REVIEW: Matt The Electrician and Kris Delmhorst

February 2, 2018 - Cactus Cafe (Austin, Texas)

By Sean Claes

Cactus Cafe is a great listening room on the campus of University of Texas and it was the perfect location for an evening and song-swap with Austin's Matt the Electrician and Massachusetts' Kris Delmhorst. 

This is probably my favorite kind of show, for I feel in an environment like Cactus Cafe singer-songwriters are able to peel some of the layers away from their songs and share stories and inspirations about the creative process. Plus, with this night, it seemed like we were getting a glimpse into the reunion of two friends catching up, laughing and playing together. Almost like they were hanging out in their living room and we got to watch.

Photo by Sean Claes

Matthew Sever is Matt The Electrician. (who, as the name suggests was an electrician in his former life - in the 1990s) took the stage first, shared a few stories, and played a few songs from his discography, which runs a dozen records deep. 

Photo by Sean Claes

Just before launching into a fantastically speedy rendition of "Change The Subject" (from  2007's One Thing Right) he mentioned that February 3 was going to be the 14th anniversary of his quitting drinking alcohol and the song was written after attending a potluck/gathering with his wife, the week he decided to quit drinking, where he knew nobody. That gave a whole new perspective to the opening lyrics: " If I never gave up drinking / I would surely have a beer right now / Talking politics and religion / I don't wanna be here right now."

He also played "The Bear" and "California" off his 2017 release The Doubles which is a collection of the 7" singles he's released along with renditions of those tracks featuring the trio with which he currently performs.

A treat of being in a listening room setting is artists sometimes try out new material. Sever debuted a song that he'd never played live, which I believe is called "Angels Chasing After Me." He realized, and pointed out during the track, that the riff he was using was the same as "What's So Funny" off his 2009 release Animal Boy and promised to change it. He explained that this show was his first gig of 2018 after taking about six weeks off, the longest time away from stage since he'd begun his career.

Honestly, if he'd not mentioned it, nobody would have known he'd not played live in a minute... but it made for a few funny references. Once he played his set, it was Kris Delmhorst's time to take the stage.

Whereas Sever has a laid back, conversational and sometimes quirky approach to his storytelling style, Delmhorst has what I'd describe as a classic singer-songwriter style. Her songs are beautifully composed stories of life and love. 

Photo by Sean Claes

I was first introduced to Delmhorst's music in 2003 with the release of her Songs For A Hurricane. She was a regular performer at Cambridge, Massachusetts' Club Passim where my sister and brother-in-law frequented.  I caught her in 2007 (I think) during SXSW at a restaurant-turned music venue on 6th street. I recall that, while being impressed with her music, the venue didn't suit her. Well, fast forward a decade and The Cactus Cafe made for the perfect backdrop to showcase her beautiful voice and poetic lyrics. 

She settled onto the stage after a fun little volley with Sever where he couldn't think of the city in Massachusetts where she hailed from, so it was dubbed "Northernville." 

With 12 albums under her belt, she also had a dearth of great material to pull from. Delmhorst is touring on the release of her 2017 album The Wild. She treated the crowd to songs off the album like "Temporary Existance" and "Rules To Games."

After her set, they took a short break. When that concluded, both Sever and Delmhorst took the stage together and riffed off each other while playing back-up to each other's songs. Sever switched from guitar to trumpet and Delmhorst switched from guitar to violin. It was definitely a wonderful sight to behold.

Photo By Sean Claes

Probably my favorite song of the night was a track that Delmorst never released and I can find zero reference to it online. Her and Sever are part of a songwriters game that consists of a song title being sent to them on a Monday and they have a week to turn it into a finished song. During the play of this game, the title "Russian Girl" was sent out. She turned it into a great tongue-in-cheek song about a friend who has been in the dating pool for a long time... recalling that he should consider a fantastically flawed girl he'd once dated (might be insane, drank a lot, but she recalled he thought she was "OK").

Photo by Sean Claes

If you ever get the chance to see Matt The Electrician or Kris Delmhost live, it's totally worth it and you will leave musically fed. Those who were lucky enough to see them together... well.. we got one of those once-in-a-lifetime treats that will go in the books as a beautiful musical memory.

