws itself an insiders' party ( one of which I attended )  just to garner some exposure , maybe a little press  to gain some national attention  it's all seen as the way it works .  If it's all about priming the pump then my guess would be that Austin is about as flooded with industry money as the downtown streets are choked with  day-old  fliers  and posters swirlen' in that devilish  prairie wind  .  So , I don't know ... I saw , and heard Lucinda Williams at  Moody's Friday night in what was billed as 'Ten Years of Lost Highway'  , that's records of course and the whole show was great , probably the  highlight of my time here , esp. the hour or so that Brian Bingham and band spent on stage . Still , there was that huge 'Lost Highway' logo bookended by these even bigger BMI  logos . And then there was Lucinda .  She tightrope walked the stage with a kind of hypnotic grace , seeming oblivious to the crowd and yet careful to acknowledge that we were all there . She started out by thanking the big cat who introduced her , ( ...and then on the eighth day God created Lucinda ... ) , and of course thanked her record company for letting her make the kind of records that she wanted to . But my sense of it was that this was sort of required payback and that all the artistic licence that is offered is a trade-off  and in a sense Lucinda is as stuck in the game as the barkers down on 6th St.  But of course they don't write such soul wrenching paeans to love as she does which is why I'm buyin' what she's sellen' , not them , uh , unless it comes with  smokin' hot babes , and did you say 'free beer' ?