Music Madness

Wow... it's already been more than a month since I was able to enjoy the craziness of Austin, TX during its famed Austin City Limits Music Festival. I headed to Austin to cover the Propane Technology Forum. Let me to tell you, they are doing some really interesting things with propane these days. You can read more about it from my coverage on Agwired (just do a search for propane). Funny enough though, there was a propane tank explosion the first day of the ACL Music Festival. I'm sure the propane people wouldn't have liked that. But, they were all out of town by then. While at the forum I met a fellow photog, Patrick, who has some pretty cool editing tricks and a fabulously interesting background. I do believe I owe him a couple of pics... This pic of me is some of his handiwork.

After I covered the PTF, I met up with the Couchsurfers I would be staying with, Ryan and Hailey. It was evident from the beginning that these two were incredibly plugged into their city and the city's infamous music scene. Day one with these two started off with lunch at the Clay Pit, where we gorged on an absolutely satisfying buffet of a delicious assortment of Indian cuisine. I'm not exaggerating here. You couldn't get the food in your mouth fast enough. After that, I tagged along with Ryan to his softball game and got to jump in on the game. It was a great group of people and we joined them for some eats at a local chicken wings place afterwards. Next, we headed back to the apartment to freshen up and meet up with Hailey and her friends before heading to a club for free VIP treatment. I'm talking free drinks, free food, free entertainment and free music samples. Needless to say, the surf started off with a bang... and it just got better from there. Ryan and Hailey truly know how to welcome their guests with the royal treatment.

The next several days were filled with the excitement of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. 97 bands, 8 stages and 3 days of utter music madness. Obviously, you couldn't catch every band you wanted to and, at times, I had to make some tough decisions between great artists playing at the same time at different ends of Zilker Park. But here's the rundown of who I got rock out with at ACL: Blonde Redhead, Peter Bjorn and John, LCD Soundsystem, Spoon, The Killers, Blue October, Andrew Bird, Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket, Eli Young Band, and Ghostland Observatory. On top of that, Ryan hooked us up with access to the Wilco soundcheck in the actual ACL studio (ACL started as a PBS television program and morphed into this all-encompassing music fest identity complete with the annual music festival.). Basically, we got our own private screening of a Wilco concert. It was awesome!

In the midst of all that, Ryan and Hailey kept the excitement going with a ton of Tex Mex style burritos, lively night life action and oh-so-yummy Amy's ice cream (well I slipped that in on my own). I met up with another couchsurfer during the festival, Leah Yanez (funny she has the same last name as my beloved step-family - who aren't a "step" family by any means. They are the real amazing deal. But back to the point). She was a great chick to kick it with, really laid-back. She introduced me to a German "chant" performance that was... interesting to say the least.

I musn't forget the Daily Juice. You guys, you have NOT had a smoothie until you've had one from the Daily Juice. I now have an everlasting craving for smoothies and NOTHING satisfies me like a Daily Juice smoothie. NOTHING. I took a picture of the menu though, so I have all the wonderful and crazy ingredients and concoctions... hahahaha.

I didn't really think I could top the ACL music festival, VIP parties, Tex Mex, German chants and the Daily Juice... but, I was wrong. And I should've known. Mother Nature always amazes me most. One of Ryan's friends Clay and I grabbed lunch and then he dropped me off at a trail head along the Barton Creek Greenbelt, a beautiful, scenic trail that winds along Barton creek. I was supposed to hike about three and a half miles along the trail back towards Zilker Park, which was only about another mile from Ryan's apartment. Instead, I accidentally hiked about four and a half miles the opposite direction (aka the wrong way) along a somewhat rigorously, hilly terrain. Also, I was not properly dressed for hiking, wearing white pants, thin, flimsy flats and lugging my huge, black bag of gear with me. But, the idea came up at lunch and, you know me, I jump into opportunities like that with no regard for how prepared I am for the adventure. Anyways, what sounds like the recipe for a rather unpleasant time of it... was, of course, the exact opposite. Along my walk toward the outer limits of the city I glimpsed beautiful panoramas of rolling hills and valleys, listened to the birds chirp light melodies over the deep drone of rushing white water, watched butterflies skipping over flowers, and crept upon people and turtles alike sun-bathing on rocks incubated in the warmth of the afternoon. Light filtered in through the dense forest in dusty rays and lit open clearings with a cozy glow. Tree boughs draped over Barton Creek creating fleeting, romantic lagoons. There really is nothing that can calm the soul like the landscapes of God's art. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and my God's creation on that hike.