REVIEW: 10 Years, From Ashes To New, To Whom It May, Broken Valor

January 23, 2018 - Come and Take It Live (Austin, Texas)

By Sean Claes

For the first time in 2018, I walked through the doors of Austin's Come and Take It Live... and for the first time in a much longer time I was there to see a road show. Four bands, none of them from Austin. I was invited to the show by the publicist for From Ashes To New (Lancaster, PA) who was opening for 10 Years (Knoxville, TN) whom, ironically, formed 19 years ago. Rounding the band out was To Whom It May (Galveston, TX) and Broken Valor (Houston, TX)

The atmosphere was perfect for this line-up of rock/melodic metal bands. Surveying the crowd, it was pretty nice to see a diverse and mixed age bunch of folks. There was your old-school metal heads standing alongside a new "Xs on their hands" breed of live music fans.

Broken Valor

First up was Broken Valor. They came out the gate hard with a sound that was straight-forward barroom metal. Vocalist Kelly Allbright commanded the stage like a seasoned pro.

To Whom It May

Next up was To Whom It May ('I' III I III). Got to love a band that comes in with the Willie Wonka “Wondrous Boat Ride” audio playing in the background. Lead vocalist Jonathon Jourdon surprised me when he had a voice that didn’t match his metaltastic beard. Kind of a Layne Staley meets Robert Plant tinge to the vocals... in the best way possible. The music was a melodic metal groove that built up throughout their set and and peaked with the final song, which I believe was called "Signal Fire."

From Ashes To New

The already crowded club (really packed for a Tuesday night) seemed to double in size when From Ashes To New hit the stage. These guys are one of the most high energy bands I’ve witnessed live in a while. The songs were great and they owned the crowd from the first strum to the last bass drum kick. The combination of lead vocalist Danny Case's emo-infused rock combined with the flows of rapper Matt Brandyberry made for some solid tunes. 

The mentioned that this was the first time playing Austin since they came though during SXSW in 2015 and I think Austin approved. They can come back anytime. Perhaps as a headliner next time? 

10 Years

Come And Take It Live was standing-room only when headliners 10 Years hit the stage. This tour was in support of their 2018 release (how to live) AS GHOSTS which is the band's 8th release since they formed in 1999. The ambient hard rock the band performed was great and the crowd was in tune with each lick.

Over-all this was a great line-up of music and for those who braved the Tuesday night air to catch a show... we were all rewarded. Come and Take It Live is such a great venue and I'm so glad there's a mid-sized place in Austin to host great local acts as well as road shows like this one. Credit goes to owner Anthony Stevenson for keeping the metal alive in the ATX. It's also nice to make a right off IH-35 to Riverside to catch a rock show again.

 

Fire From The Gods - The INsite Interview

Austin's Fire From The Gods

The INsite Interview

Drew Walker, guitarist - Fire From The Gods

By: Sean Claes

If the status of metal music in today's world was in question, question no more. I was able to attend the All Stars Tour when it made a stop in Austin, Texas on August 15, 2015 at the Empire Control Room & Garage.

Headliners included Upon A Burning Body and Dance Gavin Dance and supporting bands included: A Skylit Drive, Iwrestledabearonce, Within the Ruins, Oceano, Dayshell, Come The Dawn and Conquer Divide. Also on the bill for the Austin show was Zeale (Austin), A Tragedy at Hand (Irving) and Fire From The Gods (Austin).

There was not a dud in the bunch, I was impressed with the quality of metal and hardcore that this group brought to the table. One of the most energetic and crowd pumping (and surfing) bands on the bill was a local sextet by the name of Fire From The Gods.

Although they're been together since 2007, Fire From The Gods, in their current iteration, is relatively new to the forefront of the scene. If the show I witnessed is anything like the show that is currently being performed on their current "2 Legit 2 Pit" tour... fans and newcomers alike are in for a treat.

Their tour began with the Hometown performance at the All Stars Tour on August 15 and it'll end at another hometown gig at the Empire Control Room & Garage on September 6 - The Hoodang Music Festival.

