A Newbie’s Account of SXSW

Texas State Capitol in Downtown Austin. Built in 1885.

The Mohawk, a popular venue in Austin, draws its inspiration from the Native American culture of the Northeast — not the hairdo.

Austin is a city brimming with tech investment, yuppie luxuries, hipster havens, Southern charm, healthy eats, and cultural attractions — but it’s probably most famous for its mighty SXSW Music Conference. My first time at the annual music-industry extravaganza involved quite a mix of emotions: excitement, anticipation, confusion, anxiety. With so much going on, the sense of wonderment and worry comes from that nagging feeling that you’re missing out on something great just around the corner. I was lucky enough to go with a seasoned veteran, aka Handstand Steph, who helped direct me to venues and parties filled with great new bands. This may not be as easy a task as you’d think. See, SXSW has quickly grown into a corporate free-for-all, where a stage resembling a giant Doritos bag is the main attraction, and where A-list celebrities woo even the snobbiest of music fans and insiders. Do Justin Timberlake and Prince really need to be there? More importantly, does every media outlet need to report on it? What happened to SXSW being purely an outlet for unsigned bands and music discovery?

Handstand Steph poses with Britt Daniel (of Spoon and the Divine Fits) amid the madness near Sixth Street.

The best organic Eggs Benedict off West Sixth Street in Austin.

PhotoPhiles Vol. II, Baja California Sur, Mexico

PhotoPhiles will be a recurring feature spotlighting some of our favorite photos taken on and off the road. The second edition includes shots taken from Baja California, Mexico.

The original Catholic church of Todos Santos, Mexico built in 1733 located 30 miles from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Todos Santos means Our Lady of Pilar Church. Desert charm and history mix naturally here.

Do a handstand for Mexico! Handstand Steph represents the “i” in Mexico while JCrew holds down the fort and samples the local flavors. Taken near Playa Balconcito on the Cabo San Lucas Marina.

Palm trees represent freedom and relaxation. Spanish Jesuit missionaries brought the feather-leaf date palm to Baja, and it continues to thrive around Baja California.

Whether you think of the cheesy Eagles song or a stylish and minimalist hotel in the Baja desert this hotel is fantastico. Distinct food is plentiful around the hotel in the creative and friendly town of Todos Santos.

Natural terrain in San Jose Del Cabo near the tip of Baja California, it is a place where the desert meets the ocean. This is the only place I’ve seen cacti all the way up to the edges of cliffs overlooking the ocean.

The Tales of Toby the Teddy: A Valentine Saga

Will Toby ever reach the Cuddle Queen?

PhotoPhiles, Vol. I

PhotoPhiles will be a recurring feature spotlighting some of our favorite photos taken on and off the road. The first edition includes shots taken in Idaho, San Francisco, Panama, and Joshua Tree.

Perrine Bridge in Idaho – You can base jump off this bridge but you can’t
bungee jump?! Does this make sense? No!!

Top Trips, Vol. II: Palm Springs / Joshua Tree

I vowed to make 2012 a year to fully embrace my endless wanderlust. I think I did a pretty decent job. Here, I’ll attempt to prove just that. I’ll be running down my top travel adventures of 2012 … slowly but surely. In no particular order, here’s Vol. II, a trek south and inland to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park.

Julian’s Joshua Tree Lean

There’s something mystical yet menacing about the desert. Maybe it’s all that dry air sucking out all the bullshit. Bullshit can’t survive in the desert — the sun would rot it too quickly, or, on a chilly night, the wind would just carry it all the way to, well, a place like L.A.

The Tales of Toby the Teddy, Pt. 1

Will Toby reach the Cuddle Queen?

Top Trips of 2012, Vol. I: New York City

I vowed to make 2012 a year to fully embrace my endless wanderlust. I think I did a pretty decent job. Here, I’ll attempt to prove just that. I’ll be running down my top travel adventures of 2012 … slowly but surely. In no particular order, here’s Vol. I, the last of my year’s adventures: THE BIG APPLE.

Handstanding in Times Square, 4AM, Dec. 30. The calm before the NYE storm.

Ah, New York City. No other metropolis can make you feel as little and insignificant as an obedient ant in a bustling farm, yet as big and bold and alive as a caged animal set free to roam the most exotic of concrete jungles. It’s noisy, hectic, and vibrant. It never sleeps, so neither should you (and we didn’t… much). Our adventure in NYC was a quick one, but never lacking in good times.

Steph’s Top Live Music Moments of 2012

For me, 2012 may be just as memorable for its live shows than for the music itself. Then again, that’s the way it should be, right? Music is about the experience — physical, mental, and emotional — and that experience can be multiplied tenfold in a live setting — if the artist is good enough, that is. So, as a way to remember these good times, I’ve tracked my top live music moments of 2012. Enjoy the show!

Fiona Apple, Central Presbyterian Church, Austin, Tex.

Julian’s Top Music Moments of 2012

My most memorable and heartfelt moment occurred watching New Order in Oakland. The members of New Order are all beyond 50 and no longer even making new music yet they still pack quite a punch. New bands seemed to have stepped aside for the older and more established bands like New Order, Refused, Blur, and more that continue to dominate the live circuit. However, newer bands like the Babies, Youth Lagoon, The Drums offer hope if they aim higher and strive for more. I have outlined my top moments, all from live shows, from this past year.

New Order strike a pensive pose.

Our Adventures in Panama!

Panama City is a seductress. The quiet beauty and remoteness of Isla Contadora, just off the city’s Pacific coast, is humbling and refreshing, while the luscious rainforests of Metropolitan Park give you a sense of the undeveloped mystery behind this part of the world. But despite all this natural appeal, this seductress can fall short on its delivery.

Isla Contadora