Most of you are already aware, but if not, today is the last day that the original Red River location of Emo’s will be open. While there is the shiny new Emo’s open on Riverside, it’s just not the same, and never will be. The end of an era, that brings many of us a bit of sadness.

When I first heard of the pending closure, I didn’t really think about it much. Maybe it was my built in defense mechanism developed from mourning the loss of another landmark venue in which I spent countless hours in musical bliss, Liberty Lunch. Just a couple of weeks ago, while driving down 6th street, it began to settle in how much I really am going to miss this dirty piss hole of a music venue. The shitty sound system, the rude staff, the smelly urine trough, the uneven floor, all to be missed immensely.  While I’ve had plenty of opportunity to say goodbye in person, I decided not to attend any of the final shows, opting for holding on to the years and years of memories that I share with many of you reading this.

Let me give you a brief history of my relationship with Emo’s. Before there was an Emo’s Austin, yes I was roaming downtown Austin before it existed, we experienced our music in a few venues around town. You could catch any number of local bands at The Black Cat and drink $1 Pabst and eat free hotdogs from the hotdog buffet. Sounds awesome and awful at the same time. Of course many of the touring acts of substance played Liberty Lunch, The Back Room, and City Coliseum. The Jelly Club and Jar Bar offered smaller touring acts a stage, and you could find Gibby Haynes, in special form, there on many nights asking you to buy him a drink whether you knew him or not. All great venues in their own right, but then Emo’s opened it’s doors and it felt like something really cool was happening there. The fact that it was free to get in was a bonus, and there was music, and everyone seemed to be going there. It was the place to go and as the years went by and new venues opened, Emo’s always maintained that “something” that has made it one of Austin’s legendary venues.

I’ve spent some time trying to conjure up as many special memories that I could, and to be quite honest, over 19 years of beer drinking, live music, sweating, moshing, and sharing moments with friends, the memories are blurred. A few stand out, and as I cannot contest to their accuracy, these are the details that stick in my head.

David Yow’s Parents: Jesus Lizard shows were legendary back in the day, and I’m pretty sure that I saw more than 1 at Emos, but this one in particular stands out. It was difficult to not notice the older couple in the crowd as we waited for Jesus Lizard to hit the stage. Striking up a conversation with this couple, I come to learn that they were David Yow’s parents. And if I remember correctly, this was to be the first time that they had attended any of his shows. Now I can’t imagine being Yow’s parents, but it might make sense that you would avoid witnessing your son’s performance on stage which often involved nudity. Yow put on his usual performance as his parents looked on, as the crowd surged and fed off of the intense, spastic, psychotic energy of Yow and the Jesus Lizard.

Britt Daniel Predicts The Future: My sister was High School classmates with Britt back in our small town of Temple, Tx and we both have followed his career since the days of Skellington (man I wish I still had those cassettes). Being fairly pregnant with her first child, my sister was looking for any opportunity to see Spoon before the live changing baby event was to happen. A SXSW day party at Emos provided that opportunity. While conversing with Daniel, I inquired as to who the band was playing on the stage at the time. “Death Cab for Cutie” mentioned. He went on to say that they were really good and were probably going to be pretty big. Guess he was right.

Pissing: Back when Emo’s first opened it became quite the place to hang out. So much so, that on any given weekend night the place would be completely packed. I ran with a pretty rowdy crowd, many whom have gone on to become adults that are stretch away from the people that I would have believed them to grow to be. So, one night we are in Emo’s standing at the bar, you know that spot where the pole is inside bar, and it’s packed. The line for the bathroom is ridiculous. My friend needs to piss. Not wanting to wait in line, and fearing he would lose his spot at the bar…enough said.

James Iha: After an incredibly memorable performance by the Smashing Pumpkins at the long gone South Park Meadows venue, on their Siamese Dream tour, we ended up at Emo’s. Why we thought going to Emo’s after an intense evening of moshing, fungi consumption, many beers, and some streaking through the exiting traffic at the venue, was a good idea, I’m not sure. As I’m standing at the bar, not far from that pole, I notice that Smashing Pumpkin guitarist James Iha is standing next to me. I turn to Iha to let me know how much I enjoyed the show and he shakes my hand. Granted, I’m a pretty small guy, but I couldn’t help notice how tiny his hand was when I shook it, and proceeded to ask him “how do you rock so hard with such small hands”..I didn’t receive an answer.

