Passion Pit/Harlem Shakes @ Emo's Tomorrow!

Passion Pit and Harlem Shakes will be hitting Emo's outside stage tomorrow night. So far the weather report says we might get rain, but "Outside" at Emo's is mostly, somewhat covered anyway. Just don't wear nice kicks, but that's always good advice at Emo's.

The show is sold-out but there isn't as much buzz and excitement in town as I had expected there to be. I suppose it's just another Wednesday night in Austin right? I wonder if people will clap/dance, I expect it will be like the Cut Copy show I saw at Emo's: hot, loud, sweaty and full of gay men and their hipster-chick lady friends. All in all a good time will be had by most, you can't please everybody even if you're Passion Pit.


Passion Pit - The Reeling video via YouTube

Free Harlem Shakes Mp3 courtesy of Harlem Shakes.Com, thanks.

Free Mp3 ---> Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game

I always buy concert tickets in pairs and so I ended up with a spare P. Pit ticket, which I tried to trade for an Animal Collective ticket, to no avail. In my brain I was like, "Hey, they're both sold-out shows, they're both P4k bands that people love for lots of the same reasons...ok some of the same reasons. They are equally valued." But apparently value is a much more fluid thing than I gave it credit for. Because in the eyes of Austin concert-goers they are not equally valued concert-experiences. Either that or no one buys tickets in pairs. Negative Nelly at work said no one would make the trade and that no one else buys tickets in pairs? *shrug* I will get into that damn sold-out Animal Collective show, oh yes I will. Even if it means bartering Grizzly Bear or St. Vincent tickets.

Oh yeah, so Wednesday night before Passion P. goes on, Harlem Shakes are gonna kick out some jams. I just bought their new album, Technicolor Health and I really like it. I'm almost more excited for Harlem Shakes than I am for Passion Pit simply because it's going to be so much easier for PP to mess up their sound. A relatively new band touring behind lots of songs that are sung in Falsetto? We shall see.


Harlem Shakes - Carpetbagger video via YouTube

Did I mention that Cale Parks is starting the whole thing off? If I know Emo's that means you can expect Mr. Parks on stage around 10:15ish? I don't know a heck of a lot about Cale Parks but I did find these handy Mp3's courtesy of Polyviny Record Co., thanks.

Free Mp3 ---> Cale Parks - Some Sew, Some Find

Free Mp3 ---> Cale Parks - Wet Paint

Not to mention this video, thanks Cale and Polyvinyl.


Cale Parks - Every Week Ends video via YouTube

By the way, I just noticed someone is trying to trade a Passion Pit for a Grizzly Bear do I detect a hot new trend? How about we all put all of our tickets in a big bag and you get to blindly grab as out as many as you put in?!? Who's down? No? Too risky? Don't want to get caught at a less-cool show? Hand over the damn Animal Collective ticket mofo!

Sorry 'bout that. You know how it is.

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Dead Venues Live Series

Those cats over at Super!Alright! sure no what's up. Have you seen their Dead Venues Live Series for the Dell Lounge? It's basically a way to "Pay Tribute" or make you go, "Aww, I hate change!" and remember those days of yore before Austin was over-run by "people from California". In addition to misplaced nostalgia, the series features a lot of Austin's best bands from TODAY! If you want, I'm sure you can check it out on Vimeo and the like but I'm gonna stick to YouTube since I have an iPod touch. Even though the video is kind of shoddy on YouTube. Anyway, here's a few of my favorites from the Dead Venues Live series:


Ume - The Conductor video via YouTube


The video above the break is sans commentary so you don't really get to learn about the venue from that but I <3 Ume so much that I wanted you to experience the performance. So, here's the historical back-noting-enhanced version:


Dead Venues Live - Episode 1: Club Foot video via YouTube

Episode 3 features The Ritz Theatre as well as the Strange Boys both of which I enjoy immensely. The Ritz, as you may know, is the current site for the flagship Alamo Drafthouse. the Strange Boys are currently a band that sounds like a drunken, American version of 60's British psychedlia ala Nuggets. So here's the performance:


the Strange Boys - Who Needs More video via YouTube

...and here's the episode:


Dead Venues Live - Episode 3: The Ritz Theatre video via YouTube

The most recent episode features a band I have yet to see live but have already heard some buzz about on Twitter, obvs, they're called The Steps check em out:


