ACL 2011 - 3rd day

The Mullet's Festival Guide for Not Being Lame at a Festival

Rule 13

If you shine your laser pointer all over the stage and at the band, you are lame, I hate you, and when I'm resurrected as a tiger I will hunt you down and bite off both your hands.

It was hot today. Super hot. Not many rain clouds hung over Zilker Park unlike the previous two. It did sprinkle for a little bit around 5:30 but not enough to thoroughly chase away the heat or provide much shady relief. A nice breeze blew sporadically. When it did, the wind felt good. It didn't blow enough.

Today, 18 September, I saw at ACL:

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (Detroit)
2. The Walkmen
3. The Airborne Toxic Event (Los Angeles)
4. AWOLNATION
5. Chiddy Bang
6. Broken Social Scene (Canada)
7. Death from Above 1979
8. Fleet Foxes
9. Social Distortion
10. Hayes Carll
11. Empire of the Sun
12. Arcade Fire

I started out day 3 by watching Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. who regular readers may recognize from the track 'Nothing But Our Love (Kasper Bjorke remix)' that's been in the top 5 of the week before. They weren't quite as dance-y as I had hoped. Still, a lot of fun and danceable. They threw out popsicles to the crowd half-way through the set which made them really popular on a hot Austin summer day. They also covered Steve Winwood's 'Higher Love'.

Split the next hour between The Walkmen and The Airborne Toxic Event sets. The Walkmen reminded me of a countrified Rod Stewart for some reason. I've seen The Airborne Toxic Event before at 101x Fest at Emo's[1] a few years ago. There's some inexplicable about them that I really like. They covered 'I Fought the Law' and dedicated to LAPD, the London Metro cops, and the police of Athens, GA who recently "detained [them] against [their] will." Definitely a fun set.

Finally managed to catch Broken Social Scene live. I tried to make something happen when they toured immediately after the release and in support of 'Forgiveness Rock Record.' This will be one of their last shows before going on indefinite hiatus. While I did enjoy watching their show streamed live via youtube several months, actually seeing them in person is much, much better. I guess that's the influence of the crowd rather than sitting at home listening while working on your 1L brief.

Death from Above 1979 brought the day's brief rain. They also brought bad news. They played Emo's last night. It will be the last show performed at Emo's because the venue is being dozed this Monday. What the hell happened, Austin? Emo's was one of the premier live music venues in Austin and a long-standing and venerable institution of the Austin music scene. Punk acts, metal, hardcore, post-hardcore, indie and more passed through the doors of its two stages and played for one of the few all ages crowds left in the city. I've been going to Emo's for nearly a decade and a half. I've seen a lot of good shows there in college and after and made a lot of good memories there. You will be missed, Emo's.

Hayes Carll has great stage banter. He told a story about appearing on Leno and was surprised the crowd didn't boo him. That night's guest was Kathie Lee Gifford. Then he related a tale about almost appearing on Letterman. He flew to NYC to speak with his manager and to try to make it happen but ultimately got passed over in favor of another band. Stuck in NYC for the night, he decided to tune into Letterman to see who that night's celebrity guest would be. It was the complete lineup of the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. But at least he got to meet Kathie Lee Gifford.[2]

The guy from Empire of the Sun smashed his guitar up all crazy rocker style at the end of their set.

I saw Arcade Fire in May in Austin with Explosions in the Sky. I'm not sure what it was, but I liked this year's Grammy winners a lot more this time around. It's not because I'm more familiar with their music. Neon Bible and the Suburbs were much more heavily in my rotation back then. Weather was also nicer. And they played substantially the same set tonight and 4 months ago.

Maybe it's because I was pissed off because my (ex)friend made me miss most of the Explosions in the Sky set.[3] Was there a horn section in May? I think there was. I don't like horns much. That and they played the songs straight up this time instead of trying to stadium rock-it.

They're traveling with the same stage setup I saw in May. That's the two screens angled together to look like an old-style movie theater marquee complete with a line of lights around each marquee. There's also a larger screen below them. Because they played on the Bud Light stage, the stage where all the major headlining acts played this year (Kanye, Stevie Wonder), two screens flanked the stage where ACL camera crews projected feeds from their various cameras.

I can't say enough about how different my experience was seeing them this time. I really, really enjoyed the show. Win Butler quipped that Austinites are "horrible dancers." He also dropped a hint that another major Canadian band may be going on hiatus after finishing up their scheduled tour dates. At the close of the show, Win said that we won't be seeing them for a couple of years. That sounds like more definite plans than 'until we record another album.' Did I miss some announcement? Just thought I'd share.


