SXSW in Review; We Love Ireland

So we saw some bands, Zebastian and I were kidnapped by drug dealers (for real), Zachary spent some time in Cincinatti, Ohio on the way from Los Angeles to Austin, the band played perhaps the drunkest set ever (check out THIS eyewitness account), and somehow we wound up partying all night with Lizzy Jagger and a dude wearing Keith Richards' scarf. Also, we met Dave, the Brian Jonestown Massacre's tour manager for the first half of DIG!


The problem--and the best part--with SXSW is that all the alcohol is free, so it makes it sort of hard to remember that you're seeing all kinds of great music. Like, when it's open bar, John Lennon could be roused from the dead to perform an impromptu set with the Traveling Wilburys
right in front of me, and I'd be all, "wait, you're telling me I don't have to pay for drinks?" So even though we saw some great bands, I only kind of remember the whole thing.

Here's a sampling of the music we saw over our last two days at the festival: The Ponys, Bloc Party, Gossip, The Black Lips, Pete and the Pirates, Dengue Fever, The Horrors, The Bravery, Oh No Oh My, Matt and Kim, Stylofone, the Pigeon Detectives.

I love you,

Ben Lee Handler

Oh, Ireland! We'll come for you as soon as we can, and we wholeheartedly apologize that we're missing you on the rescheduled tour. Some of our greatest tour experiences have taken place in Belfast and Dublin, so we're trying to get back there as soon as possible!