The Road to SXSW 2008

Here’s a brief overview of the Explorers Club’s path to SXSW 2008:

 Friday March 7, 2008

Played a fun show in Atlanta. Our friends James and Troy jammed with us on “Freedom Wind” and “Johnny B. Goode.” James wore an enormous fake beard and some Hunter Thompson style orange shades. Troy played kickin’ solos and on the latter song there were a triple attack guitar solos from Jason, Troy, and Jim. We slept at our recording studio. On this day we were also Spin.com’s “artist of the day” and we were mentioned on Pitchforkmedia.com.

Saturday March 8, 2008

We woke up to a cold windy morning in Atlanta. There were snow flurries.

In the studio we all jammed some B3 organ. Troy took some glam shots of us in the studio. Then we crammed all our crap into the van. We went to a costume shop called Norcsotco, tried on some hats/glasses. We left decked out and looking totally awesome: Jim got a brown barnstorming cap, Neil got a white captain’s hat with a embroidered yellow anchor and a black visor, and I got the same yellow Gonzo shades James has. We ate lunch at Chick-fil-A. On the way to Nashville Jim made his barnstorming cap into a hat phone, which is in a sense a poor man’s bluetooth but way cooler. 

Nashville had about three inches of snow on the ground–snow is something Jim experienced for the first time on this day.

Played at Mercy Lounge and got to hang with our friend Joe, formerly of a band called Girls and Boys, like the Blur song. We ate at the MOJO Grill and everyone loved it. This hip cat that I know from my college recommended we eat there, and to everyone’s joy I took him up on this delicious advice.

Sunday March 9, 2008

Ate brunch at the Alleycat with Seth Riddle, our first manager. The food was good, but it was no MOJO meal. It was also Neil’s 24th birthday. We drove to Denton, Texas. It rained heavily in Texas–after pumping gas I was somewhat soaked. We checked in to our hotel around 3AM. There was a swimming pool at the La Quinta Inn and the sidewalks were flooded, so I was completely soaked when I walked into the room.

Monday March 10, 2008

Hotel lawn mowers awoke us at an early hour.

Jason and I had sweet biscuits at Whataburger and found out through posters and placques on the wall that Roy Orbison, Don Henley, and Pat Boone are/were all from Denton or graduated from the University of North Texas at Denton. In our hotel we could hear the nearly discernible voices of the conversations in the rooms next to us. Dave, Jim, and I hit some Denton thrift stores. I found a coo pink polka-dot shirt for Jim. I also found a box of 45s (50c a piece) that Jim and I raided: Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison (from Denton), Harry Nilsson, the Merry-Go-Round, Peter & Gordon, the Beach Boys, Lovin’ Spoonful, Aretha Franklin, and so on… Dave found 99c CDs of MC Hammer’s greatest hits, Motown girl groups, U2’s Joshua Tree, and Peter and the Wolf. All six of us ate dinner at the Black Eyed Pea, but on the way there we got stuck in interstate traffic because a semi got stuck on the curbs of a tight exit ramp. We said bump this and Dave took us off-roading through the grass between the interstate and the frontage road. It ruled. 

Downtown Denton suppossedly looked like the 1920s, but I was around then so I can’t confirm that. Jim and I paraded off to a coffee shop (Yes! he drinks coffee now) and then to a bookstore where I picked up some paper Faulkner, Hemingway, and Checkov. The show at Hailey’s was fun. The singers coughed in harmony. A band called Mannequin Men followed us and they rocked our faces off. They seemed to be influenced by Creedence, the Nuggets collection, and good punk rock.  

Tuesday March 11, 2008

Drove to Austin, rolled into town by late afternoon. Dave dropped off his 12-string guitar at Erlewine Guitars to get some work done by this well-known guitar repair man. Went to Will’s from Brothers and Sisters. Ate dinner ate Polou’s with Phil and Manish from our label. All of us but Neil went to the Convention Center to get our “Showcasing Artist” pass and our individual wristbands.

Jim, Dave, and I went to see Brothers and Sisters at Beauty Bar that night, but the line was so long we went around back and watched them through the fence. It sounded fine. Talked to them once they loaded out.

To be continued…at SXSW 2008! blog…

–Stefan / The Explorers Club

 p.s. all grammar mistakes are purely for stylistic purposes.