UPDATE 19 September: I've gone back and added some links to songs for the various artists I saw over the weekend. I'm starting with day 3 and working backwards. It will be a slow process because I'm also a busy 2L and a weekend of fun is a week's worth of hell in makeup work. Keep in mind, just because it's linked doesn't mean it was actually performed during ACL.

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[1] RIP Emo's.
[2] He says he plans on retiring that story after tonight.
[3] Don't fret, faithful readers. I'll be seeing Explosions again on 29 September at the Tabernacle in Atlanta.

dirty beaches @ the victoria in dalston, london - 19 july 2011

The Victoria in Dalston is easily one of my favorite music venues in the world. Seriously. It's a pub with a bar and a pool table and that's nice and all. But the space where the stage is reminded me of going to house parties as an undergrad to see a friend of a friend's band play in the living room. It was narrow and crowded and without a lot of pretense.

The walls had a textured seashell pattern in white for the top half, moulding, and then white wooden panels to the floor. The building is obviously a converted house. The bathroom consisted of a sink with a door connected to the single toilet. Like the Saturday afternoon before your buddy's party, someone has hauled a pair of second-hand couches and an arm chair into the venue. Concrete floors make for easy cleanup.

The one thing the Victoria has that your buddy's place probably didn't is a stage. Well, it was little more than a platform, really. If the band leaves their stuff near the entrance to the green room, you literally can't open the door or even get backstage. The only way up to the platform is from a single long step at the front unless you want to scramble.

Tuesday's show was all 60s garage rock. Though I went to see Dirty Beaches, I was impressed with the quality of both openers Mickey Gloss and Thee Ludds.[1] Mickey Gloss, self-described as playing "static lullabies full of absurd rants and transient fairy tales," woefully remains unsigned but you can pick up their self-produced LP Indelible Ballad of the Tainted Fur for the very reasonable price of £3 at their shows.[2] They're definitely worth a listen and I'm glad I made it out in time to see them. Thee Ludds were also loads of fun. Thankfully, they're on the Hodad label and you can pick up their 7" split with The No Brainers at Rough Trade.

Dirty Beaches, for those who don't know, is the stage name of Taiwanese-Canadian musician Alex Zhang Huntai.[2][3] He opened with 'Sweet 17', leaping into the audience and flogging his guitar. He made apologies for bumping into a young lady. The set closed with 'Lord Knows Best,' a sweet tune that's been circulating the blogosphere thanks to some attention in January from hipster tastemaker Urban Outfitters. Although he Alex didn't plan an encore, the enthusiasm of the crowd encouraged him to do a cover of 70s no wave act DNA, something he said he's wanted to experiment with for awhile.

Verdict - best night of rock and/or roll I've had so far in London. I can't think of the last time I've had so much fun at a show that didn't involve LCD Soundsystem or Ghostland Observatory.

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[1] Yes, I know myspace is dead, but the pages let you enjoy the sounds of both bands for free.
[2] I'm particularly fond of 'Touch My Soul'.
[3] Currently Alex calls Vancouver home. His LP Badlands was a longlist nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. The winner will be announced 19 September. I'm pretty sure Arcade Fire will win for The Suburbs though my dark horse vote would have to go to The Weeknd's House of Balloons, which is as clean and perfect an R&B record as I've heard in a long, long time.
[4] Like a lot of small venue shows, we were treated to seeing Alex standing in the nearly empty room to watch openers Mickey Gloss. One of the many, many reasons I'd rather see a show at a tiny dive than all the pyrotechnics and production that a stadium show can provide.

the electric ballroom in camden town

Another venue review.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, 8 June 2011.

The Electric Ballroom is located in north London in Camden Town. Camden seems to be where the punks, goths, new wave, and hipsters congregate. Definitely an interesting neighborhood.

The Electric Ballroom is one of the biggest indoor music venues I've ever been to, not counting stadiums like the Frank Erwin Center in Austin or the AT&T Center in San Antonio. I think there was even more floor space than inside the Tabernacle in Atlanta. The Electric Ballroom had security cams as you entered and exited the building and a security guard checking bags. It had a bar at the back of the floor and a huge bar area off to the side. What it didn't have was a whole lot of character inside.

