SXSW Music Teaser Time by April

By April on Dec 28     Filed In Austin, Texas, Live Music, SXSW     Add a Comment

Yes folks, I am already super-stoked that it’s almost spring time. OK, it’s not close to spring based on the cold temperatures and the bare trees along Lady Bird Lake, but now that the Holidays are sliding by, I have SXSW on my mind!

Which part of SXSW am I most stoked about? Currently, the music. They keep adding more and more awesome and strange bands and I’m already putting money aside to buy my way in to the shows I want to see.

Scroll through the already-long-as-heck list of bands. Go on, don’t be scurred, you know you wanna know who’s already agreed to play.  Now that you’ve had your mind blown with that huge list, here are some of the bands I am looking forward to seeing:

Beats Antique- Saw these guys at ACL and I’ve got to say that they surprised me in a good way. I will be checking them out during SXSW. A little Middle Eastern, a little trippy and extremely fun, is how I would describe them.

Designer Drugs- I like music that rocks, but I also love a good dance party and I’m curious if these guys will deliver that to the crowd. Care to join me? Just check out the video for “Zombies” to help get you pumped and ready for that dance party. Because nothing says DANCE like watching Zombies eat brains!

Devotchka- While I’m not a fan of Gypsy music (sorry Gogol Bordello lovers, yes I’m looking at you @SweetLeafAshley) I think that I will try to catch them. This band from Denver comes highly recommended, so be sure to check back for my recap after SXSW to see if they lived up to the hype.

Fujiya & Miyagi- I’m not quite sure which station this band comes up on but they are another group, like Cut/Copy and Delorean that when I hear their music on my LastFM or Pandora stations, I go look at who the band is because I think it’s great music. I WILL be catching a set by these cats. Will you?

Joan of Arc- Not only does this band have a great name (the patron saint I chose for my Confirmation in my past life), but it’s a group that I am late to discover (Thanks Greg!) and glad to know now! The original band, Capn’ Jazz was pretty cool and I dug them at Fun Fun Fun Fest this year, but when I saw Joan of Arc play at the Mohawk, I was blown away by Tim Kinsella’s voice, stage presence and passion. Don’t believe me? Check them out for yourself. You dig?

This is a very tiny list compared to the HUGE list that is on the SXSW site and we all know there is more to be announced. Are you giddy as a school girl yet?

@SweetLeafDanny’s Fun^3 Fest Recapz! CON PHOTOGRAPHS

By Danny on Nov 8     Filed In Austin, Texas, Fun Fun Fun Fest     1 Comment

ME and Will from Giant Noise yelling at something.

Hey rockers, groovers, and of course you movers & shakers.

Fun Fun Fun Fest was this past weekend at Waterloo Park in Austin, Texas, and you know I was in attendence with some of Austin’s finest.  Weather it be the hipsters, hard-core rockers, or beat-freaks, we were all out there in harmony this weekend and I feel that I saw a mix of music that would please all of them.

If you can recall from my pre-fest blog, I was super stoked to catch Toro y Moi!  His show was unbelievable.  In the past I have seen him rocking solo with a guitar and a ccomputer, but for FFFFeast he busted out the full band and played some new material in stunning form! It was definitely one of my top shows from the fest.  Washed Out did the same, and came out with a full band, but I was not as impressed as I thought I would be.  But check out this Washed Out/Toro y Moi remix….pretty sweet!

TOP BAND of the Fest!!!  BEST COAST!  This laid back band plays retro girly pop in a 60′s fashion, with a little reverb and old school guitar riffs!  They were amazing. Plus, she has a CAT TATTOO on her arm AND on their album cover!  (See photo gallery for more of this AWESOME sauce!)

Raddest outfit for the festival.  GWAR!  I have heard of them before, but MAN, seeing is believing and they put on an insane show.  Fake Blood flowing into the crowd, and impaling a Sarah Palin Doll on stage.  INSANE!

Recap.  FFF was great and I wanted to give a Huge Thanks to my friends over at Giant Noise, and Transmission Entertainment for making this fest awesome!  THANKS Zoe and Claudia!  YOU ROCK!

Until next year — @SweetLeafDanny out.

Dance, Thrash in a Pit and Have Fun Fun Fun at the Fest!

By April on Nov 5     Filed In Austin, Texas, Food & Beverage, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Live Music     2 Comments

This week is exciting! It’s time for Fun Fun Fun Fest! Do you know what that means kids? For me, it means that I will go another weekend without much sleep in the name of discovering new bands, seeing bands that I’ve started digging because of my Pandora and LastFM stations, and seeing some awesome, old-school stuff that will help make me feel like 15 year old April again. You know what I say to people who ask if I ever sleep? “You can sleep when you DIE!”

Yup. that’s right.

