Stranded in Austin, and not minding at all

First of all, the title of this post was just going to be Stranded in Austin, but then I put the last part in because now it sounds like the title of a Willie Nelson song. Moving on...

So the reason I haven’t posted lately (I’m addressing my fan base here…put base on the end of it…fan base) is because I’m back in Texas, where there are plenty of wild boars to come by, but few sources of wireless internet. Luckily, however, I have made contacts with a gentleman who seems to run a wireless company out of his van, and I will be getting internet within days…although apparently it cuts out whenever there’s a cloud in the sky or the wind blows…so we’ll see how that goes.

In other news, when I was driving down here, I was just about to hit Austin when I received reports of flash flood warnings in San Antonio. So, rather than put my 1998 Toyota Sienna mini-van to the test, I decided to crash in Austin for the night. Upon checking into my room, I decided to take advantage of the free wireless feature (a luxury for me) at the Days Inn, to see if there was any live music going on. Naturally, I first checked Bob Schneider’s website, figuring he was probably playing in some dude’s basement somewhere in Austin. I wasn’t far off. He was playing at some bar on the outskirts of town in something known as “Bob Schneider’s Bluegrass Massacre.” I didn’t attend for a few reasons. First, I wasn’t sure if he was hosting the event or actually playing in it. Second, I think that Bob is getting bored in Austin, and maybe is experimenting too much with different styles of music that I don’t necessarily want to check out (for instance, last week his myspace claimed that he was an italian pop artist...however, it now seems there are some new tunes on his myspace). And third, the last time I saw Bob Schneider I tried to buy him a shot at The Nutty Brown and he turned me down…I’m sure he remembers it too, and it’s gonna be awkward the next time I see him.

So, with Bob out, I checked out the website of another Austin resident, Matt the Electrician. Little D and I saw Matt the Electrician open for Bob Schneider at the Nutty Brown in Austin in May, and he really is pretty great. He’s got a kind of raspy voice, but smooth…like a rich man’s John Mayer. Anyways, he writes some catchy tunes. Moral of the story is that he indeed was playing in Austin that night as well (and every other night of the week). On this night he was playing at a local coffee shop near UT’s north campus in some mini strip-mall known as “the Triangle.” He was playing there with another local musician, Southpaw, and I swear that I was the only one there who did not know one of the two guys personally. It was like I was at my high school buddy’s open mic night...only it wasn't my buddy at all...it was Matt the Electrician. Real weird. But still a lot of fun. They were taking advantage of the relaxed vibe by taking turns playing the tuba and singing falsetto harmonies. Highlight of the night by far was when they closed with their rendition of Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag.” Genius.

Moral of the story is that if that night was any sign of things to come, it’s gonna be a good year of music in Tejas.

Listen to My Dog...also note in his influences are: Taj Mahal, and Jesse Harris (of Norah Jones fame). Well played.