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Fun Fun Fun Fest: IMPORTANT INFO
Hear ye, Hear ye:
This weekend, at long last, Transmission is ecstatic to present the annual Fun Fun Fun Fest.
Here's some important information you'll as you head down to the event in Austin's beautiful Waterloo Park (so pay close attention, as there will be a test afterward):
THE FESTIVAL PARKING MAP
Since Waterloo Park is downtown, parking is pretty limited. Here's a map of all nearby parking garages (first come, first served parking garages are in purple), in case you're driving:
GATE TIMES
Each day, gates will open at 11:30am and music stops at 10pm.
CARPOOL
This is highly encouraged, as (1) global warming is currently taking place and (2) parking around Waterloo Park will be limited.
BIKES
Ride your bike. It's easier, you'll get more exercise, and the Earth won't hate you.
BIKE RACKS
Lots and lots of bike racks will be available right out front of the festival gates on Trinity Street.
AGES
The festival is all ages, but if you plan on drinking, you'll need to present a valid ID at the gate. KIDS UNDER 10 YEARS OLD GET IN FREE.
PRICES
For those of you who haven't bought your passes this year's festival, you'd best hurry. You can get your tickets HERE.
Prices are as follows:
2 DAY PASS $59.99
STUDENT 2 DAY PASS $50.99
Single Day $34.99
STUDENT Single Day $29.75
*REMINDER TO STUDENTS: Don't forget to bring a valid Student ID with you to the festival to pick up your student ticket(s)!! Without proof of current enrollment, you will be asked to pay an additional $9 fee before entering the gates.
FILMING
We will be filming both the acts and crowd on both days of the festival. Please be aware that, by walking through the festival gates, you're saying "I'm okay with being filmed." The video footage will be used for promotional purposes only.
AFTERSHOWS
Oh, there's lots of these. Your festival wristband gets you into all of them for either 1/2 price or FREE. Go HERE for all afterparties info.
See ya there.
TRANSMISSION ENTERTAINMENT
Tue Nov 4 2008 · Posted in Daily
Fun Fun Fun Fest Preview - Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit
Performing Sunday at 2:45 on Stage One.
Frightened Rabbit’s The Midnight Organ Fight (Fat Cat Records)
is probably one of my favorite albums to come out this year. From start
to finish, every track on this full-length is absolutely brilliant;
soulful folk wrapped in richly layered production, songs that start
with nothing and build to foot-stomping, barn-burning anthems with
brutally honest lyrics every drunken and horny romantic can relate to.
Mon Nov 3 2008 · Posted in Daily
Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008 - AFTERPARTIES
Get ready. Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008 is coming.
And, once again, as part of the FFF experience, Transmission presents the FFF Afterparties, held Friday-Sunday of festival weekend (Nov. 7-9) in the Red River District.
Your FFF wristbands will get you into all of these events for either half-price or free. Here's the schedule:
Wed Oct 29 2008 · Posted in Daily
From The Mind Of Adi #7: R.I.P. The Metro.
From The Mind Of Adi #7: R.I.P. The Metro.
I'd be hard pressed to tell you the name of the bar that now occupies the space on 6th St. that briefly was The Metro.
In fact, I probably would not be able to tell you what the name of that
space has been through the years, except in 2001, when it was called,
well, The Metro, and it was home to some scintillating performances by
a few acts (literally). (And yes, the bands on display this week are
not too dissimilar from last week's.)
Two of the fine shows The two shows I witnessed at the self-proclaimed "Austin's Premier Live Music Venue" were Slash's Snakepit and a killer double bill featuring L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat. Slash brought along the Snakepit for the Ain't Life Grand tour but naturally he was still the focus of attention. He proved his
mettle throughout in a stellar display of six-string wizardy even if
the polished rock sound of the band was a tad disappointing. I enjoyed
the latter concert a lot more; L.A. Guns' Cocked & Loaded was a bible for me in the 80's with pop-metal hits like "The Ballad Of Jayne" and "Never Enough" and my personal hits like "Slap In The Face" and "Showdown (Riot On Sunset)" on constant
rotation in my 80's bedroom. This was one of their first tours after
original singer Phil Lewis re-joined the band and they did not disappoint despite the inclusion of material from 2001's Man On The Moon. Faster Pussycat seemed to take forever to set up behind a huge curtain; they finally emerged with Taime Downe (now with jet black hair as opposed to his 80's bleached blonde look)
still as adept at being the showman he was back in the day. I was
treated to both, a goth and a glam version of "Bathroom Wall" and yes,
there was still no one home in Downe's "House Of Pain." Phil Lewis
signed some chick's boob during the Faster Pussycat set.
