10/9/21

 Hicks were at ABGB the other day. We went up after Croy and the Boys who were pretty damn cool. First off, it’s not all “boys”! The bass player is a woman and she was kickin that low end ass! They had some really great tunes and I had a blast hearing them for the first time!

We went up and did our thing. Good sized crowd that stuck around for our mess. I can’t think of anything crazy that happened other than it was Tom’s birthday and he didn’t fall over drunk in the middle of the set. Let’s hope we aren’t really learning how to adult

3/15/19

My first of only two shows this SXSW. Hickoids were closing out the night at ABGB.  

I’d snuck in two other shows on Wednesday and Thursday. I literally snuck in the back door (no badges or wristbands for me!) to see De La Soul Wednesday. They were unreal.  And the crowd was so happy to be there. Still only about half as happy as I was!

The next night I saw Maseo dj and it was pretty dam cool as well.  I happened to walk by him as he was headed to the  stage, that dude.... too cool!

Anyway back to last night. I got there and Harvey was up, but for only the last two songs...  The Sloths were up next, LA rock and roll. With costumes and magic?!!!  A very pleasant surprise!

There was still a good crowd for us at the end. Those folks ate us up and we gave it good!!  Early on in the set Smitty knocked the mic stand over and broke it. As I saw it hit the ground I wrote up a little short story in my brain that had Paul, the sound guy, putting his worse stands in front of us whenever we played. Sacrificial lambs of live music. I asked him after if that was true, he denied it but I still have my suspicions. 

Only one more set tomorrow!

10/12/18

ACL week two, day one

Hickoids were on at ABGB with a handful of our favorites for one hell of a night. I had to go back for some more dental work and I was (still am) on antibiotics... totally bummed I really like the beer at ABGB and I’m not “allowed” to have any....

We got there and Jean Caffeine was finishing up. She was playing drums?!!  Never seen her do that before. They were also playing “Wimp” by the Zeros. Happy me!

Harvey was next and they whipped it.  Duh... he’s got a sweet ass band and they’ve brought it every time I’ve seen them.  No exception on this night. 

We were next and our stuff was fine. But then  the man, the legendary Frontier Dan got up!! We did five tunes with him. The last one was the “Arkansas Twist” and there was a dance contest!! Fun and funny as hell!! And it’s always fun when Dan visits. 

Pocket Fishermen finished us off. Yeah! Really great night. 

And week two night two. I’m not playing!! But I’ll be there. Loads of great stuff goin on!

10/13/17

Week two, day one of ACL. Or my second and final sow of the festival. ABGBs with Beaumont’s, Winsome Losers and Rennie and the Banned Names.

I missed out on Rennie's first show ever... She had Lance and Cody (and another dude) playing with her. It sounded like they had a good first of many.

Winsome went up, hmm most of that band is familiar. Sometimes Austin to San Antonio. Is one big pool of talent that puts it's players in interesting and new ways. Great set. 

We went up and kinda killed it. Since Frontier Dan wasn’t here we were regular Hickoids. After last weeks three shows with him it was fun just being us. And the crowd gave everything we gave them back with a multiplier.

And then the Beaumont’s...  “Not As Cool As Jesus” is still the greatest song in the world. I could hear it for a week straight and not be tired of it.

10/9/15

There were four bands on the bill for the second Friday of the Corn Lovers Fiesta, the show was at ABGB and we were on third. I got there as the Surlys were going on They had a tight little set and the crowd was way in to it. I missed the first band... work is lame... time moves on.

Hickoids were next and our set was a dandy. We played mostly the "classic" Hickoid hits from way back before anyone other than Smitty was in the group and crowd was eating it up! Lot's of fast cow punk for people who were screaming for it. It's a symbiotic thing. I don't think I've ever seen that many people at ABGB before. And I know I've never see that many people at the front of the stage while a band I was playing in was there. Really impressive turnout.

Pong finished things up. Such a good band. They are still rocking the (mostly) one cord jam/modal tuns they've been know for. There were lots of smiling, ass shaking people enjoying a fucking great set! Pong!

