austin day two

"flatstock" is the huge poster convention i'd read about before coming. flatstock is pretty fucking cool. i went in with no cash, on purpose, but picked up the business cards of the artists i want to come back to. i mean, really, it's just a big room with a ton of posters pinned up in booths. what's cool, though, is that the artists who make the posters are right there, too, displaying and selling their own work. i've warmed up to austin, and the crowd in general, and have gone out of my way to talk to a couple of people at shows or in passing. but flatstock was the first place where i'd strike up a new conversation with every turn, with fellow browsers and the artists themselves. out of all of them, however, i have to recognize the decoder ring before any others. check out their modest mouse collection. and then help me pick which one i'm bringing home (bukowski one doesn't count, fools, OF COURSE i'm getting that one)!

i'm set up outside the convention center, plugged into the wall here, resting the legs and feet and enjoying an urban austin sunset, orange light bouncing off of building windows. you know, with the food and the people and the asphalt, it even smells like six flags here. crazy.

before flatstock, i milked mark's connections for that rogue wave/ted leo show. not all day parties are open to the public (apparently), and this one in particular was an invite-only. but i lucked out, since aloha (polyvinyl) was an opener and mark had an extra pass to the event. and what they say is true: free beer and bbq. perfect. then, when mark and i were outside sharing a cigarette, none other than headlights themselves walked up the sidewalk and said they were going to join us. hanging out with headlights at a rogue wave show -- a combination born to rival all others. like when taco bell came out with those hard tacos, wrapped in a soft shell and held together with a thin layer of melted cheese. only better. naturally.

tonight, tonight. picked up a flyer at the ted leo show saying champaign's own cameron mcgill is playing tonight at seven, and sxsw sms text messaged me saying echo and the bunnymen is playing tonight at eight. echo and the bunnymen, huh? maybe. i've got a scarred perception of the band, the favorite band of a psychotic listener i used to have when i worked regularly at wpgu. jack. i still have jack's state i.d. somewhere. another story for another time.

i'll try to stop back by the convention center late tonight to update, unless madam adventure steers me in her direction and i end up across town, without my pants... in which case i'm sure i'll have a much better update, but at a much later time.

p.s. thanks for the camera, amanda!!