Welcome the new addition to the family, Scout. He is a 4 month old Tibetan Terrier and he kicks ass. So far, he loves to run around constantly and do crazy slides across the kitchen floor. I will try to put up tons of pictures on my photo site.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Canoe Trip 2010
Last week, Paul, Austin, John Michael and myself decided to go on a small weekend camping/canoeing trip. I haven't been camping since I was in the Boy Scouts in high school, so I thought it would be fun. But I did forget how tiring canoeing can be at times.
As you can see from the map above, we decided to do a 20 mile canoe trek in two days, which honestly isn't that bad at all. We arrived at the campsite around 10 pm and set up camp right next to the river. The four of us helped set up a camp fire and the tents, we polished off a 30 pack of Miller High Life. I know the the Miller High Life Guy would approve.
As you can see from the map above, we decided to do a 20 mile canoe trek in two days, which honestly isn't that bad at all. We arrived at the campsite around 10 pm and set up camp right next to the river. The four of us helped set up a camp fire and the tents, we polished off a 30 pack of Miller High Life. I know the the Miller High Life Guy would approve. 
One bad thing about the campsite was that a group of rednecks were on the other end and we could hear their music almost all night long. I would rather hear their crappy music instead of them making each other "squeal like a pig" Deliverance style. We stayed up until 2 that night and finally went to bed (or pass out, just depends on who is telling the tale) so we could get up early in the morning to get our canoes.
The four of us got up bright and early at 7 am in order to check into the canoe rental company and get our canoes. Once we were ready to go, all of the groups that were canoeing that day got into several trucks to head to the river. Since there were more people than seats in truck, Team Drink Too Many Beers Before Canoing decided to just ride in the back of the truck. In some cold ass weather. With a strong wind. And little alcoholic beverages. I know what you are thinking "OMG, did these people survive? What happened to the brave souls"? Well, obviously we survived because I am writing this whole thing down after the trip.
Before we even got into the Brazos River, a funny thing had happened. The loud backwards rednecks that blasted loud music the night before, were attempting to get into the river with one of their canoes when one tipped over and all three occupants got soaked. I know this sounds stupid and immature but I laughed my ass off.
Anyway since it was a 20 mile trek, we decided to do 10 miles one day and 10 miles the next. It took us way too long to do the first 10 miles the first day because we stopped a lot and checked out the wooded area around. We also brought an iPod cooler and probably spent way too much time having a couple of beers and listening to music.
We also swam alot in the freezing river but you would eventually get use to it after a couple of minutes. Realizing how much time we were wasting, we decided to go full strength on the river and make it half way before setting up camp. And when we did reach the half way point, we found the perfect spot on where to camp for the night.
There was an island that only had a couple groups setting up camp on it, but had plenty of room for more people as well. I think what made alot of people turn away from this camping spot was the fact that there a ton of people on the island, but the majority of them were just taking a break before heading down farther down the river.
There were multiple reasons why this island was the idea campsite. A). We were on an elevated land mass, so we could see anyone that was either coming or going. B). Since every campsite was secluded and surrounded by trees, you could as loud as you wanted without pissing off the people around you. C). Again, tons of trees, which means we had plenty of firewood for the night and the next morning. D). Finally, we didn't have to tie our canoes down to anything and keep them in the water. We could just bring them up near the campsite and not worry about the drifting off in the middle of the night.
We made camp around 3 that afternoon and just relaxed for the rest of the day. Hot dogs were cooked over the fire for dinner and just listened to the iPod cooler and enjoyed a couple of drinks before sleeping in our tents around 11.
The next morning was not that bad but you could tell that everyone was still kind of tired from the day before. We broke down camp and quickly got back on the river by 9. For awhile, the four of us were the only ones on the lake and it was pretty damn cool. We stopped a couple of time to jump off some cliffs or just to take a break from paddling so much.
It actually took us longer to do the first day than the second mainly because we didn't half ass as much and we were adjusting to the constant paddling. The first day it took us about 6 hours to complete 10 miles while it only took us about 4 the second day.
After finally making it to the end of our trip, everyone seemed worn out but willing to go on another trip. And remember those rednecks for the beginning, well as we made it up to shore, so did they and they tipped over again. I am just happy that nobody in my group tipped over at all.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
That Damn Kerby's Lane Waiter
Our waiter was the textbook definition of a douchbag. First of all, the waiter was just a smart ass kid who probably thinks he is the funniest guy ever and a complete badass. But after some discussion with our group, we came to the conclusion that this little biatch probably cries himself to see in a dark, dirty corner in his room while using his tears as lubricant.
Here are several and true reasons why this kid is the worst waiter and a dick. The waiter asked if we liked the ACL concert since he saw all of our wristbands, we said yes, and he replied by saying he "f**king yea you should have like it". Our table didn't really think anything of until and he came back and started to make diarrhea jokes, pig jokes (to which I told me the some plot details about the movie Babe) and how we don't need any tableware because Kerby Lane is now an ethnic restaurant. First of all, the last comment didn't even make sense and second of all the kid is a jerk off.
After 20 minutes of his comedy routine, we started to make fun of him and I am pretty sure that he heard us because he all of a sudden became very quiet around us and extremely polite. He either heard or someone else complained on him. Either way, we didn't make any comment until we got our food, because we all saw the movie Waiting... and did not want anyone to mess with our food like they did in the movie.
Anyway, the kid was a douchbag and no one left him a good tip after he kept on making more inappropriate jokes. If you see this asshole looking douchbag, punch him square in the jaw.
Here are several and true reasons why this kid is the worst waiter and a dick. The waiter asked if we liked the ACL concert since he saw all of our wristbands, we said yes, and he replied by saying he "f**king yea you should have like it". Our table didn't really think anything of until and he came back and started to make diarrhea jokes, pig jokes (to which I told me the some plot details about the movie Babe) and how we don't need any tableware because Kerby Lane is now an ethnic restaurant. First of all, the last comment didn't even make sense and second of all the kid is a jerk off.
After 20 minutes of his comedy routine, we started to make fun of him and I am pretty sure that he heard us because he all of a sudden became very quiet around us and extremely polite. He either heard or someone else complained on him. Either way, we didn't make any comment until we got our food, because we all saw the movie Waiting... and did not want anyone to mess with our food like they did in the movie.
Anyway, the kid was a douchbag and no one left him a good tip after he kept on making more inappropriate jokes. If you see this asshole looking douchbag, punch him square in the jaw.
Austin City Limits 2010 - Day 3
Its the final day at ACL and this is the day that I get see one of the bands that I mainly came to ACL to see. That band is non other than The Flaming Lips.
Today was my day of whatever I see will be fine by me as long as I get to see the Flaming Lips. We got to Zilker Park super early and saw a band called Shearwater. Since they were one of the first bands to open the show for the day, I had no problem at all getting right up to the stage and listening to a couple of their songs. Again, being one of the 1st bands of the day has its disadvantages, such as playing a shorter set compared to the other bands. And this is what happened to Shearwater. Once their 45 minutes were up, it was time to see White Rabbits.
I have heard a couple of White Rabbits songs and they seem pretty damn good to me. It was hard for me to compare them to another group but I think that the White Rabbits and Spoon should go on tour with each other quickly. After the White Rabbits, I saw a group based on Callaway's recommendation called Dawes. I was surprised about how good and how many people came out to see them since they had such a short amount of time for their set.
After Dawes, I saw a gospel group called Relatives. They reminded me of the scene in the Blues Brothers with James Brown at the Gospel Church.
It definitely felt a little bizarre walking to watch the Flaming Lips while the sun was still shining on Sunday. The sheer spectacle of their live show is unquestionably enhanced by darkness, but they made the most of their hour-long set at this year’s ACL festival.
