I know this is supposed to be a serious blog and not just a glorified Dear Diary, but I have to talk about myself just a little bit now and then. My last Spring Break ever is almost officially over, and it was a whirlwind. South by Southwest was insane, a complete blast. I volunteered as stage crew at The Hideout, a teeny little coffee shop/theater that temporarily masqueraded as a live music venue for the festival. Despite a totalitarian cashier, a disgusting/vulgar sound guy and a few drunken, angry bands, the experience was a rush. Not a single recognizable band (in mainstream circles) was booked for our hole-in-the-wall venue, but sometimes the most obscure artists turned out to be the most entertaining. Another bonus–the often dead crowd made for a few opportunities to play hooky (with my stage manager’s permission) and go see some bigger names.

Here’s the part where I try to spin this diary-entry posting into some credible entertainment journalism. I’ve read tons of my dad’s album and concert reviews in my lifetime, so hopefully this foray into music criticism won’t suck completely.

Thursday at the Parish was Nada Surf, whom I first heard doing a cover of “If You Leave” on the soundtrack to “The O.C.” I was expecting the concert to be a little more mellow than it ended up being. Much to my surprise, the band had a lot of energy and really fired up the crowd, even inviting fans to come up onstage and dance. I don’t know a whole lot about the band, so I’ll focus most of my attention on my next entry…

Of all the shows I saw, my favorite by far was OK Go on Friday night at Dirty Dog Bar. Shockingly, they weren’t headlining the venue, but the infectiously good Chicago group definitely brought in crowds worthy of a headliner. Sporting their trademark neckties and British-feeling paisley and tweed, the four members–Damian Kulash, Tim Nordwind, Andy Ross and Dan Konopka–worked the stage for almost an hour. Kulash controlled the mic with big Jagger-esque vocals and a bigger personality, occasionally breaking in the middle of songs to bribe audience members to bring the band shots of whiskey. After about 40 minutes of rock, the highlight of which was the crowd-pleasing hit “Get Over It,” the band members shed their instruments and assumed dance positions–if you haven’t seen OK Go’s amateurish and hilarious “music video” that’s been dominating YouTube, go now: “A Million Ways” video. Obviously the fans went nuts at the gangly and half-drunken rendition of the dance the group has performed at venues the world over. I’ve been swept up in OK Go fever, to say the least.

The next day I had the privilege to attend a panel on music and activism populated by the likes of Steve Earle, Chris Walla from Death Cab and my adorable friend Damian Kulash. I’ve interviewed celebrities before, but asking a question while five famous people are staring at me was nerve-wracking. I stammered something about celebrities being political and whether or not they have any credibility, to which Steve Earle said “that’s our job.” Cue the applause.

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