35 Denton and SXSW, spring break coverage

FEATURING:

Fall Out Boy plays to an enthusiastic crowd at SXSW in Austin

The Lasso Arts & Entertainment Special Insert

Green Day, Fall Out Boy, The Blurries, The Last Bison, Killer Mike, Flunk, others, and all those crazy, exotic foods deep in the bowels of food trucks.

Photography by Alex Ancira

W h i l e The Hive might be a budding club or a one-off venue, either way, the crowd along with the venue was prematurely slaughtered by Killer Mike Saturday night due to a rainout. After being pushed back to an 8 p.m. start time, Mike waltzed onto the stage with style, adorning a shirt that stated simply: “Lie. Cheat. Steal. Kill. Win,” a fitting mantra for the Atlanta-based rapper, who builds his beats on politically charged lyrics and gangster sensibilities.

Beginning the set with a far too shortened version (in my opinion) of his song “Big Beast,” the MC started the night off with a bang, so to speak. Mike showed love to Denton on many different occasions, including a shout out to a woman at the front of the crowd, even cutting a song short to do so. Mike gave a shout out to Texas saying that he loves the state, segueing into his song “Reagan,” in which he raps about his hatred of former President Ronald Reagan. The song mixed in many Reagan quotes regarding trading arms for hostages in the Iranian Hostage

Crisis, during which the DJ even wore a Reagan mask as he mixed the track live. The crowd became heavily engaged, chanting “I’m glad Reagan’s dead” throughout the outro of the song.

Later that night, Mike announced his tour in May with Big Boi, his friend most famously known from the hip hop group OutKast, as well as his next album, to be released later this year (half of which was just recorded, according to Mike, and a video for the song “JoJo’s Chillin.” Mike also announced that his hit “Untitled” would be performed Monday on David Letterman’s Late Show, igniting a crowd response through the roof.

Mike finished the show in style, his wife coming out to take a picture of Mike in the crowd, after having jumped off the stage and opened the barricades, to what seemed to be the security’s dismay. Mike’s final words for the show were “God bless, Denton. Thank you for coming out tonight.” Truly, as Mike stated before his song “Ghetto Gospel,” God was in the room that night. And boy, was it a religious experience.

The Blurries had stood as one of my most anticipated acts of 35 Denton. Before planning my festival, I fell intimately in love with the group’s first album, “Paper Cuts,” and even purchased the album immediately after listening to it, in its entirety on the band’s site: www.gettheblurries.com. However, saying the band’s set underwhelmed me would be an understatement.

I do want to make very clear my sentiment that the set was very good. If not for

the strength of Brainstorm’s set directly after The Blurries, this group may have won my award for best Thursday show. The main issues I took with the performance were some technical problems, the first being the guitarist having problems with the reverb coming from the amp. It is fair to say that the excess reverb hurt the first couple of songs of the set. The first couple of songs, unfortunately, were a few of my favorites and some of the high points from the album. The vocals fell a bit flat compared to the record, which coupled with problems during a few of

my favorite tracks, left a bitter taste in my mouth for the duration of the set.

In fact, the performance did stand as remarkably solid, which cannot always be expected from a smaller Dallas band. The sound, especially the rhythm section, was very sharp and clean. The keyboards came off as extraneous, as they could not easily be heard, at least not by me. Some songs, though, were very clean and brought the review up from mediocrity, such as “Your Love” and “Pretty Knife.”

Ultimately, The Blurries offered a very solid performance, indicative of a

group that was better than being a venue act, but not nearly polished enough to be a main stage act. The vocals especially, and the stage presence of the group, were lackluster, feeling more like a band I might see at a local pub, where it may be expected to not fully enjoy the music. Admittedly, if I had not heard the group’s music on the record first, I might have chosen another show for that time slot. Luckily, I did not, and ended up satisfied with my 11:30, Thursday night, time slot.

Killer Mike murders crowd at The Hive

Blurries blur the line between good and great

Alex AnciraJr. Copy Editor


2 | Wednesday, March 20, The Lasso Wednesday, March 20, 2013 | 3 The Lasso Spring Break Festivities

Overview

Stanton BrasherA&E Editor

4 x 8 = SXSW

Everyone has a drug of choice. For some, it is a traditional drug, like alcohol, marijuana or cocaine. For others, their drug is metaphorical: jogging, music or laughter. I think I found my drug of choice in Austin, Texas.

The drug I am speaking of is the South by Southwest Film Festival. I am getting the DTs just thinking about it.

I arrived on Friday amid a small rainstorm and after checking in, I took a pedicab to the Palmer Center for a video game expo and lunch with the Nintendo people. I am one of the first people in the world to have played “Lego City: Undercover.”

After leaving the expo, I sauntered over to the historic Paramount Theater, where I got to watch “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” with Jim Carrey and Steve Carell. Yes, they were in the theater with me.

Once the first film ended, the line had already started forming for the second. Of course, I didn’t have to wait in the long

line because I was approved to cover my first red carpet event: “The Evil Dead” remake. One day down and I had already been in the presence of a few icons, including Bruce Campbell.

I left that night because of a condition known as lackofhotelivitis (lak-uv-ho-tell-a-vite-us) but returned on Sunday after speaking with my doctor at hotels.com. The rest of the week was spent learning about acting with Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), studying comedy with Fred Armisen and Tim and Eric, shooting more red carpet events with Dave Grohl, Snoop Lion (formerly known as Snoop Dogg), James Franco, and Rob Zombie, and viewing some of the most interesting films I have ever seen. On the red carpets, I met fellow journalists from all over the country and heard stories of Coachella and Sundance. I made connections with potential future employers.

Before the withdrawals get too bad, I have applied for press credentials to The Dallas International Film Festival. Yeah, after that I will get help. I swear. Hi, my name is Stanton and I am an addict.