Craig Finn: I’ve never really been a fan of The Hold Steady, but I continued to give them the opportunity to win me over, as many of my friends absolutely love the band. It was a hot sweaty night on the outside stage at Emo’s and thanks to the opening act Illinois, I was able to watch the band perform from the side of the stage. Needless to say I gained a small bit of respect for the band as I watched them work the sold-out crowd into a frenzy. One of those friends who was a die-hard fan was at the show, and the opportunity for him to meet Finn arose. As my friend proceeded to tell Finn how much he appreciated the music, and what a fan he had been for years, Finn, focused on Blackberry, informed him that he needed to leave and he didn’t have time to talk to him. A simple “thanks” would have sufficed. Recently gained respect…out the door and in the crapper.

I could bore you with more stories and shows that stick out in my mind, but this is lengthy enough. Emo’s Red River will be missed. The pre-blog years and the blog years when photographer Valerie Fremin was thrown to the wolves to get the photos for this site, and did so in great fashion. Crappy lighting, rude crowds, boiling temperatures, she got in there and did it..and it was fun.

I put together a few photos from those years that represents what Emos was to me…

Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 edition has come and gone, and while the dust has settled (literally), a look back at what has become one of Austin’s hottest festivals showcasing scores of indie bands sprawling genres that appeal to audiences as diverse as the festival’s lineup.

Relocating Fun Fun Fun Fest from the friendly confines of Waterloo Park to a much larger venue Auditorium Shores, was met by little skepticism by some of us who have grown to love the comfort and convenience of the smaller setup. A setup that gave us relief from the larger festivals that aren’t as quite as forgiving when trying to experience as much as you can at a festival with the ease of accessibility. Would FFF Fest still be able to maintain that feel that we’ve come to love so much about the event? Would the grown spurt be handled well enough technically and operationally that the quality of the fest not be compromised? And the dust? Most of us dealt with it years ago at ACL Festival and the thought of repeating the experience weighed heavy.

I should begin by stating that my approach to the festival experience has changed quite a bit over the past few years. Being that I really enjoy experiencing my favorite bands and live music in general in smaller venues, the idea of standing in a field in mid day watching a band run through a set that in some situations doesn’t replicate their club performance in many ways, just doesn’t appeal to me much. My approach to festivals is catch the handful of bands that I really do want to see and hope it translates well enough, and spend the rest of the time trying to experience other artists that might not be of extreme interest to me, but have built themselves a certain reputation or “buzz”. That, and catching up with peoples, and enjoying some beverages and the occasional tasty food offerings. Tasty food offerings a definite must at a festival and Fun Fun Fun Fest probably had the best selection of food that I have experienced at a festival.

I was only able to attend the last two days of the event, and as I entered the wind swept compound of Auditorium Shores, the dust was almost enough for me to consider my even staying for too long. The constant grit in my beverage, and the idea of trying to eat any food in the dust storm, played heavy on my mind, but the pending performance by M83 outweighed any decision to leave.

Throughout the course of the afternoon few bands achieved holding my attention for very long. The middle of the afternoon presented two, of which I was hoping to gain more interest in, tUnE-YaRdS and Ra Ra Riot failed to change any previous opinion that have on the recorded material. I know..gasp!

The pleasant surprise of the day, not really knowing much about the band was The Joy Formidable. I believe that there have been some comparisons to a local trio fronted by an axe wielding blonde front-woman, and understandable to a degree, but the energy, stage presence, and full band sound was impressive for such an early set.

M83 provided a great sounding set covering a fine selection of tracks from the band’s most recent release Hurry Up We’re Dreaming, but the band’s sound and visual performance would have benefited from a later set time after sunset.

Girls continue to impress as they blossom into a band that embraces the challenge of the larger stage with a sound that has evolved from quaint, quirky, cute jangly band from California into a full sounding rock band, incorporating a little psych with loud guitars.