BACKGROUND:
FFTG began in 2007 just as the members were graduating high school. The bandmates changed as members moved away for college, took full time jobs and as a natural progression of the band. Founding members Bonner Baker (bass) and Drew Walker are now joined by four amazing individuals who seem to make the puzzle fit perfectly. Vocalist Chris Mardis and drummer Richard Wicander both played in another Austin band, Outlaws to Kings. Jameson Teat played in few local (Austin) hardcore bands, Somewhere in September and Let The Dead before joining FFTG. Vocalist AJ Channer is the new kid on the block in the band. Hailing from New York (by way of England and Jamaica), he's been holding down the lead screamer position for just over a year.

INsite owner Sean Claes had a chance to catch up with founding guitarist Drew Walker after their set at the All Star Festival. We took a walk and decided to do a little video interview... so we found a quiet space.. in an alley between The Red Eyed Fly and Beerland.

First I had to ask about the origin of their name... wondering if there was a mythological meaning. I found out instead, it was based on a 2003 Horse The Band track that sampled a classic video game commercial.




That out of the way, we talked about the current tour.

They were tapped to play the All Stars Tour by Anthony Stevenson of Come And Take It Productions.



Shows like The All Stars Tour tap local bands to open up for the touring bands in order to provide an all-day show. We talked about this idea for tours, which has gained popularity in recent years.

 

They are currently on a month-long "2 Legit 2 Pit" tour.


Fire From The Gods returns to Ausitn on September 6, 2015 for the Hoodang Music Festival.


Being a band hailing from Austin with 8 years on the scene, I asked Walker his impression on the current Austin metal scene.



Which led to a discussion about the closing of Emo's and Red 7 on the Red River scene.



Turning back to FFTG, we talked about some of their biggest supporters, like Anthony Stevenson of Come and Take It Productions and Dave Dickens of Headbang For The Highway.



Thinking back to the beginning, Walked touched on when the band became more than just a bunch of folks playing music and became something "real."



Walker also touched on the current line-up from Fire From The Gods.






Walker talks about the idea of feeling like the band "Made It."






If you'd like to watch the video interview all together, you can follow this link. 

The next local show for Fire From The Gods will be Day 2 (featuring 18 bands including The Red Cord) of the Hoodang Festival on September 6, 2015 at Empire Control Room & Garage. Make plans to attend and attend early, it's worth your time and energy.  

NOVEMBER 19, 2011

squint, Waiting for August, The Nevermind Project and Radio Fallout at Emos

Sponsored by INsite.
Here's a link to the event on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198833626856467

INsite Exclusive: Catching Up With Ian Moore

Transformations. Moore Than Meets The Eye

By Sean Claes. Photos by Machelle Dunlop

Ian Moore is one of the most original and interesting artists I’ve enjoyed keeping track of over the last 20 years. The Austin-born musical Houdini first emerged as a budding "blues guitar slinger" with many comparisons to Stevie Ray Vaughan. But then, he took a left turn and experimented musically for a number of years with several wonderful and distinct styles until he ultimately became just who every musician hopes to become… their own definition.

You can say he has a total Ian Moore sound to him.

Last month he rejoined the original Ian Moore Band for a string of shows celebrating the Austin blues-rock that many still associate with him, playing Antones in Austin as one of his dates. He returns to Austin on Tuesday, September 6 with his current band, Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils to play the Scoot Inn (1308 East 4th Street).

We talked with Ian Moore about his past, present and future in the music business.

Sean Claes: Can you tell me a little about that time (mid 1990s) in Austin, Texas and for you musically?
Ian Moore: I know that it was an interesting time for me. Tons of musical growth amongst myself and my friends.

It seemed like as I got bigger there was less synergy between what I was into and my fans were into. Always digging, always searching, deep into soul, jazz, a lot of psychedelic music, especially the stuff that was coming out of the UK at that time.

Claes: In 1998 you came out with the stripped down album of covers Ian Moore’s Got the Green Grass. Since then, you seemed to have reinvented yourself musically. Was there a plan set into action there?
Moore: I think people that really know me would tell you that my music never has 'a plan'. Otherwise my moves would be much more calculated. I'm a reasonably intelligent guy that has always been aware of what is going on.

