The Problem of Leisure

Dear Angora,

I know the next couple of weeks is going to be crazy; I’m driving up to South by Southwest in Austin, and staying in a hotel room with twenty-some drunken musicians and writers. I think I need to just stay out of the bars and venues this weekend, and rest up – but I’ll get bored at home. Can you give me advice on kinds of therapeutic activities I could indulge in to prepare for SXSW?

Yours, Zen Jen

Dear Zen Jen,

My question for you is this: how does one typically prepare for things? Certainly not by avoiding them!

When you’re preparing to give a piano recital, you practice, practice practice. How does one prepare for Thanksgiving? You have to stretch your stomach in the days leading up! I have my servants do it for me.

What you need, dear Jen, is a Rocky-style training montage for SXSW. You need a strict regimen of booze and live music so swift, potent, and blinding, that the real dose in Austin will have you leaning back in your chair, waiting to be impressed. Your tolerance will be the strength of Bukowski’s, Yeats’, Sinatra’s and Winehouse’s combined. With so much exposure to shatteringly loud music, your ears will sharpen into finely-honed portals into a seasoned field of musical expertise.

With this in mind, I’ve already begun myself. I attended the Whigs last night; it’s Gogol Bordello at the Fillmore tonight, and British Sea Power with Colourmusic on Saturday night. If you desire to stay in still, Zen Jen, at least read about these shows in this week’s Reverb. I’ll be writing my reviews there, and here’s a list of shows where you JUST MIGHT run into a Reverb writer in the next week:

Johnny Winter, Mar. 7 @ Oriental Theater
A Place to Bury Strangers/Holy Fuck, Mar. 7 @ Larimer Lounge
Born in the Flood (SXSW send-off), Mar. 7 @ Hi-Dive
Fu Manchu, Mar. 8 @ Larimer Lounge
Keith Urban, Mar. 9 @ Pepsi Center
Pela, Mar. 10 @ Hi-Dive
Helio Sequence, Mar. 11 @ Larimer Lounge
Thao Nguyen/Xiu Xiu, Mar. 11 @ Hi-Dive

And now writers, what are you doing this week?

Anton O Masia:

Get thyself out of town and
attend Frozen Dead Guy Days.
Travel north to the Nederland,
and learn of many hippie ways.

or

Don’t want to leave Denver? Another circus is closer to your home.
I tell you that Gogol Bordello has a show ethic second to few.
They perform with high energy on Friday at the Fillmore Auditorium.
You maybe saw them in that film where Elijah Wood pretends he’s a jew.

Lady Z:

Friday night I’ll probably be at home in Northwest DC reading Shakespeare, but I’ll be dreaming about being in Denver for the King Britt and FiveSix Media show at the Shelter… Hailing from the land of great musicians, Philly, King Britt is my all-time favorite music producer, and the subject of the best art piece I’ve ever created. Remember the song “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life?” Yep. Thats him, but he’s been busy busy busy in his scene becoming one of the best DJ/Producers in the world, and trust me, he knows how to get a girl off on the dance floor (yes, I mean his music is so good chicas will be simultaneously orgasming and dancing). It should be incredible, so go; go for me.

Father Guido:

Friday night the Undisputed Truth Tour will blow into the Bluebird Theater. Brother Ali will be sharing the stage with Abstract Rude, BK-One, and Toki Wright.

Brother Ali is the albino sensation from Rhyme Sayers Entertainment. He is very much inspired by old-schoolers like KRS-One and Rakim. He’s tough but by no means is he gangsta rap. On his latest album he’s the Eminem of the underground talking about his recent divorce and life with a small child.

Abstract Rude is also not to be missed. He’s been in the game for almost 15 years now. He made a big splash with Aceyalone in the supergroup Freestyle Fellowship.

28 Deep:

erin and i are tag-teaming gogol bordello at fillmore on friday and british sea power on saturday at hi-dive.

Ivyy:

I’ll be sitting in a corner trying to enter a meditative state to prepare for SXSW. Or I’ll be at the Building Creative Businesses Expo. Workshops, booths with swag, shows of music and film, guest speakers, and all of this in a beautiful and creative atmosphere like the, uh, lobby of the Wellington Webb building? Oh well, it should still be interesting.

Well, that’s it for this week, chillens. Problem of Leisure, unless some well-meaning stranger takes it over, will be out next week due to Angora’s vector on the long lonesome road to musical paradise.