Right before they started to play, frontman Wayne Coyne addressed the crowd to thank them for waiting and to explain that he would be coming out into the audience in his “space bubble” and he hoped everybody would “love each other and help each other” instead of rushing toward the front of the crowd.
After an introduction from local poet Thax Douglas (whose pants kept falling down and showing is 330 pound ass to the crowd), the band members slowly entered the middle of the stage one by one. But the band did come out in a very interesting way. Even before the band was introduced, an image of a naked lady was being displayed on the huge video screen on the stage. The naked lady would dance around for a couple of minutes and the she laid down like she was about to give birth. The video screen got closer and closer to her downstairs bonanza and gave "birth" to each member of the band. And by "birth", I mean each band came through a door that was right in the middle of her danger zone. Then Coyne emerged standing inside of his infamous bubble. It was slowly inflated until it rolled into the audience and he began to float above the crowd as the band played an instrumental introduction behind him. You can check out a video of the entrance here.
When they settled in to “Worm Mountain,” the first proper track of the set, the stage exploded with balloons and confetti. Keep in mind, all of these things happened before the band was done playing their first song.
You don’t really see or hear the Flaming Lips as much as you experience the Flaming Lips. By the time they had gotten halfway through “Silver Trembling Hands,” the second song of the set, Coyne was perched on the shoulders of a man wearing a bear costume and was encouraging the audience members to scream as loud as they could.
The band’s 1993 hit “She Don’t Use Jelly” was up next, after which Coyne strapped on a helmet cam, which began broadcasting on the screen behind him, and declared it to surely be “the most beautiful night that Austin has had all year.” With all of the on-stage banter and crowd interaction, the band only managed an eight-song set before their hour was up. As the daylight started to fade, Coyne said that the band “would play all night if we could” before closing down the stage with an epic rendition of their 2002 single “Do You Realize??”
It was my first time to see the Flaming Lips and I cant wait to see them again. I knew they had a great live show, but their performance definitely went beyond my expectations. Check out their set list here.
Next up was the National. I have only heard of this band through friends so I didn't know what to really expect since my friends were describing them in different ways. All I can say is that this band was awesome. To me, they reminded me of the band Interpool. The lead singer had a great voice and the band was spot on with whatever they played. It sounded like listening to a cd, they were that flawless. Here is their set list.
The final band of the night were The Eagles. I like this band alot, but they did not seem like a good fit to close ACL. Their songs were just too slow for me and not that entertaining. They did have the largest crowd but that was because no other band was playing at the time, so the concert goers only had them to listen to.
I could tell that I was not the only person who felt this way because I saw tons of shirts with the famous Big Lebowski line "I hate the fucking Eagles Man". I have seen them in concert before and they are great in their own setting, but I just dont think that they are "ACL closing" type of band good. I have never left a concert early before, but I only listened to a couple of their songs before retreating to the car and heading home. I wish they were more enthusiastic instead of cheesy and somewhat boring. Anyway, here is there setlist.
Today was my day of whatever I see will be fine by me as long as I get to see the Flaming Lips. We got to Zilker Park super early and saw a band called Shearwater. Since they were one of the first bands to open the show for the day, I had no problem at all getting right up to the stage and listening to a couple of their songs. Again, being one of the 1st bands of the day has its disadvantages, such as playing a shorter set compared to the other bands. And this is what happened to Shearwater. Once their 45 minutes were up, it was time to see White Rabbits.
I have heard a couple of White Rabbits songs and they seem pretty damn good to me. It was hard for me to compare them to another group but I think that the White Rabbits and Spoon should go on tour with each other quickly. After the White Rabbits, I saw a group based on Callaway's recommendation called Dawes. I was surprised about how good and how many people came out to see them since they had such a short amount of time for their set.
After Dawes, I saw a gospel group called Relatives. They reminded me of the scene in the Blues Brothers with James Brown at the Gospel Church.
It definitely felt a little bizarre walking to watch the Flaming Lips while the sun was still shining on Sunday. The sheer spectacle of their live show is unquestionably enhanced by darkness, but they made the most of their hour-long set at this year’s ACL festival.
Right before they started to play, frontman Wayne Coyne addressed the crowd to thank them for waiting and to explain that he would be coming out into the audience in his “space bubble” and he hoped everybody would “love each other and help each other” instead of rushing toward the front of the crowd.
After an introduction from local poet Thax Douglas (whose pants kept falling down and showing is 330 pound ass to the crowd), the band members slowly entered the middle of the stage one by one. But the band did come out in a very interesting way. Even before the band was introduced, an image of a naked lady was being displayed on the huge video screen on the stage. The naked lady would dance around for a couple of minutes and the she laid down like she was about to give birth. The video screen got closer and closer to her downstairs bonanza and gave "birth" to each member of the band. And by "birth", I mean each band came through a door that was right in the middle of her danger zone. Then Coyne emerged standing inside of his infamous bubble. It was slowly inflated until it rolled into the audience and he began to float above the crowd as the band played an instrumental introduction behind him. You can check out a video of the entrance here.
When they settled in to “Worm Mountain,” the first proper track of the set, the stage exploded with balloons and confetti. Keep in mind, all of these things happened before the band was done playing their first song.
You don’t really see or hear the Flaming Lips as much as you experience the Flaming Lips. By the time they had gotten halfway through “Silver Trembling Hands,” the second song of the set, Coyne was perched on the shoulders of a man wearing a bear costume and was encouraging the audience members to scream as loud as they could.
The band’s 1993 hit “She Don’t Use Jelly” was up next, after which Coyne strapped on a helmet cam, which began broadcasting on the screen behind him, and declared it to surely be “the most beautiful night that Austin has had all year.” With all of the on-stage banter and crowd interaction, the band only managed an eight-song set before their hour was up. As the daylight started to fade, Coyne said that the band “would play all night if we could” before closing down the stage with an epic rendition of their 2002 single “Do You Realize??”
It was my first time to see the Flaming Lips and I cant wait to see them again. I knew they had a great live show, but their performance definitely went beyond my expectations. Check out their set list here.
Next up was the National. I have only heard of this band through friends so I didn't know what to really expect since my friends were describing them in different ways. All I can say is that this band was awesome. To me, they reminded me of the band Interpool. The lead singer had a great voice and the band was spot on with whatever they played. It sounded like listening to a cd, they were that flawless. Here is their set list.
The final band of the night were The Eagles. I like this band alot, but they did not seem like a good fit to close ACL. Their songs were just too slow for me and not that entertaining. They did have the largest crowd but that was because no other band was playing at the time, so the concert goers only had them to listen to.
I could tell that I was not the only person who felt this way because I saw tons of shirts with the famous Big Lebowski line "I hate the fucking Eagles Man". I have seen them in concert before and they are great in their own setting, but I just dont think that they are "ACL closing" type of band good. I have never left a concert early before, but I only listened to a couple of their songs before retreating to the car and heading home. I wish they were more enthusiastic instead of cheesy and somewhat boring. Anyway, here is there setlist.
Austin City Limits 2010 - Day 2
Its time for day 2 of this 3 day long concert and our group is taking a different approach. Since the majority of the bands that we wanted to see were at stages right next to each other, we decided to camp out in the middle of the two stages so we could get a decent view and earshot of both of the stages. And it worked out just fine.
Due to our extremely creative thinking, I am pretty sure we were inducted into Mensa because of this, we were able to get great seats for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Pete Yorn, Lucero, Manchester Orchestra, Broken Bells, The Temper Trap, and Gogol Bordello.