My music takes its own paths though. Ultimately what I write at any point is what sounds best to my ears. I've tried to fight it, but I find myself lost in the wilderness with no sense of direction when I do.
Claes: Was it difficult to shake the “another blues guitarist from Austin, Texas” or “The Next SRV” references?
Moore: I feel like it never defined me as a musician so I fought it. If I felt that it was who and what I was I would have embraced it.

I think it is a part of me, mainly because I grew up with it. Ivan Neville grew up with the Neville Brothers; consequently you hear a deep influence there. I did not start listening to Austin music at 16, I was birthed into it. Most of those influences came into my world in my first decade on the planet.

Claes: You’ve released 5 albums from 2000-2010. Do you feel each album has been a departure or a building block from the previous?
Moore: I never intentionally decide anything. I just groove with whatever I'm into and try to make it the best it can be.

Claes: You relocated from Austin to Washington a few years back. Why leave Austin?
Moore: I left Austin to grow up. I had so much love and support, and was really nurtured by that for a long time, but I started feeling like always being on the inside was not healthy. I think looking back on the last decade; it has really helped me become a more rounded person and a better musician. I will always be an Austinite.

Claes: What are your favorite songs of your own to play live?
Moore: Whatever I have just written. I love the feeling of pulling things together as you figure out form and function

Claes: What was it like to step on stage at Antone’s to play the material from your first few albums with the original band last month?
Moore: Surreal.

Claes: Tell me about the new Ian Moore Band album, recorded in the 90s with the original band?
Moore: That was the band coming together to make a really powerful, cohesive record. I think it would have done quite well. It was fated to be the way it was.

The label head was dead against the direction of the band and wanted me to fire the guys, work with session players, and make a record he could understand. We were just on a different trajectory, and ironically were trying to make something that would work for him and the label. It’s the last time I ever let conciliatory feelings alter my ballast

Claes: You’ve also released an album with your current outfit Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils. Tell me about El Sonido Nuevo.
Moore: I think it is the best record, front to back, I have ever made, and let me qualify that by saying the record is 2 years old, so I have had a lot of time to get past the honeymoon. I just think there is a really good balance of many of the elements I have been trying to combine

Claes: What are some of your favorite songs from the new album?
Moore: I always like the dark horses, so “Newfound Station,” “The Levees” and “Sad Affair.”

Claes: Do you expect to see a lot of the same faces who made it out to see the Ian Moore Band reunion last month, out at the Scoot Inn on September 6?

Moore: I have no idea. I got a lot of positive feedback from folks that came out to the show, and my hope was that they see that my energy is more open than they may have thought. I don't harbor these vast negative feelings about the past, I’m just not ready to spend my life living there; still too much to do. I hope to see everyone there!

Claes: Where are some of your places to go when you visit Austin?
Moore: Mostly my friends, try to see music. I find myself on the Eastside a lot these days. Of course the Continental Club, my fave Mexican restaurants (a major dearth in Seattle) and Barton Springs

Claes: You’ve probably had your share of critics bash you for the choices you’ve made over the years. But, you seem to have run your career on your terms, well. Looking back on your 20+ year career thus far, is there anything you would have done differently?

Moore: I would be less conciliatory. I think setting a tone for who you are as a person is very important.

One of the lies about the music industry (or maybe half-truths) is that you compromise and then you gain enough power to make other choices. That may be right if you are a Justin Timberlake, but I think culture is more complex and when you make those compromises you are surrounded by a different type of person. I think it is important to know what you want to do and stick with it, with grace of course.

Claes: Last year you played guitar on tour with Jason Mraz. How did that happen?
Moore: My friend, Carlos Sosa, is MD for the band, and offered me a tryout. It was a totally new thing for me; I wasn't doing a ton with my band, so I ended up spending the summer and fall playing with those guys. Great experience.

Claes: What’s next for Ian Moore?
Moore: I need to make it through the coming weeks, and then I’m putting the periscope up and searching for land

Catch Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils on Tuesday, September 6 at Scoot Inn (1308 East 4th Street).

