Day one of 35 Conferette was more about getting back into the swing of things, gearing ourselves up for a quick and tiring 4-day marathon of music, and trying to remember what we learned from last year's festival. Minutes after arriving it became painfully obvious that, above all, last year's axiom of learning to be flexible would be the most important thing to remember in order to maximize the enjoyment of the festival going experience --or perhaps more importantly, minimizing potential frustrations.
Frustrations that come for instance from trying to schedule a specific plan of bands to try and catch when set times and orders are constantly changing, some clubs starting way early, and still others running way behind. But going with the flow also leads to seeing--and sometimes even enjoying--a things you've never before seen, heard of, or otherwise might have guessed you'd actually enjoy.
Like how ducking into Banter to escape the chilly air (or throngs of folks who were hanging around the main stage to catch a glimpse of 'that one lady from that one Jeff Tweedy album') could lead to being soothed by the likes of a Wesley Allen Hartley and the Traveling Trees. Or how a passing comment about J&J's noisy basement could lead to catching an exhilarating, smile-inducing set by Kaboom, only to tragically discover it was their second-to-last show.
Finally around 11 we managed to make our first pre-planned performance in Mr. Poster Boi himself, AnonymousCulture. He was as polished and energetic as we've ever seen him, and though we've caught his performances a dozen times or so in the past, last night's intense showing was the first to give us chills. You heard it hear first, this guy will be nationally famous sooner rather than later. Or perhaps internationally even, as he told us after his set that he was jetting off to Vancouver for another show tonight.
And lastly, after a night of meandering around, catching songs here and there from a handful of other artists, we got our first taste of Possessed by Paul James, who we were assured really would appear as if under some sort of powerful enchantment during his set. At times this was dead on, but constant re-tuning, instrument switching, and breath-catching kept the proceedings from gaining anything close to momentum. Still though, one has to cut the man a little slack for making a 7-hour drive straight from his job in Boerne, TX to the outdoor stage at the Labb, all the while knowing the same 7-hour drive straight back to his job teaching elementary schoolers the next morning lay soon ahead.
A few more quick tips for nights 2-4; bring cash for beer so that you won't be slowed down moving from club to club by silly bar tabs, don't forget to head out there early enough to check out square's new record shop, and lastly, earplugs are your friend.
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Just got done listening to the new Rubblebucket single off their upcoming record and am currently trying not to feel too disappointed. Not that the band should feel forced to keep remaking their self-titled album over and over, but it is still a tad unsatisfying to listen to the more straightforward/bland electro-tinged indie they're cranking out thesedays after they wooed us so spectacularly with their afrobeat/jazz hybrid sound of old. Why not take full advantage of that wonderfully varied instrumentation to keep making music that is, well, interesting?