This year my interest in the half-pipe and BMX ramp was a bit more than in the past, and it was a nice change of pace for shooting photography than the crowded photo pits where photo assigned wristbands at times sported nothing more than an iPhone for shooting. It’s great to see more interest by other media sources in the local fest, but the organization and security of the photo areas was a bit inconsistent.

In the interest of keeping this fairly short…

Sunday bands that failed to move my interest into to the plus category. Mates of State and We Were Promised Jetpacks. Always heard great things, but maybe on a smaller stage?

Kudos to Ted Leo for working through an almost non-existent voice and delivering his always infectious, high energy, sets of post-punk from one of today’s hardest working in the business.

Cannibal Corpse…that’s right. The opportunity to see something that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise, and what a weird, humorous experience. Not to offend anyone, but wow. And that guy must  pay thousands to his chiropractor to keep that neck in shape.

Consider me a new fan of Boris and once more impressed with the progress of Blonde Redhead in regards to their live show.

Sure, the dust was an incredibly unpleasant unfortunate part of the event. The reported exclusion of many of the local media photographers from the last two acts on every stage seems a bit of a slap in the face of the locals that have been supporting the festival since it’s infancy, and hopefully will be revisited next year.

The food was amazing, the lineup continues to grow and bring bigger acts, and the feel of the park still maintained it’s comfort while providing pockets of diversity that allows the attendee to experience something completely different in every corner of the park.

Now what are the reported numbers and facts about FFF Fest 2011? Just released:

Check out the rest of our photos by Loren Root and myself…

The who answered in the board of directors:

Paul Oveisi – AMP Executive Director
Adrian Quesada – Grupo Fantasma & Brownout
Alex Maas – Black Angels
Brad Spies – SXSW
Brent Grulke – SXSW
Charles Attal – C3 Presents
Courtney Graber- C3 Presents
Elaine Garza – Giant Noise
Frank Hendrix – Emo’s
Davis McLarty – Davis McLarty Agency
Jack McCarty – Frontgate Tickets
Jim Eno – Spoon
James Moody – Transmission Entertainment
John Kunz – Waterloo Records
Matt Hickey – High Road Touring
Matt Luckie – Red Fez, Star Bar
Michael Feferman – C3 Presents
Nikki Rowling – Titan Music Group
Paige Maguire – Austinist.com
Randy Miller – Rainmaker Artists
Rich Garza – Pachanga Festival
Roland Swenson – SXSW
Steve Wertheimer – The Continental Club
Susan Antone – Antone’s
Terry Lickona – Austin City Limits Television
Tim Neece – ACL Live at Moody Theater
Tim O’Connor – Direct Events
Will Wynn – Former Mayor, Austin

And the why:

In 1991, Austin City Officials passed a resolution that proclaimed Austin the Live Music Capital of the World. To this day, it is that promise that brings so many new people, ideas, and opportunities to our City. The AMP project has been created to help secure and fulfill that promise, now and into the future, through the following avenues:

• Fostering networking and cooperation among Austin’s community of music professionals
• Creating a new level of collaboration between the local music industry and other community stakeholders
• Research and discussion of ideas, policies, and issues facing the music industry at large and Austin music in particular
• Giving fans a voice to be heard and a forum to celebrate and enhance Austin Music
• Hosting events to strengthen the connection between Austin’s music professionals and the fans who make Austin’s music culture the best in the world

Austin Music People are all around us: from the number one fan to the lead singer to the bartender to the booker to the venue owner to the last door guy on shift – we are all Austin Music People.

The AMP Project is founded on the fundamental belief that in the Live Music Capital of the World, music and the creative class are a crucial part of what binds us, supports us, drives us, and makes Austin special. Our Austin music culture is unique and world renowned, and it represents both our future and our past.

The AMP Mission is to protect and grow our music culture and our reputation as the live music capital of the world.

