Roll n' Rock

Friends, family, it is a good time to live in Texas. The weather is perfect, the holidays are near, and good LORD, there is some awesome music coming through. This is the best time to be a Texan who is also a lover of great live music.

The music season started off in mid-September with my trip to ACL with my buddy Cara. I saw like, I don't know, 25 bands??? Something outrageous like that in a mere 3 days. There was SO MUCH good music. Only a couple times did I leave a show early to go see another. The highlight bands for me were: The Decemberists, Amos Lee, Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, Bjork, Damien Rice and Ben Kweller, and Spoon. And then on our long drive home from Austin on Sunday night, Cara introduced me to Okkervil River's album, Black Sheep Boy. It was like being given a precious secret gem...thanks Cara!

Janae and I saw Brandi Carlile at HOB a few weeks later. She is really very talented. And tiny. She's teeny tiny holding her big guitar. I enjoyed her band too...it is comprised of guitar playing twins and a drummer. She ended the encore with an acoustic performance of Hallelujah. It was beautiful, except for the girl behind me singing along to every note. Speaking of, the audience was also interesting. From stage, you could easily assume you were at an Indigo Girls concert. I guess Brandi has a large lesbian following. Including Janae and I.

Kidding.

Next was Bishop Allen at the Granada. WOWSIES. I love this band. I knew that already, but my love grew 10 times (or whatever) like the Grinch's heart. They play a lot of songs with a lead yukelalie (sp?). It sounds so cool. And it's so adorable to see a tall dude up there with a tiny baby guitar. Ahhhhhh. Bishop Allen has a really cool sound and smart lyrics. It is comprised of Harvard boys, after all.

That brings me to upcoming shows. This weekend my boys, The Avett Brothers, are in Texas!!! Tahj and I have flown across the country twice this year to see these guys play. And they are finally on our home turf! They play at the Granada on Friday, in Houston on Saturday and in Austin on Sunday. And yes, friends, we are road tripping around Texas to catch every show. Like the true fans we are. I CANNOT WAIT. Watching the brothers play feels like home to me.

Other shows I'm seeing this year:
Architecture in Helsinki (at Hailey's in Denton)
Iron and Wine (at the Palladium in Dallas)
Regina Spektor (HOB; don't have a ticket yet, she maybe sold out, but I want to go)

Like I said, it is a good time to be in Texas. Lets the good times roll, and rock.