My first 35 Denton and South by Southwest experiences will always hold a dear place in my heart. My first 35 Denton experience included heavy rain, a brand new venue in Denton, many great artists I looked forward to seeing, and some new acts I will now listen to religiously. However great 35 was, nothing could prepare me for SXSW, which felt like 35 Denton times 35. The entire city became affected by the festival, barricades in the roads, entire streets used for shows, every venue imaginable to capacity, and even hotel conference rooms holding performances. It was a wild, life-changing experience.

There were thousands of people I will never see again and acts that could disband in the next year that I was lucky enough to catch. I had the opportunity to see acts that just got back together and some that have not performed in recent years. Day parties with free stuff around just about any corner of the city and tons of great food were available for attendees of the festival.

Being under 21 years of age made the festival

difficult at times, but free day parties, all ages showcases and the Trade Show easily made up for my difficulty. Next year, I will prepare a lot more than I did this time. I came on Wednesday on a hope and a prayer, and made the most of a bit of a dead day. However, Thursday and Friday went swimmingly, and I saw acts like Green Day, the Black Lips and Fall Out Boy. It was also too bad I couldn’t catch Tuesday night at all or anything on Saturday, but I do plan on attending the entire festival next year.

The press was treated really well by almost any venue I attended, but I have to say the service at Brazos Hall was great. Security joked with attendees and asked where we were all from. They didn’t even give me a hard time for heavily leaning over the railing for a shot of T.I.

Some might tell you that it is impossible to do anything as a 19-year-old at SXSW, but that is simply not the case with proper planning. There are shows available for all ages, shows for free and shows via RSVP. With due diligence, this festival is easily traversable by a minor, albeit without some of the headliners, such as Snoop Lion (formerly known as Snoop Dogg), that I would have liked to see.


It was a hot wet mess and The Cannabinoids — featuring onetime Denton singer-songwriter Sarah Jaffe — offered refuge with The Hive’s tin roof for the rained on patrons of 35 Denton – dishing out mixes and beats that reenergized the drenched partygoers.

Hailing from big D, the Cannabinoids teamed up with Jaffe to create a remix off of her second album The Body Wins of “Glorified High.” Originally scheduled to perform on the main stage at 6 p.m., 35 Denton tweeted and updated its Facebook status to announce the show was moving to The Hive because of bad weather. After finally opening the Hive’s doors, the line that stretched to Hoochie’s Oyster House filed in and the group started its performance later than scheduled. Outside, fest patrons

shuffled along in the slow-moving line as the skies opened, soaking the unlucky hundreds still outside.

“Cheers” Jaffe announced, toasting the cheering crowd midway in the set. The audience toasted right back at Jaffe. Then the whole venue suddenly came to life as the group began its remix of Jaffe’s “Glorified High” from her latest critical success, The Body Wins. The stage went dark, and then green and white lights suddenly enveloped the moment, as the music pulsated through the venue. Smells of marijuana started to drift above the crowd. Working in collaboration, The Cannabinoids and Sarah Jaffe countered last

night’s stormy weather trying to keep both the audience and music going – making clear that rain was not going to end the set or 35 Denton party. Although up against noisy rain on the Hive roof, the group performed well, dropping beats that

clearly reinvigorated these hot, wet audience members.

The show did expose the Hive’s acoustical shortcomings. Filling the 12,000-square-foot warehouse to the back of the room, the exterior shook from the loud speakers. A.Dd+ gave a surprise appearance on stage for a brief minute stunning the crowd.

“Show some love to Sarah Jaffe!” echoed from the stage toward the end of the Cannabinoid’s set, after Jaffe and A.Dd+ finished up. The Cannabinoids gave off shout outs to Jaffe, Killer Mike, 35 Denton and other acts performing.

For further information and additional 35 Denton stories and photos please see http://littledtxblog.wordpress.com. This article was previously published online last week for Little d, an online publication a part of the Denton Record-Chronicle

I had a blast. Between waking up at 10 a.m. every morning and staying out until the break of dawn, going to concert after concert, walking block after block. It was work — hard work — and sweat that I was glad to sweat for.

For me, it started Thursday before spring break. A plus, I had just learned I was also going to be covering the 35 Denton Music Festival with Little d, an online music publication as part of the Denton Record-Chronicle, right before the occasion. I also had just learned I was going to be covering a local band performing at this year’s South by Southwest, Seryn. With my story featured on the front page of the Denton Time

in the Denton Record-Chronicle last Thursday, my spring break was the epitome of all my efforts toward student journalism, thanks to The Lasso for starting it all and affording me the opportunity to attend SXSW.

At 35 Denton I covered shows local to Denton, acts such as Seryn and Sarah Jaffe, who was featured alongside The Cannabinoids at this year’s 35 Denton. Walking down Elm Street was far different than drudging through the long, crazy 6th Street of Austin, Texas, which was filled with an eclectic variety of music-goers for sure. In Austin, I was graced with the opportunity to listen and see bands that I had been listening to since I was in middle school, national and even some international acts, like Flunk, Shout Out

Louds, Cold War Kids, and Local Natives. Staying in a rundown hotel that reeked of

cat urine was definitely not the highlight of my spring break. But I was totally fine resting my head in a cat box for the night, especially since I was covering an international festival, attending music, movies and walking the streets of Austin, which was just as entertaining as any venue. Plus, where else was I going to stay when all the hotels were booked? Really, everyone across the nation was there. Attracting thousands of bands to perform, hundreds of movie productions, and flocks of people massing together all in downtown Austin.

The opportunity to attend both 35 Denton and SXSW is a highlight of my ventures this

year. In fact, going and reporting over these festivals has inspired Lasso A&E Editor and good friend Stanton Brasher and I to venture onward, and continue with our festival conquests. Our experiences, we knew, would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, motivating us to work toward covering more national and international festivals, using our journalist craft and knowledge to create a national blog for these ventures moving forward.