Lining the walls of the foyer were framed concert posters of acts that have previously been through. But unlike say the Tabernacle with its stained glass windows and organ pipes or the graffiti and amateur pop art in Emo's, the Electric Ballroom was pretty bland inside. The walls that surrounded the stage were dark and unadorned. But it did have a nice big floor and, unlike in America, people didn't seem keen on tossing their empty cups and cans on the ground so the concrete remained uncluttered and unsticky throughout the evening.

The Electric Ballroom has a really nice stage. It's huge and elevated. The security barriers are here in London, blocking off the area against the stage so that photographers / bloggers can snap pictures. James Murphy of the now defunct LCD Soundsystem used to say how much he hated those spaces. I'm glad the practice hasn't infiltrated Austin yet, at least not widely. I like to stand as close to the stage as possible.

I didn't catch the name of the first band of the night. They were a simple guitar and drum duo. Kind of interesting. They got a lot of sound out of just the two of them and a couple of tunes were pretty catchy. Fanzine, I didn't like so much. They were just too meh. Two guitarists who both sang, a bass player, and a drummer. They did a great job utilizing the two guitars but the paired vocals just didn't do enough to be interesting. They weren't bad and maybe would sound a lot more catchy on an album.

I went out to see the Pains of Being Pure at Heart again. I caught them earlier this year at the EARL in Atlanta touring behind their new LP 'Belong'. From what I can remember of the 5 April show, they changed up the setlist.

I dunno what it is, but there wasn't a lot of banter from the Pains or from any of the bands for that matter. Is this a UK thing? Kip said a few things, mostly praising Fanzine, whom their on tour with in the UK, or mentioning an appearance earlier in the day on BBC6's Lauren Laverne show. He broke a guitar string during Teenager in Love, which he called their "wussiest song" and talked a little while he re-strung it.

Kip also joked when I fan complained they never play 'Hey Paul' live by saying all their songs sound pretty much like 'Hey Paul.' And apparently somebody named John Marshall was in the crowd because Kip kept asking if that was him shouting things from the crowd. And they received a request to play 'Side Ponytail,' a B side off the 'Come Saturday' single.

Peggy remained silent for most of the show, which was pretty disappointing. Usually she has a few silly bits to chip in. But, as always, she was absolutely adorable.

The encore started with Kip coming back on stage to play 'Contender' solo before being joined by the rest of the band for one last song.

Here's the thing about London. Because the Tube is most people's source of transportation and it shut downs around midnight every night, the show started early (tickets said 7:30, more like 7:50) and there was a hard curfew of 10:30. When the show ended, security pretty much started herding people out the door. They wouldn't even let me stand around for a few moments to send a text.

All in all, cool venue, mostly for the capacity, the stage, and the sound.

Rating: recommended

the pains of being pure at heart & twin shadow @ the earl 5 april 2011

I love the Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Let's get that out of the way up front. I drove 3 hours to see them on a Thursday night because I couldn't see them on a Friday because my LSAT was scheduled for the following day. And they always bring an opener that I'm almost as equally excited to see. Last time it was Cymbals Eat Guitars. But I was equally impressed with the Depreciation Guild, an 8bit shoe gaze-y band. And the Pains brought it again with Twin Shadow. I don't know how they consistently secure such a great touring lineup.

The first opener was a local 4 piece called gold-bears. They were a serviceable "twee punk" or "crash pop" band from Atlanta. There wasn't anything terribly distinctive about the band. They have a LP coming out on Slumberland Records (same as the Pains) next month; maybe another listen will register them more positively.

Twin Shadow played next. In case you missed it, last year's LP Forget was absolutely amazing. A definite must have. George Lewis et al exude 80s new wave. Listening to them is an instant shot of nostalgia, exciting and familiar and hitting you in your primal core but tinged with an ineffable loss, like the perfume scent of a long forgotten lover lingering on the t shirt you just found under the bed. Twin Shadow simultaneously conjures the spectre of synth-heavy 80s nostalgia acts and something much more modern.

While stumping for their merch, George mentioned that with Twin Shadow, everything was for sale. They're the biggest sellouts you know, he insisted.

The great thing about little venues like the EARL is that they attract bands who are also music fans. I caught George hanging out in the crowd to check out gold-bears. Peggy and Kip of the Pains were manning the merch table pre-show. Apparently they lost their van keys for awhile.

