A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a weekend--well, maybe it just seems like it happened in Star Wars time now that it’s Monday--but if you weren’t in Austin like Jesse was, or Vegas like Pete, it was a good weekend to be in Dallas.
Texas native Ben Kweller seemed pretty darn happy to be playing the House of Blues on Thursday, with all the shaking and shimmying he did. This video is best viewed while bobbing your head in time to the music--which, it seems, is exactly what the person taping this clip was doing. And there’s this part where everybody sings along to the song about pennies, and you can close your eyes and sing along with them. About pennies, yes.
Over at the Palladium, escaped convicts took over the Hot Chip show. I was tipped off by their orange jumpsuits. Or maybe it’s just those funny Brits, not knowing our American customs, dressing like criminals. Luckily they didn’t carry their money in large canvas bags with dollar signs, or they might not have made it to Austin.
Watching this video of Del Tha Funky Homosapien at the Granada reminds me just how much I wish I could do that thing with the hand in the air, keeping time to the beat and not looking like someone who’s offbeat. If anyone else wants to practice looking cool, here’s a video to show you how.
If you ever find yourself wondering what could possibly make a guy with a beard look hotter, well, here’s the answer: A guy with a beard, playing some good guitar with a good drummer in, y'know, a pretty darn good band. The Black Keys were doing their thing onstage at the Granada on Friday and somebody was thoughtful enough to record it. While the sound isn’t so great (you can’t really hear the vocals), sometimes the light gleams through bearded guy’s beard, and you can tell they must have been awesome live. Of course, to be fair, I do have a beard prejudice.
On a different note, for those who prefer cover bands, AllGood Cafe was the place to be. Watch Psycho Pony lead singer’s Roy Orbison here, offering up a faithful cover of “Cinnamon Girl.”
...and that was a sampling of your weekend. --Dianna Wray
