Another Travelling Song

Austin, TX:

I'm sitting in a dorm-type apartment with members of Steel Train and Limbeck strewn all over the floor, the destruction from an alt-country/neo-jam hoedown all over the floor. THree girls pepper the all-guy crowd -- a manager and two very young, um "band aids," who I don't think actually aided any band last night (not for lack of trying from the bands. So maybe the girls are just teases.) The apartment was given to Steel train for free in exchange for a show they're playing at the apartment complex tonight; it's a sweet deal for them and a tough decision for me, sinc it means deciding whether to watch them again or go into town and brave the SXSW crowd.

Last night, the band played at 5pm outside in Austin for a bunch of ad execs and their kids, who clapped happily along to "Road Song" even though 20 minutes earlier Jack's guitar totally shit the bed (see, Weigel, it happens to everyone.) Then -- drove to San Antonio, for a show that everyone was confused about but ended up being the best Steel Train show I've seen on this tour. The band had nothing to prove and 60-or-so-fans that were rabid and pushed to the front of the small stage at club Sanctuary. Then: Limbeck, the OC alt-country band that floored me at the Echo a few months ago. Unfortunately for them, everyone left. Jack from Steel Train sat in, I got very drunk, tried to help ST's manager pick up a girl, failed, drank more, did the electric slide and the boot-scoot during Limbeck's set, smoke an enormous joint with Evan and two girls from MySpace (one cute -- and Evan's -- one, um, not.) Drank more. Slept in the van. Came back. Slept on the couch.

SXSW starts here, in a living room in austin, with two bands and two semi-band aids. Last year, it started in a living room in ausitin on a couch with anal lube. Last year was crazy. Let's make sure this year's crazier.

More pix above.