The came the Pains, out to support their new LP Belong. Kip was as awkwardly personable a frontman as ever but frenetic and animated as he played the guitar. Kurt is a great drummer but he first came to my attention as the plaintiff, mesmeric lead of the Depreciation Guild. Then there was Chris Hocchheim, guitarist and also formerly of the Depreciation Guild, and Alex Naidus on bass; they were your shoegaze stereotype, just standing off to one side playing. And Peggy. Oh Peggy. She's always so adorable.

Theory. The keyboardist in a band is always the most attractive member. Peggy, absolutely adorable. Nancy of LCD Soundsystem, scrumptiously curvy. Yuki of Asobi Seksu, amazing legs & great behind. The only exception that comes to mind is Cibo Matto. Yuka is definitely good looking but Miho is inhumanly cute, kawaii even.

ADDED 11 April 2011: I totally forgot to mention Yvonne Lambert of the Octopus Project.

The Pains were fantastic onstage. Their set was energetic and fun with a good mix of their self-titled 2009 LP and recent LP Belong. Loved hearing Come Saturday, Young Adult Friction, and my favorite Pains song, A Teenager in Love again. Picked up the new LP at the show. Now it's time to digest the songs after reading the reviews. Already in love with Heart In Your Heartbreak.

Peggy announced she wanted to find a mechanical bull to ride in Atlanta since the city had failed to introduce her to one last time they came through so she didn't have to go to a strip club. After a bit of bull banter, Kip cleverly slipped riding a mechanical bull into the next song's lyrics.

Oh and they found their keys. Apparently they had been hidden by Peggy's behind.

the earl of doom

I received an email from the EARL at 3:08 this afternoon (wait, doesn't this sound familiar) informing me that the Love Language will be pulling out of tonight's performance "due to the lead singer losing his voice." Instead of issuing a blanket refund to ticket holders, the venue will go forward with just the opener Richard Parsons and will headline Telekinesis! Those who want a refund need to call 877-725-8849 before 6pm EST to request it.

Now I know we can't expect Deerhunter to swoop in for a second impromptu set (thanks again guys for a killer show last night), but damn, two nights in a row the headliner at the EARL pulls out because of health issues. Is the place cursed? Should I worry about my health? Or are these sudden "health problems" really just a case of SXSW fever?

Whatever. Music fans of Atlanta should still make it out tonight. Telekinesis! will put on one helluva show. And it just means you'll get home a little earlier on a Monday night so you aren't as cranky tomorrow at your 8am class or job.

For a limited time you can still stream Telekinesis! latest LP, 12 Desperate Straight Lines, at Merge Records website.

pinch hitter

I receive an email around 7:30pm last night indicating that Wye Oak would not be able to make their show with the Lower Dens at the EARL due to illness. The message included a notice that "Deerhunter music group" would be replacing Wye Oak as the headliner. I asked myself, "who the hell is Deerhunter music group"? But for only $5, seeing the Lower Dens, a band whose 2010 debut LP "Twin Hand Movement" easily made my top 5 of the year, was a bargain regardless of the replacement headliner.

At the venue, the first sign of what lay in store for me was the same "Skinny" t-shirt I had bought at the Halcyon Digest release party available at the merch table. I realized "Deerhunter music group" meant "Deerhunter, the music group." I guess as opposed to showing the 1978 Vietnam war film starring Robert de Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken. The Lower Dens were great. But Deerhunter crushed it.

It was amazing seeing a local band play for the local crowd with genuine joy and affection. Each song turned into an extended jam session. I could sense a real pleasure and enthusiasm emanating from the band in this unscheduled opportunity to play for the crowd and the crowd's genuine appreciation. Bradford even played in support of the opener, Lonny Holley, and joined the crowd front row for the Lower Dens. He called the Lower Dens Deerhunter's "favorite band," but tonight's impromptu performance filling in for Wye Oak deepened my already deep appreciation for Atlanta's band.

For regular readers, you know I haven't always had the best time at shows here in Atlanta. In fact, most times performances here come up short simply based on the lack of energy evident in the crowd. But I felt like I got the opportunity to experience something rare tonight. Easily the best show I've been too since I arrived here in Georgia. Thanks again to Bradford Cox and Deerhunter for stepping up to the plate. You guys were amazing.

the drunken unicorn

Last night was my second trip to the Drunken Unicorn, a literal hole in the wall music venue in Atlanta. It's part of the MJQ Concourse, variously described as part of the Virginia Highlands or Old Fourth Ward. You wouldn't know the Unicorn was there just by looking for it. Thankfully I ran into some guys on the way to the No Age show who could escort to the front door. From the outside, it's just a little shack in the middle of a parking lot. You descend down a broad concrete staircase to the front door.