All in all, it was great. I am both thankful and even more enthused to pursue in my journalistic ventures after TWU. Going to SXSW means I can check on thing off my bucket list, but don’t be fooled, once your go once, you immediately want to go again.

Aaron ClaycombEditor-in-Chief


Sarah Jaffe beats back the rain

Spring break, for Lasso employees,was not a break. Extra sleep was not achieved. Spring cleaning was left undone. Homework remained untouched. To the naked eye, it might seem like nothing was accomplished. To the contrary, skeptical reader, we spent the week in venues around Austin and Denton trying to stay dry from the rain (and later in the week, our own sweat).

Opinions editor Marygail Isobel Lakner, news editor Shannon Quick, jr. copy editor Alex Ancira, and editor-in-chief Aaron Claycomb spent the first weekend of the break in the cold wind and rain covering the likes of Sarah Jaffe and Killer Mike at Denton’s own music festival: 35 Denton.

Stanton Brasher took to the streets of Austin for the South by Southwest film, music, and interactive festival on Friday and was later joined by Claycomb, Ancira, and Quick.

From rock stars to film stars, our reporters covered two of the most important events to take place during the fickle weather month of March in Texas. In these pages, you will hear about their experiences. We hope you enjoy them while we catch up on some much needed laundry. Claycomb is starting to stink.

SXSWFilm

4 | Wednesday, March 20, 2013 The LassoSpring Break Festivities Wednesday, March 20, 2013 | 5 The Lasso Spring Break Festivities


“Austin is like a beautiful woman,” Jim Carrey said before the premiere of “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” at Austin’s Paramount Theater. “I just want to take advantage of her in every way possible.”

Carrey was joined on stage by co-stars Steve Carell and Olivia Wilde in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,200 people during the opening evening of the SXSW film festival.

The film is about a magician, Burt Wonderstone

(Carell), who after rising to the top, plummets to career-ending depths and loses a massive contract with a prestigious Las Vegas casino. This happens after he destroys his relationship with his partner (Steve Buscemi) and alienates his assistant (Wilde) with his arrogance and unwanted sexual advances. On top of all that, a new Chris Angel-esque prestidigitator (Carrey) is gunning for the spot at the top of Magic Mountain. The legendary Alan Arkin plays a retired

magician who inspires Wonderstone to pull his life together and find the “magic” within.

The comedians gave the audience a warm welcome and they spoke on behalf of Alan Arkin, who was unable to attend the premiere.

“He wanted to be here, but he is currently pissing out a giant kidney stone,” Carell joked. “True story.”

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Fine. I admit it. You got me. I am a fanboy with a capital “F.” Bruce Campbell has been an artistic and entrepreneurial influence of mine since I can remember. Both of his books have experienced my sweaty thumb anxiously gliding across the corner of each page as my mind soaked up insights of indie filmmaking and witticisms about the shallow depths of Hollywood. Campbell is my Elvis, which is awesome because he played Elvis in “Bubba Ho Tep.”

When I earned a red carpet pass to take pictures of Campbell at the premiere of the “Evil Dead” remake at SXSW, I did the first thing any professional in my position would

do: I bragged on Facebook. After that, I drove to Austin and waited patiently for the B-movie guru to show up. Did I mention that everyone else in Austin was there?

Getting a shot of one of my heroes was great, but to see the new incarnation of a classic horror film was followed by intense skepticism. Sam Raimi (the director of the original “Evil Dead” films) left a bad taste in my mouth with “Spider Man 3” aka “Peter Parker Night Fever.” However, I still kept faith that the film would be treated with respect by Director Fede Alvarez considering Raimi, Campbell, and Rob Tapert (the original producer) had final approval over everything.

The filmmakers did not disappoint. The

story, about a group of teenagers who unlock evil while staying at a cabin in the woods, deviated enough from the original story to keep me guessing, but paid enough homage to the original to make it feel like an extension of the universe.

Of course, Raimi and Co. did not have the budget in 1981 to make the film they wanted. But after the cult success of the first film, Raimi did not have any trouble securing the financing to make this film what he wanted: a brutal, dark and twisted horror film that pulls no punches, or syringe needles, or chainsaws.

“It’s not a remake,” Alvarez said before the premiere, “It’s a rebirth.”

Evil Dead

Photography by Stanton BrasherGroovy! Bruce Campbell poses for The Lasso on his way into the premiere of “Evil Dead” at SXSW in Austin, TX. Amazingly, he did not bring his chainsaw or Elvis wig.

Image courtesy of New Line Cinema

You’re Next“You’re Next” is a churro of

a horror film: there are twists all over it. The Davison family meets at a remote vacation home. All of the children bring their significant others. As the evening begins, the family is attacked by a group of wolf-masked psychos from the woods. However, there’s one thing their attackers are not counting on: one of the victims is more dangerous than they are.

If I was watching this film on the USA Network at 2:30 in the morning, I would have been impressed. Instead, I watched it at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas during one of the midnight movie screenings. Compared to everything else I watched, it was not that impressive. The acting was not awful and might have even been decent with a better script.

The problem with this film is the marketing. It presented itself as an intense, intelligent and wholly original horror film. What it treats

us to are low-budget clichés and random jumps that prey on the weakest members of the audience. It was not scary or original, and the twists were contrived.

If this film was marketed as a low-budget slasher, I would have been pleasantly surprised. If the filmmakers can avoid the hype machine surrounding this movie, it just might survive a night or two away from the discount bin.

Image courtesy of HanWay Films

Patrick Moote is an internet sensation. Of course, he was not trying to turn his rejected marriage proposal at a Los Angeles Lakers game into a viral hit, but that did not stop it from receiving 10 million YouTube hits in four days. In the wake of his heartbreak, he sought the truth from his ex-girlfriend. She does not want to marry him because of his small penis. She actually said that.