The 1st band I saw was Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Let me tell you, Grace Potter has a voice and set of legs on her that should make a lot of ladies nervous. The band has been described as a "modern day version of Tina Turner stroking the microphone in a spangled mini-dress while fronting the Rolling Stones circa Sticky Fingers". The quote couldn't be closer to the truth. If you don't believe me, check out her song "Paris (Ohh La La)" and "Tiny Light". I couldn't think of a better way to start the 2nd day at ACL. Grace Potter's complete set list can be found here.
For the next couple of hours, I was hearing the music but not really paying attention to it. I ran into my friend Jenny and hung out with her husband and their group for a while. Some of the groups we listen to as we talked were Pete Yorn (known for being a badass on guitar), Lucero (known for being new to me, that is not a song, I just never heard of them before), The Manchester Orchestra (known for Wolves at Night), Broken Bells (one of the members is Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse), The Temper Trap (known for Sweet Disposition), and Gogol Bodello (known for their song "Party"). They all had a couple of songs that I recognized and could sing along to. One reason that I love attending ACL is that normally, I wouldn't see these bands by themselves because I don't know much about them. From seeing their portion at the festival I would probably be more inclined to do so now. Here are the set list for The Broken Bells and The Manchester Orchestra.
I have been at the concert since noon and it is now 7:30 and its time for the big sought out bands to start playing. I am not an avid fan of techno and I really don't know much about it, but I did want to see Deadmau5 (pronounced Deadmouse). Let me tell you, this guy is the shit (from a novice point of view of course). First of all, he wears a mouse costume and second his concerts are more like shows. Here are couple of examples of what I am talking about. Example 1. Example 2.
After the Deadmou5 show, it was time for Muse to come on and take the stage. I have seen Muse before when I saw U2 a year ago, so I was anticipating how good of a show Muse would put on. And they did not disappoint at all. They started their set with the song "Uprising" with green neon lights going all over the place. This was by far the most crowded of the shows of the night. People were divided by either Muse or MIA and you could tell what their choice was. During their show, Muse did play a decent cover of The Star Spangled Banner that went right into Hysteria. The band played for 90 minutes and gained most of the fans that left the MIA show early. You could witness a sea of people singing along to almost of Muse's songs from beginning to end. This show seemed alot better than the one I saw with U2. Their complete set list is here.
Next up, The Final Day at ACL.
Due to our extremely creative thinking, I am pretty sure we were inducted into Mensa because of this, we were able to get great seats for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Pete Yorn, Lucero, Manchester Orchestra, Broken Bells, The Temper Trap, and Gogol Bordello.
The 1st band I saw was Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Let me tell you, Grace Potter has a voice and set of legs on her that should make a lot of ladies nervous. The band has been described as a "modern day version of Tina Turner stroking the microphone in a spangled mini-dress while fronting the Rolling Stones circa Sticky Fingers". The quote couldn't be closer to the truth. If you don't believe me, check out her song "Paris (Ohh La La)" and "Tiny Light". I couldn't think of a better way to start the 2nd day at ACL. Grace Potter's complete set list can be found here.
For the next couple of hours, I was hearing the music but not really paying attention to it. I ran into my friend Jenny and hung out with her husband and their group for a while. Some of the groups we listen to as we talked were Pete Yorn (known for being a badass on guitar), Lucero (known for being new to me, that is not a song, I just never heard of them before), The Manchester Orchestra (known for Wolves at Night), Broken Bells (one of the members is Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse), The Temper Trap (known for Sweet Disposition), and Gogol Bodello (known for their song "Party"). They all had a couple of songs that I recognized and could sing along to. One reason that I love attending ACL is that normally, I wouldn't see these bands by themselves because I don't know much about them. From seeing their portion at the festival I would probably be more inclined to do so now. Here are the set list for The Broken Bells and The Manchester Orchestra.
I have been at the concert since noon and it is now 7:30 and its time for the big sought out bands to start playing. I am not an avid fan of techno and I really don't know much about it, but I did want to see Deadmau5 (pronounced Deadmouse). Let me tell you, this guy is the shit (from a novice point of view of course). First of all, he wears a mouse costume and second his concerts are more like shows. Here are couple of examples of what I am talking about. Example 1. Example 2.
After the Deadmou5 show, it was time for Muse to come on and take the stage. I have seen Muse before when I saw U2 a year ago, so I was anticipating how good of a show Muse would put on. And they did not disappoint at all. They started their set with the song "Uprising" with green neon lights going all over the place. This was by far the most crowded of the shows of the night. People were divided by either Muse or MIA and you could tell what their choice was. During their show, Muse did play a decent cover of The Star Spangled Banner that went right into Hysteria. The band played for 90 minutes and gained most of the fans that left the MIA show early. You could witness a sea of people singing along to almost of Muse's songs from beginning to end. This show seemed alot better than the one I saw with U2. Their complete set list is here.
Next up, The Final Day at ACL.
Austin City Limits 2010 - Day 1
The day has finally come, its time for the annual concert at Zilker Park also known as Austin City Limits! After a 3 hour drive with Callaway and Santiago, we finally arrived at Darby and Jenny's house. We were there for a total of 20 minutes until we head for the all day concert.
Before we walked in to the concert, I had some extremely good luck. As I was walking to cross the Lady Bird Lake, I found an unused 3 day ACL pass on the ground. So I did what anyone would do, I picked up the ticket, made sure it was real, and sold it to a scalper that was 8 feet away from my left for $ 100. So my weekend was pretty much covered for.
The first band that we saw was Blues Traveler. I have never seen these guys in concert before and I also haven't heard any of their songs since Junior High, but damn they put on a good show. They of course sang their songs "Run Around" and "Hook" and cover versions of Radiohead's "Creep" and Sublime's "What I Got". They played for about an hour and I didn't realize how many songs of theirs that I knew. There was a great standout moment during there set. It was when John Popper, the lead singer, invited a 15 year old Austin native to the stage and had a "music off" with her. It was basically who could amazed the crowd with the most with their musical instrument. Obviously Popper played the harmonica while the 15 year old girl played the violin and an incredible speed and procession. That definitely had to be one of the highlights of the day for me. Once they finished their 12 song set, it was time to wait an hour for the next band which are The Black Keys.
When the Black Keys came on the stage at 4, the whole crowd went crazy. Right now, The Black Keys, which consist of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney , are known for their song "Tighten Up" and the music video which is pure awesome at its finest.
One thing I loved about their set was that there was not alot of talking. They just thanked people for coming to the show, introduced themselves, and went right into playing their music. A song that alot of people knew, but didn't know they knew was "I'll Be Your Man". The song is played over the opening credits to the HBO Show "Hung". It was kind of funny hearing people say that that song was the theme to the "Dick Show" on HBO. Since almost every band had about an hour to play, they could only perform a handful of songs. After reading some of the reviews about the concert and seeing the size of the crowd first hand, the Black Keys were definitely one of the main attractions during the ACL weekend. You can find the complete set list from the concert here.
Jump to an hour later and it is now time for Spoon to take the stage. Now, I have heard of the band but I have never gotten a chance to listen to their music. Based on their ACL performance, they have a new fan for life. At first, it was kind of tough to get super pumped about their songs like the other fans because they knew them so well, but they were pretty damn catchy that by the time the 3rd song was being played that I was jumping around like crazy. Spoon did seem to go all out because the lead singer said that this was going to be there last show in America for some quite time. When he said that, the crowd started to go even crazier and then it happened. It was glorious. It was majestic. It was the first hot girl flashing her ta-tas. Pure awesome, but not as awesome as when the piano player of Spoon went all "Martin Riggs" on his piano and destroyed it on stage. It was a great way to induct a newbie into the Spoon Fan Community. The complete Spoon set list from the ACL show is here.
