One of those bullet pointed "where I've been" posts + my ACL photo pit pictures!

I haven't quit blogging!  I think...

Alright, here's what I have been doing:

• Training to run the Austin marathon on February 20th.  I'm at 13 miles now.  The eventual goal is to get sponsorships to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Austin.
• Yoga.  A lot of yoga.  "Cross training" is my excuse for spending the money on classes (yoga isn't cheap... anywhere, but Dharma Yoga is totally worth whatever they charge).  
• Prepping to teach a children's yoga class at one of the neighborhood BGC clubs once a week.  I totally know what I'm doing...
• Prepping to lead the poetry club that a few English teachers want to start at my school (because I don't do enough being the club director and leading Keystone and Torch Club... don't ask me to be a swim coach because I'd say yes to that too and then I might explode).
• Working.  A lot.
• Spending more time with a boy I like than I should.  I need my free time to blog, etc.
• Reading... sometimes I go through long periods where I forget how, or so it would seem.  I just finished Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald.  Loved it.  It was Eat Pray Love on steroids.
• Being a bad dog mom - I finally took Bella running with me today and now she has a limp.
• Going to see LUDO!!!! perform at Emo's.  (exclamation points are my own addition).
• Not dressing cute.  I'm really tired of pictures of my own face.  Plus, oddly, the more I run and feel in better shape, the less I feel the need to dress nice.  I feel great in everything.
• Working - did I mention that?  Running a program alone (I had a partner in crime last year) is a beast.  I'm probably going to get written up soon for letting some data entry fall by the wayside.  I hate data entry.
• Not playing guitar.  Bad Amanda, bad.  I probably couldn't strum a C chord after this long without practice.
• Getting ready to be the world's most awesome bridesmaid for the love of my life - Joanie!  Her bachlorette party will be here in Austin (she's in Georgia), and a champagne table at La Bare will be going down.
• Oh - and did I mention running?  We run three times a week at 7:30 AM.  I forgot what that side of the day looks like.  This means I got to bed about... now, as opposed to 2 or 3 AM like I did last year.

The best thing I've done, though, is get a photo pit pass to the Austin City Limits Music festival to take pictures for Venus.  I don't care if I'm in no way a professional quality photographer, it was amazing, and I'm so excited I got to do it and go see a festival I would have otherwise never have been able to afford a ticket to.

From the Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zero's show photo pit.  See all 69 (I totally did not submit that specific number of photos on purpose...) of the photos they published here.

The Long Shot & My Top Tens

So I've taken the long shot of applying to write for Pitchfork.  Probably won't happen - I do not delude myself.  I consider myself a padawan in terms of music writing, but I pride myself in recognizing how much I have to learn and improve (in all things).  The time I spent making my application wasn't a waste, regardless, though, as I compiled a few top-ten lists I'd like to share, (debate?).  I feel like John Cusack in High Fidelity making these, although he only went to five, (slacker).

My Top 10 Albums of 2010 (no order):

1. 1.       Wintersleep: New Inheritors
2. 2.       Holly Miranda: The Magician’s Private Library
3. 3.       Free Lance Whales: Weathervanes
4. 4.       Fanfarlo EP
5. 5.       The National: High Violet
6. 6.       Quiet Company: Songs for Staying In
7. 7.       Magic Man: Real Life Color
8. 8.       Band of Horses: Infinite Arms
9. 9.       Suckers: Wild Smile
10. 10.  Good Old War: Good Old War

My Top 10 Tracks of 2010 (no order):

1. 1.       Hanna (Freelance Whales)
2. 2.       Atlas (Fanfarlo)
3. 3.       Mirror Matter (Wintersleep)
4. 4.       Sleep on Fire (Holly Miranda)
5. 5.       Daughter (Magic Man)
6. 6.       My Body (Young the Giant)
7. 7.       Martha (Suckers)
8. 8.       Totuus minusta (Regina)
9. 9.       My Own Sinking Ship (Good Old War)
10. 10.   Your Love (Keane)

My Top 10 Albums of All Recent Time:

1. 1.       The Jealous Girlfriends: The Jealous Girlfriends
2. 2.       Ludo: Broken Bride
3. 3.       The National: Boxer
4. 4.       The Get Up Kids: Something to Write Home About
5. 5.       Hot Water Music/Alkaline Trio
6. 6.       Mineral: The Power of Failing
7. 7.       Band of Horses: Our Swords
8. 8.       The Format: Interventions + Lullabies
9. 9.       The Walkmen: Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone
10. 10.   Grand Serenade: Lean Times

    Let's play the High Fidelity game: do you have a top ten list of albums, bands, or tracks?  I'd love to see it.

    I really wanted to have pictures of The New Pornographers show from Friday night at Stubb's, but thanks to Stubb's discriminatory camera policy, I have none.  I drove back from Little Rock to make it to the show by 8pm.  I barely made it, (9 hour drive), had to park in way far away east Austin, had only my wallet, my camera, and a water bottle in my bag, walked the long way to Stubb's, and was turned away at the door because my camera had an interchangeable lens.  Excuse me?  By the time I walked back to my car, hid my camera under a seat, debated going back, decided to with coaxing via text, and walked all the way back, I'd missed The Dodo's, and was thoroughly ticked, and will probably hold a grudge against Stubb's for a long time, because that's how I roll.  Luckily, Ludo will be playing at Emo's, and that's a show I might have gotten over my grudge to go see, begrudgingly.

So I leave you with the ultimate hipster video and a song I really like: Totuus minusta by Finish band Regina. Complete with bear costume, and cake.  And puppets.