But seriously, how many festivals out there offer you a chance to have a dance party at one stage, laugh at another and then get thrown into a sweaty pit of moshing bodies at a different one? Not many and that’s one of the reasons I dig this festival so much. Before working for Sweet Leaf Tea, I was pretty anti- hipster dufus music, but I have learned to embrace it and realized that as I stated last year, it all comes full circle and that needs to be cultivated, respected and revered. No matter what you’re into.

Wondering who I have on my list to see this year?

FRIDAY 7:45 PM: Dude, it’s Weird Al! Yes, really! I’ve never seen him before, but I’ve been a fan since elementary school and I can’t wait to catch his set. I expect to be laughing through the whole thing. I mean, can YOU listen to “Another one bites the dust” and NOT sing, “Another one rides the bus” instead? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Don’t miss him, it’s insanely awesome that he’s playing a special opening night for FFF Fest!

SATURDAY

Hopefully you get some sleep after that amazing set, OR you hit up some awesome after-parties and you wake up hungry and craving some tasty trailer food. On your way to Waterloo Park for the fest, stop at Auditorium Shores from 11am-8pm for the Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival! I can’t go to a festival all day without some very important nourishment and my buddies at Gourdoughs Big Fat Donuts and lots of other fine, foodie folks will be there sampling their treats and eats at a cool and affordable $3 or LESS! Nom-Nom your way across Auditorium Shores, say hi to people like the fabulous Jodi Bart and then get over to Waterloo Park so you don’t miss the first band you’re hoping to catch.

Hope to catch: The Antlers (2:45 Orange) I don’t know what is up with all of the new-fangled animal-inspired bands, but their music is pretty nifty and dream poppy, which I tend to dig. Let’s go see them!, Slick Rick (3:50 Turquoise) This dude is old-skool personified and probably shouldn’t be missed, so bust out your gold grill and be ready! The Vandals (7:00 Grey) You can’t beat this old punk band from the OC. Do yourself a favor and bounce into the evening with these guys! Dirty Projectors (7:50 Orange) These guys play some really fun music that gets pretty funky and weird. Dig ‘em! Bad Religion (8:45 Grey) While I’m probably dancing myself into a sweaty tizzy over at the Turquoise stage, my buddy will be reliving the glory days with these guys. Tell me the truth. Is there anything better than grey-haired punk rockers? I think not. Ok maybe, if they are also wearing glasses….but I digress…

Bad Religion proving my point

Not gonna miss: The Wavves (3:30 Organge) I like the music that gets played on both the LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture stations which is how I came to discover The Wavves and Delorean. See both of these bands during the Fest and get your dance on with me late Saturday night for the Delorean DJ set over at the Beauty Bar. Delorean (6:40 Turquoise), G.W.A.R. (7:50 Grey) This set is at the same time as the Dirty Projectors and trust me when I say that musically they are as different as pickles and stew but man, have YOU seen a G.W.A.R. show before? It’s a.must.see. <Easily offended? Maybe skip these guys..> RJD2 (8:45 Turquoise) I had to miss this guy when he came through town the last time and I will NOT miss this set, though it’s a conflict since it’s at the same time as punk rock icons Bad Religion and current hipster kings, MGMT. Looking for me? I’ll be the one getting my groove on during during the RJD2 set. Yup. That’s how you’ll know it’s me!

SUNDAY

Hope to catch:  Mother Falcon (12:15 Orange) If I can get myself out of bed in a timely fashion, then you will be able to catch me seeing these guys. They were so much fun at Zoe Cordes Selbin’s (the coolest person I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet) birthday party that they might just be a MUST SEE and not a “try to see”. Deakin (2:10 Orange) This guy does some pretty kooky, experimental noisy stuff with Animal Collective so it could be worth a listen! YELLE (7:40 Turquoise) They seem pretty fun and are super-upbeat. Why not? The Hold Steady (7:45 Orange) Still not sure how I feel about these guys, so I might stop by and see if they sway me once I hear them live.

Not gonna miss: Best Coast (5:10 Orange) Yup, I agree with most of @SweetLeafDanny’s choices and since he introduced me to this band, every time I’ve heard them, I’ve dug it. So come find me listening to some boy-crazy 1960’s psychedelic-beach music. Deerhunter (6:50 Orange) Again with the animal names. These guys are dreamy but heavy on the distortion and I like that. Suicidal Tendencies (7:50 Grey) Man, I have some great memories of listening to these guys with all of my skater-punk friends back in the day. When I saw that they were playing the fest I KNEW that I had to see them. I will wear my nicest flannel shirt, buttoned only at the top and a Sweet Leaf bandanna low over my forehead and eyes, yo. Tie for last show: Mastodon (8:45 Grey) & The Decendents (8:45 Orange). I missed Mastodon when they came for the Dethklok Tour. I am no metal maven by any stretch of the imagination but since Dethklok is one of the best cartoons ever created, I think catching at least a part of their set will be mandatory. The Decendents deserve our attention and as bummed as I am to be missing Devo (AGAIN!), I can’t wait to see these guys for the first time. Again, (LEGENDARY) punk rock guys with some grey hair and glasses, equals awesometown to me!

