By Wilkes | Published:
March 23, 2010
The trip to Austin this year for SXSW was a huge success and a great time. I want to recap some of the bigger acts that I saw that were great as well as some hidden gems that I just happened to stumble upon. (Above photo credit Loren Wohl)
The first group I want to talk about is The Very Best. These guys came out onto the Fader Fort stage and absolutely set the place on fire. One of the most hype performances I saw without a doubt. This group is straight out of Africa coming through with amazing hooks, melodies and beats that will just melt your face. They have a great classic reggae feel to them as well with a very tropical sound. In fact I coined my own phrase to describe The Very Best and that is Trop Pop. Definitely keep an eye for this one and make sure to check out their myspace.
Next up, a very non traditional hip hop artist that got it absolutely cracking in the packed spot was Alabama’s own Yelawolf. The beauty of this show was that I randomly walked in on it at Beauty Bar not knowing he was playing. When I walked in he was just starting his track Pop The Trunk. He had the spot filled to the brim with every head in the spot singing “Don’t make me pop the trunk… on youu.” So amazing. Very unique style, voice and fantastic to watch live.
Of course I have to talk about the home town hero Samuel. Samuel played two showcases the first of which was the Hypem showcase however his second show for the Neon Gold Records showcase was the show that made you want to go back to your hotel room after and write your mom about how good it was. Samuel did not hesitate to bang out what may have been one of his best performance yet opening for Marina and the Diamonds for a sold out Lamberts BBQ. Samuel only seems to ripen a little more after each show and is slowly becoming the great pop artist I have faith he will one day become. Look out for his debut album entitled “Trains to Wanderland” which will be dropping this July.
This next adventure I’m going to tell you about was by far the most epic. After a long night of drinking I found myself back near The Mansion, my resting place, with my friend Luka. There was this dump of a frat house right across the street from the hotel and we heard some great music coming out of the place so we decided to check it out. As the current band was finishing people outside on the lawn were hurrying us in saying, lets go The Bubbles are about to go on. The Bubbles indeed, I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears, these guys were simply amazing. Incredible live show, drunk off their asses and having a blast. Huge mosh pit took up the whole main floor of the spot and these guys tore it down. A great indie pop band from Austin and a true gem. Incredible light poppy sound with that unique touch to it that can get anyone moving and feeling good. After my friend Luka and I left the show we kept laughing saying, no one will believe us when we tell them about The Bubbles experience. It was simply that good and I will remember it above any of the other performances I saw.
So until next year folks, it was an epic one. Drinks, laughs, adventure and music, couldn’t be better.
By Wilkes | Published:
March 12, 2010
Heading out to SXSW next week and couldn’t be more excited. Many big things happening within the family including HeavRoc Music’s very own Samuel to perform in the Neon Gold showcase and the Hypem Showcase on Thursday March 18th. However for me I’ve been booking hotels and flights for many managers, indie/major labels, bands and artists for SXSW for a good 2 months now. After booking some great hotels it was time to decide where I was going to be resting my bones this year. Last year my number one pick was The Driskill which I think is by far Austin’s finest. Kind of like the Waldorf Astoria or the Plaza to New York but not played out just yet, this place is truly where its at. Located in the heart of downtown Austin, this hotel offers a product second to none. Fantastic hospitality and the location couldn’t be better for bands or SXSW goers. This hotel was a huge success for me last year. I also booked several rooms at The Mansion on Judges Hill. A little more on the boutique side and located on the Northern part of downtown but still in a great location for SXSW action. This is my hotel of choice for 2010 and is where I will be staying. I expect great things from this property and from my talks with the managers there thus far I am excited for a great stay. So lets rip down south for some feel good times in Texas and look out for my affiliated showcases! Check the flyer below.
By Wilkes | Published:
February 11, 2010
Last Wednesday the Bowery Electric basement in New York City had the special treat of witnessing two highly anticipated rising stars in new popular music. Samuel and The Postelles performed absolutely solid sets, showcasing never before heard songs off of their upcoming debut albums both due out the spring. The show was the first epic of a short residency that The Postelles are hosting at Bowery Electric every Wednesday of this month. The Postelles have one more show left this month at Bowery on February 17th and its FREE. Photos from the show below are courtesy of Joe Scordo.
By Wilkes | Published:
January 26, 2010
A few weeks ago I went to check out the Cook.Eat.Drink.Live show at Le Venue in NYC. The show was awesome with displays and food from over 30 well known restaurants and vendors from NYC including Morton’s Steakhouse, Blue Moon Brewery and Vermont Spirits. Of course I spent a good amount of time at the Vermont Spirits table getting quite loose of their free shots of Vodka given that I am a Vermont native myself. I typically don’t drink Vodka much but I was taken with the taste of their White, Gold and Premium flavors made from fermented tree sap, amazing. The wine tasting was also something worth mentioning with over 200 wines from the northeast and many coming from upstate New York. I also sat in on a fall cocktail demonstration from one of the mixoligists from Apotheke Bar in China town in NYC. If you’ve never been to this bar it is definitely worth setting a side to get nice off of their signature cocktails and shots. Below are some images I took from my cell phone of the show. I will definitely be back next year!
By Wilkes | Published:
October 29, 2009
As a big fan of not only lodging/hospitality and travel I am also a big food fan. I am not the most knowledgeable about different cousines and I usually learn and taste something new every time I dine. A good friend of mine named Daniel Pappas is similar to me in this way and put simply in his own words he tends to think of each meal as his last. In this daily struggle to find the best meal possible at a reasonable cost in New York City there is quite the cognitive process that occurs as you can imagine.
Daniel has taken this conundrum and turned it into a great blog which I think is awesome. If I’m not with Daniel getting soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai or getting it in with the best burger in New York at Corner Bistro I can keep tabs on him via his new blog aptly named Dan Eats. Great blog from a great guy. And just for fun I uploaded a picture here of a burger I ate last night at Stone Street Tavern in the financial district of NYC. This burger is what they call the Bleu Burger. An 8 oz chunk of heaven injected with bleu cheese. This is the most inventive way I’ve seen to add cheese to a burger yet and may I say it was spectacular. So good I took a picture on the spot and sent it to Daniel himself. Enjoy.