INstant Hindsite - Lady Gaga @ Frank Erwin Center

Lady Gaga @ Frank Erwin Center
Semi-Precious Weapons opens
Austin, Texas • 4/6/11
Photos by: Jay West

Opening Act: Semi-Precious Weapons

Valentine's INsite

KEEP AUSTIN IN LOVE!
A selection of love songs by Austin, Texas artists

By Sean Claes
It’s the month of love, so here’s a songlist of amazing local love songs. You want to set the mood and support local music, we’ve taken most of the work off your shoulders.

"The Sacred Heart of Alejandro Escovedo"
Part of Austin artists William K. Stidham's
Sacred Heart of Austin Musicians series.
Photo of artwork by Sean Claes

This list is not the product of anything but from the mind me, INsite's owner Sean Claes. There was no poll, no questions posed to anyone else. Nothing. This spans new and old… with no favorites.. and videos where I could find them. This is not an exhaustive list, and if you’d like to suggest a song, please leave it in the comments section. I may add in a "reader's favorites" post. If I'm feeling the love, that is.

Now that THAT is out of the way, Sit back, relax, grab your love.. and listen to some great local love songs.

"My Own Peculiar Way" - Willie Nelson
The Essential Willie Nelson


“Silly, Stupid Boy” - Waiting for August
Unreleased - link to their ReverbNation Page


“Everyman” - Southpaw Jones
Cruelty


“In This Skin” – Love At War
Love At War


“Love is Everywhere” – Bob Schneider
Love Is Everywhere


“Right Where I Belong” – Wendy Colonna
Right Where I Belong


“Freeze Frame Time” – Brandon Rhyder
Conviction


“Something So Much” – Drew Smith
Drew Smith's Lonely Choir

“Tender Heart” – Alejandro Escovedo
Street Songs Of Love


“Wrapped” – Walt Wilkins
Mustang Island


“Lately” - Full Service
Roaming Dragons
Download this song for free from the band here


“Real Love” – Ruthie Foster
The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster



Here’s some I couldn’t find videos for… but are GREAT songs.

“Naked Fool” Michael Fracasso
Red Dog Blues

“East West North South” David Garza
Eyes Wide Open

“Girl Like You” - Monte Montgomery
1st and Repair

“Favorite One” - Matt The Electrician
Made For Working

“No Baby Swings Like Mine” – South Austin Jug Band
Dark and Weary World

“Too Big Love” – Susan Gibson
Outerspace



OK.. I won’t forget the rest of you.

As I saw written on the bathroom wall at a little dive bar in San Marcos, Texas once… “No matter how much you like this woman, there’s a man out there that is sick of her.”

So….for those who don’t like this list… or love songs for that matter… well… here’s Cee-Lo Green for you. I know.. he’s not from Austin… but I don’t think you’ll mind.

I like the way the Grammy’s titled it.. “The Song Otherwise Known As ‘Forget You’”

INsite's Shop Austin 2010

Shop Austin Gift Guide 2010
"A Lot of Local In One" Place Edition

By Sean Claes
Photos by Jay West and Sean Claes

Each year, INsite likes to share a few places for you to consider shopping during the holiday season. One reason we’re known as Austin’s Other Entertainment Magazine is because we like to root for the underdog. In a town as big as Austin, it’s easy to go to your local “box store” and get your Christmas shopping done in one stop, but just like we enjoy telling you about local bands, just as good if not better than national acts, whom you may have never heard, we also like to share the names and locations of places you can shop local.

All of the places on this list are dedicated to featuring many local artisans in one place. So, essentially, like a “big box” store, these are “outside the box” one stop shops. You can truly find some one-of-a-kind gems for the folks on your shopping list this year. We hope you print this out and use it as a guide.

We hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Great Kwanza, Festivus (Seinfeld is still a great show BTW), or whatever you celebrate during this season.

23rd St. Renaissance Market
23rd St. and Guadalupe
http://www.austinartistsmarket.com
Since 1969 artists and artisans have been gathering on the Guadalupe Street area known affectionately as “The Drag” to sell their wares under the awesome mural pictured at the beginning of this artice. If you’re looking for paintings, jewelry, tie-dyes, candles, or leather goods made by locals this open air market is one option. It’s also located in the heart of the University of Texas area of Austin as well, so it’s mighty popular with the college aged set as well. It’s open everyday between 8a and 10p, and since it’s made up of all local/area artisans, the finds change from day to day.

