SPEAK for a year: December through April
So I realized one day that I've seen SPEAK perform live every month since December. This was completely unintentional, but after SXSW, I asked myself "I wonder how long I can keep this going?"
So when guitarist Nick invited me to last night's benefit show a month ago, I posted a comment on his Facebook wall...
"Hey Nick, you do realize that if I go to your Mohawk show this month that I will have been to a SPEAK show every month since December? :)"
His reply?
"Nice! hmm you should try and and make a it a whole year."
Sorry Nick, whether you were kidding or not, I've decided I'm gonna try. Seriously. How hilarious would it be to see one band every month for a year? What exactly would happen? Would they think I'm an insane fangirl and file a restraining order? Maybe. Will I eventually grow hatred towards their sugary goodness and never ever want anything to associate with this band ever again? Probably. But time will tell. So far I've seen them for five months now and I'm still going strong. I haven't been this excited over a band since Firekills and The Drawing Board.
So here's the plan:
Attend a SPEAK show once a month. Take photos and write a recap/review. Easy enough right? What if they don't have a show planned during one of the months? No big deal. I just won't write about it. So far on their myspace page, the only show lined up is in May and it's in Dallas. And nothing else is planned. So this idea might blow up in my face and last night might be the last show I'll see them this year but again, I'm just seeing how far this can go. I'm not married to the idea.
Now that the guidelines are settled, time to play catch up for the first five shows I've seen.
December
Ah that very first show. The short version of how I ended up at this show was this: A friend asked me to go to Cage the Elephant's show with her. I figured since I was going, I decided to interview Scorpion Child who also performed that night.
The interview happened before the doors open so afterwards, I hung out at Antone's until they took the stage. So what else is there to do except watch the opening band right? SPEAK was the opening band.
I was taking notes and posting on Facebook during the night so I'll just let you read those:
Facebook status dated December 1st 9:23 p.m. "Damn. As much as I'm sick of indie pop. I just can't deny well written indie pop. Watching speak at antone's."
Later on at 9:24 p.m. I posted: "Omg they're covering don't you forget about me by simple minds. They have won me over."
From my show notes:
Speak: damn thats some good indie pop. They looked like the backstreet boys: the next generation, but they have well written songs. Not cheesy, but not typical. They covered simple minds' dont you forget about me and did well! Singer's voice sounded like the original. Had some tuning problems during one chorus but good overall.
Yes, I actually wrote that they looked like the next generation of Backstreet Boys. I didn't mean that they do choreography or anything like that. I was mainly referring to their young boyish looks and how snazzy they dress, but turns out I wasn't the only one who has thought about this:
FERNTV: Would you be okay if your listeners called SPEAK a "boy band"?
Troupe: That's a hilarious question, because there's not much we can do about what people call us except be okay with it. The first time we were described as a boy band we were sort of taken aback, because that term has very negative connotations to a lot of people. Obviously we aren't a packaged group that was assembled in a certain way and given a certain set of songs, which is how most people think of a "boyband". But we are a band of very boyish-looking young men, so who are we to argue?
So after their set, I decided to inteview them. I hadn't done a sponatenous interview in a long time but if I was going to write a show review, I better get some info on the band right? After a smooth 20 minute interview of getting to know the band, I went home a new fan.
Speaking of that interview, here's a short clip of the interview that never saw the light of day ...until now.
I briefly mentioned the guys during my Twitter-style reviews for free week but here's some more in-depth about the show.
I was out pretty much all week for Free Week and since there was music constantly going on, I would wander around all night seeing band after band. So I stopped by SPEAK's show at Emo's. Sadly, I didn't stay long because Betaplayer was playing at the same time at Beauty Bar so I only saw one song. I didn't take any photos that week either so I don't have any photos of SPEAK at this show.
However, here is a video one of my buddies from Red River Noise Sara Strick shot with her awesome camera.
February
I already covered this show at this blog post here.
March
Again I mentioned them in my Twitter-style reviews of SXSW.
Ok so seeing them during SXSW was completely intentional. What? It was after the EP release that I wrote an article for and I had been listening to this said EP more than I care to admit (and still do). I wanted to see the songs live since I now knew the words to sing along.
I was a little disappointed because I had talked up to people about the awesome Simple Minds cover they do and they didn't even perform it. However, once I heard the bass line of the Bee Gee's "Staying Alive" playing while Troupe was introducing it to the crowd, I knew I was in for a treat. Let me just say that the cover was so awesome that my dad would have been proud. He lived for those John Travolta white suit days. Trust me, I've seen the pictures.