Inside, it's quite small. The bar is a separate room to your right passed the front door. Merch is sold from a table in a room at the back of the venue. Performances seem intimate owing to the limited capacity and relatively low stage. I like this venue. The walls are adorned with a mural of flying-wing type UFOs and giant robots that remind me of the Iron Giant.

Cloud Nothings were interesting power pop. I enjoyed the set but didn't feel like I was hearing or seeing anything too remarkable. There's a lot of internet buzz about the band. Who knows, maybe Cloud Nothings are more catchy recorded than live.

Toro y Moi, on the other hand, were fantastic. This was the second time I've seen them. The first was back in Austin at Emo's as the opener for Caribou last year. Chazwick Bundick, the man behind Toro y Moi, is often linked to the contested subgenre of chillwave, consisting bands such as Neon Indian and Washed Out. He plays a highly infectious brand of electronic dance with not so faint echos of 80s electropop.

In Austin, it was a raucous dance party with just about every single body packed into the space swaying, bopping, and shaking. Atlanta was much more sedate. Only a handful of people, including yours truly, managed anything that could be considered close to dancing. Several others in the crowd managed nods but for the most part the crowd seemed rooted to the floor, unmoved by the beat. Lots of people took pictures. Sometimes it feels like the scene here is more important to be seen than to enjoy, like music is a second job and the people show up with all the enthusiasm for a cubicle maze for the sake of being at the right place on the right night.

I dunno. Something about the live music scene here in Atlanta just doesn't feel right. It's like the city has no soul, at least not for "indie" rock acts. Even notorious gurus of making your body move Ghostland Obervatory barely stirred the kids with their glo sticks to cut loose, shake their hips, and have a good time when they came through last year. Ain't no party in a sad, sad city. I hear that dancing is good for the soul. And as a benefit, it also gets you smiling.

the EARL

Tonight was my first visit to the EARL (East Atlanta Restaurant and Lounge). It's in East Atlanta, a sector of the city supposedly overrun by hipsters. There was definitely a hipster vibe to the crowd but not the over the top, cringe-worthy walking disasters made famous by websites like look at this fucking hipster or internet memes like hipster ariel. A couple of interesting folks I met said Atlanta hipsterdom is about 5 years behind the rest of the nation and I did notice a dearth of lumberjack beards on the crowd. But I'm getting off topic here...

The EARL is a great live music venue in terms of atmosphere. Even though the front half of the space is a restaurant, the place conjured more of an Emo's vibe for me than Stubb's (these are Austin music venues). The stage is in the back of the lounge. It lacks the Flintstones BDSM graffiti, punk Ganesha, and theater seats that conjure so many fond all ages shows memories of Emo's. In fact, the walls of the EARL are mostly just black. But it's got that same intimate feeling with the stage. In fact, we stood next to members of opening acts Blair and La Sera to watch Say Hi and Tennis play. I didn't see any mohawks or studded leather jackets to let me know the punks were present like the staple Emo's crowd. Atlanta seems to be light on punks, in fact; I've only noticed a few out at shows, most notably at No Age / Rene Hell show at the Drunken Unicorn.

Like I said, the atmosphere is great. The crowd was mostly chill, too, unlike my many bad experiences with people at the Tabernacle and Variety Playhouse.

The one big complaint I have about the EARL is the acoustics. Hopefully it was just an off night. One positive sign was the tech coming out to replace the lead's mic during the La Sera set to improve the volume of her vocals.

All in all, I like. Still doesn't fit quite as nicely as the aforementioned Emo's and Stubb's or the Mohawk or La Zona Rosa or the Parish, but a solid venue, assuming the sound techs get their act together and dazzle me next time. Because there will be a next time. Many of my favorite acts tour through their,  including the Lower Dens on Sunday, Telekinesis! on Monday, Asobi Seksu on the 21st, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart with Twin Shadow on April 5.

Yew can dew it, earls!

2010 Concerts in Review

The Year

2010 was a pretty hectic year, what with the moving half-way across the country to start law school and all. And yet I still managed to squeeze in time for one of my favorite past times, live music, amidst all the chaos. I've include the city with the show to help my 512 friends navigate the 404 and vice versa.

