The strut of a rockstar

I'm recovering from an awesome weekend full of music and some great new friends. All of that fun has left me tired, with a scratchy throat and feet that feel like death. Totally worth it.

Friday kicked off the weekend with a launch party for a project I had worked on. After the party, we all headed down to our favorite spot a few blocks down. I fell a small sense of pride in the fact that we filled half the place that night. Good times had by all (I hope).

Yesterday was Summerfest 2009, an annual music day put on by our awesome locally owned radio station. This year's lineup was: Envelope, The Living Things, Band of Skulls, Company of Thieves, Matt & Kim, and Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears. Thanks to the kindness of a stranger (now a friend), I made it into the Company of Thieves Big Room, which is an unplugged set at the radio station. Thanks to the kindness of another new friend, I was able to get into the station before anyone else, so it was us, the band, and the DJ's for a while. If I didn't love Company of Thieves before, I do now. They are great, possibly even better, live.

After the show, I met up with my friend Blair and we headed to Summerfest. We caught Envelope, the local hip-hop act. The highlights of Envelope included his grandma, who was dancing backstage and the end, where he released balloons and doves as humorous and low budget way to wow the crowd. We saw a little of The Living Things before seeing Band of Skulls.

If you haven't heard Band of Skulls, you should stop what you're doing and find their album. This was a great summer album, full of gritty rock and lots of dance potential. It was made for driving with the windows down or, better yet, outdoor shows. The whole band has the kind of rockstar persona that makes you stare. Leather jackets in the middle of August, aviator glasses, and the strut of people who rock out. They lived up to the hype and put on an awesome show. Kings of Leon should probably take notes (yeah, I said that).


While the crowd and sound were horrible for the Company of Thieves show, we got good spots for Stellastar**, Matt & Kim, and Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears. While I'm not a huge Stellastar** fan, the crowd loved them. When Matt & Kim came on stage, the energy levels exploded and the entire pit area became one bouncing, hopped up dance party. Matt & Kim played a fun, high energy set and managed to charm everyone between songs ("I don't have health insurance, but I thought this t-shirt gun was a great investment."). At one point, Kim showed off her "booty shaken", and I kid you not, she smiled through the entire show. I'm friends with the station's photographer and we were looking at the photos afterward - she looks the same in almost every one. They are adorable.


Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears came on stage next and did a great job. While I recognize the appeal there, I just can't get into their stuff. Sorry. I tried, not my style. I ended up leaving and hanging out with some friends at the afterparty next door, where the dancing had already started. It felt amazing to sit after standing all day.

So, it was great, despite the tired feet and scratchy throat and overall need for more sleep. Definitely check out some new music and support the little guys out there!