When I emerged from the forest at the trail head eight miles from where I was supposed to be, I could have been mistaken for a Swampthing. It was either that or my white, water-drenched pants that enticed passerbys to honk, one after the next. (No worries, mom, my pants were wet only up to the mid-thigh.) And that's how Jay met me... sweaty swampthing with a bird's nest for hair and dirt smears for make-up. He is one of the few who has first met me as me, in my "true essence," as of late. I was in my element and I was wearing my element... just as I had done for years growing up. It used to be, it was rare to encounter me in any sort of cleaned-up fashion. I was always going from jungle adventure to sweaty days packed with sports and back again. But growing up means polishing up, and lately I am more often in business dress or casual, feminine chic... and not in my ever-defining t-shirt and soccer shorts, ready to dig my spikes into lush soccer field turf or roll around in the mud. Not to say I don't enjoy dressing myself in feminine chic. I have developed a rather strong zeal for fashion (perhaps a little too strong of a zeal as my latest shipment of shoes would attest to - I'm not even going to put into print how many pairs were included in that shipment. But it was a sale...). I'm just saying people used to exclaim whenever I dressed up, as if I my doing so was somehow a demonstration of an oxymoron in the flesh. Then the day came when someone exclaimed when I was dressed down... surprised that I was even the sporty type. The pang from that ran deep.

Wow... I wandered way off track... but hey, that's what I was writing about in the first place isn't it? But yeah, that's how Jay met me. And he was a real sport. We were supposed to met at central location, but he valiantly came to rescue me from the wilderness though he had never met my crazy little self. Jay is another couchsurfer whom I had contacted when I found out when I would be heading to Austin. He was out of town for the first leg of my stay, but was around for my last couple of days, and so, we decided to kick it.

Jay took me back to Ryan's so I could freshen up, then we headed out for some coffee at Mozart's on the marina with Ryan in tow. Coffee then turned into chips and drinks at the restaurant next door, where Clay met up with us. Then Jay took off for a home-cooked dinner, but Clay and I met up with him later for some crazy bowl. Well, my bowling was crazy awful, but Jay, the pro golfer, had some crazy bowling tricks up his sleeve. He was pretty good. His friend Matt, a pitcher, was even crazier. Matt would send a bowling ball breaking ball style down the lane, releasing those suckers with a speed at which I've never seen a bowling ball fly. His bowls would make it halfway down the lane before they ever touched wood. Like I said, I've never seen anyone bowl quite like that. I have to say, I left impressed.

The next day, was my last day. But it wasn't without its own excitement. My flight was scheduled to depart in the evening so I had time for some early morning adventure and Jay was willing to oblige. We set off for the river that winds through Austin, the Colorado River, and rented a big, yellow kayak. What a wonderfully invigorating way to start the day! And you couldn't have asked for better weather. We skimmed along the river chasing after elegant, white swans and at times glimpsing turtles plopping into the water, disturbed at our presence. Most of the time, though, we would only hear the Splunk! and watch the water ripple as the turtles escaped before we could spot them. We beached for a bit at the unofficially designated rock dock for dogs. Big canines and little yappers alike were splashing in and out of the water, constantly spraying us with the infamous wet-doggy shake down. One rascal was such an excited, eager beaver. He began racing the other dogs after their toys and swimming off with them in triumph. You couldn't help but feel fond of the big bully... *smile*.

Then, it was time for me to get back and pack it up. I didn't want to leave that little haven of bliss on the river, rowing, then relaxing and talking about life with Jay. He has a talent for just putting you at a comfortable ease... and pulling you into life's slower and calmer beat. But, I did leave... with the consolation of knowing I had made a handful of good, new friends.

Austin City Limits Music Festival Photo Album

Barton Greenbelt Excursion Photo Album