a FREE WEEKend

The weekend is finally here and although I have been going strong on 5 consecutive nights I plan on still going out tonight. Every new band I have seen have either 1) impressed me 2) not impressed me or 3) all of the above & rocked my face off.  You only got 3 more days to enjoy all these bands for no price.

Now before I give you some music recommendations and shows to catch, I wanted to share with you some hints & tips about surviving Free Week (for all you first-timers) This whole week I have found that some of my co-workers and friends keep asking what is the deal is with free week, what is free week, what do I suggest in terms of timing, bike or not, parking, etc etc.
Here's what I got for you:

1) Get downtown EARLY!  
If you been to ANY shows downtown off Red River, at any point of the year, you know how late headliner bands (usually at 1am) and usually don't take off from the house until after 10pm or closer to 11pm to be able to catch the set.  However, during Free Week there is an exception - YOU NEED TO GET DOWN THERE EARLY!  There seem to be a SHIT TON more people going to Free Week then I have EVER seen who are going downtown at this time of the year.  There are many people who are fully aware that almost all the music venues are free.  Not only that but people either have bands they wanna catch, friends they gotta see, or meet another group of people thus the huge crowds down there!  So, listen, do yourself a favor and show up around 9:00-9:30pm, go to the venue of the band you absolutely cannot miss and watch what other local bands are opening up. You may find another great band(s) to follow or find very interesting and are similar music style/genre as the headliner.  There have been at least 6 bands lined up in one night under one bill so you will be fine waiting around with your group of friends to sitting around, drinking more beer, and/or making new friends.
2) Park somewhere off of 10th street or near Waterloo Park. 
Don't pay more than $5 at one of those fancy parking lots of a bank or government building downtown. THIS IS A WASTE of BEER MONEY!!!!!!!  Drive around and find a free meter or free parking spot somewhere between 10th and Red River and the Capitol building.  If you follow suggestion #1 and #2 I guarantee you will be a happy music goer.  A further suggestion would be load your bike and your friends bikes on the bike rack and park Red River and 15th area near Brackenridge Hospital.  Your bike will get your down to the venue faster AND you have direct transportation to the next venue or band you wanna see at all the other free venues this weekend.
3)  Know what bands play where and when!  
This is as simple as following the hashtag #freeweek on Twitter.  Search for #freeweek in Austin and you will have a ton, mine included, of tweets that will give you the details on what bands play where, when, who is giving away what, and what friends are at what venues.  If you don't have a smartphone, go ahead and write them all out from here before you head out downtown so you have an idea of where/when you can go somewhere else if you failed to not follow #1 and showed up after 10:30pm this weekend. Come up with a Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D & E if all the venues you wanna be at are at capacity.  Like I said, everyone is out and all shit is lose and free!
4)  Bundle up and prepare to be outside for possibly the whole duration of the night
It ain't that cold but it may rain, it may be cold, you might get some beer spilled on your from it being overcrowded in the venue, you might get lost, etc.  PREPARE to be outside so where comfortable shoes, rock the winter jacket, scarfs, mittens, and koozies. 
5)  Don't buy expensive beer
Just get a PBR or a Lonestar.  There both come on tallboy cans so why even bother with anything else? If you're anything like me and hoping from one place to another you can pretty much bet these tallboys will a) get you just as drunk and b) you can save some money to eat at Stoney's Pizza or Kebobalicious.

Now let's go out & get into so music shall we?


Friday, Jan 7th
There are a lot of bands playing tonight and you really just have to pick 1 or 2 places to figure out where you wanna go and what bands at the end of the night you wanna see/catch. 
I recommend heading over to Emos to check out The Lemurs, What Made Milkuakee Famous, The Authors, and even the outside show of Los Skarnales. I am a HUGE fan of The Lemurs and I haven't seen them in over a year.  I am excited to hear what new stuff they have going on.


If you are at the Mohawk be prepared to be moved by some bass-y beats and almost psych-rock from Houston's own Indian Jewelry.  I saw Indian Jewelry last year at #freeweek at Red 7 and they were amazing even with having only 1 strobe light illuminate their stage.  They play with The Laughing and one of my favorites, Astronaut Suit.


Also see Brownout at Beauty Bar & go over to Club Deville for free pizza and Big Red! You gotta see Eagle Eye Williamson, too. HE is AMAZING live!


Saturday, Jan 8th
If you missed Red Leaves early this week well, no worries - catch them at Beauty Bar on Saturday along with Watch Out for Rockets, One Step Program, Pop Pistol, Love Hate Affair, Sundress, Black Books, The Clouds are Ghosts. 


I have a great appreciation for bands that have that throwback 1960's rock and roll sound.  I love me some Shapes Have Fangs and one other band that is fantastic live called Leatherbag.  You have to catch this show off a East 6th Street - ND. They play with The Pons, Wiretree, and DJ Czech One.  You will like this line up for sure.


I have been to five Rock the Casbah's hosted by my favorite dj in Austin, DJ Mel and all of them I paid to get in!  This Saturday night there is going to be an awesome (free!) dance party you will be sad you missed come Monday morning when all your co-workers are talking about how they got down and dirty with DJ Mel.  Think a HUGE dance party in the middle of the best venues in Austin, at The Parish, filled with 80's songs & jazz/r&b infused together.  I sweat so gotdamn much when I go to RtC every damn time! Go dance at the 41st Rock the Casbah! I promise you after the night you will free refreshed and may have learned a couple of new dance moves from all the movers and shakers that will be there.

Earlier today I was reading through the Austin Chronicle's Top 10 album list of local bands/musicians this morning and noticed one band I have yet to see - Mother Falcon.  Their album, Still Life, is an LP I see at Waterloo Records quite often and always contemplate on whether or not I should pick it up.  I have heard great things about Mother Falcon and can't wait to get out at The Mohawk to check them out with Royal Forest and My Golden Cal. You can't go wrong with an accordion, cellos, a mandolin, & violists in your band, right? Say it with me "Orchestras are beautiful!".