In the documentary, “Unhung Hero,” Moote does what any insecure man would do in this situation: he tries

to find ways of increasing the size of his anatomy. He speaks to experts about pills, penis pumps and jelqing (look it up; my face is too red to explain). After these techniques prove to be ineffective and even dangerous, he starts exploring social and psychological perspectives of size.

While most of this film offers a humorous take on his situation, it is about more than that. This film is about a journey of discovering self-worth and coming to terms with our own shortcomings (pun intended). This film applies to everyone. His penis is a metaphor for everything that affects our self-esteem.

Some women have small breasts. Some people are too fat or thin; too tall or short; or suffer from another perspective about anything they deem odd about themselves.

The end of the movie moved me to tears. For someone to discover something so personal about themselves and plaster it across a giant screen for thousands of viewers took some serious guts (or another inappropriate pun). This is by far one of the funniest and most inspirational stories I have ever seen in a documentary. If you have any insecurities, you can relate.

Unhung Hero

Image courtesy of Brian Spitz





Lords of Salem

Photography by Stanton BrasherDirector-musician, Rob Zombie, with actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan at the premiere of “Lords of Salem.”

“All right, all right. Calm down,” Rob Zombie joked at the premiere of his newest directorial effort, “Lords of Salem” at South by Southwest in Austin. “This is a film premiere, not a rock concert.”

I wish it had been a rock concert. Then I would not have felt such a strong desire to fall asleep. Zombie’s previous films were “House of a Thousand Corpses,” “The Devil’s Rejects,” and two “Halloween” films. These movies were exciting and story-driven — maniacal

masterpieces posing as schlock. His latest film is what happens when he reverses those labels.

Now, we have hacky art schlock posing as a maniacal masterpiece. David Lynch would be rolling his eyes in his grave if he were dead.

The film is about a radio DJ (Sherri Moon Zombie) who gets a song mailed to her by a band known as The Lords. At first I thought it was another dance project fronted by Tracy Lords, but I was wrong. Instead, it was a song that seemed to mesmerize women and give them flashbacks of naked witch blood orgies. Slowly the DJ is tormented, until the persecuted witches of Salem’s

past rise and wreak havoc. Also, there is a weird demon baby.

The film is full of beautiful, dark visuals, and Sherri Moon Zombie has really stepped up her acting chops. That is about all the good I can say about the film. Zombie seemed to choose this project based on a lack of story so he could make massive, moving paintings. If this was viewed in a room at the Smithsonian, it might be considered inspiring art. For someone who wants to enjoy characters and a story that actually moves, this film simply will not cut it.

Much Ado About NothingJoss Whedon has given us vampires,

space cowboys, talking toys, superheroes, and programmable people. What is left for him but Shakespeare?

Shot in only 12 days at Whedon’s house, this film could have easily turned into an exercise of arrogance and vanity. Instead, he delivered the best Shakespeare adaptation that I have ever seen. A quick note: I am not a Shakespeare fan.

The list of actors includes many familiar faces from the Whedonverse including: Nathan Fillion, Tom Lenk, Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, and Fran Kranz.

The film tells an unnecessarily complicated love story, hence the title. I would love to explain it, but

this story assignment is only 300 words and I could not begin to do it justice. Plus, this is a classic college read, so if you have not read it by now, shame on you.

Whedon is a dialogue master and I feared that this film would limit him. I was dead wrong. He was able to take Elizabethan phrasing and make it sound like modern conversation. I did not have to strain my brain at all to understand it.

Whedon also found great moments of modern humor within Shakespeare’s text. The entire theater handed out laughs pretty liberally during the screening at South by Southwest.

However, this film was not made for uptight Shakespeare snobs. “Much Ado About Nothing,” was definitely made for Joss’ loyal army of Whedonites. There is a reason why the army is so loyal: Whedon makes great films.

Images courtesy of Bellwether Pictures

From left to right: Lee Ving from the punk band, Fear; Rick Neilsen from Cheap Trick and Dave Grohl from Nirvana and The Foo Fighters; and Taylor Hawkins from The Foo Fighters at the “Sound City,” premiere. See the review online at twulasso.com.

Comedian Fred Armisen (“Portlandia”) during an alternative comedy panel.

James Franco (above) and Selena Gomez (below) at the red carpet premiere of “Spring Breakers.”

Sean “Napster” Fanning gets interviewed during the red carpet premiere of “Downloaded.” To read the review of the documentary about the rise of file sharing, go to twulasso.com.

Snoop Lion at the premiere of

“Reincarnated.”

Comedian Tim Heidecker offers a seat to Michael Cera at the Jash Comedy Panel. Eric Wareheim looks on from the left.

Actor Jeffrey Tambor teaches SXSW how to act. His acting workshop has become a staple of the SXSW interactive festival. Tambor plans to return again next year.

Photography by Stanton Brasher



35 DentonMusic

Appearing well before its set was slated to start, The Last Bison began gear up and microphone check for the final showtime of the festival. Well dressed in vests and slacks for the men and dresses for the women, Bison seemed to traipse right into the venue from an older, grander time. The venue, Sweetwater Grill & Tavern, was more packed than I had anticipated, as many rightfully chose to make this their final show of 35 Denton.

On stage, Bison emerged to a pumped up and ready to go crowd, eagerly anticipating this act from Chesapeake, Va. Bison came out with high activity and high energy,

stomping heartily on the stage in unison and using interesting instrumentation, which included a mandolin, a 75-year-old chaplain’s pump organ (according to the band’s website), a melodica, Bolivian goat toenails, and a harpaphone, giving the band that little something that added greatly to the performance. When the mandolin was having microphone troubles, the band played a long impromptu interlude. “We just like to have fun sometimes. Sometimes is all the time,” lead singer Ben Hardesty jested to the crowd, who cracked up at the incident.

