Party, Party, Party!

Or something like that... It is hectic here. That's an understatement - "insane" would be getting closer to describing SXSW. And don't forget the fun! There's no shortage of joy in Austin right now. My first stop was the Iron Cactus - my favorite place for the go-to perfect house margarita. The brain freeze that ensues is worth it. Of course the goal is to see as many bands as possible - and we've definitely been living up to that end of the bargain. Some of my favorites so far have been Viv Albertine, Quasi, Rebecca Gates, My Dad Is Dead and 16 Deluxe. Of course the best laid plans have gone awry on a daily basis. Shows we thought we couldn't miss passed us by as we waited in line for a bite to eat. (Sorry, Rogue Wave!) But other, miraculous, events have been experienced in their place. Of course, the saddest news to come from the front lines of this year's conference was learning about the loss of Alex Chilton. We happened to be at the same restaurant as Jody Stephens (the drummer for Big Star and longtime Chilton friend/collaborator) the evening he found out Alex had passed. What a devastating loss to bear, especially when Jody was here to play a Big Star show. We bought him dinner - it seemed like the least we could do, in thanks for so much amazing music. On the upside, the Grammy party was insane. Free margaritas! That gets me every time. The bash took place at a beautiful lakeside venue (the swanky, industry friendly Four Seasons) - and the company was lovely as well. Spotting Matthew McConaughey was a treat for me - I brushed by close enough to hear his iconic drawl. He's shorter in person than I would have imagined, but smokin' hot. Today brings the HUGE Tape Op bash, for which Panty Line Press is a sponsor. We're 1,000 + over on the RSVP list; needlessly to say... I think we'll be full! I wish I could share this party with all of you - you deserve it. Who knows what tonight will bring? Courtney Love is here, so the terror portion of this event is taken care of... Will I try to see Hole? Hell, yes. That hot train-wreck isn't the queen of entertainment for nothing. Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords) is here, as well as Margaret Cho. The comedy portion of the evening will be a hot ticket, but I've got my fingers crossed. I'm dying to see Danger Mouse and James Mercer's new project, Broken Bells. Of course seeing She & Him (Matt Ward and Zooey Deschanel) is high priority, as always. I apologize for the lack of "normal" posting. This is more nuts than I anticipated, but every bit as fun. Thanks for your patience. More soon... really! xo