Weightless

2011 in a post

A few of my favorite things

 So here are a few musical highlights from 2011.  It’s not like a typical music blog’s sort of 10 ten list for the year or anything like that, but it does take note of some exciting things that happened to me in 2011.  So here’s a personal summary of my year in music:
 
Favorite live show: Arcade Fire at Austin City Limits Festival
I managed to see Arcade Fire in Dallas during their Suburbs tour, and at Austin City Limits during their Sunday night headlining slot. I think their stint at ACL was stronger because: a.) The show wasn’t in Dallas, b.) The crowd was insane, and c.) It wasn’t in in Dallas. 

Favorite band to shoot:  The Thermals at Fun Fun Fun Fest
In my attempt to do homework while attending Fun Fun Fun Fest, I decided to shoot a few rolls of film for my photography class.  It’s something I hadn’t done in a while in a festival setting, but I think the results came out quite nicely.  Some of these photos can be viewed on my Flickr.

Also, I love The Thermals.  Super nice people.

Favorite festival: South by Southwest
I’ll say it was a pretty close tie with Fun Fun Fun Fest, but I just love SXSW too much.  I realize saying “I just love SXSW” isn’t really a valid reason as to why it’s my favorite festival year after year, but it is.  I love that it’s free, and I love that people from all over the world come to Austin for a week out of the whole year to experience 1,000’s of performances from up and coming artists.  Plus this year it allowed me to see Bright Eyes two consecutive nights in a row, with fireworks. High school?  Yes.  Lame? Never.

Favorite “Party”: SPIN Magazine’s SXSW Day Party
I finally got to go to SPIN’s party this year!  With a bill that included The Kills, OMD (yes, that band from the 80’s), and TV on the Radio (who was introduced by the characters of Yo Gabba Gabba), I was feeling pretty victorious knowing that I was one of the lucky few who snagged a pass to the show.  There were free drinks, barbeque, and even iphone 4 case all around.  Here’s to hoping I find passes for 2012. 

Favorite venue: The Austin Club for Bright Eyes’ “secret” AOL show @ SXSW
I don’t think there could’ve been a better place to have this show.  The Austin Club pretty exclusive club here in town, or so I am told.  The club used to be an opera house in the late 1800’s, meaning it’s probably one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever seen.  It had huge chandeliers hanging from the old ceilings, and I’m pretty sure (if I remembering correctly) the carpet was almost like a reddish- burgundy color?  The place was just gorgeous and old— obviously the perfect place for Conor and Co. to set up shop.

Favorite freebie: My photo pit pass to Fun Fun Fun Fest
I’ve never scored a photo pit pass in my life, so this was definitely up there with the terms of “awesome” and “badass.”  However, with great power comes great responsibly, and I just ended up running around the festival grounds like a crazy person shooting bands and trying to meet up with friends.  
This all lead to a bad case of pharyngitis, due to all my excessively excited talking and yelling.  It was totally worth it.

Freebie Runner Up: The Joanna Newsom ACL taping tickets I scored in July.  She is just so darling and talented, oh my.  Also, it was the first taping I’d been to!
 
Favorite encounter: Ryan Gosling at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Yes, I like every other girl (or maybe guy) went crazy when spotting the ever so handsome Canadian at Fun Fun Fun Fest.  But the reason why I find it so awesome is because he almost ran over me with a golf cart.  I’m not even lying.  Since I had my super cool photo pass, I could take the backstage route at the festival to reach stages faster.  Well guess what: I was 3 steps to the backstage area, and then it was like, hey girl look, it’s Ryan Gosling driving a golf cart with a film crew in tow filming Terrence Mallick’s new film!  I was literally 3 feet away from the front of that golf cart, and I did a double take.  Man, I’m cool. (Not really, not even close.) 

An honorable mention goes out to fellow Canadian Michael Cera, because I happen to see him twice with one week: once at Denton’s 35 Conferette, and a second time in Austin at SXSW.  Did I mention he looked directly at me and said “Hi”?  Yeah, he sounds the same in real life.  Just Paulie Bleeker 24/7. 

Favorite interview: Tom Green for the Dentoneer
Okay, so I write for a little Denton-based blog called the Dentoneer.  I started back in mid-July by doing daily song reviews until one of the editors decided that since no one wanted to interview Tom Green for his stand up show in Dallas (apparently people think he’s “lame”?) that I should do it. 

(NOTE: I have no experience in journalism, or interviewing anyone for that matter.)  

So I did it, and now Tom Green follows me on Twitter and occasionally tweets at me.  Aside from Twitter Tom and I talked about how he invented planking and how my best friend worships him as the king of trolling.  That was my first interview ever, and it was over the phone. 

Favorite song: Weezer’s “Tragic Girl”
Of course I had to find a place for Weezer on my list, and here it is. 

I really just adore this song.  I mean, it begins with Rivers singing: “When you kiss me and say you love me / makes me feel so good“.  Hello, doesn’t hearing that feel so good?  Yes, yes it does.

The only terrible thing about this song is that I put it on a mix CD for a guy I liked.  Notice the past tense?  He totally does not deserve to have this song or any other of the music I burned onto that CD.  And yes, now I always think of that ridiculously awesome CD when I hear “Tragic Girl.”  I guess you could say this song means a lot of different things to me, and that’s also why I like it so much.

Favorite record: ?

 Okay, this is awful but…I don’t really know?  I don’t necessarily have a favorite album that was released in 2011 that’s become my favorite or anything.  Bright Eyes’ The People’s Key is up there I guess though.  I’m just unsure about this one. 

Favorite rediscovered band: Fleetwood Mac/Springsteen/Smashing Pumpkins/Hole
Basically…I’m brushing up on 90’s clichés while listening to my mom’s old favorites from the 80’s.

Favorite setlist: My Morning Jacket’s list for Austin City Limits 

Because they played a little bit of everything, and then ended the night with “One Big Holiday.” 

Favorite on-stage moment: Blake Sennett performing “Ripchord” at The Elected’s Austin show in June

I think my heart stopped when Blake started playing, even though I sort of saw it coming since he had joked that he was about to play a “cover song.”  Hah, clever Blake. I see what you did there.

Major Bonus: Blake signed the setlist I grabbed from the stage and touched my shoulder and said “Thanks for comin’ out!”  Then I said hi to Daniel Brummel of Ozma, who is The Elected’s touring drummer. 

Favorite purchase: The 20+ records I added to my collection

Yeah, I’m going to go broke with this new collecting hobby of mine.  Seriously, my new favorite thing to do is to go to Half-Priced Books or Goodwill and rummage through the clearance bins for $1 vinyl.  That’s where I’ve picked up some of my favorites, like Rumors.  I really like the irony of how someone I now dislike introduced me this new habit that I now love.

I’d pay $12 to go see The Elected

You’re still cool Blake Sennett, even though you broke up with Rilo Kiley.

PS:  It would’ve been super cool if Daniel Brummel from Ozma was still in The Elected.