Blue Genie Art Bazzar
6226 Middle Fiskville Rd
http://bluegenieartbazaar.com/
For the last decade artistans have been getting together for this annual event. This year, they boast over 150 participants, each selling their handcrafted items. It’s located at the Marchesa Hall and Theatre in the Lincoln Village Shopping Center of Austin. This bazzar is free to attend and the caliber of artisans are pretty impressive. I’ve personally bought hand crafted items from a few of these folks, and we’ve featured them in previous issues of INsite as well as gift guides from years past. Funky handbags, jaunty hairclips, kids art supplies, paintings, and jewelry are just a few things you can find here. Check their Website for a full list of participants. This event runs from now until December 24. The hours are: Sunday – Thursday from 10a – 10p, Friday and Saturday from 10a-12m


South Congress Avenue (SoCo)
SoCo runs From the river to Oltorf
http://www.firstthursday.info/
Visit the area of Austin that helps “Keep Austin Weird.” I know, it’s kind of a cop-out to use an entire street as the place to go, but if I listed out each place I think you should stop, this article would be about a million words long. So… a synopsis: Thrift stores, boutiques, fine and funky art shops, specialty food stores, the coolest candy shop in town, and a whole bunch of other places scatter this street.

You can grab some classic candy from the (pictured) Big Top Candy Shoppe (1706 SoCo), the over to Tesoros Trading Company (1500 SoCo) to buy Uncle John some folk art, then wander down to Blackmail (1202 SoCo) to buy your loved one that little black dress. Or perhaps check out the American Indian jewelry at Turquoise Door (1208 SoCo) before seeing what you can pick up for your hard-to-shop-for sister at Monkey See Monkey Do (1712 SoCo) and then to Parts and Labour (1117 SoCo) for a custom-made Chuck Norris handbag, complete with fuzzy mustache.

The choices are limitless as SoCo is a wonderland of funky and great things.


Several Stores who Feature Local Year-Round
Various Locations
Looking for a pillow that features Pee Wee Herman screenprinted on it? hand-blown glass wine-tags? Perhaps a plaid jacket that dons a likeness to the guys in DEVO? Whimsical handmade baby blankets? Vegan soap? Owl hat? Maybe the more classic items like Earrings, dresses, or necklaces? We’ve got several places in Austin that features things like this year-round…

Stores that feature many local artisans under one roof include, but are not limited to: Moxie (11th St) Parts and Labour (SoCo), Lucky Lizard (6th Street), and Sanctuary (Bee Caves). Click their names to visit their site for more information.

I limited this article to feature four destination points for you, but there are hundreds of stores in Austin that feature local artisans. I’ve culled a short list to provide you with a partial list of some of the local places (and Websites) that sell locally made items. Enjoy.

Austin Bikes - 1213 W. 5th St (austinbikes.com)
Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) Store - 823 Congress Avenue (amoa.org)
Austin Visitors Center - 301 Congress Avenue, Ste. 200 (austintexas.org)
Authenticity Gallery - 910 Congress Ave # 100 (authenticitygallery.com)
Blue Moon Glassworks - 108 W 43rd St (austinbluemoon.com)
Creatures Boutique - 1206 S Congress Ave (creaturesboutique.com)
Emeralds - 624 N. Lamar Blvd (helloemeralds.com)
The Gas Pipe - 701 E 5th St (thegaspipe.net)
Images of Austin - 4612 Burnet Road (imagesofaustin.com)
Lucky Lizard - 412 East 6th Street (luckylizard.net)
Mexic-Arte - 419 Congress Ave (mexic-artemuseum.org)
The Oasis Gift Shop - 6550 Comanche Trl (oasis-austin.com)
Parts and Labour - 1117 S Congress Ave (partsandlabour.com)
Prima Dora - 1912 S Congress Ave (primadora.blogspot.com)
Sanctuary - 3663 Bee Caves Rd (sanctuaryhomebathgarden.com)
Secret Oktober - 1905-B South 1st (secret-oktober.com)
Sol Reflections - 107 Ranch Road 620 (solreflections.com)
State Capitol Gift Shop - 112 East 11th Street (texascapitolgiftshop.com)
Storyville - 2001A Guadalupe Street (wearyourstory.com)
Terra Toys - 2438 W Anderson Ln (terratoys.com)
Texas State History Museum - 1800 N. Congress Ave (thestoryoftexas.com)
Things She Adores - 2306 E. Cesar Chavez, Suite 101 (thingssheadores.com)
Wanderland - 3419 North Lamar (wanderlandshops.com)
Waterloo Records - 600 N Lamar Blvd (waterloorecords.com)
Wee - 417 1/2 W 2nd St (shopwee.com)
Whole Foods Market - 525 N Lamar Blvd (wholefoodsmarket.com)