Knowing our readers have great taste in music, we wanna know who YOU plan on seeing at this years FFF Fest. Holla-back on our comments, yo!

What a Year 2009 Was!

By April on Dec 30     Filed In ACL, Austin, Texas, Events, Live Music, SXSW, Social Media     Add a Comment

Sometimes there are events in our lives that are so gut-wrenching and ugly that they over-power the smaller, AWESOME things that have happened in a year. This theory basically sums 2009 up for me.

As opposed to reliving the not-so-cool-parts of 2009, I’d love to share some of my favorite things about the last year with all of you.

1. My 1st ACL Fest-Complete w/crew passes to better see Lorin from Bassnectar throw down the sickest beats and tracks this side of the Mississippi! Did I mention that he seriously rocks my world? I even got a response from him on Twitter. (Pitter-patter goes my music-loving heart!)

2. MS 150-This was THE event that helped clue me in that I belong @ SLT. A free entry for a bike ride that exceeded my expectations in every way possible. Is there anything better than doing something you love (riding bikes) while helping others?

Ashley Montgomery, Me, & Todd Bamberg post MS 150 2009

Ashley Montgomery, Me, & Todd Bamberg post MS 150 2009

3. HiMA Interactive Strategies Conference-True validation that Sweet Leaf Tea is on the right track in the social media realm. I was proud and excited to have been asked to represent and enjoyed every moment at this event!

4. Shiner Gasp-I had a calf injury that still didn’t stop me from riding my first century ride! It only took 12 (painful) hours to ride 103 miles and I hope to be ready for it again this year!

5. Fun Fun Fun Fest-I loved winning PIP status for this festival, but even if I hadn’t been given the golden ticket, it would have still rocked. So many great bands played, both old and new. Secret highlight? Seeing Danzig perform “Twist of Cain” and my husband saying, “I had NO idea you liked Danzig that much!” I let him know that there were several things he didn’t know about the 15 year old April. There’s more to me than The Cure, that’s for sure…

6. SXSW-Roller skating, legendary bands (Echo & The Bunnymen, Peter Murphy, Primal Scream to name a few..) partying till 4am, free booze, good friends, new music, and plenty of Sweet Leaf Tea to round things out.

roller skate twirl SXSW 08

7. Improved Blogging Skillz-Have you re-read my first blog post for SLT? Oh my! I have come a long way and I think I can speak for our whole Marketing Tea’m here that all of us have really grown our writing skills!

The highlights here are only a “taste” of the coolness that came with the rest of the 2009 shenanigans. The good and the bad all equal one thing: I’m looking forward to a new start and all that 2010 A Tea Odyssey may bring!!

**I’d like to dedicate this post to Happy who forced me to remember the bad-ass things that 2009 offered me this year. You’re totally right Happy, thank you!

I also wanna thank Home Slice Pizza for the lunch-time blogging inspiration today. I needed it!

What are YOU looking most forward to in 2010?

Will Work for Tea

By Guest on Nov 19     Filed In Austin, Texas, Intern     Add a Comment

The past couple of months have been the cherry on top of my college experience. I decided to get an internship because I wanted to gain valuable insight into the real world of marketing; the local aspect of Sweet Leaf naturally drew me to this internship. A fellow classmate of mine, Jeff Dobecka, completed the internship and shared his experience with me – it sounded too good to be true!

To my surprise, it actually exceeded my expectations! This internship has been chock-full of fun and exciting experiences, such as the Austin City Limits music festival, Fun Fun Fun Fest, blitzing (handing out cases upon cases of Sweet Leaf) all over town, demoing at store grand openings. We have also attended the Austin Triathlon, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and many University of Texas tailgating parties. It’s allowed me to meet and hang out with all the local Austin weirdos, which makes me love my “weird” city even more!

In the office we’ve helped create multiple media contact lists; we’ve designed the upcoming college brand ambassador program; we’ve created numerous contests giving away guitars, cases of tea, and many other prizes.

As the “sweetest internship” is swiftly coming to an end, it’s all becoming bittersweet. I’ve gained knowledge on how a small business has become successful through hard work, innovation, creativity, and having a good time. Every person that works in this office genuinely loves what he/she does and is completely dedicated to the brand. They each show up at the events that Sweet Leaf sponsors, and the community has the perception that the office is full of cool people – a perception which has proven to be true.

I am going to miss this place more than I can express, and I am so thankful that I was able to meet all of these great people (and dogs). I’m also addicted to Sweet Leaf Tea for life, but who can blame me? Yum.

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