This is just a quick update while Anu goes to get his hair cut, waking him up at a reasonable time on the weekends is a heroic feat and I'm actually quite proud that I managed it today.
This has been a really fun couple of weeks for us because we've been able to go to two AMAZING concerts in addition to having had a really fun Halloween party and celebrating Anu's 24th birthday. I'll write about the party/birthday when I have more time, but for now I just wanted to go on and on about how completely kickass the concerts were.
OK, you ready? DUDE, THEY WERE SO KICKASS!!!!!
The Gorillaz concert was really high budget, so the lights/giant screen/80 bajillion musicians they bring with them made for such a fun show. It was at the Erwin center, but they were really only able to use half of the seating because they have that giant screen where they play the cartoon videos, and it really wouldn't be nice to expect people to sit behind it and miss the whole show.
Honestly, though, the way the people behind us were acting they might as well have sat behind the screen. It was a sullen teenage kid, his mom, and I guess maybe his stepdad and they were just ridiculous. Didn't stand up ONCE, sat completely still in their seats through the entire show, opener and all. Guys, the opener was N.E.R.D. and I have to confess that I may or may not have skank danced it up when they played Lapdance. Whatever. If Boring McTooCoolForFun and his family don't want to dance that's their problem and they're going to have to deal with trying to see through my back the whole night.
Performance wise Gorillaz were, of course, completely brilliant. SO much energy and SO many unbelievably talented musicians onstage. Granted, I've never had to cheer so long for an encore, but I guess it's hard to wrangle up 20 people and get them back onstage. Also, they didn't do the regular Clint Eastwood rap, which was disappointing because I know it by heart and was looking forward to screaming it out at the top of my lungs (much to the theoretical delight of captain sullen and crew behind us, I'm sure). Still, the show was so much fun and I wish I could see them every weekend. Pictures!
And yeah, we were in the cheap seats. We still had a great view though. I would normally have ponied up for better seats, BUT the same day Gorillaz went on sale I had to speedy ninja purchase some other tickets as well.
So, because I am awesome and intuitive and totally know everything about music and bands and stuff (shut up, you...) I knew as soon as I heard that Mumford & Sons was coming to Austin that the tickets were going to sell out in a few hours. They were playing Stubbs, so the interest level was definitely going to exceed the holding capacity of the venue. Because I am such a genius wizard, I thusly deduced that I would need to camp the website and buy tickets the very minute they went on sale. I did just that, and lo, we were able to go see one of the best shows we've ever been to.
So, of course it was cold and horrible on the day of the concert. Of course. The concert was in the outdoor part of Stubb's, so why wouldn't it be 50 degrees and raining? Whatever. We got there about 45 minutes before doors and were able to get spots right near the stage, which was awesome. Dealing with the dudebros who decided to stand in the same area was not as awesome, but being super close is way fun.
The first opener was King Charles, who is just a cool guy. Amazing voice, outstanding lyrical prowess, very compelling stage presence, and also he has this giant mop of dreads he wears on his head like a crown. I'll show you the picture I took, but it's sort of blurry so I'll also show you a professional one so you can get the right idea.
The second opener was Cadillac Sky, and they were also awesome. Lots of bearded fellows with banjos and guitars and violins playing like there was no fucking tomorrow. SO much energy, their lead singer/guitarist was like a perpetual motion machine, the harder he jammed the more pumped up he got. Crazy fun. I won't lie though, toward the end of their set I was getting a bit tired of standing and I mostly just wanted Mumford & Sons to come on. And then they did! Hooray!
It would take me forever to do a writeup about everything that's right and good about Mumford & Sons as a band, so let me just tell you this. If you buy one album this year, you buy Sigh No More. It is the best breakout album I have ever head. Their lyrics are beautiful and their sound is just eerie and haunting and energizing and inspiring and...look, just go get the album. Everyone I know who has heard it can back me up on this.
Their show was everything I could have expected and more. I quite literally danced, sang, and cheered myself into dehydration sickness. I thought I was going to die. But it was SO. WORTH. IT.
Second best concert I've ever seen, and ONLY second because nobody can ever top David Gray, ever. Ever. Wanna see some pictures? HELL YEAH YOU DO!
Love and Kisses,
Daner
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