As always, the images below tell the story best. (No photograph of
autographed breast, sorry.)
Slash's Snakepit, 2001
Thu Oct 9 2008 · Posted in Daily
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#14) - Deerhoof & Megapuss
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#14) - Deerhoof & Megapuss
by Nick Courtright
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for Nick Courtright’s weekly first glance at music discovered in the last seven days, whether it be just-released, just-leaked, or some long-lost gem that has remained under the radar. Click here for other recent editions of Hot Off the Press, featuring acts such as TV on the Radio, Cold War Kids, of Montreal, Juana Molina, Final Fantasy, Peter Bjorn & John, White Denim, and Grizzly Bear.
Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
released October 7 on Kill Rock Stars
Report Card: B
Despite their oft-indiscernible lyrics, the obscurity of their songs, and a distinct lack of sex appeal, Deerhoof has successfully built an adoring fan base eager for even the slightest scrap of new material. The fact that they’ve done it all with an uncompromising dedication to pushing the envelope sonically—an approach which has led them to one of the most unique and immediately recognizable (and delightful) sounds in contemporary music—makes them almost impossibly endearing. These realities make it all the more mystifying and disappointing that Offend Maggie lacks the spikes in extreme glee that their last couple albums have provided so willingly, as its overall uniformity results not in a fantastical dynamism but in a blandness the band’s fans have never experienced.
Wed Oct 8 2008 · Posted in Daily
MONDAY TRANSMISSIONS (#9)
Well, after a week off I am back like Air Jordan. Sorry regular Monday Transmission readers, the fun and festivities that surround Austin City Limits Festival frankly got the best of me and I just couldn’t get this damn column written last weekend. Must learn to say no to some things. No worries – here are your Monday Transmissions for the week of October 6th.
Monday: Shaking off the lengthy moniker and relentless angst of youth, Fear Before (formerly Fear Before the March of Flames) return to Austin Monday, headlining at Red7. The Equal Vision Records six-piece plays artsy, experimental indiecore in the vein of Portugal. The Man, Chiodos and Fall of Troy. Pretty stoked about this show – no, not just because my own band Consider the Source is opening, but because I’ve heard Fear Before have a pretty intense live show. Rounding out the bill are Exotic Animal Petting Zoo (I’ll take Absurd Band Names for $800, Alex), I am the Ocean and local chug-chuggers The Cabaret. Pretty solid lineup, cheap at $8 for 5 bands, and just about the only thing going on tonight worth checking out – I’ll be there, and so should you.
Mon Oct 6 2008 · Posted in Daily
From The Mind Of Adi #6: R.I.P. (the music venue that was) The Back Room
From The Mind Of Adi #6: R.I.P. (the music venue that was) The Back Room.
The Back Room in Austin brought many a rock act to town when live music on Red River St. was still in its infancy. I'd love to write up the plethora of shows I saw there but pictures tell the story best. Scope out some classic images I dug up from my personal archive below; also check out this great article on The Back Room written by the Austin Chronicle in 2006.
Thu Oct 2 2008 · Posted in Daily
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#13) – Juana Molina & Final Fantasy
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#13) – Juana Molina & Final Fantasy
by Nick Courtright
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for Nick Courtright’s weekly first glance at music discovered in the last seven days, whether it be just-released, just-leaked, or some long-lost gem that has remained under the radar. Click here for other recent editions of Hot Off the Press, featuring acts such as TV on the Radio, Cold War Kids, of Montreal, Peter Bjorn & John, Vivian Girls, White Denim, The Walkmen, Fight Bite, and Grizzly Bear.
Juana Molina – Un Día
to be released October 7 on Domino
Report Card: A-
It’s been well over a year since Panda Bear released Person Pitch, an astounding and groundbreaking album that was practically impossible to dislike, not to mention qualified enough to land near the top of the best of 2007 lists for almost every major (intellectual) music publication. With its relentless looping of vocals, instrumentation, and sonic textures, as well as its propensity for the long song, Person Pitch reshaped what was expected of an avant-pop album in the twenty-first century, and intimated that a sea of imitators would eventually rise in its wake. That said, while it would be ridiculous to cite Juana Molina’s oft-excellent Un Día as a sad-sack imitation or mere trifle, the influence of Panda Bear (and those other looping aficionados, El Guincho and Andrew Bird) is pretty apparent, and acts as a testament to the continued viability of the technique as a way to make engaging and addictive “thinking person’s” music.