Violinist Teresa Totheroh gave the crowd absolutely fantastic stage presence and an amazingly rich sound in each passing

song. The percussion from Jay Benfante was outstanding and spirited throughout the performance. The guitar was especially beautiful coupled with the vocals through the song “Switzerland,” which I anticipated greatly before I came to the show. And, really, who could pass up hearing a banjo live?

The Last Bison was a stellar way to close out 35 Denton. I even bought a T-shirt and spoke to Totheroh by the merchandise table, discussing plans for Austin’s South by Southwest festival, which the band also attended, and how well the group performed that night. The self-proclaimed “mountain-top chamber” band gave Denton something to rave about and gained the loyal attention of this particular concert-goer.

Last Bison closes out 35 Denton in style


The BoomBachs proved to be the boon of my night on Thursday’s showcase of bands at the annual 35 Denton festival. I walked into Mellow Mushroom at about 9:45 a bit disappointed by Track Meet at The Hive, expecting a different act (I believe it was Sealion). The band even stated that the group was called out somewhat last minute. However, the crowd received a gem of a surprise performance.

While the venue crowded most during Sealion, the show directly after The BoomBachs, the crowd in the house was jumping at the smooth mix of jazz and hip hop grooves that pumped up through the rafters of the restaurant. Saxophonist and

flutist P. Manzell Bledsoe really stole the show personally, with smooth tone and sound emanating from his tenor sax. The solos felt smooth and clean, and either well prepared or a good improvisation on the spot. Trumpeter and keyboardist Marcus Wheat had a wonderful solo on the trumpet during the performance that stood out as a bit of a shout out to the big bands of old.

After the show, I was lucky enough to catch a few words with the Denton-local act. All lyrics in the songs, whether spat into the microphone or sung softly, are penned by front-man Adonias “A.D” Wondwessen and while the instrumentation is a group effort to produce, most production and writing for the music is done by Wheat. The band has been together for nearly two years and

is currently signed to Holophonor Records. While not a major label, the band expressed gratitude to the label but showed interest at becoming more nationally-recognized, an understandable wish from a performing artist. “I mean, if some rich guys called us up and said ‘We want you to come out to L.A., of course we would consider it,” Wondwessen explained candidly after the show.

The group’s music draws inspiration from everyday life and almost anyone could cop a listen and relate to the songs, the band explained. From the Denton area, the band consists of many alumni from the UNT music program, illustrating the many talents to stem out from the well-known university. With great experience in the area and local

support, the band expressed a strong desire to stem out to bigger venues and other states nationwide. “We love Denton — Denton’s our home, where we started out at, and where we have a big following,” Wondwessen stated vehemently. “We always want to and will support Denton but we definitely want to express our art to more people.”

Austin’s own annual South By Southwest concert is as well-known a festival as can be, and The BoomBachs voiced great interest in attending the Spring Break fest in the future. “We have a small following down in Austin, and hopefully we can make a trip in the near future.”

Duo Fat Tony and Tom Cruz (Shaka Girvan) took the stage at Hailey’s on Friday night for the annual 35 Denton festival. From Houston, Anthony Obi, more commonly known by his stage name Fat Tony, has put out four full-length albums since 2010, with his first album RABDARGAB propelling the artist out of the underground scene and onto a larger stage.

Known for his slippery, adaptable style, Fat Tony offered not only slick intelligent rhymes for the

crowd, but also a more club-friendly style throughout his set. Tom Cruz laid out a great set with a healthy variety of beats and breakdowns. Crowd involvement was high to say the least, with many of the women in the crowd jumping up onto the stage by the end of set to dance with Tony and Cruz. Near the end of the set, a fan even pulled out a small cat and seemingly offered it to Tony. The cat took a few steps on the front of the stage and returned to the fan, adding to the craze of the night. After Tony finished spitting rhymes

into the microphone with his most famous song, “N**** U Ain’t Fat,” he graciously thanked the crowd for coming out and expressed his love of Texas.

Not long after Tony finished up his set, Antwon already seemed ready to go at the back of the stage with the next set. Hailing from San Jose, Calif., Antwon is an MC with a style that takes audible influence from diverse genres, including punk, old-school political rap and ‘60s rock and roll. The crowd, still riled up from Fat Tony’s infectious set, hopped back on the stage quickly and

danced to Antwon’s dark and brooding style. With themes, according to 35 Denton’s profile, ranging from Nihilism, love of food to women in his life, the crowd didn’t seem heavily affected by his lyrics, more focused on the beats and Antwon’s smooth flow. At one point, Antwon even started a crowd chant for one of the men dancing on stage. 35 Denton, through this set, proved again that the festival can be home to many different and equally entertaining acts, especially if you look hard enough.

The Hope Trust close up

Sweetwater Grill & Tavern, a venue I frequented often throughout the duration of 35 Denton, held a very close-quarters show with local rock band The Hope Trust on Saturday night of the festival. The set was longer than expected, but not to the group’s detriment, as the set included a good variety of Americana songs that seemed to flow easily from the ramped-up amps and heavy drumbeats.

Spectators can expect a better sounding show, with

a far more lively sound, than the group’s records might suggest. The vocals and drums especially shot forward in the sound, almost muted by comparison on the group’s LP, “Light Can’t Escape.” Unfortunately, the keyboards and bass sounded far more low and difficult to discern in concert compared to the studio recordings. I left the show feeling far more satisfied with the live versions of the songs, especially my personal favorite, “Won’t Take Much.” The record just didn’t do the song justice.

The band has a performance coming up at

Club Dada in Dallas and has a record on the way, with a song even being showcased called “I’ll Take You Where You Want To Go” at Denton’s own Dan’s Silver Leaf. If 35’s show with the band is any indication, this album looks to have some great live songs added to the bands repertoire.

