SxSW Recap

Before I head out to the airport to resume my life in brick-cold NYC, I wanted to share a quick breakdown of my recent Austin activities.

First off, the HIGH TIMES Doobie Awards were a triumphant success. All the bands who played—including Year Long Disaster, Blower, Graveyard BBQ, Black Water Rising, Earthless and Priestess—were absolutely fantastic. And some notable locals like Nick Oliveri, Kings X's Doug Pinnick and the Sword guys showed up to party (and in the latter's case, it was a chance to pick up the world's only award you can smoke out of).

The Sword Accepting Their Doobie Award

Bobby Black Joins Blower Onstage

In four days, I managed to watch 37 bands play and saw Earthless the most, at three shows. I lost track of how many beers I drank, but I'd say the ratio of freebies to actual drinks paid for was 4:1, easy. And then there were the Flaming Dr. Pepper shots. There are also almost 300 snapshots on Flickr commemorating the sights and sounds of SxSW, with more short videos to come.



I also ate sausage for four days straight, mostly of the smoked jalapeno and cheddar variety. C'mon, can you think of a better snack than that to watch Bang Camaro with? I did miss migas, but we'll see if I can do anything about that at the airport.

Bang Camaro

That said, I wanted to give a shout out to Bobby Black & everyone at HT, Merilee 666, Doug Didgit, Mel & Patrick, Diane Kamikaze, Vegas Price, Pot Star, Sonya, Aaron Bush and all my favorite locals for making the trip a fantastic one. See y'all next year!

I [Banged] Camaro

What was the worst thing about seeing Bang Camaro last Friday? The fact that I've still got their hook-laden hard rock anthems stuck in my head the following Tuesday.

The best part? Everything else. Not only did the Boston-based band bring it to Santos Party House last weekend, but they also made sure to bring their entire arsenal of singers with them. Before BC dragged several friends and fans up onstage, there were nine—friggin' NINE—vocalists on stage delivering the goods.

And, if somehow, you were bored despite the fist-pumping hits and plentiful power chords, you could pass the time inventing nicknames for the gallery of singers. Some of the names my companion and I came up with: Meatloaf, Affliction, Jonah Hill, Shamus O'Malley, Lil Bow Wow, Ted Nugent, Chelsea Lately (one dude looked like a frequent panelist on said show), and John Norris.

Further proof of their rock skills below (thanks, Michael!). The only thing that can cure this Bang Camaro loop in my head is a week-long music bender in Austin. SxSW, here I come!