Less than a minute after Spoon ended, I was on my way to the Vampire Weekend stage and check out their set. Since ACL has 8 stages and bands are constantly performing all through out the day, you will have to show up early to get close seats to a band that you are dying to see. Since I didn't have to much time to spend from the end of the Spoon set to the Vampire Weekend set, I ended up missing a couple of their songs. To be honest, I am only a new fan of theirs and I only wanted to hear "Cousins" and "Giving Up The Gun", which I did. After I heard my songs, I left to take my first piss break since I got there because it was almost 8 and I may have had some beers or 5.
Another reason I left the Vampire Weekend set early was to get decent seats for Phish, which was the last show of the night. This is another band that I only knew of but never got a chance to listen to them. But I am glad that I did. I knew that they were a big jam band, but I am now convinced that they are one of the best. They played for an hour and a half and at times I didn't know when one song ended and another one began. It was a good way to end the night, because the music just seemed to set a certain tone that I don't think any other of the bands from that day could do. You can check out Phish's set list here.
Before we walked in to the concert, I had some extremely good luck. As I was walking to cross the Lady Bird Lake, I found an unused 3 day ACL pass on the ground. So I did what anyone would do, I picked up the ticket, made sure it was real, and sold it to a scalper that was 8 feet away from my left for $ 100. So my weekend was pretty much covered for.
The first band that we saw was Blues Traveler. I have never seen these guys in concert before and I also haven't heard any of their songs since Junior High, but damn they put on a good show. They of course sang their songs "Run Around" and "Hook" and cover versions of Radiohead's "Creep" and Sublime's "What I Got". They played for about an hour and I didn't realize how many songs of theirs that I knew. There was a great standout moment during there set. It was when John Popper, the lead singer, invited a 15 year old Austin native to the stage and had a "music off" with her. It was basically who could amazed the crowd with the most with their musical instrument. Obviously Popper played the harmonica while the 15 year old girl played the violin and an incredible speed and procession. That definitely had to be one of the highlights of the day for me. Once they finished their 12 song set, it was time to wait an hour for the next band which are The Black Keys.
When the Black Keys came on the stage at 4, the whole crowd went crazy. Right now, The Black Keys, which consist of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney , are known for their song "Tighten Up" and the music video which is pure awesome at its finest.
One thing I loved about their set was that there was not alot of talking. They just thanked people for coming to the show, introduced themselves, and went right into playing their music. A song that alot of people knew, but didn't know they knew was "I'll Be Your Man". The song is played over the opening credits to the HBO Show "Hung". It was kind of funny hearing people say that that song was the theme to the "Dick Show" on HBO. Since almost every band had about an hour to play, they could only perform a handful of songs. After reading some of the reviews about the concert and seeing the size of the crowd first hand, the Black Keys were definitely one of the main attractions during the ACL weekend. You can find the complete set list from the concert here.
Jump to an hour later and it is now time for Spoon to take the stage. Now, I have heard of the band but I have never gotten a chance to listen to their music. Based on their ACL performance, they have a new fan for life. At first, it was kind of tough to get super pumped about their songs like the other fans because they knew them so well, but they were pretty damn catchy that by the time the 3rd song was being played that I was jumping around like crazy. Spoon did seem to go all out because the lead singer said that this was going to be there last show in America for some quite time. When he said that, the crowd started to go even crazier and then it happened. It was glorious. It was majestic. It was the first hot girl flashing her ta-tas. Pure awesome, but not as awesome as when the piano player of Spoon went all "Martin Riggs" on his piano and destroyed it on stage. It was a great way to induct a newbie into the Spoon Fan Community. The complete Spoon set list from the ACL show is here.
Less than a minute after Spoon ended, I was on my way to the Vampire Weekend stage and check out their set. Since ACL has 8 stages and bands are constantly performing all through out the day, you will have to show up early to get close seats to a band that you are dying to see. Since I didn't have to much time to spend from the end of the Spoon set to the Vampire Weekend set, I ended up missing a couple of their songs. To be honest, I am only a new fan of theirs and I only wanted to hear "Cousins" and "Giving Up The Gun", which I did. After I heard my songs, I left to take my first piss break since I got there because it was almost 8 and I may have had some beers or 5.
Another reason I left the Vampire Weekend set early was to get decent seats for Phish, which was the last show of the night. This is another band that I only knew of but never got a chance to listen to them. But I am glad that I did. I knew that they were a big jam band, but I am now convinced that they are one of the best. They played for an hour and a half and at times I didn't know when one song ended and another one began. It was a good way to end the night, because the music just seemed to set a certain tone that I don't think any other of the bands from that day could do. You can check out Phish's set list here.
Austin City Limits 2010
ACL-goers could not have asked for a better weekend, as the weather was nothing but perfect the entire weekend, leaving only this year’s loaded lineup to surpass this beautiful October weekend in Austin. These good omens resonated throughout the Texas air from the moment my friends and I approached Zilker Park, we approach with the glorious romp of The Black Keys’ “Everlasting Light.” After finally making it into the festival, Beach House took the stage sandwiched in between highly anticipated performances by The Black Keys and Spoon. Lead singer Victoria Legrand crooned her way through the now quartet’s set, providing a despondently warm and delicate compliment to the driving rockers of that afternoon. The Baltimore group recently added two new members, and a choice that has made all the difference in their performance. Songs like “Take Care” and “10 Mile Stereo” were brought to life with the additional support of a drummer and auxiliary instrumentalist. Beach House were at their best, holding their own against the rest of the established indie-rock acts playing on late Friday afternoon.
Spoon and Vampire Weekend continued the solid string of acts on night one of ACL. Britt Daniel and Jim Eno always put on a great set, let alone in front of their hometown crowd. The Austin natives brought it all on song after song in relentless fashion, including the brass-laced “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb,” the vastly underrated “Trouble Comes Running” and the infectious groove of “I Turn My Camera On.” Across the park, Vampire Weekend blasted off to a quick start with a blistering version of “Cousins.” While I’m not the biggest fan of the band, there was little if any doubt about their ability to perform. Ezra Koenig and company provided the perfect transition into the first evening’s headlining acts.
While both The Strokes and Phish provided two different and compelling choices for the Friday nightcap, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see this generation’s premier jam band. Also, on a personal note, the Vermont quartet was one of my favorite bands back in the day as I made my way through my one-time jam band phase. So while I have not actively listened to them in quite some time, I finally took the opportunity to see my once beloved band in their element onstage. To put it simply—they were fantastic. As the all too familiar bass line of “Down With Disease” opened their ACL set, my once idle Phish-dom quickly reemerged. Granted, it was a short set time by Phish standards, but they managed to squeeze plenty of their classics, including “Wolfman’s Brother,” “Chalkdust Torture” and “You Enjoy Myself.” Combined with the prevalent amount of Phish fans that came to Austin just to see their band, this was hands down one of the best shows of the weekend.
Whereas Friday night ended with one of the chilliest of bands at ACL, my Saturday kicked off on an entirely different note with the Black Lips—a band largely known for their onstage antics and debauchery. A lot of this, however, was toned down given the 15 foot gap between the Lips and the crowd. They still brought the EAV-brand of garage punk in full force, getting their rambunctious crowd going despite the somewhat early set time. Guitarist Ian Saint Pé would continuously spit into the air and try to catch his own saliva while mid-song at one moment, while briefly making out with fellow Black Lip member Cole Alexander during another track. Even as their stage antics were “toned down” (as they told me later when I spoke in person with them), there was just enough taste of their almost mythical act to guess what an intimate show with them would be like.
