(above, Kim Shattuck and Roy McDonald of the Muffs celebrate each and every participant on yesterday’s showing having their band names spelled correctly)
Coming on the heels of some profoundly sad news in the music world, it seems thoroughly wrong to strike a celebratory pose, so instead I’ll keep it low key. Thanks very much to everyone who attended yesterday’s CSTB bash at Beerland, especially those who waited patiently in long lines when they could’ve been guzzling free drinks (and watching shittier bands) somewhere else.
Much gratitude is due to yesterday’s performers, The Muffs, The Spits, Awesome Color, Woven Bones, Cruddy, TV Ghost and The Uptown Bums, but a very special thanks goes out to Beerland’s Max Meehan and Randall Stockton, who are without question the most helpful and honest characters I’ve ever encountered in the rock’n’roll club universe. I’m tempted to say they’re the only helpful and honest characters I’ve ever encountered in that field, but that would be an exaggeration. A slight exaggeration.
Looking at today’s activities connected to the CSTB-family tree, of the many Alex Chilton acolytes performing in Austin this week, few have had the staying power or fantastic discographies of Tommy Keene. He’s performing twice this afternoon, once fronting his own band, and earlier in the day playing bass with Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves. Grant Hart needs no introduction to anyone halfway conversant with U.S. rock history over the past quarter century, Simple Circuit are arguably the best new band in Austin (and an absolute tonic for anyone who’s heard Ace Of Hearts’ recent Neats compilation and groused about modern music sucking the baloney pony), The Zoltars are songwriting demons, XYX could kill Godheadsilo in an arm-wrestling match, Dikes Of Holland are so multi-dimensional you’ll think you’re wearing several pairs of 3D glasses…and Air Traffic Controllers? We’re only 2 degrees of separation from Rude Buddha on Pete Frame’s ’90’s/Naughts family tree. If I don’t run into you at the Longbranch, hopefully we’ll avoid each other somewhere else.