April
So last night was pretty special. Not only because it was the first time the guys said hello to me without seeming awkward from either parties and not because I actually shot photos from the other side of the band but because it was the first time I met the bassist Joey. You see, if you go back to the interview clip under December, you'll noticed there are only three members in it. That's right. I've only known three of the guys up until last night. What was extra cool about the whole meeting with Joey was that he knew who I was. Whoa. Apparently the guys have been talking about this blog here and that is awesome.
Anyway, the show itself was pretty good. Not one of thier best but it wasn't a train wreck. The stage seemed too small for their energy which is funny because the stage at the Independent (February) had to be smaller for sure. Poor Nick kept knocking over his mic stand. There was feedback constantly. Joey would tried to jump around like he always does but he would almost hit something: a wall, Jake's drums, a mic stand...
The vibe from the guys after the show seemed to be that they weren't feeling the mix in the monitors but I thought it sounded pretty good and people were dancing and singing along (this girl included). The cover of the night was of course "Toxic" since the video I posted seemed to hit the blogosphere as well as Twitter. Jen and I would like to take some credit for that, thank you. ;)
So there you have it. Five months of SPEAK. Oh yeah, so the guys asked me what series I was going announce so I told them the idea. Not only did they NOT think I was crazy but they totally ran with the idea and gave me suggestions I could incorporate in this series including charts, a rating system, etc. And Joey would like another interview done with all four members next time. Done deal guys. That sounds like a project during one of your off months.
So when guitarist Nick invited me to last night's benefit show a month ago, I posted a comment on his Facebook wall...
"Hey Nick, you do realize that if I go to your Mohawk show this month that I will have been to a SPEAK show every month since December? :)"
His reply?
"Nice! hmm you should try and and make a it a whole year."
Sorry Nick, whether you were kidding or not, I've decided I'm gonna try. Seriously. How hilarious would it be to see one band every month for a year? What exactly would happen? Would they think I'm an insane fangirl and file a restraining order? Maybe. Will I eventually grow hatred towards their sugary goodness and never ever want anything to associate with this band ever again? Probably. But time will tell. So far I've seen them for five months now and I'm still going strong. I haven't been this excited over a band since Firekills and The Drawing Board.
So here's the plan:
Attend a SPEAK show once a month. Take photos and write a recap/review. Easy enough right? What if they don't have a show planned during one of the months? No big deal. I just won't write about it. So far on their myspace page, the only show lined up is in May and it's in Dallas. And nothing else is planned. So this idea might blow up in my face and last night might be the last show I'll see them this year but again, I'm just seeing how far this can go. I'm not married to the idea.
Now that the guidelines are settled, time to play catch up for the first five shows I've seen.
DecemberAh that very first show. The short version of how I ended up at this show was this: A friend asked me to go to Cage the Elephant's show with her. I figured since I was going, I decided to interview Scorpion Child who also performed that night.
The interview happened before the doors open so afterwards, I hung out at Antone's until they took the stage. So what else is there to do except watch the opening band right? SPEAK was the opening band.
I was taking notes and posting on Facebook during the night so I'll just let you read those:
Facebook status dated December 1st 9:23 p.m. "Damn. As much as I'm sick of indie pop. I just can't deny well written indie pop. Watching speak at antone's."
Later on at 9:24 p.m. I posted: "Omg they're covering don't you forget about me by simple minds. They have won me over."
From my show notes:
Speak: damn thats some good indie pop. They looked like the backstreet boys: the next generation, but they have well written songs. Not cheesy, but not typical. They covered simple minds' dont you forget about me and did well! Singer's voice sounded like the original. Had some tuning problems during one chorus but good overall.
Yes, I actually wrote that they looked like the next generation of Backstreet Boys. I didn't mean that they do choreography or anything like that. I was mainly referring to their young boyish looks and how snazzy they dress, but turns out I wasn't the only one who has thought about this:
FERNTV: Would you be okay if your listeners called SPEAK a "boy band"?
Troupe: That's a hilarious question, because there's not much we can do about what people call us except be okay with it. The first time we were described as a boy band we were sort of taken aback, because that term has very negative connotations to a lot of people. Obviously we aren't a packaged group that was assembled in a certain way and given a certain set of songs, which is how most people think of a "boyband". But we are a band of very boyish-looking young men, so who are we to argue?