So, Austin, please support Local this holiday season. And from my family to yours, have a wonderful Christmas.

December Cover - ANDY DICK

Andy Dick brings his Stocking Stuffer Music and Comedy Show to Austin

By Veronica Garcia

Ardent comedian Andy Dick is bringing his X-mas act, “Andy Dick's Stocking Stuffer Music and Comedy Show” to Emo’s Saturday night, hoping to end 2010 without incident.

“I’m book-ending my shows - I started in January with five shows and I’m ending it in December with the same five shows,” he said in a recent phone interview from his Topanga Canyon, Calif. home.

It wasn’t part of the act, but what he allegedly did after the show, that landed Dick in a West Virginia jail in January. Dick reportedly groped two men at a club, following his performance.

“I went to jail for 16 hours, I got back out and the club owner said, ‘I understand if you don’t want to do the three remaining shows,’” he recalled.

Being the consummate performer, Dick insisted the show must go on despite the allegations.

“But let’s not focus on that, or the jail time, and the court cases that are pending,” he said. “Let’s talk about the show. The show is fucking awesome! I can’t wait to do it in Austin. People are going to go nuts, seriously.”

Just don’t compare it to stand-up comedy, or you might annoy Dick.

“I’m warning you right now, if you’re coming to listen to stand-up comedy, I don’t even like stand-up,” he said. “I’m sick of it, it’s dumb! My shit, you will enjoy. You will get your money’s worth even if you get in for free.”

Dick, 45, has been performing his X-mas show for 25 years.

“It’s a mixture of songs and characters I do, and then I’ll twist people’s brains,” he said. “It’s stuff that I can’t do on television.”

The X-mas show also highlights whatever is happening in his life at the time, it changes and evolves, he explained.

“It just gets better and better and better,” he said. “Or maybe you could call it a slow retardation - actually maybe it’s getting worse.”

These days, Dick gets high on saving animals and living a raw food lifestyle.

“I’m vibrating,” he said. “It helps your mind, body and soul. Whatever is wrong with you, it’ll fix. It’s how you’re supposed to be. We’re supposed to walk around and eat the things we find.”

Dick recently rescued two dogs from certain death. He also owns two cats, a rabbit and two rattlesnakes. He regularly rescues rattlesnakes while hiking in his backyard.

“I keep them in Andy Dick’s Half-way House for Wayward Rattlesnakes,” he said. “They stay here for a couple of months and I get to look at them and feed them crickets and little baby mice and then I relocate them. People are thanking me for this service because if you call the fire department they kill the snakes.”

During our conversation, on this particular Saturday afternoon, he and guitarist Tim Walsh were headed out in search of psychedelic mushrooms on his 30-acre property.

“They’re growing wild on my yard,” Dick said. “He claims he’s an expert in this and he’s already done some. I will not do it. But he literally has thousands of dollars of ’shrooms. He’s going to pick them and sell them and keep the money.”

Walsh, who performs in a Creedence Clearwater Revival cover band, is joining Dick for his show in Austin.

“He’s super funny and talented,” Dick said. “Everyone should clear their fucking schedule and come to the show.”

Local promoter Adam Brewer is excited to bring the X-mas show to Austin and particularly to Emo’s.

“It’s a rock and roll comedy show and it’s a different environment to see a show like this,” he said.

“And everyone knows Andy Dick, for better or for worse,” he added. “But this is a great mix of comedy and music especially with a holiday theme, and Andy is on his road to redemption trying to prove to everyone that he’s not just someone in a tabloid headline; he’s a very funny man. He’s going to light that room up.”