2011 is warming up (get it?!) to be a pretty good year. Had to skip the Lower Dens playing here in ATL on 1/13 due to the snowstorm but thank your god that they're coming back through on 3/13 @ The Earl. Looks like the first show of the year for me will be No Age on Friday 1/21. After that, the next confirmed shows on my calendar are Godspeed You! Black Emperor on 3/22 @ 40 Watt Club and Pains of Being Pure at Heart with Twin Shadow on 4/5 @ The Earl with plenty in between.

3/12 Flaming Lips, Stardeath & White Dwarfs @ Austin Music Hall (ATX)

4/11 Yeasayer, Javelin @ La Zona Rosa (ATX)

4/30 Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club @ Verizon Wireless Theater (Houston)

5/16 Caribou, Toro y Moi @ Emo's (ATX)

5/18 The Besnard Lakes, Stardeath & White Dwarfs @ Mohawk (ATX)

5/30 Tiny Vipers, Svarte Greiner, Lissom, Crystal Hell Pool @ Gray Area Gallery (SF)

6/7 Neon Indian, Survive, Cry Blood Apache @ Emo's (ATX)

6/8 LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost @ Stubb's (ATX)

6/18 Passion Pit, Tokyo Police Club @ Stubb's (ATX)

6/30 The Psychedelic Furs, She Wants Revenge @ Emo's (ATX)

7/6 Islands, Steel Phantoms @ The Parish (ATX)

7/17 Ghostland Observatory @ Whitewater Amphitheater (New Braunfels, TX)

7/23 New Pornographers, The Dodos @ Stubb's (ATX)

8/3 Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Magic Kids, Puro Instinct @ Mohawk (ATX)

8/4 Here We Go Magic, Beach Fossils, Oh No Oh My @ Emo's (ATX)

9/18 Ghostland Observatory @ Masquerade (ATL)

9/26 Pavement @ The Tabernacle (ATL)

10/1 Deerhunter - release party for Halcyon Digest; featuring Henry Barbe, The Dust Bunnies, Hollow Sounds @ Variety Playhouse (ATL)

10/2 Stars @ Variety Playhouse (ATL)

10/4 LCD Soundsystem, Sleigh Bells @ The Tabernacle (ATL)

10/5 The National @ Fox Theatre (ATL)

10/6 The XX, Warpaint, Zola Jesus @ The Tabernacle (ATL)

10/8 Menomena, Suckers, Tu Fawning @ Variety Playhouse (ATL)

10/16 Beach House, Henry Barbe, Steve Strohmeir @ 40 Watt Club (Athens, GA)

12/31 The Sword @ Mohawk (ATX)

whoa, man

It's been a long time since I blogged. After residing here for almost 2 months, here's my impressions of the ATL.

Driving
You can call what they do in Atlanta driving same as you can say a virus reproduces sexually: only by destroying the meaning of the words. But they do have one thing in common. Coming into contact with either is hazardous to your health.

Music Scene
I like the bands Atlanta attracts. Just this week LCD Soundsystem with Sleigh Bells, the National with Owen Pallett, and the xx with Zola Jesus came through. Last Friday Deerhunter had their cd release party here. Godspeed You! Black Emperor added nearby Athens as one of the dozen or so US tour dates they've had in years. But what I don't like is the quality of people those shows attract. If I had to describe it in one word, I'd say the scene here isn't chill like Austin. The venues themselves are great but I wish they made you check your douchebags at the door.

Food
Being a poor law student, I can't afford to sample all the local fare. Still no Atlanta BBQ but I hear Fat Matt's ribs are delish. I've also heard great things about the breakfast / brunch at Flying Biscuit. A few fellow 1Ls and I have started an unofficial burger club to ferret out the best burger in Atlanta. After only two meetings, the consent so far is Vortex but we have a number of places yet to be tried. We've also got a Friday afternoon ritual at a local hole-in-the-wall which shall remain nameless so as not to attract a crowd. Suffice it to say, it's yummy. BYOB, too, and an afternoon beer, great food, and cool company is always the best way to wrap up another week in law school.


On an unrelated note, I finally finished reading Murakami's "Norwegian Wood". Remarkable book. I'm a growing fan of the post-war Japanese writers. This has cleared my pleasure reading calendar for Richard Bernstein's "The East, the West, and Sex" and my expected harsh criticism thereof. Let's see if I can deliver something on a more consisten schedule this time.