So after their set, I decided to inteview them. I hadn't done a sponatenous interview in a long time but if I was going to write a show review, I better get some info on the band right? After a smooth 20 minute interview of getting to know the band, I went home a new fan.
Speaking of that interview, here's a short clip of the interview that never saw the light of day ...until now.
SPEAK debates from Sarah Vasquez on Vimeo.
JanuaryI briefly mentioned the guys during my Twitter-style reviews for free week but here's some more in-depth about the show.
I was out pretty much all week for Free Week and since there was music constantly going on, I would wander around all night seeing band after band. So I stopped by SPEAK's show at Emo's. Sadly, I didn't stay long because Betaplayer was playing at the same time at Beauty Bar so I only saw one song. I didn't take any photos that week either so I don't have any photos of SPEAK at this show.
However, here is a video one of my buddies from Red River Noise Sara Strick shot with her awesome camera.
FebruaryI already covered this show at this blog post here.
MarchAgain I mentioned them in my Twitter-style reviews of SXSW.
Ok so seeing them during SXSW was completely intentional. What? It was after the EP release that I wrote an article for and I had been listening to this said EP more than I care to admit (and still do). I wanted to see the songs live since I now knew the words to sing along.
I was a little disappointed because I had talked up to people about the awesome Simple Minds cover they do and they didn't even perform it. However, once I heard the bass line of the Bee Gee's "Staying Alive" playing while Troupe was introducing it to the crowd, I knew I was in for a treat. Let me just say that the cover was so awesome that my dad would have been proud. He lived for those John Travolta white suit days. Trust me, I've seen the pictures.
AprilSo last night was pretty special. Not only because it was the first time the guys said hello to me without seeming awkward from either parties and not because I actually shot photos from the other side of the band but because it was the first time I met the bassist Joey. You see, if you go back to the interview clip under December, you'll noticed there are only three members in it. That's right. I've only known three of the guys up until last night. What was extra cool about the whole meeting with Joey was that he knew who I was. Whoa. Apparently the guys have been talking about this blog here and that is awesome.
Anyway, the show itself was pretty good. Not one of thier best but it wasn't a train wreck. The stage seemed too small for their energy which is funny because the stage at the Independent (February) had to be smaller for sure. Poor Nick kept knocking over his mic stand. There was feedback constantly. Joey would tried to jump around like he always does but he would almost hit something: a wall, Jake's drums, a mic stand...
The vibe from the guys after the show seemed to be that they weren't feeling the mix in the monitors but I thought it sounded pretty good and people were dancing and singing along (this girl included). The cover of the night was of course "Toxic" since the video I posted seemed to hit the blogosphere as well as Twitter. Jen and I would like to take some credit for that, thank you. ;)
So there you have it. Five months of SPEAK. Oh yeah, so the guys asked me what series I was going announce so I told them the idea. Not only did they NOT think I was crazy but they totally ran with the idea and gave me suggestions I could incorporate in this series including charts, a rating system, etc. And Joey would like another interview done with all four members next time. Done deal guys. That sounds like a project during one of your off months.
SPEAK covers "Toxic"
Oh man, remember when I wrote in this show review that I was super sad that I missed when SPEAK performed a cover of Britney Spear's "Toxic"?
Well thanks to a good buddy of mine, Jen Leduc, who has started a music blog of her own called "Beautiful Beat", posted this video on my facebook profile this morning. Yay. Now I got see the awesomeness and that, sir, has made my day.
Enjoy!
Speaking of SPEAK, I'll be announcing a new series I'll be doing here that involves them. Ok not directly involving them but more indirectly involving them, but I will announce what the hell I'm talking about after their show THIS Thursday. They will headline a benefit show for Groundwork Music Project at Mohawk. Deets are on the flyers to the left or you can just click on this to head to the Do512 page where you can R.S.V.P. for cheaper cover.
As for the new series I'm doing... If you think I already talk about this band way too much, you might just hate me once I get this new crazy idea going.
Well thanks to a good buddy of mine, Jen Leduc, who has started a music blog of her own called "Beautiful Beat", posted this video on my facebook profile this morning. Yay. Now I got see the awesomeness and that, sir, has made my day.
Enjoy!
Speaking of SPEAK, I'll be announcing a new series I'll be doing here that involves them. Ok not directly involving them but more indirectly involving them, but I will announce what the hell I'm talking about after their show THIS Thursday. They will headline a benefit show for Groundwork Music Project at Mohawk. Deets are on the flyers to the left or you can just click on this to head to the Do512 page where you can R.S.V.P. for cheaper cover.As for the new series I'm doing... If you think I already talk about this band way too much, you might just hate me once I get this new crazy idea going.