I’m not going to say that it all hasn’t been said before, but maybe not at this volume and definitely not this loaded with such an arsenal of ammunition, but the real results are still to be measured. AMP can throw one HELL of a party, but when the hangover sets in and the bottle is empty, the real work and the real music people that it’s set to impact, await. And that wallet just got a little bit fatter.

If you are interested in AMP and becoming involved..Austin Music People

And now the photos..

Photos by Loren Root:

While the recorded material never really sets in with me as something that I reach for on a consistent basis, I can’t help but continue to find these guys a great live show. Their songs sound so much better live with an energy and vibe that is so easily consumable. This past Friday at Stubb’s was no exception to that statement as the band put on a memorable performance to a crowd that was more than just familiar with their music. Each beat and each lyric resonated with a majority of the attendees, while the band sifted their way through a catalog of impressive work, that shines most when in the presence of it’s creators. And of course, the ending was saved for the one song that they might be most well known for…

Thanks to the talented Mary Rehak for these.

Two hours of a band that will most likely never see the stage under their feet with the same folks again, while the bobbing heads and upraised arms of the fans who have carved a tiny spot in their hearts in minds for them for all eternity, proved timeless. The only hits are the ones that have been made so personally, and we all shared in those hits for one last time.

Barely a week into their tour in support of their sophomore release Sugar, Dead Confederate rolled into Mohawk with fellow Athenians Futurebirds in tow to take part in the 23+ acts event @ Mohawk cleverly billed as Red River On The Rocks. Sponsored by Makers Mark no less. Futurebirds brought the anticipated smile of delight to my face while Dead Confederate blasted away at their catalog, spending as much time on older material as the newest. For the band’s encore, three -fifths of Dead Confederate was joined by three young members of local band Flock of Spiders, (Ben Redman, Deven Ivy, and Max Redman) for the first single from Sugar titled “Giving It All Away”. And they gave it all..all rock.

Catch Dead Confederate on the road09-01 Aspen, CO – Belly Up*
09-02 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge*
09-03 Boise, ID – Neurolux*
09-05 Seattle, WA – Hard Rock Café @
09-06 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge # *
09-08 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall #
09-09 Santa Barbara, CA – SoHo#
09-10 Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar
09-11 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour #
09-12 Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up # *
09-14 Tucson, AZ – Plush #*
09-15 Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room #*
09-17 Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews Festival #
09-18 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge #
09-19 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre #
09-21 St. Louis, MO – The Firebird #
09-22 Chicago, IL – Double Door #
09-23 Akron, OH – Musica !
09-24 Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater !
09-25 West Chester, PA – The Note #
09-26 Boston, MA – The Middle East #
09-28 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg !
09-29 Washington DC – Rock and Roll Hotel !
09-30 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle !
10-01 Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor !
10-02 Charleston, SC – Patriot’s Point $
10-29 New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Festival

@ with Surfer Blood
# with Alberta Cross
* with Futurebirds
! with Mt St Helen’s Vietnam Band

Dead Meadow brought the serious “rock” to Emo’s last Sunday night while on the road in support of their most recent CD/DVD release The Three Kings. A recommended grab for anyone familiar with the band, or in need of a solid dose of guitar, bass, and drums ala psych/stoner rock.

Photos: Mary Rehak

Photos by the talented Mary Rehak.

I have to admit, that I had been looking forward to seeing this Besnard Lakes show for awhile, which for me to be this anticipatory of a live show, doesn’t happen that often. Along with that though, comes the fear that the band might not live up to your expectations, leaving a nasty mark when they don’t. Canada’s Besnard Lakes proved any doubts or fears null and void with the performance that they delivered on Tuesday night at Mohawk. And for those of you who might have thought about going, and opted for some other lame activity, you missed out. It was one of those shows that you want to share with everyone.

While the band has the recent release The Besnard Lakes are The Roaring Night to push, they blended previous material into the set seamlessly, while still touching on newer fan favorites “Chicago Train”, and “Albatross”. An enthusiastic response from the crowd after each song prompted casual banter between the band an the audience, with band members displaying the additional talent of well imitated animated character voices. And just as things started to feel as if they were going to reach this beautiful musical climax, it all ended. No encore available, and no more time to play as a result of the noise ordinance. A disappointing jarring end to a set that was on the brink of musical bliss. Maybe more time should have been allotted for the headlining act? Maybe 2 bands instead of 3? One can debate a more appeasing scenario, but then the short amount of time that was spent in the musical presence of The Besnard Lakes would be wasted on wishing and wanting. And that’s just not necessary.