Readers may use the band’s bandcamp site at http://thehopetrust.bandcamp.com/, twitter profile at @Hope Trust or the band’s facebook at www.facebook.com/thehopetrust to find tour dates and more information about the group’s activities.

Fat Tony, Antwon bust Hailey’s wide open

As my last show of Thursday night, Portland-based trio Brainstorm exceeded my expectations and even proved to be the apex of Thursday night’s shows. While the cornered-off stage in the back of Mellow Mushroom may have been cramped, the jams emanating from the group’s instruments and booming voices sure didn’t feel cramped whatsoever. Unfortunately for the band, the crowd for the show was tiny, numbering under probably 40 people at most. Sadly, some of the crowd even included two or three members of the last act, Dallas’ own The Blurries.

However, the songs performed were well up to par compared to the production of their full-length album Heat Waves. In all actuality, the music sounded better live. The harmonies between the drummer, guitarist and main vocalist rocked. The riffs of the guitar were well-tuned and on point during the high point of the performance, the group’s song “Beast in the Sky,” and the sound of the bass drum and hi-hat pulsated through the air to the pleasure of all those in attendance.

Vocalist Tamara Barnes’ soulfully swayed to the music, while guitarist Patrick Phillips rocked back and forth for the crowd.

Phillips even gave a shout out to Denton, introducing the band as being from Portland and being excited to be here for 35 Denton, noting that the last time they were here the festival was called 35 Conferette. Barnes retorted quickly with: “At least they kept the 35 — that’s what really matters.”

The band’s stage left me wishing for more and with positive reviews from sources like NPR, this three-piece seems slated for bigger things soon. The group heads out to South X Southwest soon and if the group’s performance is any indicator, I am sure the group will blow Austin’s mind.

35 Denton wasn’t the best this year.

As a fan of music and a big supporter of live performance, I was not expecting to be so underwhelmed. I attended most significantly on Saturday night due to personal and work conflicts, and yes, Saturday night was rained out. I will admit that that has a lot to do with the fun of an event, especially one with an outdoor aspect. It was eerie walking past the abandoned tents on the courthouse lawn, listening to the cold wind whistling through the lit trees. It

seemed like the wind was trying to give the tents the cheers that they would have been getting had the rain not descended on Denton that night.

I first stopped by Banter to hear some ladies perform. Banter was easily the most relaxed and chill place that night, with people sitting at the tables, drinking the beers on special — that night it was ciders.

After going to Banter and trying to get into the groove there, I wandered into J&J’s Pizza, where I felt too crowded and stuffy. I decided the cold of the deserted square was best. It was through this decision, though, that I realized I’m

more hippy than hipster. The musician that truly caught my attention was a street performer, playing a Chinese dizzy, a kind of wooden flute. This busker had two-and-a-half foot long dreadlocks and was wearing sandals. For some reason, I really found his music compelling as he played in his own venue under the bright lights of the square to the attendees as they hurried off to the bands that were inside.

I tip my hat to performers, live, local and all over. I especially tip my hat to the ones who not only defy the cold, but embrace it to bring a little more music to others.

Brainstorm treats small crowd at Mellow Mushroom

35 Denton lackluster?Marygail Isobell LaknerOpinions Editor

BoomBachs set Mellow Mushroom ablaze with hot hip hop






As with any festival, fair or event, food will take center stage at some point ,and the fare at South by Southwest was no exception.Austin is a food Mecca with choices from every corner, spanning the globe ,and this fare has come together in one place: a community trailer park that beckons people to come, eat and enjoy. With decked-out trailers full of decadent delicacies, this trailer park will not disappoint.

I was surprised by the variety of food being offered to those who dared to venture into the brightly-colored trailer park on Congress Street. There were copious amounts of people gathered around, dining on the delectables prepared within the confines of the unimposing food truck.Diners had their choice of food, ranging from artery-clogging fried

food to vegetarian and Indian cuisine to one of my personal favorites, death by Belgian waffle.I slipped into the trailer park and did a thorough walk through, glancing at all the offerings before deciding to try several of the busiest trucks. My first choice was the brightly-colored Burro truck; blazoned yellow with the famous black and white burro, this truck promised comfort food via grilled cheese. I went classic with a twist: grilled cheese made on a King’s Hawaiian Sweet Roll, Havarti cheese and an almond pesto sauce. The sammie was rich, sweet and creamy and has left me with a craving I cannot squelch.

If a grilled cheese is not your style, you can head over to the next truck: a Cajun cuisine extravaganza that promises a “head sucking, tail eating” good time. If you are in the mood for something salty and fried, this trailer park has just the stop for you: a fried food

paradise offering up yummy fare such as sweet potato fries or crawfish.If you like the more exotic side of dining, Nomad Dosa is the stop for you. Nomad offers up Indian food with a twist: vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are among the many unique offerings. If you are looking to satisfy a sweet tooth, you may want to check out the last two trucks. The first offers up a Texas tradition, the Sno-Cone, and the second an artery-clogging Belgian Waffle topped with Nutella, bananas and whipped cream.

Whatever your fancy, the trailer park has you covered, and not only during SXSW. The third weekend of each month brings the best food trucks in Austin together for a trailer park convention of sorts, offering up their fare for a fair price.

Shannon QuickManaging Editor


Trailer talk: the dish on food trucks

Wholly Cow Budget-friendly burgers

Food


SXSW

“Moo”ve over Burger King,

there’s a better option for

burgers on the cheap in Austin,

Texas. But unlike most dives

that don’t grab your wallet

by the throat, the quality was

actually refreshing at Wholly

Cow Burgers on Congress Ave.

Wholly Cow prides itself

on having grass-fed beef, and

the quality can be easily tasted.