Red River Noise: Concert Review: White Rabbits at the Independent
My apprehension before White Rabbits hit the stage at The Independent was with the recent album It's Frightening. It sounded too much like a Spoon album. But being produced by Spoon's main songwriter Britt Daniel, this was not a surprise. Anyway, my point is that I had low standards for the newer material. I was worried that there would be a disappointing contrast between both albums in a live setting. And I was wrong. So so wrong.
Click here to read the rest at Red River Noise.
Red River Noise: Album Review: Holly Miranda - 'The Magician's Private Library'
If you're going to include in your press release that someone "has a beautiful voice, her vocal range is amazing, her songs are dreamy and magical...," I'm expecting to be wowed by the music in question. Unfortunately, in Holly Miranda's debut album The Magician's Private Library, her "amazing" range was never proven to me.
Click here to read the rest at Red River Noise.
Red River Noise: Q&A Interview: White Rabbits
A blogosphere favorite, Brooklyn's White Rabbits have parlayed their reputation for high-energy performances into airplay on NPR and slots on the Late Show with David Letterman.
The band's debut, 2007's Fort Nightly, garnered high praise from tastemakers like Pitchfork and the A.V. Club, which lead to tours with more veteran indie bands (The Walkmen, Kaiser Chiefs). It was a month-long tour with Spoon that motivated the band to ask uber-cool-guy Britt Daniel to produce White Rabbits' follow up, 2009's It's Frightening.
The band is currently on tour with Here We Go Magic. Drummer Matt Clark took a break from the grind to answer some questions about playing live, making a music video and bleeding profusely from the nose.
Click here to read the rest at Red River Noise.
Accent: Everyone’s a winner in Austin We Are The Lottery League
Side note: This may be my favorite story to write ever. I was surprised when everyone who participated let this awkward journalist tag along through the entire lottery process. Fun times all around. I have more stuff on this story coming up, but for now, here's the story that is published in Accent.
“That’s the whole game,” Erick Sanger said, a participant of the first Austin We Are The Lottery League. “Lottery league is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
Six drummers and 18 musicians arrived at Red 7 on April 9. Each drummer randomly picked names out of a brown hat in order to form bands that would be performing on stage within 24 hours.
After the names were drawn, the new acquaintances took promo photos and brainstormed names such as Vacation Bible School, Black Mike and the Make a Holes, Boner Patrol, So Long, Judas, Drug Sex, Afrobocop and the Tjöõrd Bjöõrglars.
Read the rest at Accent.
My SXSW photos are up.
Just like the headline says, my photos from SXSW are finally edited and posted on Accent's Flickr. I didn't take nearly as many photos as I did last year. But I'm getting a new camera! So expect more photos in the future.
Click here to see the entire collection at Flickr.
Accent: SXSW 2010 interview with The Crookes
This band is adorable. Dipping into the 50s and 60s pop music, they really work the whole package by dressing sharp in their button down shirts and slicked up hairstyles. Watching this Sheffield band perform is really like witnessing a blast from the past.
SXSW 2010 interview with The Crookes from Sarah Vasquez on Vimeo.
Accent: SXSW 2010 interview with International Waters
Austin's International Waters is one of those bands that doesn't get much attention around town so people don't really know much about this indie pop band. I'm here to change that. Meet International Waters.
SXSW 2010 interview with International Waters from Sarah Vasquez on Vimeo.
On Another Note: Non-Music Articles Part 5
News briefs for Accent Issues #3 and #4:
Accent, Life4u, Rio Review bring home publication awards
Bob Livingston brings musical diversity to ACC with free show
Automotive Technology Dept. set to open in San Marcos
Texas law officials to round up those with warrants on March 6
SGA Candidates preparing for election campaigns
New female focused classes to be offered in solar installation
Here are the blurbs I wrote for the new calendar we added to my section.
Calendar of Events for Issue 3
Calendar of Events for Issue 4
During TIPA, we learned that ACC has free speech zones so I decided it would be a cool info graph to put in my section. Cool info graph, yes. (Thanks Chris and Hanlly.) Easy info to get, not really.
All campuses now offer Free Speech Zones
Last but not least, here's a SXSW interview I did with comedian Rob Delaney.
Rob Delaney Interview: SXSW 2010