Wed Oct 1 2008 · Posted in Daily
From the Mind of Adi (#5)
This Week: I'm an Austinite in New York.
I needed a vacation and what better place to get some rest than in NYC, "The city that never sleeps." Besides meeting old friends, going to the 2008 US Open at the USTA /Billie Jean/ King /National/ Tennis Center, and eating some delightful grub, I did manage to take in some live Music during my trip.
The first of these was at a retro bash in Manhattan, at Andrew WK's new club, Santos' Party House. Some quality DJs (including Calvin Johnson), a Go-Go dancer (Anna Copa Cabbana), and the The Crystal Stilts made for a quite an entertaining evening.
Thu Sep 25 2008 · Posted in Daily
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#12) - TV on the Radio & Cold War Kids
by Nick Courtright
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for Nick Courtright’s weekly first glance at music discovered in the last seven days, whether it be just-released, just-leaked, or some long-lost gem that has remained under the radar. Click here for other recent editions of Hot Off the Press, featuring acts such as of Montreal, Peter Bjorn & John, Vivian Girls, Bodies of Water, White Denim, Conor Oberst, The Walkmen, The Bug, Fight Bite, and Grizzly Bear.
TV on the Radio – Dear Science,
released September 23 on DGC/Interscope
Report Card: A
There has always been the foul stench of drama around TV on the Radio. Maybe it has something to do with their obnoxiously broad appeal, or their innately overblown sound, or maybe it has something to do with band’s position as one of the very, very few notable bands of racial diversity in indie rock, a reality that has seemed to make the frustratingly pasty music media a little comfortable and self-congratulatory in their praise. All this put together has bred a certain stink about the band, as if they weren’t actually that good at all, and their bombast and the resulting acclaim was merely a token reward from the affirmative-action minded who have been wounded by indie rock’s apparent elitism. Unfortunately, though, for the conspiracy theorists who want to diminish the band, TV on the Radio—separated from all this sorry gunk—can be pretty fucking good.
Wed Sep 24 2008 · Posted in Daily
MONDAY TRANSMISSIONS (#8)
Plenty going on this weekend, as Austin welcomes ACL festival-goers to our beautiful city limits. While I won’t be attending the Austin City Limits Festival itself, there are plenty of good bands playing and plenty of events going on around the Transmission community worth the price of admission, as they say. This is one of those weekends (like the week of SXSW, Fun Fun Fun Fest weekend, etc) where you really just have to step back, look around, and say “Damn… I live in a great fucking town!” Assuming you stay sober enough to piece together a coherent sentence.
Monday: Mohawk welcomes DFA Records’ Juan Maclean Monday, with LAX and Learning Secrets’ Ian Orth. I can’t say I’m particularly impressed with Juan Maclean’s music… I mean, next to labelmates like Hercules & Love Affair, Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem and Fun Fun Fun Fest participants YACHT (get your tickets here), Maclean’s music seems awfully run-of-the-mill. But LAX and Ian Orth? Hot shit. If I were you, I’d get down and dirty at this dance fest Monday, then just chill out the rest of the week, in preparation for a weekend that will surely kick your ass.
Mon Sep 22 2008 · Posted in Daily
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#11) - Peter Bjorn and John & Grouper
by Nick Courtright
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for Nick Courtright’s weekly first glance at music discovered in the last seven days, whether it be just-released, just-leaked, or some long-lost gem that has remained under the radar. Click here for other recent editions of Hot Off the Press, featuring acts such as of Montreal, Vivian Girls, Bodies of Water, White Denim, Conor Oberst, The Walkmen, The Bug, Fight Bite, and Grizzly Bear.
Peter Bjorn & John – Seaside Rock
to be released on September 23 by Almost Gold Recordings
Report Card: B
Nothing like flaunting the international fame and acclaim you got with a dyed-in-the-wool pop album by making its follow-up an instrumental collection destined to be slept on by most everyone who was chanting your name last year. But at the same time, while Writer’s Block got all the teenagers in a tizzy with the dazzlingly poptastic “Young Folks”—not to mention the rest of the album, which was undoubtedly one of the last five years’ most solid and unabashed homes for catchy-as-hell sugar hooks—Seaside Rock is a testament to a band who’s willing to say a little bit of “fuck you” to the slavering masses, a testament that declares that musical integrity and continued exploration are more important to this band than a continued assault on the tender eardrums of the thoughtless youth. Either that or they’re running away, like pansies, from expectations.