The grainy, greasy flavor of

other, lesser burgers was not

apparent here, where the

burger was a bit on the sweet

side of savory, peppered, and

placed on a King’s Hawaiian

sweet roll. The vegetables that

were on my burger tasted fresh

and the service was superb,

with a soft smile at the register

and an easy explanation of just

about anything on the menu if

requested. Fellow Lasso editor

Shannon Quick, even got

her cup inadvertently thrown

away by another customer who

thought our table was open,

and Wholly Cow replaced the

cup for no extra cost.

The only real complaint

that I had was the fries. While

the fries tasted fine to my

preference of flavor, the texture

was abysmal, most likely due to

the use of old oil to fry them.

Quick even elected to throw

out the remainder of her fries,

something I did not do because

I knew it would probably be my

only meal of the day. Maybe it

was an off day, though, for the

establishment. A&E editor

Stanton Brasher and his wife

said the food was delicious

for the price, without the

aforementioned complaints.

So I’ll grant the restaurant the

complaint of inconsistency

instead. However, when

factoring in the tasty grass-fed

beef and the vintage sodas

on tap and in bottle, anyone

passing through Austin should

consider stopping by for a bite

to eat.

SXSW Music

Flunk gives a star gazing performance at SXSW


Peering over a starry building

skyline on the 18th Floor of the Hilton

Garden Inn, Flunk, an alternative pop

group hailing from Norway headlined

the venue, performing last Friday night

on the edge of downtown Austin.

The lucky few attending the venue

got a listen as the band dished out a

special set, including select songs from

its upcoming album, Lost Causes

releasing in April. Performing on the edge of the

downtown area, this was the group’s

first time to perform in the states since

early 2000. As only a four-person group

consisting of lead singer Anja Øyen

Vister, guitarist Jo Bakke, programmer

Ulf Nygaard, and drummer Erik Ruud,

this act can definitely lay down some

smooth vibes that resonated out to the

Austin skyline Friday.

If you’re already familiar with the

Icelandic musician Björk, and her

eclectic variety of different styles in

music, you should check out Flunk,

who resemble a pop rendition to this

artist.

It was surreal, in part because I

have been listening to this Norwegian

group for many years now, dating back

to my first listen of the groups cover

of Radiohead’s “Karma Police.” This

cover is perhaps the best I have heard of

the iconic Radiohead, and I instantly

gave this band an ‘A’ in my musical

notebook; its poppy electric music

fit perfectly with the adjacent skyline

of downtown Austin. No joke, there

wasn’t even a line or bustling crowd

engulfing the stage, but don’t let me

fool you. It was a kick ass performance

and the crowd was able to sit back,

drink some cocktails, rest in a chair

(a rarity at SXSW), and let their ears

be filled with Flunk’s harmonic vocals

and star gazing performance.

For more information about the

Norwegian group, please check out its

Facebook page at https://www.facebook.

com/flunkinc.

Photography by Aaron Claycomb

Photography by Shannon Quick


Tech MusicSXSW SXSW

So my trip to South by Southwest was successful in many ways, but I would be lying if I said that it was not difficult at times. Being 19 years old definitely held me back from going to every show I wanted, and held me back from some of the showcases I really wanted to go to on Tuesday night. But rest assured, dear readers, options that exist if you are below the legal drinking age. Here are nine options I and many other underaged festival-goers

utilized in order to have a good time, even while parts of the festival might exclude us:

1. SXSW Underaged is an internet organization that works to keep up a directory of different events that anyone can go to, especially day parties. You can follow the group on Facebook, Twitter and its own personal site, www.sxswunderaged.com/.

2. A ton of flyers around the city highlighted day parties that were 18+, and many of them were completely free, wristband or no. If you want a good show, just walk down 6th Street and catch some street

performers. RSVP for a Secret Show with Myspace (Justin Timberlake, Sleigh Bells and Kid Cudi put on some great performances). Or just hit up some of the venues on 6th for smaller acts that might catch your eye.

3. Austin Music Hall’s Ice Cream Official South by Southwest Social had a star-studded lineup, and according to SXSW Underaged, had Kendrick Lamar, Bun B and Pusha T headlining. The ice cream was probably great, too.

4. Music by the Slice was a great option for anyone underage and looking for

something free. Seryn, a Denton-local act, was even at this amazing showcase of bands at the local pizza house.

5. The Equal Vision Showcase was an absolutely fabulous experience for fans. However, be forewarned, the space was very thin at times, and a lot of people without wristbands had a tough time getting in. Leading Friday act The Dear Hunter was especially good.

6. Stubhub! Live at SXSW showcased some great acts this year, all free, and if your hands get x’d, open to anyone over the age of 18. The Airborne

Toxic Effect, The Black Lips and Cold War Kids all killed the set at Old School Bar & Grill. The charging station and swag available were great, too.

7. The Tradeshow and Flatstock 38 were pretty rad as well. Getty Images, Amazon, Post-it, and even the New York Times and the Associated Press were present at the Tradeshow. Gifts and business cards were exchanged readily between the vendors and the patrons; there was something for everyone.

8. Almost anything someone could go to at the

Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater was completely free (if you could get a ticket or badge) and 18+. Green Day, my personal experience at the Moody Theater, was wonderful. Iron and Wine, I heard, held a fabulous show at the ACL Live too.

9. Legos! For anyone interested, there were huge piles of Legos on the tables in the convention center for kids to play with if their parents brought them. But who would stop a 19-year-old from playing with some Legos? I certainly wouldn’t.




SXSW Trade Show: innovation emporium

Fall Out Boy’s Vice Bar set makes crowd ‘Dance, Dance’

Under 21 years old? Here are nine SXSW options

For those who found the time, the South by Southwest Trade Show this year was a sight to behold. With hundreds of vendors filling the convention center’s floor space, there were many innovative new ideas on display.