Matt Pond PA + Wintersleep

I really like Wintersleep, and after seeing them play with Matt Pond PA, I like that band too.  I wrote up this review for Venus Zine and took photos as well.  You can read that here.  Now go listen to "Mirror Matter," it's my favorite song!

Wintersleep:

Matt Pond PA:

It was the night of couples at the Mohawk.  I took creepy-spy pictures (that were really cute) of couples cuddling, dancing, dipping, and just being everywhere.  They are always everywhere when you're not one!  Even HEB - I vote they designate a singles shopping day, sort of like senior citizens discount day.

Daniel Johnston at Mohawk

Saturday night I was really lucky to get to go see Daniel Johnston perform at the Mohawk.  I wish I knew more about him prior to seeing the show, other than that I think about him everytime I pass the sushi place on Guadalupe with his graffiti art on it, but my copy of The Devil and Daniel Johnston just came in from Netflix today. 

The entire patio was packed and breathing in water from sweat and humidity, sort of like standing in a giant, soggy sponge.  Good shows are always worth it, though.  I've never liked being completely front row, so the new-used zoom lens I got has been really helpful and handy.

Bike Theif Blues

My list of things-to-save-up-for just got longer - my bike was stolen today!  I knew I should have gotten a U-Lock, but they're expensive and I've used a chain lock for four years without issue, and the chain is so much easier to wrap around any random thing I find. 

So, my beloved Trek mountain bike that I got as a graduation present from my master's program is gone.  Thank goodness for renters insurance - for only $11 a month and four years of  price inflation - I'm basically getting the original cost of the bike back after my deductible.  I saw this Linus Mixte bike at The Peddler back when Lennon was buying his new bike, and have not-so-secretly wanted one ever since, so I've got my sights set on it.  It's more than what insurance is giving me, so I'll hold off on it for a bit, but now I know what my next major purchase will be. 

Until then, no more bike trips to HEB, the library, or joy rides around Hyde Park.  Very big frown face.  The jerk who stole it cut my chain off and left it on the ground beside the bike rack at my apartment.  I hope it breaks on him or her.  I feel like this is a huge induction into Austin - I'm a bike thief victim!  That makes me a full fledged citizen.

mewithoutyou at Emo's on June 15th

A while back, I bought a ticket to go see mewithoutyou at Emo's.  I thought it was poetically perfect for my first concert to see both single and by myself.  I wasn't on assignment for these photos, so I wanted to experiment taking pictures without a flash.  I set the camera to "raw" mode and upped my ISO, but raw ended up being a disaster when I got home because my computer couldn't read the files - I had to download a converter and the whole process took forever.  Anyway, these are the pictures I got.  It was hot and I didn't fight for space at the very very front, and I know that's a terrible thing to not do when wanting pictures, but Monday I'll be on assignment for Wintersleep and Matt Pond at Mohawk, so watch out for my elbow if you'll be there. 

Mewithoutyou put on one of the most fun live shows I've seen in a long time - possibly since Ludo in Little Rock.  After I'd squeezed out of the crowd to the cooler area to watch, they brought out trumpets and trombones and had a symphonic encore that I'm now slapping my own wrist for not photographing, (but by that point I also realized I'd broken my camera lens - so these are the last pictures from this lens you'll see for a long time).  I have mewithoutyou's most recent album and I like it but I don't love it.  After seeing them live I'm going to go back and acquire their discography.  So much energy on stage, (and sweat - with no complaints, unlike when I saw Modest Mouse live).  At one point, he knocked the microphone off the stand while playing guitar, so instead of stopping, he got down on the ground to play and continue singing prostrate. 

I've got my research cut out for me before Monday's concerts to work on my shots!  I can practice at Daniel Johnston tomorrow night. 

Neon Indian at Emo's - photos in Venus Zine

I got a press pass to go see Neon Indian at Emo's on Monday night, and after suffering some serious heat and sweat being pressed in the almost front row, (damn teenagers staked out before me...), I really enjoyed their show.  My friend Scott from Little Rock told me about them months ago, so when the chance to cover them in concert came up I jumped at it.  I didn't do the writing for this show, but I did take the pictures.  I was having some movement issues, partially fueled by my constant worry of passing out from dehydration and heat stroke, so I'm not super proud of these pictures, but I really enjoyed getting to take them, (being old and a hypochondriac aside).  You can read the article and see my published pictures here.  

My next Venus Zine coverage will be for Matt Pond and Wintersleep (I reviewed their recent album and really liked it) at Mohawk, and then Robert Plant in July.  Then I bought tickets today for The New Pornographers with the DoDo's, and mewithoutyou to attend just for fun - four shows I'm really looking forward to.

When they hung up the shower curtain and t-shirts I'd kind of hoped there would be paint thrown.  Also, props to the damn teenagers for bringing glow sticks and throwing them out to the audience behind us... they somehow fit a million in their purses. 

Don't Stop Here, This is Bat Country!

Sunday night was SUPPOSED to be the Austin Night of the Bat event - where all bat enthusiasts gathered on the South Congress bridge to watch the little varmints fly out and celebrate the start of bat season.  I got there at 7PM, (missed Adam West, sad), and by 10PM the little suckers STILL hadn't come out!  So I gave up and went to the Hideaway Cafe with Keith and Lennon.  Having lots of time to stand around, I took a bunch of pictures.  And just so you are all aware, that is my "look at this f'n hipster" pose.  Now I need an ironic mustache...

There were people from Blue Lapis Light doing a dance on the side of the hotel.  Their shadows looked like bats.

Crushable hat: Target
Floral tank: Charlotte Russe
White tank: American Eagle
Shorts: Target
Mesh coin purse necklace: got it from one of my grandmother's a loooooong time ago.  I kept a quarter in it when I was little.