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From The Mind of Adi #10: Fun Fun Fun Fest Recap - Day One
The 2008 Fun Fun Fun Fest brought some incredible punk, hip hop, indie, electronica, and comedy acts to Waterloo Park in Austin last weekend and the result was a mouthwatering buffet of an assortment of musical genres to satisfy our appetites. The stellar lineup had a fair balance of local and national talent and I was lucky enough to have the honor of interviewing a number of the artists in the Austinist media tent at the fest. The Austinist and Roxwel teamed up with Transmission Entertainment to conduct 54 (has to be some sort of record!) interviews in two days – most of the individual interviews are still being edited and will be available on Roxwel's site in due time, but we can offer a couple of early, sneak-peak recaps -- Day One and Day Two.
I arrived at Waterloo Park bright 'n' early at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday the 8th, as evidenced above. By 10, I was enjoying The Dead Milkmen's energetic soundcheck and sticking around to ensure they made the short trip to our media tent for the first interview of the festival. The band spent a good twenty minutes with us, going over countless classic anecdotes, and their families were equally friendly, thoroughly enjoying the spotlight thrust upon their fathers and significant others.
Our unending list of interviews was substantial. We didn't waste much time in the morning, plowing through talks with Bishop Allen, Dengue Fever, The Yuppie Pricks, Pepi Ginsberg, Rick Carney (Paul Green School Of Rock), Colormusic, and ColdTowne Theater in the next few hours. Chats with Ume and Frank Smith followed in the afternoon, and before I knew it, I was in the mix with two outstanding Austin bands …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead and The Black Angels.
Getting to pick these bands' brains was a true highlight for me -- their music been the soundtrack to my Austin days and debauchery for the last decade and more. I got to check up on …Trail of Dead's new label Richter Scale Records and also got an update on Psych Fest from The Black Angels. (Keep checking Roxwel's site in the coming weeks for those individual pieces.) My work did not end there though as we still many more interviews on the cards -- El Paso Hot Button, Swingin' Utters, Neil Hamburger, Parts And Labor, Grampall Jookabox, and many others graced the media tent with their presence in the afternoon, keeping us busy all day.
My discussion on politics and more with Magnetic Morning was yet another unforgettable interview personally for me. Magnetic Morning is comprised of total legends like Sam Fogarino (Interpol) and Adam Franklin (Swervedriver) and it is very refreshing to be able to sit down and have an informal, fun conversation with icons like these. Only Fun Fest could have afforded me this opportunity in such a perfect, laid back environment.
Arguably the biggest name we snared for an interview on day one was New York's The National. Another "huge" act that still has its feet on the ground, The National was very approachable and earnest during our brief conversation. Although I spent the majority of the day (and weekend) in the media tent, I did manage to catch almost all of The National's beautiful set in the late evening – a majestic end to the first day of Fun Fest 2008.
Next time, a look back at my Day Two experience at Fun Fest.