I recently started contributing to DayBowBow so I will be kicking off SXSW at our SXSt. Patrick’s Day afternoon party on Wednesday so bring $5 and help us finish off some kegs. I promise you’ll hear a band you’ll enjoy too.

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.

Countdown bands playing Sunday:

Andy’s

• Sore Losers
• Yeahdef
• Damaged Good$

Boiler Room

• Fishboy
• Math the Band
• Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt
• Giggle Party
• Smile Smile

Circa 77

• Natalia Mallo
• Hand Combine

Dan’s

• The Middle East
• Via Audio
• The Kissaway Trail

Hailey’s

• Jookabox

Hydrant

• The Fieros

J and J’s Pizza

• Unwed Sailor

Jupiter House

• Drive Like Maria
• Quiet Company

Rubber Gloves

• Ishi
• French Horn Rebellion

Sweetwater

• Western Giants
• Birds and Batteries

Texas 8 Ball

• The Clouds Are Ghosts

My Tentative Schedule:

I have none. Like I’ve said repeatedly, every showcase on Sunday night is solid. If the venue you want to hit up is packed, don’t fret, you will be pleasantly surprised and fulfilled at a different show. You may be able to find me at Dan’s Silver Leaf, The Boiler Room, or Andy’s on the final night of NX35.

If you haven’t already this weekend, feel free to say hi if you happen to run into me. Contact me or live vicariously through my twitter account, @theneener, as I will be tweeting like a mofo throughout NX35.

Countdown bands playing Saturday:

Hydrant

• Young and Brave (rock)

Rubber Gloves

• Telegraph Canyon (folk)

My Tentative Schedule:

Today is one of the days I’ll be volunteering so I’ll actually be floating around The Flaming Lips show and then wherever they need me tonight. Apparently, I didn’t absolutely love most of the Saturday night bands as seen on the list above but man, do I love some Telegraph Canyon so I’ll try my best to be at Rubber Gloves. No doubt they will play to a full capacity crowd.

If I’m not looking busy in my STAFF shirt, feel free to say hi if you happen to go to any of these shows. Contact me or live vicariously through my twitter account, @theneener, as I will be tweeting like a mofo throughout NX35.

Countdown bands playing Friday:

Andy’s

• Spooky Folk (folk)
• Mount Righteous (“anti-orchestra”, folk)

Banter

• Frontier Ruckus (folk)

Dan’s

• Jupiter One (due to last minute changes, Jupiter One played yesterday)
• Sarah Jaffe (folk)

Hailey’s

• Fergus and Geronimo (soul/pop/punk)

J and J’s

• The Hope Trust (rock)
• GioSafari (folk/punk)

Sweetwater

• Whiskey Folk Ramblers (folk/gypsy/country)

Texas 8 Ball

• The Phuss (dirty Texas devil rock)
• The Rocketboys (rock)

My Tentative Schedule:

Yes, I know this is an old gig poster but it's an awesome poster and it was an awesome show.

Due to the possible venue crowding, I will probably start at Andy’s with Caleb Ian Campbell to ensure I have a spot to see Spooky Folk. They are releasing their debut album tonight and I can’t wait to play it non-stop. Since I’ve seen Sarah Jaffe so many times (and each time has been amazing), I will probably stay put at Andy’s and catch Mount Righteous for the first time. I’d love, love, love it if I can make it to Banter for Frontier Ruckus but if it is full, I will check out The Rocketboys at Texas 8 Ball. If I still have energy, I will close the night out at Sweetwater with Whiskey Folk Ramblers.

As I said last time, feel free to say hi if you happen to go to any of these shows. Contact me or live vicariously through my twitter account, @theneener, as I will be tweeting like a mofo throughout NX35.

The Nutshell:

- Texas 8 Ball was shut down this morning
- Daytime programming kicked off NX35 successfully
- Texas 8 Ball was officially out as a venue so four bands had to relocate to other venues
- Two bands dropped out so Jupiter One played a day early
- One of the bands that dropped out ended up playing after all
- Texas 8 Ball is now back in the game and slated to host the rest of the nights as scheduled
- The fire marshal made sure every place was safe including ticketing Jupiter House
- Fox and the Bird rolled with the punches too, playing on the sidewalk as a result of the fire marshal’s visit
- Five venues were at capacity by midnight

My Nutshell:

- Kicked off NX35 at Jupiter House with a few songs from Delmore Pilcrow
- Parked it at Dan’s for several hours for the KXT showcase, enjoying Jacob Metcalf, OK Sweetheart, and RTB2
- Met a friend at Hailey’s and caught a bit of The Crash That Took Me
- Last minute decision to catch New Science Projects at Andy’s
- Ended the night at Hailey’s with This Will Destroy You

The Not-So-Highlights:

- I didn’t visit the merch table early enough so I didn’t score RTB2′s new live album they released for free at the show. Nuts!