The Steps - Blonde Smoke video via YouTube

I must say Episode 4 is the episode that made me most nostalgic/most self-loathing/most hate-inducing re:people from Cali. I also wish people still called a genre of music "New Sincerity", but I suppose that became "Emo", which is not-necessarily affiliated with Emo's.Liberty Lunch is def a place that I have heard a lot of people talk about so it's cool that it's getting explanation/recognition in Episode 4:


Dead Venues Live - Episode 4: Liberty Lunch video via YouTube

I haven't blogged about Brothers and Sisters, which is weird because they are one of the first Austin bands I saw within the first few days of living here. They are very talented but for some reason they just don't excite me. No offense B&S you're just not for me. But regardless this is a great performance/song/video and it's part of the series so here you are:


Brothers and Sisters - You're Gone video via YouTube

This full episode should explain why they are playing in a parking lot near Whataburger:


Dead Venues Live - Episode 2: Armadillo World Headquarters video via YouTube

Dude, Springsteen played there for a $!?!?

The irony of this whole thing, is a lot/most/all of the bands have members who moved to Austin via California and/or the rest of the world. I'm also guessing that a lot of the folks over at Super!Alright! also fall into this category, as I do. Go figure. By the way when can we expect episodes featuring: Corto Maltese, Harlem, or Transmography, eh?

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June is Going to Effing Rawk Y'all

Alright, let's keep this between us 'cause I'm about to talk about a lot of hot-ass indie-rock shows coming to town and I don't want them all to sell out before I get tickets ok? Seriously though, June is shaping up to be hot in every way you're thinking. Let's look at who's coming to our fair city...

Tue. 6/2

* Black Moth Super Rainbow, School of 7 Bells at the Mohawk
* Mr. Lif, Willie Evans Jr. at Red 7


Black Moth Super Rainbow - Sun Lips video via YouTube

It just gets more and more ridiculous after the jump...


Wed. 6/3

* Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes at Emo's
* Langhorne Slim, Samantha Crain at the Parish


Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game video via YouTube

Thu. 6/4

* Helio Sequence at the Mohawk


the Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead video via YouTube

Fri. 6/5 !!!

* Bonnie Prince Billy, The Howling Hex at the Mohawk
* Animal Collective, Black Dice at Stubb's
* New York Dolls at Emo's
* Alejandro Escovedo at Antones


Animal Collective - Water Curses video via YouTube

Sat. 6/6

* Mika Miko, The Strange Boys at Red 7
* Au Revoir Simone at the Mohawk


the Strange Boys - Woe Is You and Me video via YouTube

Mon. 6/8

* Gomez at Stubb's

Tue. 6/9

* Matisyahu, Les Claypool, Dub Trio at the Austin Music Hall

Thu. 6/11

* Peaches, Drums of Death at Emo's
* Holy Fuck, Crocodiles, Woven Bones at the Mohawk


Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen video via YouTube

Sat. 6/13

* Viva Voce, Cut Off Your Hands, The Lemurs at the Mohawk
* Doug Stanhope, JT Habersaat at Red 7
* Gregory Isaacs at Flamingo Cantina


the Lemurs - They Do What They Like video via YouTube

Mon. 6/15

* Camera Obscura, Anni Rossi at Antones
* Santigold, Amanda Blank, Trouble Andrew at Stubb's


Santigold featuring Amanda Blank - I'm a Lady (Diplo Remix) video via YouTube

Tue. 6/16 !!!

* Grizzly Bear, Here We Go Magic at the Parish


Here We Go Magic - Tunnelvision video via YouTube

Fri. 6/19 !!!

* St. Vincent, Pattern is Movement at the Mohawk


St. Vincent - Actor Out of Work video via YouTube

Sat. 6/20

* The Meat Puppets, Retribution Gospel Choir at the Parish
* Sunset Rubdown at the Mohawk


Sunset Rubdown - the Mending of the Gown video via YouTube

Mon. 6/22

* Jenny Lewis, Heartless Bastards at Stubb's


Jenny Lewis - Pretty Bird video via YouTube

Fri. 6/26

* John Vanderslice at the Parish


John Vanderslice - Trance Manual video via YouTube
Sat. 6/27

* Ben Kweller at Emo's

Is that ridiculous or what? And that's just what's being reported right now on Show List Austin

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