Red Skin

[eggwards]

Back from Austin...of course Back is relative since I'm in Dallas. It was a late night drive back, but not as late as some of our folks who stayed for the last band. It was interesting road-tripping with Chris, since normally I'm all alone in my shiny metal box. The conversation made it worth everything to me.

There were some unexpected moments, Like the set by My Morning Jacket, which was awesome, some disappointments, like the crowd keeping us too far away to hear Franz Ferdinand and Cake as more than a dull roar, and some expected ones, like Howie Day's impressive set. All in all, the crowd was restless, the whole thing terribly hot, and despite my efforts with sunscreen, I'm quite red. Still, there was good music, good food, and many good people (I'll expand on this later). Pics will come soon.

I did wear the kilt again Sunday, and a few people actually talke to me about it...women.

I wish we had more time just to "be" in Austin. Jeff and I were able to stop by Mojo's before the rest of the group got to town, but really we saw little of the city, or some of the people there (though it was good to meet Will (brazosbear)). Austin's very unique, but the festival is a big time and strength commitment.

Next year we'll fly a bear flag to be able to find each other in the sea of people. Sometimes if you went away to hear another band, it was hard to catch up again. Besides, it couldn't hurt to attract a few like minded people...there were certainly enough potential bears out there. The people watching, when you could lift your head in the heat, was fantastic.

Like I said, more, later. I have Chris waiting...

Comments

[chrisglass.livejournal.com]

If you don't have My Morning Jackets album "It Still Moves" I give it too enthusuastic thumbs up.

[goldibehr.livejournal.com]

Next year we'll fly a bear flag to be able to find each other in the sea of people. Sometimes if you went away to hear another band, it was hard to catch up again.

And here I'd assumed that everyone in the continental US carried a cell phone...

[polomex.livejournal.com]

I'm all for the flag idea. Cellphones don't help much in a sea of people. Aside from the fact that it's impossible to hear anything on your phone when you're surrounded by people, "landmarks" can be difficult.

"Where are you?"
What?
"WHERE ARE YOU??"
Um.... *looks around* We're by a great big speaker.
"A big speaker... great..."
OH, and we're by someone wearing a green shirt...
"*sigh*"

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

Yeah, landmarks were a problem. Being right of a camera tower still meant you had to look around several thousand folks. Chris and I totally lost the rest at Trey Anastsio's set since we couldn't find them in the sea of dancing hippies, and this was after the call to tell us where they were.

At the hight of the festival, so many people were on their cell phones that it was hard to connect. It would take several tries. It also lent to people who did connect to be chatting away half of the sets. annoying.

Of course this was downtown Austin, I'm sure the problem would be multiplied in a more distant location, like the Cochella Festival, out in the desert with little phone coverage.