- I wanted to see Jupiter One on Friday. Instead, they played tonight. I hadn’t planned on that. Nuts, again!

- The showcase at Hailey’s was underwhelming for me. Partially because I don’t really enjoy the sound at the venue but mostly because after experiencing RTB2, anything else immediately after just seems “meh.”

- I honestly looked forward to seeing This Will Destroy You but as soon as I came back from a quick visit to Andy’s, a few friends were leaving. In addition to taking almost an hour to setup, TWDY’s banter seem to be the straw that broke a few camel’s backs. I’m not sure what exactly was said but different people agreed. I didn’t feel the same inspiration from their live performance as I did from their recordings so I left early too.

The Highlights:

- I’m glad I was talked into catching Delmore Pilcrow. I’m going to start paying more attention to Chris Garver and his posse.

- Jacob Metcalf brought a smaller version of his “symphony” to Dan’s, including a mini strings section. I’m pretty sure a lot of people came not knowing who he is but won’t forget his name now. Can someone tell him to record an album soon?

- OK Sweetheart was quite fun, and Erin Austin’s smile and “vintage pop” were infectious. She had the crowd clapping and singing along, and you could just tell the entire band was having fun.

- I met a stranger that had printed out the schedule I made for Thursday. I was stoked to know my geekiness has helped others!

- I finally broke my RTB2 cherry. They started with “When Hammer Hits Stone” and if that had been the only song I’d seen at the entire festival, I’d be completely fine with that. Yes, seriously. Ryan Thomas Becker played with such energy that his glasses and guitar strap flew off. And that was just during the first song. You should’ve seen the ridiculous grin on my face for the entire set. I’m glad I can finally join the rest of Denton now that I’ve finally seen them.

- I always enjoy New Science Projects but I think I enjoy the fans just as much. What’s NSP without everyone else there shaking tambourines, clapping, and shouting along?

- I ran into so many of my Denton friends as well as some new friends I’ve met through this blog. It was honestly a pleasure to see all of you.

Now it’s time for four hours of sleep, followed by eight hours of work, then another night of NX35in’. Here’s to a great kickoff and hopes for smoother sailin’ tomorrow.

The Bizarro Kids: Hailey’s 10:30PM

Lazy Native: Banter, 8PM

Burywood: J&Js Pizza, 8:30PM

Savage and the Big Beat: Rubber Gloves, 9:30PM

Also, due to The Cut Off and AM Ramblers dropping out of the fest, Jupiter One will be rockin’ at The Hydrant tonight, not tomorrow.

Make sure to spread the news!

Countdown bands playing Thursday:

Andy’s

• New Science Projects (rock)
• The Timeline Post (rock)

Dan’s Silver Leaf

• Jacob Metcalf (singer-songwriter/folk)
• OK Sweetheart (pop)
• RTB2 (rock)

Hailey’s

• Saboteur (punk/rock)
• This Will Destroy You (rock/instrumental)

Jupiter House

• Fox and the Bird (folk)

Sweetwater

• Seryn (folk)

My tentative schedule:

I’m going to start with KXT‘s showcase at Dan’s Silver Leaf. I know, they are mostly local acts but I’ve never seen OK Sweetheart or RTB2, and Jacob Metcalf gets better with each show. Plus, word on the street is that RTB2 is releasing their new live album, In People, at this show… for free? Afterward, I’m heading to Hailey’s to enjoy the post-rock instrumentals of This Will Destroy You, and if I have enough energy and time, I’d like to catch New Science Projects at Andy’s. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen Dale Jones at his craft.

Feel free to say hi if you happen to go to any of these shows. Contact me or live vicariously through my twitter account, @theneener, as I will be tweeting like a mofo throughout NX35.

But thanks to friends, fellow music lovers, bloggers, writers (unlike bloggers, some of them get paid!), musicians, and curious passers-by, I have been able to follow through, and I’m most definitely glad I did. I’ve made a lot of new connections, have a newfound respect toward music bloggers and writers, and discovered so many new bands to follow. SO MANY!

Plus, to be personal, this project has helped me see what is possible if you just put your mind to it. Not just through this blog but also by volunteering with NX35, I’ve seen what happens when a lot of heart and determination is involved. To see what Chris Flemmons took as an idea many years ago to an event that brought a hundred volunteers together to help bring thousands of people to Denton this weekend to see over two hundred bands is quite inspiring. The enormity of his project has most definitely been overwhelming but with some support, it’s happening. It really is happening.

So, with one day left and four times as many readers from my first thank you post, yes, I do feel a large sense of accomplishment. It was always my hope that someone, somewhere would discover a new band or two through this, and it brings me great joy to know some of you have. I will continue to update this blog after NX35 (uh, did someone say SXSW?) so I hope you will stick around and discover new music with me. Again, my gratitude to my supporters and to all NX35 supporters.

Let’s do this thing.