Friday was a test of champions for those who made the most of the opening night of NX35 then had to put in their eight hours at work the following day. Operating on four hours of sleep, I paid my respects to the man then braved a full night of shows on Friday. No regrets. Well, besides not being able to be at two venues at once, that is.
The Nutshell:
- The much anticipated daytime panel featuring Steve Albini took place while many of us were at work, aw nuts!
- No major surprises thrown at NX35ers
- The only ones surprised were the ones that showed up at a venue late, expecting to get in easily
My Nutshell:
- Took a short disco nap after work before hoofin’ it to the square
- Secured our spots at Andy’s early for Spooky Folk and Mount Righteous
- Shortly after Caleb Ian Campbell finished, Andy’s was at capacity and I was standing happily at the bar
- Skipped a chance to see Frontier Ruckus and The Rocketboys to make sure we had spots for Whiskey Folk Ramblers and to get some food in my dinner-deprived body
The Not-So-Highlights:
- The UPS didn’t deliver on time so Spooky Folk did not have their debut album on sale.
- I wasn’t up close and personal for Spooky Folk because I was still a little out of it. It wasn’t the same yelling out “Bible Belt” in the back of the bar without my fellow Spooky Folk fans.
- I missed Mount Righteous’ opening song because I drank so much water beforehand. It’s true, you can stand by the bar all night and drink water.
- My empty stomach and concern for venue crowding led me to skip Frontier Ruckus and The Rocketboys. I was hoping to catch Frontier Ruckus at a day show but ended up missing that too.
The Highlights:
- Ryan Becker of RTB2 stopped by Andy’s and hand delivered his newest album, In People, to me. I managed to carry that with me sans bag throughout the entire night. Can’t wait to listen to it as I travel to and from SXSW this week. Thanks, Ryan!
- Spooky Folk, despite the fact that they were album-less and Kaleo was sporting wounds from a cat attack, played their hearts out to a full-capacity crowd. (It has been confirmed that you can buy their new album at The Schoolhouse’s spring break show on Tuesday night!)
- I was able to catch Mount Righteous live for the first time. It was the most memorable part of my night as they woke the hell up out of my friend and she proceeded to hop up and down as Mount Righteous’ energy was incredibly contagious. I also mentioned on Twitter, “I’ve never seen anyone play the cymbals with such gusto!”
- On the way to grab some food at Sweetwater, I spotted Mark from The Local Edge show with his wife, Kara. I decided to introduce myself and discovered that they are two of the friendliest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this weekend. And it wasn’t just because they shared their fried pickles with me and my friends.
- I also met a humorous dude from Wisconsin who revealed the fact that he was wearing cowboy boots he had recently bought since moving to Denton. Thanks for supporting me while I took that whiskey shot, Wisconsin.
- The Whiskey Folk Ramblers helped me forget the fact that I missed Frontier Ruckus, The Rocketboys, and dinner as they played to a crammed crowd at Sweetwater. The lack of space didn’t stop the crowd from dancin’ though. The guys managed to play in a relaxed manner but in a way that you knew they meant every single note they played.
- As I was shufflin’ my feet to the Whiskey Folk Ramblers, I noticed a little, old lady beaming with joy as she nested her beer in the crook of her left arm and took pictures with a little, humble digital camera. I asked if she wanted to stand in front me, right next to the stage, and she happily accepted. Afterward, she introduced herself as Liz, the mother of Jack Russell the bassist. Making the trek from Ft. Worth, I asked if she was able to catch many of his shows. She said as proudly as any mother could, “As many as I can.”
Just another special night at NX35, folks.
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