And to the asshole who stole the bands keyboard earlier in the day. You’re a D***! Go steal a television, or some video games. Something we could probably use less of in our lives, not someone’s tools for creating work and art.

And….Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010..I’m talking to you..make this shit happen. Bring back the Besnard Lakes!

Photos from Mary Rehak. Go check out her site.

The ever growing in popularity Warpaint brought their beat driven psych jam early in fest along with the Danish duo Raveonettes. The Black Angels introduced us to their upcoming release, playing it in it’s entirety on Saturday night, following Spindrift who whipped their unique Western style of psych romp.

Overall a glowing success, and one fest that we hope to stick around for years to come.

A few years ago, I caught a little known band called Yeasayer opening for the burgeoning young band MGMT on the inside stage @ Emo’s. While the crowd was obviously focused on the blog buzzed band MGMT, Brooklyn’s Yeasayer made it perfectly clear that they were a band that was poised to be a contender in the modern rock scene.

Now, selling out 2 nights @ The Parish is quite the feat for a band, much less to have your shows moved to the almost twice the capacity La Zona Rosa for a 2 night sellout. That’s exactly what Yeasayer did this past weekend, selling out both Saturday and Sunday night playing to exuberant, dancing fans eating up everything that the band would toss their way.

What crossed my mind while watching all of this unfold on Sunday night, was the latest run in sold out shows around town. Not just selling out, but selling out quick. Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Portugal The Man, Beach House, just to name a few. What’s going on in this town, or more possibly, in the music industry? In a time when most of the country is still reeling from a recession that took some of us down like a kick to the groin, people are shelling out cash for live music. Is it possible that its a subconscious reaction to a negative situation, or maybe people are just tired of feeling shitty about life, and are seeking out that, that makes them feel good again? Or the less hopeful option would be that our little city of Austin’s music scene is just exploding? I’m going with people just want to have fun and feel good again. Which ever it may be, Yeasayer definitely made people feel good on Sunday night, and I would expect on Saturday as well.

Thanks to Mary Rehak for the photos

The self-proclaimed loudest band in Brooklyn, A Place To Bury Strangers made their 3rd stop in Austin in about a year at The Parish, this time performing opening duties for the bombast electro-rock outfit The Big Pink. My first thought on this musical road marriage was WTF? I had heard The Big Pink’s latest release A Brief History Of Love in addition to seeing APTBS the last few times that they were in town, and thought that the two were an unusual combination. APTBS usually bring a searing wall of feedback drenched in reverb that intensifies as the set progresses, while disorienting strobes and smoke leave you feeling that you just left a war zone. Maybe because they were the opening act, the set seemed a bit more tame this night, more controlled and a bit muted. Maybe it was attempt to specifically recreate the layered sounds of the latest release by the band Exploding Head. Maybe the addition of new bassist Dion Lunadon, replacing Jonathan “Jono MOFO” Smith previous to this tour created a different band dynamic. Enjoyable as the show still was, the anticipation of wall after wall after wall of slash and burn guitar feedback crushing everything in it’s path, while front-man Oliver Ackerman dances wildly with his instrument, never came to fruition. Maybe it’s not polite to upstage the headlining band?

And about the headlining band? Sounded like leftover NIN scraps stitched together with some Euro trash disco, barking like a pit-bull with a chihuahua body.

More photos from Mary Rehak and some video after the break

Phoenix have been one of the biggest success stories of the past year, after years of achieving minimal success, the band has, as the kids might say “blown up”. Just months after performing @ La Zona Rosa to a sold out crowd, the band has sold out another upcoming date at Stubb’s.

The band recorded a performance in Sydney earlier last month and is making it available to fans for FREE!

Live In Sydney can be downloaded HERE.