6/20/15

Last night the Ladies had the opening slot at ABGB. That place really has it's shit together. They feed you, give you great beer, they pay and have parking in the back so you don't have to mess around with searching for a spot down the street after you load in. Hell, they even had enough microphones to cover both drum kits and we still had four vocal mics! Shit! It almost makes you feel spoiled.

Our set was good, a little ragged at times but we were solid. The crowd was on the tame side but they were enjoying themselves, we got solid applause after every tune. It's never a huge, ruckus of a crowd, people don't really go to ABGB to raise hell.

Western Star was up next. They are from Baltimore and we played with them during ACL a few years ago, good bunch of dudes. They had a rockin set, but most of the crowd drifted off during the fist part of it, so they didn't get to play to that many people. Kinda crappy but they still whipped it.

The Casters finished things off. They played the roller derby earlier in the evening and when they showed up to the club (a little before the Ladies went on) they were already coated in sweat. By the time they went on everyone was caked in it (it's been in the high 80's with 80% humidity, it's nasty outside... I was drenched halfway into our first song and I stayed that way until I got to hop in the shower back at home.) They whipped out a "new" tune, "Fistin After Midnight", apparently it got the plug pulled on them at the Derby. But the dozen or so folks at ABGB ate it up.

Tonight the Ladies are opening for Western Star at the Mix. I love the Mix and tonight should be more of the "In your face" type of evening!

3/15/14

Yeah this one is late. I'll have a SXSW wrap up coming tomorrow (I hope) Saturday night kinda knocked the crap out of me.

The Hickoids first set started at 6PM at the '04 lounge. The drive was ok, I found decent parking and for the first time during this years fest, I used my own bass rig! We set up and played after A Pony Named Olga, again. Our set was ok, it was a little early in the day and I think we were all in the marathon mindset, as in don't blow your wad too early boy, you got three shows today. 

The '04 is a cool place, but where the bands set up is right where people walk by to go to the bathroom. So your rocking out with your eyes are closed and when you open them back up someone looking at you like "Get out of my way, I have to piss" It's strange.

Johnny Hell was there and he got up for two songs (Lance played a show before this one, so he was happy to take the break) as always it was nice playing with him. He and Lance even did a little double drumming on "Stop It", the world needs more double drummer lineups! After the set we quickly packed up and headed to...

ABGB on Oltorf. We were on at 8. I parked in the back and loaded just my bass and cords in (backline!) I was immediately asked what I wanted to drink and eat. I could get use to this. I had a couple of lagers but I held out for the pizza until after we played. When we showed up DD Dagger was on the stage and whipping ass. I haven't seen Allison blow sax in years and I really, REALLY liked this band. I've got to do a show with them and the Ladies it will be an "Animalistic Rock-A-Thon"! 

This set was a lot better than our first one. All of us were giving it a little extra gas and the sound was really good which makes the job a whole lot easier. It also felt more like a real show, ABGB has a stage! We did our thing and the crowd was in to it. We finished the set, ate some pizza and head to...

The Triple Crown. "Olga" was up when I got there. I settled in to the back and hung out with the Grannies and a Beaumont until they finished. Grannies were next, I hadn't seen a whole set from them since Europe last year so I caught every song. Sluggo was playing a cheap SG copy and I knew it wasn't gonna last. During the solo on the last tune of their set Sluggo jumped up on the bar and started playing the guitar with an ashtray. Then he hopped to the ground, took it off and started swinging. Pop, Pop, Pop. The satisfying sound of a cheap guitar hitting linoleum. 

We were next and we played fine. I used Tom's bass rig because it was still on the stage and no one, including me, felt like moving it. There was some definite ass dragging going on in our third set (fourth for Lance!) But we survived the full 45 minutes and broke our shit down. SXSW was over for us. Now all we had to do was watch the Beaumonts! They were great as usual. Nothing new, just regular old, bad ass Beaumontin'.

After that Smitty and I went to IHOP and got some food. I drank almost a full pot of coffee and I was still buzzing from it after the 45 minute drive home. I drank three beers after a shower and finally went to bed around 6AM, twelve hours after the first show started (and that doesn't include me being at the day job from 10-4). The next day I woke up around noon, ate and managed to stay awake for a couple of hours before I fell asleep again. When I woke back up it was Monday afternoon and I was still on the couch. It's kinda a SXSW tradition.