Following the Black Lips came one of the more intriguing groups of the weekend in Broken Bells. The well-known collaboration between mega-producer Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and The Shins frontman James Mercer, was a top stop for many at ACL, given Burton’s penchant for short lived projects and constant sonic exploration. While their ultra-cool compositions resonate great on record, their live performance underwhelmed. After a few songs, I left to wander around, briefly checking out the Local Natives and sitting down to chat with the Black Lips, before rushing over the catch The xx. The recent Mercury prize winners led off the most logjammed portion of the weekend, as they, Monsters of Folk and LCD Soundsystem all overlapped. I caught bits and pieces of all three acts, wishing I could have heard more of each. These three acts are all at the peak of their musicianship, and in case of the latter two, questions surround the future of the respective bands. I can’t complain though. Hearing the the alt-folk supergroup exalt out on “Say Please” and “Golden,” and then running over to the majestic 10+ minutes of “I Can Change” and “All My Friends” played back to back—these are the moments that define live music in all its magnificence.
While early Sunday afternoon was one of the hotter points of Austin City Limits, Blind Pilot helped eased the crowd into the festival’s final day with their mellow and laidback folk. Pleasant would probably be the most appropriate description for the Portland natives, as songs like “Oviedo” and “Go on Say It” were both equal parts plain and beautiful. The mellower acts continued throughout the early part of the day as both Devendra Banhart and The Morning Benders serenaded their respective crowds with lovely and mild-mannered performances. In particular, Morning Benders frontman Chris Chu led the San Francisco rockers through a soaring, layered set including the dynamic “Promises” and the swaggering “All Day Daylight.” Indeed, all three of the bands laid the foundation for what would be the best musical stretch of the entire weekend.
What came next was a back to back to back to back series of four artists that not only are among the best that indie-rock has to offer today, but all that flat out nailed their sets on late Sunday afternoon and early evening. Yeasayer kicked this period off with a bang, exhibiting their yearlong transformation from indie-breakouts to mainstays. Sure, the band showed their promise with their 2007 debut All Hour Cymbals. But as soon as the band released “Ambling Alp” about this time last year, everyone could sense something special with the direction they were taking. Fast forward a year and Yeasayer have truly come into their own. Playing much of their sophomore record Odd Blood during their one hour show, Chris Keating, Anand Wilder and Ira Wolf Tuton have expanded their act into one standing among the finer electronic acts today. Everything in their set, from “2080” to “Grizelda” and everything in between showed what they’re all about these days.
As good as Yeasayer was in the 4:00pm slot, they stood as no match to the entrance Edward Sharpe and the Magenetic Zeros made an hour later. Despite the fact that I have seen the group three times in the past three months, and each time have seen their show open with “40 Day Dream,” that moment never ceases to inspire and amaze me. Frontman Alex Ebert (aka Edward Sharpe) has something going here—his energy and delivery are unparalleled by anyone I have seen in recent memory. Whether or not you enjoy the band’s music, or disagree with their penchant for commercial licensing (most notably with the NFL), their shows possess an unequivocal power that is both transcendent and representative of everything good within live music today.
Just when I thought that no one could surpass the show put on Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, enter the Flaming Lips. Of course, I had heard of the psychedelic, legendary shows that Wayne Coyne and company put on, but I honestly could not have expected the sights that soon came. After making a public service announcement about being orderly and being mindful of others, the craziness soon ensued in what apparently was in typical Flaming Lips fashion. Besides getting rolled over by Coyne’s human hamster ball, this show blew away the crowd both on a visual and aural level. From bright pink chalk dust spewing out of his megaphone to riding atop a man dressed in a black bear costume, Coyne not only upstaged anyone else at Zilker Park this past weekend, but put created an ethereal performance that words can only fall short of capturing (good thing I took plenty of pictures!).
After the Flaming Lips came The National—one of the few bands I could see over and over again without fail. It was a complete one-eighty from the euphoric sounds preceding them, but equally compelling nonetheless. Where the Lips push the bounds of the experimental, The National continue to stand among the most awe-inspiring bands over the past decade. I’ve had the privilege of seeing them twice in the past week, leaving me taken aback both times. Now with the festival approaching its end, Matt Berninger and the pair of brothers flanking him, the group once again astounded those who opted to stick around for their set. I left a few minutes early to see The Eagles, walking away to the uplifting buildup of “England.”
Last but not least, The Eagles took the main stage with everyone’s undivided attention as the final show of Austin City Limits began. Admittedly, I have never had a close affinity with The Eagles’ music, but after the musical blessing the previous four hours had bestowed, I was more than willing to stick around and catch a glimpse of the legendary classic rock band showcasing their hit-ridden performance. From greatest hits like “Take It To The Limit” and “Hotel California” to solo songs like Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” and “Dirty Laundry,” The Eagles provided fans and onlookers alike with a flashback through the band’s catalog. It was a great way to finish an amazing weekend in Austin.
Here are all of the bands schedule to perfom this year.
Spoon and Vampire Weekend continued the solid string of acts on night one of ACL. Britt Daniel and Jim Eno always put on a great set, let alone in front of their hometown crowd. The Austin natives brought it all on song after song in relentless fashion, including the brass-laced “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb,” the vastly underrated “Trouble Comes Running” and the infectious groove of “I Turn My Camera On.” Across the park, Vampire Weekend blasted off to a quick start with a blistering version of “Cousins.” While I’m not the biggest fan of the band, there was little if any doubt about their ability to perform. Ezra Koenig and company provided the perfect transition into the first evening’s headlining acts.
While both The Strokes and Phish provided two different and compelling choices for the Friday nightcap, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see this generation’s premier jam band. Also, on a personal note, the Vermont quartet was one of my favorite bands back in the day as I made my way through my one-time jam band phase. So while I have not actively listened to them in quite some time, I finally took the opportunity to see my once beloved band in their element onstage. To put it simply—they were fantastic. As the all too familiar bass line of “Down With Disease” opened their ACL set, my once idle Phish-dom quickly reemerged. Granted, it was a short set time by Phish standards, but they managed to squeeze plenty of their classics, including “Wolfman’s Brother,” “Chalkdust Torture” and “You Enjoy Myself.” Combined with the prevalent amount of Phish fans that came to Austin just to see their band, this was hands down one of the best shows of the weekend.
Whereas Friday night ended with one of the chilliest of bands at ACL, my Saturday kicked off on an entirely different note with the Black Lips—a band largely known for their onstage antics and debauchery. A lot of this, however, was toned down given the 15 foot gap between the Lips and the crowd. They still brought the EAV-brand of garage punk in full force, getting their rambunctious crowd going despite the somewhat early set time. Guitarist Ian Saint Pé would continuously spit into the air and try to catch his own saliva while mid-song at one moment, while briefly making out with fellow Black Lip member Cole Alexander during another track. Even as their stage antics were “toned down” (as they told me later when I spoke in person with them), there was just enough taste of their almost mythical act to guess what an intimate show with them would be like.
Following the Black Lips came one of the more intriguing groups of the weekend in Broken Bells. The well-known collaboration between mega-producer Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and The Shins frontman James Mercer, was a top stop for many at ACL, given Burton’s penchant for short lived projects and constant sonic exploration. While their ultra-cool compositions resonate great on record, their live performance underwhelmed. After a few songs, I left to wander around, briefly checking out the Local Natives and sitting down to chat with the Black Lips, before rushing over the catch The xx. The recent Mercury prize winners led off the most logjammed portion of the weekend, as they, Monsters of Folk and LCD Soundsystem all overlapped. I caught bits and pieces of all three acts, wishing I could have heard more of each. These three acts are all at the peak of their musicianship, and in case of the latter two, questions surround the future of the respective bands. I can’t complain though. Hearing the the alt-folk supergroup exalt out on “Say Please” and “Golden,” and then running over to the majestic 10+ minutes of “I Can Change” and “All My Friends” played back to back—these are the moments that define live music in all its magnificence.