This year looked to have a heavy focus on cloud streaming and storage,

which many booths blatantly advertised, hoping to entice the shuffling patrons into being pitched just about anything. Free gifts such as bags, phone chargers, computer cleaning devices, free cards for phone service, CDs, food, and much more were displayed for anyone to take. Post-it held a wonderful booth with the company’s new note sizes, bigger and as

adhesive as ever. Anyone passing by could play a game of Pictionary on the new large Post-it for the chance to win a pack of large Post-its, in either blue or pink colors.

Getty Images held a wonderful booth near the entrance that immediately caught my eye. With a huge Epson printer, the company was advertising its stock photo service by allowing people to print

any large photo onto high quality, glossy photo paper. Talk about a great piece of memorabilia for attendees.

Amazon held a display for the Kindle Fire, where I was able to test drive a Kindle’s ability to play Minecraft (halfway decent!). Music services and Twitter-optimizing social media services were alsoabundant all over the showroom floor. The Lasso’s website,

twulasso.com, is created in WordPress, which was also represented at the Trade Show. I even got to speak to an intern at the Austin Chronicle about job opportunities.

Even the New York Times had a booth, illustrating the type of star power this Trade Show can attract. Austin in particular had many opportunities to represent the city well, including an app that could

be used at local restaurants and scanned for coupons, points and discounts.

Different countries were also represented, with Japan and the United Kingdom easily catching my eye.

The Trade Show was definitely special, and no matter who you are as a person, there were enough booths and free stuff to occupy anyone’s attention.

The Vice Bar on 6th Street had the crowd packed-in like sardines to see Fall Out Boy’s first South by Southwest appearance.

Patrick Stump and CO. jumped from fan favorite to fan favorite, throwing in a cover of Michael Jackson’s megahit “Beat It” and the band’s new single “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)” for good measure. The crowd was filled with longtime fans and even electro-pop singer “Foxes,” who I stood fairly close to. FOB even had a bit of a choir backing the performance, as each lyric was shouted and sung and the band moved seamlessly from track to track.

Front-man Stump hit all the highs and lows in songs like “Dance, Dance” and “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.” Songs like “This Ain’t a Scene, it’s an Arms Race” and “Saturday” really stood out to my ears, but I might be biased, as “Saturday” is the song that really made me interested in Fall Out

Boy in the early ‘00s. Members from the band joked playfully with the crowd, with Stump even mentioning that the performance was “a little past my bedtime.” Bassist Pete Wentz even jumped up into the crowd for a bit of crowd surfing, turning this show more into Warped Tour than American Airlines Center.

The crowded setting and the hot, stagnant air was all worth it as soon as FOB started to jam together. This exclusive and difficult-to-get-into show was a marvel, as many questioned whether the band would ever get back together. However, the solo projects of the band never panned out like each had hoped, and so Fall Out Boy now prepares for the release of its new album, “Save Rock and Roll.” This Chicago pop punk outfit’s secret appearance at SXSW will be remembered as one of the highlights of the festival, up there with Prince, Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Lion (formerly known as Snoop Dogg), Paramour, Smashing Pumpkins, and many, many others.



14 | Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Wednesday, March 20, 2013 | 15 The LassoSpring Break Festivities The Lasso

35 DentonFood

35 Denton: Food Truck paradiseEvery year, the 35

Denton festival calls in an army of food trucks to fight for business during a four-day music extravaganza for attendees. This year was no different, with about five or six options for patrons to indulge in, if only for a taste of something unique or never-before-seen. Here are a few noteworthy trucks (and vendors!) I sampled while perusing the music at 35:

1. Shiitake Swerve:The first point I want to

address is the price. By far, this particular truck gave you the most bang for your buck. The tacos I bought were called the Classic Swerve, which consisted of shiitake mushrooms, green onions and what appeared to be mozzarella and ricotta cheese. The flavors blended very well, and I do have to say that the tacos were quite tasty for only $4. Definitely worth a try if the truck comes around again next year.

2. Trolls Nut House:A bit unexpected to say the least, but this truck serving hot nuts (yeah I know) to

the people was refreshing in what amounted to a few odd trucks and a few pizza options. The Cinnamon Almonds that the truck served tasted charred (in a good way) and had a strong sweet taste — a perfect counterbalance to the savory foods that were prevalent at the festival. Worth at least a sample in the future.

3. Nammi Food Truck: Vietnamese Banh Mi’s allure is not well known, however the food definitely has its merits. Banh Mi is essentially a flatbread sandwich with a meat of

choice, garlic mayonnaise, cucumbers, cilantro, pickled daikons (a Japanese white radish), carrots and jalapeños. The food itself had a unique flavor, unlike anything I have had before, and probably anything I will have again. Definitely worth a try if you haven’t partaken in this dish before. However, this truck had snacks, rice bowls and even spring rolls. There was definitely something for anyone that might pass by.

4. Doughboys:As one of the two pizza options available at the

festival, Doughboys served a decent-quality pizza for an economically fair price, too. The pizza tasted fresh, but I couldn’t get past the fact that my pizza had two toppings, which was right in the middle of two price points. How hard is it to have a clear price for a pizza with black olives and sausage? I don’t know, but that was a bit of an inconvenience. The pizza was also not really anything special. With Mellow Mushroom just beyond the fence, and for an equitable price, I don’t know if this option was worth the dollars spent.

5. Bonus Non-Truck: Fire in the Hole Wood-fired Pizza This pizza joint was the pricier of the two options; however, of the two, this one had a far more quality taste. This could be simple conjecture, because I prefer a fire oven taste, but the pizza came out stellar. I loved the smoky taste embedde into the crust. For what it’s worth, I recommend this option in the future for those who might be at the festival looking for a bite to eat.

35Denton food trucks provide all kinds of food from mushrooms to candied almonds. Photography by Alex Ancira


Streets of SXSWSpring Break Festivities

THE END. See more online at www.twulasso.com

Documents

35 Denton and SXSW, spring break coverage