While early Sunday afternoon was one of the hotter points of Austin City Limits, Blind Pilot helped eased the crowd into the festival’s final day with their mellow and laidback folk. Pleasant would probably be the most appropriate description for the Portland natives, as songs like “Oviedo” and “Go on Say It” were both equal parts plain and beautiful. The mellower acts continued throughout the early part of the day as both Devendra Banhart and The Morning Benders serenaded their respective crowds with lovely and mild-mannered performances. In particular, Morning Benders frontman Chris Chu led the San Francisco rockers through a soaring, layered set including the dynamic “Promises” and the swaggering “All Day Daylight.” Indeed, all three of the bands laid the foundation for what would be the best musical stretch of the entire weekend.
What came next was a back to back to back to back series of four artists that not only are among the best that indie-rock has to offer today, but all that flat out nailed their sets on late Sunday afternoon and early evening. Yeasayer kicked this period off with a bang, exhibiting their yearlong transformation from indie-breakouts to mainstays. Sure, the band showed their promise with their 2007 debut All Hour Cymbals. But as soon as the band released “Ambling Alp” about this time last year, everyone could sense something special with the direction they were taking. Fast forward a year and Yeasayer have truly come into their own. Playing much of their sophomore record Odd Blood during their one hour show, Chris Keating, Anand Wilder and Ira Wolf Tuton have expanded their act into one standing among the finer electronic acts today. Everything in their set, from “2080” to “Grizelda” and everything in between showed what they’re all about these days.
As good as Yeasayer was in the 4:00pm slot, they stood as no match to the entrance Edward Sharpe and the Magenetic Zeros made an hour later. Despite the fact that I have seen the group three times in the past three months, and each time have seen their show open with “40 Day Dream,” that moment never ceases to inspire and amaze me. Frontman Alex Ebert (aka Edward Sharpe) has something going here—his energy and delivery are unparalleled by anyone I have seen in recent memory. Whether or not you enjoy the band’s music, or disagree with their penchant for commercial licensing (most notably with the NFL), their shows possess an unequivocal power that is both transcendent and representative of everything good within live music today.
Just when I thought that no one could surpass the show put on Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, enter the Flaming Lips. Of course, I had heard of the psychedelic, legendary shows that Wayne Coyne and company put on, but I honestly could not have expected the sights that soon came. After making a public service announcement about being orderly and being mindful of others, the craziness soon ensued in what apparently was in typical Flaming Lips fashion. Besides getting rolled over by Coyne’s human hamster ball, this show blew away the crowd both on a visual and aural level. From bright pink chalk dust spewing out of his megaphone to riding atop a man dressed in a black bear costume, Coyne not only upstaged anyone else at Zilker Park this past weekend, but put created an ethereal performance that words can only fall short of capturing (good thing I took plenty of pictures!).
After the Flaming Lips came The National—one of the few bands I could see over and over again without fail. It was a complete one-eighty from the euphoric sounds preceding them, but equally compelling nonetheless. Where the Lips push the bounds of the experimental, The National continue to stand among the most awe-inspiring bands over the past decade. I’ve had the privilege of seeing them twice in the past week, leaving me taken aback both times. Now with the festival approaching its end, Matt Berninger and the pair of brothers flanking him, the group once again astounded those who opted to stick around for their set. I left a few minutes early to see The Eagles, walking away to the uplifting buildup of “England.”
Last but not least, The Eagles took the main stage with everyone’s undivided attention as the final show of Austin City Limits began. Admittedly, I have never had a close affinity with The Eagles’ music, but after the musical blessing the previous four hours had bestowed, I was more than willing to stick around and catch a glimpse of the legendary classic rock band showcasing their hit-ridden performance. From greatest hits like “Take It To The Limit” and “Hotel California” to solo songs like Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” and “Dirty Laundry,” The Eagles provided fans and onlookers alike with a flashback through the band’s catalog. It was a great way to finish an amazing weekend in Austin.
Here are all of the bands schedule to perfom this year.
Lizzie is Old, I mean a young 30
Thats right, you read the title correctly, my friend Lizzie is getting too damn old for me to hang out with her. Not really, but she is turning 30 and it is time to celebrate.
Lizzy wanted to celebrate her 3rd decade by throwing a masquerade in her honor of course at the Texas and Pacific Lofts. But, in order to get into the party, every guest obviously had to wear some sort of mask.
I have never been to a masquerade party before but the only masquerade party I have seen was in the movie Eyes Wide Shut and that turned out to be just a huge orgy. Sometime was telling me that this was not that kind of party at all.
So with all of the orgy nonsense/wishful thinking out of the way, it was time to get to the closest Halloween City store and get a non orgy mask. And let me tell you, those damn things are expensive as hell. I saw a mask at Kroger for 6 bucks and the Halloween City stores had the exact same mask for 14 dollars. I didn't realize how much they markup the shit out of everything.
It is now time for the party and Lizzie reserved the banquet room at the Texas and Pacific Lofts and decorated it with pictures from her youth to present. It was very cool how she did this. You could see all of her interests and activities that she participated in as a kid that I didn't know she was in to.
Other than masquerade parties, Lizzie also has a secret love passion for trivia and you can bet your ass that she Incorporated her two of her favorite things together. Once you enter the party, there was a row of pictures of celebrities with masks over their faces and people had to figure out of that mystery celebrity was. It may sound easy, but it was actually hard because some of the celebrities only had their eyes or hair visible. Pretty tough, but I got 7 out of 10 correct. Since I tied for 2ND place, I won a couple of bottles of wine. And people say "Cheaters never prosper".
After checking out everyone's mask and eating some heavy hors d'oeuvres (which was chicken express chicken tenders, biscuits, and vegetables), it was now time for another trivia game. This game was much more intense and difficult than the first game. There were 30 questions and every question had to do something with a mask. I failed miserably and felt dumb, I am more than sure that that was Lizzie's plan the whole time.
While Lizzie was her party, there was a wedding reception going on next door. We tried to complete with which party had the loudest music. The wedding reception obviously won. And since they were next door, we could see into their party through the windows that separated our parties from each other. I am pretty sure that they thought it was kind of weird for a group of people in their mid 20s to early 30 to be constantly standing around wearing masks the whole time.
But before the night could end, it was toast time. This is a tradition that she picked up from her year in Australia and wanted to bring it to the US of A. In Australia, friends and family members will toast the guest of honor in order to celebrate certain birthdays and milestones in life. Quite a few people made a toast to Lizzie and everyone could tell that Lizzie enjoyed all of them.
With the keg starting to float and the party coming to an end, it was time to call it a night. Lizzie had a great time and seemed to enjoy the fact that she is not longer in her 20s but still wants to drink like she is.
Lizzy wanted to celebrate her 3rd decade by throwing a masquerade in her honor of course at the Texas and Pacific Lofts. But, in order to get into the party, every guest obviously had to wear some sort of mask.
I have never been to a masquerade party before but the only masquerade party I have seen was in the movie Eyes Wide Shut and that turned out to be just a huge orgy. Sometime was telling me that this was not that kind of party at all.
So with all of the orgy nonsense/wishful thinking out of the way, it was time to get to the closest Halloween City store and get a non orgy mask. And let me tell you, those damn things are expensive as hell. I saw a mask at Kroger for 6 bucks and the Halloween City stores had the exact same mask for 14 dollars. I didn't realize how much they markup the shit out of everything.
It is now time for the party and Lizzie reserved the banquet room at the Texas and Pacific Lofts and decorated it with pictures from her youth to present. It was very cool how she did this. You could see all of her interests and activities that she participated in as a kid that I didn't know she was in to.
Other than masquerade parties, Lizzie also has a secret love passion for trivia and you can bet your ass that she Incorporated her two of her favorite things together. Once you enter the party, there was a row of pictures of celebrities with masks over their faces and people had to figure out of that mystery celebrity was. It may sound easy, but it was actually hard because some of the celebrities only had their eyes or hair visible. Pretty tough, but I got 7 out of 10 correct. Since I tied for 2ND place, I won a couple of bottles of wine. And people say "Cheaters never prosper".
After checking out everyone's mask and eating some heavy hors d'oeuvres (which was chicken express chicken tenders, biscuits, and vegetables), it was now time for another trivia game. This game was much more intense and difficult than the first game. There were 30 questions and every question had to do something with a mask. I failed miserably and felt dumb, I am more than sure that that was Lizzie's plan the whole time.
While Lizzie was her party, there was a wedding reception going on next door. We tried to complete with which party had the loudest music. The wedding reception obviously won. And since they were next door, we could see into their party through the windows that separated our parties from each other. I am pretty sure that they thought it was kind of weird for a group of people in their mid 20s to early 30 to be constantly standing around wearing masks the whole time.
But before the night could end, it was toast time. This is a tradition that she picked up from her year in Australia and wanted to bring it to the US of A. In Australia, friends and family members will toast the guest of honor in order to celebrate certain birthdays and milestones in life. Quite a few people made a toast to Lizzie and everyone could tell that Lizzie enjoyed all of them.
With the keg starting to float and the party coming to an end, it was time to call it a night. Lizzie had a great time and seemed to enjoy the fact that she is not longer in her 20s but still wants to drink like she is.
Sianara Billy Minor's
A staple of Fort Worth has been shut down for good. The place was called Billy Minor's and they had some of the best hamburgers, bacon wrapped hot dogs, and happy hours that I have ever had. The best the about the place was that all kinds of people went to Billy Minor's on a regular basis. In one area, you could see college kids having a good time and in another area could be judges, lawyers or government officials hammer out last minute deals.
Billy Miner's Saloon -- the 27-year-old downtown burger institution where a lawsuit once famously put the kibosh on customers' venerable tradition of throwing empty peanut shells on the floor -- will close at the end of September when its owner retires.
The restaurant, Third and Houston streets in Sundance Square, will serve its last burgers and longnecks Sept. 30, Sundance Square and the restaurant said Tuesday.
Owner Peggy McMullin, whose husband, Dick, died four years ago, said in a statement that she is ready to retire.
"My husband Dick and I poured ourselves into Billy Miner's and we have been so thankful for the support of Fort Worth and Sundance Square," said McMullin, who could not be reached for an interview. "Since my husband passed away, I have been considering the right time to retire. I am ready to leave the restaurant business and slow down."
McMullin's decision surprised Sundance Square. McMullin had about three years left on the lease for her 7,730-square-foot space, said Johnny Campbell, chief executive of Sundance Square.
McMullin told him last week that she is "tired ... ready to retire from the restaurant business," Campbell said.
The restaurant, as Peggy McMullin related to Campbell, was profitable from its first year and "every year thereafter," a highly unusual streak, said Campbell, who joined long lines of customers for a burger at lunch Tuesday after word got out.
Dick McMullin, a longtime restaurateur, quickly turned Billy Miner's into a local watering hole and meeting spot even before the 40-block Sundance Square development revitalized downtown. He offered free Wi-Fi access years before it became popular at coffee bars and bookstores, and he hosted Xbox tournaments.
The baskets of peanuts -- and Fort Worth tradition of tossing shells -- went by the wayside in the early 1990s after a customer sued, saying she hurt her back after slipping on a shell.
The McMullins also expanded the restaurant twice, taking in sections running along Houston between Second and Third streets.
"We are proud that Billy Miner's Saloon has been an anchor in Sundance Square for nearly three decades," Campbell said. "Dick and Peggy McMullin opened the restaurant at a time when downtown Fort Worth was being revitalized, and they helped build a base for people to gather."
What happens next for the space?
Campbell said he'd already fielded as many as four calls Tuesday after the news was released.
Sundance Square will probably look to use the space to expand its soft-goods retail -- apparel, accessories and gifts -- before it considers another restaurant, Campbell said.
In that case, Sundance Square would most likely divide the space into units of about 2,500 square feet apiece, with entryways on Houston between Second and Third, Campbell said.
With the Billy Miner's entrance at Third and Houston and its long west wall along Houston, breaking up the space would help create more activity on the street, Campbell said.
It would also better connect the east and west sides of Houston, Campbell said. The Reata restaurant sits on the west side of the street.
"In today's retail leasing wisdom, [the space] breaks up," Campbell said.
But "I'm not foolish enough to tell you it's not going to be a restaurant. The market tells you what you can and can't do. It's really not very magical."
Sundance Square would also look to relocate Western murals by painter Richard Haas that it commissioned in the mid-1980s and that now adorn the Houston windows of Billy Miner's, Campbell said. Haas also painted the Chisholm Trail mural in Sundance Square.
Campbell said Sundance Square retail sales will likely finish the year down 3-4 percent but have been buoyed by visitor traffic downtown. The city's convention and visitor traffic has been boosted by the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, renovations to other hotels and even business from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
Article taken from The Fort Worth Star Telegram
Billy Miner's Saloon -- the 27-year-old downtown burger institution where a lawsuit once famously put the kibosh on customers' venerable tradition of throwing empty peanut shells on the floor -- will close at the end of September when its owner retires.
The restaurant, Third and Houston streets in Sundance Square, will serve its last burgers and longnecks Sept. 30, Sundance Square and the restaurant said Tuesday.
Owner Peggy McMullin, whose husband, Dick, died four years ago, said in a statement that she is ready to retire.
"My husband Dick and I poured ourselves into Billy Miner's and we have been so thankful for the support of Fort Worth and Sundance Square," said McMullin, who could not be reached for an interview. "Since my husband passed away, I have been considering the right time to retire. I am ready to leave the restaurant business and slow down."
McMullin's decision surprised Sundance Square. McMullin had about three years left on the lease for her 7,730-square-foot space, said Johnny Campbell, chief executive of Sundance Square.
McMullin told him last week that she is "tired ... ready to retire from the restaurant business," Campbell said.
The restaurant, as Peggy McMullin related to Campbell, was profitable from its first year and "every year thereafter," a highly unusual streak, said Campbell, who joined long lines of customers for a burger at lunch Tuesday after word got out.
Dick McMullin, a longtime restaurateur, quickly turned Billy Miner's into a local watering hole and meeting spot even before the 40-block Sundance Square development revitalized downtown. He offered free Wi-Fi access years before it became popular at coffee bars and bookstores, and he hosted Xbox tournaments.
The baskets of peanuts -- and Fort Worth tradition of tossing shells -- went by the wayside in the early 1990s after a customer sued, saying she hurt her back after slipping on a shell.
The McMullins also expanded the restaurant twice, taking in sections running along Houston between Second and Third streets.
"We are proud that Billy Miner's Saloon has been an anchor in Sundance Square for nearly three decades," Campbell said. "Dick and Peggy McMullin opened the restaurant at a time when downtown Fort Worth was being revitalized, and they helped build a base for people to gather."
What happens next for the space?
Campbell said he'd already fielded as many as four calls Tuesday after the news was released.
Sundance Square will probably look to use the space to expand its soft-goods retail -- apparel, accessories and gifts -- before it considers another restaurant, Campbell said.
In that case, Sundance Square would most likely divide the space into units of about 2,500 square feet apiece, with entryways on Houston between Second and Third, Campbell said.
With the Billy Miner's entrance at Third and Houston and its long west wall along Houston, breaking up the space would help create more activity on the street, Campbell said.
It would also better connect the east and west sides of Houston, Campbell said. The Reata restaurant sits on the west side of the street.
"In today's retail leasing wisdom, [the space] breaks up," Campbell said.
But "I'm not foolish enough to tell you it's not going to be a restaurant. The market tells you what you can and can't do. It's really not very magical."
Sundance Square would also look to relocate Western murals by painter Richard Haas that it commissioned in the mid-1980s and that now adorn the Houston windows of Billy Miner's, Campbell said. Haas also painted the Chisholm Trail mural in Sundance Square.
Campbell said Sundance Square retail sales will likely finish the year down 3-4 percent but have been buoyed by visitor traffic downtown. The city's convention and visitor traffic has been boosted by the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, renovations to other hotels and even business from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
Article taken from The Fort Worth Star Telegram
Birthday Lake Madness
Its time to pack up the car with a keg of beer and head to Lake Corsicana. There could only be one reason why to make a two day trip to this waterwold location, Eric Cumming's 30 Birthday Party.
To celebrate this milestone, Eric and his wife Kristen invited a group of fun loving individuals to spend two days at her parents lake house in Corsicana. Since Kristen loves themed parties and the fact that this particular party was on the lake, she proclaimed that this years theme would be a "Pirate Party".
The weekend had all of the ingredients of making a great weekend. We had two 3-man jet skis at our disposal, a cool pontoon boat to lounge in, and a huge grill waiting to be used. Another great feature of this past weekend was the fact that nobody was on the lake, so we could mess around on the jet skis as much as we wanted to without hurting anybody around us.
I spent about 75% of the trip in the lake and the rest of the time I was either coming in 2nd in a poker tournament or sleeping on the couch.
Even though the trip was on a Saturday - Sunday type of trip, it was tons of fun. Everybody seemed to have fun by messing around on the jet skis and swimming in the lake all day. One of the best parts of the trip was when a small group of us put some beer in a sippie cup, grabbed a bottle of champagne, and headed out to the middle of the lake on the jet skis. It was a damn good time until we got back and somebody got into trouble for going on this excursion without his wife.
Although I came back slightly sunburned, it was a great time.
To celebrate this milestone, Eric and his wife Kristen invited a group of fun loving individuals to spend two days at her parents lake house in Corsicana. Since Kristen loves themed parties and the fact that this particular party was on the lake, she proclaimed that this years theme would be a "Pirate Party".
The weekend had all of the ingredients of making a great weekend. We had two 3-man jet skis at our disposal, a cool pontoon boat to lounge in, and a huge grill waiting to be used. Another great feature of this past weekend was the fact that nobody was on the lake, so we could mess around on the jet skis as much as we wanted to without hurting anybody around us.
I spent about 75% of the trip in the lake and the rest of the time I was either coming in 2nd in a poker tournament or sleeping on the couch.
Even though the trip was on a Saturday - Sunday type of trip, it was tons of fun. Everybody seemed to have fun by messing around on the jet skis and swimming in the lake all day. One of the best parts of the trip was when a small group of us put some beer in a sippie cup, grabbed a bottle of champagne, and headed out to the middle of the lake on the jet skis. It was a damn good time until we got back and somebody got into trouble for going on this excursion without his wife.
Although I came back slightly sunburned, it was a great time.
Cristina's Bday
It's time for Cristina's annual birthday celebration which means a couple of things
- Awesome Mexican food at Uncle Julio's
- Tons of beer
- The occasional shot of tequila
- More awesome Mexican food
- Singing Happy Birthday to Cristina
- Enjoy some Sopapillas
- Go to a bar
- Make bets on when Cristina will pass out
- Laught at Cristina when shes passes out
- Draw on Crinstina while passed out
- Take pictures of this immature, yet hillarious ritual
- Drop her off at her apartment
- Go out some more because it is only 10:00 pm
But before any of that begins, its time to hit a happy hour and pre-game this event.
I am In a Movie
Yes, you read the title correctly, I am in a movie and no, it is not a cheap snuff film made in some creepy dude's basement that has blackout curtains all over the place so the "guest of honor" wont know what time it is.
During the first weekend of September, a couple of friends of mine were making a zombie movie near Frisco, Texas called "Homecoming".
They asked some of my friends and I to be in it for the final scene of the movie and a ton of people showed up for it. There was close to about 30 extras there and then add the crew members and it should have been up to 40 people.
Basically, the movie is about a American who goes to Paris to help fight some weird Zombie outbreak that is occurring only in that area of the world. The guy, I am pretty sure his name was Johnny, comes back home to his parents farm and finds out that the outbreak is occurring in America too. His family is pissed at Johnny because he didn't try to communicate with his family at all when he was away and everyone thought he was dead. Then a bunch of stuff happens that I am not really to sure about because nobody really explained it to me but then a bunch of zombies come to Johnny's family farm to kill everyone. Now this is where I come in.
I am on the right side of the outrageous zombie attack. You will be able to tell that its me due to my dashing good looks, suave smile, and extremely short shorts that I still have from the 3rd grade. They may have been short, but damn did those shorts my my thighs look b-e-a-utiful.
The thing I liked most about being in the movie was seeing how much goes into one scene. It was crazy to watch people get latex put on their face with even crazier make up in order to make a person actually look dead. The professional mark up artiest did a great job at making people either look dead and all kinds of bloody.
The last scene in the movie is only about 5 minutes long but it took the whole day to complete it. I think the best part of it was going to Taco Bell for dinner with all the crap still on our faces and scaring the shit out of all of the customers and employees there. We got your food very quickly mainly because they wanted us out of there so we wouldn't scare the kids and plus some of us just looked plain homeless.
During the first weekend of September, a couple of friends of mine were making a zombie movie near Frisco, Texas called "Homecoming".
They asked some of my friends and I to be in it for the final scene of the movie and a ton of people showed up for it. There was close to about 30 extras there and then add the crew members and it should have been up to 40 people.
Basically, the movie is about a American who goes to Paris to help fight some weird Zombie outbreak that is occurring only in that area of the world. The guy, I am pretty sure his name was Johnny, comes back home to his parents farm and finds out that the outbreak is occurring in America too. His family is pissed at Johnny because he didn't try to communicate with his family at all when he was away and everyone thought he was dead. Then a bunch of stuff happens that I am not really to sure about because nobody really explained it to me but then a bunch of zombies come to Johnny's family farm to kill everyone. Now this is where I come in.
I am on the right side of the outrageous zombie attack. You will be able to tell that its me due to my dashing good looks, suave smile, and extremely short shorts that I still have from the 3rd grade. They may have been short, but damn did those shorts my my thighs look b-e-a-utiful.
The thing I liked most about being in the movie was seeing how much goes into one scene. It was crazy to watch people get latex put on their face with even crazier make up in order to make a person actually look dead. The professional mark up artiest did a great job at making people either look dead and all kinds of bloody.
The last scene in the movie is only about 5 minutes long but it took the whole day to complete it. I think the best part of it was going to Taco Bell for dinner with all the crap still on our faces and scaring the shit out of all of the customers and employees there. We got your food very quickly mainly because they wanted us out of there so we wouldn't scare the kids and plus some of us just looked plain homeless.
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